Discuss The Marketing Strategies Employed By Apple Essays

Discuss The Marketing Strategies Employed By Apple Essays Discuss The Marketing Strategies Employed By Apple Essay Discuss The Marketing Strategies Employed By Apple Essay Essay Topic: The Birth Mark Apples Management strategies 6) Conclusion ? 5 7) Recommendation 6 8) References . 7 1 . Abstract Business management and marketing is a huge topic to discuss, to study this topic, its necessary to analyses a lot of facts and cases. Therefore, this report introduced several successful marketing strategies Apple company used to sale their product consumer electron company and gain so much of market share. Moreover, this report also analyses a few management techniques that Apple employed to manage its staffs and how these techniques drive Apple to maximize its profits. . Justification I hope to be a successful businessman in the future and have thus applied to study Business Management and Marketing at the University of Newcastle. There are many ways to learn how to run a business well, and many a times, experience is important. While I myself have no experience to boast of, I can however look to the experiences of other successful businessman or to the history of companies that have done well, and learn much from them I can learn and apply what other companies have done well, and also to avoid the mistakes they have made. For this reason, I have chosen to kook in detail Apple Inchs management and its wildly successful marketing strategies that have gained Apple products mainstream popularity. Through a deep analysis of the Apple case study, I hope to have a better understanding of how to run a business well. Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Woozier and Ronald Wayne (WISPED, 2008). The first Apple product was actually not the Mac which many people mistakenly believe it to be. Instead, Apple was founded to sell the Apple 1 personal computer kit. This was Just an assembled circuit keyboard and did not have NY of the features that we associate with our computers today, such as a keyboard and monitor (WISPED, 2008). One of Apples most famous products, the Macintosh, was only launched in 1984. While it gained success initially, it soon became evident that the success of the Macintosh was a flash in the pan. With a plot as dramatic as that of a soap opera, Steve Jobs, the face of Apple, was kicked out of the company a year later in 1985. Apple continued to decline after Jobs left the company. Though there were a few hits, Apple mostly scored when expensive misses. When Jobs finally name back as an interim CEO in 1997, he inherited a company which was facing a 3 year record low stock price and crippling financial losses (WISPED, 2008). Yet, with astute management and marketing strategies, Jobs started to build the company up, scoring first mild success with the computer geek crowd with the release of the Macintosh KICK: the Imax, in 1998 and later strike gold with the release of the pod in 2001 (WISPED, 2008). The phenomenal success of the pod saw the sale of 100 million units in a mere 6 years and catapulted Apple into mainstream success. Apple as continued to score many successes since then with both its hardware and software and set the bar high for other electronics companies. 4. Apples Marketing Strategies 4. 1 Definition of Marketing Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large (American Marketing Association Board of Directors, 2007). Simple. This is the best word to both describe Apple products and its marketing strategies. This is perhaps best seen through the product that propelled Apple into mainstream success the pod. Even up till this day, it remains the most successful and is now the market leader in portable music players by a significant margin, with more than 350 million units shipped as of September 2012 (Sloan, 2012). When MPH players were first released, many MPH makers peppered their advertisements with tech specifications that a large majority of the public could not understand. However, Apple did the total opposite. Jobs marketed the pod with the now famous tagging, 1000 songs in your pocket. The lesson to be learnt here was that Jobs recognized a gap in the market. While everyone focused on selling MPH players to people who knew what they were and how to use them, Apple instead chose to focus on the masses and develop a MPH player that they could understand and use. For this reason, Apple has placed a large focus on the aesthetically appeal of the pod as well, designing it such that people would not only be proud to use it, but also would want to flaunt the fact that they are the proud owner of an pod. According to David Tuber While everyone else was making an MPH player that was better/cheaper/faster, Apple was making electronic Jewelry that also played Amps. Never focusing on price, they brought to market more value, more style, and new ways of interacting with digital media (Waistline, 2008). One of the most famous pod advertisements simply features the silhouettes of both men and women dancing on a colored background. While many advertisements choose to feature famous celebrities, Apple chose instead to go incognito. This advertisement is ingenious for many reasons. For one, you dont know where these people are. They could be anywhere in the world. Secondly, you dont know who they are or what they do for a living. They can be anyone. All you know is that they are enjoying the music and rocking out. This is what makes that commercial so great and such an excellent idea. It allows anyone in the world to be that person (Wesson, 2008). In other words, by choosing to buy the pod, you can buy into the identity that Apple has constructed being the cool kid dancing to the music. This campaign was highly successful, with many people forking out the money to buy the new identity that Apple created. Apple was also smart in providing its users a seamless music playing experience. 2 years after the launch of the pod, Apples tunes store was introduced. Apple also ensured that its products were integrated. Many features were available to users who have both the Mac and the pod as compared to pod users who used an ordinary PC. Hey made it work better on the Mac than on a PC for obvious reasons to get people to buy more Apple computers, both pod and Mac sales benefited from is strategy (Wesson, 2008). 4. 3 Marketing Strategies Used in the Sales of the Mac Mac is a line of personal computers designed, developed, marketed by Apple Inc. It is targeted mainly at the home, education, and creative professional markets (WISPED, 2013). As mentioned above, Apple has made sleek its middle name. The design of the Mac is no exception. It immediately captures peoples upscale fee l. Apple has added a twist to the skimming strategy. Rather than introducing their products at a high price and then lowering their prices later, Apple stakes out a price and then maintains and defends that price by significantly increasing the value of their products in future iterations (Kirk, 2013) Apple used the skimming strategy for Macs marketing strategy as they wanted to sell a quality product and let their customers know that the computers they get are worth very dollar they spend even if the Mac seems more expensive than other computers on the market with similar specifications. Nevertheless, this marketing strategy was a huge success because this meant that more money could be devoted to research and development (RD) which would in turn allow Apple to continue to develop quality products to give them an edge over competitors in the same market. As with the marketing of the pod, Apple always aims to provide their customers with a seamless experience when using their products. For the Mac, Apple came up with the Life Suite, which includes a video editing program (movie for consumers and Final Cut Pro for professionals) and a music creation program (Greenland) 4. Marketing Strategies used in the promotion of the phone Even with new players in the smartened market, Apple continues to widen its lead and control the market with the phone at 40% domination (Campbell, 2013). This is a huge number every 4 in 10 smartened owner uses an phone. Even though Apple has a reputation for quality hardware and software, without clever marketing strategies it would have been impossible to control such a large market share. After Apples success with the Mac and the pod, Apple continue to ride on the success of its previous two products and launched the phone which too had a sleek packaging that was soon becoming its trademark and with the interface that many Mac/pod users have fallen in love with. By convincing consumers that not only their products were the best but the only ones in the market, the sales of the phone only saw an upward trajectory. The actual pod device had been extremely popular up to this time, and also the apple phone had been said to be the actual next-generation pod device, Oh yea, also its the telephone (Apple Pirate, 2011). Mobile phones were already available in the market when the phone was launched, with brands such as Monika dominating the market. Instead of being contented with merely differentiating themselves in this market overeducated with competitors, Apple instead created a whole new market of their own the smartened market. The phone has an all-in-one. Not only did it have the usual phone functions, it allowed consumers to play games that were more complex than the iconic snake, read their emails and surf the net on a much larger screen than what many Blackberry users were using and even camera/picture applications (APS) that allowed for editing of photographs. All additional APS were available through the Apple owned and designed App store and like before, phone users could download music into their phone from the App store. As seen once more, a seamless user experience that its users fall for hook, line and sinker. Another marketing tactic that Apple utilizes was the secrecy it adopted before the launch of its products. This was particularly evident in the marketing for the phone where each new upgrade of its products might see many significant changes. By rodents, Apple ensured that the hype for its products would be high and this would in turn help to generate publicity especially on social media platforms. This leaves Apple fans especially hungry for each new release of their products and eagerly snap up the products once they hits the shelves. When shoppers sleep outside of stores just to be one of the first to buy an phone its obvious that Apple Inc. Is a company that enjoys fanatical brand loyalty (INCIDENCE, 2009) On the eve of the release of phone, the company releases photos of the lengths that people would go to get their ands on the new products the long queues outside various stores across and the world, and release this photos on the internet, further hyping up the release of their phone. 5. Management 5. Definition of Management As defined by the (Business Dictionary), business management is The organization and coordination of the activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives. Again in laymans terms, business management can be simply said to be how a company manages its employees. 5. 2 Apples Management Strategies The management of Apple is outstanding as seen from the success Apple has achieved in slightly more than a decade. Of course, this was only possible from adopting a management style different from most large organizations. While most companies, from food to manufacturing is run by the business people (the managers and section heads), Apple is instead run by its engineers and its designers, the people who understand what they are creating and this in turn helps them create the products that millions all over the world love. At Apple, if an employee was using a product and found an issue that bothered them, they had the freedom to o in and fix it without having to deal with layers of bureaucracy to get approval (Male, 2010). A lot of freedom is given to Apples employees and this allows creative to flourish. This helps the employees to own the products they create and this give births to products that the masses like simply because the engineer and designers who work on them love them too. By the standards of retailing, Apple offers above average pay ? well above the minimum wage of $7. 25 and better than the Gap, though slightly less than Luncheon, the yoga and athletic apparel chain, where sales staff earn about $12 an hour. The company also offers very good benefits for a retailer, including health care, contributions and the chance to buy company stock, as well as Apple products, at a discount (Denying, 2012). Providing an incentive for ones employees may not be anything new or groundbreaking. However, Apple has recognized a good business strategy and put it into practice, and also tailored it so that it would be in line with the companys visions and beliefs. For example, keeping in mind that they are marketing to the masses, they allow their employees to buy their products at a discounted price to serve as walking advertisements. A company hat cares for its employees would always benefit when the employees treat the 6. Conclusion: In conclusion, it can been seen that a companys marketing and management strategies are essential not only for its success but its existence itself. As the case study of Apple has shown, a product can be good in its own right, but great marketing would make the product phenomenal. Similarly, while talented people can boost a companys performance, a combination of talented people and astute management tactics would bring a company to much greater heights. 7. Recommendation The marketing strategies and management techniques that Apple used are very mart and successful, it really help Apple to increase its profits and revenue.

Parental Control essays

Parental Control essays The Internet is probably the best invention in the last twenty years. The Internet has more information than you can find in about a million books. While many people used the Internet for informational things, today in the year 2002, kids are taking over. To this day kids all over the world are more knowledgeable than adults when it comes to using and finding information on the Internet. Numerous parents presume that the Internet is good for their children because of the many acquired facts one can find. Parents also believe that the Internet keeps their children out of the streets where they can easily get into trouble. What many parents do not realize is that the Internet is just as dangerous as the outside world. For one, the Internet does not restrict anything. Moreover, kids today use the Internet so they can communicate electronically with friends. This can be bad because there are a lot of crazy people out there and they wont hesitate to do something to whomever they meet online. Grunwald Associates, a marketing research and consulting firm, announced in June 2000 that Internet use by children ages 2 to 17 has tripled since 1997 (Bushong 12). The use of the Internet has gone up tremendously is because many kids do not have much to do after school. Countless parents actually view this as a good thing because they at least know where their kids are in the afternoon. What they are not aware of is that their children have unlimited access to a lot of corrupt information. For instance, your child might be a fan of the WB networks Charmed, a television show for teenagers about three sisters with magical powers. The teenager might be looking for sights on the show and decides to type the word Charmed on the search engine. Innocently, they could click on one of the sites. Instead of the site being about the show, they come to find out that it is about learning witchcraft or people tr...

Analysis of the Death Penalty and Presidential, Parliamentary Systems Essay

Analysis of the Death Penalty and Presidential, Parliamentary Systems - Essay Example Justices can often state in their decisions what they believe is right or wrong, but this can sometimes be in contradiction to their overall decision. Thus, overall, a Supreme Court decision would offer a verdict and explain that it is valid because it complies with the Constitution and other laws. An editorial would be more rhetorical in nature, as it would not cite the legality of the death penalty as well as its preceding use as evidence supporting its current use, as this would be arguing why the death penalty is Constitutional or not. Instead, the editorial would persuade the reader why the death penalty is or is not necessary, efficient, or of use, regardless of its legal status, and thus the writer would have a goal of being subjective and persuasive rather than objective and decisive. 2. Official agreements between countries tend to closely resemble the structure of a contract. They provide for the conditions of the contract, the duration of the contract, and who is involved. They would also list exceptions and contingencies for violation of the contracts. It would, of course, be written and express, rather than being verbal or implied, so that the relationship and agreement between countries are clearly defined and stated.

Default and Dispute Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Default and Dispute - Research Paper Example Acquisition planning and cost containment strategies of government are two important aspects of the study. Finally, the study will try to recommend some useful strategies to increase the efficiency of procurement process of government.     Termination for default can be described as practice of contractual right of prime contractor or the government to terminate the agreement or contract partially or as a whole for the reason of contractor’s failure to perform contractual obligations (in actual or anticipatory). Termination for default causes the loss for an underperforming contractor in the following way. 1- The contractor will not be able to get reimbursement for undelivered work and they need to repay for any further advancement required in the undelivered product, 2- The contractor is liable to the prime contractor to pay the extra cost incurred due to terminated contract. Termination of default is a harsh monetary penalty in real practice. Every contractor needs to ta ke possible steps to avoid such predicament (James, 1963). Bases for a Termination for Default The Federal Acquisition Regulation has described various bases for termination for default. The bases can be summarized in the following manner. 1- Contractor fails to perform or deliver the work within given time frame, 2- contractor fails to show acceptable performance to accomplish the work. As a result of poor performance the contractor fails to progress in the work, 3- a government can show debarment notice to contractor, 4- a government can repudiate the contract anticipating future loss that would be caused by poor performance of the contractor. 4- Contractor fails to perform any of the contractual provisions. Example Termination for Default is categorized as government specific technical term contracting term described in 49.4 of the FAR. When a supplier fails to supply product within the predetermined time frame the government can terminate a contract for default. Suppose a suppli er did a contractual agreement with the government to supply 60 units of the product after 1 month but managed to deliver only 40 units within given time frame. The government has the right to perform the termination of default due to the failure of the contractor. Termination for Default versus Termination for Convenience Consequences In case of termination for default, the prime contractor is not liable for the cost incurred on undelivered work and contractor is liable to pay advance payments made by a government. The government has the right to claim manufacturing materials and completed supplies after termination of a contract. Contracting officer shall acquire finished material under the default clause on behalf of a government. Government is liable to pay contract price of finished supplies to a contractor. The payment amount is decided by contracting officer after adjustment with a contractor (Acquisition, n.d.). In the termination for convenience, the government may terminat e the contract in whole or in part at any time by giving minimum thirty days notice to the contractor. The contractor will be paid due to payment for completed work by the prime contractor.

Indian Book Retail Industry Essay Example for Free

Indian Book Retail Industry Essay The Indian book retail industry is estimated to be over Rs 3,000 crore, out of which organised retail accounts for only 7 per cent.The industry is expected to grow by approximately 15 per cent a year.Book retail contributes only about 1 per cent to the overall retail industry. Text and curriculum books account for about 50 per cent of the sales. Second-hand books are also a big chunk of the book retail market. In the past few years, several large format book store chains have come up, such as Landmark, Crossword and Om Book Shop etc . More than 75 per cent stores of these large chains are in top eight cities. These Organized Book retailers are focusing on improved customer experience. Many book stores have also introduced coffee shops and provide a library-like atmosphere where customers can sit and read, while sipping coffee. Besides this online channel is also significant with players like Flipkart, Indiaplaza, Infibeam etc. With the printed word considered an endangered species in much of a rapidly digitizing world, India now represents one of the best book markets in the world. â€Å"There has definitely been a huge jump in the size of the industry in terms of book sales and the number of books being published,† said Mita Kapur, the founder of Siyahi, a literary agency, who says the number of books published in English is growing by 30 percent a year. Vikrant Mathur, associate director of Nielsen Book, India, said the volume of book sales grew by 45 percent during the first half of 2011. For the entire year, Nielsen, a global information provider, documented English-language book sales of 3.28 billion rupees – about $62 million – from more than 12 million books sold. And that is probably only a fraction of true total sales, since Nielsen only measures about 35 percent of the total market. â€Å"Where physical books are concerned India right now is a very, very big market,† said Priyanka Malhotra, director of Full Circle Publications. â€Å"There is a whole younger generation coming up from BPOs who are starting to read in English, which is where a lot of new demand is coming from.† Online retail have also spurred growth in the industry. To summarize India’s book retail industry is broadly divided into 3 sectors : 1. Organized 2. Unorganized 3. Online The organized sector has big names such as : crosswords, OM book shop , landmark etc to name a few. On the other hand unorganized sector is huge and highly fragmented, with shops spanning from local book stores to road side book shanties to red light book sellers etc. This sector is also filled with piracy and pirated copies of original books (which is a serious threat to the sales of organized sector) Online sector is the newest of them all and has just started to takeoff in sales since last 3-4 years. The major advantage of such a format is the wide variety of offerings under one roof and ease of access for the users. Thus this is the fastest growing sector among all of them. The prominent players in this category are Flipkart.com, Infibeam.com etc. Unorganized sector (Golden book depot) Golden book depot is a typical book store among many in the unorganized sector of the india book retail industry. This store is loacated in the vicinity of our target organized sector store ( OM book shop) i.e. Ber Sarai ( adjacent to IIT) in south Delhi. As can be seen in the photograph, this is a small shop , almost 1/10th of the size of om book shop and most of the products are available behind the counter, with only magazine stand placed just outside the store. As magazines as a category has most no of impulse purchase. On an average around 50-70 customers come to this book store, and this tore has a footfall conversion of over 85% which is very high as compared to the organized sector (OM book shop) . The reason for this behavior is that most of the products in these kind of shops are behind the counter and it doesn’t provide the luxury to the customer to stroll around and search and read a book as in the case of organized sector. Therefore almost all of the customers coming to these shops like golden book depot are aware of what they want and demand that directly from the shop keeper who then searches the book in the shop and hands over to the customer. Besides having a smaller area , less variety of books and behind the counter selling, the sales (in terms of no. of books sold) is still higher in golden book depot as compared to OM book shop . The reason for that being : 1. Availability of educational books , i.e. educational course materials and  competitive exam preparation books. These books constitute the majority of the portion of these book shops in unorganized sector. These kind of books , especially course materials for various courses such as MBA, B.Tech, BCA etc . are not available at book stores like OM book shop. As they (Organized) focus more on selling of novels and leisure read books. 2. Many of the popular shops in unorganized sector offer a facility to bring the old books and exchange them with the new books at a discounted rate or return the old books at a discounted rate in form of cash return. This is a major reason why price conscious middle class Indian customers prefer unorganized sector over organized sector. 3. Perception in the minds of Indian customers that these small shops will offer the same product at cheaper rate than the organized sector shops, which have flashy interiors and huge shop floor. This perception is true also upto some extent as these shopkeepers in these small shops have the control over their margins and not guided by any company policy ( as in the case of OM book shop) that means these shop keepers can even squeeze their margins from around 10% to as low as 1-2% to attract or retain a customer by offering them the cheapest bargain. Organized sector (OM BOOK SHOP ) About Om Book Shop Retailer and Publishing House: Om Book Shop is a part of Om Books International, a leading English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, and is a prominent player in the Indian book industries. The book retailing chain has a significant presence across the Delhi-NCR region. Besides stocking books, movies, magazines and CD ROMs, Om Book Shop is also a major distributor of books of many leading international imprints. OBI began publishing in 1993. Collection: With a strong focus on children books and coffee-table books, the store has a diverse collection including books on Lifestyle, Nature and Wildlife, Fashion, Bollywood, Heritage and Culture, Management, Health Fitness, Cookery, Architecture and Interiors, pictorial books for children etc. Children section is a major thrust area for the company and OBI publishes children’s titles under the Om Kids imprint: illustrated classics, mythology, folk tales, encyclopaedias etc. Loyalty programs and other salient features: Other salient features Om Book Shop currently holds about 50 thousand registered customers with the Om Book Privilege Loyalty Programme which offers points, discounts other offers to its loyal customers. OBS aims to popularize the Gift -a- book idea across its stores and delivers services like Dial-a-book which allows the customers to shop from their homes; and the efficient and helpful staffs in the book stores assists them in finding the right book or the right gift for the right occasion. Overview: Product, Category and Store Product Category: ‘Books’ Retail Format: Category Specialists Customer segments: In terms of demographics, the Om Book shop customer can be a child/adult from any age group, gender, income class (reasonably well off) etc. Store: Om Book Shop is located in DLF Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj. The store is located on the 2nd floor of the mall and the floor plan is provided in Figure1. The store is strategically located in a way that it falls on one of the 2 ways to the food court and movie theatre. Figure 1: Floor Plan of Om Book Store STORE PHILOSOPHY * Layout * Ambience/dà ©cor * Sale program * Loyalty Store layout structure Om book store has a very functional and efficient physical layout. Mall sq. foot area is very expensive so there seems to be an effort on part of the book store to utilize as much area as possible. Hence the layout may be a bit crammed for some customers. The bird’s eye view of the layout is as follows: The front view of the store is a transparent glass window through which a passerby can easily see into the store. The poster’s on display from the  front view are only of â€Å"OM publisher’s† in different categories like kids books, cook books, and biography (Amir Khan’s â€Å"I’ll Do it My Way†. The most popular and eye-catchy book categories are positioned near the entrance of the store. The largest selling categories, Children’s books, Fiction, and New Arrivals are placed in shelves that a customer encounters as soon as he enters the store. These sections also have the largest impulse buy and are therefore kept at the forefront. Om book’s self published books in the kids category is displayed in big piles on the ground straight in the line of path of a customer who walks into the store. Since the child often runs about choosing his/her own story books and activity (colouring/mask) books and heavily influencing the purchase decision of the parent so the children books of the OM publisher has been strategically kept within reach of the child on the ground to woo the him/her. Other publications in the same Children’s category have been kept on the shelf and in â€Å"sideway† display to decrease their exposure to the child/parent. Om Publication’s in any other category when placed on the shelf have been given a frontal full display to encourage sales. Management books being the next most popular category, they have been placed right after the popular categories when comparing in terms of â€Å"distance from entrance†. Categories pertaining to work or hobby like gardening, travelling, cooking etc / or specific topics of interest like astrology, philosophy, poetry, etc have been grouped towards the end of the store, furthest away from the entrance. This is because these categories can usually not create impulse purchase and so every customer need not pass through these segments/aisles. People who do buy these books are targeted shoppers and will anyhow walk to the back end of the shop to pick up his/her book. These categories are not as popular as the others and have loyal customer following. The impulse buy accessories are lined along the passage on either side from the entrance to the cash counter. It is further seen that the counter is placed at the other end from the entrance to ensure that a customer has to walk through all the impulse purchase offerings before he/she can buy the book. The products on offer in this so called â€Å"impulse accessory† shopping segment are: pens (parker and waterman), magazines, cookbooks, horoscope books, key rings, bookmarks, marble-paper/wrapping paper, and bestsellers in each category. It can further be noticed that the best seller section just prior to the cash  counter is dedicated solely to Om publication. Additional aspects of the Store Layout The layout is no doubt very functional keeping in mind the profit maximization philosophy of the store and the main agenda of pushing its own publication to the shopper. However the spacing of shelves is crammed with little walking space, hardly any sitting space (only 2-3 stools), and only 1 book stand. The entire focus is on 1 product offering i.e. books. Unlike competitors in the organised sector like Landmark, it is not focussing on the entire shopping experience, (no coffee, no other items on offer like stationary etc, no sitting space). Store Ambience and Decor The bookshelves were made of engineered wood like particle wood. This created a unique and rich traditional effect. Plastic or metal bookshelves were not used since they do not look expensive and give a modern feel, which was not something the book store wanted. Furthermore the particle wood was coloured a light shade of brown to give a bright and roomy/spacious look to the store. However the bookshelves were placed too close and for a particular section of customers who prefer the comforts of abundant seating arrangement, coffee facility, and walking space (as provided by Landmark), the sheer functional design of the store might be interpreted as a crammed. This might not work well for a particular segment of customers whose involvement with the shopping experience is as high as, if not higher than the involvement with the product itself. Furthermore the store works on the philosophy that it will focus on selling books alone and not encourage customers to spend hours just reading in the store. This is unlike some of its contemporaries like Landmark that encourage customers to sit and read inside the store. Hence at OM book stores some customers may complain that the staff hover close to them and make them feel uncomfortable if they stay too long. The store plays light and slow English instrumental music to suit the taste of the higher-strata of people who usually visit the Promenade Mall and create a relaxed atmosphere in the store. Instrumental music is  played since a song with wordings would disturb the concentration of a customer reading the epilogue/back-cover of a book. This gives a contemporary feel to the store. Store Sale Programs The store’s maximum profit comes from its Children’s section. Hence the sale period coincides with the summer and winter vacation in schools in Delhi. December to Mid-January and May to June are the respective winter and summer sales. The store is also receptive to mall trends in sale. Since almost every other shop in the mall had a sale in July, so the store too announced a sale to cash in on the increased footfall to the mall during the sale-period. There was no Flat Sale offer. Discount amounts were graded on the basis of demand. Books with high demand had low sale; New Arrival, Top 20 Fiction/Non-Fiction, general Fiction, and bestsellers had only 10% discount. The store felt that irrespective of the price these books would sell and so gave negligible discount on them. However on the kids section the discount was higher, around 20%, and even higher discounts on children’s books published in-house by Om Publications. This is because the store believes that parents during the sale period buy in bulk and a higher sale would induce them to buy more and yet it would not affect your margins. Furthermore parents are price conscious when buying for little kids since the books cannot be added to a collection later on and mostly become irrelevant in a short time after the child has outgrown them. The sale on OM publication was the highest because they already had the highest margins on it due to the absence of a middleman, and therefore could easily afford a large discount on those books. By touting the large discounts they aim to attract consumers to their publication and yet make the largest profit on the same sales. The books with the largest discounts (say more than 50%) were displayed in piles on the floor. This was due to the belief that even if the books weren’t displayed at eye-level, even then the mammoth sale amount would encourage the shoppers to make the effort of bending down to pick up the book. To publicise the sale big red stickers were pasted on the glass walls of the store which can be viewed by the casual shopper passing by the store. Inside the store the discount for each section was  mentioned separately through stickers and pointers. Store Loyalty Program A book is generally a product category where the consumer’s involvement with the product (i.e. the book itself) is much higher than his involvement with the store. Even if a person might have store preferences, yet his/her loyalty lies with the book and not with the store. Hence a consumer would not really care much as to whether he bought his/her book at OM Book stores or at Landmark, which is a stones throwaway. Thus in order to boost retention of loyal customers Om book stores has come up with a loyalty program, a privilege card holder concept which is as follows: * 1 point for every Rs.10 purchase. * Minimum points for redemption are 500 points. * 1 point equals Rs 1 reduction in bill amount. 60-70% of walk-in customers were privilege card holders and the store already has 4500 privilege card holders. The scheme is a moderate success. Store Timings | 11 A.M to 10 P.M ( For Mall)11 A.M to 8 P.M ( For standalone shop not the store we studied)| Working days| All 7 Days of the week| Peak days| Saturday and Sunday| Peak hours| Evenings post 6:00 pm| Staff| 10-12 members including the manager. Manager stands behind the counter at one of the two cash registers. He is accompanied by 2 staff members whose work is to: 1. Use the second cash register for quick transactions during peak hour to prevent long queuing period 2. To get a book for a customer if he/she directly comes to the counter and asks for a specific book.| Floor Staff responsibilities| * Taking care of the specific three to four sections assigned to them. * keeping a track of inventory * Filling the requisition form for the replenishing of stock * Guiding the customers if required * Sticking the barcode behind each new book before placing them on the shelf.| Shifts| There are no shifts; each staff member works throughout the day from 11:00 AM -8:00pm (fixed) and from  8:00pm-10:00pm (variable) depending on the rush. Hence post 8:00 pm the retained staff is paid on overtime basis.| Showrooms (strategic positioning)| NCR – 5 in malls and 2 stand aloneMumbai – 1 stand aloneThe store we studied was in the Promenade mall beside DT cinemas movie ticket counter on the 2nd floor.| Revenues| 1.5 to 2 Lakhs on weekdays3 to3.5 Lakhs on weekendsChildren, Fiction – highest selling category (80% of sales)| CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR The product category is such that it involves Limited-Decision Making by the customers. The reasons for purchase of a book from the store can be: * Buying for self- Leisure * Buying for self Knowledge * Buying for Others- Regular * Buying for Others- Situational The greater the motivation to make an optimal decision, the more likely an attribute-based choice will be made. Thus, attribute-based processing is more likely for an expensive book purchase than it is for an inexpensive magazine. The easier it is to access complete attribute-by-brand information, the more likely attribute-based processing will be used. A variety of situations influence which choice approach is most likely. A book bought with the intention of a gift purchase is assigned more importance than a purchase for oneself. Thus, gift purchases would be more likely to produce attribute-based decision processes. Time pressure is a major determinant of choice process used, with increasing time pressures producing more use of attitude-based decisions. Thus, we can identify 3 major clusters of customers that visit Om Book Shop. Category I: DEDICATED READER This is the kind of person who feels complete with a book in his hand. For him, the behaviour is governed by his choices alone and it is solely his decision. He is always trying to find the time to get back to his book. He is convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more. His primary information search happens within the store only. Category II: LITERATE GOOD CITIZEN This is the kind of person who usually buys a book after reading it review by a critic or an expert. Such a person does more information search before coming to the store. For our respondent group, the most dominant sources for this information were reviews and Bestseller lists published in newspapers, magazines or online blogs and sites likes Amazon.com. Category III: FAD READER This is the kind of person who only reads the popular books/ latest bestsellers so he can be up to date on what other people are talking about and be seen by others as someone who is well read. He often reads for the social credit he can get out of it. His primary information search is more through his friend circle or his group of colleagues from whom he might hear the latest ‘fads’ in terms of books. Such a person could also go in for information search in popular newspapers/magazines or the shares on social media websites.

The Final Conversation in A Dolls House :: Dolls House essays

The Final Conversation in A Doll's House The final scene of A Doll's House is one of the most famous and hotly debated moments in modern drama, endlessly argued about. I make no attempt here to account for all the complexities of this fascinating scene, but once again I'd like to offer some observations to fuel further discussion. Torvald's behaviour once he reads Krogstad's letter totally demolishes the illusion Nora has taken refuge in, and the lectures he delivers to Nora at the start of the scene remind us unmistakably of what a total social prig he is, determined to salvage what he can by deception and very angry at Nora for what she has done. We are right to find what he says very offensive, especially since he makes no sympathetic attempt to talk to her, to explore her motivation, to share the crisis together as two individuals at a critical point in their lives together. [Naturally, the staging of the first part of this scene is absolutely crucial for shaping our response to what happens later. If, for example, Torvald's angry abuse leads him to hit Nora, the impact of his tirade will be very different indeed from what it would be if we sense a genuine pain and panic under his insults, if it deflates him rather than energizing him to violence against her] At the same time, we need to recognize that much of what Torvald says is right. If this gets out, he will be ruined. We know enough about his society to understand that the slightest accusation of criminal conduct will destroy them both (and that, we know, is so much more than just losing a job). And we have seen that for Torvald his social role is who he is, his entire identity. He has no conception of himself outside that role. So, in effect, Nora has, in his eyes, destroyed him. We may deplore the shallowness of his character, but we should not dismiss the intensity of his feelings or the accuracy of his perception of how society will react. Everything he believes in is in danger of being taken away. And that's why, once the danger has passed, he can instantly become himself again: his identity has been restored. So when he utters (and keeps repeating) that line which so often earns a laugh in the modern theatre ("I forgive you everything") he is making (in his eyes) a sincere concession.

Psychology-1 Parenthood Analysis

Raising his only daughter, Patty, to be a perfect human is Nathan Huffner’s goal. He is in denial about his attitude towards raising his daughter; he said that he just wanted Patty to learn more than other kids do but the truth is he wants Patty to be his source of achievement; he is proud that his child is a genius and for that, he feeds his pride. He trained his daughter to be so intelligent, to be not only good at everything but be the best at everything. He taught his daughter things that even some adults can’t do. His daughter never had a chance to complain about the things that was being taught to her because she was so little to understand that her life was not the life of an ordinary little girl. Nathan Huffner concentrated so much about his child’s intellectual learning. He even refused to have another baby because he wanted to concentrate on Patty’s â€Å"above normal† development; because of that, his wife was so disappointed but she can’t show all her anger to her husband that’s why he just displace her disappointment on eating and filling her appetite. He didn’t let his child to enjoy her life as a child. He just fed Patty with knowledge and other complicated things and never let her feel the feeling of what a normal little girl should feel. That made him an authoritarian parent; the one that discourages expressions of disagreement. He has strict standards; he wants Patty to be a perfect human. As a result, Patty was unsociable with other children. She was unfriendly to others. She was withdrawn and was acting and reacting weird to situations that seems normal to other children (an example is the â€Å"thumb magic† of Gil to the children; others had fun with that magic while Patty screamed and ran away. Maybe that’s because of too many scientific facts in her head that made her think that that magic was disgusting. ) Another scene that showed Patty being different from other children was in the party of Kevin; she saw a boy turning around and around, she asked her mother what was the boy doing, that means that Patty was unable to do the things that a normal child experiences, which is doing silly things and enjoying those silly things. Frank Buckman was a permissive father for Larry Buckman. He was ever supportive on his son even though he knows that Larry is involved in some illegal scams for easy and quick money. There was even a point in the movie that Larry had to pay a large amount of money or else he will be killed. Frank was disappointed with Larry but he wants to help him because he loves him so much. He wanted to bail out Larry by using the car that he loved so much for the crime he did. As a result, Larry has a low self control and was dependent to his father. He thinks that it’s alright to do bad things because his father will always be supportive to him. He even had a baby with a show girl in Las Vegas; that shows how low his self control was. Yet, he was an uninvolved parent to his other kids. All his attention was on Larry that he was now emotionally detached to Gil and the others. Although his like that, it was then revealed that he also loved Gil. But instead of showing love, he showed the exact opposite of it. He used reaction formation. Showing love provokes anxiety on Frank because he always saw himself as a tough guy. He didn't like showing a soft side of him. Also, Frank is in denial that he hated Gil because he taught that he had polio but he is covering his feelings towards his son because love provokes anxiety on him. Larry Buckman was concentrated to his illegal schemes for him to get easy and quick money. He had a bi-racial son named Cool; who was the fruit of his affair with a showgirl in Las Vegas. Larry was a negligent parent. He doesn't really care for Cool; as long as the child is fed, his child has a house to stay on; he thinks that his responsibility is done. He had his family take care of Cool because he knows that his father will support him all the way. As a result, Cool became an indifferent kid. He was always inside the house and never got the chance to mingle and play with other kids; that makes him ignorant to the outside world and his cognitive and social development was impeded. He feels unloved and emotionally detached from his own father. There is a part in the movie that Larry and Frank were talking about how to bail out Larry from his gambling addiction, his father mentioned that he will enter a â€Å"gambling anonymous†; which means that Larry is in denial of his addiction in gambling that’s why he should enter in a gambling anonymous. He’s scared of entering the real world. He is scared of getting a job because he may not be good at it. So he was involved in gambling and rationalizes to himself that it was because of what his father has always taught him. Helen is a permissive parent. She was undemanding and was so easy in them. She lacks control on her two children, Garry and Julie. As a result, Garry appears to be a very weird boy. He was quiet and shows very little concern about what her mother says. He has this mysterious paper bag that he keeps in his room. He wants to stay in his room all day and if he goes out, he locks his room and doesn’t want anyone to enter his room. Helen wondered what is inside the paper so he opened Garry’s room to look for the paper bag; finding out that the paper bag was filled with porn movies. Helen showed a little disappointment but later on shows approval and rationalizes that it is normal for Garry to be curious about those things because Garry just entered puberty and he doesn’t have a father to ask about those things. Another effect was shown by her daughter Julie. Julie was a wild and curious girl. Julie wanted to be with his boyfriend, Tod, and ignores her mother’s advice. She left their house and stayed with Tod. They even got married. Eventually, Julie returned home and went back to her mother, which shows how Julie was so dependent on her mother’s company. After all, Helen still agreed to let Julie and Tod stay in her house and already accepts Tod as a part of their family. As shown in the movie, both Julie and Tod expresses unwanted behaviors; these may be a way to repress their memories about the separation of their parents; they focused on other things so that they can forget about that experience that surely affected them. Gil Buckman is another permissive father in this movie. There were so many problems that he encountered in this movie. First, he found out that his eldest son, Kevin, needs to transfer to a special school for special kids and need to undergo therapy. He rationalized that Kevin is just too smart that’s why he seems not so normal compared to other kids. He covered up his anxiety of Kevin being not normal so he believes his own lie that Kevin is just too smart. At first he disapproved to that opinion but eventually, he agreed upon seeing the behavior and reaction of Kevin to different situations (baseball and the lost retainer). Another problem that he encountered was his job because the partnership was given to another person which means that he will be facing a serious financial problem in his family. He was so frustrated and angry so when he went back home, he was arguing with his wife. He displaced his anger to his wife because even though he showed anger to his boss, still he can’t put out all his anger to his boss. Then he found out that his wife, Karen, was pregnant. He was so frustrated about all of these problems but still he agreed on having a birthday party for Kevin. Kevin wanted to have a cowboy character that twists balloons on his birthday. Even though Gil knows that that will be expensive, he still agreed on hiring that cowboy character on Kevin’s birthday. When he found out that the cowboy will not make it to the party, he didn’t want Kevin to be disappointed, so he dressed like a cowboy and performed at the party even though he looks silly. He can’t disagree to his son’s wishes; that proves that he is a permissive parent; even though he knows it will be hard for him, he makes sure that he will not disappoint his children. But his being permissive had a good effect on his children. Kevin’s emotional problem begins to improve. At first he questions his abilities on being a father to his children because of the burdens that he faced but eventually, he was still a good father then.

European Environment Essay

Introduction Turkey’s entry into the European Union has been a matter of controversy for years. Although the nation is applying great effort to breaking the entry barrier, so far its efforts have been futile. Why? It seems too big, too poor and too different from Europe. The little piece of Turkish territory that is situated in Europe cannot persuade the European policy-makers that the nation is part of the European civilization. However, Turkey keeps pushing and at one point the nation might succeed in attaining its goals. In this paper, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of joining the EU for the largely Asian country and for the EU itself. After all, the almost forty-year struggle for EU membership waged by Turkey should be motivated by the perceived advantages of the membership in the union. For the EU, the acceptance of such an unusual member can also bring some distinct advantages as well as disadvantages. EU perspective 1.1. Cons for Europe Unlike pros, the cons of accepting Turkey into what has previously been a group of white, Christian and affluent nations are apparent at first glance. Former European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein’s â€Å"too big, to poor, too different† is a perfect designation for what Turkey appears to be to the Europeans and what it bring them in the not-so-remote future, changing the landscape of Europe forever. Turkey is indeed too big in proportion to population. At the moment, it numbers about 70 million, but considering the rapid growth rates, it may soon become the largest European nation (Lamb 2004). As the EU often determines how much power to give the nations in accordance with their population size, Turkey may grab more power in the EU than European policy-makers are willing to give it. Anyway, â€Å"that would immediately shift the balance of EU power to the East† (Lamb 2004). At the same time, Turkey will bring the borders of the EU closer to the unstable Middle Eastern region. Iraq, Syria, Iran – all these explosive neighbors would come one step closer with the entry of Turkey. Those who oppose its entry point to the fact that it is already a member of NATO and so it is unlikely that joining the EU would help to broaden the cooperation in any meaningful way. Besides, Turkey is too poor to be admitted into the alliance that enjoys one of the highest living standards in the world. The completion of the integration process between Turkey and the EU would require opening the borders between the two nations to admit free flow of capital, goods and people. This could immediately flood the European Union with a massive stream of immigrants from Turkey willing to work for larger EU salaries. The probability of this unwelcome scenario is corroborated by the fact that â€Å"in a recent poll by the Turkish Gallup Institute, 23 percent of Turkish workers asked said they would move to Western Europe countries if part of the EU† (Lamb 2004). This would surely oversaturate the European labor market and increase unemployment. A constant concern is the clash between Muslim and Christian values. Although Turkey is already a borderline state between the two civilizations, it still remains a Muslim nation that retains much of the ethical concerns of this world. The clash of two very different civilizations is therefore a matter of concern. The cost of admitting Turkey can be overwhelming for the EU budget that has already aroused considerable controversies. The opponents of admitting Turkey insist that â€Å"Turkey’s membership will cost more than all ten of the countries admitted in May combined† (Lamb 2004). This is impossible to check since all the expenses cannot be quantified at this point. Surely, with a large agricultural sector, Turkey will be able to claim a large portion of EU agricultural subsidies, and the ‘old European’ nations like France and the UK may not like it, claiming those subsidies themselves. 1.2. Are there any pros? Although not all Europeans may want to admit it, accepting Turkey into the EU has not just cons, but pros as well. The nation, being big in the size of the population, can not only drag the block down with its sheer size, but also increase its weight on the international arena. The EU and the prospects of entering it are already a major factor in the politics of the nations situated in the geographic proximity of Europe. At the same time, the entry of Turkey will expand the boundaries of Europe and put more nations in the orbit of European influence. It will, effectively, enlarge the boundaries of European influence into Asia and provide a new vehicle for European impact on Asia. The very things that are believed to be the cons can be turned into pros. Thus, despite the calls of those envisaging the clash of cultural values between Muslims and Europeans, there is another counterclaim. Thus, Turkey as part of the EU can turn into â€Å"a bridge between the two cultures, and a proof that Europe isn’t a club just for Christians† (Lamb 2004). Turkey’s membership can prove a way toward achieving a workable compromise between the Christians and Muslims. The economic part of the cons, namely, Turkey’s alleged poverty can also be seen from the other side. Even if Turkey’s per capita income is behind that of most European nations, â€Å"Turkey’s economy — in contrast, incidentally, to many of the more established EU states — is growing rapidly† (Lamb 2004). This turns the nation into an excellent investment opportunity and makes it a desirable EU member since Turkey’s growth can last for years and decades after the entry to the EU and propel the region’s economic growth. Anyway, Turkey’s economic situation is not worse than that of poorer EU members like Portugal, and the subsequent fate of those states has demonstrated how much advances they have made. In comparison to the next candidates for EU membership, Bulgaria and Romania, Turkey has a higher capita income. Another area which has gives Turkey extra points is the geopolitical position of Turkey and its prospective role in strengthening the EU’s security. Thus, the proponents of Turkey’s membership say that it â€Å"could be a model for a modern Islamic democracy — one which could influence other Muslim states into moving towards Western ideals† (Lamb 2004). This, on its own, will urge the Muslim nations to abandon their anti-Western stance, if any, and focus on peaceful integration with the West. In addition, â€Å"Turkey has a large and powerful military presence and would offer the EU a stronger presence in a geo-politically vital region† (Lamb 2004). The opponents object, however, that Turkey has a negative image in much of the Muslim world and thus cannot be reasonably considered as having the power to break its negative perception to influence the West. The Turkish Perspectives 2.1. The Political Situation For Turkey itself, its membership in the European Union would mean a total shift of geopolitical direction. Although seen as advantageous by many, it is by no means certain that the majority or even all of the population support this move, perceived by many as too dramatic a shift from the previous political course. However, there are many distinct pros for Turkey in joining the EU. To realize how the EU accession will spearhead reforms and progress in Turkey, one needs to look closer at the history of this nation that became the first modern and secular Islamic state ever. The remains of the destroyed Ottoman Empire were turned by Mustafa Kemal, alternatively known as â€Å"Ataturk†, or â€Å"the father of all Turks†, into a secular republic. This was a breakthrough movement in the history of the Muslim world, offering an alternative to the previously monarchial structures. Kemal â€Å"abolished the caliphate, secularized academic curricula, †¦replaced Turkey’s Arabic script with a Latin one†, â€Å"disbanded religious courts, Westernized the legal system, and gave women suffrage and equal rights† (Philips 2004). Since then, the commitment to secularism and democracy, embodied in Turkey’s constitution, has been upheld by the Turkish military that have watched over the development of the country. This role given to the nation’s officers is established in Armed Forces Internal Service Law of 1961, the constitution of 1982, and the role of institutions such as the National Security Council (NSC). The Turkish military have with success fulfilled this role, batting off the inroads made by extremist and fundamentalist forces, preventing the threat of terrorism and separatism. Now, the admission of Turkey into the EU will provide further incentives to liberalize the state policies and give individuals freedom of expression. Thus, each nation that has a chance to be admitted into the EU must meet the so-called Copenhagen criteria that, among others, include â€Å"democratic questions concerning human rights, minority rights, prevention of torture and independent judiciary† (EMEP 2004). These requirements contain points that can contribute to the progress of human rights in Turkey. After all, the nation is said to have some after-effects of the Muslim rule in place that hamper the preservation of human rights. This concerns, for instance, the freedom of religion and the separation of religion and state. Thus, although Turkey is considered a secular state, it continues to give broad privileges to the mainstream Hanafi school of Sunni Islam and sponsor imams in government employment, sometimes even sending them to areas of the EU where Turkish minorities reside (Wikipedia). At the same time, the Greek Orthodox Church has faced hurdles in its functioning in Turkey. Thus, the church has not been able to open the Theological School of Halki (Wikipedia). Proponents of Turkey’s membership insist that the nation could have been inspired to change this if given a reasonable chance to enter the European Union. Besides, many note that Turkey still preserves some Islamic traditions that are a concern in terms of their compatibility with global democratic standards. Thus, the continuing existence of polygamous marriages is at odds, many say, with the EU policies on women rights and gender equality. Turkey continues to oppress its Kurdish and Alevi minorities, although it recently recognized officially the Kurdish language. In addition, Turkey signed the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDRHI) that contains some controversial statements including norms unacceptable for a member of a democratic community that the European Union is. Thus, â€Å"that declaration has contradictory statements on the equality of and the non-discrimination between sexes as claiming in principle that legal systems should be defined in accordance with Shariah† that has long been recognized by the EU as incompatible with its democratic values. The accession into the EU and, more importantly, successful integration with the union would most probably make the chances of Islamic fundamentalists even slimmer. The reforms implemented at the urge of the EU would further lessen the chances that Turkey will embrace Shariah as a state law code. The rights of Turkish minorities would be at smaller risk, and Turkey would have an incentive to implement the freedom of speech and religion. All this would most probably improve the political situation in the country, making it more susceptible to democratic values. At the same time, the opponents of the EU membership point to the peculiar role of the Turkish military in safeguarding the nation from the impact of Islamic fundamentalists. The army â€Å"has overthrown three prime ministers since 1960, and in 1997 it engineered a soft coup to oust the Islamic Welfare Party (REFAH), after just one year at the helm of an improbable coalition† (Philips 2004). At each time, the power was soon transferred to the civilian secular authorities. In this way, the Turkish military has served as a guardian of the country. However, the Western-style democratic reforms, it is feared, giving broader rights to the political expression of minority views, would also open the way for fundamentalists and Islamic hard-liners. The power of the military to contain them would then be undoubtedly curtailed, and the nation would prove more vulnerable to their potentially negative impact. The very mechanisms through which the military has sought to purge the nation of the overly zealous religious fanatics would be destroyed, and the nation would be unprotected. Besides, it is by no means a certainty that Turkey will be able to ensure the separation of religion and the state in case of its accession. Thus, the question of whether democratization would increase is open to dispute. 2.2. Economic Consequences While democratization is, despite the limitations described above, seen as a benefit of EU membership by many Turks, the economic consequences of joining the union remain more disputable. Will Turkey really benefit from the accession to the union that places heavy demands on the economic policies of the members to ensure integration? Will its firms be able to survive the competition against the well-developed European companies? Turkey, in case of gaining entry, will have to abide by the economic policies set down in EU’s Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties that were established by the union long before Turkey’s plausible accession. EMEP, the Turkish Party of Labour, has long stated that the EU economic policies can be ruinous to certain sectors of the domestic economy. Thus, if the EU Council adopts a plan on the liberalization of the telecommunication industry, Turkey will be forced to sell its part of the PTT. The Turkish oil company, the Petrol Ofisi, also stands little chance, in the opinion of the EMEP, to withstand the liberalization policies. Finally, the agricultural sector of Turkey that is a significant part of the national economy, will not survive should the EU decide to give up subsidies for the producers of agricultural products such as beetroot, cotton, tobacco and other products. At the same time, for ordinary citizens accession to the EU continues to symbolize economic benefits that will hopefully be translated into higher life standards. To Turks, the entry has come to be associated with â€Å"a higher income, better healthcare and medical treatments, access to higher education, the freedom to travel, and a carefree retirement† (Zaptcioglu 2004). However, experts continue to worry about the realization of the Maastricht criteria for economic situation in a prospective member that, allegedly, will be harder for Turkey to meet than the Copenhagen ones. The nation now has a national debt of $270 billion. The Maastricht requirements mean that debts are no more than 60% of the national income (Zaptcioglu 2004). The skeptics’ plan to overcome this hurdle is â€Å"should pull out of the tariff union and at the same time apply to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for different and better terms for paying off its debts† (Zaptcioglu 2004). However, it is controversial whether Turkey should risk spoiling relations with the West in this fashion in order to gain entry to the EU. The current economic impact of integration with the EU is also debatable. Thus, Turkey currently has a tariff union with the block it hopes to enter some day. This union was established with entering the Customs Union Treaty in 1995. EMEP (2004) points that the union works to the disadvantage of Turkey, leading to increase in its trade gap with Europe to the amount of $10 billion. However, this is not the opinion of only one political party that may be exploiting facts to prove a point. Manisali and Sinan Aygà ¼n, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in Ankara, also lament the deprivation inflicted on the economy by the union. Aygà ¼n says that â€Å"Turkey has become an import country for European industrial products, but, according to the tariff union regulations, is not permitted to export its agricultural products into the EU† (Zaptcioglu 2004). This means that the union is not equitable and gives EU broader advantages than Turkey. There is certainly fear that the policies implemented in case Turkey joins the EU will be similarly skewed in order to give the EU an advantage. Thus, the accession to the EU could adversely affect the Turkish economy, subjecting the domestic policies to the dictate of the Brussels power. It is not certain that Turkey will be able to maintain its growth if it is forced to adapt to the adverse EU decisions on economic policy. 2.3. Impact on Turkey’s Foreign Policy Since demands concerning the foreign policies of the this prospective member are among the most important demands on Turkey, it is highly probable that the nation will have to change its relationships with neighbors. Thus, Turkey will most probably have to recognize Cyprus, something it has been reluctant to do for years. The island that remains divided into two parts after the conflict of 1974 involving a Greek coup d’etat and a Turkish military intervention. The island, divided into two parts, the Republic of Cyprus that is part of the EU and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recognized by Turkey, remains a matter of dispute for Turkey and Greece. The EU accession will most likely lead to the requirement for Turkey to recognize the Republic of Cyprus. In the same way, the Aegean dispute between Turkey and Greece as well as the relations with Armenia remain open to controversy. The boycott of Armenia including the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline outside of the Armenian territory was caused by Turkey’s perception of Nagorno-Karbakh area as unlawfully occupied by Armenia. Romano Prodi, ex-President of the European Commission, has made it one of the requirements to resolve the conflict with Armenia (Wikipedia). Thus, entering the EU, Turkey will have to abandon part of its sovereignty in decision-making and succumb to the EU demands. This will limit the ability of the nation to pursue independent policies that may differ from EU wishes. Conclusion Turkey’s accession to the European Union remains open to controversy. The union balks at letting in a state that due to its sheer size will exert influence on the EU environment and can make integration more difficult. The acceptance of a Muslim state is also a controversial subject because the ensuing clash between the Islamic and Western values is hard to avoid. From the perspective of Turkey itself, its membership in the EU is also fraught with positive and negative consequences. While it is certain that it will contribute to the democratization of the state and the improvement of the human rights situation, Turkey will also have to pay attention to the political stability. The unique role of the Turkish military in preserving the secular doctrine may be challenged, which will open the way for fundamentalists. On the economic side, the cons may outweigh the cons unless Turkey can count on substantial subsidies. Finally, accession to the powerful body of nations will mean greater security on the international arena. At the same time, Turkey will have to count on losing part of its sovereignty and the need to succumb to the EU authority on many important issues. Bibliography Accession of Turkey to the European Union. Wikipedia. 30 January 2006 . EMEP (The Party of Labour). Turkey and the European Union. October 2004. 30 January 2006 . Lamb, Scott. â€Å"TURKEY AND THE EU: The Pros and Cons.† Spiegel Online 14 December 2004. 23 January 2006 . Phillips, David L. â€Å"Turkey’s Dreams of Accession.† Foreign Affairs (September/October 2004). 30 January 2006 . Zaptcioglu, Dilek. â€Å"They Will Never Accept Us!† Quantara (2004). 30 January 2006 .   

Free Online Writing Courses

Free Online Writing Courses Whether you want to become a famous novelist or just make your way through college English, these free online writing courses and journalism courses can help. Learn the basics of English grammar, the poetic form, strategies for journalists, and how to make your business documents stand out from the crowd. StoryMind (Dramatica) With over a hundred short videos, this course takes fiction writers through the process of creating characters, framing action, focusing on a theme, developing their plot, and writing for a specific audience. English Writing and Composition (Arizona State University)   In this 8-week introductory English class, you’ll learn the basics of academic writing and set yourself up for a successful college career.   NewsU (Poynter) This highly-respected journalism organization offers quite a few free online courses in addition to their paid options. Free courses include: â€Å"Core Skills for the 21st Century Journalist,† â€Å"Covering Islam in America,† â€Å"Covering Poverty in the Suburbs,† â€Å"Document Mining,† and more. Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest ​ With assignments, video lectures, and interviews with well-known authors, aspiring children’s authors will love this course. Figure out your own writing identity, develop the structure of your work, learn editing basics, and consider your publishing options. You’ll finish the course with a handful of writing samples ready to become your portfolio. High Impact Business Writing   If you’re looking to up your game in the workplace, this no-nonsense business writing course can help. Learn how to create the most commonly used business documents, edit your work, and even effectively communicate through social media. Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop ​(California Institute of the Arts) Poets (and aspiring poets) will appreciate this free online course’s emphasis on craft. Learn how to follow the rules of poetry†¦then learn how to break them. Throughout this 7-part course, you’ll discover dozens of hands-on tools to make your own work better. Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade (Mt. Saint Jacinto College)   If you want to start from the beginning (or just need a refresher), this is the course for you. Learn the various parts of speech, the uses of subjects and verbs, and the ways that phrases and clauses can combine to create compelling sentences. This 5-unit course will help you understand how a solid grasp of English grammar can dramatically improve your writing.

Harness the Power of Your Critique Group

Harness the Power of Your Critique Group Ten years ago I went looking for writing advice in my community and joined a loose affiliation of novice writers. Over the years, weve grown into a dedicated group of eight authors with cumulative publishing credits that include ten books, 24 short stories and numerous awards. Along the way, weve helped each other learn the craft of writing, work toward publication and market our work. Thinking of starting your own critique group? Want to make your group run more effectively or work harder for everyone involved? Here are some tips: Numbers I recommend a closed group - one in which new members are only invited because someone leaves. Six to eight people is an ideal size. Leadership It helps to have one person in charge of organizing and chairing the meetings, at least until the group is well established. Timing There are various ways of running meetings. My group meets once a month, with three stories sent in advance Focus You know those book clubs that are more about the food and the wine than the books? Dont make your critique group a dinner club. Try 15 minutes of chat at the beginning of the session and then get down to business, or all business for two hours followed Commitment Our group really took off when we began setting a rotation for submissions a few months in advance. Everyone is expected to submit something when it is his/her turn, with a fixed upper word count (ours is 4000 words). If someone cant make a meeting, they email their critiques to the other writers. Other groups dont have these expectations, but we needed the added pressure to keep writing. If meeting in person doesnt work for you, check  www.inkedvoices.com  , a source for online critique groups.   Do your critique group members attend seminars and workshops or read articles online and in print? Probably. Everyone in the group can take advantage of that learning - both through explicit sharing of the knowledge acquired and Widen your contacts and leads through your group. Share: = Useful lists, websites and newsletters (I made sure to tell my whole group to sign up for FundsforWriters.) = Contests = Publishers (If I read a book similar to the writing of one of my group members, Ill mention it to them.) = Upcoming workshops Once you are published you can help each other increase sales: = Commit to promoting your work via email and social media. = Review each others work on Goodreads and Amazon. = Traveling? Visit local bookstores and talk up your book as well as those of your critique group members. = Consider holding group launches to reduce costs and increase attendance. If you write in different genres this is a great opportunity to widen your nets. = Contact local media about your group, or better yet, query them. Get paid to write an article about the success of writers in your area. = Apply to speak at a writers conference as a group. Critiquing other writers work takes time and commitment, but a well-run group can result in a return on investment that brings your writing career to the next level.

Video analysis presentation and paper about selfy Essay

Video analysis presentation and paper about selfy - Essay Example To get more comments and likes, some of these photos are usually edited to make it look more casual and flattering. The title of the short film is Aspirational’ featuring Kirsten Dunst and two unknown girls. The video is about two selfie-obsessed girls meeting Hollywood star Kirsten Dunst. Boys are not so much accustomed with selfie as compared to girls. In this video, all these two girls wanted from the Hollywood star were to have a selfie taken with Kirsten Dunst. In fact, these two girls didn’t seem to care about the state and feelings of the Hollywood star. The video is reflecting on how our behavior as human beings is changing due to the effects of social media. In the current world, life is increasingly becoming dependent on selfies to mark important life events. In relation to the chosen video, these two girls were using the selfie to mark an important event of their lives upon meeting the Hollywood star. It is apparent that if you ever happen to meet the star in the streets, the first thing to carry out is to take a selfie with the celebrity. Basically, their main intention of these two girls was to make their friends believe that they have personally met a celebrity. The Hollywood star is on the road waiting for a car to pick her up. She is spotted by another car occupied by two young girls. The girls are star struck after seeing her. The two girls awkwardly jump out of the car and attempt to take selfies with her. The two girls completely ignore the Hollywood star Kirsten Dunst’s presence. They don’t even bother if she is breathing and if she is a living person, which makes the situation sad. It is even uncomfortable to watch because it’s disturbing. Because of the positive and negative sides of selfie, the description of the video narrates that one has to think twice before taking a selfie. Based on the video, selfies have lost the real meaning selfie as a

GNC Corp1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

GNC Corp1 - Essay Example Let us consider the first option that is to hire native Chinese worker into the company. In order to successfully run the operation GNC Corporation will face the issue of cultural differences that exist between America and China. In One survey it has been recognized that cultural differences is the biggest barrier which any company faces while doing business. The management practices of America and China is different. So they need to take into consideration the cultural differences between them to be successful. There is a great difference between China and US with respect to political system, economic system, laws and social values despite the fact that major changes have occurred in China in recent years. China works in a centralized way while US is relatively decentralized. China follows collectivism principle. But in US they follow the principle of individualism. US enterprises have short-term orientation as compared to China’s long-term orientation (Baines 45). . These di fferences in culture greatly affect human behavior and the thinking process, and GNC must provide a platform where people from both the countries can interact on the basis of shared values. These cultural differences will impact the management practices in terms of cooperative strategies, decision making, conflict management, motivation systems and work group characteristics. American managers use open forms when faced with conflicts which are new to Chinese workers as they use assistance from third party. Also Chinese people pay more attention in building social and interpersonal relations. Also for motivating the employees the Chinese follows equity principle which is ignored by the American companies (Ambler 78). But hiring Chinese workers can do a lot of good also for GNC Company. Chinese workers will bring diversity in the business which is required for them to operate in China. They know the local people, what they need and which product will be able to sell most. Also rules a nd regulations that GNC has to follow in Chinese market can be easily followed if there is a presence of Chinese advisors in the company. With such Chinese workers they can reach out to the people in a far effective way. They will direct the strategies which the company needs to take so that their profitability increases. Another strategy that they will employ is to sell their product online, so that they can reach wider consumer base. In China the internet penetration is increasing and it has the second highest internet user base in the world. This opens up avenues of e-commerce base business style. Also the consumer can use the mobile phone as the strategy to reach to new consumers. GNC has to capture Chinese market by reaching out to the Chinese people through the use of their smart phones and digital devices. The rules and regulation of the Chinese government is strict as compared to the US market. They sometimes ban use of social media if they feel like it is a threat to the na tional security. Hence GNC must be careful to implement the online marketing which they will use. They can use Face book, twitter and their local social media sites in China to reach out to wider consumer base. Also telephone marketing is also a way of marketing through which they can use it as a medium to convey about the new products which they are offering to the consumer. Since today