Monday, September 30, 2019

Healthcare System In Hongkong Health And Social Care Essay

2. Public health care services in Hong Kong are to a great extent subsidized by the Government. However, with the ageing population and increasing medical costs, the public outgo on health care is estimated to increase at a much faster gait than the economic system in the coming old ages. With the existent figure that the public wellness outgo may turn from 2.9 % of in 2004 to 5.5 % of GDP by 2033, it is clear that the bing funding theoretical account is non sustainable. Auxiliary funding for health care is needed to supplement authorities ‘s outgo on health care services and for the longaˆ?term sustainability of our health care system.THEMEDICAL CHARGE IN HONG KONG3. The medical services in Hong Kong are provided by the public and private sector. The medical charge in Hong Kong can be divided into two facets: Government or Public Services and Private Service. Government or Public Services 4. Government or Public Services are provided by the Department of Health ( DH ) and the Hospital Authority ( HA ) . Medical charges of common out-patient and in-patient interventions are as follow: intervention at a authorities general out-patient clinic costs $ 45 for Hong Kong occupants ; specializer clinic for audience costs $ 100 for the first attending, $ 60 for followup and $ 10 per drug point ; free intervention for instances of TB, leprosy, genital disease, and pregnancy and kid wellness counsel ; the admittance fee of in-patients in public infirmaries is $ 50, while busying acute beds and non-acute beds are charged $ 100 and $ 68 per twenty-four hours severally. The above charges may be waived if patient can non afford them. 5. Apart from general out-patient and in-patient services, the DH and the HA besides provide Chinese medical specialty services and Student Healthcare Services to the populace. Chinese Medicine Centres will bear down patients $ 120 with two doses of Chinese herb for a intervention per visit. Healthcare services for pupils are free of charge. Immunizations against 10 childhood infective diseases are free as good. Family be aftering service is besides available in maternal and child wellness Centres at a charge of $ 1 for every visit. Private Servicess 6. Apart from authorities or public services, private medical services besides lead an of import function in Hong Kong ‘s health care system of. However, fees charged by private practicians vary and separate charges are frequently made. Patients are normally required to pay excess fees on services like research lab trials and X-ray scrutinies. With mention to the Report of Doctors ‘ Fees Survey 2010[ 1 ], the medians of some common out-patient and in-patient charges are as follow: audience fees for general patterns and specializer patterns are charged $ 200 and $ 575 severally ; day-to-day infirmary attending charge varies from $ 700 to $ 2,000, runing from remaining in ward to excellent individual suites ; surgical operations charges from $ 4,000 to $ 50,000, runing from degree 6 to level 1 surgeries. Other services such as vaccinums, composing medical studies and finishing insurance claim signifiers are charged individually and the fees varied.PUBLIC CONSULTATION7. We h ave conducted two intensive public audiences in order to roll up sentiments from every sector of our society about the health care system. 8. The first phase audience showed that the biggest concerns of the populace were ageing population and increasing medical costs. A comprehensive reform was needed to run into both challenges. The populace expected that the health care reform will make a long-run sustainable system. The bulk of people agreed that the reform should concentrate on both service bringing and funding agreements. Among the six possible auxiliary funding options, the populace expressed divergent positions over the voluntary private wellness insurance and compulsory private wellness insurance. Some doubted the effectivity of the mandatary health care insurance and voted for the voluntary strategy. 9. In the 2nd phase audience, the demand of reform to our health care system is confirmed. The populace called for auxiliary health care funding, and wider picks and better protection in health care services. Therefore, the Government has formulated proposals to reform our health care system and modulating voluntary wellness insurance. The public came to a consensus that the manner of health care insurance should be voluntary. Based on the community ‘s positions, the public support is the chief support beginning for health care. Individualised health care and wider pick with quality confidence to suit everyone ‘s demand were preferred. 10. There was a widely shared concern over the sustainability and the security of the health care insurance system. The Government warrants that the strategy provides uninterrupted protection for participants into their older ages. Besides, the strategy is standardised and regulated by the Government, so as to safeguard the insured involvements harmonizing to the jurisprudence.PROPOSED VOLUNTARY HEALTH INSURANCE SYSTEM11. Auxiliary funding is an indispensable constituent of the wellness attention financing reform. The signifier of auxiliary funding is an of import determination as it non merely influences the present community, but our future coevalss. Among the six possible auxiliary funding options, the Government decided to set forward the voluntary wellness insurance system as a portion of the wellness attention financing reform. 12. The proposed Health Protection Scheme ( HPS ) is a strategy that standardizes and regulates the voluntary private wellness insurance. Unlike other voluntary private wellness insurance in current market, insurances under the HPS is regulated to accept all endorsers and offer no exclusion of preexistent medical conditions with guaranteed reclamation for life. The pick of taking out insurance is voluntary either by persons or employers. The premium is based on the endorser ‘s pick and affordability. Subscribers will so hold a better entree to healthcare services under the HPS, and they would non detain primary attention until their unwellnesss worsen. Under the HPS, no one shall be left enduring from disease due to miss of fiscal agencies to pay for health care. Compared to the bing funding theoretical account, the voluntary wellness insurance system ensures effectual pooling and sharing of the health care hazards for persons. 13. Voluntary wellness insurance system aims at supplying the community with better picks for health care protection and heightening the longaˆ?term sustainability of our health care system. The insured are allowed to take both public and private health care services. Persons who can afford could utilize private health care on a sustained footing and even take top-up insurance programs to accommodate their ain demands. By promoting more people to take private health care services, the voluntary strategy can cut down the force per unit area on the public system. The public system could profit those who depend on the populace health care system by concentrating its resources on mark service countries and population groups, particularly low-income households, under-privileged groups and other needy. 14. The footings and definitions of the wellness insurance policy are standardized. Insurance companies take parting in the HPS are required to offer standard wellness insurance programs that follow the specified regulations and demands. However, the insurance companies are free to offer top-up benefits beyond the nucleus demands and specifications, so as to accommodate consumers ‘ demands. The HPS programs are required to supply coverage for hospital admittances or ambulatory processs, and its associate services like specialist outaˆ?patient audiences and probes, advanced diagnostic imagination. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for malignant neoplastic disease is besides included in the nucleus demands of the program. However, primary attention, specializer services and diagnostic imagination in general, and pregnancy coverage are non included as the program ‘s nucleus demand. Insurance programs under the HPS are besides portable between insurance companies and on g o forthing employment. The insured are able to maintain their wellness insurance policy for every bit long as they want, it will non be affected if they change occupations. Unlike the bing wellness insurance, insurance companies under the HPS could exchange their programs to another insurance company or go on their programs after retirement with no loss in coverage. 15. The Government has planned to utilize $ 50 billion financial modesty as fiscal inducements to back up the health care reform. Fiscal inducements are given to protect the bad persons, to offer premium price reduction for new endorsers and to lend to the salvaging constituent of the HPS programs.Decision16. The Government will widely publicise the voluntary wellness insurance and beg public support for our attempts to better the health care in Hong Kong. Any question on this brief may be addressed to Ms Li Wan-in, Assistant Secretary for Food and Health Bureau on 3150 8494.Food and Health Bureau22 October 2010

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Broadsheet and tabloid artical comparison Essay

The incident that all three papers are discussing is a cable car accident in Italy in which 20 people died. This tragedy occurred on 3rd February 1998 as a low American fighter jet severed the wire on which the car hung. This caused the cable car to crash down 300ft leaving another cable car in suspension. This event happened nearby Mount Cermis, Northern Italy. The Mirror takes it account from all spectrums but focuses on British tourists in the area. The Times do not mention their eyewitnesses but focus on the American and Italian view on the subject. The Newsweek discuss mainly with American officials but they do feature any eyewitnesses. The major differences is that the Mirror is a daily tabloid, the Times a daily broadsheet and the Newsweek is a fortnightly American publication. The Mirror and The Times reported on the incident the next day, whilst Newsweek reported on it thirteen days after. The Newsweek will obviously be bias as its country is involved in the accident and the other two papers should share the same views as they are not involved. Due to the Times being a broadsheet it should have a more sophisticated language and its attitude should follow this. The Mirror has a lot of factual information on the accident. It states the number of deaths (20 skiers). It mentions the area in which it happened (Cavalese, Northern Italy). It describes the type of American jet (American Marine EA-6B Prowler). It informs the reader of the victims nationalities (at least six German, two Hungarian, two Polish). Also followed with the sex of the victims (nine women, ten men and a child). The Mirror goes on to talk about a similar incident which happened in previous years in the area of Cermis informing the reader of the number of deaths, the date, the nature of the incident and who was blamed. The Mirror gives the reader all the information needed and due to them adding information about a previous accident they are giving them that extra information this shows they researched the area and attempted to familiarise readers with the area. The Times, is a conventional broadsheet. They give the reader information of were the incident took place (Dolomites, Mount Cermis). They share the same number of deaths as the Mirror and describe the model of the plane as a ‘Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler similar to the Mirror. They include the maximum capacity of the cable car. (40 people). They mention the exact time of the incident (3:25) and the height it was going up to (6,000ft). The report does mention the nationalities of the victims in this area but it generalises saying ‘most of them German’ so it does not give figures like the Mirror. The Times also mentions the previous incident in the area in 1976 when 42 people died due to ‘the failure of automatic safety systems’ in the third column second-to-last paragraph. The American publication does not discuss the event in detail. It mentions the area in which it took place (Dolomites). It refers to the cable car as a ‘yellow gondola’. It includes the number of those killed and adds the area of origin (20 tourists from seven European countries). The Newsweek report also states the type of plane and how low the Italian air chief sad it was flying ( 3,300ft) below the allowed altitude. They also inform the reader in the about an Italian plane that went missing in 1980 by Ustica and how the US were suspected to of shot it down. This report differs significantly from the Times and the Mirror. These reports all differ. The British tabloid, The Mirror will differ as it uses sensationalism and wants to shock rather than inform and the vocabulary should be restricted and compressed, there are constant puns and word plays. The Mirror seems to take a view on the incident The Mirror’s language is pacy and dramatic. They use several forms of language to achieve this. It applies emotive language to stir up sympathetic feelings from the reader. The words such as ‘plunged’ in the first paragraph is used to describe the way in which the cable car fell to the ground. They also use figurative language to describe the cable car, this could be to make the reader able to envision the horror and harshness of the accident. They do this by using a simile. They refer to the way the cable car saying ‘it opened up like a cardboard box’ as cardboard is not very strong and can be destroyed easily. This emphasises the fragility of the cable car and the violence in which the cable car was so effortlessly ruined and reinforces the severity of the accident. A dramatic form of language is constantly used throughout the report, this accentuates the incident. The plane is described to of ‘screamed down†¦ ripped the wire’, this use of onomatopoeia including other words such as ‘limped and screamed’ This shows the reader the speed and power of the plane. This use of language is used to exaggerate the incident. They also do this when describing the car using words such as ‘crashing†¦ ripped†¦ smashed†¦ dangling perilously†¦ torn†¦ plunged’. This language is also a use of hyperbole in which he event has been exaggerated for effect and to expresses the horror of the incident and visualises it to the reader as they follow the report. The Times is a broadsheet and uses a formal language, not a form of dialect as it is circulated throughout the UK. They also like the Mirror use hyperbole and onomatopoeia to exaggerate the event. They use a simile ‘screaming through the sky like a thing in torment’ this figurative use of language personifies the plane. They also use several word to describe the plane such as ‘sliced†¦ roaring’. They go on to use several words relating to the cable car such as ‘crashed†¦ crumpled†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ dangling’. They also use phrases to describe the report such as’ smashed bright yellow cable car’ and ‘twisted cabin wreckage’. The Newsweek an American paper is constantly cynical in its language. It is less formal then the other reports. It does not use an hyperbole as it is not interested in the event so it has no need to exaggerate it The Mirror interviewed people from all spectrums of the incident. They talked with a British couple who were tourists in the area and claimed they missed being in the incident by minutes. The Mirror included these British tourists to give the report a personal aspect, this may gain interest from readers who would be attracted to the article as it brings the incident to the British shores that there own were involved. They also discussed the incident with a police chief Andrea Russo who described the scene saying ‘all four wall of the car opened up like a cardboard box ‘ and tells of the severed bodies and the bloodstained snow. This shows what the scene looked like after the incident. They talked to a fire services spokesman to confirm the number of deaths and the US Defence Secretary William Cohen who gives the official American statement and view on the disaster. They also get an official statement from the Italian Regional President Carlo Andreotti who condemns the Americans. He was interviewed to give an impression of the Italians view on the accident. Cristina Antoniazzi a hotel owner nearby, she discusses what she heard at the time of the accident. This gives a view of a normal resident in the area and their view on the deaths, free from all the spin and censorship a government statement may have. The Times does not offer any statements from British officials or those on the scene. They do not care for their opinion as they are not involved and do not need their view on the matter. They have an account from an eyewitness but the name and status was not given. The report contains a statement from Fausto Colasanti, a police official describes the location as a ‘terrible scene of carnage’ . The Times also talk to a rescue worker and the Italian Deputy Defence Minister to add an official look on the cable car incident. A Signor Brutti is also mentioned but his status is unknown. This mainly has an Italian viewpoint, not that it holds a bias view but not many American opinions are given on the accident. The Newsweek does not feature many interviewees. It has views from American Gen. Tim Peppe who defends the pilots. Italian Gen. Mario Arpino said the warplane was flying 3,300ft below designated altitude and the U. S Ambassador Thomas Foglietta is said to of ‘finally conceded’ that it was flying ‘below the minimum approved altitude’. The report includes a U. S activist Grace Potorti who describes the incident as her ‘worst fear come true’. The Newsweek includes the Italian President Luigi Scalfaro who hoped ‘the accident wasn’t caused by someone†¦ who didn’t care about others’ lives’. They do not include any actual comments on the scene of the accident or from those around the area or nearby the incident. They do this because they are bias and are not in favour of the Italian view that the pilot were being reckless. They include mainly phrases and not full statements from any of their interviewees.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

SWOT Analysis of Hewlett Packard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SWOT Analysis of Hewlett Packard - Essay Example HP has the ability to manufacture new designs and innovations of personal computers and accessories such as printers at affordable costs. Moreover, the company’s after sales services provide the best services to their customers hence increasing their loyalty. After sales service centers and helplines reduce many customer problems (Kern et al, 23). Weaknesses Hewlett Packard’s lack of presence in some major market segments limits its profitability in some countries. In spite of its outstanding portfolio, HP does not have significant production of software products as compared to major competitors such as IBM. Some of its competitors produce smart software products and offer extensive consultation services to their customers. A substantial percentage of its income (29%) is obtained from its personal systems division. Therefore, it does not command the market of industrial and large organizations that use highly sophisticated computing devices. The company mostly develops personal computers is already encountering competition from new players in the industry such as Lenovo. It has poor presence in the tablets market where many of its competitors are gaining ground. It is also facing competition in the manufacture of printers from other companies including Epson and Samsung.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Caltural change of the organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Caltural change of the organization - Essay Example The organizational or cultural guidelines or expectations prescribe appropriate kinds of behavior that its employees should implement in particular situations. The following paragraphs will explain in detail how corporate cultural values controls the behavior of each organizational members towards one another from organizational values (Hill, 2001) Generally, top management officers could try to determine whether to continue with the current corporate culture or to change it. They may want to impose corporate values and standards of behavior in order to particularly reflect the objectives of the organization. In addition, there are generally standing internal cultures within the company’s workforce (Edsforth,2005) And, the interplay of post-industrial technologies, new organizational practices and wider social influences is effecting changes in corporate production and culture. This is debated that the deliberate reconstruction of corporate culture reconstructs the culture of the 20th century workplace(Casey, 2007). Furthermore, all the work groups within a corporation have their individual behavioral idiosyncrasies and communications that that influences the entire organization. Clearly, top management can willingly be infused outside culture into its work environment. For clarity, computer technicians usually have independently gained the expertise, language and behaviors of the organization, but the attendance of these technicians may affect the culture of the organization in its entirety. In the article How to make Life Changes Using Psychologist Kurt Lewin’s Unfreeze –Change – Freeze Method. Lose weight, change careers and more using this three step process(Goss, 2007) emphasized that most people hate change. But again, there is very popular saying that goes nothing in this world is permanent except change. For change compels

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Individual report information Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual report information - Coursework Example These include Hosfede and Trompenaars models among others. This paper aims at demonstrating how multinationals can manage and lead people across the border as well as how the expatriates can be made to improve on their productivity through proper hiring and training them among other motivational factors. Geert Hofstede analysis Due to the use of technology people who are from different workplace do interact in many ways since the world has been globalised. Hofstede cultural dimension theory tries to explain how people from different cultures do communicate and intermingle together due to technology. To explain the theory, Hofstede carried a research on employees and was put in five dimensions of culture. Power distance (PD) Power distance explains how imbalance power exists to individuals either in firms or even in homestead. For example high power distance in the society encourages for unequal distribution of power while a low PD encourages equal power sharing among the members (Chu lman, 1999). In country like Malaysia, a high PD exists among the companies and thus the companies are centralized and management is under strong hierarchical powers from top management to lower level. Individualism (IDV) High individualism shows how one has a loose connection to others and this can also be related in countries which have high IDV meaning the countries have no strong connection with other countries. Low IDV indicates strongly groups among the countries or individual who work together for common goal (Rutherford, 1990). High IDV indicates that a country like US has one of characteristic that it enjoys challenges and in turn it will have to be rewarded due to the hard work and enjoyment of freedom since it will base its challenges as personal and will not involve other stakeholders. Masculinity (MAS) In country like Japan male are regarded as tough due to traditions and seen as superior than females since they are the provider in the families. In high MAS a female wor king in the firm is underrated and thus treated as feminine while in low MAS male and female works together without looking at the professionalism of individuals. The traditions are erased in the society and thus a female can do what a male can do. Uncertainty/Avoidance Index (UAI) Uncertainty considers how individual in the society feel when they are in unknown situation. In high UAI, individual tries to avoid as much as possible and when the situation is unknown they are emotional (Jonathan, 2011). In low UAI, individuals are ready to risk and change is regarded as important to the growth of firms. Individual are concerned with long term goals and not what is currently taking place. Long term orientation (LTO) This shows how traditions to the society still exist up to date. For example, in high LTO families are regarded as the root of the society, grandparents and men are the most respected and authority comes from them (Davis, 2004). Education is a must to the society while low L TO encourages individual to be more creative and respect must be shown to the others in the society. According to Hofstede the theory is important and should be practiced by individuals in their life. Trompenaars theory The theory is based on understanding and how one can manage cultural differences. Universalism versus particularism Universalism is based on individual ownership of property and can be shared when one is willing while particularism is state ownership of prop

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Thinking Skills and General Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Thinking Skills and General Management - Essay Example The four functions are used to apply on the resources of the organization. Compared with the contemporary age, as the development of new technologies, management are facing new problems on an everyday basis now, four functions of management are inter-related in some manners. Management applies to all levels within an organization. Managers can be classified by their level of responsibility and their functions. The junior manager usually is a supervisor or team leader. They work at the operational level and are expected to coordinate employees. Junior managers make sure the quality level of work is appropriate and may be expected to fill in when an employee is absent. Middle managers are usually sales, marketing and finance managers. Middle managers are responsible for junior managers and report to senior management. They spend longer on management functions compared with junior managers. Senior managers are the executives in the highest level of the organization they responsible for the overall direction and coordination of the organization objectives. Functional management is found in large organizations where specialist managers or expertise is required. Functional managers are usually concerned with a few tasks. Examples of this would be a human resource manager who is only concerned with staffing activities. Managers responsible for the all the activities in the organization can be considered as line managers. (Hannaghan, 110-13) They are involved in most of the organizational functions such as finance, production, human-relations and marketing. Line managers are usually found in smaller organizations such as factories and shops. "Planning is the management function that involves the process of defining goals, establishing strategies for achieving those goals, and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities"(Robbins et al 219-25). It delivers strategic value, which is an

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Main Stages of PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Main Stages of PLC - Essay Example The question of which to use, or where on this continuum to operate, must be made at the introductory stage of the PLC. PLC distinguishes five market-opportunity phases: entry, establishment, expansion, maturity, and decline; and indicates the kind of opportunity analysis that should go into developing the marketing mix (see Appendix 1). This chart shows that markets increase slowly at first, and then increase at an increasing rate, reach maturity, and finally decline (Drejer 62). The time period for this cycle varies by products. Consider the difference in cycle among the dress industry, the lumber industry, and the computer industry. Also, different companies choose to enter markets during different developmental phases. Even so, management must be aware that marketing tasks of a phase 1 situation are different from those relevant to phase 4 (Crawford and Benedetto 44). In the initial phase (market entry), there is no direct competition. Computer games manufacturing should take into account the fact that the tasks of marketing programs and strategies are those of gaining initial market acceptance and changing habits. They are concerned with creating primary demands for the product, providing customer and consumer information, identifying market segments, gaining market knowledge, soliciting channel support, and promoting to gain a foothold in the marketplace. A common market price emerges in this stage, with the range of acceptable prices narrowing (Crawford and Benedetto 44). The marketer is encountering downward pressure on prices, although this depends on the extent of product differentiation among competitors and the rate at which technological improvements are being made to the product. At this stage, a computer games manufacturer should find the most effective channel strategies and promotions activities in order to plan and develop the furth er campaign. For a computer game, traditional marketing channels (through specialized stores) and direct selling methods will be the most effective channels of distribution. It will be appropriate to use a skimming price in order to attract more users, and popularize the new product. The main promotion techniques are advertising and press conferences aimed to inform community about benefits and uniqueness of the new computer game (Drejer 63). Establishment The second phase is characterized by endeavors to establish markets. In this phase, limited direct competition exists, and potential competitors begin to notice the situation. The functions of marketing programs and strategies are to solidify and extend market footholds and to establish differential advantage. Marketing activities center around gaining brand acceptance and developing customer loyalty. The attempt is to establish a market niche. Also, in the growth stage individual need or benefit segments may surface (Grieves 98). A benefit segment is a sizable group of buyers that places heavy emphasis on a specific product attribute or particular mix of attributes. These segments will often differ in their willingness to pay for specific attributes (e.g., faster delivery, smaller inventories, better service, a special feature). There may, at this stage, still be a substantial amount of

Monday, September 23, 2019

Immigration Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigration Enforcement - Essay Example The department of state (DOS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) play the role of administering the law and policies on the unknown or foreigners. DOS plays the main responsibility of issuing visas, citizenship of U.S and immigration services. DHS is responsible for approving immigrant petitions, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in some chosen embassies abroad (Brotherton & Kretsedemas, 2008). Department of State (DOS) holds excessive power over the issuance of the visa. Consular officers are more concerned about facilitating tourism and trade to inspect visa applicants carefully. It is often argued that the principal authorities should be given to VSP, which assigns special agents with expertise in immigration law and stand against terrorism (Brotherton & Kretsedemas, 2008). Border security deals in many ways by which illegal and fugitive individuals and the goods enter the country. Border security technically involves controlling the ports from which legitimate or legal travelers enter the country. It also involves patrolling these lands and borders to prohibit illegal entries in the country. Fencing the borders is one permanent issue (Brotherton & Kretsedemas, 2008). One billion US Dollars were allotted for the use of Border Initiative Network (SBInet), the virtual fence of the cameras, radar and for the devices of communication, which was cancelled due to the misuse and overrun of cost from 2006-2010 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). International land border and other oversight issues would keep on raising the question of what the technology, infrastructure, and personnel should be or do to identify and prohibit the entries of illegal personnel in the country. Efforts to improve the security of immigration documents are made to develop a system that tackles corrupted or fraud documents (dAppollonia & Reich, 2008). Since the terrifying

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Problem Review Set Capital Structure and Leverage Essay Example for Free

Problem Review Set Capital Structure and Leverage Essay Managerial Finance Problem Review Set Capital Structure and Leverage If a firm utilizes debt financing, an X% decline in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) will result in a decline in earnings per share that is larger than X. True b. False 2) Firm A has a higher degree of business risk than Firm B. Firm A can offset this by using less financial leverage. Therefore, the variability of both firms expected EBITs could actually be identical. 3) It is possible that two firms could have identical financial and operating leverage, yet ave different degrees of risk as measured by the variability of EPS. ) Which of the following events is likely to encourage a company to raise its target debt ratio, other things held constant? An increase in the corporate tax rate. An increase in the personal tax rate. An increase in the companys operating leverage. d. The Federal Reserve tightens interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. e. The companys stock price hits a new high. 5) The firms target capital structure should be consistent with which of the following statements? Maximize the earnings per share (EPS). Minimize the cost of debt (rd). Obtain the highest possible bond rating. Minimize the cost of equity (rs). Minimize the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). 6) Which of the following statements isAs a firm increases the operating leverage used to produce a given quantity of output, this will normally lead to an increase in its fixed assets turnover ratio. b. normally lead toa decrease in its business risk. normally lead to a decrease in the standard deviation of its expected EBIT. d. ormally lead to a decrease in the variability of its expected EPS. e. ormally lead to a reduction in its fixed assets turnover ratio. 7) Reynolds Resorts is currently 100% equity financed. The CFO is considering a recapitalization plan under which the firm would issue long-term debt with a yield of 9% and use the proceeds to repurchase common stock. The recapitalization would not change the companys total assets, nor would it affect the firms basic earning power, which is currently 15%. The CFO believes that this recapitalization w ould ikely to occur if the company goes ahead with the recapitalization plan?

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Soft Drink and Market Share Essay Example for Free

Soft Drink and Market Share Essay Using the appropriate tools and processes taught in class, the group is required to develop business strategies for the organization. Guidelines below might help the group to prepare the written report. 1. Identify the firm’s existing vision and mission. Vision Statement 1. â€Å"To be the world’s best beverage company†. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that their every customer is contented and happy with their products†. 2. â€Å"To increase the value of their shareholder’s investment through sales growth, cost control and wise investment of resources†. Mision Statement 3. â€Å"To be the world’s premier consumer Products Company focused on convenient food and beverages. We seek to produce healthy financial rewards to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate. And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity†. 2. Develop vision and mission statement for the organization (if needed). 3. Identify the organization’s external opportunities and threats. External Opportunities and Threats a) Demographic Factors : †¢ Age †¢ Pepsi should target that age group that consumes it the most and make promotional strategies according to their behavior. So their main target is the young generation. †¢ Education †¢ A company has to make promotional strategies keeping in view the customer level. If the percentage of education is high in a country then through advertisements people can be made well aware of their product and can convey their message easily. Promotional and education has a direct relationship. b) Economic Factors : †¢ Economic Policies †¢ Some of the economic policies which can affect the market of Pepsico, it is a: 1. Fiscal Policy ? It is the policy of taxes. If heavy tax is levied on pepsi then its price will rise having negative affect on its consumption. 2. Monetary Policy ? Is made to restrict or increase the supply of money in the market. If the policies are made to restrict the flow of money in the market, inflation can be controlled hence increasing the real income of the people which will ultimately affect the consumtion of pepsi. 3. Price Policy ? If price of Pepsi is increased its demand will decrease and vice versa. 4. Income Policy ? If income of the people will increase their purchasing power will increase and hence increasing the market share of pepsi. c) Physical Factors : †¢ Region †¢ Marketing and sales of Pepsi is different in different geographical regions. In hot areas its demand is more. †¢ City size †¢ The cities which are densely populated the consumption of Pepsi is more. †¢ Climate †¢ Pepsi is more suitable for hot weathered countries. It is a source of refreshment when a person is thirty due to the hot weather. †¢ Infrastructure †¢ Roads are the basic need for transportation of Pepsi from one place to another. d) Technological Factors : †¢ Research and Development †¢ Through research and development quality of the product can be improved or better techniques or machinery can be developed which can increase the production. When technology experiences growth in their business. e) Political and Legal Factors : †¢ Laws Formulation †¢ Government has given copy right to Pepsico so that another company cannot sell their product by the name Pepsi. The countries where laws are formulated, the strategies and activities of the company are different. †¢ Social Responsibility †¢ Is to provide its customers with clean and hygienic products so to do this they have increased the use of disposable bottles. f) Social and Cultural Factors : †¢ Social Status †¢ Pepsi is a well renowned brand. People who are brand conscious will not drink beverages of lesser known brands. They will try to show their status by drinking Pepsi which is known to all as a quality drink. †¢ Media †¢ It is a very important factor for marketing. Media these days is a very effective can boast up sales to a great extent. g) Competitors †¢ Each of PepsiCo’s division has its close competitors. It has been observed that most of their competitors are single-product line companies, giving them a more direct handle of the industry. †¢ PepsiCo will have to compete with these strong competitors head on in order to maintain its market share. If PepsiCo is not careful enough, its competitors may eat its market share. h) Emerging health / environment †¢ More Consumers are starting to eat and live healthy, but as we can see majority of PepsiCo’s products are not healthy (junk food and soft drinks). 4. Construct an External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix. |EXTERNAL FACTOR ANALYSIS (EFE) MATRIX | |KEY EXTERNAL FACTORS |WEIGHT |RATING |WEIGHTED SCORE | |Opportunities | |Pepsico new products can easily penctrate in the market. |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |Noncarbonated drinks are the fastest-growing industry. |0. 12 |3 |0. 36 | |Demand of Pepsi is more than Competitor |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 | |Changing social trends (Fast Foods) |0. 09 |3 |0. 27 | |Internet promotion and ordering processes |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |May tie up or liaison with major showrooms, computer centre restaurant |0. 06 |2 |0. 22 | |Threats | |Non-Carbonated substitutes (The Mango Season) |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | |Baverage industry is mature |0. 11 |4 |0. 44 | |Fake products (Imitators) |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 | |Competitor’s schemes |0. 04 |2 |0. 08 | |Strong competition with Coca-Cola company |0. 12 |2 |0. 24 | |TOTAL |1. 00 | |2. 90 | Assign rating between 1 to 4 for each key external factors : †¢ Poor Response 1 †¢ Average  Response 2 †¢ Above  Average  Response 3 †¢ Superior Respons – 4. 5. Identify the organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses. Internal Factors : Organizational Structure 1. Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) †¢ Frito-Lay North America manufactures, markets, sells and distributes salty and sweet snacks. Products manufactured and sold in North America include Lay’s and Ruffles brand potato chips, Doritos and Tostitos brand tortilla chips, Cheetos brand cheese-flavored snacks, Fritos brand corn chips, a variety of branded dips and salsas and Rold Gold brand pretzels. Low-fat and no-fat versions of several brands are also manufactured and sold in North America. 2. PepsiCo Beverages North America †¢ In recent years sales of non-carbonated beverages have grown steadily. 3. PepsiCo International †¢ Snack food businesses are growing fastest in the Asia pacific region si PI should give attention to these market to avail growth opportunity. †¢ Overall carbonated soft drink market has shown less than 1% growth over the past few years and all that growth is came from diet soft drinks and energy drinks. †¢ Consumer has shown an increasing interest in healthy alternatives to carbonated soft drinks, such as ready-to-drink teas, bottled water, sports drinks and juices. †¢ In 2004 more than one-third of PepsiCo’s sales came from spot (no trans fats) products. Internal Strengths †¢ Company Image : †¢ It also is a reputable and is well known all over world. Perception of producing a high quality product. †¢ Quality Conscious : †¢ They maintain a high quality as Pepsi Cola International collect sample from its different production facilities and send them for lab test in Tokyo. †¢ Good Relation with Franchise : †¢ Throughout its history it has a good relation with franchisers working in different areas of the world where they have the production facilities. †¢ Production Capacity : †¢ It has the highest production capacity in South Asia. †¢ Market Share : †¢ It has a highest market share †¢ Large no. of Diversity Business : †¢ This is also its main strength as it ahs diversity in many businesses such as : i. Pepsi beverages ii. Pepsi foods iii. Pepsi Restaurants. High Tech culture : †¢ The whole culture and business operating environment at Pepsi-Cola-West Asia has quick access to a centralized database an they use computers as business tools for analysis and quick decision making. Internal Weaknesses †¢ Decline in Taste : †¢ During the last years, it was published in Financial post that there has been big complaints from the customers with regard to the bad taste that they experienced during the span of six months. †¢ Political Franchises : †¢ Such as in Pakistan, Hamayun Ahkhtar is its franchisee who has a strong political support from a political party which is in opposition. In their era in government less taxes are imposed on them but relation increases as they come in opposition. So the selection is not appropriate as this thing is harmful to their image as well as the strategies. †¢ Short Term Approach : †¢ They have a lack of emphasis on this in their advertising such as currently when they losses the bid for official drink in the 96 cricket world cup. They started a campaign in which they highlight the factor such as â€Å"nothing official about it†. †¢ Weak Distribution : †¢ They lack behind in catering the rural areas and just concentrating in the urban areas. †¢ Low Consumer Knowledge : †¢ Unable to maximize local consumer knowledge. †¢ Lack of Soft Drink : †¢ Lack of soft drink â€Å"know-how† as a result of diversified business units and generalist managers. 6. Construct Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix. |INTERNAL FACTOR ANALYSIS (IFE) MATRIX | |KEY INTERNAL FACTORS |WEIGHT |RATING |WEIGHTED SCORE | |Strengths | |Strong multinational (Brand Equity) |0. 11 |3 |0. 33 | |Strong vast distribution Channels |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |Lack of capital constraints |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 | |Record market share |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |Strong brand portfolio |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |Aggressiveness in the market (market leader) |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |Brand promotion |0. 13 |4 |0. 52 | |Weakness | |Targeting only young customers |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 | |Political franchises |0. 07 |2 |0. 14 | |Centralized decision making |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |Decline in taste |0. 08 |1 |0. 08 | |Motivational factor |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |Not all products bear the company name |0. 03 |2 |0. 06 | |TOTAL |1. 00 | |2. 82 | Assign rating rate from 1 to 4 for each key internal factors : o Major weakness 1 o Minor weakness 2 o Minor strength 3 o Major strength 4 7. Prepare a Strenght-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Matrix, Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix, Internal-External (IE) Matrix, Grand Strategy Matrix, and Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) as appropriate. †¢ Strenght-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Matrix | |STRENGTHS |WEAKNESSES | | |Brand promotion |1. Decline in taste | | |Strong multinational (Brand Equity) |2. Targeting only young customers | | |Record market share |3. Not all products bear the | | |Strong vast distribution Channels |company name | | |Lack of capital constraints |4. Motivational factor | | |Aggressiveness in the market (Market Leader) |5. Political Franchises | | |Strong brand portfolio |6. Centralized decision making | |OPPORTUNITIES |S – O STRATEGIES |W – O STRATEGIES | |1. PepsiCo new products can easily |S1, S2, S3, O2, O3, O4 |W2, O2 | |penetrate in the market |Company can introduce new product or non- |By introducing non-carbonated drinks Pepsi| |2. Noncarbonated drinks are the fastest- |carbonated drinks because it have good brand |can capture different age groups. | |growing industry |equity, large resources | | |3. Changing social trends (Fast Food) |S4, O5, O3 | | |4. Demand of Pepsi is more than of |By having good distribution channel co. Can | | |Competitor |focus easily fast food restaurants, clubs. | | |5. May tie up or liaison with major |. | | |showrooms, computer centers restaurant | | | |6. Internet promotion ordering | | | |processes | | | |THREATS |S – T STRATEGIES |W – T STRATEGIES | |1. Non-carbonated substitutes (The |S4, S5, T1, T3 |W1, T3 | |Mango Season) |Because company has financial recourses and |By improving the taste quality company | |2. Fake products (Imitators) |distribution channel therefore it can produce|can reposition its products can take long | |3. Beverage industry is mature |non-carbonated drinks. |term position on maturity stage. | |4. Strong competition with Coca- | | | |Cola company | | |. †¢ Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix o Competitive Advantage ? Brand recognition- 3. 00 ? Large market share- 2. 00 -11. 00 = 2. 75 ? Wide distribution channel- 1. 00 4 ? Customer loyalty- 5. 00 11. 00 o Financial Strength ? Inventory turnover+ 7. 00 ? Return on asset+ 2. 00 + 12. 00 = + 4. 00 ? Net income+ 3. 00 3 + 12. 00 o Industrial Strength ? High industry growth rate+ 6. 00 ? Profit potential+ 4. 00 +15. 00= +3. 75 ? Financial stability+ 3. 00 4 ? Resource utilization+ 2. 00 + 15. 00 o Environmental Stability ? Economic stability- 2. 00 ? Barrier to entry- 1. 00- 7. 00 = 2. 33? Competitive pressure- 4. 00 3 7. 00 Coordinate –x ( CA + IS )= 2. 75 + ( + 3. 75) = + 1. 00 Coordinate – y ( FS + ES ) = 2. 33 + ( + 4. 00) = + 1. 67 |   | | | |Strong |Average |Weak | | |4. 0 |3. 0 |2. 0 |1. 0 | |The EFE Total Weighted | | | | | |Score | | | | | | |High |i |ii |iii | | |3. 0 | | | | | |Medium |iv |v |vi | | |2. 0 | | | | | |Low |vii |viii |ix | | |1. 0 | | | | IFE Score = 2. 82 EFE Score = 2. 90 ** At the v place = Hold Maintain †¢ Grand Strategy Matrix |RAPID MARKET GROWTH | |WEAK COMPETITIVE |Quadrant II |Quadrant I |STRONG COMPETITIVE. |POSITION | |market development |POSITION | | ||market penetration | | | | |product development | | | | |backward integration | | | | |forward integration | | | | |horizontal integration | | | | |related diversification | | | |Quadrant III |Quadrant IV | | |SLOW MARKET GROWTH | †¢ Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) as appropriate | |STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES | |KEY FACTORS |WEIGHT |Non Carbonated product |Tie up with Resturants, | | | | |Clubs, Showrooms | |STRENGTHS | |AS |TAS |AS |TAS | |Strong multinational (brand equity) |0. 11 |3 |0. 33 |2 |0. 22 | |Strong vast distribution channels |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 |3 |0. 30 | |Lack of capital constraints |0.07 |4 |0. 28 |1 |0. 07. Record market share |0. 10 |1 |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Strong brand portfolio |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |Aggressiveness in the market (market leader) |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 |4 |0. 24 | |Brand promotion |0. 13 |2 |0. 26 |4 |0. 52 | |WEAKNESS | | | | | | |Targeting only young customers |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |Political franchises |0. 07 |- |- |- |- | |Centralized decision making |0. 05 |- |- |- |- | |Decline in taste |0. 08 |3 |0. 64 |2 |0. 16 | |Motivational factor |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |Not all products bear the company name |0. 03 |1 |0. 03 |3 |0. 09 | | |1. 00 | | | |. | | | | | | | | |OPPORTUNITY | | | | | | |New products can easily penetrate in the market |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |1 |0. 10 | |Noncarbonated drinks are the fastest-growing industry |0. 12 |4 |0. 48 |3 |0. 36 | |Demand of pepsi is more than of competitor |0. 07 |2 |0. 14 |4 |0. 28 | |Changing social trends (fast foods) |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 |4 |0. 36 | |Internet promotion and ordering processes |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |Tie up or liaison with major showrooms restaurant |0. 06 |1 |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |THREATS | | | | | | |Non-carbonated substitutes (the mango season) |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 |2 |0. 30 | |Baverage industry is mature |0. 11 |3 |0. 33 |2 |0. 22 | |Fake products (imitators) |0. 09 |1 |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 | |Competitor’s schemes |0. 04 |1 |0. 16 |3 |0. 12 | |Strong competition with Coca-Cola company |0. 12 |2 |0. 24 |3 |0. 36 | | |1. 00 | |5. 25 | |4. 96 | 8. Provide two recommendations for the organization i. e. , strategies. Support your recommendations. †¢ Out of the many strategic alternatives that PepsiCo could choose to follow, we have chosen to endorse one that fosters continued growth and diversification. Although their over-diversified portfolio has hindered their International Growth, these strategies strengthen their overall corporate worth and market presence domestically. †¢ As consultants for PepsiCo, we are making the following recommendations: 1. Pepsi should focus on increasing sales globally to compete effectively with Coke. They have been beaten badly in some markets, and need to focus more on un-tapped areas. 2. Continue to diversify their beverage selection through acquisitions. This will enable PepsiCo to combat the decreased interest in cola. Going along with this, PepsiCo needs to ensure that they can properly manage all of these acquired companies and should divest those that show limited potential.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Maiden Name Philip Larkin Analysis

Maiden Name Philip Larkin Analysis In a pocket diary note, Philip Larkin stated: At 1.45 am let me remember that the only married state I know (i.e. that of my parents) is bloody hell. Never must it be forgotten. Larkin expresses a loss of beliefs and ideals in marriage prominently in The Whitsun Weddings (TWW) and The Less Deceived (TLD) by examining the ideas that marriage signifies imprisonment and leads to a loss of identity, as well as that all marriages are banal and similar. However, there are notions of the idea that perhaps not all is lost, and this is summed up best in Larkins famous words from An Arundel Tomb, What will survive of us is love. Whether these words actually mean what they say is debatable either the romantic idea that love triumphs death or the realistic view that the couple in the poem had not actually intended to be eternally faithful to each other. Nevertheless, it is clear that Larkin holds a certain disbelief regarding the existence of a happy marriage through his observations of ordinar y people, his use of regular structure and the straightforwardness of his writing. Philip Larkin seems to have shared Russells views, as he rejected the idea of marriage and committed himself to bachelorhood, as he says, I see life more as an affair of solitude diversified by company than as an affair of company diversified by solitude (Hirsch, p.114). According to Edward Hirsch, Larkin never recovered from his parents cramped, loveless marriage, a bloody hell he vowed never to repeat (p.118). His parents marriage also led him to believe that Two can live as stupidly as one. Larkin enjoyed several sexual relationships without ever getting married, showing that he clearly did not agree with public institutions in the 1950s and 60s, but was more representative of the ideas of independence and freedom of choice of the common man. TWW was published in 1964, and brought [Larkin] a remarkable measure of popular esteem (Swarbrick, p.5). In this anthology, Larkin explores the various forms that love can take and what it meant to him. Andrew Swarbrick explains that love and death remain at the centre of TWW (p.92). This consolidates the overall theme existing in most of his poems loss and death. However, Larkins biographer, Andrew Motion, chose to look at it from a different point of view: Reading his poems in chronological sequence, it is clear that his obsession with death is inextricable from his fascination with love and marriage. (Hirsch, p.120) This suggests that Larkins constant fixation with death in TWW and TLD, published in 1955, is actually shadowed by an interest in the inner workings of marriage. Hirsch clarifies, What Motion calls fascination is more accurately described as fascinated revulsion. (p.120) Even though Larkin made no secret of his aversion towards marriage (he thought of it as a revolting institution), he actually presents a diverse range of feelings towards marriage in his poems. Love Songs in Age explores how an older woman feels about love, or the loss of love, when she recovers her faded sheet music that had vanished in the daily frenzy of marriage and family. Only once she enters widowhood is she given a chance to pause and reminisce about her youthful feelings about love, that hidden freshness. Motion identifies the widow in the poem as Larkins mother (Swarbrick, p.108). In Stanza 2, Larkin seems to adopt a tone of optimism, expressing the vivacity of youthful energy with the use of the simile, spread out like a spring-woken tree, implying that the widow had moved from the winter to the spring of her life, if only for that moment when she plays her love songs. This optimism seems to carry on to the next stanza, where Larkin describes love as that much-mentioned br illiance. This description of love seems to contradict Larkins pessimistic views on love, and complies with societys conventional views that love is brilliant. However, the use of the word glare downplays the bright incipience of love, as it suggests that the brilliance of love is too much to bear, and therefore impossible. The poem thus ends on a negative note, where the lady in the poem realises that love has not managed to deliver its promises to solve, and satisfy, as she is left alone after her husbands death, and has to admit lamely that love had not done so then, and could not now, referring to loves failure to last or to deliver. This poem therefore contradicts the feelings of some individuals, such as G.M. Carstairs, who in 1962, argued that young people are rapidly making marriage itself more mutually considerate and satisfying through premarital sex. (Lewis, p.259) Love Songs in Age dissipates the idea that marriage is mutually considerate, by looking at a marriage that ended too early and left one party alone and in tears, dispelling the fairytale conception of happily ever after. Even though TLD was published 9 years earlier than TWW, Larkin shows an early awareness of the reality of marriage, and the negative aspects it entails, suggesting that marriage causes a loss of identity in Maiden Name. This poem is about a womans role in getting married and is written in second person, such as in since you were so thankfully confused. This makes the reader feel drawn into the text, as if the persona is speaking directly to him/her, highlighted by the use of imperatives Try whispering it slowly. The poem was written about Winifred Arnott, with whom Larkin had a brief relationship. This relationship ended when she left for London and became engaged in 1954, which lends to the personas tone of betrayal in this poem, such as in since youre past and gone, implying that Arnotts marriage caused her old self to disappear. The persona insists that the five light sounds of her maiden name no longer means your face,/Your voice, and all your variants of grace. It is unusual th at a name should mean a face and a voice, rather than the person herself, and Larkin might do this in order to point out the different aspects of a person that a name can recall. In its regular rhyme scheme (a,b,b,a,c,c,a) and structure, this poem seems like a conventional love poem, according to societys ideas. This is highlighted in the intimate tone of Try whispering it slowly. Just like the hidden song sheets in Love Songs in Age, the womans name in Maiden Name has been abandoned in old things, eliciting a rhetorical question from the persona: Then is it scentless, weightless, strengthless wholly/Untruthful? The tone of voice here seems uncertain and the repetition of -less implies that the woman has been diminished after marrying. The persona is adamant that the woman has lost a part of herself after marrying, as he gushes, How beautiful you were, and near, and young, /So vivid, suggesting that she does not have as much of these qualities anymore. This poem therefore argues that marriage leads to the depreciating of a womans identity and beauty with the extra luggage that comes with marriage, referring to the husband. In doing so, Larkin discourages women from getting married and expresses his loss of beliefs in marriage. Nowadays, an increasing number of women are overcoming the problem of losing ones identity when getting married by simply keeping their maiden name and pairing it with their husbands name. The Larkin that is present in TLD seems more sentimental as compared to in TWW, where he is more discerning to the realities of relationships. Talking in Bed is about the gap between expectation and reality. The tone of the poem is set in the first line, where Talking in bed ought to be easiest, the word ought suggesting uncertainty and untruth. It suggests that there is no honesty in all relationships even at its most intimate. This is emphasized by the pun on the word Lying, in that the couple is lying next to each other as well as lying to each other. Larkin uses an extended metaphor to compare the relationship in the poem to the disturbing weather outside: the winds incomplete unrest. Larkin therefore exposes the turmoil of marriage and forces the reader to reconsider whether marriage actually results in security and comfort, or if it causes incomplete unrest. Jane Lewis essay explains that public institutions in the 1960s attempted to refute the idea that marriages are insecure by setting up marriage counsellors and stressed the importance of a personally grounded morality for a happy marriage. Larkin has a specific style throughout all his poems. Most of them follow a rigid structure, where each stanza has a fixed number of lines. For example, Talking in Bed consists of four tercets, which give the appearance of security and regularity. The structure of the poem thereby belies its content of uncertainty. This is also evident in the regular structure of The Whitsun Weddings, where there are 8 stanzas of 10 lines each, which also gives the impression that all marriages are standard. The title poem of TWW is perhaps one of Larkins most famous. The Whitsun Weddings describes a train ride Larkin took from Hull to London, and in a frail/travelling coincidence ends up on the same train all the newlyweds also take on Whitsun Day. The Whitsun Day celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit as described in Acts, Chapter 2, (Leach) and falls 50 days after Easter Sunday. It is financially advantageous for couples to be married for taxation reasons on this day, and as Larkin decided to write about Whitsun Day, he implies that marriage is cheap. Larkin uses vivid imagery (sound, sight, smell and touch) and a colloquial tone (We ran/Behind the backs of houses) to portray the English countryside through the windows of the train carriage. The images appear like snapshots, giving the reader a sense of immediacy: Wide farms went by, short-shadowed cattle, and Canals with floatings of industrial froth; A hothouse flashed uniquely: hedges dipped And rose: and now and then a smell of grass (14-18) This serves as an introduction that builds up to the fourth stanza, where the persona finally notices the fanfare and excitement surrounding the train, where the wedding-days/Were coming to an end. Larkin describes the newlyweds as fresh, implying that they will not last long. He also mentions the secret like a happy funeral, an oxymoron suggesting that marriage is joyful, but also signifies the end of freedom for the couple. Another bold figure of speech Larkin uses is the religious wounding, which could refer to the sexual anticipation of losing the brides virginity that their friends feel or the fact that the religious act of marriage is painful. Lewis clarifies: Marriage as a public institution had traditionally been supported by a rigid code of Christian sexual morality. An interesting note about this poem is that Larkin does not mention where the train stops, and this suggests that marriage has no direction, and is therefore uncertain. In Stanza 7, Larkin shows how all marriages are the same in that their lives would all contain this hour, dissipating any notions that each wedding is unique. On the other hand, Larkin is inevitably caught up with the couples as We hurried towards London. He seems to be immersed in the excitement of the Whitsun Weddings, seeing himself as part of them. The image of something as dangerous as an arrow-shower changing into cleansing rain gives a sense of rebirth and rejuvenation. However, only somewhere does it become rain, which could mean that the arrow-shower is still lethal in other places. It could also signify the inevitable breakdown of marriage, as the arrows descend and rain could mean mould and cause floods. Martin Amis elaborates that, to Larkin, Hull was as dull as rain. Rain was what Larkin felt marriages turned into, rain was what love and desire eventually become. (http://ghrendhel.tripod.com/textos/amispolitical.htm) This highlights Larkins belief that all marriages are banal and dull. Where Larkin looks at multiple simultaneous weddings in The Whitsun Weddings, he focuses on a specific wedding in The Wedding-Wind, published in TLD and completed in 1946. This poem explores the feelings of a farmers bride a day after her wedding. She is evidently delighted, seen as my wedding-night was the night of the high wind, the strong wind suggesting passion. However, the wind could also symbolise unrest, just like in Talking in Bed. However, the image in the final line, Our kneeling as cattle by all-generous waters, depicts the womans appreciation for being married. It echoes the feelings of most women after they marry, believing that they are on the path to completing their purpose in life. Marriage guidance advocates in the 1960s concurred that womens needs were above all for traditional marital relationships. (Lewis, p.235) Although The Wedding-Wind expresses the womans ecstatic mood, Andrew Swarbrick believes that there is beyond her a lurking sense of threat. This is evident when the bride is abandoned for a while on her wedding-night, leaving her stupid in candlelight. It is interesting as well to note that the husband is mostly absent from the poem, leaving the bride to stare. This implies that women are neglected in marriage. The three questions that end the poem suggest uncertainty, and expose her vulnerability (Swarbrick, p.45). Larkin thereby conveys the ambiguous feelings of the woman, leaving the reader unsure as to whether marriage brings happiness or loneliness. The final poem in TWW is An Arundel Tomb, which discusses the fate of marriage and love after death. It describes the tomb of the Earl and Countess of Arundel at Chichester Cathedral that Larkin had visited. The gentleness with which Larkin describes, One sees, with a sharp tender shock, /His hand withdrawn, holding her hand, shows the pleasant surprise he felt to see everlasting love set in stone. However, this is dismissed with the next line, They would not think to lie so long, which suggests that the couple had not expected to be next to each other for so long, and the pun on the word lie in that they lie next to each other, and also lie to the world that they are in love just like in Talking in Bed, implies that such faithfulness in effigy is actually just a fabrication. The final stanza confirms this, as Time has transfigured them into/Untruth. As mentioned before, this poem (and thus the entire anthology) ends with What will survive of us is love. Yet this has been taken out of context, so the previous one and a half lines have to be looked at: 2544 Words and to prove Our almost-instinct almost true: What will survive of us is love. (40-42) The repetition of almost gives a sense of being so close to the truth, but not actually reaching it; and therefore the last line is thrown into a different perspective. Our almost-instinct seems to be our need to believe in everlasting love after death; but since it is only almost true and not entirely true, the last line is one that the persona wants to be true, but is not necessarily so. Therefore, Larkin still expresses a loss of beliefs in love and marriage. He commented on An Arundel Tomb, a rather romantic poem I dont like it much, which confirms his dislike for the romantic ideas about marriage the poem imparts. As he chose to end the anthology with this poem, it makes it all the more significant that Love isnt stronger than death just because statues hold hands for 600 years, which is what Larkin wrote on the manuscript draft (Swarbrick, p.114). Even through Larkins evident distaste for marriage, his literary executor, Anthony Thwaite, claims that, The fact that he has never married and has no children doesnt entail ignorance of, or contempt for, the institution or its usual result. Larkin rearticulates: Ive remained single by choice, and shouldnt have liked anything else. Public institutions from 1920-1968 tried to appealà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to the biologically determined needs of women for traditional marital relationships (Lewis, p.262) by publicising marriage guidance. Through the fact that they needed to do this, it can be inferred that there were rising divorce rates or fewer marriages in the 1960s, showing that Larkin was part of, and his poetry appealed to, a growing group of people who were unmarried. For the rest of society, Larkins poetry was a basis for reconsidering the purpose and effect of marriage. Larkins most effective technique, arguably, of portraying his messaging is his use of the casual, colloquial tone paired with enjambement that imitates daily speech, which is easily understandable and allows him to connect with people from different walks of life. Thus, it is easy for the reader to comprehend Larkins views about marriage and his poems make the reader reconsider what marriage actually constitutes. Is it imprisonment, a happy funeral, an almost-instinct or is it a loss of identity? Regardless of the answer, Philip Larkin effectively conveys his message through the use of regular rhythm, rigid structure, enjambement, imagery and observations of ordinary people. Since Larkin never married, most of his poems are a generalisation of marriages that he observed and felt what marriage was like. Thus, we cannot whole-heartedly agree with all his views. As Larkin chose the path of bachelorhood, he probably used poetry as a replacement for marriage.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

A History of the Cold War Essay -- The Truth About the Cold War

â€Å"As crossfire raked his body, the second boy fell back onto the strip of now churning sand. Wounded, moaning for help, he lay only 300 yards from a unit of United States troops. But the American commanding general issued orders: ‘Stand fast. Do nothing.’ Fifty-five minutes later Peter Fetcher was dead, and his body was carried away into the recesses of the city from which he had tried to escape.† This excerpt, from The Cold War: From Yalta To Cuba by Robin W. Winks shows how, despite its name, the Cold War was anything but cold. World War II is considered by most experts to have ended in 1945, when the Japanese signed an unconditional surrender to Allied powers. Although World War II ended, the Cold War was just warming up. A very big part of the Cold War was the arms race. When the United States of America dropped the first atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we had displayed our power and jumped ahead in the race. This was a huge surprise to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They grew uneasy and distrustful of the US and other hidden powers we may possess (Trueman). After World War II ended, Europe was left in shambles. The US, not nearly as devastated as the rest of the world, developed the Marshall Plan to try and rebuild Europe. While the main goal of this plan was to help Europe rise from the ashes, a secondary goal was to stop the spread of Communism that Stalin was trying to promote (Marshall). Upset and frightened by the attempt to spread American ideas, the USSR developed the Zhd anov Doctrine. This doctrine â€Å"claimed that the United States was seeking global domination through American imperialism, as well as the collapse of democracy. On the other hand, according to this Doctrine, the Sovie... ..., Ambassador. "LOOKING BACK: The 1986 Reykjavik Summit." Arms Control Association. Arms Control Association, Sept. 2006. Web. 05 Sept. 2015. Il, Theodoros, J.D.-M.A. "How Did the Cold War Start and End?" Today I Found Out RSS. Today I Found Out, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 02 Sept. 2015. LaFeber, Walter. America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1945-1971. Second ed. New York: Wiley, 1972. Print. "The Marshall Plan." The Marshall Plan. George C. Marshall Foundation, 2009. Web. 02 Sept. 2015. "Treaty Between The US And The USSR On The Elimination Of Their Intermediate-Range And Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty)." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2015. Trueman, Chris. "The Cold War." The Cold War. History Learning Site, n.d. Web. 01 Sept. 2015. Winks, Robin W. The Cold War: From Yalta To Cuba. New York: Macmillan, 1964. Print.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Sex and Desire Essay -- Literary Analysis

Sex and desire. Few words evoke such complexity of meaning. For some, it is a sexual act. Whereas one might describe it as the sensual pleasure of two bodies fused into one being, another may define it as the fulfillment of animalistic desire, an unleashing of the beast, if you will. But, beyond an act charged with various meaning, it can also serve as an identity–heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or transsexual. Whether act or identity, societal dictates define the norm and the deviant. Because of this, the artist who departs from the "acceptable" and embraces the "aberrant," arouses the consciousness of self and society. In doing so, sex and desire become a vehicle, a means of communication between artist and audience, and an object that demands our attention. Whether it is the subtle and sensual language of Anaà ¯s Nin in The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin (1966), the coarse and explicit vocabulary of Henry Miller in Tropic of Cancer (1934), or the poetic and surrealistic prose o f Djuna Barnes in Nightwood (1934), sex and desire, as a vehicle in the literature of these authors, exposes the chaos and confusion within their world and suggests the establishment of a new order for self and society. Written between 1931 and 1934, The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin chronicles one artist’s psychological journey. Deserted by her father as a young girl, Anaà ¯s experiences an â€Å"initial shock† that leaves her â€Å"like a shattered mirror† (103). The shards of glass, each developing a life of their own, come to be the â€Å"several selves† of Anaà ¯s (103). Through the pages of The Diary, reflecting upon and dissecting these various selves, she concludes, â€Å"one does not need to remain in bondage to the first wax imprint made on childhood sensibilities. One need not be brande... ...thly father, a man she worshipped from her youth. This is further supported by a reference to the child as a â€Å"fragment of the past† (341). Finally, while giving birth she remarks, â€Å"These legs I opened to joy, this honey that flowed out in the joy–now these legs are twisted in pain and the honey flows with the blood† (344, emphasis added). All things considered, it seems reasonable to conclude the child was a result of incestuous union. Nevertheless, from the chaos and confusion, emerges the â€Å"birth† of the â€Å"real† Anaà ¯s and while she â€Å"may not become a saint† she is â€Å"very full and very rich† (360). Works Cited Barnes, Djuna. Nightwood. New York: New Directions Books, 2006. Print. Miller, Henry. Tropic of Cancer. New York: Grove Press, 1961. Print. Nin, Anaà ¯s. The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin: Volume One 1931-1934. San Diego: Swallow Press and Harcourt, 1966. Print.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Reevaluating Union Trade Responses

Since the 1980†³s academia and professionals alike have been picking at the bones of discussion regarding the ‘decline† of Trade Unions, their strategies of ‘survival† and issuing prescriptions as to the most suitable form Trade Unionism can take in order to modernise, compromise and indeed to qualify for a role within the ‘new† workplace. Within this plethora of discussion much is made of placing relevant unions into suitable and identifiable criteria, whether it be the AEEU and it†s ‘Enterprise† unionism or UNISON†s ‘Managerial† unionism. Although these criteria may be suitable within a fixed period or in order to understand a particular situation, the argument remains that they are static and do not necessarily reflect the many forms that unionism can take. Indeed much of the criteria presented is regarding the union as an organisation, as a business even, and in this way does not account the most important factor, that of a Union†s members and the branches within which they interact. Membership and the Collective voice is the foundation of Trade Unionism, it will therefore be argued that faced with a ‘New† Industrial Relations Trade Unions, in this country, have illustrated an uncoordinated approach and have merely tested solutions, moving gradually back to the membership in order to consolidate their position. Naturally there will be those unions who will stay with a tried and tested formula , however with the impending ‘Fairness at Work† legislation unions will be given space to engage their membership rather than attempting to engage managers in attempts at recognition. The reevaluation of union strategies will involve a critical analysis of both set criteria, prescriptions of moderation and a reconsideration of militancy . The argument will thus draw parts of certain ‘criteria† and aim towards methods whereby engagement and resistance may coexist effectively enabling effective ‘partnership† with effective ‘representation† through the education and strong organisation of union members. The term ‘New Industrial Relations† encompasses the change in the workplace, managerial trends, Trade Union strategies and the backdrop against which the play commences and adapts. This backdrop consists of historical, economic and social factors which have influenced industrial relations as it now exists. Much is documented about the gradual transformation of roles that occurred during the 1980†³s and certainly in the 1990†³s; The legislative onslaught upon the Trade Unions, by the Conservative Government, effecting both their financial and organisational strength. The backing and encouragement of the growth of big business, by the Conservative Government, in order to counteract the rise of unemployment and to replace the decline in such traditional areas such as manufacturing. The rise in unemployment effected a fragmentation on the workforce and ended the notion of ‘a job for life†, replacing the full time, dominantly male, workforce was the part time, temporary and the rise of the female workforce, itself transforming society and family roles. As can be seen through this chain of events the traditional base of trade unionism had disintegrated, hailing criticism that trade unionism is no longer relevant to this new workplace, criticisms that were supplemented by a falling membership and a weakened bargaining base. In extension and, to some extent, response to this business and managerial trends were being heavily influenced by both the presence of and the success of international companies who were utilising new management techniques. The two main trends that will be briefly discussed, in regards to their effect on Trade Union renewal, are that of Japanisation and Human Resource Management primarily through the work culture they wish to produce rather than their distinct workplace structures. It is to be noted, in regards to these two trends (which themselves have overlapping features), that two academic criteria have arisen in direct response and with distinct and reflective attributes, these two response criteria are Enterprise Unionism and Managerial Unionism . Enterprise Unionism can be best described in conjunction with the Japanisation of British Industry. Japanisation occurred not only through the presence of Japanese companies in Britain (Hitachi, Nissan etc.) but also through British business† observations of the success if Japanese Business, therefore the matter is twofold with Japanese businesses applying their business culture to their British subsidiaries and British business ‘borrowing† the better parts of Japanisation for themselves. The main aims of Japanese practices is best described by White and Trevor (1983) in that they aim to create: † a stable workforce with a high level of commitment to the company: extremely cooperative in accepting change, extremely unwilling to enter into strikes or any other forms of conflict, and generally putting the company†s interests level with or even ahead of it†s own. The outcome is a high and rising level of productivity, and an altogether easier climate in which management can plan for changes in products and processes† Dedication to the company and its ideals goes one step further when applied to the workplace and the presence of a trade union. The most obvious outcome is that the very existence of a trade union, and in deed it†s historical connotations, points towards an adversarial situation and a separation of ideals and goals. In order to counteract this fragmented relationship ‘Japanisation† also endorses the case for the single union deal. The very notion of the single union deal explains the terminology applied to those unions who seek them, for in order to get the deal one must put forward the best business case. The context and result of this situation is typified by the case of the EETPU and Hitachi, this union deal (being the first of many) can be said to have heightened the debate regarding the direction of Trade Unions and also bringing into question: â€Å"..many of the core concerns of trade unions, including the sanctity of traditional territorial boundaries between one union†s membership constituency and anothers, the extent to which unions should pursue their objectives via a consensual or a conflictual relationship with management, and to the degree to which, in contemporary work settings, unions can influence the ground rules of the union-management relationship, or are subject to managerial definitions of the basis upon which those relationships will operate.† This active approach to single union deals gives rise to the aforementioned case case-putting, more candidly described as the ‘ ‘beauty contest'† These contests, as illustrated by the EETPU deal, can result in no strike deals , pendulum arbitration and the creation of Employee Board. Employee Boards may or may not include union reps and indeed their very existence has led to some critics to argue that such agreements ‘bind unions through institutional subordination to company councils† (Ogasawara and Stewart, 1992) . This obvious circumvention of traditional representative channels and the active promotion of employer friendly unionism could entail the union become a mere rubber stamp or an empty shell, and is itself an argument for internal organisation to build internal strength before these deals are even considered. A further criticism of this approach can be drawn from two AEU deals with Nissan and Toyota whereby recognition, via a single union agreement, was given before recruitment took place, taking potential memberships choice out of the equation and leaving no real alternative in regards to union response. Justifiably the EETPU and the AEU are the epitome of Enterprise Unionism, their subsequent merger and their steady gain of membership perhaps promote their tactics. These tactics, however, give rise to the questions as to whether numbers are more important than effective representation, admittedly the larger the union, the louder its voice, however when this voice is muted by employer dictated deals the situation does require a reconsideration of a union†s aims and objectives. If business Unionism is placed at the far right of the union response spectrum, then the Managerial Union can be placed in the middle due to it†s response to the individualisation of the contract and work experience by Human Resource Management (HRM) HRM can be seen as focusing upon the individual at work, with an emphasis on flexibility, training and pay and rewards, emphasising a rhetoric of joint aims between the Employer and Employee. It is the main strand of this rhetoric, individualisation, that can be seen as the most active in the modern workforce. In response to this individualisation and the decline of collective bargaining that the rise of the managerial servicing relationship can be seen: â€Å"We†¦need to see our members as our customers. As sophisticated users of services, people will make choices depending on what impresses them about a particular company or product and what is in it for them. They have become used to high standards and have expectations based on those standards. It is in this framework of customer choice, that unions increasingly have to stake their claim to recruitment. We need to reassess what people really want from a union and what will make them join.† This trend towards consumerism is often coupled with a reorganisation of union structure to encompass a servicing relationship in regards to the new workforce. This structural change can be seen in both the GMB, MSF†s and UNISON†s structures that promote representative channels for women, young people, ethnic minorities and disabled workers . These channels are themselves serviced by Full Time Officers. A structural description of a servicing relationship is given by Bob Carter and Gavin Poynter (fig.1). Within this structure it is clearer to see how this form of unionism could facilitate a partnership at work, it†s reliance on full time officers allows for a direct filtering down of National Policy and can circumvent the actions of any ‘unattractive† activism, which is further weakened by a reliance on the union for advice. This is an integral approach on behalf of unions, such as UNISON, who ‘increasingly came to advance the concept of a well- disciplined, politically sensitive and well-coordinated approach to†¦trade unionism† (Terry, 1996) . Terry goes further stating that COHSE and NUPE ‘were concerned that the new union would become an ‘activist union†, with the risks that activists might become detached from the members.† This reliance on servicing to circumvent activism has caused the worry of inactivity at branch level and the rise of ‘passive consumerism†, recruitment is not being paired with strong organisation at branch level. This idea of creating an active branch is illustrated by the TGWU past and present campaigns , which further illustrate the problems of a servicing relationship and the possibilities of a future of self-organising unionism, an approach that UNISON itself has recently approached on with it†s ‘Beactive† Campaign. This response can also be seen as an indication that mere moderancy and partnership do not necessarily reap much reward in regards to members. With an emphasis on Organising and therefore transforming the relationship from â€Å"what can the union do for me?† towards a more proactive ‘What can we do for our union?† , unions can only nurture such a relationship through the realisation that the antagonistic relationship between worker and employee is a continual matter that needs to be addressed in collective strength: â€Å"The policy question for unions would thus appear to be how to adapt collective organization to meet new circumstances rather than how to replace it with passive consumerism† (Kelly and Waddington 1995)    Kelly illustrates this argument with evidence regarding the falling success rate of unions in regards to recognition cases, the marginalising of Stewards and most interestingly the view of the strike being beneficial in terms other than those directly involved. Kelly argues that strikes retain and in some cases recruit members through the illustration of a Union†s strength and commitment to the Collective with the prospect of a heightening of the ideology of conflictual interests among this Collective. The most important part of Kelly†s argument is it†s acceptance and recognition of external constraints, namely the managerial and economic trends outlined previously ,in recognition of these constraints it would be necessary to add to Kelly†s theory the need for effective training and education of lay officials in the responses to these techniques in order to achieve the pragmatism that Kelly prescribes. Resistance to any new Employer technique can be seen as a natural response to anything ‘new† however Trade Unions need to ensure that lay officials are able to recognise benefits and pitfalls and approach likewise. A National Policy of Servicing and Partnership do not translate well at workplace level causing alienation of activists and poor responses as can be seen by the TGWU experience at Volvo in the 1990†³s, the insight to which is provided by one of Volvo†s Swedish Managers: â€Å"When I moved here in December 1990 the problem we had was not so much the people as the way the way they were used to working, especially on the union side†¦.the problem we had with the union was that they did not have enough information or knowledge needed to bring out their point of view. It is important that when dealing with a system you have to have a strong union with strong people who work well and believe in what they do†¦..it takes a long time and that is what has happened here†¦That is a result of history, because they have not trusted the manager and they are not used to doing things themselves and taking responsibility for change† (Swedish Production Director, Workington) The cycle of this achievement can be formualised as: issueg organisationg educationg unityg action . Moderate Unionism ignores the potential of issues to unite it†s membership, the servicing model may recognise the issues but does not give the issue to the member to understand and merely prescribes a National Policy, Enterprise Unionism has no real strength behind any action to place upon an issue. It is these weaknesses which beg the return to the Traditions of Militancy with a ‘new† informed attitude. There is no indication that Trade Unions are about to go the ‘way of the dinosaurs† however they could well seal the fate bestowed upon them by Basset and Cave ( that of a mere provider of services). This fate can only be provided by recognising that traditional antagonisms still exist and recruit and organise around this while still engaging the realisation that parts of the New Industrial Relations are beneficial to workers. Moderation in Unions is not effective as a National Policy, indeed not even realistic, whereas the empowerment of members through democratic structures within the Union will build a strong organisation which can recognise and compromise with managerial trends on its own terms could well hold them in good stead. It is within this context that renewal, rather than replacement, can be viewed. The future context of these arguments will make interesting viewing namely the impending ‘Fairness at Work† legislation and the Trade Union recruitment of Young Workers, in order to contract the demographic change occurring within it†s membership, whether Trade Unions will achieve a cultural change which will nurture a new generation of activists could well determine the future of the role of Trade Unions and depends very much on the Unions ability to Acheve rather than receive members. Reevaluating Union Trade Responses The following report shall analyse the importance of the implementation of the marketing philosophy and shall highlight the importance off this idea to be shared by all functions within the company including top management, finance, production right down to the customer service representatives. The report will also attempt to measure the degree and success of such an implementation with respect to the Ford Motor Co. Henry Ford started his working life as an engineer for the Edison Lighting Company Detroit, in 1884. Ford by chance, came across a science journal written by Nicholas Otto, a German engineer who was developing the internal combustion engine. Ford became very interested, some say infatuated, and he decided to build his own. In the Following years Ford have become the worlds second largest car manufacturer in the world. Until recent years the Ford Motor Co have famously used the production concept. An example of this is when â€Å"Henry Fords whole business philosophy was to protect the production of the Model T so that its costs could be reduced and in turn more people could afford it. He once joked you can have it in any colour as long as it was black.†(Kotler, 1996) Since falling behind the Japanese manufacturers in customer focus and service terms, Ford have quickly changed their focus and concept and are attempting to implement an all pervading marketing philosophy in order to â€Å"win back the confidence of consumers†. â€Å"Marketing must now pervade a business† entire operation to win the confidence of consumers†. (Jane Simms, Marketing Nov 23, 2000) â€Å"The marketing concept provides a single prescription for running a business successfully. The consumer must be recognised and accepted as the focal point for all business activities and knowledge of consumer needs and wants should be a starting point for all major business decisions†. (Raymond and Barkinsale, corporate strategic planning and corporate marketing, Business Horizons, Vol 32, no3, 1989). These definitions clearly indicate the pivotal role that a marketing philosophy and consumer focus play in the success of an organisation, if properly shared by all functions. â€Å"The marketing philosophy can be expressed as the means of operating within an organizational philosophy, the philosophy will be regarded as the medium which governs all organizational life†. (Robert E. Morgan, Management decision, 1996). This quote signifies how marketing can exist and operate as a company†s whole business philosophy. An example of a company who has begun to implement the marketing philosophy throughout all functions with considerable success is Ford Motor Co. After falling sales revenue due to focusing on production and finance orientations, Ford decided to become a market-oriented organisation. â€Å"The market oriented firm is one which successfully applies the marketing concept. The term â€Å"market oriented† is preferred to â€Å"marketing oriented† as this highlights the organisational wide application†. (Sonny Nwanko, Journal of consumer marketing, Vol 12, Nov 1995). Fords Application of the Marketing philosophy Ford is zeroing in on the consumer and is currently in the first year of a five-year revitalisation plan to get back to basics and rebuild relationships with customers through the organization wide marketing philosophy. According to Fords General marketing manager Daryl Hazel â€Å"our aim is to transform Ford from a solid performer as an automotive manufacturer to a superior performer as a customer focused company†. Ford realise that their success in this proposed change: â€Å"Depends on the degree of implementation of the marketing concept throughout the company†. (Bernard, 1987) Ford is just one company who realise that the marketing must not be confined to the marketing department but must be organisational wide pervading all functions. Ford has used marketing for many years in the form of advertising and public relations. Now Ford are using the marketing discipline throughout the organisation they are achieving far better results. However, many companies struggle in implementing this concept due to a lack of understanding. â€Å"Much of the confusion over the years in defining marketing and understanding the marketing concept results from a failure to make these three distinctions between marketing as a culture, as a strategy and as a tactic† (Webster, 1992) This quote is referring to the error that many companies make that marketing is simply just advertising and selling rather than identifying the needs and wants of their customers and satisfying these desires through marketing information and strategies. Ford have attempted to combat such errors by hiring more marketing people who understand these concepts and are able to clearly outline the company†s marketing objectives in order for all staff to understand these objectives, and in turn create satisfied customers. In order to satisfy these customers Ford must truly understand the psychological and social factors, which determines the customers† action. â€Å"Market orientation is the organisation wide generation of market intelligence pertaining to current and future customer needs, dissemination of the intelligence across departments an organisation wide responsiveness to it†. (Kohli and Jaworski 1990) This highlights that in order to maximise the relationship with a customer through marketing, a strong intelligence system must be developed to understand the current expectancy level of the customers. To enable Ford to gain this information they conducted a market research survey of existing customers and discovered that after sales service was of paramount importance to their customers. Ford then devised and implemented a new customer service department, providing solutions and care to their customers. This came in the form of Ford Business Solutions allowing one point of contact for the customer without them being shunted around between departments looking for the appropriate member of staff to deal with their problem. This allowed relationships between the company and customer to flourish. By significantly differentiating themselves from their competitors Ford have created outstanding value for their customers and also in turn they will find it easier to quickly anticipate their customers forthcoming needs due to the better understanding of the customer. This clearly illustrates the marketing philosophy permeating through the company and adheres to the following definition. â€Å"Placing a major emphasis on the analysis of the target markets needs and wants, and delivering the desired satisfaction more efficiently and effectively than competitors†. (Kotler 1996). The next step in the marketing objectives outlined by Ford was to assign brand managers to each product line. The main reason for this was to enable them to clearly understand the target market that a particular product line was aimed at, and in turn improve effectiveness and develop this consumer orientation accordingly. â€Å"The necessity for firms to identify the basic customer needs and wants and define their product accordingly†(Levitt, 1960). This idea has been clearly illustrated in the tactics employed by the brand managers of Ford. The customers who buy different products require different features and benefits from them and the brand managers at Ford must try to understand this and differentiate their product from similar products offered by competitors. An example of this within Ford is what added extras now come as standard with the product due to the customers needs and expectations escalating. Air conditioning, air bags, power steering and A.B.S. are features, which would have been paid for as extras only a few years ago, are now however appearing on the standard model of most of the Ford cars. This indicates that the brand managers, manufacturing team and the product development staff are effectively utilizing the marketing concept. â€Å"We have had some very innovative ideas and campaigns as a result of having people focus on a particular market†. (Hazel, Marketing manager Ford). The production and design team were also educated in the marketing concept to ensure this newly adopted marketing philosophy reached all functions of the business. By introducing the production and design team to strategies such as market research they were able to understand the customer they were designing and building the product for. Through this research it was discovered that the customer no longer wanted the box shaped cars which the majority of car manufacturers were producing, but the consumers were beginning to desire a more aero dynamic look. Ford was able to react extremely quickly to this by releasing models such as the Ford KA and the Ford Focus. Older models such as the Ford Fiesta were rejuvenated and also giving a new aero dynamic shape. â€Å"This promotes a more pragmatic assessment of the market place – one which is likely to reveal the customer as being at the heart of the organisations strategy process – a partner of the organisation†. (Nwanko, 1995). â€Å"A truly high profile customer oriented organisation will, for example define its product in customer specific terms†. (Nwanko, 1995). Ford achieved this through the launch of a customer magazine. The Ford magazine plays a pivotal role in the development of customer loyalty and prospecting programme to cement and improve Fords position as the United Kingdoms number one car manufacturer. The marketing philosophy is the major focus within the magazine; this is highlighted in a study using 40 focus groups concentrating on the target audiences and to create a reader empathy with a major feature on â€Å"Why I love my Ford† a photojournalism essay rare in such customer magazines. This allows Ford to build strong relationships with the customers. Ford has also understood that measuring the satisfaction of the customers is a key element in the marketing philosophy. Therefore in addition to the thoughts on the product survey they have introduced a satisfaction and service experience survey. Studies are done as early as 90 days and as long as four years after the initial purchase. This definitely implies that Ford are beginning to successfully implement and understand the importance of this concept and how all departments have a part to play. Ford brand sales and service satisfaction continues to improve every month and so far in 2002, both measures are indicating an all time high. This would clearly indicate that there is a certain degree of success with the introduction of the marketing philosophy and highlights the importance of it being shared by all functions in customer terms. Internal and third party measures of satisfaction provided by Ford credit and Hertz are also tracked. The customer in the provider contract category in a 2001 consumer financing study rated Ford credit highest. Internal satisfaction studies showed 84 percent of customers who finance or lease with Ford credit were completely or very satisfied and 90 percent would recommend Ford credit to friends and family members. With the introduction of such ventures throughout the organisation it would appear Ford have a high degree of implementation of the marketing philosophy through all functions within the organisation. â€Å"The marketing philosophy focuses directly on three key issues of customer orientation, integrated effort and profit direction†. (McGee and Spiro, 1998) This quote highlights the three key aspects of the marketing philosophy and it would appear that Ford have adhered to this basic framework, although it is imperative that Ford do not rest on their laurels and must continue to develop this philosophy to maintain market share or achieve potential growth. The aim must be to move to the next level of connecting with customers, and how they can introduce the new products they are launching to them. One key tactic, which would allow Ford to do this would be to attempt through marketing communications to latch onto a few small differences between their own products and the products offered by competitors and advertise these differences heavily. Managers at Ford must also continue to be aware of the crucial role that market research can play in the company achieving this customer orientation. The role of market research in a customer orientation context is of extreme importance. It is imperative that Ford continue to constantly conduct market research in order to identify new and existing customers and their needs, help to set performance indicators, and in monitoring the companies† performance progress and finally to gain the information to help with the successful introduction of any changes. Such a process would ensure the continued development of the marketing philosophy through the organisation. If Ford can do this they will continue to be successful in the implementation of the marketing philosophy. â€Å"Research indicates that companies which focus on boosting loyalty among customers and staff will reap the long term benefits†. (Donkin, 1997) Ford must also understand that to achieve this the top level management must be focused on the marketing orientation. â€Å"The pursuit of customer driven goals requires, first and foremost, a customer oriented attitude on the part of the organisations top leaders and customer driven organisational systems†. (Felton, 1959) Therefore top management must be aware that to effectively implement this marketers should be leading cross functional teams to ensure this pan company marketing works as these marketers would ensure the following was properly managed: â€Å"Customer focused techniques such as total customer experience and customer relationship management and correctly measuring every part of the organisation was evaluated against what it has contributed to these factors†. (Simms, 2000). â€Å"Strategic customer orientation management presents a new opportunity for organisations and should be regarded as a positive and competitive marketing tool. A way forward is for managers to pay serious attention to the internal dynamics of the organisation: systems and structure, which were supportive of, and well attained to an overall culture of customer orientation† (Nwanko, 1995) Ford are a company who seem to have understood this idea and set up a structure which allows support for all functions of the organisation to optimise the results of the customer orientation and hopefully gain new customers through this and retain existing customers in order to expand the business. It is clear that Ford have had considerable success due to implementing the marketing philosophy throughout all internal functions of the organisation functions, however they must continue to develop this using the recommendations previously made. Constant monitoring of customers and their needs and wants in conjunction with analysing the actions of competitors is imperative for Ford to maintain or grow their market share .If Ford can do this they will have achieved their ambition of transforming from a solid performer as an automotive manufacturer to a superior performer as a customer focused company.