PRICE FLUXUATION Essays - Pricing, Marketing, Consumer Theory

PRICE FLUXUATION There are many factors that can cause the price of a product to fluctuate. The product that we are examining is a high quality mountain bike that has been set at a price of fifteen hundred dollars. This price was reached by taking into consideration all of the Laws of Demand. The need of a product to consumers greatly reflects the percent of markup over the initial cost of production. A product is not always sold at a specific percent above cost; many different factors are taken into consideration. There are numerous research teams whose job is to study the economy and provide advice to larger companies on how greatly their product is needed. Although consumers may not approve, quite often prices increase without notice or explanation. The distance between where the product was manufactured and where it is sold has a minute effect on the price. For example, if the mountain bike were made in Sweden it would roughly cost fifty dollars for it to be sent over to the United States. Sometimes an event might occur and the popularity of a once unknown sport may increase and therefore the price increases with the consumer's wants. A two hundred-dollar increase in the price of a mountain bike would not be unheard of around the time of Tour de France. A much more serious increase, like a five hundred-dollar increase, occurs only in extreme circumstances and not as often as the less expensive price fluctuation. If the mountain bike became extremely popular and most of the stores were sold out and not expecting more until the next year, a dealer might hold a few a side with a very hefty markup. A much more widely accepted price change is that of a price decrease. A fifty-dollar decrease could occur with competition between two businesses. Sometimes when a business is just beginning and they are trying to get their product out on the market they lower the price. Such a decrease of two hundred-dollars would be seen in such a promotion. The decrease in the price by five hundred-dollars doesn't happen as often as hoped. Such an event like a recall on a product could cause the price to decrease by one-third of the original price. In the world market it is not unlikely for a product's price to increase and decrease rapidly due to many factors. However, the bigger the amount of increase or decrease the less often the occurrence. It should be highly evident that any event can cause a product to gain or loose value. For example, the increase in gas prices could cause more people to ride bikes, therefore increasing the need for bikes and increasing the price. The factors that effect prices of certain products are often not related.

Aurochs essays

Aurochs essays The buffalo-like Aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius) once roamed over European plains with might and dignity, before its extinction at the hands of human hunters. Also known as the wild ox, the Aurochs grazed the fields of Central Europe and the Baltic coast, although most recently it was restricted to Poland, Lithuania and Prussia. In appearance, the male Aurochs was described as a fearsome animal. Measuring over 180 cm (710 in) at the withers, the bull Aurochs would stand taller than almost any hunter, and the species was not a pacific one. Fiercely territorial, bull Aurochs would attack almost any predator who entered their domicile, and despite its massive size, an Aurochs can move very quickly. (1) The Aurochs was covered in thick dark hair, usually black or brown in color, with a lighter colored ridge or ruff running the length of the spine. The facial structure of the Aurochs was most like that of the present day Spanish bull, with dark, tear shaped eyes, small tufted ears, a cro wn of hair on the scalp and a rather short snout. Aurochs also had a very impressive set of horns, which swept forward and spread out away from the face. These horns could often reach the length of 81 cm (32 in), and were used as decorative ornaments by hunters. (2) The thick neck of the Aurochs was also protected by a layer of fat, to better prevent and deter goring during the mating season. Like modern bulls, the Aurochs had a tufted tail, however, unlike modern day descendants, the Aurochs had more muscular and larger legs. This enabled it to cover ground easily. Males weighed up to 1000 kg (approx. 2200 pounds), while females were much lighter, approximately 700 kg (approx. 1500 lbs). In comparison, modern day cows measure at 141 cm (56 in) and weight in at 770 kg (1700 lb). (3) Although the Aurochs massive size ensured that very few predators would be willing to attack it, even in packs, size only made the species more appealing to man. ...

Brand audit of cadbury dairy milk

The journey of Cadbury started way back in the year 1905 from Bourneville, UK. But it came to Indian market in 1948. From the time it was introduced in India, Dairy Milk has been the market leader in the confectionery segment. It has average daily sales of 1 Million bars. The reason that our group chose Cadbury Dairy Milk for the Brand Audit is that it provides us with ample scope to study the various aspects of Branding like Communication Strategies, Innovative Ad Campaigns, and Emotional Connect with Consumers, Brand Repositioning, and Rebranding etc†¦ We will study the evolution of Cadbury Dairy Milk by focusing on following Aspects: In 1824, John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham. This one-man business, trading mainly in Tea Coffee was to be the foundation of Cadbury Limited. For over 100 years Cadbury was a family business. In 1943 non family directors were appointed. In 1847, the enterprise had prospered to a large factory in Bridge Street, Birmingham. John Cadbury took his brother Benjamin into partnership and the family business became Cadbury Brothers Birmingham. The business moved to Bourneville after outgrowing the Bridge Street Factory. The Workforce had risen up to 200 after 32 years at Bridge Street. After the death of two brothers in 1899, the company was privatized. It entered the era of scientific management; it introduced new ideas for their department like: On 2nd February, Kraft Foods took over 71% shares of Cadbury. They acquired it totally. But still Cadbury was on top in the market. This acquisition did not changed people’s mind and their craze for Cadbury Dairy Milk. OPERATIONS Cadbury’s operations are carried out in many countries. Few of them are: BRAND ELEMENTS Dairy Milk has been meticulously built around the world by Cadbury. It has been able to sustain a strong position in the market. There are many branding elements which have resulted into consistent result of its success. Few core Branding Elements are as given below: Not only the above three, But there are many more elements due to which the consistent Branding of Dairy Milk is so very popular. Its different Advertisements, its punch lines etc†¦ It has always kept a strong association with Milk, with slogans such as â€Å"a glass and half of full cream milk in every half pound. And also advertisement which featured a glass of milk pouring out and forming the Dairy Milk bar. Also the ad campaigns are also the important element of Dairy Milk. It made chocolate an eating habit among the consumers, especially the adults. Long back it was a belief that chocolate is only for kids. But Dairy Milk changed this belief. Also they changed the trend of Sweets (Mithai) during the occasions like Diwali, New Year etc†¦ Dairy Milk brought a new trend that whether any occasion, Dairy Milk is best for all. It also gave some famous dialogues from the ads which people remember always. They were also the core brand elements of Dairy Milk. Let us see them below: All these above dialogues were form the very famous and popular ad’s of Dairy Milk. By this ad they wanted to covey to the people that for eating Dairy Milk they do not have to wait for any occasion. They can just have it. Whether they are happy or Sad, But Dairy Milk can be taken in any of the mood. BRAND PORTFOLIO Worldwide In June 1905, Cadbury launched its first Dairy Milk bar, with a higher proportion of milk and it became the best selling product of the company by 1913. Fruit and Nut was introduced in 1928. In 2003, Cadbury made Dairy Milk into a family brand by taking the brands like Caramel, Whole Nut, and Wispa and marketed them as the sub-brands of Dairy Milk. By 2006, there were 15 Dairy Milk sub-brands produced in UK including Shortcake Biscuit, Wafer, Orange Chips, Mint Chips, Crispies and Cream Egg. In following two years these brands were discontinued as they were not successful. Indian Market The Dairy Milk Brand alone accounts for approximately 33% of total Cadbury’s sales. It has made Cadbury the number one confectionery brand in the market. Currently in India, Dairy Milk has following sub-brands under its name. They are; BRAND POSITIONING The Brand Positioning of Cadbury Dairy Milk in mid 90’s was that chocolate is not only for kids but also for adults. And to prove this they immediately released the very popular† Real Taste of Life† campaign , shifting the focus from â€Å"just for kids† to â€Å" kid in all of us†. Let us see the Brand Positioning of Dairy Milk on segmentation bases on two main bases. And they are: Demographic Dairy Milk silk is little higher in cost compared to ordinary Dairy Milk, Fruit and Nut and Crackle. But still people love to have Dairy Milk. Silk is the premium Brand of Dairy Milk Behavioral As we know that Dairy Milk is the only Brand who is the only one to promote chocolate as an important part of Festivals as well as it changed the mind sets of the people that chocolate is not only for kids but for all. The strategy to target adults was taken further with the help of a brand new positioning â€Å"Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye†. For Indians occasions and festivals have utmost importance and Dairy Milk rigorously focused on this point and set a new trend of having Dairy Milk in place of â€Å"Mithai† during the occasions. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Up to 2002, Cadbury was the one having 70 % market shares in chocolate industry. Out of which 30% was the Dairy Milk alone. This is because of constant re-invention of the brand bombarding communication towards the consumers consistently to maintain the top position in mind recall in confectionery segment. Dairy Milk was awarded as No. 1 most trusted brand in Mumbai 2005 for the edition of Brand Equity’s most trusted Brand Survey. Dairy Milk targeted all the aspects as possible to get into the heart of all the people, of all age groups. For this they communicated with people through different Ad’s Campaigns. Let us see few of them below: Shubh Aarambh was one of successful campaigns of Dairy Milk. This means Auspicious Beginning. With this campaign they said that for whatever you start, start it with Dairy Milk and it will be successful. For this they chose the best to advertise: Amitabh Bacchhan. Tools for Communication Dairy Milk used different media options to communicate different campaigns and promote Dairy milk. They are: TV Advertisements is the most popular method for Dairy Milk to show their new campaigns to people so that they can more and more relate it with their personal lives. They also have ground promotions in different malls. They arrange some contests also to promote their brand. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY As we know that Dairy Milk holds 30% value share of chocolate market. The demand of chocolate is increasing day by day. And Dairy Milk is no. 1 in that race. Indian market specifically where the penetration of chocolates is increasing, brings a need for efficiency in logistics and distribution. There is stiff competition in the confectionery market due to large exposure of foreign currency rate risk, mainly on account of import of cocoa beans, cocoa butter. Cadbury Dairy Milk is easily available anywhere in the market. Cadbury’s success of proper distribution is their efficiency. PRICING STRATEGY Dairy Milk is positioned towards age group of 4-50, and thus the price is accordingly kept affordable. Also it is easily accessible to all categories. Price range starts from Rs. 5 to Rs. 20 in different sizes. Cadbury Dairy Milk fruit and nut starts from Rs. 30. Dairy Milk Silk is a premium brand and thus the price of it is little higher that is Rs. 50. COMPETITOR’S ANALYSIS In Indian Market, the main players in the confectionery market are Cadbury, Nestle, Candico, ITC and Parle. Let us see the competitors of Cadbury Dairy Milk in detail below Company Founded in Brand Portfolio Kraft Foods 1903 Cadbury Dairy Milk Variants, Eclairs, Bourn vita etc†¦ Nestle 1860 Kitkat, Smarties Ferrero 1940 Rocher, Raffaelo, Nutella Amul 1945 Milk Chocolate, Fruit and Nut chocolate Candico 1997 Loco Poco Gum, Big Bubble ITC 2002(Confectionery Segment) Minto and Candy man Parle 1929 Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, Kismi, Orange Candy POINT OF PARITY (POP) POINT OF DIFFERENCE (POD) POP’s POD’s OF CADBURY DAIRY MILK Point of Parity Point of Difference Chocolate manufacturing Legacy Goodwill Variants such as Fruit Nut, Dark Chocolate Emotional connect with customers Constant innovation in ads Generic name in Indian chocolate market Good quality products Campaigns targeting from kids to adults Association with milk Excellent distribution systems 2 Layer packaging Dairy Milk is the only one chocolate which says that in occasions also it can be used as sweet. BRAND EXPLORATORY Customer Knowledge Cadbury dairy Milk has been trying to get out of the image of† Just another chocolate† and become something special in the minds of the people. They have also been trying to position themselves as chocolates for all age groups and not just kids. The campaign has successfully created a picture in the mind of the customers that Cadbury is not just a chocolate but means of celebrations. Sources of Brand Equity There are two main sources of Brand Equity and they are: Based on various search results, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk not only enjoys high level of Brand Awareness but unaided Brand Recall. This level of recall is generated when Dairy Milk enjoys The Top of the Mind Effect. The Brand image of Cadbury Dairy Milk plays an important role in building the Brand Equity of Dairy Milk through the medium of unique brand associations. Right from Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye campaign to the recent Shubh Aarambh, Dairy Milk has managed to create strong, unique, and favorable brand associations in the minds of the consumers which is commendable. Brand Recall and Brand image are the strong supports that Dairy Milk has with its all time availability and attractive packaging which only adds to the Brand associations for the Dairy Milk and help build its Brand Equity. Two more important sources of Brand Equity are: \ BRAND AMBASSADORS As we know that previously Dairy Milk was only considered as Chocolate, but their new campaign has changed this perception of consumers. As discussed above now Dairy Milk is considered as Traditional sweet of Indian culture(Mithai) which people give to their near and dear ones on the occasions and now they use Dairy Milk as sweet(Mithai). Brand Ambassador chosen for Dairy Milk is none other than Megastar Amitabh Bacchhan. He endorsed the brand so successfully that everyone loved the brand much more than they did. The endorsement has successfully captured the Indian festivals like Rakshabandhan, Diwali, Wedding, Birthdays etc†¦ Now people give Dairy Milk as token of love, care and affection to their friends and family. DAIRY MILK MENTAL MAP These three form the mental map of Dairy Milk which associates with them the different aspects. Let us see them in detail: CBBE MODEL BRAND MANTRA OF DAIRY MILK SWOT ANALYSIS Strength Weakness Dairy milk is owned by Cadbury which is a globally established brand name known for its manufacturing competency and leadership in innovation. The recent acquisition of Cadbury by Kraft Foods may result in somewhat negative effect on the brand. Dairy Milk has been able to establish a clear and consistent Brand Image over the years. Dairy Milk is somewhat lacking in other emerging markets. It has strong command over its brand image in India and Europe But other places it is lacking. It offers quality product with innovations with crafted communication campaign Certain segment feel that price of Dairy Milk is high and compared to that Amul Milk chocolate is preferred. Dairy Milk has huge command over its distribution network spanning across India. Dairy Milk also enjoys a great Brand Recall value when comes to chocolates with Milk. Threats Opportunities Increasing competition from international brands is biggest threat to Dairy Milk To introduce sugar free category is biggest opportunity for Dairy Milk. Highly price sensitive nature of the industry. Dairy Milk can innovate more by bringing international flavors so that is also gets an opportunity to compete with this threat as well. BRAND STRATEGIES The marketing strategy that a business uses must reflect the objectives of the business as a whole. These strategies must therefore be consistent with the wider corporate objectives of the organization. Strategies are likely to be influenced by the attitudes of decision makers towards matters such as the desirability of risk and change. Such attitudes are influenced not only by the environment within which a business operates but also by the views of Managers and Directors and the culture of business itself. External influences also play a major role in any products advertising, its position in the market. They range from consumers to press and media, and also health and safety laws. PEST Analysis will more clearly throw light on external environment and global factors that may affect Dairy Milk’s Business. This will give a quick and visual representation of the external pressures facing the business and their possible constraints on strategy. PEST means: Political Factors Cadbury at the time of finalizing any marketing strategy will have to think of different political factors regionally, nationally and internationally.

Business Culture in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Culture in China - Essay Example Economic Environment Economic environment refers to all economic factors such as economic structures, economic philosophy of a country, economic policies, planning, controls and regulations which affect the functioning of a business organization in a country. In China, the government has absolute control over all markets and owns all resources. The buying power of the people of China is high and continues to rise constantly and with this rise, tremendous business opportunities are created. The high population of China also provides a good market for products as local consumers eagerly purchase western goods. In addition, the high population also provides ready and sufficient labor to the business firms or organizations (Yong, 2005). The stock market is also an economic indicator of how the Chinese economy is performing. Investors can get information on the performance of any sector of business that they wish to invest in through the stock market. From a market perspective, the pressu re to innovate has not existed in China because the demand for goods has never outweighed supply. The Chinese innovation has also been affected by the economic impact of the low labor costs and the foreign direct investment policy. China’s has a good infrastructure that promotes business operations. It has good communication systems, transportation systems, energy facilities and internet and technology (Yong, 2005). Legal Issues The legal environment incorporates a number of legal regulations of doing business in a given country. The regulations ensure that the interests of businesses organizations do not go against the national interests. The regulations can either be government legislations or... This essay gives an insight into the business culture of Chinese people. For example, showing impatience or humility in a business deal implies mischief and one can change the power balance in one’s favor. Guanxi (which means relationship) is also a very vital characteristic of the business culture of China. Good business relationship reduces frustrations, disappointments and risks in business. The Chinese culture is very different from the western culture in that whereas the western countries make deals with any person, Chinese people will only make business deals with those whom they think are trustworthy. Therefore, for the western countries to do business with them, they have to prove that they are trustworthy. Economic environment refers to all economic factors such as economic structures, economic philosophy of a country, economic policies, planning, controls and regulations which affect the functioning of a business organization in a country. In China, the government has absolute control over all markets and owns all resources. The buying power of the people of China is high and continues to rise constantly and with this rise, tremendous business opportunities are created. The high population of China also provides a good market for products as local consumers eagerly purchase western goods. In addition, the high population also provides ready and sufficient labor to the business firms or organizations. China has for many years been politically stable and this has promoted foreign investment.

Women and law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women and law - Essay Example Out of respect and highest regard to the sanctity of life, treatments are sometimes forced on sufferers, who refuse consent to it because they want to cause themselves harm or that their logic is distorted due to the mental problem underlying. That was the case with B. V Croydon who refused to eat when she was prevented from harming herself, and was tube-fed against her will (Cooper, 2005). Feminists say that the illness is a symptom in a society which judges people on the grounds of looks, which emphasises thinness and has unreal requirements and stereotypes regarding peoples appearance. Also, it is much more frequent in girls than in boys, only increasing in greater ages. The law requires a person to sign a consent form to undergo these procedures, and those who choose to do so must be examined by a doctor beforehand in order for an evaluation of the reasons behind wanting to go through the procedure. Feminists say that this is an unnecessary step that shouldnt be taken. They claim that people should be happy and proud of their own body, accept it and love it, instead of trying to change it to fit a certain stereotype or desire of someone else in the society. Also, they say that the purpose of it is mainly to achieve the approval of someone else, rather than of themselves. Posing for a photo shoot like Adele has done is not considered to be illegal as long as the participant is an adult and agrees to it. However, it is obviously immoral and reprehensible, mainly because she was tricked into doing so because she was given a large quantity of alcohol beforehand. The law does not consider being photographed in provocative poses to be illegal, but using animals in this photo shoot causes it to be a "grey zone" since it is possible that sexual interactions between human participants and the animals were initiated, and then it is illegal on accounts of both bestiality and animal abuse. Furthermore,

Project Management and Leadership Essay Example for Free

Project Management and Leadership Essay Leadership is a set of profound practical approaches that determine the success of various change projects within any organizational context. Leadership has already turned into the instrument of guidance and direction for the majority of international and local companies. The close conjunction of leadership and management guarantees that the company will take stable position on the market in the long-term period. Leadership helps determine the basic priorities of the company’s development and lead the organizational process towards predetermined goals and objectives. Innovation and change remain the two key components of the successful leadership; the ability to implement innovative decisions and strategic changes determines the success of any leadership strategy that is implemented within specific company. The development of shared vision, communication strategies, and commitment determines the success of management projects in the constantly evolving organizational environment. Successful leadership: innovation and change Change is the key to successful management. The ability to implement changes determines whether the company is able to stay afloat in the constantly changing competitive environment. Change is intensely personal. For change to occur in any organization, each individual must think, feel, or do something different† (Duck, 1993). That is why leadership skills require understanding the significance of change. Leadership cannot exist without change; without leadership, the change cannot become real. For the change to become relevant and useful, the leader should guarantee that all followers have their experience and thinking conversed to end up in the â€Å"at a predetermined place at approximately the same time† (Duck, 1993). Such approach to leadership will ensure that the leader and the followers follow the same leadership line, clearly understand their performance goals, and possess sufficient and effective tools for achieving these goals. These leadership approaches will also insure the sharedness of thinking, and the leader’s realization of possible problems and obstacles on the way towards organizational and performance highs. Change requires innovative thinking; change means developing new thinking; change implies meeting the challenges which leaders and followers have never confronted before. The combination of innovation and change in leadership serves the instrument for addressing the major challenges and tasks within any organizational framework. However, how do we shape the required leadership framework that allows implementing changes and affecting the process of organizational performance? Several key factors determine perfect leadership. Leadership is the critical element that guarantees appropriate balance between leaders, managers, and employers from all company’s divisions. To be a leader and to manage changes means to be able to stabilize the relationships between the leader and the group of followers, who further carry the leader’s vision of organizational change across all organizational levels. Duck (1993) writes that managing change means managing the conversation between the people leading the change effort and those who are expected to implement the new strategies, managing the organizational context in which change can occur, and managing the emotional connections that are essential for any transformation. Thus, leadership is the source, the initial stage, and the ruling force of transformations within any organizational context, but it becomes irrelevant if the leader is not able to deliver the message, the mission, and to develop emotional connections between the separate elements of the organizational structure. Leadership is impossible without conversation; leadership is also impossible without the already mentioned emotional connections. Leadership cannot turn into management, and cannot bring any positive results if is does not turn into the tangible set of organizational goals. Such transformation is impossible if the leader fails to speak his ideas to the followers in a way that makes them comprehensible and achievable. The leader’s ability to speak the goals and methods of organizational change implies that the leader is able to move the employees out of their control zones, and to establish the sense of urgency in terms of any organizational change and any organizational objective. Overestimation of leader’s abilities to move people ahead is one of the major mistakes a leader makes at the first stage of implementing change. Most successful change efforts begin when some individuals or some groups start to look hard at a company’s competitive situation, market position, technological trends, and financial performance† (Kotter, 1995). However, it is not enough for a good leader to realize the scope of the needed changes, and the need to change the current organizational context; successful leadership has a clear vision of how the minds of the followers should be changed to make them follow the leader and to realize the critical need for a change. Followers should be moved; they should be pushed towards changes. Followers require motivation, and a successful leader is the source of this motivation. To see the need for change may be easy, but it is a deceptive impression. In reality, the first stage of change management is the most difficult of all: employees should be motivated and driven. As soon as the employees and followers are motivated and driven towards change, the next stages of change implementation will be faster, easier, and more goal-oriented. A good leader will never quit if change efforts fail at the initial stage of change initiative. A good leader is able to distinguish the major problems, to facilitate the frank discussion of these problems with the followers, and to further promote the importance of change championships across all company’s departments. Here, ideal leadership combines the sense of urgency with the ability to persuade the followers that the first failure does not indicate the need to give up the whole change management process. The sense of urgency is always reasonable and important: â€Å"when the urgency rate is not pumped enough, the transformation process cannot success and the long-term future of the organization is put in jeopardy† (Kotter, 1995). A successful leader will never be too safe; a successful leader will not be too cautious, but will constantly move towards the predetermined goal, overcoming obstacles, meeting challenges, and inspiring the followers. The urgency rate is high enough to transfer to the next stage of change management, when the three quarters of the company management are convinced that change is inevitable. â€Å"People in the organization may need to hear a message over and over before they believe that this time, the call for changes is not just a whim or a passing fancy. It takes time for people to hear, understand, and believe the message† (Duck, 1993). A successful leader is not only able to deliver the message, but can objectively evaluate the responses from team members. Duck (1993) says that â€Å"what counts is the point of view of everyone else in the organization†, and the success of change management depends on whether the leader is able to interpret, reinterpret, and reevaluate the way followers see the ultimate goals of organizational changes. Communication and balance requires understanding whether followers believe in the success of change, and whether they know what this change means for them and for the organization in general. The leader’s role is to understand whether employees require leadership assistance to better understand the ultimate goals of the implemented change, and whether they are able to communicate their concerns to the leader. When the leader is able to pass the first stage of change management and to incorporate his vision into the minds and souls of employees, the next stage is to make the followers communicate their opinions. A perfect leader will never compel his followers to deliver â€Å"a winning love vision† as soon as employees are involved into change management process (Davenport, 2005). To expect this type of response means to put the whole change management process under the threat of failure. The need to communicate is justified by the need to create different systems of employees’ opinions and thoughts; these subsequently form cohesive working teams that further lead the organization to a new changed position. For a good leader, the followers’ viewpoints are the keys to creating an integrated and well guided coalition of thinkers who realize the need for the change and are ready to act. A good leader understands that a good team is not created overnight; â€Å"the leadership coalition grows and grows over time† (Kotter, 1995). A good leader understands that it is not necessary to involve all senior managers into change management process; on the contrary, a careful analysis of the team members is required before they enter the change process altogether. â€Å"In both small and large organizations, a successful guiding team may consist of only three to five people during the first year of a renewal effort. But in big companies, the coalition needs to grow to the 20 to 50 range before much progress can be made in phase three and beyond† (Kotter, 1995). A good leader realizes that the number of team members is not critical; content is more important when it comes to guiding change initiatives. Leadership implies the importance of team integrity and performance integrity (Sirkin, Keenan Jackson, 2005). â€Å"By performance integrity, we mean the extent to which companies can rely on teams of managers, supervisors, and staff to execute change projects successfully† (Sirkin, Keenan Jackson, 2005). The integrity between the leader, managers, supervisors and the staff determines the stability and success of leadership. Senior managers are frequently reluctant to invite key performers into the team, but a successful leader realizes the value and importance of these performers for the whole process of change management. That is why the company should make everything possible to free these performers from their routine work and to provide them with sufficient â€Å"change freedom† within the change team. With the key performers being involved, the project team will be able to handle a wide range of pressures, challenges, and obstacles.

Finding Meaning and Purpose in Mitch Albom’s, The Five People You Meet

â€Å"The Five People You Meet In Heaven† written by Mitch Albom tells about a man named Eddie and his experiences in life and in heaven. During his journey in heaven he meet five people. He learns how he has impacted the five lives while on earth. Eddie finds that his life did have true meaning and purpose. Prior to meeting the five people that he meets in heaven, he feels as if his life is worthless and has no meaning. Physically he is not in good shape, â€Å"His left knee, wounded in the war, was ruined by arthritis. He used a cane to get around†(2, paragraph 1). He feels stuck at a place with a job that he absolutely hates, â€Å"He cursed his father for dying and for trapping him in the very life he’d been trying to escape: a life that, as he heard the old man laughing from the grave, apparently now was good enough for him†(128, paragraph 1). The one and only love of his life has died, â€Å"I lost everything. I lost the only woman I ever loved†(173, paragraph 9). The triumphs bring Eddie down and make him feel as if his life did not go as he had planned. Although Eddie meets five people in heaven that try to help him to understand his life, one of these people stand out above the rest. When Eddie meets Ruby, he has no idea who she is but she tries to help him try to understand and forgive his father for the years of neglect and abuse. â€Å"Once Eddie tried to stand next to his father and look at his cards, but the old man put down his cigar and erupted like thunder, smacking Eddie’s face with the back of his hand. â€Å"Stop breathing on me,† he said, â€Å"Eddie never got that close again†(105, paragraph 2). As Eddie grows older, their nonexistent relationship does not change for the better! Ruby helps Eddie with this struggle by showing him that... ... mundane things Eddie had done in his life, the accidents he had prevented, the rides he had kept safe, the unnoticed turns he had affected everyday. And while their lips did not move, Eddie heard their voices, more voices than he could have imagined, and a peace came upon him that he had never known before†(193, paragraph 3). Now Eddie knew, He finally knew the meaning and purpose of his life. Although it takes a long time, Eddie finds everything that he has been looking for to understand and be happy with his life. The Five People You Meet In Heaven shows readers how every life has a plan. The plan might not be realized until death, its possible that life’s experiences will be explained. Once the five people are met and differences are resolved, then comes peace. Works Cited Albom, Mitch. The Five People You Meet In Heaven. New York: Hyperion, 2003.

Edgware in London to City Road Essay

Using what I have learned from my study materials, I will compare Station Road, Edgware in London to City Road, Cardiff for either their similarities or differences relating to inequalities. Both roads are over 200 years old and have similar layouts. Station Road is located in a neighbourhood and is very similar to City Road as it is extremely busy with high volumes of traffic and also pedestrians shopping and commuting. Along this road there are a few takeaways, cafes, restaurants, newsagents and estate agents, pharmacy, banks, charity shops and also Edgware Underground station. On the one side of the streets is a big shopping centre with more shops inside and well known supermarkets Sainsburyà ¢s and Marks & Spencer. There are similarities on mentioned streets such as road signs, bollards and of course shops and people which make the street what it is. City Road has a large Ethnic minority, on Station road only a small minority are white British, the rest are Asians and East Europ eans. There are also differences between the streets and this essay will use the differences to show how this can create inequalities. Differences are not just there or given, they are made by people in relation to others and by people in relation to material things and their environment. One of the visible inequalities on Station Road is the traffic infrastructure. The numerous controlled crossings help pedestrians access their destinations, but in turn it has an adverse effect for motorists and increases social disorder between motorists and pedestrians as they fight for space among the road. City Road was said to have been a country lane 200 years ago, but by the 1960à ¢s was taken over by car showrooms. Most of them have been replaced by cafes, takeaways and restaurants designed for large numbers of ethnic minority and student population (The Street 2009, scene 1). There are inequalities between local shops and big supermarkets on both streets. On the street I know there are three powerful stores, Sainsburyà ¢s, Marks & Spencer and Lidl. They have large ranges of products, the competitive prices, car parking spaces, they sell more goods for the convenience of people.

Sales Department Issues

Business Practice Management Counselor 65 Black Street London 5560 29th November 2011, Business Equipment and Systems Managing Director 7560 Louis Park Ave S Birmingham 3658 Object: Suggestions about the Sales Department M. BESOR, As you asked me to, I have conducted a survey to your employees. So are the observations I have made: As you may have noticed, these last eighteen months have been poor in sales: your company has lost 10% of its turnover because of the Sales Department. As you already know, this department changed its sales manager which strongly affected the work of the team. Before that change, the last manager knew how to motivate her team: we need to motivate it again. In order to do so, you should follow some advices that made their proofs. First of all, you could re-organize the team: to see with all members of the sales team what are their expectations. I heard that some of them would like to leave the team: it may be a way to have new blood and new ideas in the team. Some of the employees would like to move to another product line: let them make a try of a few months, if their quota doesn’t improve then you may be able to send them back to their last job. Before making any move, you should send them to a training to motivate them. In that way they will see they are important to the company: you spend money on their training in order to have a better qualified team. Second of all, you need to have a cohesive team. It exists some way to have one: you should organize a seminar that involves every one. You should choose a theme for the seminar like the Olympics Games: a way to represent the international strategy of the company. You could extend the seminar to other departments of the company and let them compete against each other: Like this the sales team could act like a united team. Another way to improve the moral of the team would be to get free coffee. Coffee is really important in the work world, letting them have free coffee would bring a better environment: they may work harder. Obviously, any abuse should not be accepted. Always in order to change the work environment into a better place, you should bring people together based on their product sales. Not having a complete open-space for the sales team but only for those who work on selling the same product. Otherwise, in order to have a united team, you should propose a new calculation mode based on the product team. It means that as you have 3 different teams, they should have some kind of competition between each other: if a team has the best progression of the month then the people of the team will obtain 2% more on its individual commission. Finally, it exists a complementary way to motivate your team: to offer them a ‘thank you' gift when they are making a good job, individually or in group. That gift may be proposed under the form of a smartbox worth 60â‚ ¬. If you need any other information, do not hesitate to contact me. I really hope these few advices will help you to get better results in terms of benefits, environment and work. Looking forward to hearing from you, Yours sincerely, A. R.

Mystery of Napoleon essays

Mystery of Napoleon essays It is unacceptable that a man compared only to the greatest of leaders could die of stomach cancer on a bare, unpopulated island and not die at Waterloo or in Russia but die alone, captive in a dark house in a forgotten exile of more than a decade and a half. It is not a mystery that he died, it is how. It is hard to believe that a man of such achievement and genius could just wither away so unexpectedly. Such men do not just die or wither away. As of March, 2003, many writers and researchers confirmed that Napoleon must have died of stomach cancer. This is contradicted by books written by witnesses of Napoleons exile saying that Napoleon took a special medication labeled Vin dEmpereur. This is believed to be the arsenic poison that is developed into most of these theories. The arsenic poison theory would make sense because the guards were hired to guard the house Napoleon stayed in for however long he lives. Who knows it could have been many more years and the guards would not want to wait around until he actually dies of age. It would make great sense that the guard would want to get rid of him so they could leave and go home. Another piece of evidence showing arsenic poisoning is that when Napoleons body was uncovered for autopsy, it was almost perfectly preserved. This is a major characteristic of a lot of poisons. When dentist, Sten Forshufvud, looked over his body he knew it had to be some sort of poison. They didnt have embalming fluid at that time to help in the decaying process so it is hard to believe that it could just be magically preserved. Forshufvud would later take hair samples of Napoleons to test the levels of arsenic. When tested, they were shown that he had higher than normal levels of arsenic. It also showed that he was given little amounts at a time to try and simulate a fading, weake...

Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Questions - Coursework Example Southwest Airlines is the countrys biggest transporter that serves domestic travelers. The Company works the biggest fleet of Boeing aircrafts on the planet, most of which are fixed with satellite based Wi-Fi, enabling customers to connect their devices while travelling. Southwest Airlines strives to offer its clients quality customer care experience. This is to enable the travelers to feel free and to interact with Southwest Airlines staff and seek for assistance where necessary. According to Kumar (2008), many customers will refer others and choose to acquire the services of the same provider if they feel that the company involved values them and treats them with respect and dignity. The falling fuel prices also contributed to the increased profitability of Southwest Airlines in the year 2013. Lower fuel prices reduce the costs of operations. Southwest airlines have also adopted new technology that plays a crucial role in minimizing the fuel consumption. According to Vasigh, Taleghani & Jenkins (2012) the aviation high fuel costs continue to affect the profitability of companies in the aviation industry. Streamlined designs that diminish fuel-wasting drag, persistent upgrades in engine configuration decrease fuel utilization and expand proficiency . Southwest airline has vast investments in the airline industry. Southwest airlines which also own Air Tran has a combine fleet of 680 airplanes, most of which are Boeing. The companys engagement with several airport improvement projects also improves its liquidity. Southwest airline has established its offices at the Dallas mines field, a premise that is well situated and accessible to its clients. A wide stakeholder stock also provides the airline with sufficient financial resources to operate effectively in the industry. According to Peterson (2002), a company needs to be able to identify its assets and account for them effectively. Southwest Airlines properly indicates and includes

Comparative asian economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comparative asian economics - Essay Example At the beginning of the period between 1948 and 1984, this infrastructure did not reach every village along the way, making it incredibly difficult for those who did produce goods to sell them to a larger market (Guttman, 1980). As the period advanced, infrastructure was improved, and as the communications revolution has progressed world wide these technologies are reaching into smaller and smaller villages across India (Saith, 1981). Along with these advancements have been improvements in education. Both the development of infrastructure and the improvement of education have helped India economically, with the advancements picking up speed in the mid-1980s. The cotton and jute industries were thriving before Indian independence from British rule, and these industries experienced continued growth—with the criticism that foreign trade was not developed properly in order to take international advantage of these industries (Rose, 1968; Rajaraman, 1975). In a 1960 speech, Ambassador Braj Kumar Nehru observes the progression of world events from pre-World War I to that point in history. From his point of view, the Victorian Era had created a stable but unjust world in which the superpowers dominated politics and culture and nations like India were supposed to stand on the sidelines and admire the superpowers. The two world wars changed the superpowers, redrew national boundaries, upended set cultural practices, and plunged the world into economic and political chaos. (Nehru also points out the steep rise in Muslimism across the world, which had a definite impact in how his nation was ultimately partitioned.) The nation of India rose up just at the end of the struggles, and from Nehru’s perspective in 1960 it was poised as an example for other Asian and African developing nations to follow. It must be kept in mind that this assessment comes from an Indian ambassador to the United