Essay on Reforming Credit Laws - 1435 Words

Credit allows consumers to finance transactions without having to pay the full cost of the merchandise at the time of the purchase. A common form of consumer credit is a credit card account issued by a financial institution. Merchants may also provide financing for products which they sell. Banks may directly finance purchases through loans and mortgages. Consumers imperatively rely on credit, so it is necessary that credit laws help protect the consumer. I will discuss some of the major credit laws that impact the consumer, examine whether these laws are working, and talk about possible changes that might be needed to make sure the consumer is rightly protected. The law of consumer credit is primarily embodied in federal and state†¦show more content†¦(â€Å"About the Federal Trade Commission†) The FTC’s work is performed by the Bureaus of Consumer Protection, Competition and Economics. The body of the Bureau of Consumer Protection was created to protect consumers against unfair, deceptive or fraudulent practices in which it enforces a variety of consumer protection laws enacted by Congress. It protects consumers obtaining credit to finance their transactions, ensures that adequate credit is provided, and governs the credit industry in general. Congress passed the Consumer Credit Protection Act, in part, to regulate the consumer credit industry, requiring creditors to disclose credit terms to consumers. The Consumer Credit Protection Act also protects consumers from loan sharks, restricts the garnishing of wages, and established the National Commission on Consumer Finance to investigate the consumer finance industry. Credit card companies, credit reporting agencies, and certain debt collectors are regulated by the Act. The Act also prohibits discrimination based on s ex or marital status in extending of credit. Even with these acts there to protect consumers from obtaining bad credit, there still are complaints about lenders that are non-compliant in their credit agreements. In 1974, the Consumer Credit Protection Act stated that borrowers couldShow MoreRelatedReducing The Value Of Excise Expenditure1481 Words   |  6 Pagesfederal spending.1 Tax expenditures are defined under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 as revenue losses attributable to Federal tax laws which allow a special exclusion exception, or deduction or which provide a special credit, a preferential rate of tax, or a deferral of tax liability.†2 Exclusions, deductions, credits and other tax preferences are â€Å"expenditures† from government’s perspective. See Figure 1: Examples of Six Types of Tax Expenditures. 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Therefore, a person will need to build a credit history before a lending institution allows them to borrow funds. With that, a person who manages his credit well would not have been included in the subprime lending scandal because they would not be considered a risk. However, those individuals that had su b-standard credit scores of 570 and lessRead MoreDodd Frank Reform And Consumer Protection Act1709 Words   |  7 PagesDodd-Frank The full name of the bill is the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, but it is mostly known as Dodd-Frank. The Dodd-Frank Act is a United States federal law, which is divided into sixteen titles that places major regulations on the financial industry with the purpose of restraining another major financial market collapse. The stated aim of the legislation is: â€Å"To promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in

Ruthless Or Progressive Animal Testing - 1396 Words

Veronica Peiffer Ms. Sharon Graham ENG 102 VF 08 October 2015 Ruthless or Progressive Animal Testing Curious minds since the beginning of time have used animals to explore deeper into the realms of science, whether behavioral or biomedical. Despite many medical advances since, people have developed a division between what they feel is beneficial or not to the modernizing world as to whether animal cruelty is acceptable and humane or not. Animal testing is research science, typically regarding chemical exposures, drug overdoses, genetic manipulation, and surgical procedures that result in prolonged suffering and eventual death. According to Bernard E. Rollin’s journal entry from the Hastings Center Report, The Moral Status of Invasive Animal Research, â€Å"Science is ‘value free’ in general and ‘ethics free’ in particular† which indicates scientists are not concerned with the ethical matters but more so the results. Throughout the world, there are over 115 million animals tested in laboratories per year, ranging from farm animals to non-human primates (such as chimpanzees, monkeys, etc.) Many people are aware that animal testing exists, but not to the extent of what it is, such as how an eyeliner from L’Oreal has been tested on an animal. However, it’s not the finished product that is tested on an animal but rather so the breakdown of the chemical composition within the product. There are ongoing experiments to this day where hazardous chemicals are rubbed into the shavedShow MoreRelatedScience and Technology13908 Words   |  56 Pages Equals Humans Tatsuhiko Hasemi Youth Category â€Æ'The Power of Science Illuminating the World Heidi Baumgartner â€Æ'Proposal: Innovating Solar Power Systems to Improve Lives Lilian Kanaya â€Æ'Scientific Development and the Coexistence of Animals and Humans Hikari Kunitomo â€Æ'Encouraging the Access to Sciences to Construct a Better World Kim Pawliw â€Æ'The Role of Science in Building a Better World: Shifting the Paradigms!! Ruby Karmacharya List of Other Prize Winners ãÆ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' »Ã£Æ' » Read MoreCorrectional Administration Reviewer18383 Words   |  74 Pageseighteenth century. †¢ Inmates were poorly clothed, without privacy and the conditions so deplorable that disease thrive, especially the deadly typhus fever or goal fever. †¢ It spawn idleness, vice, perversion, profligacy, shameless exploitation and ruthless cruelty among its inmates as well as its caretakers thereby making them hotbeds of infection and cesspool of corruptions. †¢ New Gate Gaol of London – the famous Gaol in Europe. o HULK – an old sailing ship that is n o longer used for sea voyagesRead MoreSustainable Solutions Paper wk 7 draft16370 Words   |  66 Pageslike the IPod and IPad are evidence that Apple is generating a rivalry on a different stage. Overall, the competitive rivalry within this industry is very high. Were Apple to find a way to translate the popularity of its I-product line into a progressive and sought-after desktop PC or laptop line, it would likely heat the rivalry that much more and quite possibly push Dell and other PC market share leaders to more aggressively pursue innovation. Implications of Five Forces An examination of theRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesas the Strong-Campbell Vocational Inventory, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the StanfordBinet Intelligence Test, and a host of other instruments are available in most college counseling centers or testing centers. Be careful, however, of the multiple assessment instruments you can find on numerous Web sites. Most are not reliable or valid. On the other hand, no one, it should be emphasized, can get too much self-knowledge. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Dell Summary Free Essays

DELL INC STRATEGIC POSITION, CHOICE AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Table 1: PESTEL | | |Meaning to dell? |Dell’s ability to | | | | |address. | |Political Factors |China’s five-year plan has a clear set of social objectives. 23) |Good chance for Dell to grow |Very good. We will write a custom essay sample on Dell Summary or any similar topic only for you Order Now | | |Increased government spending helped China for the first time to beat the US to become the |in BRICS nation. | | | |world’s biggest PC market. (24) | | | | |Restrictive policies in many countries for the protection of domestic companies. 25) | | | | |BRICS sign framework pact for local-currency credit lines. (26) | | | | |European Commission Unveils New intellectual property rights (IPR) Strategy (27) | | | |Economic |The US Debt Crisis and Downgraded Credit Rating. 28) |Global consumers spending |Moderate | |Factors |Global Economy growth forecast 4 % in 2011 and 2012. (Advanced economies 1. 6% and 1. 9 % |less Increased competition. | | | |Emerging and developing economies 6. 4% 6. 1% ,US 1. 5 % 1. 8%,China9. 5 9. 0 ) (29) | | | | |Canalys predicts 14% growth in PC market for 2011. 30) | | | | |China has topped the US as the largest PC market worldwide (31) | | | | |Economies in developing countries like growing at faster rates than developed countries. (32)| | | |S ocial | Education affects brand consciousness, product demand. 42) |Consumers willing to pay more|Very good. | |Factors |Income levels (40) |for higher quality. | | | |Cultural aspects affect sales. (39) | | | |Technological Factors | Fast technological advances (33) |Needs continuous products |Good. | |Increased research and development. (33) |innovation and redesigning. | | | |Short product life cycle. (41) | | | |Environmental | Adds to Global warming. (34) |Requires focus for |Moderate. | |Factors |High Environmental effects. 35) |sustainability. | | | |The global volume of e-waste generated is expected to reach 93. 5 million tons in 2016 from | | | | |41. 5 million tons in 2011 at a CAGR of 17. 6% from 2011 to 2016. (36) | | | |Legal Factors | Minimum wages restrictions in many countries. Effects to its profit margin. |Good. | | |Strict recycling laws in some countries. (37) | | | | |Existence of consumer rights and labour rights. (38) | | | | |Competition laws, employment laws, health and safety legislation. 38) | | | Table 2: Porter’s 5 Forces | |Forces |Factors |Strength | |1 |Threat of New Entrants | |Low | | | |In PC industry, not many competitors emerging on a yearly basis. 17] | | | | |Chance of a new PC vendor entering the market and gaining significant market share is pretty| | | | |slim. [18] | | | | |Entry barriers are higher now than they ever have been. [18] | | | | |Capital required is huge. 18] | | | | |Cost and distribution are two of the entry barriers that are making entry into the PC market| | | | |tough. [18] | | | | |Computer industry is highly competitive with continuing developments. 17] | | | | |People likely to go with big brands they ‘know’. [17] | | |2 |Power of Suppliers |Suppliers such as INTEL and Microsoft holds significant amount of power. [17] |High | | | |Intel’s microprocessor chips are used in approximately 80% of personal computers. [18] | | | | |Microsoft operating systems are used in 90% of computers. 18] | | |3 |Power of Buyers |PC has become a commodity. [19] |Moderate | | | |There is no brand loyalty among PC users. [19] | | | | |Use of industry standard hardware and software means a user can easily switch from one brand| | | | |to another. 19] | | |4 |Threat of Substitute | Organizers, PDAs, blackberries and Tablets are the substitutes of PC industry. [20, 21] | | | | |PC market growth has been impacted by media tablets and next-generation smartphones. [21] |High | | | |It is anticipated that tablets will Cannibalize 10 % of PCs by 2014. [21] | | |5 |Existing Rivalry |1. 6Acer, Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo are the major competitors of Dell. [17] | | | | |1. 17 Attractive new gadgets such as Apple’s iPad making PC industry saturated. [22] |High | Table 3: Value Chain Analysis |Primary Activities: | | |Inbound logistics |Higher density container trailer shipment via sea, air road to reduce fuel consumption. 1] | | |Use of foam pallets instead of wood for shipping, which reduce cost of freight by reducing weight. [1] | | |Dell relies on its highly reliable suppliers for materials. [2] | |Operations: |Produce built to order computers according to individual costumers needs. [2] | | |Use the knowledge from direct contact with its customers. 2] | |Outbound Logistics: |Logistics teams leverage the best transportation and logistics providers available in the industry. [1] | | |Dell sends computers monitors directly from its supplier to customers reducing the cost of storage and time of transfer. [2] | | |Use of direct selling models reduce coast to customers. 2] | |Marketing and sales:|Expanding relationships with retail partners around the world [1] | | |Use of direct selling model thereby reducing cost of distribution channels and communication gaps between customers and company. | | |[2] | | |Direct selling models helps to understand unmet customer needs. 2] | | |24000 retail outlets worldwide, including contracts with Walmart Brazil and Maxico , and Gome Group, the largest electronic | | |seller in Chaina. [16] | |Services: |Dell spent lot of money in training segment managers to provide state of the art customer advice. 2] | | |Customer solutions team collaborate with customers to fulfil there unmet needs. [2] | |Support Activities: | | |Procurement: |Material used is not protected under any trade mark or copy right. [2] | | |Any competitors can use the same materials from same suppliers as suppliers tend to sell generally to all players in industry. | |[2] | |Technology: |Introduce new and relevant technology much more quickly than competitors who use slow moving distribution channels. [2] | |Infrastructure: |Revolutionized computer industry’s traditional value chain by introducing direct selling model. [2] | | |Use ROIC as mean of managerial performance and individual business units performance. [2] | | |Inventory turnover is 6 days. 2] | |Human Resources: |Dell staff has to be knowl edgeable and customer focused to provide best outcome. [2] | | |Train its segment managers to provide state of the art customers’ service. [2] | Table 4: Generic Forces | | | | |Broad |COST LEADERSHIP DIFFERENTIATION | |Market | | | | |Supply chain efficiencies. [62] |Unique Customer services. [63] | | |Direct sales model allowed Dell to pursue Cost |Dell (PRODUCT)RED signature products contribute directly to Global Fund to help | | |Leadership Strategy. 62] |eliminate AIDS in Africa. [64] | | | |Robust market share by holding 12% of worldwide pc market. [65] | | | |Alienware M11x the first ultraportable gaming notebook. [66] | | | |Dell precision Mb6400 a high-performance mobile workstation. 67] | | | |Dell Streak 7 is the first 7† tablet that has dual-core processor that supports 4G. [69] | |Narrow |FOCUSED LOW COST |FOCUSED DIFFERENTIATION | |Market |Introduced low-cost notebooks for consumers and small |Dell first introduced Streak Android-based tablet computer fo r doctors and other | | |businesses in Asian markets. [66] |clinicians. 70] | Table 5: Ansoff Product Market Matrix: | |Existing products |New Products | |Existing |1. 1. $155 million acquisition of MessageOne Inc(industry leader in |1. 4 Announced new tablet latitude XT3 for business customers that allows | |Market |SaaS) enables enterprise level email business continuity, |grater mobility, security and manageability. 6] | | |compliance, archiving, disaster management. [4,5] |1. 5 Announced 24 new products including smart phone, tablets, netbooks, | | |1. 2. Introduced existing alienware and XPS laptops with HD 3D |desktops etc. [7] | | |screen. [9] | | | |1. Unveiled new series of printers, projector and monitors in | | | |2011. [12] | | |New Market |1. 6 Introduces 4 new low cost PC for emerging markets like China. |1. 10 Introduced new android based smart phones and windows phone. [8] | | |India etc in 2008. 11] |1. 11Introduced android based streak tablet designed for do ctors and | | |1. 7 Launched comprehensive rage of printers in India in 2011. [12] |clinicians. [10] | | |1. 8 Contracted with Gome Group, the largest electronic retailer in |1. 12 Introduced cloud computing that provide IaaS based on VMware. | | |china. 16] |[14,15] | | |1. 9 Only 5. 1% Indians and 9% Chinese have computers. 75% Americans| | | |have computers. [16] | | Table 6: Boston Construction Group Matrix |Relative Market Share (Cash Generation) | |Market Growth Rate |HIGH |HIGH |LOW | |(Cash Usage) | | | | | | |Stars: |Question Marks: | | | |Personal computers [43] |Dell tablet [45] | | | |cloud computing services[44] | | | |LOW |Cash Cows: |Dogs: | | | |Customised systems [46] |Printers [48] | | | |Ink cartridge [47] |5 inch Streak Smartphone [49] | Table 7: Dells Acquisitions. Success of Dell’s Acquisitions | |Ingredient acquisitions [72] | |Acquired KACE in 2010 increases 1200 business customers and tripled in value. [72] | |HP doubled the Dell’s bid for 3PAR INC. a storage network company. [73] | |Made 12 acquisitions in last year. [74] | |Virtually all acquisitions were successful [74] | |Acquired ‘equal logic’ 3 years ago and turned revenue of $100 m into $1 Billion post acquisition [75] | Table 8 : Suitability, Acceptability, Feasibility | | | | |GENERIC STRATEGIES |BCG MATRIX STRATEGIES | | | | | | | | | | |Cost Leadership|Differentiation |Focus / Low Cost |Focus / Differentiator |STARS |CASH COWS | |   |   |YE 30/1/09 |YE |YE 28/1/11|YE |YE |YE |YE 31/10/08 | | | | |29/1/10 | |31/12/08|31/12/09|31/12/10| | Table 10: Financial Ratios for DELL Inc (2006-10) |   |   |2006 |2007 |2008 |2009 |2010 |Industry Average|Ref | |   |Profitability Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |2 |Net profit margin (%) |4. 5 |4. 82 |4. 05 |2. 71 |4. 28 |6. 7 |[51,52] | |3 |Return on total assets (%) |13. 05 |3. 89 |12. 54 |6. 01 |8. 68 |8. 14 |[50,52] | |4 |Return on capital employed (%) |43. 22 |42. 86 | 29. 35 |14. 87 |18. 57 |16. 42* |[50] | |5 |Return on equity (%) |58. 19 |76. 97 |58. 02 |25. 4 |33. 93 |13. 65 |[50,52] | |6 |Solvency ratio (%) |17. 32 |13. 89 |16. 12 |16. 76 |20. 12 |25. 9* |[50] | |   |Efficiency Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |8 |Net asset turnover |7. 32 |6. 77 |5. 25 |3. 6 |3. 22 |1. 51 |[50,52] | |9 |Debtor days (days) |30 |36 |29 |41 |39 |45. 25* |[51] | |10 |Creditor days(days) |80 |86 |61 |97 |84 |52. 5* |[51] | |   |Liquidity Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |12 |Quick ratio |1. 08 |1. 01 |1. 3 |1. 22 |1. 42 |1. 15 |[51,52] | |   |Stability Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |14 |Interest cover |68. 22 |76. 44 |34. 3 |13. 57 |17. 25 |2. 5 |[50,52] | |15 |Debt/Equity(%) |12. 82 |9. 45 |44. 44 |60. 57 |66. 26 |21. 43 |[51,52] | |   |Investors Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |17 |P/E ratio |23. 16 |15. 48 |7. 45 |17. 61 |9. 64 |14. 2 |[50,52] | |18 |Dividend yield |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2. 09 |[50,52] | [pic][76] 77] Figure 3: Financial Rations (Table 10) |REFERENCES | | |http://content. dell. com/ – Accessed 6 October 2011. |http://www. oppapers. com/essays (accessed: October 8, 2011) | |http://ivythesis. typepad. com/ Accessed 6 Oct 2011. |http://www. scribd. com/doc (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. businessweek. com/ – Accessed 27 September 2011. |http://2point8. blogspot. com/2006 (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. dell. com/us/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |http://knol. google. om/k (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. gartner. com/ Accesses 17 Oct 2011. |http://it. tmcnet. com/topics (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://techmento. com/2011/02/14/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |http://www. usatoday. com/tech (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. pcmag. com/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |IPPR, China in the global economy, July 2011 | |http://www. unwiredview. com/2011/09/30/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |Owen Fletcher, China Passes U. 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O),http://www. reuters. com/ -Accessed 28 October 2011. | |Osiris,DELL INC- Key Ratios,Accessed on October 18th, 2011. | | |Osiris,ACER INC -All Ratios,Accessed on October 18th, 2011. | | |Osir is,HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY-All Ratios,Accessed on October 18th, 2011. | | |Osiris,LENOVO GROUP LIMITED- All Ratios,Accessed on October 18, 2011. | | |HEWLETT-PACKARD Annual Report 2010,http://h30261. www3. hp. com,Accessed on October 19th,2011. | |IDC, Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 12th, 2011. Press release. | | |ACER Annual Report 2010,http://www. acer-group. com,Accessed on 19th,2011. | | |http://rates. cx, Accessed on October 19th, 2011 | | |http://www. exchange-rates. org/ -Accessed 23 October 2011. | | GROUP MEMBERS LCA REFRENCE NUMBERS 1. SAAD BAKHTIAR RANA 2. JAHAARA AHMED SIDDIQUI How to cite Dell Summary, Essay examples

Financing Pattern And Utilization Of Assets -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Financing Pattern And Utilization Of Assets? Answer: Introducation In the given assignment, the annual report of the company named JB Hi-Fi Limited needs to be accessed. The annual report chosen for the same pertains to the year 2017. The company is one of the pioneer companies in the field of management retail goods and deals in Australia and New Zealand. The company is also listed on Australian Stock exchanges and has 112 stores in operation. It is one of the fasting growing business in Australia and deals in electronic games, video games, CDs, DVDs, electronic and electrical home appliance. The total depreciation expense being recorded by the company in its profit and loss statement for the year ended 30th June, 2017 is $ 53.9 Mn vs $ 40.9 Mn in 2016(Das, 2017). The split of the depreciation expense can be seen in the screenshot below where out of $ 53.9 Mn, $35.6 Mn pertains to the Plant and equipment and the other $ 18.3 Mn pertains to leasehold improvement. The company recognises depreciation on the straight line basis and does the valuation of the assets as per the Australian GAAP and IFRS standards(Gooley, 2016). The company has also shown the detailed reconciliation of the balances of property, plant and equipment by the way of showing the balances at the beginning which is being arrived by deducting the accumulated depreciation from the Gross Block. Furthermore, the additions and disposals during the year, the impairment charge for the year, the effect of foreign exchange reserves, etc has also been shown in the reconciliation statement of the PPE. The depreciati on expenses has been arrived based on the management judgement and estimation of the useful lives of assets to be 1-15 years for Leasehold improvements and 1.5 15 years for Plant and equipment(Alexander, 2016). The depreciation method and the estimated useful lives of the assets is being assessed annually towards the end of the financial year and in case any changes are found, the effect of the same is reported on a prospective basis. Besides depreciation, the plant and equipment is also being assessed for impairment, if any, in acse the internal or external factors of impairment do exist. The impairment loss is tehn recognised in the profit and loss account as the difference between the carrying value of the asset and the recoverable value of the asset. The revoverable value is the higher of value in use or the fair value less cost of disposal. Gain or loss on the retirement of the assets is also recognised in the profit and loss accounting. It is generally the difference between the carrying value of the asset and the sale proceeds(Dichev, 2017). With regards to the accounting standards being followed here, the company has followed AASB 2014 4, which deals with the clarification on the acceptable methods of depreciation and amortisation. References Alexander, F. (2016). The Changing Face of Accountability. The Journal of Higher Education, 71(4), 411-431. Das, P. (2017). Financing Pattern and Utilization of Fixed Assets - A Study. Asian Journal of Social Science Studies, 2(2), 10-17. Dichev, I. (2017). On the conceptual foundations of financial reporting. Accounting and Business Research, 47(6), 617-632. Gooley, J. (2016). Principles of Australian Contract Law. Australia: Lexis Nexis.

An Example Of Narrative Animation Essays

An Example Of Narrative Animation Essays An Example Of Narrative Animation Essay An Example Of Narrative Animation Essay An Example of Narrative Animation: Duck Muck During the golden age of Hollywood short cartoons, from the 1 sass to the sass, Disney and Warner Pros. Were rivals. Disney animators had far greater resources at their disposal, and their animation was more elaborate and detailed than the simpler style of the Warner product. Warner cartoonists, despite their limited budgets, fought back by exploiting the comic fantasy possible in animated films and playing with the medium in imaginative ways. In Warner Pros. Cartoons, characters often spoke to the audience or referred to the animators and studio executives. For example, the Warner units producer Leon Schlesinger appeared in You Ought to Be in Pictures, letting Porky Pig out of his contract so that he could try to move up to live-action features. The tone of the Warner cartoons distinguished them sharply from the Disney product. The action was faster and more violent. The main characters, such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, were wisecracking cynics rather than Innocent altruists like Mackey Mouse. The Warner animators tried many experiments over the years, but perhaps none was so extreme a s Duck Muck, directed by Charles M. (Chuck)Jones in 1953. It is now recognized as one of the masterpieces of American animation. Although it was made within the Hollywood system and uses narrative form, it has an experimental feel because it asks the audience to take part in an exploration of techniques of cell animation. As the film begins, it seems to be a swashbuckler of the sort Dad Duck had appeared in before, such as The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950)?latest a parody of one of Errol Flans most famous Warner Pros. Films. The credits are written on a scroll fastened to a wooden door with a dagger, and when Daffy Is first seen, he appears to be a lulling musketeer. But almost immediately he moves to the left and passes the edge of the painted background (10. 102). Daffy is baffled, calls for scenery, and exits. A giant animated brush appears from outside the frame and paints in a barnyard (10. 103). When Daffy enters, still in musketeer costume, he is annoyed but changes into a farmers outfit. Such quick switches continue throughout the film, with the paintbrush and a pencil eraser adding and removing scenery, costumes, props, and even Daffy himself, with dizzying illogic. At times the sound cuts out, or the film mess to slip in the projector, so that we see the frame line in the middle of the screen (10. 104). All these tricks result In a peculiar narrative. Daffy repeatedly tries to get plot, any plot, going, and the unseen animator constantly thwarts him. As a result, the films principles of narrative progression are unusual. First, It gradually becomes apparent to us that the film is exploring various conventions and techniques of animation: palate Docudramas, sound erects, Trading, music, Ana so on. Second, ten outrages perpetrated against Daffy become more extreme, and his frustration mounts steadily. Third, a mystery quickly surfaces, as we and Daffy wonder who this perverse animator is and why he is tormenting Daffy. At the end, the mystery is solved when the animator blasts Daffy with a bomb and then closes a door in his face (10. 105). The next shot moves us to the animation desk itself, where we see Bugs Bunny, who has been the animator play ing all the tricks on Daffy. He grins at us: Anti I a stinker? (10. 106). To a spectator who has never seen a Warner Pros. Cartoon before, this ending would be puzzling. The narrative logic of Duck Muck depends largely on knowing the character traits of the two stars. Bugs and Daffy often costarred in other Jones cartoons, and invariably the calm, ruthless Bugs would get the better of the manic Daffy. Duck Mucks use of animation techniques is Just as unconventional as its narrative form. Because the action moves so quickly, we might fail on first viewing to note that aside from the credits title and the familiar Thats All, Folks! Logo, the film contains only four separate shots?three of which come in quick succession at the end. The bulk of the cartoon consists of a single lengthy and continuous shot?animations equivalent of a long take. Yet the settings and situations change quickly as the paintbrush and pencil transform the image and Daffy moves in and out of the frame. Often he appears against a stark white background (10. 107). Such moments emphasize t he fact that in cell animation, the figures and background are layers that could easily be photographed separately. In Duck Muck, the only certain space is that of the frame itself?a quality quite different from the clearly established locales provided in more conventional cartoons. Similarly, the temporal flow becomes warped as Daffy moves into and out of dietetic tuitions, launching into one possible plotting only to find it cut short by the mystery animator. Daffy keeps assuming that he is at the beginning of the cartoon, but time is flowing inexorably by in the outer cartoon, Duck Muck itself. Traditionally, cartoons were around seven minutes long to fit into the shorts section of movie theater programs. ) At one point more than halfway through, Daffy shouts, All right! Lets get this picture started! Immediately a The End title appears, but Daffy pushes it aside and tries to take charge: Ladies and gentlemen, there will be no further delays, so I hall attempt to entertain you in my own inimitable fashion, going into a soft-shoe routine against the blank background. Duck Muck also plays with o nscreen and officered space. Many of the startling transformations we witness come from outside the limits of the frame. Most important, the unknown animator occupies the space from which the camera photographs the scene, with the brush and pencil coming in from under the camera. Daffy enters and exits frequently, and the frame often moves to reveal or conceal new portions of the scenery. When the sound cuts out entirely, Daffy asks to get it back (10. 07), and then we hear a scratchy sound, as if from a phonograph somewhere outside ten Trace playing a worn record. I Nils unseen phonograph provokes inappropriate noises?a machine gun when Daffy strums the guitar, a donkeys bray when he breaks it?an elaborate Joke on the fact that in animated films, the sound is never really produced by the characters and objects we see on the screen. The most spectacular gag involving the space outside the edges of the image comes when the top of the frame seems to collapse, dripping down onto Daffy like black syrup (10. 108). For a moment, we have the contradictory situation of having the space hat we know should be invisible outside the frame suddenly become visible on the screen. 0. 108 In Duck Muck, Daffy struggles to preserve a bit of space for himself as the frame collapses on him. The inventiveness of Duck Muck sets it apart from more conventional Hollywood animated films. Yet it also motivates its play with the medium through its adherence to narrative form, the genre of comedy, and familiar characters (Bugs mistreating Daffy, as usual). It is possible t o go even further in exploring the medium of animation and to depart from narrative altogether, as our second example shows.

Free Essays on Poem Of Perseverence

Poem of Perseverance In most cases, a poet’s life and experiences greatly influence the style and the content of their writing, some more than others. Robert Frost is one of the most renowned poets of his time, recognized for the amount of genuine, emotional insight into life and nature he was able to portray through his poetry. Born in San Francisco, but raised in New England, many of Robert Frost's poems are representations of his experiences in the northeastern parts of America. A closer look at the circumstances surrounding the composition of Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" can give us a better insight as to what the poem was intended to express. Frost wrote this poem on November (Frost Chronology) 1923; the same night he completed his book New Hampshire (Jackson sec. 1). Frost, "a little excited from getting over-tired"(qtd. in Jackson sec. 3), decided to venture out into the night, perhaps to wind down after a long day’s work. Frost hitched his horse to a sleigh and left on his journey to eventually travel through the woods mentioned in this poem. Being in an "auto intoxicated"(qtd. in Jackson sec. 3) state, Frost was mesmerized by the scene of the woods beside the frozen lake. He eventually broke out of his trance, possibly with the aid of his horse, by thoughts of prior commitments. The former statement is shown in the text by the line "He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake"(L.L. 9-10) and the latter by: "But I have promises to keep And miles to go before I sleep"(L.L. 13-14). According to Frost, upon his return home, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" "was written in a few minutes without any strain"(qtd. in Jackson sec. 1). Literally, "The darkest evening of the year"(L.8), refers to the winter equinox that occurs every 21st of December. If we look at it symbolically, this line could have been written to convey the peak of Frost’s efforts to finish his book New... Free Essays on Poem Of Perseverence Free Essays on Poem Of Perseverence Poem of Perseverance In most cases, a poet’s life and experiences greatly influence the style and the content of their writing, some more than others. Robert Frost is one of the most renowned poets of his time, recognized for the amount of genuine, emotional insight into life and nature he was able to portray through his poetry. Born in San Francisco, but raised in New England, many of Robert Frost's poems are representations of his experiences in the northeastern parts of America. A closer look at the circumstances surrounding the composition of Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" can give us a better insight as to what the poem was intended to express. Frost wrote this poem on November (Frost Chronology) 1923; the same night he completed his book New Hampshire (Jackson sec. 1). Frost, "a little excited from getting over-tired"(qtd. in Jackson sec. 3), decided to venture out into the night, perhaps to wind down after a long day’s work. Frost hitched his horse to a sleigh and left on his journey to eventually travel through the woods mentioned in this poem. Being in an "auto intoxicated"(qtd. in Jackson sec. 3) state, Frost was mesmerized by the scene of the woods beside the frozen lake. He eventually broke out of his trance, possibly with the aid of his horse, by thoughts of prior commitments. The former statement is shown in the text by the line "He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake"(L.L. 9-10) and the latter by: "But I have promises to keep And miles to go before I sleep"(L.L. 13-14). According to Frost, upon his return home, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" "was written in a few minutes without any strain"(qtd. in Jackson sec. 1). Literally, "The darkest evening of the year"(L.8), refers to the winter equinox that occurs every 21st of December. If we look at it symbolically, this line could have been written to convey the peak of Frost’s efforts to finish his book New...

Information Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Information Management - Coursework Example This paper analyzes the unique e-business model perpetuated by Ebay with respect to conceptual frameworks like Porter’s five forces model and value chain analysis. The findings reveal both the competencies of Ebay and the surrounding factors which favored the growth of EBay’s business model, owing to the need of speed, access and frequency of information managed in the industry. Recommendations follow at last to highlight few of the threats and means to overcome them. Introduction The selection of the topic is very relevant and significant in relation to the increased popularity of electronic means of transactions and trading platforms being devised. Company chosen also reflects careful consideration in this regard because Ebay holds the recognition of being the first ever organization to use information systems as its competitive weapon after the dismal performance of Dot.com. While selecting the frameworks to analyze, both external and internal environment have been t aken care of. Porter’s five forces model helped develop better insights about market forces which shaped up the creation of such a business model and value chain analysis helped understand the techniques and strategies implemented by Ebay in turning the industry attractiveness factors to its advantage. Use of journal articles from Harvard business review made the work more interesting and valuable as deep level understanding came from expert’s opinions and observations. Overview of organization- Ebay Ebay holds the accredition of being the first online marketplace for buyers and sellers to trade online. Transcending from traditional business practices, the core philosophy and positioning statement of Ebay lies in providing a common platform for diverse buyer and seller communities worldwide to transact and achieving a breakthrough by automating the brick and mortar presence of trading. The essence of e-commerce has been realized and absorbed more seriously by Ebay than any other online retailer. It presents an example of deploying and using information systems to its competitive advantage because of the primary components of managing information systems in place. From developing technological tools and components to providing for customer support and care, technology stands at the heart of EBay’s corporate strategy. Even regulatory compliances and IT policies are standardized and adhered to which demonstrates the pure professional attitude of Ebay in adopting information technology as the driver to its Numero Uno status. External environment analysis To establish the uniqueness of e-business model of Ebay through the use of information systems, it is first essential to look at the surrounding factors and their impact on the general industry practices where Ebay has placed itself differently. Porter’s Five Forces Power of suppliers- The field in which Ebay operates is crowded by limitless number of suppliers because online auctioning and internet based buying and selling business has thrived leaps and bounds in the recent years. All the major competitors of Ebay namely Amazon, Yahoo and even Dell has forayed into internet world to offer and sell their products. However, distinguishing factor in this industry is the availability of own warehouses which saves a lot of expenditure and offers cost effectiveness. While Ebay has developed the market of

Global Study--Policy Brief Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Study--Policy Brief - Coursework Example However, the rate of productivity and has not increased proportionately and with the huge population, the depletion of natural resources continues increase. Critics have on many occasions pointed out that with every extra mouth to feed there comes two hands and, therefore, the argument that the world does not have enough to provide for its populace is flawed. However, a discerning mind will realize that no matter how much labor is available, without resources, the problem cannot be solved through such simplistic logic. In your position as the Head of WFP, I believe you are uniquely qualified to address this problem since it is directly connected to your mandate of ensuring global food security. You are more familiar than most policy makers are with the challenges of feeding an increasing population and I am sure you are cognizant of the gains that would be made by WFP if they were providing for a smaller population. In 1989, the UN recommended that there needed to be more focus on the urgent issue of population control and there should be a search for a more lasting solution to it. July 11 was declared WORLD POPULATION DAY in an attempt to create awareness on the issue but given the sharp rise in population since then these solutions do not seem to have worked as intended. Over 3 billion people in the world are younger than 25, most of these are teens just at the edge of their productive years. Depending on how the choose to reproduce, the rate population growth might increase at a slower and more manageable rate. Current projections by the UN have it that the global population may grow up to 9.3 million by 2050, which is comparable to duplicating the populations of Indian and China, the two most populous countries in the world. This is an optimistic scenario based on the assumption that the fertility rate will go down from 2.5 to 2.1 children per woman. Without a serious decline in the

The Future of Women's Professional Sport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Future of Women's Professional Sport - Essay Example The author of the essay "The Future of Women's Professional Sport" begins with the short introduction. He mentions that until recently, women’s professional sports were considered by many to be a novelty at best. Yet to assume men’s sports have been widely accepted throughout a long period of time would be incorrect. In 1950, only one professional sport, major league baseball, was dominant in America. Men’s professional football, basketball, and hockey organizations were, by comparison, niche businesses. It was only with the advent of television that interest in all men’s sports grew, for most at a fast pace starting in the 1960’s. To understand where the future of women’s professional sports might be headed, it is important to understand its past and its present in terms of the challenges that have been overcome as well as the problems that remain to be faced. Prior to the 1960’s, U.S. women lived in a society that discouraged girlsâ €™ participation in sporting activities and work outside the home. Because of this, few females at the time had aspirations of sport as a career path. The women who did pursue their athletic goals were therefore not as advanced as their male counterparts and remained unprepared to take advantage of the new media. Girls’ and women’s sports received a boost in 1972 when Title IX became law. To sum up the author says that excluding a few sports, such as tennis, ice skating and gymnastics, low salaries and unequal publicity are some of the problems that many professional female athletes still face.

Relationship Between Marketing Mix Elements

Relationship Between Marketing Mix Elements Business today is very competitive, any organizations are facing with many pressures: Changeable and unpredictable business environment, very fast change of technology, to be survival, developed and successful requires company have to move from a product and selling philosophy to a customer and marketing philosophy(Kotler et al., 2005). All companies try to gain the best of the customer satisfaction to maximize the profit because they believe that customer satisfaction is very important for the survival of any organization. Many research shows that consequences of customer satisfaction are numerous: Customer satisfaction leads to positive word-of-mouth (Anderson, 1998; Swan and Oliver, 1989; Hoyer and MacInnis, 2001)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), customer satisfaction leads to customer retention (Curtis et al., 2012; Hennig, 1997; Kotler, 1994, p.20; Bitner, 1990), customer satisfaction leads to loyalty (Curtis et al., 2012; Singh, 2006), Customer leads to repurchase attention (Anton, 1996). The question for companies is how to enhance the customer satisfaction? Which factors impact on customer satisfaction and this relationship is negative or positive? To answer all these questions, companies will have the appropriate strategies for success. Many researches show that there are many factors that affect customer satisfaction. According to Hokanson (1995), these factors including friendly employees, courteous employees, knowledgeable employees, helpful employees, accuracy of billing, billing timeliness, competitive pricing, service quality, good value, billing clarity and quick service impact on customer satisfaction. It is obviously that all these factors belong to Marketing mix. Moreover Doyle also recommends that Most marketing professionals would answer that the right marketing mix is the one that maximizes customer satisfaction and results in the highest sales or market share (Doyle, 2003) also suggests that customer satisfaction and sales can always be increased if c ompanies offer more product features, lower prices than competition, higher promotional budgets and the immediate availability of the product, of outstanding customer service and support (Doyle, 2003). Ford Motor Company is global automotive industry leader in the world based on US. Ford has its history of 109 years for existing and developing. Fords strategy is focus on developing vehicles that deliver exceptional value to our customers across global markets. Ford product vehicles sport bold exterior designs, while offering great handling and performance. Not only are they great to drive with interior enhancements in comfort and connectivity but fuel economy across every vehicle in our portfolio is a reason to buy(Ford, np) Ford worldwide market share reported end of 2011: 7.3%, regional Ford North America: 17.3%, Ford Europe 8.3%, Ford Asia South Pacific: 2.7%, South America 8.3% Ford Vietnam is a joint venture established in 1995 between Ford Motor Company (75%) and Song Cong Diesel Company (25%). Cumulative market share up to SEP 2012 is in fifth position with 5.3%, meanwhile, two market leaders, Truong Hai and Toyota gain 30.9% and 29.1%. Fords market share in Vietnam is nearly double in comparison with its regional market share Asia South Pacific. But the gap between Ford and two market leaders in Vietnam is very huge. Since, Fords products are diversified ranging from low end to high end compared with its big competitor that is Toyota. Fords products are known as full family of vehicles offering leading quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value (Ford, np). This big gap excites the researcher to evaluate the level of customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam, explore what factors impact on this customer satisfaction by testing the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam. Beside some reasons above, marketing mix and customer satisfaction are two theories that researcher is very interesting to study. Finally, topic of research can be named as below: Exploring the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam 1.2 Research objectives The researcher intends to study on Ford auto customer satisfaction in Vietnam to evaluating the level of customer satisfaction and testing the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford auto users with below objectives: To study the knowledge of marketing mix, its element and customer satisfaction concept. To examine the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam To measure the level of customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam To recommend some effective solutions to improve the marketing mix to gain higher level of customer satisfaction. 1.3 Research questions In order to have a clearly understand of all queries about the topic regarding to relationship between marketing mix and Ford users customer satisfaction. This research tries to answer below questions: Is there possible relationship between marketing mix and customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam? What is the level of customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam In what way is the marketing mix can be improved to enhance Fords customer satisfaction in Vietnam. 1.4 The significance of study Many academic research are conducted in testing the relationship between marketing mix and customer satisfaction in different areas, especially in service sector such as: Tourist, university, cafà ©, banking,..But a few of them are found the automobile industry. Moreover, most of academic research is out of Vietnam market. Although the study result reflects somewhat the real situation of level of customer satisfaction on Ford users in Vietnam, but the target population is quite small and limited in small region, so that the research findings and result only is used for reference or partly apply in the customer satisfaction enhancement for Ford Motor Vietnam or suggesting for further research in future. 1.5 Boundary of the study Auto market in Vietnam is quite huge, due to geographical dispersion and time constraint, the researcher only conducts the survey on customers who own Ford Car in Ho Chi Minh City. Furthermore, the respondents seem very busy with the things. The study focuses on 4 elements of marketing mix and their impact on customer satisfaction. So the result only presents partly for auto market in Vietnam. 1.6 The organization the study à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Chapter 1, the introduction part of research including background of study, why the researcher choose this topic, the research aims and objectives is given, the research questions is identified, the significant of study is discussed, Finally how this research can be applied in practices, the boundary of study and structure of study are presented. In the Chapter 2, the literature review related to marketing, marketing mix and its elements, customer satisfaction, the relationships between customer satisfaction and marketing mix, the recommended solutions for improving marketing mix elements in order to gain high level of customer satisfaction The Chapter 3 provides the methodology and procedures which used to collect data for the study. The researcher will perform the surveys with the customers who are using Ford Car in Vietnam, by this survey, researcher will measure the level of customer satisfaction, to explore the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction. By this study, the author will use quantitative method to design the questionnaires and use them during the surveys. These data will be the main data to support the answer of the second and third research question. The researcher will conduct one survey which will be conducted with customers who are using the car of Ford to evaluate the level of customer satisfaction and explore the relationship between marketing mix and customer satisfaction. The purpose of this survey is to get the quantitative data to support the answer for the second and third research questions, whereby to give the best solutions for improving marketing mix effectively for Ford Vietnam in enhance its customer satisfaction. In the chapter 4, Microsoft excel 2007 and SPSS 16 software will be used to input all the raw data of the respondents and do the analysis, statistic and present them using table, charts, or graphic. Then the researcher will analyse and discuss the findings base on the responses. And present the meaning and reason of the result as well as link with the knowledge in the literature review to support the answers for the research questions and achieve the research objectives. Chapter 5 contains a summary of the findings of this research; providing the conclusions for the findings and discussion and suggest for further research. The reflective statement will be in the Appendix A which provides the reflection on research results and personal development that the researcher had gained from this study. The following pages will present the chapter Review of the Literature that will review all existing literatures and knowledge to support data to achieve the objectives of this research. Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Chapter Introduction According to Saunders et al. (2007) A critical review of the literature review is critical part of any research. It is necessary to help the researcher to develop a thorough understanding of and insight to previous researches that related to research questions and objectives. By critically discussing, evaluating what are strengths and weakness, referencing works or studies that has already been undertake, drawing out key points and presenting them in logically argued way. To complete the literature reviewing, the researcher has not only the skill of search relevant knowledge but also appraise it. Sharp et al. (2002 cited in Saunders et al. 2007) suggests that there are two major reasons exist for reviewing the literature: Firstly, the preliminary search that help to generate and refine the research ideas. Secondly, often referred to as the critical review or critical literature review, Moreover, Saunders et al. (2007) emphasizes that any researches and finding will be judged in relation to others peoples research and finding. Main purpose of literature review is to help researcher to develop a good understanding and insight into relevant previous research and the trends that have emerged. Gall et al (2002, quoted in Saunders et al.,2007) provides some other purposes of literature review such as: To help researcher refine further the research question and objectives To highlight research possibilities that has been overlooked implicitly in research to date, To discover explicit recommendations for further research To help researcher avoid simply repeating work that has been done already, To sample current opinions in newspapers, professional and trade journals, thereby gaining insight in to the aspects of the research questions and objectives that are considered newsworthy, Discover and provide an insight into research approaches, strategies and techniques which are appropriate to own research questions and objectives. It could be said that most of researches argue that the critical review is very necessary. Briefly, review the literature relates to: Searching academic research, theories which must be relevant to research questions and objectives. Profound understanding, critical review, give arguments, appraisal, evaluating, discussing, referencingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But it is not just descript and list down the any literatures. Comment: the above paragraph is not necessary! This chapter aims to provide a theoretical background bases on existing academic knowledge for research topic Exploring the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam. By doing this, the researcher could further refine three research questions and four research objectives which had been specified in Chapter 1 to highlight research possibilities that have been overlooked, discover explicit recommendations for further research. It helps to avoid repetition to sample current opinions, provide an insight into appropriate research strategies and methodologies. A good literature review expands on the reasons behind selecting a particular research question. Thus the researcher plans to find a strong theoretical foundation provided for the study from a wide range of sources which relates to previously published researches: Books, journals, some ideas in newspaperà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, then assess the strengths and weaknesses of previous works, jus tifying arguments by referencing previous researches. The sources of literatures were cited following the required standard. In this Chapter, some hypotheses will be proposed for testing to answer research questions and archive research objectives in Chapter 1. Marketing Marketing is very critical for every business. Kotler, (2002) suggests that the scope of marketing relates to ten types of entities: Goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas. It shows that marketing gets involved to all activities of the business from identify the customers and customer needs, creating product and services, communicating to customers, sell its products to target customers, making its customers satisfiedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The researches and studies regarding marketing are numerous. Below are some definitions about marketing concept. An earliest definition of marketing is the performance of business activities that direct a flow of goods or services from producers to consumers (AMA,1935). This concept generally mentions about performance of activities, but these activities were not clarified, the concept is quite wide with simply mention about goods and services from producer to consumers. Since marketing becomes an interest topic that many scholars get involved to study. A lot of definitions were come up by researchers: Perreault McCarthy (2002), Kotler P Levy SJ (1969); Kotler et al. (2005) Another concept of marketing which get many opposed debates is that Marketing is simply figuring out what you have to do to sell your product or service for a profit Keefe (2004 p.17). Generally, the most accepted recently is the newest definition of AMA is that Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, cli ents, partners, and society at large (AMA,2007). 2.2 Marketing mix concept The term of marketing mix firstly developed by Bornden (1964), the sources of his inspiration come from the concept of his colleague Jame Culliton (1948, cited in Borden, 1984) which described the business executive is a mixer of ingredients, the marketing elements are the same with ingredients and marketing manager mixes some of these together to become the marketing mix strategy. Borden (1964) also identified twelve controllable elements of marketing mix: Product planning, pricing, branding, channel of distribution, personal selling, advertising, promotion, packaging, display, servicing, physical handling, fact finding and analysis. This is a list of elements or ingredients to make up a marketing program. Depending on each situation, the marketing manager will blend the number of these elements to constructing and formulating an appropriate marketing program to satisfy their customer needs and wants in target market. By this way, both company and customers objectives are achieved. McCarthy (1964) regroups twelve elements of Borden to four categories or usually called 4Ps now: Product, price, promotion, place. Each of these elements comprises some of 12 elements of Borden. And some research also suggested that if manage this mix properly, company will be successful. Mccarthys concept of marketing mix rapidly began to appear in marketing text. Judd (1987) suggested one more new important P is People. Furthermore, Boom Bitner (1981) extend 4Ps to 7Ps, he argues that product and service are different, so 4Ps is inadequate, so it is new marketing mix paradigm for service is: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, physical evident and process. The later definition is that marketing mix is the controllable variables the company puts together to satisfy its target group (Perreault MCCarthy, 2002). This definition is similar with definition is tha marketing mix is the set of controllable tactical marketing tools product, price, place and promotion that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market (Kotler et al., 2005). Both definitions mentioned about controllable factors to satisfy the customer in target market. Each mix element includes its factors as below Product: Variety, quality, design, feature, brand name, packaging, service, warranty. Price: List price, discount, allowance, payment period, credit term. Place: Channel, coverage, assortment, location, inventory, transport. Promotion: Advertising, promotion, personal selling, publicity. Kotler et al. (2005) also suggested that: An effective marketing program blend marketing mix elements into a coordinated programme design to achieve the companys marketing objective. When marketing mix concept is introduced, there are many researches to evaluate and criticise on it. Constantinides (2006) identified two significant limitations of marketing mix is internal orientations and lack of personalization. Both Gronroos (1989) and Popovic (2006) suggest that the 4 Ps and the marketing mix are production-oriented definitions, companies focus much on internal product, the market may be neglected. According to Mà ¶ller (2006) marketing mix too focus internally instead of customer behavior. Many researches show that the limitations of marketing are on: Production-oriented or too focusing on internal instead of standing on customer point of view. Therefore, Kotler et al. (2005) recognizes that 4Ps represent sellers view of marketing tool available for influencing buyer, it is not from customer point of view. In fact that each marketing tool must deliver a customer benefit, company should view 4Ps as customers 4Cs: Product: Customer need and want, Price: Cost to the customer, Place: Convenience, Promotion: Communication. Doyle (2000) argues that marketing mix approach leads to unprofitable decisions, because it is coordinated with financial objectives such as: Increasing shareholder value. Kotler (1984) proposes two additional Ps of political power and Public Relation to the marketing mix to cover more factors that is important for business as well, those are Political power and Public Relation. According to Schultz (2001) the 4 Ps are increasingly less relevant in todays market, despite of what they are still learned in marketing courses, academics write and res each about them Since marketing becomes a vital role in success of any business. Many researches are conducted on marketing mix and its element, more extend elements are suggested, it is obviously that marketing mix or some researches show many limitations or debates, but marketing mix is still the practice model to deploy company strategies effectively. And up to date, there is no any new models can completely replace for marketing mix 4P. 2.3 Marketing mix elements 2.3.1 Product A product as defined by Armstrong and Kotler (2005) that is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. The latter can be best understood in terms of the manner of delivery of the particular service. Ferrell (2005) opines that the product is the core of the marketing mix strategy where retailers can offer unique attributes that differentiates their product from their competitors. According to Borden (1984) product is characterized by quality, design, features, brand name and sizes Also from Kotler et al.,( 2005) product can be divided into two categories: Tangible and intangible product, the tangible product is a merchandise that can be touched, hand, feel it, the intangible product or normally call service, which could not be touched or hand, unobservable. Product concept in this research refers to tangible product that is a car of Ford auto Vietnam. According to Kotler et al, (2005), product concept is including: Core product, augmented product and actual product. Core product regarding to main problem solving benefit or core benefit that consumer really wants to buy. When they obtain, this product will resolve their problems. The main purpose of buying a car is for travelling, safety and protection for health. The actual product is related to: Parts, features, design, product quality, styling, brand name and packaging or some more attribute that combined to core benefit of product. For a car, these attributes are most important for manufacturer attract and retain its customers The augmented product which including: Additional consumer service or benefit build around the core and actual product: Solution, warranty and repair service, instruction how to install or using, help desk, call center, free delivery. In those attributes, customer service and repair is more important that auto manufacturing have to pay attention. In order to satisfy the need of customer, the product designer have to consider all three components of product, because customer expect to buy three of benefit and they feel happy or satisfy when gain enough all the benefit. Many researches tried to find down the impacts of all above attributes of product to customer satisfaction. Kotler et al. (2005) suggested that Outstanding marketing companies go out of their way to keep their customers satisfied. Companies know that satisfied customers make repeat purchases and tell others about their good experiences with the product. Regarding to product quality and customer service factors in automotive industry in India, Asghar et al. (2011) found that the quality of products in Tata Motors Company enhances customer satisfaction, and also found that there is a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the context of the Indian automotive industry. Product quality is one of factor of Product in marketing mix. The research shows that the more customers satisfied with quality of product, the more loyal they are with this product. And this may lead to the repurchasing companys product. Customer service is also a factor of Product element, since it becomes very important for any manufacturing company, especially in auto industry. Bastos and Gallego (2008) also provide evidence that customer service quality directly affects satisfaction and satisfaction directly affects the positive behavioral intentions. Rodoula (2005) finds that consumers perceiving a product being of high quality are more satisfied with the product than consumers perceiving a product being of low quality. There are a positive relationship between perceived quality and customer satisfaction in Shoes industry. It is suggested by Lien-Ti and Yuching (2001) that there is a positive relationship between product quality and customer satisfaction on automotive industry. Yelkur (2000) also finds that the critical elements in the services marketing mix influence and positively effects customer satisfaction. Moreover, the relationship between marketing and customer satisfaction is highly expressed among researchers (Zineldin Philipson, 2007). Cengiz and Yayla (2007) find that marketing mix having a positive effect on satisfaction and loyalty on word of mouth communication from accounting offices in Turkey. Mohammad et all (2012) suggests that Product and tourists Satisfaction are positively related to each other. Although not all attributes of product such as: Quality, designà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ were tested if any relationship or impact on customer satisfaction, but at least, there are so many studies show that product generally positive impact on customer satisfaction, and quality of product, customer service were tested, especially in automotive industry. So far there are no any research found that no any relationship between Product element or its factors with customer satisfaction. Or the negative impact of Product on customer satisfaction. So in this research the author tries to do the research the relationship between Fords product which were sold in Vietnam market and its customer satisfaction. So the hypothesis will be proposed as below: H1: There is a positive relationship between Fords Product and its customer satisfaction. 2.3.2 Price Price is one of very important element in marketing mix and the only element that produce the revenue to company. Price is very the most flexible element in mix, it can be change very fast to adapt with every stage of product life cycle, or to stimulate demand in short time, or can reduce to support selling of other product in production line or set to keep loyalty of customer. So that pricing may play an important role in helping to accomplish the companys objectives at many levels. (Kotler et al., 2005. p.668). Price decisions must be coordinated with product design, distribution and promotion decisions to form a consistent and effective marketing program. The definion of price that is the amount of money charged for a product or service, or the total values that consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service(Kotler et al, 2005) Similarly with Product element, Price also gets many scholars involved to study the relationship with customer satisfaction. A research of Oliver Swan, (1989) shows that perceptions of price unfairness lead to dissatisfaction and the purchase intention is influenced by satisfaction. This was consolidated by later search of Campbell (1999) that perception of price unfairness may trigger consumers negative emotions such as dissatisfaction, disappointment, and anger. So as a result, customers do not come back for repurchasing this product any more. Augene (1996) investigated the association between customer satisfaction and willing-to-pay or price tolerance, the finding shows that negative association between level of customer satisfaction provided by company and the degree of Price tolerance. In the telecommunication sector, Muzammil et al. (2010), also finds that both the factors Price fairness and customer service significantly contributed to explain customer satisfaction but compar atively price fairness had the larger impact on customer satisfaction than customer services. In another study of Herrmann et al.,(2007) on automobile concludes that customer satisfaction is directly influenced by price perceptions while indirectly through the perception of price fairness , demonstrate the influence of perceived price fairness on satisfaction judgments, Buyers price perceptions positively influences their perceptions of the fairness of price offers. Price is an important element in consumers purchases; therefore it has a large influence on consumer satisfaction judgments. Homburg et al., (2005) investigates the effects of price increases at an individual level, the authors argued that customers react to price increases are strongly driven by two factors: the magnitude of the price increase and the perceived fairness of the motive for the price increase. Soedijati Pratminingsih (2011) indicated that marketing mix has significant and positive relationship with students decision making for selecting a university for marketing mix. Another research of Muala Qurneh (2012) on Tourist sector shows that product, place, personnel and process significant impact on tourist satisfaction. It is less impact of Price on customer satisfaction, or it could be said that there is no any relationship with customer satisfaction. Because the tourists usually expect more on quality of tourist, instead considering price carefully. Martin Consuegra (2007) finds price fairness influences price acceptance indirectly through customer satisfaction and loyalty. According to Cheng et al (2011, consumers perceived price has a negative impact on customer satisfaction, which is that the higher the fast food industry product price is, the more it will reduce customer satisfaction. This result is consistent with the study result of Dargay (2007), and Hopkins (2007). Moreover, Cheng and Wu (2011) finds that when price increase reduces customer satisfaction in the global service market. Price increases as same as customers perceived price increase, it means that price fairness reduces. As a result, customers become dissatisfied with company goods or service. Kotler and Lane (2009) also proposed that there is a positive relationship between perceived price fairness and satisfaction. The more consumers perceive a price as gain, the higher their satisfaction. These findings also supports the idea that higher price may reduce customer satisfaction or consumption capacity. Martin-Consuegra et al. (2007) asserts that decision of customers to accept parti cular price relate directly to satisfaction level. Research on how price impact on customer satisfaction is very huge, most studies show that having the strong impact of Price and customer satisfaction in many areas, and this is the positive relationship. The more customer perceived fairness (or less customer perceived price), the more increase in customer satisfaction. The hypothesis will be tested at below: H2: There is the positive relationship between price of Ford auto and its customer satisfaction. 2.3.4 Place According to Kotler et al.,(2005) Place related to all the company activities that make the product or service available to target customers. Place refers to channel, coverage, assortment, location, inventory, transport. In the service sector, Place decisions refer to the ease of access which potential customer to a service such as location (distance to services sites) and distribution (e.g., home delivery, 24-hour availability) (Hirankitti et al., 2009). As same as with Product and Price, there are many previous researches to test the relationship between Place and customer satisfaction. Cheng et al., (2011) found that convenience has a positive impact on fast food industry customer satisfaction. It indicated that the more convenient, the more customer satisfaction will increase. This study result has corresponded with the study conclusion of Mahon et al. (2006) and Martinez-Ruiz et al. (2010). Gilaninia et al. (2012) also finds that the supply chain management has direct relationsh ip with customer satisfaction. Mohammad et all (2012) points out that Place and customer satisfaction are positively related to each other. According to Kotler and Amstrong (2010) when channel is used in marketing system that maximizes efficiency, effectiveness, maximizes costs and delivers the great customer satisfaction for companies, because the channel is link between producers and final consumers. Palmer (2000) also believes that physical distribution (order processing, warehousing, inventory, transport) affect on customer satisfaction. Ryu Han (2009) proposed that customers perception of physical environment factors: facility aesthetics, lighting, layout, and social factors had significant effects on disconfirmation and disconfirmation directly influence to cust

The Foolish Puritans of The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Foolish Puritans of The Scarlet Letter "What is one man's poison is another's meat or drink," Beaumont and Fletcher wrote in one of their plays. Almost everything in the world is interpretable in at least two conflicting ways. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritan society shuns a character named Pearl, yet the author, who lived in the Romantic period, views her with awe and reverence. Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of nature imagery in The Scarlet Letter reflects Pearl's wild, capricious character that serves as a constant reminder of Hester's sin and whose romantically idealistic beauty frightens the Puritan society. In Hawthorne's descriptions of Pearl as an infant and toddler, nature imagery emphasizes Pearl's startling beauty and unpredictable, yet innocent, character. Pearl's beauty and innocence are apparent from the time of her birth. Hawthorne describes Pearl's "innocent life [as] a lovely and immortal flower"(Hawthorne 81). Even though Pearl is a product of the "guilty passion"(81) between Hester and Dimmesdale, both her soul and her body are untainted and flawless. Hester notices that Pearl has no physical defects, but Pearl's character has an unexplainable aspect of oddity and unpredictability. When she plays near Hester's cottage, Pearl "[smites] down [and] uproot[s] most unmercifully [the] ugliest weeds"(87) which she pretends are the Puritan children. Hester believes that Pearl is so emotional and temperamental because the passion which Hester and Dimmesdale experienced during their sinful act somehow transferred into Pearl's soul. However, Pearl's antipathy for the Puritans is justified; the children often torment her for no good reason. When Hester and Pearl go into town, the Puritan children stop playing and either surround Pearl and stare at her or prepare to hurl mud at the unfortunate pair. Both actions by the Puritans result in a fit of outrage by Pearl. One reason that the Puritans treat Pearl badly is because of her mother's sin. The Puritans believe that since Pearl is the product of adultery, she is automatically evil and depraved. The Puritan hatred for Pearl is also due to the fact that she, like Hester's scarlet letter, is beautiful, and they are in a way jealous of both. Supposedly, Hester's scarlet 'A' is a punishment, but she embroiders it richly and wears it with subtle pride. When the Puritans first see the 'A', they want to replace it with an 'A' made out of

Nokia’s Blue Ocean Strategy Essay

In today’s overcrowded industries, competing head-on results in nothing but a bloody â€Å"red ocean† of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool. Some Companies are fighting for a competitive advantage or over market share while others are struggling for differentiation. This strategy is increasingly unlikely to create profitable growth in the future. Nokia , the Finland’s falling mobile phone company has seen its market share and share price tumbling dramatically by 90% since 2007 and the company is yet to achieve the comeback it hopes. Instead of competing in such red ocean of bloody competition, Nokia should make smart strategic moves by creating uncontested market space that would make the competition irrelevant. Blue ocean is then concerned with unknown markets where opportunities abound. First of all, this study will critically be evaluating Blue Ocean Strategy by highlighting the six principles that Nokia can use to successfully formulate and execute Blue Ocean Strategies. Secondly, we will be focusing on the comparison and contrast of red and Blue Ocean, and finally, this assignment will concentrate on an explanation of the benefit and problems of Group Work. Blue Ocean Strategy Blue Ocean strategy challenges Nokia to break out of the red ocean of bloody competition by creating uncontested market space that makes the competition irrelevant. Instead of dividing up existing and often shrinking demand and benchmarking competition, blue ocean strategy is about growing demand and breaking away from competition. This involves creating blue oceans in a smart and responsible way that is both opportunity maximising and risk minimising. Creating uncontested new market space To win in the future, Nokia must stop competing with rival firms in the battle of smartphones because the only way to beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition since the rules of the game are yet to be set. Because operations improve, markets expand, and players come and go, it is a big challenge for Nokia to continuing creation of blue oceans. Here, the strategic move would be the right unit of analysis for explaining the creation of blue oceans and sustained high performance. A strategic move is the set of managerial actions and decisions involved in making a major market-creating business offering. Also, Nokia has to focus on value innovation which is the cornerstone of blue ocean strategy. But again, instead of beating the competition, Nokia should focus on making the competition irrelevant by creating a leap in value for buyers and the company, thereby opening up new and uncontested market space. Formulating and executing Blue Ocean Strategy  To succeed in Blue Ocean, Nokia has to take into account the principles and analytical frameworks that are essential for creating and capturing the strategy. Nokia’s executives have to be brave and entrepreneurial, they should learn from failure, and seek out revolutionaries. Effective blue ocean strategy should be about risk minimisation and not risk taking. The tools and frameworks presented include: * The strategy canvas: it a diagnostic and an action framework for building a compelling blue ocean strategy which serves two purposes. First, capturing the current state of play in the known market space, allowing you to understand where the competition is currently investing, the factors the industry currently competes on in products, service, and delivery, and what customers receive from the existing competing offerings on the market. Second, Nokia’s executives should fundamentally shift the strategy canvas of its operations by reorienting the strategic focus from competitors to alternatives, and from customers to non customers of the business. * The four actions framework consists of reconstructing buyer value elements in crafting a new value curve. These actions consist of eliminating the factors that Nokia takes for granted, reducing factors well below Nokia’s standard, raising factors well above Nokia’s standard, and creating factors that Nokia has never offered. * The Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create Grid is key to creation of blue oceans. The grid will push Nokia to act on all four to create a new value curve. By doing it, the grid will give four immediate benefits: * Pushing Nokia to simultaneously pursue differentiation and low costs to break the value-cost trade-off. * Lifting its cost structure and overengineering products and services * Creating a high level of engagement in its application since it is easily understood by managers. * Scrutinising every factor Nokia competes on, making it discover the range of implicit assumptions they make unconsciously in competing. An effective blue ocean strategy has three complementary qualities: focus, divergence, and a compelling tagline. To make its competition irrelevant, Nokia should then apply the principles of Blue Ocean Strategy to succeed. Principles of Blue Ocean Strategy Six principles will guide Nokia Corporation through the formulation and execution of its Blue Ocean Strategy in a systematic risk minimizing and opportunity maximizing way. The first four principles address Blue Ocean Strategy formulation. * Reconstruct market boundaries. This principle identifies the paths by which Nokia’s management can systematically create uncontested market space across diverse industry fields, thus attenuating search risk. It will teach Nokia’s management how to make the competition irrelevant by looking across the six conventional boundaries of competition to open up commercially important blue oceans. The six paths focus on looking across alternative industries, across strategic groups, across buyer groups, across complementary product and service offerings, across the functional-emotional orientation of an industry, and even across time. * Focus on the big picture, not the numbers. This illustrates how Nokia’s management can design the business’s strategic planning process to go beyond incremental improvements to create value innovation. It portrays an option to the current strategic planning process, which is often criticized as a number-crunching exercise that keeps companies engaged into making incremental improvements. This principle challenges risk planning. Using a visualizing approach that drives managers to focus on the big picture rather than to be submerged in numbers and jargon, this principle suggests a four-step planning action whereby Nokia could build a strategy that will create and capture blue ocean opportunities. * Reach beyond existing demand. To create the largest market of new demand, Nokia’s management must challenge the conventional practice of embracing customer preferences through finer segmentation. This practice often results in increasingly small target markets. Instead, this principle shows how to aggregate demand, not by focusing on the differences that separate customers but by building on the powerful commonalities across noncustomers to maximize the size of the blue ocean being created and new demand being unlocked, thus minimizing scale risk. * Get the strategic sequence right. This principle describes a sequence which Nokia should follow to ensure that the business model they build will be able to produce and maintain profitable growth. When it will meet the sequence of utility, price, cost and adoption requirements, it will then address the business model risk and the blue ocean ideas it created will be a commercially viable one. The remaining two principles address the execution risks of Blue Ocean Strategy. * Overcome key organizational hurdles. Tipping point leadership shows how Nokia’s management can mobilise an organisation to overcome the key organisational hurdles that block the implementation of a blue ocean strategy. This principle addresses organisational risk. It sets out how Nokia’s executives likewise can overcome the cognitive, resource, motivational, and political hurdles despite limited time and resources in executing blue ocean strategy. * Build execution into strategy. By integrating execution into strategy making, Nokia’s personnel are motivated to pursue and execute a blue ocean strategy in a sustained manner inscrutable in an organisation. This principle introduces fair process. Since a blue ocean strategy by force of necessity represents a departure from the status quo, fair process is needed to facilitate both strategy making and execution by rallying people for the voluntary cooperation required to accomplish blue ocean strategy. It deals with management risk associated with people’s postures and conduct. Red and Blue Ocean strategies Competition-based red ocean strategy assumes that an industry’s structural conditions are given and that firms are forced to compete within them. Simply stated, red ocean strategy is all about outpacing competitors in existing market. The strategic choices for firms are to pursue either differentiation or low cost. Conversely, blue ocean strategy is based on the view that market boundaries and industry structure are not given and can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players. Clearly, blue ocean strategy teaches how to get out of established market boundaries to leave the competition behind, making it irrelevant. The table below outlines the key defining features of red and blue ocean strategies.

Free Essays on Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal Deception Lippard, V. P. (winter 1988). â€Å"Ask Me No Questions, Ill Tell You No Lies†. Western Journal of communication, 52, 91-103. â€Å"Ask Me no More Questions I’ll tell you no Lies† written by Paula V. Lippard. This a research article about her study on interpersonal deception. Interpersonal Deception is a study of how people lie or deceive others while they are communicating. Lippard takes the findings of three authors before her. She brings them together and adds new research fulfilling its need for further information. In Lippards study, she will take voluntary college students and have them record every act of deception. They will be record every act over a three week period. Lippard used a past article write by Carl Camden, Michael T. Motley, and Ann Wilson in 1984. Lippard used some of the articles information before doing her study.(Camden, 1984) Camden states that lies are the most common form of duplicity used by man. Camden used the term white lies for social exaggerations or harmless deceptions and black lies for more serious trust breaking deceptions. In the study, they used 130 subjects recording the subjects natural conversations. Camden looked and studied the variety in answers during the conversations. In his conclusion, he found how frequent people actually lie. People lie in order to help cope with certain social contexts, sex, power, relationships ect. They feel that a white lie can be a better alternative to their misfortunes.(Camden, 1984) Another article lippard used was written by Dale Hample in 1980. He said that lies seem to be regarded as pollutants of communication, rather than as phenomena of intrinsic interest.(Hample 1980) Dale Hample’s research deals mostly with finding out when a lie occurs not so much understanding the lie. He used three tests in his research an open-minded questionnaire, tape recorded interviews, and a large social survey. Hamples s... Free Essays on Interpersonal Communication Free Essays on Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal Deception Lippard, V. P. (winter 1988). â€Å"Ask Me No Questions, Ill Tell You No Lies†. Western Journal of communication, 52, 91-103. â€Å"Ask Me no More Questions I’ll tell you no Lies† written by Paula V. Lippard. This a research article about her study on interpersonal deception. Interpersonal Deception is a study of how people lie or deceive others while they are communicating. Lippard takes the findings of three authors before her. She brings them together and adds new research fulfilling its need for further information. In Lippards study, she will take voluntary college students and have them record every act of deception. They will be record every act over a three week period. Lippard used a past article write by Carl Camden, Michael T. Motley, and Ann Wilson in 1984. Lippard used some of the articles information before doing her study.(Camden, 1984) Camden states that lies are the most common form of duplicity used by man. Camden used the term white lies for social exaggerations or harmless deceptions and black lies for more serious trust breaking deceptions. In the study, they used 130 subjects recording the subjects natural conversations. Camden looked and studied the variety in answers during the conversations. In his conclusion, he found how frequent people actually lie. People lie in order to help cope with certain social contexts, sex, power, relationships ect. They feel that a white lie can be a better alternative to their misfortunes.(Camden, 1984) Another article lippard used was written by Dale Hample in 1980. He said that lies seem to be regarded as pollutants of communication, rather than as phenomena of intrinsic interest.(Hample 1980) Dale Hample’s research deals mostly with finding out when a lie occurs not so much understanding the lie. He used three tests in his research an open-minded questionnaire, tape recorded interviews, and a large social survey. Hamples s...

Backlash has been described as a complicated struggle over normativity The WritePass Journal

Backlash has been described as a complicated struggle over normativity Abstract Backlash has been described as a complicated struggle over normativity Abstract1. Introduction2. The Concept of Backlash3. Backlash and the Contemporary Positions of Men and Women in Organisations4. ConclusionReferencesRelated Title: Backlash has been described as a complicated struggle over normativity (Robinson, 2000). What does this mean? How can the concept of backlash help us understand the relative positioning of men and women in organizations? Abstract Men have historically occupied an invisible, gendered space within the work environment. Their privileges compared to women, and their power compared with women, have gone unnoticed through this invisibility.  Ã‚   Through feminism, there has gradually arisen an awareness of these hidden inequalities, and the ways in which men have been prioritised as the ‘neutral’, over-riding voice in the workplace. This awareness has led to some redistribution of power, as women take on greater responsibility, more powerful roles, and obtain better pay. However, the consequences of this have been that men have, in some instances, started to see themselves as victims of women’s growth in the workplace through the phenomenon of backlash. Although seemingly a simple concept, backlash is complex and tricky to measure, and has a number of consequences for both men and women.  Ã‚   The notion of normativity helps us understand the ways in which victimhood has been appropriated by some men to reclaim the power they feel they have lost.  Ã‚   Ideas around backlash and normativity have had a number of repercussions for the workplace and organisational politics, some detrimental to women’s position, although there are suggestions that the right approach to equality can overcome these issues. 1. Introduction The following essay will look at the concept of ‘backlash’, the notion that people are resisting structured organisational attempts to ensure that marginalised workers are employed and given opportunities for promotion. While the concept embraces a number of marginalised workers, for example people of colour and people with disabilities (Burke and Black 1997), this essay will consider only the case of ‘backlash’ for men against women employees.  Ã‚   Male ‘backlash’, it has been claimed, has existed for some considerable time, and is stronger now than in the past (Faludi 1991).   Backlash can be unconscious: men may be unaware that they hold the attitudes they do towards women (Burke and Black 1997). First, the notion of ‘backlash’ will be discussed, and the ideas that it presents â€Å"a complicated struggle over normativity† (Robinson, 2000) analysed. Next, the essay will consider how the notion of backlash is useful for understanding the hierarchical relationships between men and women in organisations. 2. The Concept of Backlash In order to understand the concept of backlash, it is first necessary to look more closely at men’s position within organisations.  Ã‚   It has been argued that men’s status as gendered goes unnoticed by themselves and by others within the organisation.  Ã‚   Men are assumed to be the norm, and to speak for the whole of human kind (Nelson 2006).   Typically, men in organisations are unaware of themselves as men, with â€Å"self-knowledge as gendered subjects †¦ noticeably absent† (Whitehead 2001, p. 309).  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the state of being a man means occupying one of (at least) two possible gendered positions.   While gender is a visible ‘fact’, with most (but not all) men and women being visually distinguished as such, behind this ‘fact’ â€Å"gender is enacted, and society has a pattern of practices and expectations that make this enactment visible† (Bilimoria and Kristin, 2007, p. 38).   Ã‚  Ã‚  While often seen as a genderless, cerebral environment, the workplace, no less than other cultural and social contexts, is one in which organisational decisions are made in an embodied, gendered context (Whitehead and Moodley 1999).   Within the workplace, gender differences exist both visibly and invisibly, and at a number of different levels.   One of the most important of these levels is the symbolic: the ways in which language, clothing, physical symbols, printed media and similar function to express positions about gender. Ideas, attitudes and perceptions also contribute to the complex mix of engenderment in the organisation. The social and political structures of an organisation might appear neutral, however it is likely to be based upon invisible engenderment at deeper levels (Blanpain et al 2008). It should be noted, however, that recognition of the gendered nature of the workplace should not be taken as a simple binary between male and female: â€Å"transgender identities further complicate notions of the gendered subject†. Additionally, invisibilities of sexuality further complicate the matter: the relationship of lesbian to womanhood, and the gay man to masculine identities, needs also to be considered   (Melzer 2006). There is an unfair balance of power between men and women in the workplace, with men generally getting better pay, conditions and holding higher positions within organisations. Women’s abilities as leaders often go unnoticed or are ignored, and the phenomenon of the ‘glass ceiling’ is well-documented (Haslett et al 1992).   This unfair balance seems to be a function of men’s invisibility as gendered subjects: if men are perceived unconsciously to be the norm, then women are by definition outside the norm, and are consequently subject to poorer work conditions including pay and promotion. One reaction to this is for the oppressed groups to act to make people aware of men’s privileges and bring to light their hidden engenderment.   This opens the possibility of making the inequalities between men and women visible to all.   Mutua (2006) describes â€Å"unearned benefits† which men possess, just by being born men, and suggests that rather than seeing the inequalities between men and women in the workplace in terms of how poorly women are treated, we reverse this and look at, for example, how much more men earn on average than do women (Mutua 2006). In general, there has been a concerted effort in many countries to make gender inequalities in the workplace more visible (Kabeer et al 2008). This can, however, make the privileged group – men – defensive and angry.   By making people more aware of male engenderedness, and by   bringing   the inequalities that this hides to light, ‘backlash’ can result, as men start to see themselves as victims.  Ã‚   As such, they begin to occupy an ambivalent position, both invisible and visible. There are reasons for men to claim both these states. Robinson suggests that men have good reason to want to be invisible, as invisibility allows them to continue to enjoy benefits that women cannot access.   However, they can also gain from being visible, and visible as an oppressed group, a victim of female power (Robinson 2000).   Faludi (1991) made the concept of ‘backlash’ popular.   While, she suggested, anti-feminist feeling has always played a part in modern America, there have been particular incidences of backlash in recent history, particularly when â€Å"women are poised to make real gains in social and political life† (Boyd 2007, p. 5).   For Faludi (1991) backlash works by presenting an opposite position as the truth, and by blaming women for wider social difficulties, that is, blaming feminism for creating problems for women, rather than offering a solution to such problems (Walby 1997) The notion of ‘backlash’ is often presented as a simple reaction by men against a growth in women’s rights. However, the idea is more complex than this suggests. For example, it can cover different types of male resistance to attempts to redress inequalities between the sexes: men who may once have approved of this in principle, but now no longer do so, and those who have never approved of equality for women (Goode 1982). Backlash has also changed over time, with Faludi (1991) arguing that it is more common now than in the past. This increase may be down to a number of reasons including increased competition in organisations for pay and position, the growth of political correctness in the workplace, and increased media coverage of gender inequalities. Men are also increasingly aware of how the workplace is changing, with women gradually gaining more power and taking on roles that used to be the sole preserve of men (Burke and Black 1997).   Backlash can also be seen as a function of male insecurity over a changing world, as men blame women’s increased power for ills which befall them.  Ã‚   These feelings are fuelled by a predominantly right-wing media and corporate culture (Kimmel 2004). Estimates vary regarding the prevalence of backlash. Early studies (Astrachan 1986; AMOI 1988) suggested that up to 90% of men were in favour of women maintaining a traditional role.   While backlash in organisations seems to have been clearly identified, there are relatively few empirical studies assessing its prevalence, and a lack of clarity about the best ways of measuring it. Many researchers use the Implicit Association Test, a wider social psychology test designed to measure automatic associations between mental concepts in memory as a way of quantifying implicit stereotypes about gender (Rudman and Glick 2001) There are also different understandings of the impact of backlash on the wider workplace: backlash can increase tension between men and women, makes bonds between men stronger, and can fracture relationships between women to the extent that women have carved a role within the male environment or not (Burke and Black 1997). Backlash is sometimes known as ‘competing victim syndrome’, a term used by Cox (1995) to describe the ways in which, in education, boys interest groups tried to define a position of victims of feminism (Mills 2001). There are several factors which can exacerbate backlash.     If an organisation lacks effective communication both about the phenomenon of backlash and measures that can be taken to combat it, men are likely to be suspicious of any changes. If a clear case is made for proactive measures for women, backlash is less likely (Gandossy et al 2006).   If men are excluded from equality planning, or if they are not seen as part of the solution to inequalities, then this can also make backlash feel worse.   Organisations can take practical steps to including men in such planning, for example identifying a core group of men who are committed to women’s rights and ensuring support from senior management (Ruxton 2004).  Ã‚   Certain organisational structures can also make backlash more intense. For example, where a culture of blame is fostered, with men seen as the causes of women’s disadvantage, men are more likely to react negatively against any perception that womenâ⠂¬â„¢s situation in the workplace is improving.   Equally, if the organisational culture has prioritised men and masculinity, perhaps unconsciously, men may react more strongly against women’s improving situation (Angus 1993). It is also possible that backlash is stronger in organisations where a higher number of minority employees have been taken onto the workforce. As we have seen, the concept of backlash is not as simple as it has sometimes been portrayed in the media (for example, a recent daily mail article appeared to blame feminism for crises in the National Health Service (Phillips 2011)), but rather, as Robinson suggested, it may rather be a complicated struggle over normativity. That is, it concerns a wider debate about the concept of the ‘norm’ and what is considered the ‘normal’ in society today.  Ã‚   The notion of the norm can be seen as rooted in concepts of the natural, and what is inherent or given in human nature, rather than a social, political or cultural construct.   By recognising that the ‘norm’ is, in fact, a construct, we open ourselves to the possibility that the given can be changed.   Feminism in general can be seen as a struggle against the notion that femininity and masculinity as they are experienced in today’s society are fixed. This notion that the female (or mal e) is a given is supported by much of contemporary science (Cameron 1995).  Ã‚   Robinson suggests, in this context, that seeing men as victims of feminism is not as straightforward as a reversal of positive discrimination, but is part of a larger debate about the ways in which normality is defined, and hence as part of a debate about normativity (Robinson 2000).   As Robinson (2000) points out, the notion of masculinity, and the understanding of what it means to be male, is open to debate, can be challenged, and may change.   He also emphasises that the debate over normativity is one about power; who holds power in society, and whether they rightfully do so. Seen in this context, the move by which men have presented themselves as victims is not simply one which happened by chance. Instead, men have been able to take on board the power that is currently vested in the ‘victim’: portraying themselves as oppressed (Bekerman and Zembylas 2011).   Backlash, under these terms, becomes a complex struggle for control over scarce resources and power over the symbolic languages in which notions of masculinity and femininity are normalised.   Men use backlash as a means of making themselves visible as men   and as victims, to accrue the benefits which come with being seen as the disadvantaged partner (Robinson 2000).   Consequently, by claiming the status of victims, men are able to maintain their position as those in power and control, with the added respect and material gains that goes along with this. Privileges are masked by the guise of victimhood which men have decided to wear.  Ã‚   It should be noted, however, this iss ue is made more complex by debates about the notion of power. Some suggest that power relationships are a myth, while there is an illusion that power is vested in the hands of a minority, in fact all groups in society are oppressed: â€Å"power is actually a form of a myth which subjugates all people† (Bad Subjects 1998, p. 55). 3. Backlash and the Contemporary Positions of Men and Women in Organisations The above suggests that backlash is a complex concept which underpins recent developments in contemporary awareness of feminism and women’s rights. But what repercussions does this have for understanding the positions of both men and women within organisations? There are signs that backlash is thriving in business and business organisations. Writing of the USA in the early years of the 21st Century, Bilimora and Piderit suggest that women were increasingly ‘opting out’ of the business world, for example moving on to start their own businesses, partly as a result of a backlash against the notion that women can ‘have it all’ and successfully juggle home and work (Bilimora and Piderit 2007).   This move to self-employment and starting one’s own business as a way of stepping outside the hostility of the male-dominated business environment has been reported elsewhere, for example The United States Small Business Association reported a 58% growth i n women running businesses (SBA 1993), while Carey and Bryant (1995) suggested that women-run businesses were expanding into previously male-dominated areas (Carey and Bryant 1995).   It has also been reported that women can experience hostility as result of special initiatives designed to promote equality, can become over insular as they bond together in women-only networks, thus ruling out the possibility of a further assault on male power structures, and open to charges of elitism (McCarthy 2004). However, some organisations have found that promoting equality measures in the right way can avoid backlash. Wittenberg-Cox and Maitland (2009) describe the case study of Nestle, who sought to prioritise gender equality within the workplace. They rejected the diversity approach popular in the USA in favour of promoting gender balance. Their approach was to involve men, and particularly male leaders, from the outset, with gender awareness workshops for leaders and executives. They found that this approach saw men committed to and leading organisational change, and the company thus â€Å"avoided the backlash that is common in companies that launch â€Å"women’s† initiatives† (Wittenberg-Cox and Maitland 2009). 4. Conclusion To summarise, men have historically occupied an invisible, gendered space within the work environment. Their privileges compared to women, and their power compared with women, have gone unnoticed through this invisibility.  Ã‚   Through feminism, there has gradually arisen an awareness of these hidden inequalities, and the ways in which men have been prioritised as the ‘neutral’, over-riding voice in the workplace. This awareness has led to some redistribution of power, as women take on greater responsibility, more powerful roles, and obtain better pay. However, the consequences of this have been that men have, in some instances, started to see themselves as victims of women’s growth in the workplace through the phenomenon of backlash. Although seemingly a simple concept, backlash is complex and tricky to measure, and has a number of consequences for both men and women.   Ã‚  The notion of normativity helps us understand the ways in which victimhood has been a ppropriated by some men to reclaim the power they feel they have lost.  Ã‚   Ideas around backlash and normativity have had a number of repercussions for the workplace and organisational politics, some detrimental to women’s position, although there are suggestions that the right approach to equality can overcome these issues.    References AMOI (1988) ‘American Male Opinion Index’, Conde Nast, New York Angus, L B (1993) Education, inequality, and social identity, Routledge, USA/ UK Astrachan, A (1986) How Men Feel: Their responses to Women’s Demands for Equality and Power,   Anchor, New York. Bad Subjects Production Team (1998) Bad subjects: political education for everyday life, NYU Press, USA. 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