Slaughterhouse-Five and Beloved

The modern human attitude is largely framed by the philosophy of science, in America. According to this philosophy the world is governed by the fixed laws of physics, through which humans find intellectual enlightenment. In this world of science, knowledge is power, and this power renders humans more able to shape their destiny. The American ideal of the self-made individual, (although usually vouched in the terms of religion), is structured upon this science based premise. But a contradiction lies at the heart of this blending of scientific philosophy and individual identity.It is that a physically and scientifically determined universe does not allow for free will. The modern headlong march towards scientific utopia thus carries grave peril because a philosophy that denies the inexorable human desire for free will ultimately is not self-sustaining. It is as if people are surrendering to destiny at the price of believing that the will is empowered by science. It recalls Franklin Roo sevelt’s memorable comment that â€Å"freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved† (qtd. in Singh 143). This crucial issue is dealt with by Kurt Vonnegut in his novel Slaughterhouse-Five.Although many readers view Vonnegut’s novel as advocating fatalism, the opposite is true. Billy Pilgrim, the novel’s protagonist, clearly advocates that humans must overcome fatalism in order to restore free will and sustain forward movement. Toni Morrison, in her novel Beloved, suggests that humans also should overcome the fixity of time. To move forward, both Sethe and Paul D must learn to redefine themselves by psychologically releasing themselves from the physical chains of their previous slavery. The central message of both authors is that there is no looking back. A vigorous free will must always look forward.Sociological and psychological factors may be challenges, but they are not impediments to the free will. The only such barriers are those that exist within humans. The crucial factor is the orientation of people’s vision. Both texts stress the importance of escaping the grip of the past by focusing on the future, and thus are aimed at nourishing hope. The guiding motif in this analysis is thus time. The novels can also be read as reminders of the American ideal, and what it means to be a successful American in the modern era. The American outlook has always resisted historicity.Its orientation is to leave the old world behind and focus on the forging of the new. But modern Americans are surrendering to historicity once more, and thereby squandering their freedom. By chasing synthetic and materialistic dreams (which is merely slavery to past success), we lose our moral orientation, and this is a failure of the American ideal. If we hope to recover from this decadence we must re-establish our freedom, which should be in the spirit of Emerson’s â€Å"nonconformism†. The novel Slaughterhouse-Five is intensely personal to Kurt Vonnegut, though Billy Pilgrim is not necessarily the alter ego of the author.He draws on his experience of having fought in the Second World War, been taken prisoner, and surviving the blanket firebombing of Dresden. He survived by being trapped as a prisoner-of-war in an underground locker of a slaughterhouse, and emerged a few days later to apprehend the charred desolation. In the novel, Billy Pilgrim goes through the same experience which turns out to be the defining moment of his existence. He has become â€Å"unstuck in time† through his experience of this event, meaning that the flow of time does not effect him anymore, and that he can shift at will from one moment in time to another.He experiences only episodes, in random order, and over and over again, but they always refer back to the Dresden massacre. He does not realize what is happening until much later, when he is abducted by alien creatures known as the Tralfamadorians. They reveal to him that free wil l is only an illusion, and because they exist in four dimensions – the fourth dimension being time – they observe past, present and future simultaneously, and the entire life as a unified whole. Time itself is indestructible, and, therefore, one lives one’s life over and over again.One only has free will to the extent that one chooses to concentrate on the better moments in life. This is the way Tralfamadorian literature is written, as one of his captors reveals to him, â€Å"There isn’t any particular relationship between the messages, except that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects.What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time (Vonnegut 88). † After this encounter, Billy is confirmed in his fatalism, and he is desc ribed as living the episodes of his life over and over again. Before his violent end in the year 1976, he reveals to the world the secret about the nature of time which he has learned from the Tralfamadorian. He does so with calm and collected purpose, because he knows beforehand that his message will be accepted.He even avoids bearing a grudge towards his own murderer, knowing that it is all fated, and that death itself is of no consequence. The vital clue that the novel as taking place frozen time is found in Vonnegut’s introduction, in which he says, â€Å"This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore, where the flying saucers come from† (Ibid, title page). The tales told on that distant planet take place in static time, and by pointing out this similarity the author is acknowledging the existence of dynamic time, which the Trafalmadorians deny.Regarding this weird theory, there is ample evidence that what is to ld about the aliens is nothing more than a figment of Billy’s imagination, and that much of the novel is from the point of view of a severely disturbed mind. It is his own fixity in time which he tries to rationalize with his tales of the aliens. The description of the aliens as upside down toilet plungers is laughable, and this is a clue from the author that we are not supposed to believe in them and their outlandish concept of time.Even though Billy is portrayed as a weakling, readers should not judge his fatalism as abnormal, or his ideas about time as merely the products of an unsettled imagination. Vonnegut is passing judgment on the ethos of the human age, and readers know this because the world accepts Billy’s revelations in the end, also, because the narrative is rooted in the Second World War. This is the event that finally shatters the notion of â€Å"progress† as in the eighteenth century Enlightenment.The consequence of the two world wars is the para lysis of cultural will, and this is captured through Billy’s fantastic notion of time, also rooted in the Second World War. Billy’s particular circumstance, allied with his curious nature, allows him to come to vital understanding that he lives in an age of stagnancy. But even though the novel is mainly concerned with depicting the human age, there are also enough clues that point to the way out of this nightmare. For example, Vonnegut, in his own character in the novel, talks about its composition to his publisher in Chapter 1, and says, â€Å"People aren’t supposed to look back.I’m certainly not going to do it anymore. I’ve finished my war book now. The next one I write is going to be fun. This one is a failure, and had to be, since it was written by a pillar of salt (28). † Whatever deep secrets it conveys, the novel is declared to be a failure, and Vonnegut admits that he too is subject to frozen time in writing such a novel, describing himself as â€Å"a pillar of salt†. The reference in to Lot’s wife, who is described in Genesis as turning into a pillar of salt because she chose to look back with attachment to the incinerating city of Sodom. Looking back is made to be the most fatal destroyer of the will.So he promises he will not do it again, and his subsequent novels will be situated in dynamic time. For Vonnegut, hope resides in leaving the past behind. Toni Morrison delivers the same message in a very different context. Slavery is an integral part of the birth of the American nation. It is now universally admitted to have been a cruel institution. But, as E H Carr puts it, history is only â€Å"the key to the understanding of the present† (14). It is very difficult for us to empathize with the motivations of the slave-owners, and any effort in this direction is bound to be controversial.But in her novel Beloved, Morrison is not intent on giving the reader further history, or even a commen tary of history. The advocacy is clear, that humans should leave history behind. Sethe is a former slave, now living out her freedom with her teenage daughter Denver, and recently having admitted another former slave Paul D as her partner. She is trying to suppress her horrific past, but the arrival of Paul D brings it back to her. Once, when fleeing from her sadistic owner, she had murdered her 2 year old daughter, thinking that capture was inevitable, and she did not want her children to suffer slavery.Soon after the arrival of Paul D, the embodied spirit of her murdered daughter appears, calling herself Beloved. Her appearance brings new life into all that come in contact with her, because she infuses tension into their lives, by which they must react. She becomes a demanding presence in the household, and Sethe finds herself at her beck and call. The shy and retiring Denver find herself forced out of the household and in the process acquires maturity. Even Paul D learns to open up his â€Å"rusted tin tobacco box† of a heart in her presence. In the end she disappears just as suddenly, and all the tensions are at once relieved.But she has touched lives in such a way that in her aftermath they are all restored to life and hope. Beloved clearly represents a horrible past, and one which must be dealt with finally. Even traces of the tale itself must not be left behind, and so the novel ends, â€Å"This is not a story to pass on† (Morrison 324). The past must be completely extinguished, and once this has been done, there is the possibility of shaping one’s destiny through the exercise of free will. These novels by Vonnegut and Morrison raise the issue of what it means to be successful in America today.Traditionally, historicity had been part of the old world, and that which the new world tries to leave behind. But these novels suggest that historicity has certainly caught up with modern America, and is the root to modern decadence. But to r eview the exhortations of the greatest Americans of the past is only to confirm that the nation was established on the basis of freedom, and freedom necessarily entails the letting go of the past. In the early period of the Puritan fathers the message use to be couched in terms of religion, and which we may detect in the sermons of Jonathan Edwards.In his speech â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God† there is no reference to anything in the past. It is entirely aimed at striking terror in the heart of the sinners, by evoking the visions of the hell that awaits them, laced with such warnings as: â€Å"There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God† (Edwards 90). Edwards relies on the immediacy of his message, and thereby strikes a particularly American note. The calm transcendentalism of Ralph Waldo Emerson may seem to be at a polar opposite, yet projects the same obligation to freedom.In his essay â€Å"Natureâ₠¬  he says, â€Å"Our age is retrospective. It builds the sepulchers of the fathers. It writes biographies, histories, and criticism. The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes† (Emerson 181). Writing in the middle of the 19th century, he warns that the true American spirit of freedom is being quickly eroded, and will not be recovered until we relearn how to apprehend nature with immediacy. â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist,† he says in his essay â€Å"Self Reliance† (Ibid 269).Any sort of conformity is compromising to the freedom, and therefore is a betrayal of the American ethos. Mark Twain conveys the same message in his classic children’s adventure story Huckleberry Finn. Set in the context of slavery and emancipation, it is more truly about the slavery of the whites than that of the blacks. Huck is fleeing from his drunken father, but he also becomes wary of the pious and benevolent reach o f society that tries to civilize him. He sets himself up on a floating raft, with an escaped slave, and only here he feels free and himself: â€Å"[T]here warn’t no home like a raft, after all.Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft† (Twain123). Huck’s suspicion towards society and civilization is the central point of the novel, and this makes him a true American. Vonnegut and Morrison would say that modern American is a betrayal of the founding spirit of the nation, where conformity to a media constructed reality in the norm. It is a historicity of a different sort which America enslaves itself to. It is as if history is rewritten by Hollywood, and such false history tends to become the worldview of the average American.The media projects crass materialism in every aspect, where fame is the highest criterion for judging worth. So, Americans not only follow the dress code o f celebrity film stars, they also follow the history and sociology of celebrity historians and sociologists. This in conformity of the most enslaving form, and represents a total loss of freedom. The judgment must be that, without the recovery of the Emersonian spirit of nonconformism there is no way out of this predicament. Americans must strive once again to succeed as human beings, and must stop chasing the fame and fortune of film stars. The crucial necessity is to recover free will.Both Vonnegut and Morrison bring the message that the barriers to the exercise of free will lie not in external conditions, but within each human being. If people believe that they lie with social, psychological or emotional factors, then they subscribe to the thinking of the Enlightenment, which believed that a scientific approach to understanding external conditions will result in their gradual removal, and generally in the direction of utopia. Vonnegut intends to explode this myth, and tells reade rs that such determinism renders the free will paralyzed, and he depicts the modern world as having met this unacceptable end.Like Morrison does in her novel Beloved, Vonnegut advocates that humans must overcome the past if they hope to exercise control over their future. Morrison’s specific concern is the fixity of Black America in the past of slavery, but she is in fact addressing a wider malaise in America as a whole. The common message is that slavery to the past is destructive to the free will, and therefore disastrous to the American ideal. Works Cited Carr, E. H. What is History? New York: Penguin Books, 1967. Edwards, Jonathan. A Jonathan Edwards Reader. Eds.John Edwin Smith, Harry S. Stout. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Eds. William H. Gilman, Charles Johnson. New York: Signet Classic, 2003. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Vintage International, 2004. Singh, M. P. Quote Unquote. Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press, 2007. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Signet Classic, 2002. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-five, Or, the Children's Crusade: A Duty-dance With Death. New York: Dell, 1969.

Burt’s bee – an American company

Burt’s bee is an American company that deals into personal care products. It has differentiated its self on the basis of ‘Earth Friendly, Natural Personal Care Company’. Their products are being made from beeswax, natural oils, herbs and minerals (Smith, Dulcinea Norton, 2008, March). This company begun its operations in the year 1984 when Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz an ex-couple living in Maine started making candles. They were made from they by-product of beeswax obtained from Burt’s honey business. This invention made sale up to $20,000 by the end of first year. Soon they product earned recognition and got orders form a boutique in New York. They added many organic beauty products to expend this line. In the year 1991 they added their best seller product lip balm. Soon they discontinued their famous candle production and concentrated on personal care items. Currently their product line includes face, body, men’s grooming, baby care, hair, lip care and outdoor remedies product. Their products are being sold in different countries of the world including United States, United Kingdoms, Canada, Ireland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Retail Experiment Burt’s bee distinguished itself on the basis of organic and eco friendly products. It created a niche for it’s product by targeting people who are more inclined towards purchasing and using less chemical oriented products. Retail business can be explained as sale of goods or merchandises directly to customers through a fixed point. Availability of logistics and expansion plans play a vital role in deciding either a company should move into retail business or not. When a profit bearing company like Burt’s Bee plans to expand its operation they have to make an appearance in shelves of different departmental stores, malls, grocery stores even drug stores to be more visible over other competitor products. Making such strong appearance is not possible by limiting it’s self to being a manufacturer and a direct seller. Looking at online shopping websites (which is also a part of retail business) it brings products at a click of one button. It also saves human resource and middle man profit. It gives endless shelf-space to a manufacturer to display its products. Burt’s bee was already selling their product through QVC and making handsome amount of profit on it. It was time to get into physical retail business to increase their profitability. Retail business has many different advantages. If one person is out to buy grocery for home might also want to purchase any product that he sees on shelves. We all try to experiment with new products. This experimental nature is at peek when we go out of the house to do a week’s shopping. Instead of going at one particular shop to buy a specific product we all prefer one place stop that has all the products. It’s an era of expediency and we enjoy taking advantage of it. Retail business aids in saving time for a lot of customers. People are so busy in their personal and professional lives they prefer buying all what they need from one places rather than visiting different shops for specific products. Retail business also gives an edge over all those strong products available only at their dedicated shops. Their presences can be easily overlapped with a product that is available at every nook and corner. People usually go out with friends to malls for shopping. Strong word of mouth can also play a heavy role in increasing sales. Burt’s bee has a reputable name in the market and a loyal set of customers. Changing brand habit should not be a difficult task for them once the presence of their product becomes prominent. Appearance of Roxxane Quimby at different retail shops once in a while will add to customer satisfaction. When she started the business by selling beeswax candle she realized that most of her customers looked at the bottom of it to check its finishing. Costumers are very particular about quality maintenance. Heavy marketing can attract more customers to meet the proud owner of the product they are using. The fear of being discontinued from the end users can also be minimized through this strategy. This can also be done through comment cards. People can fill them and send it to her to give her. Retail business enables a customer to compare products at the location. This comparison can be made on the basis of ingredients, prices and packaging. Burt’s bee has the competitive advantage of being organic and less chemically treated product over others. It has gain popularity for being made from natural oils unlike other products available in the market. Conclusion Thus opting for a retail business will help them achieve desired target in a given time period. It becomes difficult to be a direct seller and expend to different countries. Though sales and revenues increase can not be separated from good marketing campaign. Promotion incentives like free samples can also be used to help purchase of new products and attract more customers. Heavy ATL (Above The Line) and BTL (Below The Line) marketing can also increase product awareness and spread the brand name amongst non users. Product availability will have a proportionate effect on increase sales. With higher demand price can also be increased. People are ready to pay a high amount but do not believe in compromising in quality. They will always choose convenience of purchasing ten things from one shop then roaming around 10 shops to buy one thing.

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Sociology - Essay Example Since the UK contained a well-established political structure, well-trained and highly equipped army, navy and air force, magnificent economic stability and unshakeable social hierarchy, the country was in a position to rule over the entire world for several decades. By dint of her unconquerable armed forces, sharp foreign policy and enormous financial resources, the UK invaded on numerous Asian and African countries, and captured their wealth and governmental system. Hence, the people belonging to the subjugated states got orientation with the UK as a great strategic, educational and economic giant of the world at large. Consequently, they dreamed of visiting and settling down in the UK in order to lead a comfortable and respectable life for the future years to come. Additionally, the African men, women, children and elderly were also brought in the country as slaves, where they were meant to serve their white masters in their domestic chores and professional responsibilities as wel l. By looking into the history of the British Africans, it becomes crystal clear that the Blacks had been the least educated stratum of British society, as majority of this community was either working as slaves or got involved into different petty or purported odd jobs at lower scale. Similarly, because of their association with the labour in their native land as well as scarcity of food and fruits, the Blacks underwent poorer health condition in comparison with the rest of the entire English population. Though the situation has taken drastic change with the passage of time, and the country is viewed to be exemplary in respect of the health condition and education level of its citizens, yet the Blacks are still viewed to be the least developed community in respect of both health and education, as they are refused to be treated on the foundations of equality in the British society. Thus, their past is still haunting the Blacks even after several years of their freedom from slavery a nd settling down as free citizens in Great Britain. The Paper: The contemporary Britain is undoubtedly one of the most enlightened states of the entire sphere, which offers job, business, health and immigration facilities to the highly skilled and proficient individuals belonging to various parts of the globe. Additionally, the traditional British universities have been pioneer in providing high quality education by conferring degrees against different disciplines, which does not have any match with any educational institution of the entire world. It is therefore the students who had sought education and degrees from these renowned institutions, led their respective societies and cultures by rendering valuable services in their relevant fields. The entire exposure they gain and the outstanding vision they acquire is partially dependent of the British educational institutions, cultural values, social norms and traditional way of life that proves guiding star for polishing their perso nality and enhancing their capabilities to move and survive even in the multicultural civilisations. On the one side of the picture, there appears to be affluence, luxuries, social justice, economic prosperity and technological advancements, and on the other side, malpractices, apartheid, ethno-racial and religious discrimination, poverty and deteriorating health of the lower stratum of society raise their ugly head to threaten the glow of the so-called big claims of national

Production Scheduling and Control Research Paper - 1

Production Scheduling and Control - Research Paper Example Batching was done by having customers waiting in queue sit at the bar until a table is freed. Then, these customers are led inside in batches of eight (8). Thus, there were several occasions when complete strangers would be seated in one table but very few instances when a table seats less than it can fully accommodate. This queer but very revolutionary idea did what it was supposed to do --- maximize throughput. Throughput is another simple yet very underutilized factor in running a business. In simple words, throughput â€Å"is a sales-building concept measured by sales per hour† (Florence, 2008). Maximized throughput leads to maximized sales which consequently leads to maximized profits. The simulation that was used showed how efficient and effective batching is especially during the peak hours because it was able to significantly reduce the presence of variability in the business operations. Variability is the main culprit in not achieving full utilization of a restaurant’s capacity and thus not maximizing throughput (Ernst and Schmidt, 2005). Batching removes variability by making sure that a table is fully maximized because it seats the exact number which it is supposed to, not leaving an empty seat and thus not wasting capacity. The graph that was provided in the website clearly shows that with batching, more people are seated and the number of those waiting in queue or at the bar is reduced. Also, because customers are seated much faster, fewer customers are lost with batching than without. This great idea translates to the ultimate goal of any business --- achieve maximum profitability of the operations. Batching does that exactly. Because more people are seated, more people are served and that translates to profit. Because people do not wait too long in queue, they are more satisfied and that also translates to profit. In fact, figures from the simulation activity show that while batching created a profit of

Parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Parenting - Essay Example This is by instilling essential values and beliefs whose core purpose is to ensure that they live harmoniously with others. Undeniably, the existence of a healthy communication in a family setting prompts its members to create enmeshed relationship, hence maintain the required cohesion (Hepworth 255). Therefore, they end up depending on each other whereby they are capable of finding solutions meant to confront certain life’s predicaments, which are difficult when, tackled singlehandedly (Hepworth 255). Communication in the family system also develops a sense of belonging among its members. This is due to the closeness characterizing diverse members’ interactions and attention they normally enjoy (Hepworth 255). Mainly, this is in the form of both material and emotional assistance. Therefore, this equips them with the necessary skills meant to fit in the larger society and contribute as necessitated, for instance, the children. Additionally, communication helps to strengthen family bonds whereby individual members through their actions and talking where they constantly assure each other unco nditional support (Denise & Theiss 298). Since, they always act as a team especially when trying to resolve a predicament affecting one member whereby he or she could not have managed to solve it singlehandedly (Denise & Theiss 298-299). Therefore, communication is an essential tool meant to improve and strengthen coexistence in a family system (Hepworth 255). Behavioral science information has significantly enabled parents provide effective parenting to their children. Since, its core purpose entails equipping them and older children with adequate knowledge meant to interpret diverse behaviors characterizing their immediate members. This is especially by scrutinizing their behaviors and ascertaining what they could be experiencing (Beaver & Kristy 114). Since, some members owing to their physical conditions or other incapacities might not be in a position to

Quantitative Research Tools Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quantitative Research Tools - Assignment Example These quantitative analyses develop trends for future and guide strategy development and employment. The application of quantitative techniques in providing solutions to identified problems of a case study also validates the theory used to make any suggestion; unlike, qualitative research provides responses based on researcher’s biases (Dul, and Hak, 2008). Â  Since techniques under discussion are objective in nature, application in case study provides results leaving no or least room for subjectivity as for the questions. Hence, providing responses with defined scope of variables involved conclusions and recommendations. Â  Quantitative research is based on the cause and effect relationship. Testing of propositions in the context of the case study is also developed with logic and theories in deductive form. Therefore, instances of the case study are the only factors to impose the effect on the results. This also separates a researcher from posing any influence on the outcome, defining and explaining the variables of the case study under analysis that are usually prone to an extensive deviation on being explored with theory only or even using the qualitative research techniques (Gerring, 2005). Â  The exploration of a case study using mentioned techniques also provides evidence of the level of impact of uncontrollable variables indefinite terms. For instance, application of regression analysis to forecast the trend of sales in two branches of a company in distant areas but with almost identical operations and the most accounted variables would still not yield identical results. This difference in trend provides evidence related to the level of impact arising from differences in scenarios.

NGOs are an effective force in processes of conflict resolution and Essay

NGOs are an effective force in processes of conflict resolution and healing. Discuss using examples - Essay Example The cause of violence in schools is caused by peer influence that is becoming a more compelling influence upon social acceptance and rejection, parental attachment show a stronger statistical relationship with hostility and delinquency (Dodge & Somberg 1987). Human beings have always been influential in finding the most effective ways to resolve conflicts or crime in the society. The advent of the criminal justice system was the consequence of similar efforts and the experiences shows that the formal system of criminal justice, due to many reasons, has not been fully successful in achieving its mandate in most countries. Mounting court arrears, delay in case disposal and consistent rising rate of acquittals has resulted in the loss of public confidence in the system. Furthermore, it was felt that the victims of crime who are to be in the center are usually sidelined in the criminal justice process. Whichever the outcome of the court case, the victim does not get any considerable gain to mitigate his/her victimization and nothing will help to restore and repair the damage caused. In the search for alternative to litigation, it would be a necessity to dwell on those judicial process facets which promote the capability of the system to dispense the expectations that judges and courts render justice objectively and impartially. This paper tends to seek to explain the role played my mediation as a traditional way of resolving conflicts in today’s society that replaces court of law. Moreover, this paper seeks to explain deeply the mystery behind mediation as a tool to resolve disputes over the years. In the end, the goal is to provide a clear and better support for the ongoing and future mediation efforts in peace processes. Discussion Mediation is the process of third party intervention in the case of environmental disputes between two or three parties who are on a disagreement. Its characteristics include voluntary participation and agreement as well as conf idential. United Nations (2008) explains that third parties are organizations or organization called upon or has volunteered to manage or settle issues between conflicting parties. Mediation is known to be a mystery and most of the peace processes are a success story while some are dismal failures, and most are a combination of the two. This process is extremely complex and difficult as one has to help in transition of a society from war to peace taking in to consideration the fact that the parties in conflict use military means to attain their objectives. It gets even worse when it can result in the killing of thousands or more in the process. During mediation, dispute parties may start to realize that they can gain a lot from negotiation than from fighting. This, however, takes time as the mediators needs to also understand their intentions and motives, and why they chose use of arms in settling disputes (Mrcela 2009). The role of mediation/mediator Mediation is usually appropriat e for settling disputes like those brought about by both verbal and behavioral message misinterpretation, communication problems, personal conflicts, harassment and deception (Mrcela 2009). In special cases, mediation can be used to resolve disputes between work groups or trade unions, or management on one end and employees on the other end. An example is in Slovenian organizations where

Can Video Games be Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Can Video Games be Art - Essay Example Different critics have argued that generally, games cannot be considered as forms of art. These include film critics such as Roger Ebert and art critics such as Jonathan Jones. The argument of these critics against qualification of video games as art mainly draws from a philosophical point of view (â€Å"The Guardian† WEB). However, the recent criticism of Robert Ebert about video games was countered by the US government, which emphasized that video games are a form of art (Tassi WEB). Regardless of all the controversies surrounding video games and their authenticity as an art form, there are those individuals, who like to identify with video games, and are greatly involved in playing them. Such individuals support video games, and most think of it as a form of art, despite what the critics might say about video games. An example of such individuals is Blissel Tom, a popular author of the book Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter. He is a man that is obsessed with video games, and confesses publicly, how he can spend many hours playing video games. Blissel is convinced that video games is a form of art, and in his book, he refers to video games as an art form. According to him, video games are an important art form. Recently, I met one of my childhood friends, who lives in a different state. I learnt that he has taken up video games seriously, and he loves playing them whenever he is free. I talked with him lengthily about video games, and realized that he is well informed about video games. When we separated back while still young children, my friend had not been exposed to video games, and had never played them. However, several years down the line, he presents himself as an ardent fan of video games, and comes out as being obsessed with video games and being knowledgeable about them. He too considers video games as an art form, since like other art forms; it requires skills and talent to play them. Besides the Federal Government, which has categorized video games under the other traditional art forms, the Smithsonian American Art Museum also considers video games as an art form. Previously, this museum undertook seven consecutive months hosting an exhibition, which they called ‘The Art of Video Games.’ In this exhibition, the museum aimed at celebrating video games as an art form, which has existed in homes for an approximate 40 years (â€Å"Smithsonian American Art Museum† WEB). According to Jewell, video games today have revolutionized, and cannot compare to those of the past decades. She notes that these are an amalgamation of all the different types of the traditional art forms (WEB). These views coincide with Blissel’s views, as all these consider video games as art. According to Blissel (350), video games are an important part of a person’s social life. In his book Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter, Blissel sharply argues against the critics of video games, including those who do not cons ider video games as an art form. In the cultural aspect, Blissel considers video games as important as other art forms in the society, and equal to them in capacity. In his book, Blissel compared video games to traditional art forms such as movies, and novels. In Blissel’s comparison of video games with other traditional art forms, he finds out that video games have both a positive and

The Financial Aspects of Health Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Financial Aspects of Health Care - Assignment Example h respect to financing health care services; due to the fact that it has a direct relation with regard to be productivity, efficiency, and happiness of the populace that resides within its borders. With respect to the way that the above question is answered, it should not be understood that the government must be responsible for each and every aspect of healthcare payment. Instead, issues relating to cosmetic surgery and medical issues that do not involve direct health and well-being of the patient must be supported by the private sector; ultimately the responsibility of either insurance companies and/or the individual patient themselves. The underlying reason for this has to do with the fact that the government was responsible for all types of healthcare services, the system would necessarily be abused. Health insurers affect the cost of healthcare with respect to the fact that they are able to set premiums that an individual will be required to pay as a function of having access to their services. Likewise, employers affect the cost of healthcare due to the fact that they seek to defray the overall cost that an individual employee must pay by paying a percentage of the salary that they would otherwise devote to the employee as a function of bringing down the cost of the premiums. Likewise, patients affect the overall cost of healthcare with respect to the issues of supply and demand. Similarly, healthcare workers also affect the cost of health care in terms of issues of supply and demand as well as the overall salary that these individuals are responsible for receiving. Similarly, federal and state governments affect the cost of healthcare due to the fact that they oftentimes provide standardized cost of healthcare for those individuals that are able to afford it and therefore cre ate an unnatural barrier that offsets the cost that other individuals are responsible for paying (Miller, 2012). Similarly, taxpayers offset the cost of healthcare due to the fact that

Armellini Ice Cream and Caf Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Armellini Ice Cream and Caf Chain - Essay Example The managers, who kept to the system and ensured that it worked, were rewarded and those who failed to meet the expectations were sacked. Creativity was not encouraged during Alessio’s stewardship. After his retirement, Helen Patterson, an Australian management consultant was brought in as CEO.   Helen is following the ‘bounded rationality model’ of decision making as she firmly believes in the principle of management by objectives which need to be achieved within the given constraints through empowered managers. ‘Bounded rationality takes into consideration the real decision making constraints which confront managers’ (handbook). Effective decision making is an essential part of managerial leadership to achieve desired objectives and optimal performance outcome.   She has set targets for the expected results of the various outlets of Armellini Ice Cream and Cafà © chain. Helen has considerably empowered the managers of various outlets in the management of the outlets and creating regional boards to boost their efforts, but their human resource policy and recruitment need to be whetted by the head office. While inspections were still carried out, they became more of an exercise to look at the progress rather than a ‘checklist’ inspection. She has also broadened her objectives to include ‘franchising’ as a means of expanding the business.   Helen’s management style is very relevant in the contemporary environment because the market has become more complex and highly competitive in the contemporary environment of fast advancing technology and rapid globalization. Wilson and Gilligan (2003) have asserted, ‘marketing is increasingly being conceptualized as an organizational philosophy or ‘an approach to doing business’ (Wilson and Gilligan, 2003, p4).

Business Research Terms and Concepts Essay Example for Free

Business Research Terms and Concepts Essay Understanding Business Research Terms and Concepts: Part 3 A. Determine which level of measurement— nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio—is used in the following examples. 1. The Association of Accountants is conducting a survey to determine the ranking of the top 100 accounting firms in the world. Ordinal 2. How many years did it take you to earn your college degree? Ratio 3. On a questionnaire which asks for gender, males are coded as 1 and females are coded as 2. Nominal 4. Respondents are asked to rate a list of high-tech companies as excellent, good, fair, or poor in terms of their service delivery. Ordinal 5. Cereal brands are arranged in an ordered sequence in which an equal interval exists between each point. Interval 6. Jake Locker averages 350 yards per game passing. Interval 7. The length of time it takes the winner of a marathon to cross the finish line. Ratio 8. Students are asked to rank computer manufacturers. Ordinal 9. The brand of charge card used by a customer. Nominal B. Which sampling method—simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster, convenience, judgment, quota, or snowball—is most appropriate for the following examples? Explain why. 1. The unemployment rate is calculated each month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey consists of 50,000 households in about 2,000 counties and cities in all 50 states. Stratified. Because you are dividing into subgroups prior to sampling. 2. A researcher for Kraft Foods selects five states randomly, and then selects 10 supermarkets chains within each state to call for a phone survey as test markets for a new cookie. Cluster. You are dividing into groups or cluster then taking a random sample. 3. A new product researcher would like to investigate the use of virtual teams. After conducting an interview with a manager, she asks for the names of other managers that use virtual teams. Snowball. You are using a small pool of subjects and generating more from them. 4. A news reporter asks people on the street their opinion about the president’s new bill. Convenience. There are some members of the population that have no chance of being selected and you are using readily available subjects. 5. Jamie select Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; and San Diego, California as test markets for a potato chip line base on her experience with these markets. Judgment. Because Jamie has used his or her own judgment to select the appropriate sample. 6. A researcher instructs field interviewers to interview customers of different cell phone companies in a nearby shopping mall so that they each interview 10 ATT, 8 T Mobile, 6 Verizon, and 4 owners of other cell phone providers. Quota. Because there is a set requirement of the sampling pool. 7. The Consumer Price Index represents a sampling of 90,000 items from 364 categories, chosen from 20,000 retail stores in 85 geographically distributed areas that are chosen to be as similar as possible. Stratified. Because you are dividing into subgroups prior to sampling. 8. A finance professor wants to know how many MBA students would be willing to take a course in international finance this summer. She surveys students in the class she is currently teaching. Cluster because she is dividing all MBA students into a group and sampling her class. It could also be seen as Convenience because she is sampling a group that is on hand and there is a set that doesn’t have a chance to be selected (anyone not in her class).

Failures Of The Juvenile Justice System Criminology Essay

Failures Of The Juvenile Justice System Criminology Essay Juvenile justice systems across the country are experiencing major challenges resulted in a failure to meet their original goal to change the deviant behavior of the juvenile delinquent by focusing on rehabilitation in order to ensure juveniles have an opportunity for a future life as a productive citizen. Despite this goal juvenile justice system, in many cases, has failed to rehabilitate the juvenile and instead have become more prone to placing juvenile delinquents in juvenile detention facilities, or trying them as adult offenders. Once the juvenile delinquent becomes a part of the system, adult or juvenile, they have difficulty escaping from the stigma and moving on to create better lives. Instead of delinquents making positive changes in their life, they instead graduate up to adult prison and become adult criminal offenders. These failings within the juvenile justice system can be attributed to the lack of education, lack of support services and an inability to incarcerate the more serious juvenile offenders. In fact 80% of juveniles who enter New Yorks juvenile facilities end up returning or graduating to adult prisons within three years (Louis, 2008). This recidivism rate is 20% higher that the New York adult criminal justice system. In other states, such as Oklahoma or Texas, the rate is even higher. The juvenile justice system has also failed to provide a fair and equal juvenile justice process which is obvious based on the racial disparities present in Americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s juvenile justice system. Minorities, African Americans especially, are placed in juvenile detention centers or receive waivers that require them to be tried as adults. These failures have been attributed to the delinquent or criminal behavior of the minority by the juvenile justice system but by critics it has been attributed to racial profiling of police and bias in the juvenile courts. The fact is in the juvenile justice system there have been many failures that have resulted in many challenges. These challenges make it difficult for the juvenile justice system to meet its original goal of rehabilitation and have resulted instead with juveniles that are not reformed but instead have the tools to become adult offenders. When juveniles are removed from their homes and placed in a juvenile detention they do not become reformed but instead there behavior will worsen in this type of an environment. Juveniles that are laced in detention centers are faced with becoming more aggressive than the next juvenile just to survive. Instead of learning to become more productive members of society the juvenile learns new criminal skills. Juvenile offenders in current society commit the same delinquent acts of the past but they also commit offenses that are far more serious and violent than when the juvenile justice system was first established. Instead of rehabilitating juvenile and taking steps in repairing the family the juvenile justice system has been quick to punish the juvenile. The lacking of effective counseling services for juvenile delinquents before and after being detained or incarcerated has been considered a large part of the overall problem in the juvenile justice system as well as a very low success rate in making positive changes in the life of the juvenile offender. The research will seek to understand the extent of the failures of the juvenile justice system by presenting statistical research and real world examples of these failures. The better juvenile justice professionals understand the failure of the system the more effective they can be in developing more effective measures for ensuring the juvenile learns new and positive behavior and does not grow up to become an adult criminal offender. Through rehabilitative services and programs the juvenile will have an opportunity to make positive changes in their lives and become more productive members of society. Literature Review Research has shown that the juvenile justice system has failed in their goal to rehabilitate juveniles to ensure they do not grow up to become adult criminals. In research conducted by Annie Casey Foundation it was discovered that the juvenile justice system is ineffective, dangerous, and inadequate. Instead of investing in the future of juveniles the system is just focused on punishing the juvenile and removing them from society. Juveniles that are detained or that are adjudicated to the adult court system are not taught new positive behaviors that assist them in becoming upstanding members of society and instead they learn new criminal behaviors. In Oklahoma, precisely the Creek County area of Oklahoma, which is likely one of the highest areas of juvenile offenders in the state there exists a definite problem of dealing with the issues of juvenile crime. Furthermore, the juvenile justice system has no real punitive measures that can be put in place to deal with juvenile offenders who should be removed from society. The lacking of effective counseling services for pre-incarceration level and post-incarceration level offenders has been considered a large part of the overall problem in the State of Oklahoma. In fact despite the proof that rehabilitative programs can work the state has failed to aggressively implement them and prefers instead to detain or incarcerate. The Juvenile Re-entry of Oklahoma County program is one such program that has been shown to be successful with only a 10% failure rate (Kelly, 2010). The program provides the juveniles with an opportunity to obtain their high school diploma or G.E.D and an opportunity to learn a new job skill. In a recent analysis of the program it was discovered that many of the participants not only obtain their education but go on to obtain their college degrees. The state of Texas has one of the largest the juvenile justice populations in the country and juveniles are detained in a large majority of cases. The Texas juvenile justice system has large caseloads where juveniles in some cases will be detained for a year without ever going in front of a judge. The judges in the state are quick to detain the juvenile because the state has become limited in the resources available to rehabilitee the juvenile offender. In New York the juvenile justice system became so corrupt and the treatment of juveniles so inhumane the governor called for a complete overhaul and reform of the New York juvenile justice system (Louis, 2008). Juveniles were routinely restrained while in custody and left face first on the ground for hours. Juvenile justice officers were known for being cruel and aggressive. Since the reform efforts the juvenile receive discipline but is not subject to inhuman treatment. Perhaps one of the alleged problems are the extremely restrictive laws which were passed as result of the 14th Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Whereas; juvenile offenders are to be handled in such a restrictive manner as it give the offenders the idea that thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s nothing the system can do to them, in such a case like Thompson V. Oklahoma, where the State of Oklahoma petitioned to charge the defendant as an adult for premeditate murder, or 1st degree murder, which was approved and Thompson was so tried and convicted, to be later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court (487 U.S. 815, 1988). The trend for the juvenile justice system to detain the juvenile over finding effective rehabilitative services is not the only challenge facing juvenile justice systems across the nation. After a two-and-a-half year investigation by the Civil Right Division it was discovered similar to the adult criminal justice system that the minority is treated more harshly than the non-minority. The research showed that law enforcement, which has discretion in what happens to the juvenile, is far more likely to detain the minority juvenile and release the non-minority juvenile into the custody of their parents or guardian. The report also said black juveniles were treated more harshly than white teenagers in detention practices and transfers to criminal court to be tried as adults (Dries, 2012). As a result there is a major overrepresentation of minorities in both the juvenile and adult justice systems. All criminal offenders in the juvenile justice system should be guaranteed an equal and fair juvenile justice process but this is just not the case. While juveniles are afforded some due process rights, the juvenile justice system is not focused on equality or even justice. It is instead focused on punishing juveniles for their bad behavior. When juveniles are placed within juvenile detention centers instead of sent being home with their parents and being required to attend rehabilitative programs and services that will assist them in changing their behavior and leading a more positive lifestyle. Research has shown that juveniles that are placed in juvenile detention centers are seven times more likely to grow up to become adult criminal offenders or to be tried as an adult while juveniles. Further, those who ended up being sentenced to juvenile prison were 37 times more likely to be arrested again as adults, compared with similarly misbehaved kids who were either not caught or not put into the system (Szalavitz, 2009). The failure to employ rehabilitative services has resulted in a growing juvenile justice population.

Importance Of Brand Leadership For A Fmcg Brand Marketing Essay

Importance Of Brand Leadership For A Fmcg Brand Marketing Essay The main objective of this report is to understand the importance of brand leadership for a FMCG brand. The report develops further by analyzing the previous literature on Branding, Brand leadership, and Brand Loyalty which is implied to a FMCG brand. Finally, it underpins the Brand value which enables Irn Bru to create Brand Loyalty. 1.2 Objectives: To identify the Brand Leadership model used by Irn Bru. This is based on Aaker et al. (2000) brand leadership model; an analysis would be carried out in order to compare the model with Irn Bru operations. To identify consumer motives behind purchasing Irn Bru. By the help of a devised survey questionnaire, consumer behaviour toward purchasing of Irn Bru will be analysed To investigate why loyalty develop from consumer perspective in FMCG market. Academic literature and dimension of brand loyalty will be used to investigate this objective. Focus group will be brought under practice to indentify these factors. 1.3 Background: With an increase in the level of competition, and companies offering more than one similar product into the market, it has become necessary to brand the product in order to differentiate it from others. Brands play an important role in modern society, and allow products to be easily identified within the market. The concept of branding is used in many aspects of human life i.e. it could be a product, religion, sports, culture etc. As companies are expanding globally, the concept of branding has been recognised as an utmost important factor. Not only to attract set target markets, but also to attain brand leadership. The main aspects of branding include: building a successful brand, differentiating amongst its competitors, and maintaining the brand image in the market. Due to the intensity of the modern market, there has been increase in the spending on marketing; branding is a major aspect (Aaker, 1991; Simmons, G. 2007). Generally, a brand is considered as a product, service, a pres ence or personality which rides on the mind of consumers. Branding, according to De Chernatony McDonald (1992), has been characterized as the process of creating value by offering convincing and constant customer experience, which in turn satisfy their needs and wants and keep them coming back. Organisations have started referring to themselves as a branding organisation once customers have realized the value of a brand. With diversity in the market, it has become extremely important for companies to create and maintain high brand awareness and identify how it varies from that of the competition. Internet has proved to be a medium that enables consumers to explore the benefits provided. The increasing number of internet users indicates that global brands can be viewed, and interacted from a single point. Also, the increasing number of online purchases reflects the future of brands. Since more than one company manufactures similar products, the question that arises is: which brand is a market leader? Brand leadership has opened a new gateway for the brands who seek to be on the top of the market. Brands can be an important asset for the company, and in the future they will be an increasingly prominent feature of business dealings. AG Barr was founded in 1830 with the foundation of Robert Barrs cork-cutting business in Falkirk. In 1875, his son diversified the company into aerated water production, and in 1887 operations were extended to Glasgow. The Glasgow-based company was re-named AG Barr in 1904. Its core brands included: Irn-Bru, Tizer and Orangina, the latter of which is produced under licence from Pernod Ricard. The company also distributes Lipton on behalf of Unilever Bestfoods in impulse and cash and carry outlets. In 2001, the company established an agreement with Pepsi Bottling Group to distribute Irn-Bru in Russia. The company will continue to focus on its core brands and markets. High brand loyalty for carbonates brand Irn-Bru has seen it maintain sales in a declining market sector The Companys main strength lies in its Irn-Bru brand, which shows no sign of a sales decline and seems unaffected by the general switch to fruit/vegetable juice amongst carbonates consumers. To a certain extent it is po ssible that consumers of Irn-Bru are not much concerned with the health issue; whilst, comparing to other carbonated brands. In order to meet the needs of their potential consumers, Irn-Bru has launched a low-calorie version for the consumers preferring diet carbonated drink. The main strength of Irn-Bru is the inclination of consumers toward Scotlands other national drink. The performance of Irn-Bru in Scotland is astonishing, despite the economic downfall. The catchy advertisements and the tag line Phenomenal has continuously portray the tradition and the uniqueness of the Irn-Bru. AG Barr has also pursued a strategy of diversification through acquisition the company bought Strathmore mineral water in 2006 and acquired both the TAUT sports drink range and the exotic juice drinks manufacturer Group Rubicon in 2008. (GMID, 2009). Rationale for the topic: According to Aaker et al. (2000), the emerging paradigm of strategic brand leadership is replacing the classic, tactically oriented brand management system. Leadership has become an important aspect of the brand, as it leads to innovation. A key element of brand leadership is brand vision. The ability to see the future of the company through the customers eyes is important, as it sets into motion a long-term strategy for the brand. It is vital to discover how consumers perceive the product and what their view points are, as brand value is highly based on it. Measuring loyalty towards a product is equally important as it will enable Irn Bru to reflect on their strategies. Chapter two-Literature Review 2.1 Brand and the concepts: A brand is not a name. A brand is not a positioning statement. It is not a marketing message. It is a promise made by a company to its customers and supported by that company. I may have intelligent agents that can go out and assemble pages of reports on every camcorder on the market, but I dont have time to read them. Ill buy Sony (Sterne, 1999 cited in Rowley, J. 2004). Due to the different characteristics of product, brand enables to distinguish one brand from another ( Riezebos, R. 2003). One of the main concerning areas in the field of marketing is branding. As brands have grown beyond the national boundaries, it has become vital to manage and operate them with a strategic view. This will enable companies to focus on the specific brand, rather than company as a brand. As the level of competition has risen, companies tend to focus on their branding strategies. A well derived strategy will lead a brand to attain high awareness and success in the market niche. As defined by Pickton and Broderick (2001), branding is a strategy that helps the company and their products to leverage in to the market and it also build brand value for the owners of the brand and also the consumers. Whereas, Randall G (2000) has a presented a different approach: Branding comprises of all fundamental strategic process going within the company; it is a part of marketing, but not restricted only to marketing department. Based on the benefits offered by a brand, the consumers form a purchasing decision, and evaluate it depending on their needs and wants. According to Temporal (2001), as the importance of branding is increasing, fast moving consumer goods industry is highly benefited by these strategies. Companies have more than one product in the marketplace, and by viewing the soaring profits in this sector. Companies have tried to differentiate it from their rivals, so that consumers find it easy to purchase. Henceforth, brands provide guarantee package to the consumers in terms of va lue, quality and reliability. Consumers will generate loyalty toward a brand, if the promised quality, value and reliability are full field. As identified by Murphy (1991), Branding adds value to the overall product, and from consumer perspective it provides a self confidence. However, Rowley (2004) has argued by stating that brands not only consist of value, and it also acts an information hub. This enables consumers to eradicate the time spent on searching a specific product offering. 2.2 Brand Equity: The goal of the brand leadership paradigm is to create strong brands. Brand equity is defined as the set of associations and behaviour on the part of a brands customers, channel members and parent corporation that permits the brand to earn greater volume or greater margin than it could without the brand (Wood, 2000). Appendix 1 depicts, according to Aaker (1991) major assets of a company can be brought together into five main types: Brand Loyalty, Brand name awareness, Perceived quality, Brand association, and other proprietary brand assets such as copyrights, patents, trademarks. Appendix 2 shows the brand equity chain, where the description provided on the brand leads to the strengthening the brand and this results in creation or building of brand value. Keller (2003; cited in Atilgan et al. 2005) defined Brand equity from a customer based point of view as Customer based brand equity occurs when the consumer has a high level of awareness and familiarity with the brand and holds som e strong, favourable, and unique brand associations in memory. One of the main reasons for a company to brand their product is to attain organisational goals of attracting and creating amongst their consumers by provision of cost efficient products, as it will aid company to acquire higher margin of profit (De Chernatony McDonald, 1998). Strong brands are the core products of the company and in order to gain a recognition and financial reward, it is important to build a successful brand. Appendix I: Aakers theory on Brand Equity Appendix 2: Brand Equity chain Source: Wood (2000) 2.3 Brand Leadership: Leading brands are perceived to be relevant, unique and compelling. They inspire customer loyalty and enable organizations to charge price premiums. They increase bargaining power with business partners, make it easier to hire and retain talented employees and provide organizations with clear strategic directions and platforms for future growth. Together, these lead to well above average financial performance and a market valuation that far exceeds book value. (Aaker, 2000) Leading brands are organizational assets that must be preserved, enhanced and leveraged for the benefit of their organizations. Aaker Joachimsthaler (2000) developed a Brand Leadership model which will enable companies to build strong brands for the future. It comprises of four challenges which an organisation should consider. 2.3.1 Organisational Challenge: Every organisation should structure and process their functions that will lead them to be a strong brand in the market place. A clear organisational hierarchy should be made so that brands are not at the mercy of ad hoc decisions made by those with no long term interest. When a company increases its portfolio, and extends the production line, every manager from a different production line should provide a common set of inputs, outputs and knowledge that will benefit the organisation. The inter-communication will enable the sharing of insight, experience and brand building initiatives. As companies are going international, there lies a trend which companies struggle to confront with, and organisational challenges are raised. With the increasing competition for talent growing amongst business networks, current economic activities rationalise the challenges which are created within the firm. In order to gain competitive advantage, change in organisational strategy is important as respon se to market need is important. 2.3.1.2 Brand Strategy: Strategies are always used to gain sustainable competitive advantage, which could reflect from any part of the organizations operation. The marketplace is the evaluator of this advantage. Brand strategy is the process whereby the offer is placed to evoke the perception of advantage (Arnold, 1992). Almost all the features of Brand Management are driven by the overall brand strategy; otherwise a company might be leading with a confused perception and image of the brand. Strategy gives focus and direction to brand management and provides the platform that enables brand managers to gain consistency in all their brand related activities (Temporal, 2002). According to Reizebos (2003), a brand strategy is based on two parameters: differentiation and added value. Differentiating refers to the practice of trying to establish the difference between a companys own product and that of the competitor. This signifies that the intention of the brand strategy has a competitive character. By targetin g the differentiation strategy, the firm tends to deliver a brand competitive advantage. The other fundamental trait of a brand strategy is added value, which refers to the fact that a brand has more value for consumers than the bare product. In order to create such an added value, the brand must be meaningful for the consumers (Reizebos, 2003). Appendix 3 shows different branding strategy approaches adapted by brands, and their advantages and disadvantages (Drummond Ensor, 2001). 2.3.2 Brand Architecture: Pertomilli et al. (2002) defines brand architecture from a company perspective as a combination of strategies which include managing, organising and operating in to the market with their brands. 2.3.2.1 Branding in FMCG sector: Branding plays a significant role in FMCG sector, as there are myriad of products in the market. Due to presence of high number of products, it acts a powerful instrument in creation of differentiation and higher store presence. Since the competition is intense in this sector, it is highly important for firms to make their brand identifiable from others. Packaging, graphics and promotional activities such as advertisement is used to attract consumers (Ellwood, 2002). Brands operating in this sector are highly cost efficient and production is carried out in masses. A high capital is required to establish production of FMCG brand, as production cost is high; such firms enjoy the benefits of economies of scale. As identified by Moffett et al. (2002), products are not confined within a region or country. With increase in globalisation, brands can be found in any part of the world. Companies need to consider the global implications of marketing and try to gain brand leadership in the mark etplace. For the FMCG sector, advertising plays a pivotal role and is the best channel to communicate with the targeted audience. Moreover, with the advancement of internet and information provided on it, consumers tend to opt to review product information online before purchasing it. With high competition and many brands offering same product quality, it is very difficult to generate brand loyalty in FMCG sector. 2.3.2.3 Benefits of Branding in FMCG sector: A successful brand is one which evokes the consumers by creating and sustaining a strong, positive and lasting impression. (Fill, 1999). For a FMCG company, it is important to create trust towards its brand in minds of consumers. This trust is being built by providing better quality and satisfaction. Once the trust is created, it subjects to the top most choice of the consumers mind set and leads to re-purchasing actions. The approval of customers signifies that branding, from consumer perspective, is a method which reduces the time taken for decision-making and related perceived risk of the product. This shows that the brand name provides information about the quality, price, and attributes of the product without requiring the consumer to undergo the time consuming process (Fill, 1999). 2.3.2.4 Branding in the soft drink sector: With the fierce competition in the soft drink industry, firms are fighting for market share. Companies should reflect upon their branding strategies, as they are of paramount importance. Companies should extend their brands to various market niches in order to meet the needs of the consumers. The scope and opportunity in this market is high, as products can be differentiated by infusing different flavours. It would be appropriate to emphasize that the value which the brand adds to the product is intangible, however, its presence is undeniable and with immense significance. Considering the characteristics of soft drinks, branding is an ideal marketing tool which allows companies to position and differentiate between the offered product and its incremental value. International product portfolio analysis The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) originated an early version of product portfolio analysis. The BCG version classifies a companys products into four categories: stars, cash cows, problem children, and dogs. The classification is based on market share and market growth rate. The optimum product portfolio for one market is different from that of another. Product A, for example, may be a star in country X, and a dog in country Z. Individualizing the use of portfolio techniques for each country will help define different product portfolios for each foreign market. Although portfolio analysis of products for international sale is relatively new, it can assist the company in determining how to allocate resources among different markets. Positioning a new product/brand depends upon the firms ability to describe product attributes that will generate a flow of benefits to buyers and users. The international marketer planner must put these attributes into bundles so that the benefits created match the special needs of each targeted market segment or subculture. Product positioning then is viewed in a multidimensional space, commonly referred to as theperceptual space or product space (Johanson, 1985). In terms of perceptual space, a particular version of a product is graphically represented as a point specified by its attributes. Competitors (local and international) and other products are similarly located. If points representing other products are close to the point representing the new product, then these are products similar to the new prototype. If the prototype is positioned away from its closest competitors in the world markets and its positioning implies positive features, then it is likely to have a significant competitive advantage. This mapping process is appropriate for each foreign country/market segment contemplated. 2.3.3 Brand identity 2.3.3.1 Competitive Analysis: According to Cohen (1988), competitive analysis permits the understanding of differential competitive advantage, as well as the comparative advantages in relation to competitors. Intense competition requires operations to be carried out with maximum efficiency. The key to this is large-scale production to reduce the value of fixed costs per bottle. With increasingly sophisticated vehicles and rising investment costs, the optimum economic scale increases (Rees, 1999). Industry Analysis Using Porters Five Forces According to Besanko (2007), in order to devise and execute successful strategies, a firm must understand the nature of the markets in which they operate and compete. In 1980, Micheal Porter developed five forces to analyse the extent of competition. Understanding the nature and strength of each of the five forces within an industry assists managers in developing the competitive strategy of their organization. (Campbell D., 2002, p.134) The Five Competitive Forces for Irn Bru: A structural analysis of the UK carbonated soft drinks industry examines the impact the various forces have on this industry. Firms operating in the carbonated soft drink market in the UK, face tough competition from the rivals. Every soft drink organization should review its rivals products, analyse any potential new entrants in the market, understand the demand of substitute products, review the consumption pattern and demand amongst the buyers, and identify appropriate suppliers. Porters five force model is used to analyse the magnitude of competition. The intensity of competition within the industry is quite high, with regular advertising wars taking place; on the other hand, sales are increasing and the products are differentiated. There are high barriers to limit entry such as: the high capital required for production and distribution, increasingly advanced and specialised technology, lack of access to distribution, and strong consumer loyalty to recognised brands. A final, but very critical, point to bear in mind is that the forces themselves change over time. Sometimes in a predictable way, other times not. However, it is usually possible for the firms to have some influence over these changes. If no action is taken to counter the forces, it is extremely likely that the forces will grow stronger over time. Each firm needs to consider the actions that it could take to counter the forces, or position itself in such a way as not to face their full impact. For example, merging with a rival not only eliminates a competitor but also reduces the number of competitors in the market as a whole, something that can benefit all rivals by reducing competitive intensity. Threat of Rivalry: In the UKs soft drink industry, Irn Bru faces the greatest competition from its arch rival Coca-Cola and Britvic soft drinks (Appendix, X). Their presence all round the globe shows their potential strength, and demand in the consumer market. As can be seen from the table, Irn Bru has made constant strides in an upward direction by gaining market share. Manufacturers retail value brand shares in carbonates, 2006-08 2006 2007 2008 (est.) % change  £m %  £m %  £m % 2006-08 Coca-Cola GB, of which: 1,296 65 1,302 65 1,334 66 2.9 Coca-Cola 934 47 942 47 968 48 +3.6 Fanta 127 6 124 6 115 6 -9.4 Schweppes 96 5 102 5 111 6 +15.6 Dr Pepper 61 3 61 3 65 3 +6.6 Sprite 57 3 56 3 60 3 +5.3 Lilt 21 1 17 1 15 1 -28.6 Britvic Soft Drinks, of which: 277 14 280 14 305 15 +10.1 Pepsi 215 11 224 11 252 12 +17.2 7-Up 24 1 28 1 30 1 +25.0 Tango 38 2 28 1 23 1 -39.5 AG Barr Irn-Bru 82 4 86 4 91 5 +11.0 Other 96 5 94 5 88 4 -8.3 Own-label 239 12 235 12 200 10 -16.3 Total 1,990 100 1,997 100 2,018 100 +1.4 Source: Mintel, 2009 Loyalty towards brand names is another factor to measure brands performance. Brand loyalty in the soft drink market is another component which Irn Bru has to deal with from its rivals. Coca Cola and Pepsi are well established brand names all around the globe. Due to high brand awareness and product availability, they attain high market share. The presence of Irn Bru in the international market is very limited. Perhaps, due to its authenticity, it is famous in Scotland, and has struggled in other international markets (e.g. Russia, South Africa, Australia, America and Canada). The soft drink industry is mature, with nominal current growth and limited ability of firms to increase revenues at the pace they may have become accustomed to in the past. Of course, new markets, such as in Middle East or Southern Asia, may result in major new growth opportunities. The current makeup of the industry line-up leads to higher levels of competition. On one hand, key rivals offer different products, but similar in size, which increases competition. Differences in companies philosophies, cultures, and histories result in varied strengths and weaknesses, and lead to different strategies in pursuit of competitive advantage; the overall predictability of the industry development decreases and industry volatility increases. Irn Bru has a strong presence in the Scotland, due to the fact that it is the country of origin and a strong culture is associated with it. Threat of new entrant: Entry to the market, on a large scale, is difficult. The risk of new entrant in the soft drink industry is low. The presence of renowned brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and their strong distribution channels in major grocers, public houses, and fast food outlets dominate the industry. Moreover, as the market is saturated, growth tends to be minimised. Such situations prevent new entrants from entering the market, and competing against strong brands. With high fixed cost attached i.e. labour, warehouse, logistics and economies of scale, it is difficult for new entrants to compete with established brands. Market saturation and high fixed costs, the levels of barriers are increased, and henceforth, entering into the UK soft drink market is difficult. Furthermore, because the products are have already acquired the impression of good experience, and reputation matters, very heavy advertising would be a necessity to gain a foothold as a brand producer. Entry as an own label producer might be possible, but it would demand a large scale operation to keep costs down and be as competitive as the existing large own-label producers. Even with the removal of trade barriers and generally greater harmonization within the European Union, major continental firms have appeared to be reluctant to plan a takeover on the UK market. There are at least several strong brands for every consumer segment currently in the carbonated soft drink industry. Consumers do have a choice, and many have developed brand loyalty. It would be difficult for new entrants to sufficiently differentiate their products and to build brand identity and loyalty. Threat of Substitute: There are number of substitute for carbonated soft drinks e.g. mineral water, fruit juice, energy drinks, tea, coffee etc. Water and sport drinks provide more variety that appeals to the consumers who seek the healthier options. However, carbonated soft drinks have gradually been gaining market share at their expense and this trend does not appear set to reverse. In addition, carbonated soft drinks have a particularly strong appeal to the youth market (10-25years), which is where most of the sales can be traced to. Overall, the threat appears relatively weak, especially to the core youth market. Power of suppliers: Soft drink industry suppliers do not hold a strong competitive pressure. There are usually several suppliers to choose from for any of the soft drink components; therefore, the rivalry between suppliers is high, and companies have many options, including manufacturing components themselves, which some of them still do. Again, relatively weak pressure exists, with the exception of sugar producers and plastic suppliers. The work force is not highly organised, nor is it militant. Power of Buyers: The large numbers of consumers willing to purchase a bottle of carbonated soft drink mean that the actions of a single consumer will not have a notable effect on a companys performance. At the same time, however, these consumers face low switching costs and have varied degrees of brand loyalty, which requires companies to spend significant resources on capturing and retaining that individual consumer. Over 65% of sales are sold through multiple grocers. The top five grocery chains account for nearly 70% of all grocery sales and are thus in a strong bargaining position. Some 8% of sales are through fast food restaurants, and 6% sales are through public houses. (Mintel, 2009) The remainder of sales are relatively weak buyers, including off-licences, confectionaries, newsagents and restaurants. Soft drink manufacturing companies distribute the products to these stores so that they can be sold to the consumers. The top grocers buy soft drinks in bulk, as it allows them to purchase goods at a cheaper price. The strongest pressures come from the power of buyers and the fairly intense non-price competition within the industry. Nevertheless, overall the industry seems to be in a fairly healthy position: the leading firms are very profitable and industry growth is expected to be steady around 8% over the period 2007-9. Cola, as a product, appears to be reaching maturity, but other segments offer prospects of development and growth. This plays to an advantage in the hand of Irn Bru, as the product offered is completely contrary to the Colas. At the same time, the firms are actively competing on quality and bringing new products to market, as well as being innovative in terms of reducing costs by investing in new technology and machinery, developing new forms of packaging and offering better distribution services. The danger is that the firms may not be able to sustain the route to growth and instead may seek growth through techniques such as undercutting rivals prices in a market share game. In this situation, profits are likely to deteriorate rapidly if destructive head-to-head price competition becomes the main competitive instrument. 2.3.3.2 The Brand Positioning Concept: According to Kotler (1997), Positioning is the act of designing the companys offering and image so that they occupy a meaningful and distinct competitive position in the target customers minds. The positioning of a brand is not about the quality which products provide, but it is what consumer thinks about the brand. For positioning, it is important how a consumer perceives the product rather than its physical nature. According to King (1991; cited in Fill 1999), advancements in technological fields have allowed products to offer similar functional and physical appearance, where consumers choices and decision will be based on the brand name. Henceforth, positioning origination as a brand will evoke actual and potential customers. According to McCormack (1984, cited in Olsson 2004), positioning is a factor which determines what consumers are actually purchasing while buying any product or service; and subsequently communicating related imitations and inspirations to the buyer. An organ ization should primarily evaluate and identify where they stand in the market spectrum and then position it accordingly. 2.3.3.3 Branding from Consumers Perspective: A brand provides not only a source of information, but also performs certain other functions which justify its attractiveness and its monetary return, when they are valued by buyers. According to (Kapferer, 2008), there are eight main functions (Appendix 4), Identification and practicality are mechanical and concern the essence of the brand i.e. to function as a rec

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This hotel is the embodiment of luxury, convenience and fine living. Training Program for Villa employeesThe Villas require an employee that is versed in excellent service techniques as well as discretion. As this section of the hotel caters to our most exclusive guest, the service m ust mirror their expectations. This is a challenge as these are at times the most demanding of all our guests. There are three groups of employees—floor managers, guest service associates and cleaning personnel. The ongoing training starts with the first day of employment within the division. It is seen as an advantage to work in the Villas because of the high profile of our clientele.Thus most of these employees are promoted from other divisions. They require two weeks of additional training before they are allowed to work with the customers. All require a background check. Training Objectives We employ a program that focuses on consistency, innovative techniques and dedication to upkeep of the reputation of the hotel. (Signature) The first phase is consistency. Each employee must be educated about the hotel’s visions and values. This will inform all their decisions as they need to act in accordance to those expectations. Floor Managers Our first step is to empower th e floor managers.The floor managers should start the day by reviewing their staff’s appearance. Each staff member should be briefed on the guests staying in the Villas and their anticipated needs. The floor manager can do this electronically (as in a daily webpage) or as a face to face meeting. This is the point in the day where the vision of the Bellagio is demonstrated and actualized. It is up to the floor manager to do this accordingly. The floor managers are usually promoted guest service associates. Their two week training session focuses on management techniques and personnel skills.â€Å"Before I can hold my managers accountable for the performance of their staff, I have to make sure they know how to educate their employees. †(Westminster) They are also shown what they are allowed to do. It is the hotel’s goal to solve altercations on that level before they are given to the general management. This is done in an interactive workshop environment and then r einforced with on-line activities and assessments. â€Å"eLearning can effectively deliver the theory behind your service philosophy along with the procedure and policy. † (Duprey) This allows employees to be able to show their advancements both in person and on-line.As well, the online resources provide a point where employees can check their progress and reference prior information. All of the training focuses on hands-on learning and working to resolve real world situations. (Westminster) In particular, floor managers are taken through a series of role-playing activities. The real world aspect of this part of the training is indispensable. Upper management can see exactly how they might solve a problem and assist them in making positive situations. (DeLollis) Once they are trained, they are given the job of training their guest service and cleaning personnel.They are encouraged to share what they learned. They will be taught how to appeal to and train people with many diff erent learning styles and skills. Guest Services and Cleaning Personnel The employees will be assessed in person and on-line. The cleaning personnel will be trained with hand-on modules and will be evaluated based on an on-site observation. They will work in tandem with an experienced cleaner for the first month of their service. Cleanliness is our top priority, so this is a major area of need. Each six months, employees will attend another training session.The purpose of these follow up sessions are to critique their performance, provide them with new information and acknowledge their successes. At this point in their employment, they are offered incentives for retention. Their service is rewarded. For every additional training session they attend or online training they pursue, they will also receive rewards and incentives that lead to promotion and salary increase. Employee Value Each employee, whether manager or cleaner, is valued. Part of the training is to demonstrate this val ue and to show them their importance. This is done through incentives and awards.(Atkinson) We believe the greater the share they have in the overall success of the hotel, the greater effort they will demonstrate. Along with that value, we also seek to challenge the employees. We feel this increases their sense of worth. We challenge them through task achievement, weekly goals, excellence performance levels, and as mentioned additional training incentives. We give the employees space to succeed. â€Å"Today’s workplace can be highly stressful, and the pace is unlikely to slow down. A key challenge is helping people learn in a highly stressful environment.One way that companies can help is by providing learning opportunities that balance challenge and support. † (Atkinson) The bottom line is that we want our employees to feel how important they are to the overall success of the team. We feel that the more training we provide, the more supported they feel. As employees m ake who we are, the Bellagio always provides opportunities for and expects feedback. We seek to create an environment that encourages open discussion and unfettered communication. In that spirit we have weekly meetings where the employees can voice concerns.For more sensitive issues, there is an online journal employees can fill out and floor managers can answer. (Atkinson) We agree with Starwood resorts that although our buildings are beautiful, it is our people that create an unforgettable experience. â€Å"Our guests value the design of our hotels, but what they really remember are the people. Their loyalty was often to a specific employee who had gone out of their way for them. † (DeLollis) Advantages and Disadvantages The employee training program is one with strength but can always be improved. As well, its goal has to be retention otherwise it is extremely expensive and ineffective.The chart divides each section of the training process and assesses its effectiveness. I t also discusses its disadvantages or areas that we can improve. Our hotel is about service people, thus our employee training is about service. Overall our goals are to ensure continuity, offer fresh and interesting training programs and demonstrate the value of our employees. It is absolutely essential that our managers are empowered to make decision. As well, they should be empowered to show their employees appreciation and recognize their growth and development. Working in this section of the hotel is seen as an accomplishment.In order to maintain that mentality, we must focus our training program on what our employees need rather than what we want them to know. Working with the select clientele that the Bellagio attracts requires devotion and knowledge. This can only be developed through a comprehensive training program that consistently communicates value, growth and the image of the hotel. Works Cited Alejandro, C. â€Å"Employee Training, Incentives Boost Conservation Progr ams. † Energy User News 4 October 1982. Atkinson, Tom. â€Å"Helping Hotel Employees Learn—Without Reservation. † Hotel Executive. 2003 Cummins Communications 2 May 2008.Bellagio Las Vegas. 2008. MGM Mirage. 2 May 2008 (www. bellagio. com). De Lollis, Barbara. â€Å"Hotels Train Employees to Think Fast. † USA Today. 2006 USA Today 2 May 2008 (www. usatoday. com). Duprey, Robert. â€Å"Is eLearning On Your Hotel’s Training Menu? † Hotel Online. Hotel Online 2 May 2008 (www. hote-online. com) Hotel and Motel Management. 2008 Questex Media Group. 2 May 2008 (www. hotelmotel. com). â€Å"Lodging Managers. † Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2007 2 May, 2008 (www. bls. gov). Signature World Wide. 2006 Signature Inc. 1 May 2008 (www. signatureworldwide. com). Yahoo Travel. 2008. Yahoo! Inc. 2 May 2008 (travel. yahoo. com).