Lows Gully free essay sample

This case is about British Army adventurous training exercise to Low’s Gully in Borneo, Malaysia. The exercise was intended to build leadership skills and character in 10 volunteer soldiers. The task was to scale down a dangerous and untraversed gully, a 10 mile long chasm that served as drain for rainwater, using abseiling technique and then follow the river out of the jungle. This team was led by two British officers who recruited five soldiers from units in Great Britain and three Chinese soldiers stationed in the British Army’s Hong Kong Military Service Corps. The eight soldiers knew little or nothing about each other. In the face of adversity during the exercise, the participants separated into sub teams despite being individually trained by the army to work well with other soldiers and to follow the ‘golden rule for such expeditions never split up. † (Connaughton 1996). Participants easily could have lost their lives when the planned ten day exercise ended up lasting up to five weeks. We will write a custom essay sample on Lows Gully or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Half of the group members actually accomplished the initial objective and the other half had to be rescued by a helicopter. All of them were in ill health and famished and some badly injured. The catastrophic failure also left them mentally scarred and two of them actually quit the army disillusioned or disgraced. Even though attempting to traverse an uncharted and hostile territory is bound to test any team dynamics, it was the leadership failures of Lt. Col Neil and Major Foster that amplified the adversity that faced the team. There were several misjudgments on the part of these two individuals that eroded the trust between the team members. Neil miscalculated the amount of rope required for abseils and was the major reason why the team split, leaving no avenue to regroup in case of adversity. Secondly, he purchased no walkie talkies in an effort to minimize the budget that resulted in lack of communication between the two split parties. Primary tools of communication such as maps, star charts and radio beacons to broadcast locations were also ignored. Another misjudgment on Neil’s part was to go ahead with the mission in the rainy season despite being warned by locals of the unpredictable weather and increased difficulty of scaling down the gully. Each misjudgment reflected the leader’s overconfidence in his judgment – ‘a cognitive bias’ called in literary circles that distorts managerial decision. Neil admits of being overambitious in his diary while he lay in the cave helpless awaiting rescue. As Mann, one of the soldiers put it, â€Å"these are two officers on their last great hurrah†. As these mistakes became evident on the course of the mission, the soldiers trust grew into mistrust of the leader’s abilities and judgments and finally led to a permanent group fracture. This erosion of trust was however gradual. There was a definite initial trust in the team due to communal common grounds. All the members were from the same organization i. e army and had gone through similar training and ethos. They also placed trust in the leader and his superior rock climbing certification and willing followed his instruction in the beginning. It was at a personal level that common ground failed to establish. The team realized early in the start the lack of benevolence on the leader’s part. When the officers ignored warnings from the locals about the harsh weather conditions, the soldiers felt it as inadequate concern for the well being of the rest of the team. Then integrity based doubts began to emerge when the team found out that the leaders were carrying rucksacks lighter than them. They also felt they had been misinformed about the actual difficulty of the task at the time of recruiting. When the Chinese soldiers were expressed their safety concerns, they were threatened rather than being motivated. Hence the initial communal trust failed to hold due to lack of lack of benevolence and integrity from the leaders. The trust turned transitioned into trust with apprehension but even the soldiers continued to follow the leader’s orders refraining from all out disobedience. The final breakdown in communication and permanent and physical split took place when the adversity of the course was at its peak. The group of 10 was split between the most physically fit and the others. Others included both the leaders. Physically fit were told to scale down the gully first and act as reconnaissance party for the others. After abseiling for several days till they reached a point of no return, Corporal Mayfield reported back to the Neil to make him aware of the situation. Neil did not heed to this warning once again and told the ‘recce’ party to go ahead and wait at the bottom. The ‘recce’ party proceeded hesitantly and waited for them at the bottom severely exhausted. When they ran out of rations they finally proceeded out of the woods leaving the group permanently split. The lack of proper communication was at fault when Neil failed to realize the gravity of the situation. As a leader in place of Col Neil, I would have avoided being overambitious and would have carefully assessed the difficulty of the exercise in great detail. Primarily because I was in charge of the safety of my team members and it was my responsibility to prepare them of the task which lay ahead. I would have paid special consideration to the advice of the locals who knew more about the terrain we are about to tread. The amount of rope needed for abseiling and the suitable weather for the task would have had my extreme focus. There will be no compromise on integrity on my part and would never fake my climbing certification to gain acceptance from the rest of the team. In terms of communication, I would have gathered equipment which let all members keep in touch in times of adversity. Radio beacon, walkie talkies and maps are important tools to avoid communication failure and a potential group split and I would make sure to accompany them. Also in order keep communication two ways with my junior team members I would have made sure Major Foster acted as my conduit to team members of my orders and let me know of any apprehensions my soldiers had. This is crucial to repair trust trepidation at its beginning and avoid it to lead to distrust. The information is easier to trickle down but there should be a mechanism where the information has to trickle up as well. This is the reason, as a leader, it is important to heed to junior team member’s assessment of ground and treat them as eyes and ears. Even though ‘recce’ party was established to do that, Neil never realized the gravity of the situation when abseiling the 1 mile gully. The possibility of a permanent split between the team at the gully would be inacceptable to me. Even though I think it is a wise idea to create subgroups with a team to achieve more efficiency, I have would make sure the subgroups consisted of members with complementary skills instead of similar ones. Separating the most physically fit members with the rest was fatal in the end and that is the reason why they accomplished and the weaker members failed.

Language Issues and Ideologies Essays

Language Issues and Ideologies Essays Language Issues and Ideologies Essay Language Issues and Ideologies Essay ?Language ideology sometimes simply referred simply as linguistic ideology is a conception majorly applied in the field of cross-cultural studies, sociolinguistics and anthropology to typify any form of feelings. These feelings concerns language as applied under social phenomenon. When these language ideologies are explored and recognised, they expose various intersections between speaker’s beliefs on language and cultural and social systems under which these speakers are accustomed to. This is by for instance, showing how such beliefs are rooted and informed in these systems. By so doing, language or linguistic ideologies links both the explicit and the implicit assumptions of individuals regarding the general language or a particular language to their political, economic interest as well as the social experience. To this end, this essay endeavours to explore some of the issues of language in the linguistic literature such as the intersection between language and society, edu cation, politics and socio-economic class as discussed below. Intersection between language and politics Language politics has been defined by Linguistic Society of America (2007) as the way in which linguistic and language differences between different individuals is dealt within a political context. The manifestation of this can be in the form of treatment of language under official capacities and recognition by the government. Examples of this might include language recognition as the official language that make it a mandatory for all government official documents to be published in the generally accepted official language in a nation or region. These might include among other things, government gazette notices, as well as evidence law courts (Lado, 2009). In nations where the official language is more than one such as Belgium, political implications that give advantage to one particular group of speaker often takes place. Additionally, nations having one pa

Why Nike is Successful in Sport Area among International Students in Essay

Why Nike is Successful in Sport Area among International Students in the UK - Essay Example According to the paper the power of the branding   is evident in the level of success that has been attained. In the United States, Nike sells a minimum of 20% of all athletic shoes sold. In addition, there are 18,000 retail stores worldwide located in over 140 nations. In the U.K., Nike holds 13.1% of all athletic shoe sales, with the most competition coming from Adidas at 12.3%. With such a strong position in the market and a powerful brand that has a deep and meaningful mythology within the consumer philosophical framework, the brand in unlikely to lose momentum in the near future without a catastrophic external impact on its image. It is the intent of this study to give a preliminary look at the way in which the brand holds popularity for international students in a U.K. university environment. While it clearly holds popularity with U.K. students, it can be observed that the brand has a specific popularity with international students as well. The draw to the Nike brand is unique in that it is a single, iconic brand that seems to universally attract consumers. In this study the impact that the brand has on the international student consumer will be examined through a quantitative study and discussed through the findings of that study.  Nike shoes were originally designed by Phil Knight and his original sales were sold out of the back of a green Plymouth Valiant, which is now a legendary automobile.  Knight started making and selling athletic shoes in 1964.  

American racism between 1600 and 1975 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American racism between 1600 and 1975 - Essay Example This essay highlights the impact of political, economical and social factors that shaped American racism between the period of 1600 and 1975. Racism in America is mainly because of the color discrimination among people. Though American society is united and there are fewer conflicts among people still the color discrimination persists. During the sixteenth century it was a major problem and people hated each other because of this reason. Racism mainly started in Africa after people were made to work for European colonies forcefully. Slowly slavery spread across the world and the European colonies were set up in America as well. People were offered jobs and they were made to do difficult jobs all day against their wish. Slavery took a very adverse face when people were sold from one owner to another. Men, women and children were made to do different kind of jobs for the rich people in the European colonies (Beisner, 2003). The political structure during the sixteenth century led to the rise in racism in the western society. In American political system the government was involved in the transportation of slaves from America to Europe. Due to involvement of government in slavery, racism had drastic affects on the life of people and society. The political structure let people from different countries to come to America and increase the slavery business. People were sold out at high prices and they were treated in the worst ways possible. There were many death reports about people if they turned their back to the white people. Sixteenth century undoubtedly faced the toughest challenge due to racism. People in America faced the challenge because they did not have any voting rights. The government formed by selection not by election hence there was no choice given to people and they had to accept all the changes without any questions. During this period the black skin people faced the toughest challenge an d they

Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summery - Essay Example meet the demand and supply, the company seems to be running on well – oiled wheels and ceasing to use these contractors would naturally throw the company into jeopardy since they are dependent on them. The changes I would make with regard to managing contractors would be to monitor them more closely. I would still maintain a very pragmatic approach, but at the same time I would introduce a couple of simple rules regarding their dealing with Unions and attitude towards Child Labor. I would initiate the use of a specialist in the field of quality maintenance and this would not only involve the checking of goods but also the maintenance of a conduct register for the staff working for the contractors. I would also open a grievance cell in each of these companies to address the grievances of the workers. With regard to our own plants, I would try to upgrade them to the latest technology to ensure better output. I very strongly feel that a good HRM team could work wonders for the company. I view this as a very important factor because an excellent HRM team could work towards making the company self reliant instead of being dependent on other companies at least for a major part of their demand and supply of goods. A good HRM team could also put an end to some of the breaches of trust faced by many of the companies by supplying them with Strategical ideas that are not only innovative but also effective. I feel honored at being appointed as the Operations Director for this multi-national company and I want to assure you of my unstinted hard-work, commitment, efficiency and my complete support when dealing with the different facets of this esteemed company. I must say that I feel rather confident in accepting this high- level post because of my good educational background and intensive and extensive training that I had gone through. I do have an extensive background of working in this industry as I have prior experience working in Operational Management roles for

The survival of LEGO in changing environment

The survival of LEGO in changing environment This essay aims to provide an insight into LEGOs performance in the UK market and the strategies adopted by LEGO to be acclaimed today as UKs 3rd largest toy seller. Accordingly, a better understanding will be attained from a consumers perspective in the Toys industry. LEGO a brand which was in shambles in late 2006 stepped up to perform tremendously well during recession How did LEGO manage to reach where they are today? In the following chapters, a detailed description will be provided on how LEGO set an example for many global brands to follow in a touch economic situation. 2.0 Company Overview It all started with one mans vision. A man who believed that good play enriches a childs development Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund. He shifted his production from making wooden furniture for local farmers to childrens toys, owing to the great depression in the 1930s. LEGO originated from the Danish words leg and godt, which means play well. (Tidd and Bessant, 2009). defines LEGO as The core product is a rectangular plastic brick, hollow on the inside except for one or more tubes, with rows of studs on the top emblazoned with the tiny LEGO LEGO. (Wiencekk, 1987) LEGO has a very powerful vision statement of Inventing the future of play. This vision indicates that LEGO is finding new ways of developing games and moving from being just a simple block of brick. They are aware of the changing requirements and attitudes of consumers in a globalised sense. As it claims It is not just about products, it is about realising the human possibility. (LEGO Group, 2010) Over the years, the LEGO Group has developed several products under its umbrella extending its products to the digital world as well. LEGO has always known that the Toys and Childrens entertainment industry is a difficult business to sustain oneself in as it is constantly faced with new innovations, technological advancements and market entrants. To face this constantly evolving industry, LEGO has invested much of its understanding their consumers needs and desires. They have studied playing habits, family patters and housing conditions to gain a deeper knowledge of this market. Another differentiating factor is the belief that has been passed on by generations that have embraced LEGO. The belief that LEGO will remain relevant to children of all ages and all generations. The belief to create a world where children have the freedom to build anything that can never be replaced with cyber experiences. (LEGO Group, 2009) By the late 90s, LEGOs sales began decreasing. They were challenged by low cost good enough competitors like Megablok, a Canadian Company. Other reason was their prime target audience were shifting to computer games. LEGO was also operating in a high cost economic environment Denmark- where the supply chains were expensive. Another problem LEGO faced was increasing complex product development with so many product ranges and different permutations and combinations; manufacturing economically became nearly impossible. All these reasons, led to LEGO running into a $ 240 million loss. In order to revive LEGO from this situation, the LEGO family invested $ 178 million and appointed of a new CEO, Jorgen Vig Knudstorp. Under Knudstorps leadership, LEGO saw a successful transition. In order to correct the situation, LEGO improved their supply chain, factory locations and enhanced their overall product development strategy. (Tidd and Bessant, 2009) 2.1 LEGO Financial Overview Since its foundation in 1932, The Danish Company has great achievements added to its name. However, in 2006, rumours had it that toy industry giant Mattel were going to buy LEGO since it had faced huge losses. But restructuring in management and change in strategy helped LEGO pick up their sales in spite of the recession. In August 2008, LEGOs international sales were reportedly up by 20% in comparison to the year before. In the UK alone, 2007 witnessed at 24% rise in sales as compared to 2006. (MINTEL. 2008) The latest report that appeared on November 2010 in The Times London edition states that LEGOs sales have picked up by 50 per cent this Christmas season keeping both parents and children happy.(Vine, 2010) According to the Guardian, in 2009 the total sales at the UK division based primarily in Slough, Berkshire, leapt 35% a performance that took LEGO to a record UK market share of 4.1%, up from 3.2% a year ago. (Wood, 2009) The pre-tax profits rose 68%, which is approximately up by  £171.97 million in the first half of 2010. LEGO posts strong sales (The Times, 2010) LEGOs financial performance during recession was commendable while other Toy industry competitors like Mattel, that reportedly faced a 19% fall in second-quarter sales in spite of housing big brand names like Barbie. (Wood, 2009) 3.0 Consumer Behaviour theories applied to LEGO From the above, it is clear that LEGO has had a successful track record during recession. In this section, a deeper understanding will be attained on how LEGO was immune to the recession by placing their consumers in the heart of their business and understanding their requirements. To achieve this, three theories have been shortlisted they are namely Buying Decision Making Process Attitude Formation and Change Consumer Identity and Reference Groups 3.1 Buying Decision Making Process In order to understand, how LEGO survived through the economic downturn, it is important to interpret the buying behaviour of consumers in the Toys industry. By understanding the dynamics of buying behaviour, successful insights can be drawn to help identify the gap between the consumer and company. In complex decision making process where one is faced with other competitors, there are 6 stages to the decision making process. The 6 stages are namely: 3.1.1 Problem Recognition (awareness of need) Problem Recognition is the difference between the actual state of mind and the desired state of mind (Solomon, 2009). In other words, it is the process of recognising the need or desire to own a particular product. Given below are some reasons why consumers felt the need for LEGO over other products. Need for learning though play Parents being one of the prime target audiences in this industry also play a major role in the buying behavior process. LEGO appeals to this market as it has the element of creative play and parents are assured that it is not a waste of time as compared to watching television or spending time on Facebook. Parents therefore would choose to buy LEGO as they want their children to learn while they play. Something that most other toys or video games have failed to achieve (MINTEL, 2008). Need for retro products during recession Another interesting point to note is how consumers chose retro products during times of crisis due to its established legacy. During recession, parents actually found the need to invest in products that are of high quality and are long lasting in nature as opposed to just purchasing a cheap toy. Gerrick Johnson, toy-industry analyst at BMO Capital Markets made a comment stating that In tough economic times, youll often see retro products come back. Parents spend money on stuff they know works. Rather than going to Disney World or on a trip, you get a $30 LEGO set. (Faris, 2010) Need for up-to date toys and gadgets During a time when their prime target audience were more inclined towards computer games, LEGO constantly kept innovating and updating their offerings to suit the needs of this market that is faced by such rapid growth and evolution. The company steadily launched new products which resulted in three-quarters of its yearly sales. In 2000, the British Association of Toy Retailers along with Fortune magazine voted LEGO as the toy of the century. (Oliver et al., 2007) Recognizing the need to enter the video game market, LEGO created its own software group providing children the opportunity to create their own animation for PC and gaming consoles (R. Duane Ireland, 2009). Therefore people chose LEGO as it had extended its offerings to a medium where most of its consumers lived the virtual world. 3.1.2 Information search When it comes to seeking information on which toys you would prefer your children to play with, there are several factors that play a role. From an internal search perspective, memory and nostalgia could be key determinants whereas word of mouth, friends, relatives etc. could be external search factors that dominate your purchase decision (Soloman, 2009) The market for childrens toys and games is a substantial one -A  £2.1 billion market for childrens toys and games, this is a lucrative industry with several competitors. In such a case, information search becomes even more complex (MINTEL, 2008). What adds on to the complexity is the ranging age groups and diversity in toys from simple board games to more sophisticated toys for older kids up to adulthood. LEGO belongs to the range of Activity Toys which incorporates certain level of creativity and makes playing an enriching experience. Other toys in this range are Meccano and magnetic building kits as well as arts and crafts products (MINTEL, 2008). 3.1.3. Evaluation of Alternatives At this stage, consumers evaluate the alternatives that have been shortlisted after their information search. Rankings, personal preferences, listings, word of mouth to name a few, are determinants while evaluating alternatives. Today LEGO is the fourth-largest toy manufacturer after Mattel, Bandai-Namco, Hasbro and the fifth position held by TOMY-Takara (LEGO Group, 2009). In the case of activity toys like LEGO, consumers would potentially ask these questions. Does the product benefit my child learning ability? Is the product safe and of supreme quality? Mc Donaldss once used LEGO in the USA as a part of one their sales promotion campaign. 37 billion bricks were distributed over four weeks out of which only a dozen complaints were received (Harris and McDonald, 2004). These sorts of cases help a consumer who is looking for top quality decide that he/she wants to purchase LEGO over other toys. 3.1.4 Purchase decision In order to achieve competitive advantage and take the final purchase decision, LEGO pays a lot of attention to their product, packaging, online store etc. In a Danish newspaper Jyllands- Posten, an article was published on the safety of LEGO. Each individual block has a hole to ensure that if a child swallows a brick, the child would not choke as air could still pass though (Harris and McDonald, 2004). Therefore a consumer, who has safety as criteria, would decide to buy LEGO as the makers have taken care of this aspect. 3.1.5 Purchase This decision is based upon the time lapse and product availability. In 2004, LEGO sales began dropping massively. Poor customer service and unavailability of products were additions to their dilemma. During this time, customers were faced with many other alternatives. LEGO could not afford to lose out on customers in the big-box world. LEGO then improved on their supply-chain management and aimed to align its innovation capability. It also started online sales where customised products could be designed and purchased too (Oliver et al., 2007). 3.1.6 Post-Purchase Evaluation: When LEGO was voted as Marketer of the Year in 2009, one of the comments by a user from Dallas commented I have to vote LEGO-for continuing to provide a top-quality product in line with their brand, staying relevant and using new technologies to create new customer experiences in a kids toy market thats moving away from brands with a low-tech heritage. This is a company that inspires others to a higher standard. Who can vote for a company that continues to drive quality down to get to a cheaper price? (Creamer, 2009). These testimonials prove that consumers overall have been happy after purchasing the product. 3.2 Attitude formation and change One of the aspects involved in the psychological factor of the decision making process, is attitudes. These attitudes are either formed on experience or interaction with other people. An attitude of a consumer towards a firm and its products tends to have a great influence in the firms marketing strategy (Soloman, 2009). 3.2.1 Efforts made my LEGO to track attitudes For strategic decision making that is driven by insights, it is essential to track attitudes. It could be tracking changes in different age groups, scenarios about future, identify emerging trends etc (Soloman, 2009). LEGO has realised the importance of tracking changing attitudes and the following findings can be drawn in this regard: Scenarios about future One of the most significant changes that LEGO has taken up this decade is that it has begun listening to its consumers and their changing attitudes. In todays social networking era, it is highly essential to monitor behaviour and attitudes. It was through the efforts made by LEGO on social media, that they realised their fan base was not just limited to children but adults too. Courtesy the AFOLcommunity Adult Fans of LEGO LEGO now has some specialist ambassadors who communicate with them and provide feedback. LEGO also involves these ambassadors in their product development. They began monitoring blogs and got a deeper understanding on culture, desires of both potential and existing consumers and changed their strategy accordingly. It was through this initiative that LEGO decided to make sets based on movies like Star Wars or Indiana Jones and now these deals make up more than half of their sales (Advertising Age, 2009). By doing so LEGO gets inputs from probably the most loyal customer base and thus adress unhappy customers or fill any gaps in the market place. These insights drove their strategy and helped them survive in an atmosphere where the only words heard off were lay-offs and losses. LEGO is one such example of a brand that has benefitted by working in partnership with their consumers and predicting the future (Garfield, 2007). Changes in different age groups LEGO has a very ambitious mission statement of each and every child in the world to own one cubic metre of LEGO bricks. (Harris and McDonald, 2004) Children globally are treated the same by marketers no matter which culture they belong to. However, even if they are treated the same their attitudes may differ due to their upbringing and external environment. Though most of the concept and product development occurs in the Billund headquarters, LEGO has trends watching department in their offices in Munich, Los Angeles and Tokyo. Infact, to ensure that LEGO is an international product that suits ever child needs, the creative team is composed of 120 designers 15 different nationalities (LEGO Group, 2009). 3.2.3 Star Power: Celebrities as Communications Sources The source of the message the celebrity in this case can have a huge impact on the image of a brand and its sales. Messages tend to have a greater effect when there is a relation between the celebrity and product. Human beings tend to pay more attention when they see familiar faces as opposed to ordinary faces, thereby interpreting and processing the information more effectively (Soloman, 2009). People tend to associate characteristics of a persons personality, social status, and gender, to that of the brand. When David Beckham confessed in an interview that if he wasnt a footballer his dream pastime would be building with LEGO blocks, it set the LEGO sales roaring. In just one day of business, the father of three inspired the sales of 5,922- Taj Mahal set (The Sun, 2010). Parents formulate the core buyers of this segment six in ten have bought from five or more of the listed categories of toys or games in the past 12 months (MINTEL, 2008). After all, if a star figure like Beckham has spoken, why wouldnt parents try mantling Taj Mahal together. 3. 3 Consumer Identity and Reference Groups Any individual or group that acts a point of comparison of values, opinions, attitude or behaviour towards a product is a reference group (Soloman, 2009). In case of LEGO, there are several reference groups. LEGO has a combination of logic and creativity that enhances a childs learning and ability to solve problems. Owing to this factor, LEGO has been popularly used as creative play tool in institutions and schools i.e; formal reference groups (LEGO Group, 2009). 3.3.1 Effect of Gender on Consumer Behaviour Gender is a crucial element in consumer behaviour. A boy may perceive different things from a girl. This can be proven with an example of how LEGO researched playing habits amongst boys and. The findings were that girls were more likely to build living areas while boys built cars. LEGO introduced a new version of its product for girls called Paradise which emphasized around socially oriented structures such as homes, pools etc (Soloman, 2009). 3.3.2 Baby Boomers and the role of nostalgia in buying decision making process Baby Boomers are those who are above the age of 29 and have a significant influence on demands for housing, child care etc (Soloman, 2010). LEGO has evolved from a box of bricks that baby boomers grew up to a more diverse product. However, the positive feeling attached with having played with LEGO has passed on through at least three generations. (Oliver et al., 2007) Therefore, one may ask how much role does nostalgia play in triggering what baby boomers and generation X buy as toys for their children? Retro favourites are gaining popularity owing to the fact that they have provided real quality and value over time, and one of the reasons all these new fans have emerged is through nostalgia. According to the (Telegraph, 2010), LEGO has performed well in recession as parents due to nostalgia have shifted to trusted brands. Parents dont intend to buy toys that their children would throw aside in months, instead they would rather invest in toys that children of all generations would go back to. 3.3.3 Children Pester power v/s parent power Pester Power is a term used to define a childs influence over the parent in the buying process (Turner et al, 2006). According to Turner, children can be easily influenced by advertising and marketers use this as a medium to entice children to nag and purchase the product of their desire. The key factors that influences a childs pestering behaviour is the family type, family communication pattern, the person accompanying the child to shopping, intent of going for shopping and advertising. (Venkatesh and Ghai, 2010). According to the report by Mintel, 2008, Although adults are the primary purchasers, kids are the ultimate arbiters of success and failure across much of the market nearly four in ten parents cannot say no to their kids. LEGO partnered with Kelloggs in 2007 to create LEGO brick shaped candy called Fun Snacks. This created hype amongst parents as they had spent valuable amount of their time telling their children not to swallow LEGO bricks. LEGO went on to the extent of advertising in between childrens TV shows, placing the product at the bottom of the shelf spaces in order to make it accessible for children; thereby making children nag for Fun Snacks (Franziska_NDT, 2010) 4.0 Conclusion On the whole, LEGO has adopted the right measures to immune itself to the market, no matter how the economic situation is. Given below are few recommendations and discussions with regards to LEGO. Discussion/ Recommendations: 1. With LEGO factory LEGOs online design portal- is a gateway to 300,000 designers worldwide. By doing so, LEGO can get critical reviews on their products and help improve their offerings (Tidd and Bessant, 2009). LEGO could conduct an annual conference or workshop, whereby all these designers meet up and brain storm with key designers and managers on how to improve LEGO and keep up with changing trends. 2. Christmas accounts for around half of the years sales for LEGO. Keeping this in mind, LEGO should launch their new products or special Christmas edition toys as nearly seven in ten consumers buy toys and games for Christmas. (MINTEL. 2008) And after all, who would refuse the latest Christmas edition of LEGO? 3. An emerging trend is gifting new born toys up from 13% in 2003 to 26% now. Considering this trend, LEGO could launch its own collection of teether toys meant for new born. This could range from a simple brick soft chewy toy to its very own Harry potter collection for newborns. 4. Phone applications seem to be the next big trend that is picking up. LEGO already has its own Star Wars LEGO I phone game version. LEGO must continue entering markets where gaming is a hype. 5. LEGO should push the product more using the scientific connection. According to (Turkle and Smith, 2009) playing with LEGO helps children enhance their problem solving and discovery skills. This makes a child think in a scientific, problem recognition and solving approach that most engineers, scientist and designers use. Turkle claims that the toys that children play with have a great impact on their future careers. Some children may try and create unrealistic structures, while some may follow instructions, some keep their constructed sets as awards while some just break them; different children behave differently with LEGO. However, each role play is good to identify traits about your children and which direction they are progressing towards. 6 Most of LEGO consumers are not price sensitive. They buy LEGO because of the brand and the quality. As a consumer, you can either buy the simple bricks or a special version of LEGO to add it to your collection. Therefore, LEGO can afford to release a premium end version of the toys that are suitable to kids that belong to rich households. 8. LEGO for grey market- Research has shown that playing with LEGO for an hour or two can help old people fight memory loss and problems that occur due to degeneration like dementia and Alzheimers disease. It makes your mind active, while your fingers are still moving. 9. The idea of having Brand Ambassadors who use their network pool to get insights and inputs from consumers is one of LEGOs strongest strategies. LEGO fans discuss, review and suggest new ideas for LEGO on the AFOL community which helps LEGO look into the future and improve their capabilities. LEGO has managed to create a consumer experience that combines technology, mass customization and community to enhance and build relevance for its classic toy offering. (Tidd and Bessant, 2009). Indeed, LEGO has managed to keep up its legacy and set a great example for many international and global companies.

Native American Women :: American America History

Native American Women On few subjects has there been such continual misconception as on the position of women among Indians. Because she was active, always busy in the camp, often carried heavy burdens, attended to the household duties, made the clothing and the home, and prepared the family food, the woman has been depicted as the slave of her husband, a patient beast of encumbrance whose labors were never done. The man, on the other hand, was said to be an loaf, who all day long sat in the shade of the lodge and smoked his pipe, while his overworked wives attended to his comfort. In actuality, the woman was the man's partner, who preformed her share of the obligations of life and who employed an influence quite as important as his, and often more powerful. Native Americans established primary relationships either through a clan system, descent from a common ancestor, or through a friendship system, much like tribal societies in other parts of the world. In the Choctaw nation, " Moieties were subdivided into several nontotemic, exogamous, matrilineal 'kindred' clans, called iksa." (Faiman-Silva, 1997, p.8) The Cheyenne tirbe also traced their ancestry through the woman's lineage. Moore (1996, p. 154) shows this when he says "Such marriages, where the groomcomes to live in the bride's band, are called 'matrilocal'." Leacock (1971, p. 21) reveals that "...prevailing opinion is that hunting societies would be patrilocal.... Matrilineality, it is assumed, followed the emergence of agriculture...." Leacock (p. 21) then stated that she had found the Montagnais-Naskapi, a hunting society, had been matrilocal until Europeans stepped in. "The Tanoan Pueblos kinship system is bilateral. The household either is of the nuclear type or is extended t o include relatives of one or both parents...." (Dozier, 1971, p. 237) The statuses and roles for men and women varied considerably among Native Americans, depending on each tribe's cultural orientations. In matrilineal and matrilocal societies, women had considerable power because property, housing, land, and tools, belonged to them. Because property usually passed from mother to daughter, and the husband joined his wife's family, he was more of a stranger and yielded authority to his wife's eldest brother. As a result, the husband was unlikely to become an authoritative, domineering figure. Moreover, among such peoples as the Cherokee, Iroquois, and Pueblo, a disgruntled wife, secure in her possessions, could simply divorce her husband by tossing his belongings out of their residence.

Focus Point Holdings Berhad Essay

FOCUS POINT HOLDINGS BERHAD Introduction This case analyzes the effect of Focus Point Holdings Berhad financial strategy on the firm’s operating activities and financial performance. Focus Point Holdings Berhad is an investment holding company that engages in the operation of professional eye care centers in Malaysia. The company is also involved in the trading of eyewear and eye care products; management of franchised professional eye care centers; provision of medical eye care services; provision of food and beverages services; trading of hearing aid solutions and related accessories; and retail of optical and related products. It operates 175 professional eye care centers under the Focus Point, Focus Point Optical City, Opulence, eyefont, ExcelView, Solariz, and Focus Point Signature brand names, each serving a different market segment. This Malaysian home grown optical store was established in 1989 as Focus Vision Care Center. In 1993, it became a private limited company and in 2010, a public entity. Financial Strategy  With the understanding that the fundamental success of a strategy depends on a realistic internal view of its core competencies and sustainable competitive advantages, the company translated its vision and mission statements to pursue its economic objectives. Vision: To become a leading brand in Asia through our focus approach in vision care Mission: To provide consumers with the best vision care and eyewear services as well as to uphold the highest standards in reliability, quality and profesionalism The company arrived at two major decisions, that is, to go public and to franchise the store. 1 Going Public The company’s decision to go for listing on August 23, 2010 is a financial strategy that raised RM16.07 million of which 8.94 million was channeled into expansion plans and upgrading and refurbishment of the existing eyecare centers. The company pursued the market penetration growth strategy, aimed at increasing market share for existing products or services in existing markets. The focus of growth was on expansion of new outlets, upgrading and refurbishment of existing outlets and expansion of branded eyewear products. Franchising  Franchising enabled the company to improve on its economies of scale due to its size, brand name and experience. At the same time, it provided the company with the key advantage of incremental income with minimal capital expenditure in the setting up of new outlets. Revenue contributed by the franchising model mainly comprises of sales of eyewear and eye care products to their franchises and royalty fees which are based on 5% of gross turnover of the respective franchisee’s outlets, and franchise fees payable by franchisees which amount to RM30,000 for a period of 5 years. The franchise agreements signed between the group and their franchisees are valid for a period of 5 years, with an option to renew for another five years with the same franchise fees of RM30,000 payable over the extended 5 year period. To enhance the success of this strategy, a Memorandum of Collaboration was signed between the company’s management and Permodalan Nasional Berhad to facilitate financing for Bumiputera franchisees. The company also collaborated with Maybank on a similar loan scheme for non-Bumiputera franchisees. 2 Internationalization In the same year as its initial public offering, Focus Point Holdings Berhad began to pursue its overseas expansion by opening its first franchise overseas outlet in Brunei. The company’s internationalization effort accelerated the openings of franchises in other south-east asian countries such as Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. The first-mover advantage gave the company the edge, especially in highly-populated countries like Vietnam and Cambodia where consumer spending power was increasing in tandem with their growing economies. On the other hand, Singapore’s economy provided an opportunity for the company to venture into high-end market for professional eye-care services. Effect Of Strategy On Operating Activities By going public, the company was able to collaborate with and convince financial institutions and agencies to provide franchising loans to interested franchisees. Access to financing and the strong presence in the nation resulted in an increase in the number of outlets from the pre IPO total of 130 outlets to 136 outlets in 2011. In 2012, the group has 170 outlets in of which 85 are wholly owned outlets and 85 are franchised outlets. The company cordial relationship with local and international principals and the close working relationship with departmental stores had also allowed the group to secure good premises and maintain Focus Point’s leading position in the market. The overseas franchise business is growing with Brunei alone operating 6 franchised outlets. The money raised from IPO that is used for expansion plan and upgrading outlets has helped in efforts to foster greater customer relations. This is vital for long term business sustainability as data indicated an increasing target population. With the median age of the population increasing, it is expected that the number of population with eye disorder will also 3 increase. The global vision care market is expected to grow by 4.4% over the period of 2010 – 2017. Effect Of Strategy On Financial Performance The IPO exercise, financing facilities for franchisees and internationalization have contributed to a higher revenue and better overall financial performance as shown: 4 PBT – Profit before tax PAT – Profit after tax The above financial highlights showed that the financial performance of Focus Point Holdings Berhad is stronger after going public and taking on aggresive marketing activities to generate increased business volumes. However, the group’s venture into the food & beverage (F&B) segment in the last quarter of 2012 has affected the group’s profit, earnings and 5 dividends per share. The investment in the fast growing F&B segment is expected to enhance the group’s revenue stream and profitability in a longer term. Company’s Performance Versus Industry  The overall level of competition among operators in the professional eye care industry in Malaysia is high as there are many players competing in the industry. As in many retail businesses, there is a low barrier to entry into the operation of professional eye care centres. However, there is lack of industry peers to benchmark as there are no other competitors that are directly comparable to Focus Point Holdings Berhad. Many of the competitors are smaller outlets, independently owned and run by the owners. The nearest competitor locally is England Optical Group with similar growth strategy – store expansion, franchising and internationalization. England Optical Group operates 131 outlets, 120 in Malaysia, 10 in China and 1 in Cambodia. With reportedly 10% market share of the local optical industry, Focus Point Holdings Berhad is currently the market leader in the industry. Market share among competitors are widely dispersed with each holding a smaller percentage of the market. Conclusion A financial strategy analysis helps department heads review external and internal elements affecting a company and how such elements impact short-term and long-term activities. There are never any guarantees for business success, but creating financial strategies gives any business direction and guidance. For Focus Point Holdings Berhad, to ensure sustainability, the group increased the source of income to include food and beverage, in addition to income from eyewear and eye care and franchising. Overall the company is on the  6  right track, focusing on innovation and product development, market expansion especially in untapped regional markets and maintaining a good public image. 7 References Bender, R. , & Ward, K. (2003). Corporate financial strategy (2nd ed.). |Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann Focus Point Annual Report 2010 Focus Point Annual Report 2011 Focus Point Annual Report 2012 Irene, Y. (2010). Focus point targets local and overseas market expansion after listing, Kuala Lumpur: The Star.com.my Lee, A. (2010). Focus point braces for future challenges. Kuala Lumpur: The Star.com.my Lee, KS. (2010). Focus point plans forays into South-East Asia. Kuala Lumpur: The Star.co.my News: Focus Point to expand via franchising. (2003). Retrieved from Malaysian Franchise Association: http://www.mfa.org.my/?franchise-news:focus-point-to-expand-viafranchising:2C00C881V1

Free Essays on Shelly’s Relationship To Nature

â€Å"everlasting†, â€Å"forever†, and â€Å"vast† to describe things that have life. Shelly starts with the â€Å"everlasting universe† (1) as he’s looking at nature and nature becomes a symbol for the universe. There is a feeling of eternity sensed when he compares human thoughts to the sounds of water â€Å"The source of human thought its tribute brings/ Of waters,- with a sound but half its own.† (5-6). The feeling of infinity continues when he says, â€Å"Such a feeble brook will oft assume† (7). In this line Shelly refers to a â€Å"feeble brook†, that is a human perception that one gets caught up in the huger, turbulent nature, that of the universe. The world becomes too infinite, and there’s a feeling of insignificance that overcomes the human mind and soul. In the second stanza, Shelly continues to experience these uncommon feelings with nature as he’s in a trance. The trance Shelly’s in, remotes a feeling of wonder, eternity and death when he says, â€Å"With the clear universe of things around;/ One legion of wild thoughts, whose wandering wings/ Now float above thy darkness, and now rest/Where that or thou art no unbidden guest,† (40-43). There’s a sense of eternity when he mentions the â€Å"universe of things around [us]†, a feeling that we live in a l... Free Essays on Shelly’s Relationship To Nature Free Essays on Shelly’s Relationship To Nature Shelly’s Relationship to Nature In â€Å"Mont Blanc† by Percy Byssche Shelly, the speaker provides an insight into the uncommon feelings that posses him as e observes the natural world. He writes about these uncommon feelings and how they bond him to nature through his place in the natural world, and the place of nature itself in him and in the world. Finally, Shelly ends the poem with what he learns from nature and his mind as a result. In Stanza 1, Shelly interprets nature in his perspective. He begins the poem by describing the feelings that possess him when he hears the waters of nature. There’s a sense of infinity that overcomes the mind when he uses the words â€Å"everlasting†, â€Å"forever†, and â€Å"vast† to describe things that have life. Shelly starts with the â€Å"everlasting universe† (1) as he’s looking at nature and nature becomes a symbol for the universe. There is a feeling of eternity sensed when he compares human thoughts to the sounds of water â€Å"The source of human thought its tribute brings/ Of waters,- with a sound but half its own.† (5-6). The feeling of infinity continues when he says, â€Å"Such a feeble brook will oft assume† (7). In this line Shelly refers to a â€Å"feeble brook†, that is a human perception that one gets caught up in the huger, turbulent nature, that of the universe. The world becomes too infinite, and there’s a feeling of insignificance that overcomes the human mind and soul. In the second stanza, Shelly continues to experience these uncommon feelings with nature as he’s in a trance. The trance Shelly’s in, remotes a feeling of wonder, eternity and death when he says, â€Å"With the clear universe of things around;/ One legion of wild thoughts, whose wandering wings/ Now float above thy darkness, and now rest/Where that or thou art no unbidden guest,† (40-43). There’s a sense of eternity when he mentions the â€Å"universe of things around [us]†, a feeling that we live in a l...

Character Portrait Scout Essays

Character Portrait Scout Essays Character Portrait Scout Essay Character Portrait Scout Essay Character Portrait Scout Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, is one of the main characters in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, this story is seen through her perspective. Scout is an innocent, ignorant, young girl who lives with her father, Tactics and brother Gem in Alabama, Macomb County. Scout is quite special amongst her town; from her personal qualities; tomboyish behavior due to the parenting style of Tactics, and her social position from her being the daughter of a respected lawyer and that her familys living standards are better off than many in the town. Scout is an intelligent girl who as learnt to read and write before she even started going to school, she was protected from hypocrisy and social pressure due to the nurturing of her father. Due to her innocence and ignorance to the racism and hatred in her community to black people, her first contact to racial prejudice was confronting and led her to question her understanding of her own conscience, learning that human has capacity to hold evil, but an even greater capacity for good and when Judging others with sympathy and understanding evil mitigates. Scout is an innocent five year old girl who is shielded from the malicious world. Through the nurturing of Tactics Finch, Scout has her mind, conscience and individuality molded without the influence of hypocrisy and racism in their community. Living in a racially prejudice society, Macomb, where black people are considered worthless and dangerous, Attics protection and teachings has provided minimal exposure to the evils of the world. Scouts first interaction with the evils of their world in the form of racism causes her to grow and understand more about the moral nature of humans. In the first 11 chapters of the novel (Part One), the Finch family lives an ordinary life where they lives happily as a family. This is shown through the play times between Scout, Gem and Dill and the holiday with the Finch family has to their cousins house. However, there are still notions of racism and prejudice even due to school and the rumors in the neighborhood, like the prejudice play the children made up about Boo Raddled the man that they feared most. But it was when Tactics chose to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white women, which disrupted the happy innocent world of the Finch family. The townspeople were enraged that Tactics would willing help a black man, and they didnt restrain these feeling to Just Tactics but to Gem and Scout too. Inform fathers no better than the naggers and trash he works for! (Chapter 11, peg. 113). This quote is said by Mrs.. Dubos to Gem and Scout, this curse is an example of the attacks that Scout received during that time which caused her to fight with other kids at school because of their comments about her father. Because of Scouts tomboyish behavior she isnt afraid of fighting even boys, leading to Tactics forbidding her to fight other people because of their comments about him. Through the gradual understandings of Attics lessons of moral conscience and sympathy, Scout builds the ability to view the world from others perspective and sympathize them. There wasnt much else left for us to learn, except possibly algebra (Chapter she has learnt and she acknowledges that she has learnt something. Ignorance and prejudice can develop to sympathy. The Judgment of Boo Raddled by Scout has been prejudiced by the rumors in her neighborhood, causing her to image him as being a mysterious monster. Scout is an intelligent girl who learnt to read before she started school, however, she is ignorant to the racism that exists in her community. Scout has faith in the goodness of her community, but, it is tested with the hatred and prejudice progresses with the trial of Tom Robinson. Even with the whole community acting out prejudice, Scout herself has her own prejudice ethics, her fear of Boo Raddled. Her fear of Boo Raddled combined with the horrible rumors about him causes Scout to image Boo as a dangerous monster who hides in his house only to creep around the streets peeking into others houses. This fear caused Scout, Gem and Dill to make a play about Boo Raddled, parodying him based on prejudice and rumors. Thanks to Attics wisdom, Scout learns that humanity has a great aptitude for evil, but it also has a great aptitude for good, and that evil can be mitigated when she approaches others with sympathy and compassion. Scouts develops into a person capable of understanding this outlook indicates that, whatever evil she encounters, she has the ability to retain her conscience and appreciate the good qualities in people while accepting the bad qualities. One the important lessons that Tactics wanted Gem and Scout to remember was sympathies and empathic others. Mimi never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Chapter 31, peg. 308). Attics teaching of standing in the shoes of others and walking around in them is telling his children to look at someone from their perspective. Understanding what it is like to be that person and to feel and experience what their frame of mind would be, while retaining your moral conscience without becoming cynical. At the beginn ing of the novel Scout struggles to apply Attics lessons into her life, but she demonstrates her development through the many incidents she has endured, she succeeds to comprehend in Boo Raddled perspective. l turned to go home. Street lights winked down the street all the way to town. I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. There were Miss Medias, Miss Stephanie there was our house. I could see the porch swing Miss Earaches house was beyond us, visible, I could even see Mrs.. Doubles. (Chapter 31, peg. 307) The quote above, proves that Scout has finally put Attics lessons into practice, to live with sympathy and understanding towards others. Through this act, Scouts perception on Boo Raddled changed completely, she sees Boo Raddled as a human being and realizes that Boo sees whatever she sees. Her newfound ability to observe the world from different perspectives has ensured that she will not be Jaded.

Technological Innovation Systems and National Performance Essay

Technological Innovation Systems and National Performance - Essay Example This research tells that different country to show varied attention to the integration of technology within their development framework. However, contemporary research shows that there exists a direct relationship between the development of a country and the level of attention that it awards to it innovation system. Evidently, technology influences the efficiency of a country's productive activities, which in turn influences the development of a country. However, critics point out that investment in technological systems is a great expense for countries and this amount can be used for direct development. The argument is that countries that over-invest in the technology end up exhausting valuable resources that would have been used in other areas of development. From a critical point of view, innovation in technology is an expense for a country in the short-term but has many benefits in the long-term. A comparison of countries such as UK, US Germany, and Japan points out technological innovations systems has great value for any country. In this light, a difference in technology innovation systems leads to the difference in long-term performance in the world. The concept of technological innovation within countries is a topic that has generated a lot of attention in the current century. As global research bodies such as the OECD investigate the cause for global economic difference within countries, technology innovation has become a central point of focus. Innovations refer to the ability of a country to integrate technology within its infrastructure in an approach to streamline its economic operations. Evidently, different countries have shown the different level of commitment to technological development. Notably, theorists point out that the development of an economy can be measured by the amount of technology that a country has adopted within its operations. The concept of technology is historical but gained roots in the 20th century after the 1930s global re cession. At this time, countries awakened to the reality of the worst economic depression and there was pressure for countries to emerge from this crisis. At the same time, technology became a well-defined concept as different countries discovered the need to use technology to streamline their development plans.

Juvenile Justice Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Juvenile Justice Laws - Essay Example "Juvenile justice workers fulfill a dual role: a public safety and accountability role, which involves the management of youths' behavior, and a rehabilitation and youth development role, which involves mentoring and coaching youths in pro-social skill development. This duality is a source of frustration as well as opportunity among the juvenile justice workers." (Howe, Clawson, and Larivee, 2007, p 35). Therefore, an effective juvenile justice worker has great scope for assisting the society through the management of the behavior of the youths as well as helping the rehabilitation and youth development through mentoring and coaching youths in developing various pro-social skills. In other words, for juvenile justice workers to work within the field of juvenile justice means a way to contribute to the development of the society as well as the correction and rehabilitation of the youth. One of the fundamental duties of the juvenile justice workers is make sure that the young offenders follow all the strict rules and laws that apply within this field and the effectiveness of a juvenile justice worker depends on how competently he carries out this duty. It is essential to comprehend that juvenile justice falls into the area of corrections and human services work which offer these workers the opportunity of helping the society and the youth. In ensuring the strict obser