Pygmalion: the Play and Higgins Essay

Pygmalion is a primarily Shavian reworking of Ovid’s Metamorphoses with undertones of Cinderella. Romance and satire dominate both the play’s plot as well as style. Shaw takes a strong central situation–the transformation of a common flower girl into a lady–and surrounds it with superficial trimmings. There is technical innovation in the plot structure since Shaw, under the influence of Ibsen, replaces the stock Victorian formula of exposition, situation and unraveling with exposition, situation and discussion. The plot thus has three distinct stages of development. In the first stage Professor Henry Higgins, who is an expert in phonetics, transforms a common flower girl into an artificial replica of a lady by teaching her how to speak correctly. Prior to this Eliza’s life has been miserable. As a poor flower girl she coaxes money out of prospective customers and is thrilled when she suddenly receives a handful of coins that Higgins throws into her basket. She lacks the capacity to express her feelings articulately and an indiscriminate sound of vowels â€Å"Ah – ah – ow – ow – oo† serves to connote a multitude of emotions ranging from pain, wonder, and fear to delight. However she is not entirely depraved and is at least self-reliant enough to earn her own livelihood by selling flowers. In Act Two Eliza arrives at Higgins’ laboratory at Wimpole Street and haughtily demands that Higgins teach her to speak correctly so that she can become a lady in a flower shop. This desire for financial security and social respectability constitutes a step forward in her larger quest for self- realization. For Higgins Eliza is simply a phonetic experiment, a view that dehumanizes her and results in the creation of an artificial automaton-like replica of a lady. In the second stage of the play the audience encounters an Eliza who has become an artificial duchess. She is no longer a flower girl but is not quite a lady. During Mrs. Higgins’ at-home she proceeds to deliver Lisson Grove gossip with an upper class accent. She is nothing more than a live doll and there is an element of crudity in her parrot-like conversation. The mask of gentility that she wears only partially hides her low class background. Shaw demonstrates here that having fine clothes and the right accent are not enough to make a lady. The fact that the Eynsford-Hills fail to see through her facade implies that they too do not possess true gentility. By the time that Eliza returns after her triumphant society appearance at the Ambassador’s ball, she no longer exhibits this element of crudity. She has benefited from Higgins’s lessons in achieving social poise and has acquired the ability to articulate her thoughts and feelings. She has begun to think for herself and is capable of manipulating any situation to her advantage. The play enters into the third phase of development in Act Four. Eliza now encounters the great moment of truth and reality of her situation. Her education has created in her an intense dissatisfaction with the old way of life and she is not exactly pleased about the avenues open to her as a lady. She realizes that her social acquisitions do not enable her to fulfill her aspirations or even earn a living. She becomes aware of the wide disparity between her desires and the inadequacy of the means for fulfilling them. She repudiates Higgins’ suggestion that she could marry a wealthy husband and wryly comments that earlier â€Å"I sold flowers, I didn’t sell myself† while now that she has been made a lady she isn’t fit to sell anything. She has thrown away her mask and reveals a newfound maturity. She throws Higgins’ slippers at him and thereby breaks free from a life of subjugation and dependence. Critics feel that at this point the play enters into a period of calm and the main impetus of the action dissipates. Eliza’s society appearance has been a tremendous success and after the climatic encounter between Higgins and Eliza in Act Four the dramatic tension disappears. Eliza runs away to Mrs. Higgins and the only issue left is the resolution of her relationship with Higgins. The readers have to agree that the main impetus of the action has disappeared since all the preceding acts had been gearing up for the crucial moment of Eliza’s test. Now Alfred Doolittle’s strategic second appearance performs a resuscitating act for the play in its dying stage. Doolittle’s transformation from a dustman to a gentleman also provides an ironic comment on Eliza’s metamorphosis. After this brief spirit of energy the action returns to the issue at hand – the relationship between Eliza and Higgins. Eliza has developed into a self-sufficient woman and has become a perfect match for Higgins. She has garnered the requisite strength of character and maturity of thought to face life courageously. Gentility has become an integral aspect of her personality. No longer afraid of Higgins, she treats him as an equal. She negates his role in her transformation and insists that it was the Colonel’s generosity and courteous behavior, which truly made her a lady. She rejects Higgins’ proposal that he, she and Pickering live together like old bachelor friends and astounds him by announcing that she will marry Freddy instead and support him by offering herself as an assistant to Nepommuck. Higgins, although hurt at Eliza’s suggestion of assisting the detestable Nepommuck, is nevertheless happy that Eliza is no longer a whining helpless creature but a tower of strength and a woman at last. The play concludes on an uncertain note and the readers do not know whether she might indeed marry Higgins. This reflects Shaw’s inherent distaste for finality. In the majority of his plays the issues and conflicts they deal with are never quite resolved and the audience is left wondering about what will happen after the curtain falls. However Shaw realizing the importance of an ending does provide a resolution in the epilogue. The dramalies neither in the conflict, nor in the discussion or the exposition. The conflict itself arises over the issue of the resolution of the problem. Unless there is a resolution, there is no drama, for the action remains incomplete. Action always has to be completed either comically or tragically. Hence in the epilogue, Shaw resolves the issue by making Eliza marry Freddy Hill. It was typical of Shaw to have provided such an anti-romantic conclusion to the play. Many commentators accuse Shaw of deliberately twisting the natural end of Pygmalion merely to make the play unromantic. But critics would do well to remember that the actual point of ending is not the issue of Eliza’s marriage but her achievement of liberty. While throughout the play Higgins boasts of having transformed a common flower girl into a duchess, after Eliza’s climactic assertion of independence from his domination he remarks, â€Å"I said I’d make a woman of you; and I have. † In this perspective the original ambiguous ending seems preferable to the neat resolution given in the epilogue.

Blair Witch Project

â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† After the release and authentic content in the â€Å"Blair Witch Project† it has become a major addition to the horror film collection and has brought unwanted public attention to the small town in Maryland (Burkittsville). This movie was not only a success in theatres, there was also much gained economically and promotionally due to the fame of â€Å"The Blair Witch Project. † While it is obivious that this film has become a popular horror film due to it’s darks theme, what is the story behind the film? How does â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† affect the Burkittsville towns people and the image of the town?And how does it relate to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. While all of the questions are important to answer, it would be beneficial to talk about this documentary turned film, as if it was just a form of motion pictures. This film was made by two directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. â€Å"The Blair W itch Project† is a spooky film made up of suspenseful film footage found years after the death of the three students featured in the movie. â€Å"Montgomery College students Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams arrive in Burkittsville to interview locals about the legend of the Blair Witch for a class project.Heather interviews Mary Brown an old and quite insane woman who has lived in the area all her life. Mary claims to have seen the Blair Witch one day near Tappy Creek in the form of a hairy, half-human, half-animal beast. † Montgomery College students Heather Donohue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard take a trip to the town of Burkittsville, MD to capture some interesting footage on a lady accussed of using witch craft. As a female, Heather Donohue is the leader of the three who is driven and becomes the heart and soul of this project.Heather is the only member out of the group who is willing to continuously to film after they hear spooky noises and notice cries outside. Though she is eager to capture as much film as possible, it is evident both Michael and Joshua become annoyed with Heather. The plot of this film climaxes once Jousha wonders off and comes up missing. This part the movie also sets the tone for the following events, the death of both, Michael and Heather. Since â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is considered a horror film, one would expect to see witches, monsters, killer and even ghost but this movie includes none of these scarey figures.This film simply captures the fears that three people gain while being stranded in the woods. Most of all this film shows the attempt of three people trying to capture images about a witch and turn into an interesting documentary. Before Heather, Michael and Joshua decided to go out and film a documentary, they heard about the stories of Elly Keward (Blair Witch). In 1785, Elly Keward was accused of convincing kids to come to her home to draw blood and later found guilt y of witchcraft. â€Å"Several children accuse Elly Keward of luring them into her home to draw blood from them.Kedward is found guilty of witchcraft, banished from the village during a particularly harsh winter and presumed dead. By midwinter all of Kedward's accusers along with half of the town's children vanish. Fearing a curse, the townspeople flee Blair and vow never to utter Elly Kedward's name again. † In 1809, The Blair Witch Cult book was published, which is considered a fiction genre that tells a story of a town cursed by a loner witch. It is not until 1824 that Burkittsville is found on the Blair website. â€Å"Starting with Emily Hollands, a total of seven children are abducted from the area surrounding Burkittsville, Maryland.An old hermit named Rustin Parr walks into a local market and tells the people there that he is â€Å"finally finished. † After Police hike for four hours to his secluded house in the woods, they find the bodies of seven missing chil dren in the cellar. Each child has been ritualistically murdered and disemboweled. Parr admits to everything in detail, telling authorities that he did it for â€Å"an old woman ghost† who occupied the woods near his house. He is quickly convicted and hanged. † â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† has so many different themes that all can be summed up as dark.This film was made to be informative about the death of the three students, but was also created to be a scary, horrorful and spooky film. Although there are speculations about this film being false or fake, the scenes and frightful events within this film definitely persuade you to believe that its no fiction film. With the collection of dark shots and the noises included in the film it is easy for one to become scared and horrified while watching this film. The scariest thing about this film is that it takes place in an existing town, Burkittsville, MD.The discovery of Burkittsville, MD on the Blair website and the death of townspeople, brought a new perspective for the small town in Maryland. This connection with Blair gives Burkittsville a spooky and creepy image, which relates to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. Although â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is a movie and House of leaves is a book they both give off an scary or eerie feeling. While both stories are formed due to an experiment, they both are formed into horror stories. Many people see the connection between the two, especially write Nicholas Rombes, who writes an article comparing the horror film and genre. In many ways, the Blair Witch Project and House of Leaves are flip sides of the same coin, experimental works in the guise of horror stories. If it weren’t for the fact that they were from the lowly horror genre, they might have been nominated for Big Prizes like an Oscar or a National Book Award. † (Nicholas Rombes) The reputation that this town has gained due to Blair, is what led Heather, Michael and Joshua to Burkittsville, MD on October 20, 1994 and what might have been the reason they never returned.While these spectacles about â€Å"The Blair Witch† being true or false still linger, the mysterious deaths of the three students still affect the towns people of Burkittsville. â€Å"If they vote to keep the signs, it won't be because they love â€Å"Blair Witch† lore; they hate â€Å"Blair Witch† lore. It will be because Burkittsville, which looks almost exactly the way it did in the Civil War, never throws anything away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Town leaders think Burkittsville could make $3,000. That's small compensation for all the trouble caused by a film that grossed $249 million. But it could pay to fix some broken sidewalks. † (By Faye Fiore, Los Angeles Times)Overall â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is a scary film that displays the experiment of three college students on a mission to findout more about the â€Å"Blair Witch. † Wh ile this movie tells the story of a long lost women who practices witchcraft and kills people, it also gives of a sick and scary vibe. This films theme and structure is what makes it compatible to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. This film has not only brought back the store of â€Å"Blair Witch,† it has also been added to the horror film collection. After watching this film, one should be terrified to visit the woods and graveyards of Burkittsville, Md.

Causes And Effects Of Brain Drain In Economics

Causes And Effects Of Brain Drain In Economics Introduction: According to a definition, ‘Brain Drain’, academically also known as the â€Å"human capital flight† is the large scale migration of highly educated, skilled and talented people of less economically advanced countries to highly rich and developed countries of the world due to conflicted issues, political instability and lack of opportunities in the developing countries. Globally, relocation of intellectuals is as old as mankind. This terminology of Brain Drain originated in 1960, when most of the intellectuals like scientists and engineers who were the real assets or the future of any country, emigrated from United Kingdom to America. The unsolved issue of Brain Drain is happening all over the world for the sake of better working conditions including, the island nations of the Caribbean, the anterior colonies of Africa and mostly in federal economies like the Soviet Union previous Eastern Germany, where aptitudes were not monetarily salaried. This p henomena was not as severe till 1960’s but with the huge capacity lopsidedly migrate to West Germany and North America from less developed regions. Substantial exoduses of skilled people were apparent at altered epochs of the economic growth of the countries of Europe and North America. However, with the progress in science and technological fields, only the intellectuals and highly qualified brains was of extraordinary mandate in highly developed countries. With the deficit in the core stream, the developed countries had to be dependent on the LDC’s. Professionals migrated from developing countries to three Developing countries (USA, Canada and United Kingdom) in 1960’s and by 1970’s, the figure had mounted. If one were to investigate statistics of all Developed Countries, the records would be alarming. This drift has continued in Africa and loss of huge qualified manpower is happen immigrations to Europe and North America annually. The questions that is arise in the social, political, economic, academic and probably in every sector of developing world. According to question the phenomena happened there are countless questions, but I want to explain the main attractions towards the developed world and why do talented and outstanding brains leave their countries? What are the costs of such migrations paid by developing countries? What policies can be implemented to stem such movements from LDCs to DCs? The goal of this paper is to highlight the unsolved, conflicted issue of Brain Drain and the Scientific Diaspora and the cause and effect relationship in the global knowledge based societies and also to address the cancerous disease directing the developing countries to failure. I will highlight some major questions, giving some suggestions which help to make policies to fade the disparities and the exploitation of skilled and semi-skilled labour in the developed world who themselves benefited to create the legislative crime of Brain drain and to hijack the rights of Cos in the shape of Scientific diaspora communities. How and when Brain Drain happens and intensifies Since the beginning of 1960s, the phenomena of brain drain became a highlighted and critical issue. With the neo-liberal economy and the tsunami wave of globalization has given a golden chance to the opportunists and played a vital role towards better and quality life including all accessories in every sphere of life. Globalization has opened a window for the human capital to agglomerate and mobilize where the brain extract and yet best recognized and rewarded in the highly economically strong and advanced countries.

Choose a specific television show. How does this television show Essay

Choose a specific television show. How does this television show portray society What does it reveal about the nature of huma - Essay Example This series is a very good example of life style of New York, and it showed how a big city life style can affect the human nature. The style of this show is unique as all episodes were narrated by Ted Morsby. Ted Morsby is the main character who after the marriage of his best friends’ Marshal and Lily wanted to settle down with a good job, wife and kids (Astro46). Ted narrates the whole story of looking for a wife to his two kids. His narration consisted of some very comical situations, which happened in the life of characters. The show is an example of life of young New Yorkers, and how they spent time and share their dreams with their friends. The series show some very important aspects of human nature all sensitive issues of big cosmopolitan city dwellers were shown in a very humorous way. The show was a good example of how the citizens of New York attach themselves proudly to this great city. In the following lines, we will be discussing how people’s nature change a fter coming from different cities and settling down in a big cosmopolitan city. The show how I met Your Mother was not only hilarious, but it depicted life of young New Yorkers and their thoughts and aims and their life style. All the main characters were proud to be called New Yorkers though only two of them Barney and Lily were true New Yorkers. It showed how people feel proud to be called New Yorker and how small funny incidences can carry big messages. The main characters, Ted, Robin, Barney, Lily, and Marshal are in their early thirties, and this is the time when a person not only wants to be settled in careers but also wants to get married and have kids. The program was a very good portrayal of young people of American society who have got educated and are on their way to settling down in life (Astro46). The series showed the fast life of New York and how young people work hard to achieve their aims and dreams. The series depicted how these young people wanted to achieve their goals in a very comical style. It showed how people manage their personal lives in a very fast life style. The Series portrayed different aspects of human nature in a very humorous manner. It showed that in a big city true friendship can matter a lot. True friends fight and get jealous but at the time of need they offer their shoulder to cry on it. The series depicted how we can forget our very own close relations in the fast life of New York. One such example in this show of human nature was on the death of Marshal’s father when he wanted to know his father’s last voice message to him. The worried look of not getting embarrassed in front of his family was on his faced. He was getting jealous of his siblings. It was a very normal just like any sibling jealousy and struggle to be loved more than other siblings. His true desire was that his father should have given a very special message to him. This episode truly depicted how people exaggerate and tell false stories ab out the dead people. In this episode, Barney made everyone realize that it is human nature that last words are always thought to be something great. This episode proved that sometimes getting angry can give you consolation as was in the case of Marshal’s mum. The actions of different people on a sad occasion of death were shown in a very hilarious way. In the end of the episode everyone realizes the importance of their loved ones. It can therefore be concluded that the series was a hilarious

Energy savings Entrepreneurship in Singapore Essay

Energy savings Entrepreneurship in Singapore - Essay Example ing companies’ horizon has grown vast with the realisation that investment made on the energy saving technologies would be a profitable deal in the long run. ESCOs provide a complete package of services starting from the appraisal to the project financing, guaranteeing the success of the project besides providing equipment maintenance and servicing. Only accredited ESCOs can provide energy saving technology services; Energy Sustainability Unit (ESU), a division of the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, runs an accreditation programme to introduce quality and standard in the services of energy saving companies (E2 Singapore) 1. Before discussing the ESCOs in detail, let’s have a good view of energy sector in Singapore. Energy sector in Singapore involves electricity consumption, energy consumption, energy intensity, energy statistics, and energy efficiency policies. Electricity consumption as per 2005 stats given in the National Energy Policy Report includes power generation sector consuming 51% fuel to generate electricity for different sectors namely transport, buildings, household and others, as shown in the chart below. The Energy Market Authority governs the business of awarding licenses to private companies to generate electricity. The graph below depicts the electricity consumption and electricity consumption per capita from 1990 to 2007, as given by the Energy Market Authority and the Singapore Department of Statistics (Eugene, May 14, 2009). 4 The graph shows ever-increasing level of consumption, culminating to 2.6 times from 1990 to 2007 but consumption per capita went up at a slower pace of 1.8 times, showing no movement between 2005 to 2007 (Eugene, May 14, 2009). 4 In the matter of energy consumption and energy intensity, stats of the two organizations -- the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) are different while comparing Singapore’s energy intensity with America

The malden court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The malden court - Essay Example There is also no restriction to the use of legal materials in the court house, thus an individual can trace the laws applicable in different cases from the legal materials, and then observe how they are being interpreted by the judges and how they are applied in determining different types of cases presented to the court. The advantage associated with this aspect is that; a learner is able to participate in the court process fully, since they can easily trace the laws the laws that the judges, the defense and the prosecutors are applying in the cases before the court, and thus help the learner from being disoriented. It is through tracing the laws applicable in a case and seeing how such laws are interpreted and applied, that a learner is able to fully understand them. Thus, this is one of the major strength associated with The Malden District court, since it serves to indicate the transparency of the judicial system applicable here. The act of the court to allow the attendance of th e court proceedings by any interested party is a major step towards enhancing judicial transparency, since it indicates that the court is being honest in its dealings and it invites any interested party to evaluate its performance regarding its processes. While allowing the public or any interested parties an opportunity to learn the law through the court process, it also allows for the opportunity for scrutiny and evaluation of performance by the interested parties, raising the bar of The Malden court regarding the concept of transparency. However, the major weakness associated with The Malden District court, or at least with one of the case that I attended during my visit to the court is that; the judge did not give explanations regarding the case she was handling. The judge just read out the ruling of the court, gave out the verdict and the type of punishment that the defendant was to face, without clearly giving the judicial reasoning and the laws applicable in determining the c ase. Despite the fact that the other case that I heard attended, which was presided by a different judge, was characterized by the explanation of the judicial ruling, citing the laws applicable and the reason for which the defendant was to be sentenced accordingly, this particular case was handled differently. The judge just gave some files to the defense team, then read out the ruling and the punishment, and then adjourned the court, with a brief explanation that the reasons for the verdict given in the case were already supplied to the defense team. With that, the judge was through with the case. That did not work very well for the individuals who attended the court with a desire to learn something. This is because; they could not understand what laws were applied in the case, how they were interpreted and how they suited into the circumstances and context of the case, to warrant the judgment that the judge gave. The other aspect of the weaknesses that was noticeable in this case is that; the judge was too fast while announcing out the crimes and the punishment, while also using a light tone that was too low, which made it difficult for the individuals attending the court to understand everything that judge was saying. Thus, the weakness of The Malden District court, as displayed in this particular c

What were the sources and manifestations of Turkish national Essay

What were the sources and manifestations of Turkish national consciousness in the late Ottoman period (1860-1922) - Essay Example According to notable historians, the foundation and manifestation of Turkish national consciousness in this era are summarized as follows: The advent of nationalism in Western Europe in the 19th century had a substantial effect with regard to how the Christian population in the Ottoman state viewed their identity. During this period, the new radical nationalists were contending with the traditional leaders within the millets. This condition was compounded by the fact that the emerging superpowers of those times were meddling with the internal affairs of the state depending on what is beneficial for their own interest. (Poulton) The Tanzimat is described as the embodiment of reforms pertaining to the various aspects of the relations between the state and the subject. It was pioneered by Mustafa Resid Pasa and continued by Ali Pasa and Fuad Pasa, who were modernist bureaucrats. The Tanzimat was established to challenge the prevailing system. Planned reforms on society, judiciary and education incorporated views on security of life and property, as well as fair and public trial. In addition, the Tanzimat aimed to introduce religious equality in courts, which shocked the Muslim population. (Poulton) Although these reforms failed to create the intended Ottoman nation, the Tanzimat facilitated the process of nationalism influencing the Christian populations and dismantling the empire in the Balkans. This was done by enfeebling the conservative millet leaders and rendering greater influence to the nationalists. (Poulton) Young Ottomans, who gained distinction during the late Tanzimat period (1867-78), were the first to organize opposition groups which utilized ideas of the Enlightenment and tried to integrate modernization with Islam. Moreover, they were the foremost Ottoman group to harness the power of the media to proliferate their principles. (Poulton) Most notable of these Young Ottomans were Namik Kemal and Ali Suavi. The former

Leadership in corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership in corporate strategy - Essay Example But the modern concept of leadership has experienced sea change. The present standards of the industry focus on the fact that the strategy should come from within the organisation. There are certain limitations of the strategies getting out - sourced. Firstly, it limits the issues upon which such strategies are based and secondly, the out - sourced strategies are also limited by timeframe. Most importantly, the management of the organisation might not have any clue upon which the external consultants would have prepared the strategy. The companies of the present day are growing organically and so it is more than a requirement that the organisations have both the internal and the external factors analysed in the strategy. It is the own management and the leadership of any company that has the best idea about the vision and mission of the organisation. The other important factor is that the strategies and the leadership should be dynamic as the environments are changing every now and then. The leadership of the organisations should aptly understand the scope and the future trends. And for the purpose, the process of strategy formulation should be a continuous and never ending for the organisations. It is the Chief Executive Officer who is the head of the strategy formulation of any organisation assisted by other key members and the job should not ideally be outsourced as it is only the management of the organisation that can have the right knowledge about the vision, mission and the objectives of the company. Also , the internal rank holders have fair idea about the organisational politics and abilities which often becomes important differentiators. It can be well analysed from the case study that increasing emphasis are laid upon the real objectives of the businesses as the author puts stress upon the fact of identification of vision of the organisation. The strategy formulation and implementation is a thorough and continuous process and should

MGT3301 Service Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MGT3301 Service Operations Management - Essay Example The library provision of standard material regarding the health services education and practise has always been severely needed the NHS took steps in order to fulfil this need by providing an online database and made the clinician’s enable to make the most of it. In a study conducted by (Taylor, Ellis, & Gallagho 2002) the scope of telephonic advice to patients was examined. It was found that the patients were very much satisfied with the advice given to them, this not only helped the patients but also helped the management in managing the primary care workload. In the same way the internet presence of NHS in shape of NHS Direct also enabled the physicians to educate their patients about their treatment, do’s and don’ts and their diet schedule in a more effective, consistent and timely manner. NHS Direct also helped the physicians to consolidate their relationships with other institutions in order to share their ideas about different discoveries and enhancements in their related field. This process is under way in some parts of the world. Williams & Ropert, (2004) under taken a project in the Universities of Australia and Philadelphia in which eighty-four students were brought together, The main purpose of the project was to determine whether Internet is an effective tool in exchanging ideas and discoveries in a useful manner. The result determined that the use of Internet was useful in exchanging the ideas about a topic, it not only enhanced the knowledge but also opened new dimensions for inquiry and research. The self-service technology or also termed as SST, has so much to do with the efficiency and the effectiveness of the NHS Direct. What really is SST and how does it work as an element of e-business? Cheryl Nakata’s book entitled â€Å"Self-Service Technology failure: Understanding the Customer Perspective† talks about the necessary factors regarding self-0service technology that could contribute to

Home Depot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Home Depot - Essay Example ided in the case study, both the stores have developed their own unique selling propositions and the degree of differentiation between the two largely depends upon the non-pricing factors. Lowe’s cater more to the women and those who are involved in providing finishing decorative touch to their homes. Home Depot however aims to capture the market of men and contractors and serious DIY individuals. It is also important to note that the number of stores and wider product choices are also the important factors which have resulted into the differentiation between the two stores. Lowe’s has better competitive image because of the better customer services and the product choice which it offers to its customers. Though most of the factors on which competition can be done are similar however, what distinguish Lowe from Home Depot is its ability to offer superior customer services which is making it one of the distinctive stores in the market thus holding better competitive image in the eyes of its

Cross Cultural Issues Essay Example for Free

Cross Cultural Issues Essay With hot topics like globalization and cross-cultural opportunities in the Asia Pacific rim, one might think it would be easy to research the implications of cross cultural issues. Rather, what the writer found was a significant discussion all around the periphery but little in-depth analysis. Discussion prevailed on the socio-economic and technological ramifications. Others resources focused on the language issues but little work was intuitively available on the subtleties of cross cultural issues one may encounter. Based on experience working in the Asia Pacific rim for two years as a PMO Manager, and training PM’s in many European countries, I decided that understanding international socio-cultural issues encountered in business is essentially at the heart of the issues companies will encounter in globalizing operations. Therefore, the writer will approach the crosscultural issues from a personalized understanding based on his many months of first hand mistakes in understanding cultural issues encountered in Asia Pacific. I will base my observations of cross-cultural issues on my experiences in working most closely with individuals from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and India. Naturally there are more countries in the Pacific Rim but these mentioned provided the most opportunity for interaction. I want to also acknowledge the contributions of my wife, Helena Shiu Leung Chow Ballow, whom I initially met in Asia. Her wisdom, coaching, and meaningful insights on the many differences between Western and Eastern business and cultural practices were, and remain till this day, illuminating, helpful and daunting. Introduction Clearly we all understand to some degree the impact of cultural issues in communications. If nothing else, we have encountered situations where language was the barrier. But language may be the smallest of the issues when dealing with other cultures. Even when we pull out our Translation Guides or employ translators we may get pass some of the language difficulties. But from the writer’s experience, language is the least of the issues. Ingrained and systemic patterns of cultural behaviours can be so subtle as to completely deny meaningful communications. I found a really good example of just how easily cultural variances can cause communications problems. In this case the issues was â€Å"psychological filtering† of appearance or gesture. I would think is would also be easy for the reader to extrapolate this example into some experiences that may have encountered even in the West. Timofeev (2002), in an article in National Concepts and Globalization, provided the following example: â€Å"The idea or rather the hypothesis that underlies this paper was stimulated by a trivial chat with a friend of mine. Being a linguist by trade, Russian by origin and living in Finland, she is well aware of cross-cultural discrepancies and provided me with a curious example. It was a TV commercial of an international brand of Persil washing powder. Two young ladies were shown sitting in a crowded place, some restaurant or a cafe. One of the ladies notices quite a peculiar manner her friend has chosen to wear her wristwatch. It was placed above the cuff of her blouse. It turned out in a second that the only reason for placing her watch there was to cover some stain that regular detergents failed to deal with. Oh dear, you should use Persil instead! So everything was straight and simple. But before that, when the attentive and thoughtful lady was describing her version of her friends peculiar manner of wearing her watch in Finnish (and I guess that the German, French and English versions were quite similar to that in Finnish), she said: You are such a busy person. You have to wear your watch so that it can always be seen. While in Russian the same lady made quite a different guess: Your watch must be terribly expensive since you wear it so that everyone can notice it. The Russian version, when translated into English, seems to be full of irony; it describes the ladys manner as showing off. It would definitely undermine the main purpose of the ad, which was to provide a friend and those watching the commercial with thoughtful advice about using detergents. (p. 1)† To understand the issues we must start with a framework definition of culture. There are just too many definitions of culture, and even speaking the same language, we might get off tract pretty quickly. So, the writer did some research and decided on the following foundational definition of culture upon which to proceed. This is summarized by Kim (1999): â€Å"As the author himself confesses that there are 160 different definitions of the term culture and picks up the definition of scholar Clyde Kluckhohn. According to him, Culture consists of patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting, acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups, including their embodiment in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional (i. e. historically derived and selected) ideas and attached values. continued  © 2004, 2005 Dennis G. Ballow, Sr. , PMKT, Inc. , All Rights Reserved Globalization and Cross-Cultural Issues in Project Management, page 2 Another scholar, Triandis, presents a psychological perspective to the description. Culture is a subjective perception of the human made part of the environment. And this includes the categorization of social stimuli, associations, beliefs, attitudes, roles, and values individuals share. Culture thus is a melting pot consisting of many things gathered over a period of time in which religion and language play a great role. (p. 228)† Now, with a definition of culture in hand, and a real life example to back up the idea, we will look at some relatively common cultural issues that impact communication, and thus, also have implications for Western corporations working in the Asia Pacific Rim. Cross-Cultural Issues and Implications I will present the materials in a table format such that it may be easier to digest. A simple summary provided by Bhagat et al (2002 provides a good stepping-stone for analysis of the cross-cultural issues: Cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge is most effective in terms of both velocity and viscosity when the type of knowledge (i. . , human, social, or structured) being transferred is simple, explicit, and independent and when such transfers involve similar cultural contexts. In contrast, transfer is least effective when the type of knowledge being transferred is complex, tacit, and systemic and involves dissimilar cultural contexts. (p. 204) Table 1: Cross-cultural Implications – Asian (China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan) and the West Cross-culture Dimension Language Implications Asian Perspective Not that complicated to the Asian. Foreigners should have more respect and learn the language. American Perspective English is the international business language so everyone should use it. Implications It is generally good practice to â€Å"localize† materials when feasible. Local words and expressions sometime just do not properly translate for English and may actually be offensive. A focus on team activities and collaboration vs. individual competitive activities is preferred. Individualism vs. Collectivism Strong Collectivism The Asians depend more on groups or institutions to determine what they should do and emphasize loyalty to the group. They are more likely to cooperate with others to avoid risks and reduce responsibilities. Their value systems appreciate duty to the group and harmony among its members while pursuing personal goals is viewed rather negatively in Asia. The Asian person does not consider contracts as seriously as the Americans. They think there will always be changes and the contracts can be reasonably modified according to changes. Instead, they tend to pay more attention to relationships than contracts. Strong Individualism They rely on their own view to determine what they should do. They tend to work alone and are reluctant to cooperate because their individualism and masculine culture view cooperation in general as a sign of weakness and place a high value on independence and control. Americans place greater importance on contractual safeguards than the Asian. They believe that contracts can ensure that their partners tendencies to focus on individual goals and aspirations do not interfere with their own individual goals and aspirations. Cooperation Nothing is cast in stone for the Asians. Authority is seldom, if ever, challenged. But when encouraged and trust is gained by the instructor, students will interact better, and challenge each other in a negotiative manner as not to create a †save face† problem. This takes much longer that you will ever plan – so take time to let the process work itself through. Asian employees seldom have the chance to really participate in the decision-making process. So activities requiring decisions may well take longer. continued

Differential Gram’s staining Essay Example for Free

Differential Gram’s staining Essay To Gram stain the given bacterial suspension and to differentiate between gram positive and gram negative organism. Visualization of microorganisms in the living state is very difficult, not just because they are minute, but because they are transparent and almost colorless when suspended in an aqueous medium. To study their properties and divide microorganisms into specific groups for diagnostic purposes, biological stains and staining procedures, in conjunction with light microscopy, have become major tools in microbiology. Chemically, a stain may be defined as an organic compound containing a benzene ring plus a chromophore and an auxochrome. Stains are of 2 types: 1. Acidic stains e.g., picric acid 2. Basic stains e.g., methylene blue. Types of staining techniques: 1. Simple staining. (Use of a single stain)This type of staining is used for visualization of morphological shape (cocci, bacilli, and spirilli) and arrangement (chains, clusters, pairs, and tetrads). 2. Differential staining. (Use of 2 contrasting stains)It is divided into two groups: (a) Separation into groups, Gram stain and acid-fast stain. (b) Visualization of structures, Flagella stain, capsule stain, spore stain, nuclear stain. The Gram Stain The Gram stain is the most widely used staining procedure in bacteriology. It is called a differential stain since it differentiates between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria that stain purple with the Gram-staining procedure are termed Gram-positive; those that stain pink are said to be Gram-negative. The terms positive and negative have nothing to do with electrical charge, but simply designate 2 distinct morphological groups of bacteria. Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria stain differently because of fundamental differences in the structure of their cell walls. The bacterial cell wall serves to give the organism its size and shape, as well as to prevent osmotic lysis. The material in the bacterial cell wall that confers rigidity is peptidoglycan. In electron micrographs, the Gram-positive cell wall appears as a broad, dense wall 20–80 nm thick and consists of numerous interconnecting layers of peptidoglycan. Chemically, 60% to 90% of the Gram-positive cell wall is peptidoglycan. Interwoven in the cell wall of Grampositive are teichoic acids. Teichoic acids that extend through and beyond the rest of the cell wall are composed of polymers of glycerol, phosphates, and the sugar alcohol ribitol. Some have a lipid attached (lipoteichoic acid). The outer surface of the peptidoglycan is studded with proteins that differ with the strain and species of the bacterium. The Gram-negative cell wall, on the other hand, contains only 2–3 layers of peptidoglycan and is surrounded by an outer membrane composed of phospholipids, lipopolysaccharide, lipoprotein, and proteins. Only 10%–20% of the Gram-negative cell wall is peptidoglycan. The phospholipids are located mainly in the inner layer of the outer membrane, as are the lipoproteins that connect the outer membrane to the peptidoglycan. The lipopolysaccharides, located in the outer layer of the outer membrane, consist of a lipid portion called lipid A: embedded in the membrane, and a polysaccharide portion extending outward from the bacterial surface. The outer membrane also contains a number of proteins that differ with the strain and species of the bacterium. PRINCIPLE The Gram-staining procedure involves 4 basic steps: 1. The bacteria are first stained with the basic dye crystal violet. Both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria become directly stained and appear purple after this step. 2. The bacteria are then treated with Gram’s iodine solution. This allows the stain to be retained better by forming an insoluble crystal violet-iodine complex. Both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria remain purple after this step. 3. Gram’s decolorizer, a mixture of ethyl alcohol and acetone, is then added. This is the differential step. Gram-positive bacteria retain the crystal violet-iodine complex, while Gramnegative are decolorized. 4. Finally, the counterstain safranin (also a basic dye) is applied. Since the Gram-positive bacteria are already stained purple, they are not affected by the counterstain. Gram-negative bacteria, which are now colorless, become directly stained by the safranin. Thus, Gram-positive bacteria appear purple and Gr am-negative bacteria appear pink. With the current theory behind Gram-staining, it is thought that in Gram-positive bacteria, the crystal violet and iodine combine to form a larger molecule that precipitates out within the cell. The alcohol/acetone mixture then causes dehydration of the multilayered peptidoglycan, thus decreasing the space between the molecules and causing the cell wall to trap the crystal violetiodine complex within the cell. In the case of Gram-negative bacteria, the alcohol/acetone mixture, being a lipid solvent, dissolves the outer membrane of the cell wall and may also damage the cytoplasmic membrane to which the peptidoglycan is attached. The single thin layer of peptidoglycan is unable to retain the crystal violet-iodine complex and the cell is decolorized. It is important to note that Gram-positivity (the ability to retain the purple crystal violet-iodine complex) is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but a matter of degree. There are several factors that could result in a Gram-positive organism staining Gram-negatively: 1. The method and techniques used: Overheating during heat fixation, over-decolorization with alcohol, and even too much washing with water between steps may result in Gram-positive bacteria losing the crystal violet-iodine complex. 2. The age of the culture: Cultures more than 24 hours old may lose their ability to retain the crystal violet-iodine complex. 3. The organism itself: Some Gram-positive bacteria are more able to retain the crystal violetiodine complex than others. Therefore, one must use very precise techniques in Gram staining and interpret the results with discretion. Crystal violet (2gm Crystal violet + 20ml 95% ethanol + 0.8gm Ammonium oxalet + 80ml distilled water) Gram’s iodine (1gm iodine + 2gm potassium iodide + 100ml distilled water) Decolorizer (Mix 95% alcohol acetone in equal proportion) Safranin (0.34gm safranin + 10ml absolute alcohol + 90ml distilled water) Clean grease free glass slide Nichrome wire loop Dropper Filter papers Compound microscope Cedar wood oil Miscellaneous PROCEDURE: On a grease free slide prepare smear of bacterial suspension and allow it to air dry. After drying heat fix smear and allow slide to cool. Cover the smear with crystal violet stain and leave for 1 minute Drain stain and wash the slide carefully under running tap water. Flood the smear with Gram’s iodine solution and wait for 1 minute. Wash the slide under running tap water. 6. Decolorize the smear with alcohol-acetone for 20-30 seconds (continue till purple stain just stops coming off the slide). 7. Gently wash the slide under running tap water and drain completely. 8. Counter stain the smear with safranin for 1 minute. 9. Wash the slide with water and air dry (or dry it carefully by using a blotting paper). 10. A drop of cedar wood oil is put over smear and the slide under oil-immersion lens. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Determine the growth curve of Escherichia coli by using colorimeter. The increase in the cell size and cell mass during the development of an organism is termed as growth. It is the unique characteristics of all organisms. The organism must require certain basic parameters for their energy generation and cellular biosynthesis. The growth of the organism is affected by both physical and Nutritional factors. The physical factors include the pH, temperature, Osmotic pressure, Hydrostatic pressure, and Moisture content of the medium in which the organism is growing. The nutritional factors include the amount of Carbon, nitrogen, Sulphur, phosphorous, and other trace elements provided in the growth medium. Bacteria are unicellular (single cell) organisms. When the bacteria reach a certain size, they divide by binary fission, in which the one cell divides into two, two into four and continue the process in a geometric fashion. The bacterium is then known to be in an actively growing phase. To study the bacterial growth population, the viable cells of the bacterium should be inoculated on to the sterile broth and incubated under optimal growth conditions. The bacterium starts utilising the components of the media and it will increase in its size and cellular mass. The dynamics of the bacterial growth can be studied by plotting the cell growth (absorbance) versus the incubation time OR log of cell number versus time. The curve thus obtained is a sigmoid curve and is known as a standard growth curve. The growth curve has four distinct phases 1. Lag phase When a microorganism is introduced into the fresh medium, it takes some time to adjust with the new environment. This phase is termed as Lag phase, in which cellular metabolism is accelerated, cells are increasing in size, but the bacteria are not able to replicate and therefore no increase in cell mass. The length of the lag phase depends directly on the previous growth condition of the organism. When the microorganism growing in a rich medium is inoculated into nutritionally poor medium, the organism will take more time to adapt with the new environment. The organism will start synthesizing the necessary proteins, co-enzymes and vitamins needed for their growth and hence there will be a subsequent increase in the lag phase. Similarly when an organism from a nutritionally poor medium is added to a nutritionally rich medium, the organism can easily adapt to the environment, it can start the cell division without any delay, and therefore will have less lag phase it may be absent. Exponential or Logarithmic (log) phase During this phase, the microorganisms are in a rapidly growing and dividing state. Their metabolic activity increases and the organism begin the DNA replication by binary fission at a constant rate. The growth medium is exploited at the maximal rate, the culture reaches the maximum growth rate and the number of bacteria increases logarithmically (exponentially) and finally the single cell divide into two, which replicate into four, eight, sixteen, thirty two and so on (That is 20, 21, 22, 232n, n is the number of generations) This will result in a balanced growth. The time taken by the bacteria to double in number during a specified time period is known as the generation time. The generation time tends to vary with different organisms. E.coli divides in every 20 minutes; hence its generation time is 20 minutes. 3. Stationary phase As the bacterial population continues to grow, all the nutrients in the growth medium are used up by the microorganism for their rapid multiplication. This results in the accumulation of waste materials, toxic metabolites and inhibitory compounds such as antibiotics in the medium. This shifts the conditions of the medium such as pH and temperature, thereby creating an unfavorable environment for the bacterial growth. The reproduction rate will slow down, the cells undergoing division is equal to the number of cell death, and finally bacterium stops its division completely. The cell number is not increased and thus the growth rate is stabilised. If a cell taken from the stationary phase is introduced into a fresh medium, the cell can easily move on the exponential phase and is able to perform its metabolic activities as usual. 4. Decline or Death phase The depletion of nutrients and the subsequent accumulation of metabolic waste products and other toxic materials in the media will facilitates the bacterium to move on to the Death phase. During this, the bacterium completely loses its ability to reproduce. Individual bacteria begin to die due to the unfavorable conditions and the death is rapid and at uniform rate. The number of dead cells exceeds the number of live cells. Some organisms which can resist this condition can survive in the environment by producing endospores.

What is the Purpose of Franchising?

What is the Purpose of Franchising? Franchising is a method of marketing goods. It is important that this basic fact is understood; franchising is not an industry indeed the use of franchising as a marketing method crosses industry borders. The application of franchising principles to each separate industry involves the blending of the ingredients to produce the right and product. Having grasped that basic fact, it should be appreciated that as franchising is a marketing method it should be approached in a flexible way. Franchising in its full sense the business format franchise may not be a suitable method for your business. However, you may well find that certain elements can have application and provide benefits. If that is so adopt them, even if the end result is that you have not adopted a franchise for your business. In the final analysis you have to make and live with your decisions if franchising is not right for you, or you are not right for franchising, do not embark on that course for it could well end in disaster. But, you should not lead franchisees into disaster for that they do not need a franchisor: many of them could manage quite well on their own. Other methods of marketing which are well known involve all levels from manufacture to retail sale. Some manufacturers or wholesalers appoint agents those who will act on their behalf with power to undertake binding commitments. Others appoint distributors with whom they have a buyer/seller relationship. The distributor is an independent operator who may sell many competing ranges. Some manufacturers enter into licence agreements with others who manufacture their products or who carry out processes resulting in the production of goods. These arrangements may also involve trade mark licences coupled with know-how agreements under which the licensee manufactures or completes the manufacture of goods for sale. None of these agreements is the sort of marketing method with which this manual is specifically concerned although, at times, business people refer to them as franchises. The expression franchise is also used to describe the right given for the operation of commercial TV and radio networks. The operation of a motor car manufacturers dealership is usually called a franchise and in many cases quite rightly so. The suggestion fell on open minds who really understood that it was possible to expand a network using the financial and manpower resources of others. However, the franchisor had to develop an infrastructure to enable it to cope. That infrastructure, the way in which it is put together and sustained, is what this manual is concerned to explain. FACTS TO SUPPORT ADVANTAGES For franchisors: Expansion Franchising is one of the only means available to access venture investment capital without the need to give up control of the operation of the chain in the process. After the brand is carefully designed and properly executed, franchisors are able to sell franchises and expand rapidly across countries using the resources of their franchisees, earn profits commensurate with their contribution to those societies while greatly minimixing the risk and expense that would be inherent in conventional chain operations. Legal considerations The franchisor is relieved to obtain the necessary licenses and permits to start a new outlets. In some jurisdictions, certain permits are more easily obtained by locally based, owner-operator type applicants while companies based outside the jurisdiction find it difficult if not impossible to get such licences issued to them directly. For this reason, hotel and restaurant chains that sell alcohol often have no viable option but to franchise if they wish to expand to another state. Additionally, the franchisor is relieved of the obligation to carry liability insurance on the independently owned franchise units that produce the gross sales of the franchised system since this is the obligation and responsibility of the franchisees under the franchise agreement. As long as the franchisors operational manuals is followed by the franchisees, the franchisors are generally always protected from any liability for any incident that occurs on the property of the franchisee. Franchisors can sel l franchises without making any representations. Operational considerations Franchisees are said to have a greater incentive than direct employees to operate their businesses because they have a direct stake in the start up of the branded business and the tangible assets that wear the brand name. The need of franchisors to closely scrutinize the day to day operations of franchisees is greatly decreased. Franchisors can increase their profits on the gross sales of the franchisees and avoid the operational expenses for the physical units that wear their brand names. Franchisors can decrease their risk and therefore increase their profits as their franchisees bear the expense of operating the units and the expense of being employers. For franchisees: Employment Opening a franchise is a way of personal business. Quick start As practiced in retailing, franchising offers franchisees the advantage of starting up a new business faster based on a proven trademark and formula of doing business, as opposed to having to build a new business and brand from scratch. A well run franchise would offer from site selection to lease negotiation, training and ongoing support and statutory requirements and troubleshooting. Training Franchisors usually offer franchisees significant training, which is not available for free to individuals starting their own business. Although training is not always free for franchisees, it is sometimes supported through the traditional franchise fee that the franchisor collects and tailored to the business that is being started. When training fees and travel expenses, etc.. are required beyond the initial franchise fee, these fees are deductible as part of the startup expenses of the business. FACTS TO OBJECT DISADVANTAGES For franchisors: Limited pool of viable franchisees In any city, there may be only a limited pool of prospects who have both the desire to purchase and start up a franchised business, as compared to the pool of individuals who can be hired and trained to competently manage directly-owned businesses, as paid employees. However, in periods of recession where traditional good jobs are in short supply, this disadvantage disappears because those who cant find good jobs are willing to invest money in a franchise as a means of self-employment. Control Successful franchising necessitates a much more careful vetting process when evaluating the limited number of potential franchisees than would be required in the hiring of direct employees who may have experience in the concept sector. An incompetent manager of a directly-owned outlet can easily be replaced, while, regardless of the local laws and agreements in place, removing an incompetent franchisee who owns the tangible assets of the business is much more difficult. For franchisees: No guarantee There is no guarantee of financial success for the franchisee made by the franchisor in the written disclosure circular and the actual franchise agreement. While the estimated startup costs of the franchise are an implied earnings claim some franchised outlets do fail. Unfortunately, the unit financial performance statistics are not required to be disclosed to new buyers of franchises and this omission makes it impossible for new buyers of franchises to assess the odds of success and failure of their investment in the franchise in terms of profitability and failure as experienced on a unit basis of the franchise system. Control For franchisees, the disadvantage of franchising is a loss of control. While they gain the use of a system, assistance, training, marketing, the franchisee is required to follow the system and get approval for changes from the franchisor. For these reasons, franchisees and entrepreneurs are very different. A franchisee is merely a temporary business investment where he may be one of several investors during the lifetime of the franchise. In other words, he is renting the opportunity, not buying a business for the purpose of true ownership. Additionally, A franchise purchase consists of both intrinsic value and time value. A franchise is a wasting asset due to the finite term: the franchisor is only obliged to renew the franchise if it chooses to contract for that obligation. Price Starting a franchise business carries expenses. In choosing to adopt the standards set by the franchisor, the franchisee often has no further choice as to signage, uniforms etc. The franchisee may not be allowed to source less expensive alternatives. Added to that is the franchise fee and ongoing royalties and advertising contributions. The contract may also bind the franchisee to such alterations as demanded by the franchisor from time to time. Conflicts The franchisor/franchisee relationship can easily cause conflict if either side is acting in bad faith. An incompetent franchisor can damage its franchisees by failing to promote the brand properly or by squeezing them too aggressively for profits. Franchise agreements is unilateral contracts wherein the contract terms generally are advantageous to the franchisor when there is conflict in the relationship. Summary: Yes, franchising is the best business plan. Why? Franchising your business can be a very successful way of expanding. Some of todays largest businesses have used franchising to finance and accelerate their growth into world brands McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Body Glove and the Body Shop. However, franchising must be planned step by step: It must be pilot tested with company owned and operated outlets. Business must be successful, distinctive replicable. Take proper professional advice Solicitor, Banker, Accountant and possibly Franchise Consultant. Take time to write an operations manual. Choose franchisees very carefully and wisely. Avoid overselling and forecasts. Focus on franchisee satisfaction and profitability. Have first class training. Maintain good ongoing relationships. Keep developing the Franchises status and maintain standards. Ensure marketing, advertising and PR are first class. In commercial practice there are some elements which considers fundamental in full business format franchising. These are: The provision to the franchisee by the franchisor of initial training in the operations of the franchised business this is perhaps stating the obvious for the franchisee would not be able to carry on the franchised business without such training. The fact that a franchisee will own their business; the franchisee is the owner of the business although they are obliged to run it in accordance with the franchisors system and under the umbrella of the franchisors name. The franchisee will have to make a capital investment in their business. This is very important. The franchisee must have their own resources at risk. The investment they make must be sufficiently significant in relation to the franchisees total resources for the person to be worried that they might lose it. Conversely they will find motivation in their ability to increase the value of their investment in addition to producing a profit annually. A well-motivated franchisee with their own resources at stake will invariably conduct the business far better than any manager would, to the mutual advantage of themselves and the franchisor. The advantages of franchising for a franchisor may be summarised as: The growth of the network is achieved using the financial and manpower resources of the franchisee; The franchisor is not concerned with the day to day operation of each outlet; The franchisors organization is compact and can earn profits without involvement of high capital risk; The network has an ability to grow rapidly; The franchisor has less staff and its problems; The management of each outlet is the owner who will tend to be well motivated to be successful; It provides wider outlets for products and services; It enables the franchisor to service national customers using their network of outlets. Franchising is an exciting marketing method; when it is properly structured and well run it provides benefits and satisfaction for both parties. It is not an easy route to riches for franchisor or franchisee nor is it a panacea for the ills of a sick business. The establishment of a franchise has to be under-take with skill, patience and capital. The time scale for establishing a franchise system and preparing it for marketing can be as long as two years and it can take another three to six years before the franchisor begins to see net profits and cash flow. The capital requirements of the franchisor have to reflect these time spans. For an example of Franchise Opportunity: RIDPEST is a key player in the pest control industry in Malaysia and the first of its kind to embark on the franchise route. The driving force behind the growth and recognition of the RIDPEST brand is a strong set of corporate values that translates into continued growth for the future. Franchising is undoubtedly one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Malaysian economy. Smart new business owners prefer a franchise, because it helps lower the risks of starting out, and offers savings on things like marketing and purchasing product. Over the years RIDPEST had developed and refined its system to the point where we believe it gives its franchisees the very best chance to build a successful business. CONCLUSION: A proper business plan ensure the long run and success of a business whereas a business which lacks of proper plans and motivation cannot survive in the market and the tough competition the business world have to offer. There are many ways a business plan is introduce and implemented in a trade. However, to have a proper business plan it is necessary that the business plan is on proper format and is not made casually or hastil. ATTACHMENTS: Application forms Franchise loan List of franchisor Panel franchisor Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNS) application checklist Sample franchisor letter Graph or chart References of sources References of sources: The franchisors Manual Martin Mendelsohn Masters of Franchising Mark Henricks www.myfranchise.com.my Business For Sale Magazine www.mfa.gov.my Obesity: Causes, Effects and Treatments Obesity: Causes, Effects and Treatments Samantha Sensing Abstract Looking at the scope of obesity it is complex and often left with quick judgment. The purpose of this discussion is to look at the qualifications of obesity to be a listed as a disease; the impact of the disease (such as cost, statistics, etc.), the behavioral-cognitive aspect, and resolution to the disease. Findings were from journals or the Center for Disease Control. Prior to the research I viewed obesity as a voluntary disease that could be fixed with getting off the couch. During the research of many web-based articles, journals, videos, and statistics I am now on the other side of the fence. Those individuals with obesity are in this situation for a variety of reasons. It would be of more help to support them and raise awareness of the disease and how it is affected behaviorally, environmentally, and from a change in corporate standards. Introduction A growing epidemic in America and Western civilization is one that is self-inflected. Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 29.5 or higher. Based on your height and weight a BMI is often used to determine a person’s level of physical health. There has been a growing trend of those considered overweight (BMI 24.5-28.5) or obese in the United States. More recently there have been heavy debates over the classification of obesity being considered a disease. Disease can be defined as an illness that affects a person, animal, or plant: condition that prevents the body or mind from working (Webster). A research study as listed by the CDC states that as â€Å"weight increases to levels of overweight or obesity the risks of the following also increase: Coronary Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, Cancer, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, stroke, live and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and gynecological problems.† As we increase in weight we ten d to develop serious health problems. And by referring to the definition of disease we can see that disease can occur or correlate with obesity. Definition of Disease What exactly does the word disease mean? We hear the word frequently. And think in concrete terms of disease as a terrible shortcoming that grapples at the lives of so many undeserving or seemingly healthy individuals. Most people don’t look at a person with a disease in disgust. Or in angst, or shame them. Disease is defined by the Miriam-Webster dictionary as, â€Å"an illness that affects a person, animal, or plant: a condition that prevents the body or mind from working normally†. So by definition we can consider the controversial classification of obesity as a disease. The controversy surrounding classifying obesity as a disease rests on the thought that those who are obese can help themselves. Those obese individuals inflicted this upon themselves and so therefore the term disease doesn’t apply. However, comparing the term disease and looking at the qualifications of having a disease, obesity does apply. By having obesity you become at risk for a variety of other diseases or overall health problems. Pathological Impact Obesity rates among American’s and the western world have been rising with exponential growth. In the United States about one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese and about 12.5 million of children and adolescents are considered obese (CDC). There are many factors in these numbers. Some variables are but not limited to socio-economic status, racial differences, job or career, level of education, and location. Those with a low socio-economic status appear to have greater obesity rates. This is impacted by the affordability of fast-food that offers a meal for a couple of dollars. In comparison a healthy, more nutritious meal could cost an additional $5.00. Obesity related diseases can cause heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. (CDC). Aging also impacts higher rates of obesity due to the hormonal and biological changes that take place over time. Mortality rates also seem to be higher for those who are obese and have obesity related diseases. Disabling Obesity An on-going debate in obesity is can these individuals be considered handicapped, and what does it mean to be handicapped. In a study, 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, obesity rates are 58% higher for than adults without disability. And obesity rates for children with disabilities are 38% higher than for children without disabilities. Annual health care costs of obesity that are related to disability are estimated at approximately $44 billion (CDC). By these numbers it is noticeable that there is a correlation between disability and obesity. The term disability can be described as, a physical or mental condition that limits a persons movements, senses, or activities (Merriam-Webster). By definition obese individuals would or could be considered disabled by their own inflictions. However, not all are eligible for the right to receive Social-Security Disability. Those with a BMI over 40 are considered morbidly obese. This category of people tends to have the biggest imp act on their organs and organ systems. Moreover, there seems to be more that meets the eye with obesity trends. While in most cases it is self-inflicted there are a number of people that have a genetic predisposition or thyroid problems. Or they are on medications for another disorder that impacted their weight gain. In the famous case of Cook v. Rhode Island, the courts ruled in favor of a 300lb female, Bonnie Cook, who took to the courts to protect her against discrimination of not being hired due to being obese. The court initially ruled in favor of her potential employer but the jury sided with Cook. So the state took the case to appeals court where they lost their battle protecting the possibility of discriminating against obese applicants. The court stated, â€Å"†¦ voluntariness is not a criterion for determining whether a person is disabled or perceived to be disabled.† (Cordes1994). New ground was broken by the proclamation of disability and obesity being joined together and protected together. The statements went further, â€Å"Voluntariness only comes into play if the condition can be easily controlled by the person†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Cordes 1994). The impact of disease obesity can cause is not a light subject or to be sought as laziness through and through. There is good reas on for obese individuals to be given protection. Responsibility of Employers Another large debate in the issues and impacts of obesity is the responsibility of employer’s. Especially for those whose obesity comes from a sedentary lifestyle. Or perhaps need the preventative measures of keeping obesity at bay. A hot topic on the rise is whether or not employers should be mandated to give employees a work-out period in their schedule. The employers could offer employee’s incentives for utilizing resources (a company gym, discounted memberships, and dietician, walking a company track) and by using the resources keep costs low. Though initially it could be costly to take on the responsibility to offer extra incentives to employee’s it could offer long term potential savings. (Villareal, Apovian, Kushner, and Klein 2005) Those whose companies offer various programs and actively engage in them express more happiness, productivity, a greater quality of life, and overall better health. Better health allows for employee’s to serve their empl oyers better. They use less sick pay, keep insurance premiums low, and are more likely to be in tune with their daily job. So while the initial cost may be high, the long term financial gain of a happy, healthy, productive team is hard not to invest in! Responsibility of Citizens Those who are overweight and obese not only impact themselves but they also impact their peers and fellow citizens. The responsibility of American’s to help those who are suffering from obesity is absent. This is understandable, considering we are not responsible for the actions of others. However, change arrives when other’s no longer stand idly by watching suffering. Those who suffer from addictions or psychiatric abnormalities experience greater success in getting back on track when they have a support group. The more awareness that is raised on the disease of obesity the better society can understand it. Understanding can be in noting that obese individuals are not just self-indulgent lazy people. Most experience other health problems. For some this may include a behavioral or cognitive issue that led them to the weight gain. Or the obesity can be from side effects of medication. (Latzer, Y., Stein, D. 2013) The better we educate ourselves and others on the obesity epidemic the faster we can assist them to a healthier lifestyle. Cost of Obesity The less healthy American’s are, we all pay the price. According to a study in 2008 the annual medical cost of obesity was $147 billion dollars (CDC). This amount spent on health care costs of a disease is breath-taking. And this is just in health care costs. The $147 billion spent annually related to medical costs of obesity does not include time spent out of work, time spent going to the appointments, the extra costs to the families affected by obesity, or worse it doesn’t include the mental cost. Adolescents who are obese experience a greater amount of psychological and social problems. Often (obesity) is linked to the numerous absences from school and is thought to be one of the main reasons for poor performance (Latzer, Y., Stein, D. (2013)). It is also reported that lower IQ scores from children translate into obesity in adulthood (Latzer, Y., Stein, D. (2013)). The data proves that the cost of obesity is not merely short-term. But the disease continues to impac t those afflicted during obesity and post obesity. Behavioral-Cognitive Aspect The reasons for procuring obesity or an unhealthy lifestyle is often looked at through the behavioral-cognitive perspectives. Behaviorists feel that the bad habits of obese individuals can be unlearned with the right treatment. On the basis that (increased engagement in sedentary activities and overeating) are learned (A.Tamlyn Shields 2009). Moreover they intend for alternate behaviors and encourage a healthier lifestyle (A.Tamlyn Shields 2009). Increasingly, adults and children are more tuned into technology and less in tuned with the outside world. The undying interest in technology leads to a more sedentary lifestyle coupled with high caloric foods. Where individuals should compensate for their inactivity by decreasing their caloric intake, quite the opposite seems to occur. Fattier foods that can be purchased on the go or take little effort to make are easier to consume. In addition to the fact that these foods are overloaded with sugar that act on our brains like a drug. Sugary foods activate the reward system in our brain allowing for a small flood of dopamine to be released. This in turn excites our body and we are left wanting more of the euphoria these foods bring (N.Volkow R.Wise, 2005). Resolving the Problem Trying to undo what has been done to so many American’s by the way of obesity is not an easy task. It at least will require self-determination. While determination of those afflicted may sound easy, it certainly is not. Some ways we can assist are through offering consistent support and intervention for them to seek a combination of behavioral, medical, and physical assistance. With the three, obesity can be reduced by pinpointing the origin of weight gain (medication, health problems, depression, anxiety, and addiction). In addition to mediating with a behaviorist, and ending by increasing physical activity. However, it would be of great assistance to hold businesses more accountable for what they put in the foods they produce. To offer consumers a better, wholesome product would increase profits and company morale. For example the average soda contains about ten of sugar. The American Heart Association states that men should allow up to nine teaspoons of sugar and woman shou ld allow for six teaspoons of sugar a day. Considering the breakfast cereal Honey-Nut Cheerio’s contains about 8.25 teaspoons of sugar before adding the milk. Our daily limit is almost reached before we finish eating breakfast. While sugar is not the only culprit to substantial weight gain it does inspire other health problems. Though it is the consumer’s responsibility to monitor what they put in their own body, it would be of great assistance to hold companies accountable for better products. For many families grabbing a $5.00 hot-n-ready large pizza in less than ten minutes beats spending $20.00 in groceries and forty-five minutes in cooking time. The fast-food industry spent in 2012 $4.6 billion dollars in advertising (Yale News). If companies spent the same amount on promoting healthier options and producing healthier products it would make a large impact on obesity in the U.S. The initial cost may be higher but perhaps we can apply the behavioral perspective and ‘unlearn’ these business practices. Eventually supply and demand would bring the healthier options to a lower cost to produce and consume. While saving many lives and reenergizing American enterprise and American citizens. Conclusion Obesity rates have sky-rocketed in the past twenty years in the United States. Approximately 34.9% of all adults and about 12.5 million children and adolescents are afflicted by obesity (CDC). The prevalence of obesity related disabilities cost the health care system approximately $44 billion dollars annually (CDC). Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 29.5 or higher and is associated with inducing secondary diseases and illnesses that are not always irreversible. The impacts of the disease (or diseases) can afflict suffers with mental illnesses (anxiety, low confidence, depression,) or poorer IQ as children. Combining these together can produce a lower socio-economic status and inspire other problems related to that. Such as housing, careers, quality of life, financial troubles, that is hard to bring oneself out of alone. By offering support or putting together organizations coupled with self-determination we can assist those with obesity. Combined with employer incentives, mediati on, and increased physical activity along with reduction in high caloric foods the rates of obesity and obesity related illnesses could drop. References Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014) â€Å"Adult Obesity Facts†. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012) â€Å"Causes and Consequences. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes/index.html Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014) â€Å"Childhood Obesity Facts†. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014) â€Å"Disability and Obesity†. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/obesity.html Cordes, R. (1994, January). Obese gain protection under disabilities law. Trial, 30(1), 85. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.stacks.tridenttech.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE|A14790304v=2.1u=trident_ttcit=rp=AONEsw=wdigest=a511d0c25452f5c5befcf70bb01be8e0asid=e0ef951c3bba192b24df7ad82e0b9d06 Shields, A. T. (2009). Examination of the obesity epidemic from a behavioral perspective. The International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 5(1), 142+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.stacks.tridenttech.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE|A214102591v=2.1u=trident_ttcit=rp=AONEsw=wdigest=a511d0c25452f5c5befcf70bb01be8e0asid=5afeed98da8853ac80c820c028538061 Orciari, Megan. (2013). Fast food companies still target kids with marketing for unhealthy products. Yale News. Retrieved from: http://news.yale.edu/2013/11/04/fast-food-companies-still-target-kids-marketing-unhealthy-products Latzer, Y., Stein, D. (2013). A review of the psychological and familial perspectives of childhood obesity. Journal of Eating Disorders, 1, 7. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.stacks.tridenttech.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE|A323050895v=2.1u=trident_ttcit=rp=AONEsw=wdigest=a511d0c25452f5c5befcf70bb01be8e0asid=7dbe38997361b44ce7cd1a98ad17bfd1 Villareal, Dennis T, Caroline M Apovian, Robert F Kushner, and Samuel Klein. (2005). Obesity in older adults: technical review and position statement of the American Society for Nutrition and NAASO, The Obesity Society. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 82(5), 923-934. Retrieved from: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/5/923.full Nescafe Brand: An Analysis Nescafe Brand: An Analysis Nestle promise we commit to everyday, everywhere- to enhance lives, throughout life, with good food and beverages. Nestle was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestle and is worlds leading confectionary, nutrition and food company today. This company is based on Vevey, Switzerland and employing around 280000 people in over 150 countries and running 461 factories or operation in 83 countries. The strategy of the Nestle is guided by several fundamental principles: Innovation and renovation are the basis for the growth of the product balancing the geographic activities and product lines Never sacrificed long term potential, for the short term performance Regardless of the geographical barriers, Nestlà ©s priority is to bring the best and most relevant products to people Nescafe UK Nescafe is one of the renowned brands among various brand produced by the Nestle. The rich taste of your favourite coffee is reflected in its rich history. Generally, coffee is a beverage that has some properties which can energize and revitalized the consumers. In the UK, Nescafà © is targeting basically young adult customers range between 20-35, middle and high class people and also the professional or working executive (who are working very hard). In present context, the biggest challenge for every company is to recover and to survive in the recession, and, Nescafà © is not apart from the current situation. Even though it is still in the profit, companies profit is getting lower due to downfall on the sales the volume of goods sold rose 2.8% in 2008, but down from 4.4% in 2007. Figure 1: Sales trend of Nescafà © The bar chart above shows the continued growth of the sales of the Nescafà © till the second half of the year 2008; but, the profit of the company is gradually decreasing as the sales started to fall by the first half of the year 2009. The main reason behind this problem is the macroeconomic factors like the global recession thats leads to the increase in the inflation rate in UK by 3%-5% (generally, 2-3% of the inflation is acceptable). However, to revive from the current situation, Nescafe has applied various innovative and renovate ideas. Nescafà © even have various brand within the coffee, for example Nescafà © gold, premium, decaff etc. targeting the various range of the customer according to the taste and the preferences. Besides coffee, the company has launched other product such as coffee maker machine, and also following sustainability strategy, refill pack, etc. under Nescafe plan for profit maximization. It is also merging with various other companies like burger king or other businesses using their Nescafe Milano Plan. Following these alternative, Nescafà © is expecting to increase its sales in the second half of the year 2011 by reducing the cost of production, improving the market and price strategy to capture the target markets. A. Alternative Scenarios with regards to the cost of production: The company is having down fall in the sales as the variable cost associated with the cost of production increases due to economic factors like increase in labour cost, raw material, energy bills, cost of packaging, transportation and various other factors. The following table shows the variable cost, represents the minimum cost required to produce 3000 quantity of Nescafà © for the first half of the 2011, which is in increasing order as the quantity produced increases. Material for Production Cost associated 000 Total Cost Variable cost: Raw material (coffee, glass jar, packing paper) Transportation Part time worker Energy Marketing 300 100 50 175 125 750 Fixed Cost Plant and Machinery Building and Renting Full time worker Others 200 100 150 50 500 Total 1250 Figure 2: variable cost associated with production for the 1st half of 2011 Figure 3: Various cost and output (000) As the quantity produced by the Nescafe increases, the cost associated with the variable cost increases, however, the fixed cost remaining the same, results in the reduction of the revenue so it has to either increase the price of the product which leads to decrease in the demand, due to high inflation, the customers has less purchasing power (even though the income has increases, the proportion of the increase in income and inflation is equal) or Nescafe should try to reduce the variable cost associated with the production. Figure 4: Trend of total fixed cost and total variable cost The main challenge of the Nescafà © is to sustain in the competitive market and redeem the profit. The Nescafe plans are followed in order to reduce the variable cost within the micro level: Transportation cost: The global initiatives plan which support the commitment of the Nestle responsible farming, production and consumption. Under this commitment, responsible production is the most foremost steps related to sustainability with environment by producing the refill pack for the various coffee including 150g Nescafà © gold blend and decaff and original which also lures to the reduction in road journey and transportation cost by 50% for the same amount of coffee as one can fit twice refill pack in one pallet. Energy Consumption: Another alternative is to reduce the consumption of the energy using energy saving measure. In this method use the coffee ground as a fuel which supply 20% of the energy. While other method is the use of new innovative technology new refrigeration plant to reduce and improve the processes. Packaging cost: Nescafe is cutting cost of the production by reducing the weight of the glass jar used for the coffee. The approach is use of refill pack made of paper which is cheaper than the glass jar. Thus, by following the above approach the new variable cost associated with the production for the second half of 2011 is shown below: Variable cost Cost Raw material Transportation Energy Part time worker Marketing 241 50 140 50 125 Total 606 Figure 5: New variable cost Figure 6: New cost and output (000) Figure 7: Revised trend of fixed cost and variable cost for 2nd half As comparing the two charts, we can conclude that the Nescafà © is able to reduce the variable cost by applying the various alternatives. At the same level of output e.g. 3000, the variable cost was 750,000 before (fig 4) whereas reduced to 606000 for the second half of the 2011 (fig7). The other various alternatives available for the Nescafe, in macroeconomic concept, can be as follows in terms of: Recession, shift to a plant to the emerging country or the country with the minimal effect of recession such as china or India i.e. slowdown-hit. The company can shift the plant to these country as raw material i.e. coffee can be produced here as well. Employment, in India, the unemployment rates are higher, whereas, china is providing the cheap labour to attract the new investors so the company can really be benefited from the low labour cost.. Political stability: Both of these countries are politically stable. Nescafe cant shift plant to the insecure country as there will always risk of the close down due to civil wars. B. Elasticity of a Nescafe Price Elasticity of supply (PES): is calculated as: PES: % change in quantity supplied % change in price According to table below, the supply elasticity of Nescafà © is less than one which imply that the supply is not responsive towards the price change so its supply inelastic. The change in the quantity demanded is 0.5%, less than the change in price, 0.9%. The Nescafe cannot have extra supplies of the raw material i.e. coffee due to limited suppliers and also depend on the climatic condition, the decision made before about the plantation of coffee that affects the production yield. As the coffee is main ingredient, it cannot switch to other raw material and in other hand; it cannot hold the product for a really long time as product is a consumable and not a lifelong. It can still produce more goods for the same quantity with same cost of production but will be less than as of the supply elastic due to some constraints. Fig 8: Price elasticity of supply Income elasticity of Demand (IED): is calculated as: IED= % change in Quantity demanded % change in Income As per the following table, the income elasticity is between 0 and one which shows that Nescafà © is the normal good and less income inelastic. As the income of the consumer increases, other things remaining constant, the demand of the Nescafà © increases. For instance, the income elasticity of Nescafe is 0.1 as income rises to 10500 from 10000, which implies demand is not very sensitive towards changes in incomes which is the nature of the normal goods. Figure 9: income elasticity Cross elasticity of demand (CED): represent the responsiveness of the demand of the Nescafà © to the change in the price of either complimentary goods e.g. sugar or substitute product e.g. Kenco and calculated as: CED= %change in demand for Nescafà © %change in price of Kenco When the price of the sugar increases, demand of the Nescafà © decreases and vice versa and cross elasticity of demand will be negative, whereas, if the price of the substitute product decreases, the demand for the Nescafà © will increases, and vice-versa, and is positive as shown in table below. Figure 10: cross price elasticity C. Market structure and Strategies: Nescafe shares the attributes of the perfect market structure as it is inelastic to the supply and income of customers with horizontal integration product. The assumptions are: Existence of many firms e.g. Nescafà ©, Kenco, bru, percol, carte noire, super market brand, etc. perfect knowledge about the market and target customers homogenous product but customers distinguish the product with brand name and taste preferences Free entry and exit Nescafà ©s strategy based on the think globally, act locally. According to Keegan and Green Nescafe coffee is marketed as a global brand even though advertisement message and product formulation vary to suit cultural difference. Considering the rival company, Kenco is biggest competitor of the Nescafà ©. The strategy of the Kenco is to produce sustainability product and refill pack instead of coffee jar. Nowadays, customers are more concern about the ethical business and the environment friendly product, so to maintain the current market shares; it has to follow the concept of refill pack and the environment sustainability. Besides these, following are the possible alternatives: Introduced the new product lines and product differentiation. Recently, Nescafe has launched 3 in 1 pack which can be followed with 2 in 1 product. Fair Trade Nescafe can vertically merge with the different company offering different but co-related product. For example, Nescafà © has merged with Burger king, a food chain company that offer Nescafà © coffee to its customers with its food. The other strategy, Nescafe can merge with supermarkets and offer free samples to the customer as a complimentary product and with other businesses using its Nescafe Milano Professionals plan. Provide the customers a taste of coffee at a busy street as a reminder strategy and distribute the free samples. On the other hand, Nescafà © should enhance the vending machine network and should set up in train station, airport and on busy places. Advertisement includes sales promotion, publicity which attracts different target customers. The different advertising is strategies applied according to customers and countries values and beliefs but with same logo and red mug cups. Research and development Enter into emerging market D. Market Segment and price strategy: Nescafe is the UKs prominent coffee brand followed by the other various substitute products like Kenco, percol, super market brand etc. Now, the main customers of coffee are university student, working people or professional but should also try to attract should target people of above the age of the 35 and teenagers to maintain its market share. Figure 11:  ©Ã‚  1995: the new internationalist The possible pricing strategies for the Nescafe are: Competitors and market oriented price: Nescafe should be able to maintain or reduce the price according to the market or competitors. If its price is higher than the competitors, it will affect the demand and profit as well so it should be competitive price. Promotional allowances like offering during the occasions like buy one get one free offers in the super market, offer Nescafà © red mug with 400g of pack, discounts on second purchase. Quality assurance with reasonable price E. Development of Global and Local Market: Nescafà © objectives should be entering in new emerging market as the demand will be high in such country which results in the growth of business. So, the main idea is to expand the business not only locally but globally as well and be the first one to reach new market. Nescafe can take advantage of its product differentiation and brand name, so it can be the leading coffee in few years as availability only of few local competitors. Nescafe is opening its new plant in U.K creating new jobs. While in other hands, Nescafe is opening plant in countries like china, India and Vietnam to strengthen its global plan as these countries have potential to produce raw material, coffee and the really cheap labour cost which results in the low cost of production and high revenue. The taxation rate and government policies should be considered before entering new market, even though china is closed economy, China is flexible towards the taxation policy for the new investors and reduced the tax to 15% for the first three year. However, in context of India, government policies are quite flexible towards the foreign investors. Vietnam is emerging country, its open toward the investors. F. Scenario of Currency Market: During first half of the year 2011, due to soaring in the Swiss franc and down fall in the American dollar, the Nescafes sales pushed first half sales down, As the Nescafe is Swiss company, final transaction is converted to Swiss franc. Even though the U.K has strongest value in the market, the cost associated with the production is also high. Nescafe has to spend more money for the same amount of raw material and operation plant in Britain and relatively less in in India, china or Vietnam. According to exchange rate 1.497 Swiss franc = 1 British pound whereas 1 Swiss franc =58.3121 Indian rupee. So it will cheaper to operate the business in the country with less inflation, where the consumption power will be higher. Thus, Nescafà © should produce the product at the country with low currency value and import it to other countries and the exchange rate difference will raise the profit of the company, Thus shift of the company to India, China or Vietnam will be beneficial for the company.