Indian Market Diversity

Indian Market Diversity & Changing Consumer Behaviour The Indian consumer market is one of the most promising markets in the world, evolving faster than ever across all socioeconomic strata, regions and town classes. Post liberalisation Indians have seen a tremendous increase in incomes, multiple income households, exposure to international lifestyles and media, easier financial credit. In these fast changing times, it becomes imperative for companies reaching out to the Indian market, to catch the pulse of the Indian consumer, to gain a better understanding of the Indian consumer behaviour and to get key insights into issues like: †¢What does the Indian Consumer’s shopping basket consist of? †¢What is it that the Indian consumer is buying – Is it Apparel? Books? Music? Or Durables or Grocery? How is she paying for her purchases? †¢How much is she willing to travel to get one-stop shopping options? Is she discount driven enough to wait for promotions or markdowns? †¢How different is the Delhi consumer from the one in Kolkata or Chennai, and how different are they from those in Lucknow or Ludhiana? All these questions have taken a top priority not only to domestic marketers but also for companies like Wal-Mart and Carrefour that are planning to set up retail chains to tap the potential Indian consumer market. Marketing in India is gr owing through an indefinable phase. Various print, electronic and other media are influencing everyone right from â€Å"Karta† of the family to the kid, the consumer‘s making decision and the way in which the new generation Indian consumer behaves is undergoing change at a never before pace. In today's global marketing era, which stresses on customization and localisation, influencing the consumer’s decision has become more important in this changing environment. Many new upcoming trends have been noticed in the last decade. According to the data provided by (NCAER) latest Indian market demographics report 2002 in the period from 1998-99 to 1999-2000, the purchase of white goods rose by 103%, this growth was seen mostly in the Southern India, with North and Western parts of the country still lying untapped. In other words, the potential in the North and the West is truly large. With income levels rising- especially in the post-reforms period the number of upper-medium and high-income households rose from 4. 1 % of the total numbers of households in 1989-90 to 11. 9% in 1998-99. The pattern of consumption has also undergone a sea change. Similarly, the number of low-income households, that is households with an annual income of less than Rs. 35,000 per year, has fallen from 58. 2 % in 1992-93 to 39. 7 % in 1998-99. Income Levels : From NCEAR, LM – Lower Middle class, M – Middle Class, UM – Upper Middle Class and H – Higher Class. (All figure in %) Income Class92-9395-9698-99 Low=, Rs 35,00058. 248. 939. 7 LM=Up to Rs 70,00025. 430. 734. 5 M= up to Rs 1,05,00010. 411. 913. 9 UM = up to Rs 1,40,0003. 756. 2 H =. Rs 1,40,0002. 33. 55. 7 A traditional family in India is different from a western family, the decision making process for the purchasing of consumer durables is quite elaborate, as many members with their diverse view are involved in it. At the same time, the characteristics of Indian families are fast changing. Indian families are presently in a state of flux, shifting from being strictly hierarchical to more egalitarian in character. This is all because of a sea change in the structure of income distribution (as shown in the table) where: †¢High-income class is expanding very fast. Middle-income classes bulging in size especially in rural India. †¢During the post reform period the rate of growth in the upper income categories was much higher, compared to the corresponding decline in the size of the low-income class. The growth of the top most income class after 1995-96 has been of the order of about 19%. †¢A significant negative growth in the urban low-income class was observed in south and west India, followed by north India. The High class consumers are at the top end with the mindset: â€Å"I pay more to get more†, where the purchase is driven by the emotional surplus that the consumer experiences. The mid-level which thinks: â€Å"I get good value at a reasonable price†. More important, however, is the large block at the lower income level which says: â€Å"I pay less and I get less† and is totally satisfied with that. This is probably a segment that many marketers tend to overlook since they feel that there is no existing demand there. Nothing could be further from the truth. The problem was that earlier, there were no goods and services targeting this large chunk; but today companies are reaching out into this segment. There is a growing realisation today that it is easier to compete in the smaller towns because many of the big brands and their marketing managers and sales teams don’t make the effort to travel there. Hence, if one does go there, market share is easy to achieve because even though the overall pie is smaller, there is less competition. Rural –Urban divide: †¢The rural markets are growing. However the level of infrastructure development (including that of the services sector), performance of agriculture, and dependency on Monsoon will determine their further growth. Availability of electricity alone is a critical factor for durable ownership. In urban markets, aspiration is the key — it is all about brands, lifestyles and show-off value. This is followed by quality and finally price. Rural India is driven primarily by price, followed by aspiration and then quality. However, what is important to understand is that the Indian consumer, no matter where he or she is or what category he or she belongs to, still looks for a good bargain. That is a unique Indian characteristic. While they maybe driven by the same desires, there are still differences in the way people live in the non-metropolitan cities when compared with the metropolitan cities or ‘metros’ as they are usually called. A degree of homogeneity may exist in large cities, but there is a disconnect when compared with their counterparts in smaller towns — whether it is regarding their philosophy, their thoughts or their approach to life. Thus, marketers today also need to think about creating brands that address these differences in consumers’ lifestyles. The Indian consumer is also maturing fast and is upgrading within product segments at a pace that consumer companies are struggling to keep up with. The mobile phone category is a classic example, where individuals across segments are constantly moving to the next price level as soon as they master the technology of their current phone. Companies therefore have to straddle the whole consumer pyramid rather than being focused on one part of it. These changes have also raised new challenges for old brands. There is a danger of them fading if they do not reinvent themselves to satisfy current needs. As a result, there is a whole new marketing opportunity and challenge for those brands that have to reinvent themselves and try to compete. The retail experience has also created a niche for new products and services. Gadgets like mobile phones are sold through kiranas (small family stores) and telephone booths since those are the outlets that have electricity. This is the total opposite of the mall culture seen in urban India and it is a need that consumer companies will need to address. Indian FMCG market in 1990's †¢During the 1990's the rural segment of the FMCG market has grown steadily at over 3% per annum. †¢Market size for products with lower penetration and consumption levels has grown at over 40% per annum during the later half of the 1990's. Significantly such products are at the higher side of the price line. †¢There are others such as washing materials, toiletries, toothpaste and tea where substitution effects are taking place. The role played by members of the family varies with demographics parameters as well as with the type of products. While a number of psychological variables are useful in obtaining into consumer's psyche, it is worthwhile to probe into some specific aspects of consumer decision making in order to formulate marketing strategies. In case of a family, the influencer does not usually have expertise but assume their respective roles on the basis of the family dynamics. Once the decision to buy a particular consumer durable product is made and announced. Family members provide what information is available to them about the product, and even assign members to gather information. For collecting additional data, the influencers use any of the four basis sources of information, via, personal, commercial, public and experiential. The degree of acceptance of the information and the preference of the influencers may, however, vary. The entire family members will act as an influencer. The moderator (Whom the influencers confine) may be instructed to collect the desired information. By the early nineties FMCG marketers had figured out two things: †¢Rural markets are vital for survival since the urban markets were getting saturated. Rural markets are extremely price-sensitive. Thus, a number of companies followed the strategy of launching a wide range of package sizes and prices to suit the purchasing preferences of India's varied consumer segments. Hindustan Lever, a subsidiary of Unilever, coined the term nano-marketing in the early nineties, when it introduced its products in small sachets. Small sachets were introduced in almost all the FMCG segments from oi l, shampoo, and detergents to beverages. Cola major, Coke, brought down the average price of its products from around twenty cents to ten cents, bridging the gap between soft drinks and other local options like tea, butter milk or lemon juice. It also doubled the number of outlets in rural areas from 80,000 during 2001 to 160,000 the next year, almost doubling its market penetration from 13 per cent to 25 per cent. This along with greater marketing, led to the rural market accounting for 80 per cent of new Coke drinkers and 30 per cent of its total volumes. Emergence of the new consumer Understanding the Indian consumer market means understanding its individual segments. Three major segments are emerging †¢Kids †¢The Youth (including the young working singles) †¢The Urban Indian Woman These segments have shown a tremendous increase in influencing and driving purchase decisions and hence are huge drivers of change in the consumer market. Purchases are being driven not by necessity, but to satisfy individual needs. A high-potential emerging market is also the vast rural hinterland, which has its own unique characteristics. Kids: Getting older younger There are 300 million children aged between 4–14 years in India — a vast market by any standards. The role that children play in purchase decisions has changed dramatically in the past 4–5 years. From pester power, kids have changed their role to becoming influencers, this is not only in product categories like confectionary and toys, but in larger long term use categories such as cars, electronics and even consumer durables like refrigerators and air conditioners, which were, traditionally, decisions taken by parents. Today the roles are reversed, with kids pointing out the pros and cons of purchase decisions to their parents. In fact, in the older age group, kids have actually become consultants, whom parents turn to for advice during the decision-making process. Another driver is their mastery of technology, which is a primary component of a high proportion of new products in the market. The relative ease with which they are able to grasp technicalities and understand product features and usability (or lack of) has made them experts in the eyes of their parents. Youth – Charting their own path: With the majority of India’s population below the age of 25 years, young consumer market is the primary target of every consumer goods company. The trend towards homogeneity is also apparent in terms of aspiration between segments and there is no difference in the mindset of the younger demographic. The aspirations of the youth are the same, driven primarily by the fact that they are all Internet savvy and this has given them equal access to information. Along with the love for brands and gadgets, they are equally comfortable with Indian values and Indian culture. Life is about visiting religious centres with their parents and then spending the evening with friends at the local club or a similar social venue. Indian youth are also very patriotic, not in the classical, pre-independence sense but in a modern sense which reflects their pride in being Indian in today’s world. As a segment, they are on the whole sensible, very clear about what they want to achieve in their lives and not easily carried away by hype and show. The outsourcing phenomenon in India ha has been the main driver of this consumer segment. A larger number of younger people now have cash in hand and this combined with increasing brand awareness has resulted in a lot of spending on leisure and personal gratification. This has also brought about a dramatic change in the concept of saving. The young generation lives for today, the concept of saving for a rainy day is alien to most of them — especially since the majority of them have not experienced shortages in their lives. This is also a segment constantly on the move — mentally and physically. The young do not want to be at home and are spending twice the amount of time outside the house than they would have done a couple of years ago. So, whether they are at a multiplex, a mall or a cyber cafe, hanging out with friends is a clear preference. The Urban Woman: Defining her own space In India, it has been a long accepted fact that it is the women in a family who define the environment at home. In the urban cities and even in small towns, they have been the ‘silent influencers’ for some time now, directing family purchases and expenditures. It is only recently, however, that the urban woman has come into her own, and today there is no looking back from her newly gained independence. In the past five years, there has been a large increase in the product categories specifically targeted towards the urban woman. Be it mobile phones, computers, apparel, jewellery or even financial products, women in the cities are finding themselves spoilt for choice. One prominent manifestation of this segment is seen in the daily soap operas on Indian television. While the characters may seem regressive at first glance, increasing viewership has proved that they have struck a chord — whether the woman is a homemaker or a professional. Today women go out with each other, a trend that was not seen previously. They are also much more into indulgence and satisfying their emotional self. † So, whether it is spending time at clubs with friends, pampering herself at the salon, experimenting with cosmetic surgery or enrolling at the fitness centre, the need to look good has now become a priority. It is no longer only about getting married and having kids. Implications for marketers: †¢Commoditisation of brands: Routine items and white goods will be bought on price, accessibility and not for brand values. †¢Novelty will not be a reason for trial: The new generation consumer will try to simplify complexity by dropping into routine behaviours. †¢Brand will be for pleasure: Brand will have to redefine role, where consumers are physically more satisfied and psychologically more confidant. †¢Evaluation parameter of brand will change: When consumers are going to continuously ask about the long-term safety/ effects of using

Race and Racism

Sierra Druyon February 23, 2013 Prepared for Dr. Dugan ENG 101 Paper 1 Argumentative Synthesis on Race and Racism In comparison to the almighty universe in which people all live in, human beings are merely a speck of dust at the size of it all. Then here are these beings on planet earth, with all 7 billion people under the same moon, divided. No longer are human equals as beings, but separate because of the system of ignorance, exploitation, and power used to oppress people on the basis of ethnicity, culture, mannerisms, and culture (Marable 1).Racism is the issue Americans have swept under the rug; the problem is being ignored, leaving cultures in the dark of their own history causing blame to be shifted on to all sorts of hosts, and it’s time to pick up the rug to dust. Society as a whole seems to have broken down what makes a person unique, dehumanizing them and leaving them susceptible to oppression (Marable 2). One must not be so quick to forget that every single human be ing is made up of the same genetic material, to forget something so broad is to undermine the gift of thinking itself.Manning Marable writes in Racism and Sexism that stereotypes are at the heart of every form of racism today. Racism is not a topic that sits around at the front of everybody’s brain. Racism does not twist on the tip of your tongue begging to be talked about. Racism is something that is ignored and denied. Shocking statistics from Tim Wise’s On White Privilege were discussed, stating that in 1962, 80% of white folk believed that racism was not even a problem.In the same year, 90% of white folk believed that colored children had equal education opportunities as white children. To believe that racism was not even a problem would be to say that over the 750 race riots 228 people were not actually killed, 12,741 people were not critically injured, and that the 15,000 acts of arson did not leave black urban neighborhoods in ruins, in the same year of 1962 (Po strel). White people are completely unburdened by race; where as colored eople constantly feel their capabilities are always being second guessed. However, Charles M. Blow, author of Escaping Slavery, explains to the reader that apparently white people think their actions are justified! And Blow goes as far as to say that â€Å"the idea that progress toward radical harmony would or should be steady and continuous is fraying† (Blow 1). In On White Privilege, the speaker Tim Wise pointed out that white people were asked in 2009 if they believed that racial discrimination is still a problem and only 6% said ‘yes. To put that into perspective: more people would believe that Elvis is still alive than to believe that racial discrimination is still a problem (Wise). Perhaps the density of the universe compromised the carrying capacity of the human brain causing a malfunction making it so the only thing people can think about is them self. Definitely not progress (Blow 2). The white system of ignorance and exploitations is causing the cultures of color to completely lose track of their own histories (Marable).People who are oppressed themselves begin to lose touch with their own traditions of history, community, love, celebrations, struggle, and change (Marable). Tim Wise reminds viewers whose history we are truly learning in school- text books are filled only with white history; people of color are forced to regurgitate white history, white literature, white art, white theater, etc. , while if a white person does not know an ounce of black history, it can go virtually unnoticed in this country (Wise).Actions speak louder than words and people seem to continue to prove their ignorance. As part of the Civil Rights Movement and an effort to create a solution to unlawful discrimination in housing based on race, color, sex, nation origin, or religion, the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 (Russell). Fast forward 38 years later where 2006 showed the highest level of discriminating housing complaints based on race (Wise). 38 whole years later and the only thing society can show on terms of progress is the lack of acceptance being distributed around the country.There is not enough change taking place as a country in order to move forward into truly being the United States of America; home of the Brave but we still fear what we do not know. It is always easier to accuse other forces for a problem than to admit that you are actually making the mess yourself. It has been said that if one is not a part of the solution then one is a part of the problem; however, some people are purely unburdened by race, they don’t know racism because they have never had to experience it- people are completely surrounded by and completely oblivious of the problem.Failure to talk about racism feeds the denial (Wise). The finger can be pointed in any direction, and instead of calling it â€Å"blame† the word â€Å"cause† is used instead bec ause that is more constructive, and let’s face it, we need as much progress as we can get. However, progress seems to be unbearably intangible when Blow points out that the pillars of the institution- the fundamental devaluation of dark skin and stained justifications are for the unconscionable- have proved surprisingly resilient (Blow). The ignorance and lack of education only feeds the pillars’ strength.Completely blinded by utter fear, America seems to be in a standstill of progress towards the issue on racism. Starting with Charles Blow’s work in Escaping Slavery, down to Manning Marable’s Racism and Sexism, and what Tim Wise said in On White Privilege, it can be assumed that progress will always need to be made to bring this country closer to unity. Breaking down racial barriers and stereotypes have proven to be an especially lengthy process, however that does not justify the slothfulness of it all. Open minds and hearts is what it is going to take t o shatter the structure that leaves this country divided.Word Count: 1,100 Works Cited Blow, Charles. â€Å"Escaping Slavery. † New York Times 4 January 2013. Marable, Manning. â€Å"Racism and Sexism. † Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, 5th ed. Ed. Paul Rothenberg. New York: Worth Publishers, 2001. 124-129. Pring. Wise, Tim. On White Privilege: Racism, White Denial, and the Costs of Inequality. The Media Education Foundation, 2008. DVD. Postrel, Virginia. â€Å"The Consequences of the 1960's Race Riots Come Into View. †Ã‚  The New York Times. N. p. , 30 Dec. 2004. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Identifying Key Factors for New Product Success

Identifying key factors for new product success It is well known for us that new product development is always the key for companies’ success or even survival. And the new products don’t need to be the totally new products, companies can just make some improvements, improve customers’ experience, or exchange a new color, shape to bring to customers new satisfaction and benefit. Then customers will not be tired of something, and customers are always the focus of marketing.But new product development process is not a simple process. It is a very complex process needs many correlative departments such as marketing, designing, developing, and manufacturing departments work together. What’s more, a new product takes a high risk, because nobody can guarantee that this is going to be sold well. It is very important to follow a scientific development process, this can reduce the risk as much as we can. At the beginning, we need some ideas, some kinds of inspiratio n.When customers have some new needs or new technology is invented, there could be an opportunity for company’s new products. These ideas may also come from one of employees, competitor’s new product, or government’s new policy. In other word, the opportunity maybe in everywhere, whenever we think customers need something new, we can develop a new product. Second, the company needs to estimate and analyze those ideas, compare with them by each advantages or disadvantages. And then choose the most hopeful one from many ideas.Try to find a potential profitable project. And the way to pick it is building a model that can measure technology advantage, marketing attraction and earning power. A good opinion is a kind of right direction, can lead the following process. Third, since we got the idea, I think it’s time to set a market strategy before the deign part. We need to analyze the target market, see what are the size, structure and behavior, and what the le vel that customers need it, the frequency of Purchase.Describe who would be the potential customers, and then set the cost based on it, and the general price strategy, promotion strategy, marketing budget, and the possible product mix for the new product. Fourth part is design and testing part, the reason why I put them together is that I think after a fail testing, the prototype always need to be redesigned. And before the final product, there always be lots of testing and redesign job to do to transfer the idea to a real valuable product. It can also be called the key of the entire new product development process.Fifth, when the new product is ready, all tested by engineers and employees. It’s time to be introduced to market. However, sometimes we need to do the Test Marketing, this is a real final testing, and the testers are customers. In general, company would choose a small place, like a small town, and try to sell the new products to those customers, and analyze the fe edback. Then market department can adjust its market strategy based on the feedback. The test marketing always lasts several months, or can be one year.After the final test, the new product can be introduced to the whole market. This is a scientific way to develop a new product. But as I said before, nobody can guarantee that this is going to be successful, even if it did a great job in test market. But what reasons cause a fail product? I think one of those reasons is fail to estimate the true potential of the market, if exaggerating the market potential, in which can bring some very serious problems like over-investment, over-manufacture, and product backlog.Another reason to fail could be the wrong design. Design part is the key of the whole development process, because customer is the key of market. If the design of new product can not satisfy customers’ need, the product would be fail, no question about it. Company would lose market share. But if company set a wrong pric e level, higher than the value of product, or made to much high cost, the profit would go down. A product can’t create profit would be fail too. And some people may not notice that a good promotion helps the new product a lot.A good and impressed promotion process can really fly a product, on the other hand, a awful promotion process can be a disaster for a new product. In short, developing a new product is a required process for a company. A new product’s success in market may indicate corporation’s bright future. But new products mean high risk, we need to do everything to do to reduce the risk. Like following the scientific development process, try to get the key need of customers. And a very important one, company needs to have self-confidence for the new product.

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

Marketimg - Essay Example First, it helps the company to promote product awareness to the consumers and also position the company in the market. Second, marketing efforts can also help the organization to boost product sales. Third, marketing helps the company to build its reputation in the market. Without marketing efforts, a company cannot convey what services or product it is offering. Actually marketing is a huge area which covers various aspects of business from identification of need in the market to the after-sale services. Moreover, marketing efforts of a company help the people to recognize the product options available in the market and the features and qualities f the products. Therefore, marketing plays a very important role in the success of a company and its products and services. Three examples have been quoted here to explain how marketing concepts help the companies to operate in a particular market. IKEA is a prominent international player in the furniture industry. The company has been offe ring well designed, functional home and furnishing products to its customers for more than 60 years. The effective marketing strategies of IKEA have helped the company to develop a strong image in the markets where it is operating. The graph shows that the number of visitors to IKEA stores is expanding significantly. Company considers its every customer as a member of â€Å"IKEA Family†. The marketing function of the company has helped the company to establish an image in the market. Moreover, through marketing programs IKEA develops relationships with its customers for example; IKEA has recently introduced IKEA mobile content which is a marketing strategy through which company has developed a database of customers. Source: Batistia, 2009 These are the marketing efforts of a company which help the company to segment and target the market and position the product to reach the target audience. Red Bull was launched as an energy drink and today company is operating in many count ries across the world. Company heavily relied on â€Å"buzz marketing† or word-of-mouth to establish a strong image in the market. In order to position the energy drink, to attract customers and to increase the visibility of the product, the marketing strategies which the company adopted include sports marketing, even marketing, advertising, sales promotions and free sampling etc. By 2004, Red Bull was having 70 percent market shares of worldwide energy drinks market (Ny Mafia, 2008). Various competitors also tried to adopt the marketing strategies of Red Bull however; these tactics could not help the competitors. Therefore, even the taste of energy drink of Red Bull was not that very good however, these were the marketing efforts which communicated the purpose and features of energy drink. Various marketing efforts are pursued by companies to attract and retain customers. The following example of Lloyds Banking Group advocates however, marketing efforts help a company to pro vide information related to products and services to the customers of the company. The company is focusing on integrated marketing communication strategy to target its customers. In addition, the company also asks the people to join the network of the company through which company keeps on updating the customers via phone or email about the new products or services.

Religious Expression in Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Religious Expression in Humanities - Essay Example Due to this, religion is an integral part of the society that fosters humanness and social progress. Rome is an ancient city that plays a pivotal role in world religion. The Romans believed in a strong connection between the gods and the people. Most Romans held the central view regarding the value and importance of religion (Dillon and Garland 54). The religious convictions of the Roman culture were evident in their manner of worship and lifestyle. In fact, religion became central to their culture. The Romans used several ways to express their religion. Rome is an ancient city where the citizens found it necessary to offer sacrifices to their gods. Ceremonies found their meaning in terms of the religious expressions. For example, families would conduct prayers to the household god, Janus. In addition, the Roman government had various religious offices to cater for the religious needs of the society. For instance, the priests held senior positions in the society (Dillon and Garland 67). Due to this, the role of religion played a critical role when it came to the dissemination of duties. In the Roman case, there were 16 Pontifices who would preside over religious events. The ruler of the Roman Empire found it necessary to consult these priests before making a decision. The period 770-220 BCE was the â€Å"Spring and Autumn Period† that covers part of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and Hans Dynasty. Even though the Chinese had a high regard for religion, the Zhou Dynasty did not have any regard for religion (Lagerwey and Kalinowski 22). It was a period characterized by elitism and religion. Scholars believe that during this period, no prophet spoke. The priests did not take any part in explaining the will of the heavens. In addition, there were no books that could explain the religious expectations of man. During this time, heaven’s role took a back seat. On the contrary, when Hans took over, religion took a critical position. The Chinese concept

A Complete Specification of the Asymptotic Variance Assignment

A Complete Specification of the Asymptotic Variance - Assignment Example The le contains 6,808 observations for individuals living in Ontario. b) Estimate two human capital earnings models, one for men and one for women. Use wage as the dependent variable and include exp, exp2, Educ, not grad, hs grad somepse, uni1, uni2, and marras independent variables. Discuss the goodness of the of the two equations. From the regression table, we observe that the F-computed is 257.6> 1.88260439 (F-critical), we thus reject the null hypothesis that all regression coefficients are equal to zero. This shows that F-test is significant indicating that the observed R-squared is reliable, and is not a spurious result of oddities in the data set. Also, it shows that the proposed relationship between the response variable and the set of predictors is statistically reliable, and can be useful when the research objective is either prediction or explanation. From the regression table, we observe that the F-computed is 356.47> 1.88266598 (F-critical), we thus reject the null hypothesis that all regression coefficients are equal to zero. This shows that F-test is significant indicating that the observed R-squared is reliable, and is not a spurious result of oddities in the data set. Also, it shows that the proposed relationship between the response variable and the set of predictors is statistically reliable, and can be useful when the research objective is either prediction or explanation. c) Interpret the results of the test of overall significance for each equation. Do not forget to state the decision rule for the test, the level of significance you are using, and the critical value of the test statistic. The p-value for the overall model is 0.0000, a value less than 5%, we thus reject the null hypothesis. The null hypothesis states that the coefficient is equal to zero (no effect). We, therefore, conclude that the model is appropriate and that there is the significant effect on the dependent variable (sewage) by the independent variables.  

[Astronomy subject] Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

[Astronomy subject] - Assignment Example This became an important law in astronomy as it helps determine the mass of any astronomical object. This formula is used to calculate the mass of all astronomical objects including the stars, sun and planets. 2. Describe the relationship between the distance from the Sun and a planets surface temperature. Why does this relationship exist? Explain the following exceptions to the overall trend: Venus is farther away from the Sun than Mercury, yet has a higher surface temperature. Neptune has the same cloud-top temperature as Uranus, even though Neptune is ~10 AU farther away from the Sun. Though the temperature of the planet is affected by its placement in terms of distance from the sun, there is another major factor influencing the temperature. It is the atmosphere of the planet which affects the temperature condition along with distance from the sun. Atmosphere acts as a blanket to retain the heat (Bennett et al, 2009). Mercury, though very close to the sun, cannot retain the heat as the atmosphere or the blanket is missing there. Comparatively, Venus is located farther away from the sun than Mercury, but still the temperature is high which is again because of the thick atmosphere which prevents reverting of sun’s energy back to space. 3. One would use the column titled "Rotation Period" to find out which planet has the shortest days. Are there notable differences in the length of a day for the different types of planets (terrestrial versus gaseous)? Would you have predicted there to be huge differences? Mercury has a long rotation period because of its synchronization with its orbital period; Pluto is synchronized with its largest moon Charon. Venus has a retrograde (clockwise vs counterclockwise) rotation. Eliminate these two planets and a dwarf planet, and what do you find? See the chart at the right to help you answer this question. A day is the time taken for the planet to

Scavenger Hunt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Scavenger Hunt - Research Paper Example Question 2: sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that can cause infertility The two main sexually transmitted infections that cause infertility are gonorrhea and Chlamydia (Wingood & DiClemente, 2002). Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria and dwells in the bodily fluids. It is contacted through vaginal, anal or oral sex. It leads to a condition known as epididymitis and Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (Fogel & Woods, 2008). This is due to the infection of the urethral tract and the vaginal duct. Chlamydia is also caused by bacteria that stay in vaginal fluid and semen. It left untreated Chlamydia causes infertility where a condition known as epididymitis and PID causes the infertility (Covington, & Burns, 2006). Question 3: Giardiasis The disease is commonly known as Beaver fever (Veliah, 2005). It is a gastrointestinal illness that is exhibited by serious diarrhea. The disease is caused by a parasite that is known as Giardia Lamblia. This is disease is water-borne and it affects the human intestines where it affects over 200 million populace globally every years (Langford, & Langford, 2002). The disease is reported to have affected about 90 communities in the United States in the years between 1964 and 1984 (Caveney, Jones & Ellis, 2012). Question 4: peer-reviewed journal article on smoking cessation Michele A Faulkner, (2009), Smoking cessation: an economic analysis and review of varenicline, Journal: Clinical Economics and Outcomes Research, Vol. 1, issu 1. Pgs 25-30 is a peer reviewed article that addresses the attempts in reducing the use of tobacco. The article raises concerns that despite the many efforts in reducing the use of tobacco the rate of smoking continues to go high leading to premature death and morbidity. There are economic costs related to smoking which include health care costs and loss of productivity (AJHP, 1986 & Callahan, 2000). The main program raised in the article is the varenicline novel mechanism aimed at addressing the ability to r educe the addiction and withdrawal symptoms (Michele, 2009). Question 5: Durham Region with the highest percentage of births to teenagers According to various findings it has been established that Oshawa area in the Durham Region has the highest rate of births to teenagers which replicates the place the mother was living at the time the child was born (Smithard, 2009). The high births rates are as a result of availability of less expensive housing and the supports and motivation from the mothers (Goldin, Reinert & World Bank, 2007; Vargas, 2009). Question 6: The difference between angina and a heart attack Angina is a term that is applied by doctors to refer to the pain in the chest as a result of insufficient oxygen supply to the heart muscles (Jevon, 2012). This form of pain is identical to the pain as a result of heart attack (Jackson, 2004). On the other hand heart attack is a long lasting damage to the heart muscle which might lead to inability of the tissues to function well d ue to lack of blood supply. The heart muscles need regular oxygen supply which is initiated through the blood (Ramaiah, 2008). Question 7: The Cost of Type 2 Diabetes in Canada The type 2 diabetes is along life state where

Imagine you are a business owner; discuss debt financing, types of Assignment

Imagine you are a business owner; discuss debt financing, types of risk, beta, and investments - Assignment Example This would give you a better idea to stock only as much as you would need. For a small business the ratios can do wonders as it utilizes current cash flows to determine how much cash would be flowing in the future. Most importantly for a small business like mine the financial ratios help to identify the weaknesses and the strengths of the business. This way the retailer can have a better understanding on how to play his cards in order to make his business flourish. A few ratios that tend to be important to a small business would be income ratios, liquidity ratios, and profitability ratios. Though what seems important for a small business enterprise will not be as important for a larger business enterprise. Thus larger business corporations have to consider retailers and wholesalers, for them it’s the ratio is of total assets and total liabilities. They have manufactures and a number of other liabilities and ratios that need to be accounted for while the workings of a small business are fairly simple. Another important factor in managing small businesses that is debt financing. Most small businesses do not require large investments and so they use debt financing. Debt financing is all about taking a loan from the bank to finance the newly found business practice. Debt financing surely has its upsides and downsides. We shall discuss the upside first; debt financing allows you to have full control over your business practices unlike having a partner. Another one would be the tax benefits involved (Bragg, 2011). Another important factor would be that the amount due is fixed and so can be managed over the months’ time because it is easier to generate the amount with a target in mind. Last but not least no amount of profit generated is up for sharing. Where theres an upside theyre bound to be a downside as well. The debt financing brings along with the

Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example In accordance with the issues discussed in the paper since late 1970s, various organizations have addressed business ethics in different ways, as well as the development of codes of conduct, hiring of corporate responsibility managers and training programs of all kinds, introduction of compliant managers and programs, the preparation and dissemination of value statements, and the addition of board-level ethics committees. Studies conducted in 1960s indicated that European-based corporations were a head of their United State-based counterparts in implementing sustainability and corporate social responsibility practices. However, in the present days, business operations in Europe and the United States are not so much different as was initially assumed. Both businesses in these regions are currently striving to establish the exact meaning for a company to be responsible and ethical. The implementation of ethics and corporate social responsibility practices in most firms have not prevent ed Europe and United State-base companies from engaging in unethical behaviors that cause corporate scandals. This has created increased pressure for governments and Europe-based and U.S.-based corporations to establish more structured ethics and government programs, so as to ensure that these corporations are responsible to the communities within, which they are situated. There are many challenges, which are associated with corporate responsibility. ... ion on how corporate ethics efforts can be improved, and how it can address the issue of underlying causes of misconduct, including the increasing demand for sustainable business, and proactive, socially responsible practices (Banerjee, 2007). Recent researches indicate that European-based companies are far much a head in implementing sustainability and corporate social responsibility practices than their United States-based counterparts, but the question is, are they doing better work of avoiding unethical conduct on a large scale? Understanding the aspects of business ethics is a challenging task since this field is vast, and it usually encompasses issues like reputation management, corporate governance, accurate accounting, environmental stewardship, and fair labor practices (Shaw, 2010). As a matter of fact, this field is concerned with the entire scopes of responsibilities, which a corporation has for all its stakeholders, especially those who have exhibited interest in the acti ons and decision of the company such as suppliers, stakeholders, community, clients, and employees. The understanding of business ethics is further made complex by several terms that refer to corporate programs and offices, which are focused on communicating, monitoring, and enforcing company standards and values (Sims, 2003). In theory, people can make certain distinctions among the various aspects of business ethics such as corporate compliance, corporate responsibility, and social responsibility. However, in practical perspective, such differentiations are of no significance since corporate offices of compliance that was established in 1970s can today function similarly to social and corporate responsibility (Trevino & Nelson, 2010). In order to understand the various scopes and nature

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Example for Free

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Advance Idea Mechanics is the new military weapon division of The Renco Group Inc. It is a promising addition that is designed to take its parent company to brand new heights in prestige and financial stability. In previous drafts, we outlined what Advance Idea Mechanics could do for its shareholders, now it is time to analyze how it compares to the vision and the strategic goals of The Renco Group Inc. Balanced Scorecard and Communication Plan The balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is used significantly in business and industry, government, and nonprofit organizations worldwide to line up business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and observe organization performance against strategic goals. It is â€Å"A set of four measures directly linked to a company’s growth† (Pearce Robinson, 2009, p. 202). Here is a picture of how Advance Idea Mechanics matches up with The Renco Group Inc. vision and strategy. Financial Perspective – Shareholder’s Value The Balanced Scorecard or â€Å"dashboard† is a tool that gives managers and executives a â€Å"balanced† view of what the company is doing on the business side and how they are performing within the scope to the vision and strategy of the organization. The main responsibility of the company is to increase net revenue and achieve financial constancy while providing the best product and service at a reasonable price, on condition that customer satisfaction is met. To appraise the financial constancy of an organization, it is essential to compute the operating cost, growth income and return on interest and capital, and earnings per share. By utilizing efficient  processes we will be able to reduce expenses by lowering costs, improving on-stream time, and growing revenues. Advance Idea Mechanics new â€Å"state of the art† platform and processes will surely please The Remco Group Inc. as well as their shareholders of their financial viability. Customer Value Perspective If a business customer is satisfied, then a business knows that it is successful. Delivering uniformity in the price and superiority in your product helps to give the company an edge, over the competition, in the market, separating the company’s product by brand name or a particular image. This is how each company attracts the consumers, and builds hopefully, a long-term business relationship with the customer. Advance Idea Mechanics is doing that with the government by giving them the most advance products on the military stage. They not only sell a unique product, but they also provide a service, that no matter what their device encounters, Advance Idea Mechanics will provide a solution. Since our products will be in war torn areas it is important to know that safety of the people who use our product will be one of our main objectives. Advance Idea Mechanics wants to make sure that our clients leave their vehicles the same way they got in their vehicles. Advance Idea Mechanics will do on-going surveys to see what we can do to improve on the safety, care, comfort, and reliability of all the products we make. There will be a team operating twenty four hours a day to address any concerns that our clients might have. At Advance Idea Mechanics customer satisfaction is number one. Internal Business Process When it comes to customer satisfaction strategic planning is a must. It is used to raise customers and to present new products and to improving business capabilities. It is critical that we describe what our strategy is and use this to increase market share. By understanding our position, the company will be able to have the power it needs to evaluate its performance and line up with the vision and mission statement of the corporation. There will be internal audits of the goals and performance of the company, conducted daily, to monitor the balance scorecard to make any adjustments needed to have a flawless process, always keeping the concern of  the client at important. The Renco Group Inc. and its subsidiary, Advance Idea Mechanics, understand that the United States is a larger and powerful client and the earning potentials from this alliance can be huge. This is why it is important that we look at every metric to ensure that we are doing everything we can to satisfy the governme nt and stay loyal to our mission and vision. Learning and Growth Perspective The final piece of the Balance Scorecard is the learning and growth process. It is here that the vision aligns flawlessly with the company’s so that it can gain an aggressive upper hand and position in the marketplace. It focuses on the expansion and success of the business, and it focuses on the interior and exterior public, their thoughts and actions. The Renco Group Inc. and Advance Idea Mechanics use the Balance Scorecard as a tool to help the company to maintain its standing and also promote technological improvements. Advance Idea Mechanics will be a division that lives in the world of technological development and without it; it will be just another company. This is why one of the main changes that this perspective brings is an emphasis on employee training, to make ready for action employees, which will constantly improve their knowledge base and make them an effective part of our new vision. The second word in Advance Idea Mechanics is â€Å"idea† and we hope we can pull some of our inspiration from the people who work within the company. With a new division, fresh ideas, and a plan for internal employee training, The Remco Group Inc and Advance Idea Mechanics see no reason why we will not have great employee retention and a spirited workforce. Conclusion Advance Idea Mechanics is a new dream, but it is predicated on an idea that got its start from The Remco Group Inc. founding business. By using the Balance Scorecard and using the Communication Plan we know that we can implement strategic plan that will adhere to the principles outlined by the company’s vision and mission statements. It will take all four perspectives: Financial, Customer Perspective, Internal Business Process and Learning and Growth to move the company to the next level, but with monitoring and adjustments, shareholders will reap the benefits when the day is done. References Pearce II, J. A., Robinson, R. B. (2009). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation and Control (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. The Renco Group Inc.. (2014). Retrieved from http://rencogroup.net/index.php

A lost property Essay Example for Free

A lost property Essay A lost property is one which is found in a locality where it is likely that its true owner had no intent of placing it and the owner is not likely to find it. On the other hand, misplaced property is one which the true owner placed it somewhere and forgot to pick it up. Conversely, abandoned property is one which the true owner intended to leave somewhere due to the state it was in (Litka Inman, 1983). This plane could have been termed as lost or abandoned. The collector of the airplane Doug Chaplin, thus lost in the court ruling since the plane was a lost and found property (Stewart, Warner Portman, 2008). The plane could have remained to be the property of Chaplin but since The Navy found it and because they are the true owners; they have a right to repossess it. Chaplin should have turned the plane over to the proper authorities. Moreover, if the owner does not go to claim it for a certain time period, then the plane could be reverted back to Chaplin (Warda, 2005). The plane was ruled to be belonging to The Navy even though Chaplin could have been rewarded for his effort to recover the plane. The court could also have ruled that the plane constituted an abandoned property and thus was supposed to be a property of the government of which The Navy was also part of the government. Chaplin could never win the case because the plane’s true owners were claiming it, in addition, the law holds that lost property should be returned to the owner. Even if Chaplin collected the plane as a relic, the plane still belonged to The Navy since under the common law of America, relics are entitled to their collector unless the true owner reclaims them. References Litka, M. P. ; Inman, J. E. (1983). The legal environment of business: Public and private laws. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Stewart, M. ; Warner, R. ; Portman, J. (2008). Every landlords legal guide. Berkeley, California: Nolo. Warda, M. (2005). Landlords rights and duties in Florida. Chicago, IL: Sourcebooks, Incorporated.

Nature conservation: Management plan for Padworth Common

Nature conservation: Management plan for Padworth Common Nature conservation: Management plan for Padworth Common (Dartford Warbler). Overall Summary of management plan: Policy statement and Background Preamble: Padworth common nature reserve was previously owned by the west Berkshire county council. But in 2005 the land manamgement was acquired by the Buckinghamshire, and Oxford Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) in 2005 (Fort, 2013). The Main overall policy for this land is â€Å"to Ensure these sites continue to thrive both in terms of their significant wildlife interest and for the many local people who regularly use and enjoy them†. This was a statement given by the west Berkshire executive member for the environment Councillor Hilary Cole (Fort, 2013). Description Pathworth common is located between Aldermaston and Burghfield Common about 9 miles outside the city of reading (Jeffery, 2004). The land is currently owned by The West Berkshire County Council, as said before it is now managed but BBOWT since 2005 (Jeffery, 2004). The land is 30ha of open wet, dry and humid lowland heath with small sections of oak woodland, there is also a few large seasonal ponds and one that is permanently filled (Wallington, 2013). The Boundaries of Padworth common are to the south a privately owned field that and a sand and gravel quarry. And to the north east and the boundaries are defined by Old warren and Hatch farm. The western boundry is defined the small hamlet of Padworth Common. Management and infrastructure For the management for a lowland heath area like padworth common, there needs to be a set of objectives crucial to the infrastructure of the scheme to manage the whole area and the all the individual features in it. The first is a very generalised objective and covers as many of the features benefits in one goal this is to encourage the restoration and health of lowland heathland to retain the ecological value of Padworth heath (Westcombe, n.d.). The other three objectives are more constrained in the features that they benefit. The first is the have grazing at the site to monitor and manage the growth of the heath, This will majorly benefit the ground nesting birds like the nightjar. The second plan is to have regulations and management for the public and the nightjar population to reduce disturbance, this is primarily aimed and nightjars and nesting birds to minimise disturbance and help promote nest production (Westcombe, n.d.). Finally the 3rd management project is the control the spread and removing strands of bracken, this is to reduce competition with the local heathland plants and improve the biodiversity of the plant life in the area. The legal constraints for this area is that Lowland heathland areas all over Britain are under the protection of the wildlife and countryside act of 1981 and is notified as SSSI (Westcombe, n.d.). Compartments or zones The area of Padworth common is divided into 3 different zones; Open heathland, oak forest and seasonal/permanent ponds; Open heathland are open landscapes commonly dominated by heathers, gorse and has a few sliver birch tress spaced in the area. There are 3 different types of heath dependent on their soil moisture content wet heath occur on high water tables, dry heath is abundant in free draining soils. Heath is important for over 5000 invertebrates that are crucial to the food chain of this ecosystem (Countryside Info, n.d.). Oak woodland is a broad leaf woodland highly occupied by English oak, sessile oak or hybrids between the two. The oak woodland is highly established woodland as a resource basis for building and fuel. The oak woodland is also a representation of the climax vegetation in the southwest of Britain where Padworth common is located (North Dervon Government, n.d.). The seasonal pounds can support a vital ecosystem for many specialised pond species. This coupled with that a large number of rare species has been linked with the seasonal pond which makes these one of the highest management aims of Padworth common (The Ponds Conservation Trust, n.d.). Enviromental information The physical aspects of the heath are that it is a mosaic of wet damp and dry habitats. The type of habitat is found on poor acidic soils in wet mild climates below 300m of altitude. Th biological features of this site are the many species that the heathland can accomidate from the greyling butterfly to the rare great crested newt (English Nature, 2002). This is due to the many niches available for the animals to occupy; the seasonal pounds are a rich source of nuitrients and support many rare species. The open heath which is occupied by many ground nesting birds such as the nightjar. The gorse bushes are used by the Dartford warbler to build nest and protect themselves from predation (English Nature, 2002). Culturally lowland heath has been an important part to human agriculture for thousands of years. The Mesolithic played a great part in the expansion of the lowland heath habitat by cutting down great swathes of the woodland landscape for building material and fuels. This mass cut ting of woodland had impoverished the soil but this has and a positive effect on heather ground and promotes the growth of lowland heathland (English Nature, 2002). Up until the 20th century heathland has been used in a wide range of agricultural processes such as fodder and fuel (English Nature, 2002). Vision Description of site The Padworth common nature reserve is split into two half’s divied by Bowughugrst Road. The heathland is located in the centre of each area while the Oakland is defines the boundaries of the nature reserve. The pounds are locates towards the south west corner of the southern half of the reserve. Conformation and evaluation of features Pathworth has many features and species that make this a site of National importance. Species such as the nightjar, the Dartford warbler and the Grayling butterflies (Wallington, 2013). Each of these will have a certain factors that can affect the species success and survival such as; the road that passes through the reserve, the seasonal ponds, and the growth of bracken. This plan focuses on the Dartford warbler and the key features that effect these are gorse coverage and heathland health (RSPB, 2014). The management of this species is desperately needed due to the harsh winters that have been occurring recently and that there are only1-2 breeding pairs in pad worth (Defra, n.d.). for this species to thrive and stabilise and even increase in population size drastic action is needed to preserve this native bird species. The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) Factors Effecting the Dartford warbler There at many factors that affects the breeding success and survival rates of the Dartford warbler. The main 2 factors are the amount of gorse in an area, disturbance and Availability of food. Gorse has a huge effect on the Dartford warbler; this is due to the warbler uses the gorse as nesting material. This is because the benefits it has as protection from predators by being a heavy dense shrub and makes its hard from predators to access (RSPB, 2012). Disturbance has been shown in recent study to majorly effect warbler fecundity. A study has shown that if 13-16 people walk through a heathland area within an hour this can seriously disrupt the breeding patterns of birds and will prevent multiple broods of warblers (Murison, et al., 2007). Objectives for the feature: The objectives laid out for this management plan are in priority order; The main objective for this animal is to maintain the already stable population in the management site of Padworth common. If at all possible our secondary objective is to even increase the number of breeding pairs in Padworth common from 2 breeding pairs to 4. The thirds and least priority objective is that if we can get successful breeding pairs to Padworth we could then export the juveniles into other areas to increase the number of breeding pairs in other heathland habitats. Current condition of feature: The current condition of the Dartford warbler in Europe is that there are 2,025,546-3,635,791 breeding pairs. 75% of the breeding pairs are thought to be breeding in spain. The population is general stable in Europe (Defra, n.d.). There are certain areas of Spain where the Dartford warbler has been seen in a sustained decline since the 1970’s. Fluctuations are not uncommon in this bird (Defra, n.d.). The current condition of the bird internationally is near threatened according to the IUCN red list. (IUCN, 2012) Nationally this bird has been awarded an amber status under the RSPB classification system (RSPB, 2014). The main population of the warbler are in the south and south west of Britain, with a small population in the south east of Britain (RSPB, 2014). The last estimated minimum of breeding pairs in the UK is 1,600-1,890 (Defra, n.d.). Monitoring projects: To monitor the bird populations there are two ways in which this can be done; The first is to let the public and volunteers are able to monitor the birds this can be accomplished through education and a growing interest in the local bird populations. The main disadvantage to this method is that this may increase disturbance of the birds. Key sites can be pinpointed which can be monitored by the park wardens and wildlife trust employee’s this will reduce the amount of disturbance to the breeding birds and still achieve rewarding results. The only flaw with this method is if the bird numbers become higher it may be hard to identify all the birds. Management projects: These are the four management project that will be used to help increase and stabilise the population of the Dartford warbler. Introducing grazing, this is active grazing of livestock on the heathland areas to stop the overgrowth of a particular plant species. Coppicing, this is the cutting of the old parts of gorse to promote new regrowth promoting healthier and denser shrubs. Tree felling, this is done by hand (chainsaw) and the roots dug up to stop the regrowth of the trees. The logs will then be burnt or sold to companies. Bracken removal, this can be done by spraying herbicide on the infected areas thus eradicating of the plant. This is typically done in the summer months due to the plant being at maximum growth. A timetable showing the priority and timescale of projects; Justification of project: The Justification of these methods is as follows; Introduced grazing, this helps promote and uneven ages (mosaic) of the heathland. This maximises the biodiversity of the area due to many species requiring different ages of bracken to survive. This is ideal for the Dartford warbler for its food supply of invertebrates which need the heather for their survival (Hampshire County Council, 2011). Coppicing, this promoted regrowth of the older gorse. Typically the Dartford warbler prefers younger gorse, this is because it is much denser and provide more camouflage and protection of the nest site from predators. Therefore the coppicing of older dead parts of the plant promotes these parts to grow back into thick Bracken which the Dartford warbler needs for nesting (Hampshire County Council, 2011). Tree felling, the felling of trees such as birch helps the regrowth of the open heathland which is advantageous to many species such as the Dartford warbler. The warbler needs these open spaces of heath to be able to catch the invertebrates and feed (Hampshire County Council, 2011). Bracken removal, this is crucial in the survival of any woodland. The dense mate cause by this plant will shade out any other plants. So in vast numbers this is very detrimental to the whole heathland ecosystem. With control and management this increases the biodiversity of the area allowing other plant life to thrive (Hampshire County Council, 2011). Works Cited Berkshire Heathland, 1998. Berkshire Heathland Biodiversity Action Plan, s.l.: s.n. Countryside Info, n.d. What Is Heathland?. [Online] Available at: http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/whatis.htm [Accessed 10 3 2014]. English Nature, 2002. Lowland Heathland A Cultural And Endangerd Landscape, Peterborough: English Nature. Fort, L., 2013. Get Reading. [Online] Available at: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/wildlife-trust-set-run-west-4189279 [Accessed 10 3 2014]. IUCN, 2012. IUCN redlist (Dartford Warbler). [Online] Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22716984/0 [Accessed 10 3 2014]. Jeffery, O., 2004. Padworth Common Proposed Local Nature Reserve. s.l., s.n. Murison, G. et al., 2007. Habitat type determines the effects of disturbance on the breeding productivity of the dartford warbler Sylvia undata. Ibis, Volume 149, pp. 16-26. North Dervon Government, n.d. Oak Woodland. [Online] Available at: http://www.northdevon.gov.uk/oak_woodland.pdf [Accessed 10 3 2014]. RSPB, 2012. RSPB (Gorse). [Online] Available at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/advice/gorse/index.aspx [Accessed 10 3 2014]. RSPB, 2014. RSPB (Dartford Warbler). [Online] Available at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/d/dartfordwarbler/ [Accessed 10 3 2014]. The Ponds Conservation Trust, n.d. Good Wilflife Ponds. [Online] Available at: http://www.sussexotters.org/pdf/Good wildlife ponds.pdf [Accessed 10 3 2014]. Wallington, A., 2013. Natural England. [Online] [Accessed 10 3 2014]. Westcombe, n.d. Management Of Environmental Features Specific Options, Prescriptions And Indicators Of Success, s.l.: s.n. Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Reduction: Nigeria Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Reduction: Nigeria Introduction Background to the Study This study attempt to examine the impact of the Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria using with a case study of Ado-Odo Ota, local government area, Ogun state, Nigeria. The issue of poverty in Nigeria has remained a major threat to the nation’s social, political and economic development. Every nation whether it is developed or less developed country contains elements that are poor. Nigeria has a population of more than 160 million – the largest in Africa – and a fast-growing economy. Despite Nigeria’s plentiful agricultural resources and oil wealth, poverty is widespread in the country and has increased since the late 1990s. Some 70 per cent of Nigerians live on less than US$1.25 a day. Poverty has become a feature of the living conditions and life situation of the vast majority of Nigerians. According to Babatunde et al (2008), Poverty has been viewed to be a global phenomenon but the level of this dilemma in developing countries has gotten to an alarming proportion. Internationally, about 1.2 billion people are living in extreme poverty less than one dollar per day and therefore due to the high predominance of poverty, reducing it has been of grave concern to many countries in the past few decades. Though, there have been a lot of improvements in the developed world, such cannot be said of developing ones especially in the Sub-Sahara Africa where poverty is prevalent due to many factors such as corruption, mismanagement of resources, poor programme implementation, poor governance and political instability, poor economic management and lack of purposive leadership. According to Ukpong (1996), (cited in Obadan, 1996) explained that poverty has earned identification in the extent of its ravaging society and the affairs of humanity at the international, national and local levels. The need exists now for urgent actions towards its reduction and control. Therefore, poverty is a snare and it is dehumanizing. In other words, judging from what Ukpong explained poverty to be, it will be ideal if poverty can be eradicated. According to Anyanwu (1997), Poverty has become a major cause of concern to academic, analysts, governmental, non-governmental organizations and international agencies. Poverty is multidimensional; it includes various alienations and deprivations such as: lack of human capabilities, poor life expectancy, poor maternal health, illiteracy, poor nutritional levels, poor access to safe drinking water and perceptions of well-being However, the (World Bank Report, 1999), has described that issues in Poverty now include: physiological and social deprivations, vulnerability, inequality, violation of basic human rights. (Zupi, 2007), also added that the observable disadvantage in relation to the local community or the wider society or nation to which a deprived individual, family, household or group belongs is an issue in poverty. In an attempt to salvage the situation, in September 2000, 189 World leaders millennium summit and committed themselves and their countries to 8 goals known as The Millennium Development goals (MDG’s) aimed at meeting the needs of the World’s poorest people. The Millennium Development goals have been regarded as the universal remedy of issues of underdevelopment. These goals were created under the leadership of Ban Ki-Moon (the Secretary General of the United Nations) through the UN to tackle issues seen to be holding back developing nations. It was adopted by 189 countries and signed by 174 heads of state and government. (UNDP, 2005) Ban Ki-Moon (2009), laid more emphasis on this in his report entitled, â€Å"A road map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration†. In the words of Ban Ki-Moon, The world leaders set far sighted goals to free a major portion of humanity from the shackles of extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease. They established targets for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, environmental stability and a global partnership for development. In short, they adopted a blue print for a better world and pledged to spare no effort in fulfilling that vision (Ki-Moon, 2009). The MDG’s are listed plans by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) committee on how the underdeveloped or developing countries can enhance their level of development in different socio-economic areas. The MDG’s are: Goal 1- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Goal 2- Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 3- Achieve a Universal primary education Goal 4- Reduce child mortality Goal 5-Improve Maternal Health Goal 6-Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Goal 7-Ensure environmental stability Goal 8- Develop a global partnership The first goal of the United Nations Millennium development Goals is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger with Target 1 being to halve, between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 per day: and Target 2 being to halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger (Sachs, 2005:72) Since, poverty as the number 1 goal of the MDG’s shows an alarm in both national and the global world. According to Yinka (2003), the UN Development Programme Human development report scored the Nigerian government low on its efforts to combat poverty and pursue meaningful growth in the human development index. The report states Nigeria is among fifty countries with the lowest human development index and the 54th among 94 other developing countries where human income poverty level remains the highest. Odeyale (2005) explained that in Nigeria, about 36% or 44.3 million of the total 160 million populations are found in the major cities. The rapid growth of the Nigerians cities is characterized by ever increasing population (due to rural urban migration) over stressed infrastructure (such as dilapidated roads, frequent power outage, poor water supply), sub-standard living condition (in ghettos, slum and over-crowded houses), high crime rate. Put differently, it can be described that the growth of population in Nigeria is always on the increase and the availability of defaulted infrastructures and low standard of living which in turn lead to low crime rate. To this end, this study becomes inevitable so as to access the impact of millennium development goals to poverty reduction in Nigeria. Statement of the Problem Different scholars have argued about the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 particularly in Nigeria. While some scholars have argued that it can be achieved before the set target date of 2015, some have argued against the possibility of its achievement. The Millennium Development Goals were goals structured and formulated by the United Nations in the year 2000 to help bridge the gap between the Global North and the Global South. These goals however, were supposed to be of a positive influence to the less developed countries especially in the area of eradicating poverty. However, it has been observed that some of the developing countries are still lagging behind especially in the area of poverty reduction; Nigeria has been observed to be a country of plenty yet is still beset with the problem of poverty. What therefore can be said of other underdeveloped countries in Africa? The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is of the view that the Millennium Development Goals embody basic human rights such as the right of each person to health, education, shelter and security. The Goals are ambitious but feasible and jointly with the comprehensive United Nation development agenda set the course for the world’s effort to alleviate poverty by 2015. According to Ban Ki-Moon (2009), the Millennium Development Goals would bring about a change and to a large extent, a real difference in the lives of people. With strong Leadership and accountability; this progress can be expanded in most of the world’s countries by the target date of 2015. However, some scholars are not in agreement to the view of Ki-Moon that the MDG’s would bring about a change in the lives of people. According to Deneulin and Shahani (2009) argued that the Millennium Development Goals lack a focus on local participation and empowerment (Excluding women empowerment). The Millennium Development Goals also lack an emphasis on sustainability, making their future after 2015 questionable. Thus, while the MDGs are a tool for tracking progress toward basic poverty reduction and provide a very basic policy road map to achieving these goals, they however do not capture all the elements needed to achieve the ideals set out in the Millennium Declaration. The inability to reach a valid conclusion as to the actualization of the Millennium goals by 2015 has resulted to the Millennium development Goals remaining a problem. Therefore the essence of the Millennium Development Goals comes into play in the context of Nigeria in the sense over 53.6% million Nigerians which is nearly 45% of the total population go to bed hungry every night, around 70% of the total 160 million citizens live below the globally acceptable survival line of $1 Dollar which is equivalent to 160naira per day. Also, over 5million of our youths are not employed, therefore Nigeria according to the National Poverty Eradication Programme (2003) is quoted to be among the poorest country in the world. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria, how far the Nigerian government have gone for the realization of these goals, and how the Nigerian Government and the society at large intend on making the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria, a reality by 2015. Research Questions The research seeks to answer the following questions: What is the impact of Millennium Development Goals in poverty reduction in Nigeria? Can it be agreed upon that Extreme Poverty and Hunger in the Nigerian state would minimized by 2015? What can be done for Millennium Development Goals to influence the Poverty reduction in Nigeria? Objectives of the Study To examine the impact of Millennium Development Goals in poverty reduction in Nigeria. To evaluate if the extreme poverty and hunger rate in Nigeria can be minimized by 2015. To examine the role of Millennium Development Goals in poverty reduction in Nigeria. Research Hypotheses The Hypothesis to be used for this study would be drawn from the objective of this study. There are: H0: Millennium Development Goals has not impacted in poverty in Nigeria. H1: Millennium Development Goals has impacted in poverty in Nigeria H0: The extreme hunger and poverty in the Nigerian state cannot be minimized by 2015. H2:. The extreme hunger and poverty in the Nigerian state can be by 2015. H0: Millennium development goals has not influenced Poverty reduction in Nigeria H3: Millennium development goals has influenced Poverty reduction in Nigeria Significance of the Study Over the years, this study has been examined by various scholars. The study of the Millennium Development Goals has remained of great importance as it addresses issues on development which Nigeria needs at this very time. The issues of poverty and the bid to alleviate it has been a key issue which governments have attempted to deal with. This attempt has manifested in the various past poverty reduction programmes carried out by the government all aimed at improving the quality of the lives of the populace. The essence of this study is to expose the rate of poverty reduction since its inception of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000. This study will bring forward the various methods or means that the government has embarked on towards the achievement of Poverty reduction especially in Ado-odo ota local government area, Ogun state, Nigeria as a case study, and the impact of millennium development goals in poverty reduction in Nigeria in particular. The importance of this work is to view how poverty reduction can be achieved alongside United Nations Millennium development Goals in Nigeria and the impact of the government towards poverty reduction. And also study at the possibility of the attainment of this goal by 2015 with the use of relevant structures. This study will form a secondary data to other researchers who will research in this area. 1.7 Scope of the study This study examines Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Reduction with particular reference to Ado-odo local government area in Nigeria will be used as a case study. The period covered for this study will be from 2000-2015. This time duration becomes necessary since Millennium Development Goals was formulated in 2000 and to elapse in 2015. It should be noted that 2015 is just some months away. This study also focuses on the possibility of attaining the Poverty Eradication goal by 2015. Research Methodology This segment would discuss the methods to be used in this study. Research methodology can be described as a path through which the objectives of the study can becomes actualized Source of Data The study would engage both primary and secondary sources of data. By primary data sources, required data and information will be collected directly through interviews with Academicians and Government officials in different fields of study in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government Area, Ogun state. Questionnaires will also be administered to a wider range for information to be extracted from the general public. Secondary sources of data refers to the information gathered from already published or unpublished materials such as magazines, journal articles, newspapers, internet and online materials, lecture notes, conference materials, relevant books and other materials relevant to the subject matter. Secondary sources of data will be employed in this study. Population of the Study The population to be used for this study would include non-governmental bodies, political actors, academicians, and the society at large. The reason for this population range is not only because of their level of knowledge, but also for their importance as key players in the political system. Sample Size A total of 100 questionnaires would be administered during the course of this research. A sum of 5 persons will also be interviewed for vital information to the study. Instrument of data Collection The conduct of direct interviews and the use of questionnaires will be designed as research instrument to collect data on how the Millennium Development Goals have helped attainment of Poverty Reduction in Nigeria. Both Quantitative and Qualitative research methods would be applied. Data Analysis Technique The analysis technique used in this study would be Correlation/Regression Analysis. This analysis would be engaged to study the relationship between the variables used in this research work. Outline Of The Study Chapter One introduces the topic and the MDG’s itself by providing a background to the study. It clarifies the concept of development and how important it is to the nation. It goes on to the statement of problem, the objectives of the study, questions the research seeks to answer, methodology of the study, research significance and hypotheses, and the scope and limitations of the study. Chapter Two covers the review of literatures relevant to this research and the theoretical framework that best explains the subject matter of this study. This includes the conceptualization of key terms, and the theoretical framework which provides a better grasp of the relationship between the millennium development goals and poverty reduction in Nigeria Chapter Three is an overview and assessment of the millennium development goals and poverty reduction in Nigeria. This chapter also examines the causes of Poverty in Nigeria. It moves on to examining the various poverty reduction programmes and policies, the challenges faced in the achievement of these programmes and the current problems of Poverty and hunger in Nigeria. It also outlined the roles of the Nigerian government and the Ogun state Government in attaining poverty reduction in Nigeria; it also would examine the various poverty reduction programmes carried out by the Ogun state Government from 1999 to 2015. Chapter Four is the presentation of data, analysis and interpretation. Data gotten from the field work through interviews and questionnaires will be analyzed using secondary data to support the data analysis. Chapter five summarizes the work, makes recommendations and concludes the study.

Irelands Michael Collins And Emon De Valera :: essays research papers

Ireland's Michael Collins and Emon De Valera   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many conditions under which Ireland was divided into two nations. Two main men were the main leaders of this split, Emon de Valera and Michael Collins. Sinn Fein also played a large role. Their differing visions for an Ireland free of British rule was the root motivation for the split.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in New York City in 1882, Emon de Valera was described as a 'tall, spectacled, schoolmasterly, of Jewish cast' as Tim Healy said. Edward Norman, the author of A History of Modern Ireland, added that de Valera was an 'austere theoretician' (Norman, 265). Michael Collins was born in 1890 at Clonakilty, Co. Cork. Edward Norman said his personality was to be to the contrary of de Valera's; he said Collins was not an intellectual and was a man of violent impulses. He took that statement further when he said the Collins would go as far to tumble his colleagues on the floor and bite their ears in playful attention. Now that de Valera's and Collins' personalities have been established, we can now analyze the events and actual conditions under which Ireland was under that led ultimately to her freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All across Ireland people were repulsed by the executions which they considered to be needlessly brutal. What they lacked was new leadership to focus the restless energy of the Irish into effective political action, but it was not long in coming. At Christmas 1916 all rebel prisoners who had been interned without trial, those that the British had considered insignificant, were released as a goodwill gesture to the United States which had been very angry by British conduct regarding the rebels. This proved to be a costly mistake. Among those released was a cadre of IRB men who had spent their time in prison educating and organizing themselves into what came out to be a formidable political and military force. The leader of these efforts in prison was Michael Collins, who was still a little known Volunteer at the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite martial law, Collins contacted the members of his secret organization throughout Ireland and set in motion a clever plan to obtain political power. Using Sinn Fein as cover, the IRB began to run its members as candidates for parliament. Their successes throughout 1917 against Redmond's Irish Parliamentary Party candidates shifted power to Sinn Fein and caused a turmoil of public support for the republican movement throughout Catholic Ireland. After Collins release in June, 1917,Eamon de Valera, the oldest of the surviving 1916 rebels, joined Collins. De Valera was lucky for he had been

Albrecht Ritschl Essay examples -- Christian Theology

Introduction Albrecht Ritschl was one of the most pivotal theologians in the history of Christianity. While many charge him with introducing ideas that led to a more liberal theology, his intentions were nevertheless honorable. Ritschl lived in a time where Christianity was no longer considered relevant or feasible, and his reinterpretations were an attempt to keep Christianity applicable to modern society. His defenses, however, often resulted in a corruption of doctrine and left Christianity open to attack. Thus Ritschl was an extremely influential theologian, though many question how positive that influence may have been. Ritschl’s Theology Ritschl’s theology was greatly affected by the philosophers of his time. Immanuel Kant had declared that the mind was incapable of understanding anything more than what could be experienced sensorially or was beyond ordered reason and logic. Similarly, Ritschl was influenced by the Tà ¼bingen school of theology, which he came to firmly oppose. Tà ¼bingen theology was extremely skeptical about Christianity, yet also promoted mysticism. Further, the school disregarded church history.1 Thus Ritschl’s theology would take a less extreme approach. He would reject mysticism on the grounds that theology must be firmly rooted in reality, particularly moral and ethical realities. On this basis he also rejected natural theology.2 Ritschl’s theology agreed with Kant’s philosophy to some extent. He agreed that the mind was limited to its experiences, but believed it could understand moral issues as they affected the individual.3 Thus everything was reduced to judgements of fact or value. Fact judgements could be proven objectively, but value judgements could not. Thus value judgements were left... ... Bibliography Ahern, Annette. â€Å"Social Justice: Now, Later or Never? The Contribution of Albrecht Ritschl and Johannes Weiss to Social Justice Theology.† Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses 32, no. 3 (2003): 281-97. http://sir.sagepub.com/content/32/3/281 (accessed February 18, 2012). Douglas, J. D., Philip Wesley Comfort and Donald Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1992. Eckman, James P. Exploring Church History. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002. Geisler, Norman L. and William E. Nix. A General Introduction to the Bible. Rev. and expanded. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996. Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day. 2nd ed. New York City, NY: HarperOne, 2010. Pierard, R.V. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 2nd ed. Edited by Walter A. Elwell. Grand Rapids, MI.: Baker Academic, 2001.

Lord Of The Flies: Our Society Suppresses The Evil That Is Presented I :: essays research papers

Lord of the Flies: Our Society Suppresses the Evil That Is Presented In All of Us   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows how our society suppresses the evil that is presented in all of us. Throughout this adventure Jack changes from a well mannered choir bo, who was scared to kill a pig, to a savage hunter who leads his band of hunters to kill everything in site. Jack was a load and strick choir leader and always seemed as if he would do anything to be leader, while Ralph was not severe or even very load, but he always wanted what was best for the group. Ralph uses the conch as a symbol of order and it is opposite to the pigs head (the lord of the flies) which attributes to the killing and sheer brutality of the hunters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack is the perfect example of a boy whose dark side took over when he was no longer bound down to a civil environment. After being unable to bear killing a pig due to the horrific blood, he became eager to gain respect, almost redeem himself, by becoming a hunter. He was remarkably enthusiastic about hunting. He painted his face and got spears. He eventually cared no more for being rescued, because all he wanted to do was kill pigs. The number of hunters kept on growing and he began to get other kids to hunt with him. They soon had a routine (the dance) and whenever they did thad they had to kill, because they got so pumped up when they did it. Jack then began killing as if it were a luxury. They became savage hunters as evil took over; they killed almost as if it were a sexual performance for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As this adventure began, Jack was the leader of the choir. He was a bully who always wanted to be the leader and be looked upon with the utmost resopect. When Ralph came along as a mild and sensible boy, and was chosen ahaed of Jack as the leader, Jack was furious. Jack wanted more than anything to become leader and he began an amoral reign as he let the evil within take control. He became a hunter and a bold dictator looking bot for order, but for fun. Ralph was searching for order, yet Jack's overpowering will to succeed Ralph as the leader led him to compleat madness. He now was an killer and had let his evil half take over. By the end of the story he had become so evil,

Retail Analysis Mcdonalds

Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Introduction5 Explain about the retail store6 Explain why you have chosen this retail store7 Explain about your scenario as a mystery shopper and what you did at the outlet8 Describe the retail store’s customer service with your knowledge of Pet Peeves and 14 factors of company culture. 10 Suggest some solutions to improve the retail store’s customer service14 Conclusion15 Executive Summary Acting as a â€Å"mystery shopperâ€Å" we have evaluated one of the McDonalds’ retail shops. We have chosen a McDonalds retail shop by reason of its obvious success.McDonalds has got a yearly profit of approximately 5. 5 billion USD by trading with fast-food. Our evaluation shows us there is one certain reason of its success: Constancy! Customers know what they get at McDonalds, wherever they are in the world and apparently they appreciate this constancy. Nonetheless there are some obvious Pet Peeves, which are related to the three level s of factors of a company culture. Level one describes what you obviously feel, see and hear. Level 2 is about the communication between employee and customer. Level three contains factors that are not obvious but ake us like McDonalds subconsciously, is very tough to find in our outlet. Regarding these Pet peeves and the factors of company culture we come up with three different suggestions to improve the retail store’s customer service. 1. The company can become more ecological, by producing less rubbish. Especially in order to enhance its reputation. 2. Friendlier and politer staff 3. Achieving a nicer environment in its outlets Regarding its success it seems quite unnecessary to make some changes, but in order to keep the company’s customer service competitive little changes are recommendable.Introduction McDonalds. The company is already one of the most successful companies in the world and still growing. The main product the company sells is fast-food. How is thi s possible? How can a company, that is selling fast food, be this successful? What is the secret of its success? We threw ourselves into one of its outlets and experienced the secrets and services of McDonalds. In our following assignment we will explain about our scenario as a mystery shopper, we will describe and debate the retail store’s customer service, considering the factors of company culture.Finally we will suggest some solutions to improve the retail store’s customer service and make a conclusion of our results. Explain about the retail store â€Å"McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,500 local restaurants worldwide and 1,7million employees, serving nearly 68 million people in 119 countries each day. † (McDonalds) So far, McDonald's in China employs more than 1000 restaurants, the 2013 restaurant number is expected to reach 2000. The company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDona ld in San Bernardino, California. Wikipedia, 2012) McDonalds’ total profit of the year 2011 was approximately 5,5billion USD (finanzen. net). Explain why you have chosen this retail store McDonalds is one of the most popular fast-food chain companies in the world. You’ll find McDonalds in every little city, in every crowded Shopping Mall. It surely is a very famous and successful company (Llopis, 2011) And this makes it interesting. How can a company that â€Å"just† trades with fast-food be this successful? How can you achieve a yearly profit of 5,5billion USD by trading with Burgers?Apparently McDonalds has got a successful marketing and sales concept, which makes the company very interesting to write an assignment about, considering the roots of its success, debating about its ways to make me purchase again, although it obviously has got some â€Å"Pet peeves†. Explain about your scenario as a mystery shopper and what you did at the outlet It is Sunday afternoon, 4 o’clock when I enter the McDonalds restaurant. It’s not a typical dinner time; consequently the restaurant is not crowded. Nevertheless most of the many tables are covered, and there is a small line n front of the area, where you place the order. On the first view the restaurant seems very clean and you notice a strong smell of food and loud background music. As soon as I enter the outlet, i notice a various number of employees. 4 employees take the order, another 4 employees collect the order together, and approximately 3 employees are responsible of clearing up tables. Additionally there is a bunch of employees cooking and preparing the food, and a couple of employees cleaning the sanitary fittings. It is impossible to give an exact number of employees, but there is definitely a huge amount of workers.Furthermore the employees wear a uniform. The greeting is short and not remarkable friendly, the employee makes the impression that he is pushing me to or der as soon and as fast as possible. You find a big, easy watching menu board behind the back of the Seller, which makes it easy to find a suitable product. Consequently the employee won’t ask questions to find a suitable product, he or she only asks for an upgrade for bigger fries and beverages. Anyway I have to order on my own initiative. Finally I pay for my dish, without getting a student discount and find myself in another line, waiting for the food.After I have got my food I start looking for a table, which I find at the very end of the restaurant. It’s a nice place in front of a big window. Later I’ll figure out that the chairs are quite uncomfortable, but the first impression is good though. While having a suit I notice that my table is still dirty, so I have to wipe down the table by myself. Unfortunately my burger has become cold, which is an opportunity to ask an employee for an exchange. The employee surprisingly shows me a lot of understanding and e xchanges the burger immediately. The new burger is surely satisfying.There is one remarkable point I must mention. The taste of the food is exactly the same taste as all the other times I had been at McDonalds; it doesn’t matter in which country or in which city. At the same time I notice that the interior is also pretty much the same. After we finished our food we found ourselves in front of a big bunch of waste, although we have just eaten two burgers and two medium-sized fries. Finally we left, without clearing up the table. Leaving the outlet is not commented by the staff. In summary it can be said, that the restaurant: †¢ Is basically clean Has got the same interior everywhere †¢ Strong smell of food †¢ Noisy †¢ Employees wear uniforms †¢ Seats are not very comfortable Describe the retail store’s customer service with your knowledge of Pet Peeves and 14 factors of company culture. At first I’d like to mention some so called â€Å"P et Peeves†, that are obviously disturbing and noticeable as soon as you enter the McDonalds outlet: †¢ Tense and noisy environment †¢ Disturbing sounds coming from the kitchen †¢ Unfriendly/ impolite employees that seem very impatient while you are ordering After we ordered and picked up our food we noticed some further â€Å"Pet Peeves†: Left tables are not cleared up and wiped down by employees(dirty tables †¢ Cold food †¢ Uncomfortable seats †¢ One dish creates a big amount of rubbish Considering the factors of company culture in order to evaluate the performance of this particular outlet, I? d like to difference the company culture into three levels (Tobias Amely, 2009) This three level model is invented by Edgar Schein. The information below are based on the Internet page Wikipedia. org. At the first and most cursory level of Schein's model is organizational attributes that can be seen, felt and heard by the uninitiated observer â€⠀œ collectively known as artifacts.Included are the facilities, offices, furnishings, visible awards and recognition, the way that its members dress, how each person visibly interacts with each other and with organizational outsiders, and even company slogans, mission statements and other operational creeds. The next level deals with the professed culture of an organization's members – the values. Shared values are individuals’ preferences regarding certain aspects of the organization’s culture (e. g. loyalty, customer service). At this level, local and personal values are widely expressed within the organization.Basic beliefs and assumptions include individuals' impressions about the trustworthiness and supportiveness of an organization, and are often deeply ingrained within the organization’s culture. Organizational behavior at this level usually can be studied by interviewing the organization's membership and using questionnaires to gather attitudes ab out organizational membership. At the third and deepest level, the organization's tacit assumptions are found. These are the elements of culture that are unseen and not cognitively identified in everyday interactions between organizational members.Additionally, these are the elements of culture which are often taboo to discuss inside the organization. Many of these ‘unspoken rules' exist without the conscious knowledge of the membership. Those with sufficient experience to understand this deepest level of organizational culture usually become acclimatized to its attributes over time, thus reinforcing the invisibility of their existence. Surveys and casual interviews with organizational members cannot draw out these attributes—rather much more in-depth means is required to first identify then understand organizational culture at this level.Notably, culture at this level is the underlying and driving element often missed by organizational behaviorists. (Wikipedia, 2012) R elated to level one, the â€Å"obvious† level which determines what you hear, see and feel: †¢ McDonalds has got the same interior in every restaurant †¢ the staff is wearing the same uniforms †¢ it always smells in the same way †¢ you have got the same products all over the world †¢ menu board format is the same and easy to understand †¢ you can see the McDonalds â€Å"M† symbol everywhere in the outlet †¢ Loud music in the background †¢ Rather young people and kids †¢ People eat alone without feeling awkward All parts of the McDonalds â€Å"sales areas† are constant all over the world. People know what they get and they appreciate it. They consider McDonalds as a clean, trustworthy fast-food restaurant. The second level is about the communication between employee and customer. †¢ Less communication; the communication is restricted to the order process †¢ In case of a complaint about food, the employee exch anges the product instantly †¢ Not remarkable polite, no advices †¢ The leaving is not commented The third level, which contains factors that are not obvious but make us like McDonalds subconsciously, is very tough to find in our outlet.Some factors might be: †¢ The speed of taking the order and getting the food †¢ The noises which make us hurry up(we are not supposed to feel comfortable and stay for a long time †¢ constancy The secret of McDonalds’ success is clearly the constancy. Wherever you are, you’ll find the same food, the same service. Humans apparently like and need constancy as a factor of safety and subconsciously McDonalds gives us this feeling. Suggest some solutions to improve the retail store’s customer service Shortly after entering the restaurant I noticed a various amount of Pet Peeves. Consequently our suggestions are based on at the beginning ofQuestion 4 mentioned Pet Peeves. At this point we have to make clear that it is hard to improve an outlet of a company, which is one of the most successful companies in the world. As a result solutions have to be considered as a subjective suggestion. Our first suggestion is based on an environmental aspect. In times of global warming and increasing pollution it is important to provide ecological products. One part of it is avoiding a lot of rubbish. As mentioned McDonalds is producing a lot of rubbish, so one improvement might be less production of waste, which is also recommendable for the company’s reputation.Another improvement can be trainings of employees to assure polite and patient staff, because this is definitely a negative aspect of our observations. Finally we can highly recommend to get rid of all these annoying sounds coming out of the kitchen. This can lead to a more relaxing environment, which is even recommendable for a fast-food chain company. Conclusion At the beginning of our assignment, we asked the question why a company that is selling fast-food can be this successful, although they are just selling fast-food. The explanation for its success is short and easy: constancy!Wherever you are in the world, McDonalds provides you the well-known and expected food. This constancy makes us purchase subconsciously. By examining a McDonald’s outlet as a â€Å"mystery shopper† we noticed a lot of pet peeves, which mostly lead to a tense feeling. But, at this point I have to make clear that these factors are not very obvious. We got used to them and accept them by keeping on purchasing at McDonalds Nevertheless there are some points which can be improved. 1. The company can become more ecological, by producing less rubbish.Especially in order to enhance its reputation. 2. Friendlier and politer staff 3. Achieving a nicer environment in its outlets If McDonalds can achieve these goals they will most likely stay as successful as they are. Customers don’t go to McDonalds because of its customer ser vice, but McDonalds should be aware of the fact that customers also might not come because of the customer service. Consequently little changes and improvements in customer service can be useful and should be considered in the near future. Bibliography Wikipedia. (2012, 08 24). Retrieved from http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/McDonald%27s Wikipedia. (2012). Von wikipedia. org: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Organizational_culture abgerufen finanzen. net. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. finanzen. net/bilanz_guv/McDonalds Llopis, G. (2011, 12 9). Forbes. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/sites/glennllopis/2011/09/12/the-most-successful-companies-embrace-the-promise-of-their-culture/ McDonalds. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com: http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com/mcd/our_company. html Tobias Amely, T. K. (2009). BWL fur Dummies. Weinheim: Wiley.