Global Marketing

Topshop Background Topshop was launched in 1964 and has continued growing and extending its operations to become very successful in the fashion industry. Topshop is renowned for its superb performance which has indeed enabled it to win the Fashion Retailer of the year two times consecutively, which is a rare occurrence in Europe.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Global Marketing-Strategy and Practice: Topshop specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Topshop success is attributed to its ability to consistently predict upcoming fashion trends and being the first company to bring them into the market and especially in European high streets. The company is known to lead in introducing the latest catwalk styles for young people at affordable prices, as well as in a well fashioned manner. It offers products such as fashion jewelry, alloy jewelry, handbags, wallets, shoes, leather handbags, designer shoes, ladies wallets among others. Topshop started as a small fashion shop in the basement of Peter Robinson department store as early as in 1964. Since then, the company’s performance has been very impressive and within its first decade of instigation, it had managed to transform its humble beginning to become a stand-alone retailer. In 1994, the corporation adopted the brand Topshop and it extended its operations to take over the entire 90,000 sq feat space located at London Oxford Circus. In addition, its great performance within the European high streets has enabled the company to extend its business beyond the high streets which has enabled it to intensively augment its revenues. Topshop is considered as a part of Arcadia Group that owns a number of other retail shops that include Dorothy and Perkins, Topman and Miss Selfridge. The Arcadia Group has greatly boosted the sales of Topshop and Topman to enable it reach a high of 2.78 billion (Williamson 2000). In order to augment its revenue through i nternational ventures Topshop Corporation aspires to extend its operation in either France, China as well as in Egypt in accordance to its growth strategy (Paliwoda Ryan 2008).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Topshop management anticipates that by expanding its operation in either one of these destination, it will increase its market share considerably, as well as help it to generate more revenue and especially at this moment, it is recovering from the aftermath of the recent economical recession. This move is expected to increase the corporation performance as well as to maximize the shareholders’ investments considerably. How France was selected as the Best Destination Topshop management opted to extend its operations to France instead of China or Egypt. The management decided not to consider expanding their operations to Egypt because of the stiff competition tha t Topshop is likely to face from textile products from Egyptian companies. Although Egypt was one of the strategic locations that Topshop management had selected to extend its operations to, they opted not to expand their operations there. Egypt was a strategic choice since it had a high population of approximately 70 million people according to 2000 census statistics. The country mainly comprises of young people with over 35% of its population below 14 years and less than 4% above 65 years. This population can offer a good market for Topshop products since the company produces products that are designed mainly for the young people. This was one of the reasons why Egypt was identified as a viable destination for Topshop expansion. Nevertheless, the high proliferation of Egyptian garments in the region is anticipated to be a major obstacle to the success of Topshop in the region. Textile industry is among the leading industries in Egypt and thus expanding Topshop operations in the re gion will expose the company to unhealthy competition which will greatly hinder its growth. Thus, Topshop should look for a better region to expand its operations to. This may include Regions where the company is not likely to experience very stiff competitions which can greatly hinder its survival. Topshop management had considered expanding its operations to China. The reasons they had opted to expand their operations to the republic of China was its high population. China is ranked as the highly populated nation in the World with a population of over 1.3 billion. This high population makes China a suitable destination for many companies because of availability of cheap labor and ready market for manufactured products. Nevertheless, Topshop management could not extend its operations to China.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Global Marketing-Strategy and Practice: Topshop specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The r eason behind its failure to expand its operations to China is because Topshop produces products that are mainly meant for the young people while China’s population is mainly composed of older people due to the States restrictions for one child. Therefore, extending Topshop Operations to China was not a strategic location. After a careful analysis of the three identified options, Topshop management decided to extend its operations to France. This region was considered an appropriate expansion region because of its closeness to the United Kingdom where Topshop originated. France being a member of the European Union is likely to embrace the Topshop products greatly. Market research and other background information on the chosen market A market research is a very important process for a company that is aspiring to venture into a given market. A market research helps the businesses entrepreneurs to know what products and service will be profitable to offer in the market. In additi on, an effective market research is able to indicate whether a firm has been successful in meeting the expectation of its customers in terms of quality, delivery as well as supply. A market research includes a plan that indicates how relevant data is to be collected and analyzed in order to give results that will be very important in making marketing decisions. The marketing research entails two kinds of research; the primary research and the secondary research. Secondary research involves a review of available literature concerning the subject matter. Secondary research helps an organization to establish its competitors, determine the segment it should target regarding to issues such as life style, population, demographics as well as behavior patterns (Marder 1997). On the other hand, secondary research involves collecting first hand data for the given market research. Primary research helps companies to determine customer satisfaction, needs as well as market completion. Topshop w ill conduct a market research about its venture into United Arab Emirates. The results from the market research will be very essential in determining the strategy the corporation is going to use to venture into this new market which will either be joint venture, franchisee or direct financial investment (Farnham 2010). In addition, the result from the market research will help to determine the extent of competition the corporation is likely to face. The market research will help to identify the main fashion firms that are present in France.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, the research will help to identify which services and products the anticipated competitors are offering in order for Topshop to study their sales trend in order to determine on the kind of products it will use to penetrate its new market. Different regions have diverse demographics needs, preferences and tastes (Jeannet Hennessey 2004). Therefore the market research conducted will help Topshop to learn about its demography in order to tailor its products as well as its services accordingly. France is a region that is mainly comprised of the rich. Most of the fashion customers in French are mostly actors, politicians, executives as well as tourists that have visited the region mainly for businesses as well as recreation reasons. Therefore, Topshop should consider appropriate preferences for all these categories of potential customers in order to lure them to buy their products. Topshop should design handbags that are costumed for the tourists’ ladies that visit t he region for recreations. Similarly, they should design ladies as well as men shoes that will suite the tourists visiting France. As aforementioned there before, identifying the market behavior is paramount for the success of any business venture. Thus, Topshop marketing and sales people should realize cultural barriers that are likely to slow down the sale of their products. They should advise the production department to identify the most appropriate colors to use in these regions. The use of colors is important as different regions have different interpretations for colors and wrong use of colors can greatly hinder the sale of Topshop products (Doole Lowe 2008). The market research will in addition help Topshop management to determine the most effective promotions as well as marketing methods to use to enhance the awareness of its brand within France as well across the border (Bradley 2010) France is known for its superior fashion brands. It has many popular fashions brands suc h as Louis Vuitton which was started in 1854. Most of its products are meant for international actors such as Hollywood stars. It is mainly known for its French leather products such as handbags. Other products that are mainly produced in French include watches, sunglasses, briefcases, wallet as well as Jewelry. Hermes is another very famous fashion brand in France. It was established in 1837 (Kotler Gary 2007). Initially, it produced carves and handbags only. Its most notable product was the Kelly Bag as well as Square Scarf which were produced in the late 20s. During its early days customers had to wait for up to 7 years before accessing Hermes products. Today, Hermes has augmented its performance and it currently offers assorted varieties of scarves, bags leather goods, watches and perfumes as well as women and men clothes. These companies will give Topshop a stiff competition in its new venture. The management at Topshop will require studying the market trend of these top French fashion companies in order to identify the strategies they employ to remain competitive in the mission. This will be imperative in order to learn the approach to use in order to successfully penetrate its new market (Cateora Graham, 2008). A detailed competitive analysis of the international market Since there are many multinational fashion brands in France, Topshop will face stiff competition in its new market. In order to establish a competitive edge over its rival brands, Topshop will have to differentiate its products accordingly. One strategy that it will employ to enhance its products is to extend its production line to include considerable designs for the middle and older generations that forms a considerable size of the French population. In addition, Topshop Company should increase its speed in its production processes such that it is in a position to reduce the product life cycle and releases new fashions more often than its competing brands (Johansson 2004). Apart from competition on price and quality, fashion brands are nowadays competing mainly on the time of releasing new brands. Those companies that are able to release new products faster, they are able to compete better than their rival brands (Hollensen 2011). International business requires effective and efficient communication mechanisms (Mohan 2005). The cotemporary advancement in technology necessitates businesses nowadays to relate and trade more effectively. The advancement in Information Technology has boosted international commerce and made the world behave like a global market with the introduction of internet which supports online marketing as well as e-commerce. Thus, Topshop should embrace facebook and twitter and use it to market its menu to its potential customers within the France as well as across borders. The use of facebook and twitter in the promotion of its products will help it to reach a large number of potential customers which will help it to realize high profits. To enhance the sale of its products, Topshop should design its website to allow electronic payments. Use of electronic payments will facilitate many customers to buy Topshop products from the comfort of their homes (Bradley 2004). An Evaluation of available international Models Topshop can opt to use franchisee, joint venture as well as Direct Financial investment to extend its businesses operations to the new market. Because of economical factors as well as conveniences purposes, Topshop will opt to extend its operations to France as a franchisee or a joint venture. By conducting an appropriate market research, Topshop will be able to identify the strategy it will use to penetrate the fashion industry in France. It will use appropriate competing strategy to establish a competitive edge over its rival brands which will help it fair well in its new market. Lastly, Topshop should embrace internet technology to help it succeed in its international business by facilitating it adopt online marketing and e-commerce (Parner 2012). List of References Bradley, F., 2004, International Marketing Strategy, Prentice Hall, New York. Bradley, N., 2010, Marketing Research Tools and Techniques, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Cateora, PR Graham, JL 2008, International Marketing, McGraw Hill, New York. Doole, I Lowe, R 2008, International Marketing Strategies, Prentice Hall, New York. Farnham, P 2010, Economics for Managers and Franchisee, (2nd ed.), Upper Saddl River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Published as Prentice Hall, New York. Hollensen, S 2011, Global Marketing – A Decision-oriented Approach, Prentice Hall, New York. Jeannet, JP Hennessey, HD 2004, Global Marketing Strategies, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Johansson, JK 2004, Global Marketing, McGraw-Hill, New York. Kotler, P Gary, A 2007, Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Lee, K Carter, S 2010, Global Marketing Management, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Marder, E 1997, The Laws of Choice —Predicting Customer Behavior, Prentice Hall, New York. Mohan, J 2005, International Marketing, Oxford University Press, New York. Paliwoda, J Ryan, J 2008, ‘International business vs. international marketing’. Journal of International Marketing, 461, pp. 2- 4. Parner, L 2012, International Marketing, University of South California. Web. Williamson, P 2000, The success Story of Topshop, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. This report on Global Marketing-Strategy and Practice: Topshop was written and submitted by user Jaxon E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Literary Analysis Night Essay Example

Literary Analysis Night Essay Example Literary Analysis Night Essay Literary Analysis Night Essay Essay Topic: Survival in Auschwitz â€Å"Right next to us the high chimney of the crematory oven rose up. It no longer made any impression on us. It scarcely attracted our attention.†(Pg.109) A fifteen year old boy named Elie Wiesel and his family were taken from their home by German officers. They were being taken along with other Jews to concentration camps or most likely their death and they didnt even know it. Night describes Elies life at the concentration camp and symbolizes darkness. He writes about how his mother and sister were taken from him, his beatings, how he and his dad’s relationship got better, and how he survived all those years. Elie is brave, caring, scared and a survivor throughout the book. Location: Auschwitz: â€Å" God is testing us. He wants us to find out whether we can dominate our base instincts and kill satan within us. We have no right to despair. And if he punishes us relentlessly,its a sign that he loves us all the more.†(Pg.53) The setting changed often being movedfrom camp to camp. The more cruelty made Elie lose faith in God. Each time the Jews were taken somewhere new they changed personality. It was each man for himself. Sons killing their fathers for a piece of bread. â€Å"Meir, meir, my boy dont you recognize me? I’m your father you’re hurting me you’re killing your father! I’ve got some bread.. for you too for you too†(Pg.105) Sons were abandoning their fathers for their own survival.Elie prayed that he never did that to his father. The Jews went days without food and would just about anything for it. â€Å"Wild beasts of prey, with animal hatred in their eyes; an extraordinary vitality had seized them, sha rpening their teeth and nails.†(Pg.105) Elie no longer had faith in God, he asked why this was happening and how God could let it happen. â€Å"And, in spite of myself, a prayer rose in my heart, to that God in whom I no longer believed. My God, Lord of the universe, give me strength to never do what Rabbi Eliahou

Introducing Women in Shakespeares Plays

Introducing Women in Shakespeares Plays Shakespeare’s presentation of women in his plays demonstrates his feelings about women and their roles in society. As our guide to the types of female roles in Shakespeare demonstrates, women had less freedom than their male counterparts in Shakespeares time. Its well known that women werent allowed on the stage during Shakespeares active years. All of his  famous female roles like Desdemona and Juliette were in fact once played by men. Shakespeares Presentation of Women Women in Shakespeares plays are often underestimated.  While they were clearly restricted by their social roles, the Bard showed how women could influence the men around them. His plays showed the difference in expectations between upper and lower class women of the time. High-born women are presented as â€Å"possessions† to be passed between fathers and husbands. In most cases, they are socially restricted and unable to explore the world around them without chaperones. Many of these women were coerced and controlled by the men in their lives. Lower-born women were allowed more freedom in their actions precisely because they are seen as less important than higher-born women.   Sexuality in Shakespeares work Broadly speaking, female characters that sexually aware are more likely to be lower class. Shakespeare allows them more freedom to explore their sexuality, perhaps because their low-status renders them socially harmless. However, women are never totally free in Shakespeare’s plays: if not owned by husbands and fathers, many low-class characters are owned by their employers. Sexuality or desirability can also lead to deadly consequences  for Shakespeares women. Desdemona chose to follow her passion and defied her father to marry Othello. This passion is later used against her when the villainous Iago convinces her husband that if she would lie to her father she would lie to him as well. Wrongfully accused of adultery, nothing Desdemona says or does is enough to convince Othello of her faithfulness. Her boldness in choosing to defy her father ultimately leads to her death at the hands of her jealous lover. Sexual violence also plays a major role in some of the Bards work. This is seen most notably in Titus Andronicus where the character Lavinia is violently raped and mutilated. Her attackers cut out her tongue and remove her hands to prevent her from naming her attackers. After she is able to write their names her father then kills her to preserve her honor. Women in Power Women in power are treated with distrust by Shakespeare. They have questionable morals. For example, Gertrude in Hamlet marries her husband’s murdering brother and Lady Macbeth coerces her husband into murder. These women show a lust for power thats often on par or surpassing that of the men around them. Lady Macbeth especially is seen as a conflict between the masculine and feminine. She forgoes normal feminine traits like  motherly compassion for more masculine ones like ambition, which leads to the ruin of her family. For these women, the penalty for their scheming ways is normally death.   For a deeper understanding of Shakespeares women read our guide to the types of female characters in Shakespeare.

Judy Chicago, Feminist Artist and Art Collaborator

Judy Chicago, Feminist Artist and Art Collaborator   Judy Chicago is known for her  feminist art installations, including The Dinner Party: A Symbol of Our Heritage,  The Birth Project,  and  Holocaust Project: From Darkness into Light. Also known for feminist art critique and education. She was born on July 20, 1939.   Early Years Born Judy Sylvia Cohen in the city of Chicago, her father was a union organizer and her mother a medical secretary.   She earned her B.A. in 1962 and M.A. in 1964 at the University of California. Her first marriage in 1961 was to Jerry Gerowitz, who died in 1965.   Art Career She was part of a modernist and minimalist trend in the art movement.   She began to be more political and especially feminist in her work. In 1969, she began an art class for women at Fresno State. That same year, she formally changed her name to Chicago, leaving behind her birth name and her first married name.In 1970, she married Lloyd Hamrol. She moved over the next year to the California Institute of Arts where she worked to begin a Feminist Art Program.   This project was the source of Womanhouse, an art installation that transformed a fixer-upper house into a feminist message. She worked with  Miriam Schapiro  on this project.  Womanhouse combined the efforts of female artists learning traditionally male skills to renovate the house, and then using traditionally female skills in the art and participating in feminist consciousness-raising. The Dinner Party Remembering the words of a history professor at UCLA that women were not influences in European intellectual history, she began working on a major art project to remember women’s achievements. The Dinner Party, which took from 1974 to 1979 to complete, honored hundreds of women through history. The main part of the project was a triangular dinner table with 39 place settings each representing a female figure from history. Another 999 women have their names written on the floor of the installation on porcelain tiles. Using ceramics, embroidery, quilting, and weaving, she deliberately chose media often identified with women and treated as less than art.   She used many artists to actualize the work. The Dinner Party was exhibited in 1979, then toured and was seen by 15 million. The work challenged many who saw it to continue to learn about the unfamiliar names they encountered in the art work. While working on the installation, she published her autobiography in 1975.   She divorced in 1979. The Birth Project Judy Chicago’s next major project centered around images of women giving birth, honoring pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering.   She engaged 150 women artists creating panels for the installation, again using traditional women’s crafting, especially embroidery, with weaving, crochet, needlepoint, and other methods.   By picking both a woman-centered topic, and women’s traditional crafts, and using a cooperative model for creating the work, she embodied feminism in the project. The Holocaust Project Again working in a democratic manner, organizing and overseeing the work but decentralizing the tasks, she began work in 1984 on another installation, this one to focus on the experience of the Jewish Holocaust from the perspective of her experience as a woman and Jew. She traveled extensively in the Middle East and Europe to research for the work and to record her personal reactions to what she found.   The â€Å"incredibly dark† project took her eight years. She married photographer Donald Woodman in 1985. She published Beyond the Flower, a second part to her own life story. Later Work In 1994, she began another decentralized project. Resolutions for the Millennium joined oil painting and needlework.   The work celebrated seven values: Family, Responsibility, Conservation, Tolerance, Human Rights, Hope, and Change. In 1999, she began teaching again, moving each semester to a new setting. She wrote another book, this with Lucie-Smith, on the images of women in art. The Dinner Party was in storage from the early 1980s, except for one display in 1996.   In 1990, the University of the District of Columbia developed plans to install the work there, and Judy Chicago donated the work to the university. But newspaper articles about the sexual explicitness of the art led the trustees to cancel the installation. In 2007 The Dinner Party was permanently installed at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. Books by Judy Chicago Through the Flower: My Struggle as a Woman Artist,  (autobiography), introduction by Anais Nin, 1975, 1982, 1993.  The Dinner Party: A Symbol of Our Heritage,   1979,  The Dinner Party: Restoring Women to History, 2014.Embroidering Our Heritage: The Dinner Party Needlework,  1980.The Complete Dinner Party: The Dinner Party and Embroidering Our Heritage,1981.The Birth Project,  1985.Holocaust Project: From Darkness into Light,  1993.Beyond the Flower: The Autobiography of a Feminist Artist,  1996.(With Edward Lucie-Smith)  Women and Art: Contested Territory,   1999.Fragments from the Delta of Venus,  2004.Kitty City: A Feline Book of Hours,   2005.(With Frances Borzello)  Frida Kahlo: Face to Face,   2010.Institutional Time: A Critique of Studio Art Education,   2014. Selected Judy Chicago Quotations Because we are denied knowledge of our history, we are deprived of standing upon each others shoulders and building upon each others hard earned accomplishments. Instead we are condemned to repeat what others have done before us and thus we continually reinvent the wheel. The goal of The Dinner Party is to break this cycle. I believe in art that is connected to real human feeling, that extends itself beyond the limits of the art world to embrace all people who are striving for alternatives in an increasingly dehumanized world. I am trying to make art that relates to the deepest and most mythic concerns of human kind and I believe that, at this moment of history, feminism is humanism.   About The Birth Project:  These values were oppositional in that they challenged many prevailing ideas as to what art was to be about (female rather than male experience), how it was to be made (in an empowering, co-operative method rather than a competitive, individualistic mode) and what materials were to be employed in creating it (any that seemed appropriate, irrespective of what socially constructed gender associations a particular media might be perceived to have).   About The Holocaust Project:  A lot of survivors committed suicide. Then you must make a choiceare you going to succumb to the darkness or choose life? Its a Jewish mandate to choose life. You shouldnt have to justify your work. I began to wonder about the ethical distinction between processing pigs and doing the same thing to people defined as pigs. Many would argue that moral considerations do not have to be extended to animals, but this is just what the Nazis said about the Jews.   Andrea Neal, editorial writer (October 14, 1999):  Judy Chicago is obviously more exhibitionist than artist. And that raises a question: is this what a great public university should support?

Food Allergies & Intolerances in the UK - Current Issues Essay

Food Allergies & Intolerances in the UK - Current Issues - Essay Example In case of tolerance, the patient can take the small quantity of the food without any reaction at all. In opposite, in case of food allergy, even a tiny quantity of food may activate a severe allergy reaction. Symptoms of intolerance will not be much quicker but allergy symptoms to any specific food could be immediate and instant. Both allergy and intolerance can result in a host of unpleasant and terrifying, fierce and probable fatal outcomes. Symptoms can occur over the patient’s body and can result in rashes, swelling of the mouth, wheezing, inflammation and digestive issues. There is no medical cure for these ailments and avoiding the specific food is the only available relief and a key issue is in identifying that particular food correctly (Stracey 2010). FSA (Food Standard Agency) in collaboration with the DEFRA introduced a new law on labelling of allergen which came into effect 13 December 2014 and this is known as Food Information Regulations EU1169/2011.Under this law, fourteen food allergen has to be named in the label if they have been used or if it contains ingredients made from them in pre-packed foods. Further, food manufacturers have required now to emphasis these allergens within the ingredients list. In the case of non-packed food items, such ingredients should be mentioned on a chalkboard, a labelled menu or by orally (Food.gov.uk 2014). The research study by Cochrane et al (2013) in the UK found that the vegetables and fruits were the chief cause of food allergy in adults (26%), eggs in young children (38%), and cow’s milk was the common in school going children(28%). When one’s immune system is puzzled instead of snubbing harmless food proteins, then food allergy happen as it triggers a reaction, which results in the discharge of a chemical known as ‘histamine’. The main culprit is the histamine which causes the typical allergy indications of swelling or hives. Anaphylaxis is the most severe reaction and this may be life-threatening.  Ã‚  

Differences between both Sakuntala's (Kalidasa versus Mahabarata Research Paper

Differences between both Sakuntala's (Kalidasa versus Mahabarata version) - Research Paper Example The interpretation of Karma theory is simple and straightforward. ‘Every action has the reaction and the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action.’ No dispute exists between the scientists and the spiritualists as for this issue. So, Sakuntala and Dushyanta are both the victims of their past deeds and they had to suffer the fated consequences of separation. Kalidasa generously uses flowers and trees to describe his women characters. Bee and deer are used as metaphors to highlight the activities and amorous adventures of the King. In Act I, the King is compared to a bee that is out to suck honey from the flowers, in this case the one and the only flower, Sakuntala. Sakuntala is not accustomed to such attacks from the bee. Initially she wonders why the bee has left the Jasmine vine and now tries to fly to her face. As the bee is persistent in flying towards her, she turns her bewitching eyes swiftly to watch the bee’s flight. Not out of love, but due to fright. But this bee is bold, and seems as if he has come to conquer her. He reaches out to her eyelids, then cheek and gently buzzing around, he whispers some sweet nothings into her ear. She tries to ward off the bee, but he strikes at her hand and steals a kiss. The King is so much enamored of Sakuntala that he wishes that she should accompany him. Sakuntala is awfully afraid and thinks that her virginity is in peril. She cries out to her friends to save her from the dreadful bee. This bee episode appears in act I. The story of Sakuntala appears in the 'Adiparva' chapter of the epic Mahabharata. â€Å"Sakuntala from the Mahabarata version is confident, outspoken and independent in nature, whereas the Sakuntala from Kalidasa's "The Recognition of Sakuntala" is displayed as quiet, immature (romantic), and dependent.† Sakuntala of Mahabharata: â€Å"The two Sakuntalas are a good example of the change in characterization of a heroine. The Sakuntala of the Mahabharata stands her ground and speaks up for her right. Kalidasa’s Sakuntala does try to argue her case, but it is not her independence or the power of her words which we remember.†(Rustomji, p.45) When Sakuntala reached the court of Dushyanta, he took a defensive posture. Rather he was trying to defend the indefensible. He pleaded with her that no one knew about their association. Dushyanta presented before Sakuntala his queer logic that women were capable of enticing men to achieve their objective and he further argued that his people would conclude that she did the same thing to trap him and demand that her son should become the crown prince, which was part of her game plan. So, Dushyanta said that he did not admit to the marriage immediately and denied any association with her. He was clearly taking the defensive position as Sakuntala could not be browbeaten by his barbs. She reminded him about his promise and put forth her demand with all the confidence and wit h adamancy. Dushyanta remembered everything but shamelessly denied knowing her or having married her in Gandharva style. In such a grim situation anybody would turn cynical. She was about to faint, but regained her composure to launch a verbal attack on Dushyanta, for which she had

Management Evolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management Evolution - Research Paper Example One cannot possibly stick to a single strategy and move about using it in all organisations thus it is very necessary to be flexible within the context of managing people. It has been observed that the styles for managing people have evolved and changed within years. In the past a more traditional approach was usually undertaken; however, as extensive changes in technology took place a more flexible approach was adapted toward managing people. Managing people is a very important phenomenon from what I observed within my own studying environment. If teachers do not put in extra effort towards the behavioural approach of the students they do not intend to attain successful results. Teachers who tend to be more dominating whilst not encouraging much of the feedback usually encounter students that are highly pressurized, under stress or carefree students who don’t give importance to their education since their ideas are not given importance to by their teachers. On the other hand those teachers who tend to be more involved with their students also tend to have extremely good results with their students. But then again one more thing that I noticed was that involving students is not necessarily the best way since sometimes student do take advantage of this benefit. Personally what I feel is that it gives the student the impression that the teacher will not really mind if he does not do his homework or submit in his assignment since he/she is extremely friendly thus there is no chance of being punished. This only implies the fact that within our studying environments we do have different teachers with different styles of handling students. I guess the best way is to be involved with students but then in the end the final decision should be that of a teacher. But again I believe that it is not at all necessary that this same tactic is applied in every class at my school. Instead, one should undertake handling approaches using the contingency theory which means handling students in accordance with their behaviour. For example, in a class of non serious students one should use a democratic approach since they need to be shown that there is somebody who does care about them and their ideas. On the other hand in a class where there is a mix of naughty and studious students a teacher should adapt the paternalistic approach which means taking their feedback but in the end the final decision is that of the teacher. Thus, my studying environment, if I observe, is a combination of all leadership styles and I believe this is extremely effective since every class has students with different attitudes and therefore it is very necessary for a teacher to adapt to the class according to the particular culture associated with those students. The approach towards managing people was first laid down by Robert Owen. He laid down the theory for improvement towards human relations. Therefore he was the one who believed in improving the living of works. Charle s Babbage, on the other hand, was the father of modern computing who laid down the theory of specialization which involves giving various tasks to different individuals according to their expertise. Specialization basically implies that a person will feel motivated because he has been given the job he/she is best at. Thus gaining an expertise will allow him to increase the productivity of the organisation. The problem, however, with specialization is that it tends to

Alexander the great Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alexander the great - Research Paper Example The Hellenistic period acted as a milestone for the revolution of the Greek society from inward looking and restricted city-states to a sophisticated and open culture. This culture spread to the whole of Southwest Asia and Eastern Mediterranean. The age of Hellenism, which started in 800 B.C, lasted up to the time of Alexander the Great’s death in 323 B.C. (Stoneman 19). The Hellenistic thought can be associated with Alexander the Great, who made significant contributions that shaped the Hellenistic period. With his numerous conquests, Alexander the Great helped in the development of Hellenistic thought. Alexander’s main contribution to the Hellenistic thought rests in his desire for conquest (Stoneman 21). Through his military conquests, he created an empire that encouraged learning and cultural exchange. He also contributed to remarkable Hellenistic ideas that have lasted up to today through governance, forms of art, and government. Moreover, he led to the creation of an empire that allowed people to spread and blend; this promoted learning. Thus, Alexander the Great paved way for the spreading of Hellenistic thought and ideas. As a way of thinking, Hellenism has some merits and demerits. The pros of Hellenistic thought include the remarkable contributions in the fields of math, medicine, mechanical science, and philosophy. Moreover, Hellenism promoted trade and exchange of cultures and ideas. In math, Hellenistic thought led to numerous developments in geometry (Perry 66). In medicine, Hellenism paved way for several discoveries such as the use of dissections to distinguish between nerves and arteries. In the field of mechanical science, Hellenism contributed to the invention of the steam engine. In philosophy, Hellenism led to the emergence of new ideas such as Stoicism, which emphasized on the need to perform one’s duty and persevering

Integumentary System Worksheet Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integumentary System Worksheet - Coursework Example This is the most common skin cancer among people with fair skin. Patients with Basal cell Cancer have pink and waxy bumps that can bleed after a minor injury. This type of cancer originates in squamous cells. It is often in areas not in the sun such as feet and legs. However, for fair skin people, it appears in areas that have been in the sun. This is the most common type of skin cancer among dark skin people. Patients with this skin cancer have dull red, rough, and scaly skin lesions. The most common risk factor for skin cancer is exposure to sunlight, which is a source of UV radiation. The sun’s rays cause skin damages, which can lead to skin cancer. Individuals can protect themselves from skin cancer by avoiding outdoor activities when the sun’s rays are strong usually during the middle of the day. The rays can go through windows, clouds, windshields, and light clothing. We should also wear long pants, long sleeves, and particularly tightly woven fabrics. People should also wear sunglasses that absorb UV radiation to protect the skin area around the eyes. It is also advisable to wear wide brim hats that shade the neck and face. This is the least serious of the three types of burns. In a first-degree burn, the outer layer of the skin burns. The skin is usually swollen and red in color although the outer layer of skin is not burned through. There is often a swelling and there might be some pain. A skin injury is a second-degree burn if the first layer of the skin is burned through and the second layer is burned. Blisters develop and the appearance of the skin changes to a reddened, splotchy appearance. There is severe pain and swelling in the second degree burns. This is the most severe skin burn and it involves all layers of the skin. Third degree burn may affect muscle, fat and even bones. The burned areas may appear dry and white or may be charred black. Difficulties in exhaling or inhaling and carbon monoxide poisoning

On Morality Essay Example for Free

On Morality Essay What is Morality? The inevitable fore comings of being a child literally flash right before your eyes. One minute you are learning how to walk and talk and in the next you are graduating high school. We find ourselves constantly wondering where the hell all that time went. And in between all this growing up it seems we acquire a set of â€Å"morals† and â€Å"values†; merely things we tend to blame our actions and thoughts on. It’s like this illusory line comes into play where we place the good and the bad. Perhaps once you have a belief about something it becomes permanent and forever engraved in your head but I don’t think I have the particular values or perspectives on life as I once did. To think that one of a parent’s main ambitions is to produce a child and raise it to have said good morals and values. It is only slightly disturbing to think of Hitler or Stalin’s parents and wonder what happened? As an adolescent we are taught an abundance of things, but if asked to come up with pertinent examples, I think a lot of us would stutter to come up with a few. The problem is that these lessons and ideals become instilled in us therefore becoming second nature – no thought process needed. A moral is something so excruciating and hard to be defined. Everyone seems to have their own set, but how is it that the majority sees the differences between okay and not in agreement? The absence of an explanation leads me to conclude that your own values and morals are dependent upon the circumstances you are subjected to. The point that I am so desperately trying to convey is that certain situations I had to deal with as a child and a young adult have led to my morals and values consequently changing. Joan Didion once said, â€Å"I followed my own conscience. I did what I thought was right. How many mad men have said and meant it? † (On morality, 1965) A statement that is so relevant to my own thinking due to the fact that I have felt myself questioning where and how the â€Å"good and bad† contour was formed. If a mad man truly felt that a mass murder was right, and cohesive with his conscience, then who are any of us to circumscribe his well -being? When you think of this mad man in a different context, you resolve that maybe rather than being â€Å"mad† possibly, he has converted his pragmatic necessities into moral imperatives without second thought. â€Å"You see I want to be quite obstinate about insisting that we have no way of knowing – beyond that fundamental loyalty to the social code- what is â€Å"right† what is â€Å"wrong† what is â€Å"good† what is â€Å"evil†. I dwell upon this because the most disturbing aspect of morality seem to me to be the frequency with which the word now appears; in the press, on television, in the most perfunctionary kinds of conversation. † (Joan Didion, on morality) What Joan Didion and presumably I keep diverging back to is the improper use of the word. What truly matters is exactly that- the way in which you toss these words around. Words like morals and values are merely titles. The manuscript of my childhood may or may not have stayed but there are still reminiscent little bits that remind me of who I am and where I came from. So what is morality? I have no idea.

How Can You Reduce Fresh Water Scarcity in a Country?

How Can You Reduce Fresh Water Scarcity in a Country? Student Name: Harry Abstract This scientific report introduced a new method of water conservation after several research conducted on water problems in Dubai. The information was sourced from several educational and governmental websites which described water woes. The finding was that current solutions of water scarcity were irrigation and desalination. However, burgeoning of civilization and increasing supply reach the limit of availability of those methods. Newly introduced method such as afforestation would be effective because it paves the way for everlasting water recycling. The outcome confirmed the hypothesis though there are some questions about practicability. Further investigation is required to test the feasibility of afforestation and advocate innovations in water conserving technology. 1.0 Introduction This research aims to announce new effective scheme for the water scarcity in order to provide edible water for the people in the countries which having water woes. Dubai is a country which located in Middle East with strong water crisis. Most area of Dubai is covered by deserts without any water resources on the ground which means that there are no aquatic ecosystems inside the country. Although there are few subterranean water resources, it is not enough for the whole countrys supply. Because edible water resources are insufficient in Dubai, Dubai government is highly attached on water recycling. They produce the water in expensive ways and often use waste water to irrigate the agriculture. Those poor environmental conditions and urgent issues drove the country to the cliff. The hypothesis is that paying more attention on afforesting the desert and promoting the irrigation would be the most efficient strategy because it can make long-term contribution to the country. 2.0 Methodology In order to reach the objective of this research, the plan was to conduct several reliable websites which are governmental or peer-reviewed paper to get information about water scarcity in Dubai. Simultaneously, understanding of local environment was another significant point to analyze a new strategy. After finding the sources, I spend a long time to carefully organizing currently capitalized methods and concentrated on selecting expensive but the best solution appropriate to Dubai. This was because Dubai is rich enough to pay for all the requirements, and long-term effect is the most significant point in order to avoid even worse water crisis in the future. 3.0 Findings Dubai is a large prosperous country built on desert. Undoubtedly, the main element which caused water scarcity is arid locale and climate. In 2013, the World Bank reported that climate change in this region will slowly increase the temperature with other destructive circumstances. (Dewa, 2016 This means that the country is facing not only water scarcity but also decline of tourism. This problem is associated with water issue because recession of economy slows down the development of technology and it may reduce the efficiency of water producing. Figure 1: Desalination not only produce water but also affect water à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ source: construction week online,2009 To go further, transferring of water resources is another important issue. As it is mentioned before, the country is providing potable and fresh water to the industries and households by desalination. However, it is founded that the country is still using old and rusted pipes and water tanks which may pollute the water while transferring them (Dakkak,2015). The table below showed more specific data to present the current situation. The unit did not influence the results though it was in Arab. Table 1: The total water produced and demand of the country   Ã‚   (Unit: unknown, it is in Arab) Year 2008 2009 2015 Produced 87196 89452 102301 Demand 88405 90823 113786   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (source: Dewa Annual Report) As we can see in this table, produced water is under the demand in 2008, 2009 and 2015, the years between 2009 to 2015 are not listed because the website does not provide information of water supply in those years, but still, it is easy to anticipate that the demand is a few larger than the supply every year. Another thing is that although water is produced from desalination, the process of desalination utilizes water a lot itself. Table 2: Water consumption (unit: percentage) Year 2009 2012 2015 Commercial 24.92 28.17 27.02 Industrial 3.68 3.09 3.09 Residential 60.61 57.82 59.92 Others 10.79 10.92 9.97 (source: Dewa Annual Report) This table shows that residential water consumption is the most, and unexpectedly, the industrial water consumption is the least. Agricultural consumption may include in residential column because it is complained that agriculture is the major user of water resources (Hussein, 2011) 4.0 Discussion The result almost confirmed the hypothesis mentioned at the beginning except some points and questions. After recapping those findings that appeared before, most of current solutions are related to agricultural and technological development, but it seems insufficient for all countrys supply and it would not last for long term. As the oil exhaust or the rising temperature causes decline in tourism, the country will face recession one day. It is found that residents utilize most water (Dewa, 2016), and the increasing in water demand reflected increasing in demographics. These issues implied that country needs solution which provide long-term effect. To my solution, the country should replace these old and rusted pipelines for irrigation, and build new pipes for more various functions such as for afforestation, recycling and waste water. Additionally, artificial rivers, lakes, and forests are required due to increasing population and rise in tourism. However, some aspects of my solution did not confirm the hypothesis. People are constructing man-made lands on the sea coast in order to provide lands for citizens but pollute the water at the same time (Horner, 2010). This means that both urbanization and afforestation is important but the question is which one to concentrate more. Another point is that there are few questions about the practicability because it is hard for plants to survive at such climate and adding pipelines would potentially causes water pollution. However, inland afforestation is still the best way of solving water scarcity because it not only heals the water shortage but also prevent the natural disasters such as sandstorms from coming. 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion, the new solution would be difficult to achieve but it contains long term benefits to the country. After the work is done, not only water crisis would be solved but also takes huge progress in air quality which can prevent sand storms from coming. This paper has some limitations because it is done based on internet research without any practical investigation. There are still many uncertain elements related to this solution, so investigations of inland environment or examine the reliability and feasibility would promote further research of this paper. References: Horner K., (2010). Parched for Peace: The UAE has Oil and Money, but No Water (2010), State of the Planet [online], Available from: http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2010/11/22/parched-for-peace-the-uae-has-oil-and-money-but-no-water/ [ Accessed 17 October 2016] Annual Statistics (2009), Government of Dubai [online], Available from: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/about-dewa/about-us/dewa-publications/annual-statistics [ Accessed 27 December 2016] Annual Statistics (2013), Government of Dubai [online], Available from: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/about-dewa/about-us/dewa-publications/annual-statistics [ Accessed 27 December 2016] Annual Statistics (2015), Government of Dubai [online], Available from: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/about-dewa/about-us/dewa-publications/annual-statistics [ Accessed 27 December 2016] Dakkak A., (2016). Irrigation Systems in the United Arab Emirates (2016), EcoMENA [online], Available from: http://www.ecomena.org/tag/water-scarcity-in-uae/ [ Accessed 7 October 2016] Hussein M. A., (2011). Impacts of Water Scarcity on the Social Welfare of Citizens in the Middle East (2010), Middle East Institute [online], Available from:   Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.mei.edu/content/impacts-water-scarcity-social-welfare-citizens-middle-east [Accessed 8 October 2016] UAE Water Aid: UAE will continue to support poor and affected communities (2016), Government of Dubai [online], Available from: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/about-dewa/news-and-media/press-and-news/latest-news/2016/06/uae-water-aid-uae-will-continue-to-support-poor-and-affected-communities [Accessed 8 October 2016]

I Hear Them Calling My Name :: essays research papers

The Fear of People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People fear not succeeding, negative activities in their environment, death, terrorism, etc, but from a multicultural standpoint, we as a whole fear change. Our human race is also fearful of difference. We fear the difference of our religions, color, race, and sexual preferences. We are afraid of things not in our norm and things that stick out in the world. The issue of change and difference is very prevalent in the book I Hear Them Calling My Name: A Journey Through the New South. This book was well written by Chester Fuller. You can really see this multicultural issue by the way fear controls the characters’ emotions directed towards other people with difference.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book, Fuller journeys through the South just after the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. He is assigned to travel and find any difference or enbetterment in the treatment of blacks since the Civil Rights Movement. His first experience comes when his car breaks down on a highway in deep southern part of North Carolina. He walks to a gas station to get his car towed and the only mechanics/tow men are white. At first he gets the feeling he’s going to be abused by these men. In his mind, Fuller is plotting where he’s going to strike the men when they attack him. Fuller is so scared and set in his ways that he doesn’t look past the man’s race, but is rather intimidated and brainwashed. They arrive back at the station with car and the mechanic asks what seems to be the problem. Fuller thought maybe the fuel pump or something really expensive. The mechanic proceeds back to the car and tinkers with a few things and the car is done is minutes. The mechanic could have possibly put in a new fuel pump among other things and cost Fuller a lot of money, but instead charged a whopping eight dollars. The thing with all this is Fuller’s views of the mechanic the whole time and his emotions of being ready to fight. This amazes me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fuller missed this man’s kindness and respect, because of his fear of difference. This fear still occurs today. The only problem is that it exists in many other things than race or color of skin. Socially we have had a major problem with violence in schools. This all occurs because of difference.

The Great Depression in America :: essays research papers fc

Child Labor The 1990 World Summit for children was a landmark, which was attended by 71 heads of state. It was a moment of great satisfaction and encouragement for all the international bodies engaged in their pursuit of making â€Å"A world fit for children†, when 71 heads of state pledged to eradicate polio, reduce infant mortality rate, eliminate the worst forms of child labor and promote vocational training for adolescents (Sandrasagara, 7). Complex Factors There is a popular public opinion that the children should not be exposed to labor tasks including employment at an age, which demands their involvement in educational and recreational activities. The activities undertaken at child age contribute to their growth and development and undertaking labor task at this age is no less than a crime. However, mostly people express this opinion based on strong emotions and the complex factors contributing to this dilemma are not understood in their real background. These factors range from legal, social, political and economic aspects, which extend far beyond the strong emotions. A detailed, careful and empathetic analysis of these factors can lead us to understand the problems of child labor on an international horizon. Powerful legislation, its strict enforcement and the extent of its implementation across the board on an international scale can serve as a foundation in addressing this curse. International studies reveal the magnitude of the grave problem of child labor. A systematic estimate, undertaken in 1985 (Black 9), calculated around 31 million street children worldwide, of whom 71 percent were child workers living at home, 23 percent kept occasional family contact, and 8 percent were entirely separated. The contributing factors to the child labor are limitless, however, the vital few factors are external debt, poverty, lack of appropriate infrastructure, economic crisis, and social and cultural environment. It is said that the information technology has greatly contributed in globalization and transforming the world into a global village. The irony of the situation is that everything in this world is globalizing except wealth and development. The Brettonwoods institutions i.e. IMF and the World Bank have to play a strong and unbiased role in ensuring that the seeds of growth and development are injected into the developing world. Although poverty is termed to be the main causal factor for child labor in the developing world, however, some studies have shown that some child workers â€Å"are relatively from affluent families, and engage in the business for excitement and pocket money (Myers 9).

Counseling Session Essay

A good greeting with client is very important. In my point of view for having a good greeting at the first meeting the nonverbal actions are important equal as words which counselor says. Having a nice smile, showing the attention for entrance of client, the distances between the client and counselor’s chairs, counseling room atmosphere and etc can help the both client and counselor for making a good relationship. As you can see after I talked about our time, I move a little to showing Keat that I was with her. In our counseling session we should be aware of don’t using â€Å"problem†. As an example I use â€Å"How may I help you?† except â€Å"What’s your problem?† Client: I just came from the exam center, and I’m concern, WHY my name is not register? Counselor: Oh,†¦. Non verbal reflection for showing Keat that I mention to her completely. Client: I will have come up again on Monday. Waste a lot my time. Time is always a problem. I’m doing too many things.aaa †¦ This is not a problem. What is my main problem? Counselor: You didn’t get your exam card.yeah? Keat was thinking and it was better for me to be silent. I shouldn’t interrupt into her thinking. Client: How did it happen, because I paid online†¦. I’m to trying to figure out where is my will. Counselor: What’s will? I didn’t know the meaning of the â€Å"will†. And I know as a counselor I must to speak English as a native person. (I try my best to improve my language skills) Client: You don’t know the will. Will is †¦ Counselor: Aha†¦ aha†¦ You want to rewrite your will for yourself or for your children? Client: †¦ That is my concern. Time is always a problem. I always work for myself†¦ Counselor: You always work for yourself. I also used non-verbal encouragement skills such as: Nodding, eye contact, body movement. Client: aha. I try to organize my time in my free time. So my mind is always thinking. I think I should sit down and organize the will. Angelinas’ Death shocked me. It can happen to anybody at anytime. Counselor: You are concern. Aha †¦ I tried to respond with empathy, try to understand her feelings, emotions when she talked about Angelina’s death. Client: I think I should lots of work to do †¦ I’m working. †¦ I’m working very impact. Counselor: You are concerning about the time, organizing your works. (It continued for 30 minutes but I stop to transcript the session for analyze myself as a counselor.) For explain myself as a counselor during the sessions It’s necessary to say that my own structure is not only using one theory. I try to find a good mixture depends on my client personality and his/her problems. Generally I have been used all my sessions on the base of Rogers’s theory. He has consistently maintained that there are three conditions for realizing a growth- promoting climate in which individuals can move toward and become what they are capable of becoming. These conditions are: 1) genuineness; 2) acceptance; 3) deep understanding. Therapy is rooted in the client’s capacity for awareness and the ability to make decisions. With the help of his theory I focus on the client’s responsibility and capacity to discover ways to more fully encounter reality. I try to help my clients t o match their behavior and expression with their internal feelings and thoughts. I focus on the person not on the persons presenting problem, because it is very important for me to assist my clients in their growth process. I really believe that empowering the clients has better influence in their whole life and they can better cope with problems they are now facing, and with their future problem. In my structure it is very significant to provide a safety climate and sometimes on the base of person- centered therapy I use myself as an instrument of change. Foremost I must be willing to be real in the relationship with a client. Instead of perceiving clients in preconceived diagnostic categories, I meet them on moment-to-moment experiential basis and help them by entering  their world. Through my attitudes of genuine, respect, acceptance, and understanding, they loosen their defenses and rigid perceptions and move to a higher level of personal functioning. With the case of Keat I used Rogers’s theory and I do not have a certain idea for other theories. For me it need a little more time to know my client and her issues to select another theory. Maybe if our sessions had been continued I would have used Ellis’s Rational-emotive therapy. And with the case of Roslan if our sessions had be continued I would have used the Eric Berne theory. As a counselor I have to use techniques too. With the base of Rogers I try to accept Keat and be respectful with her. I used different kinds of attending and listening skills, Nov- verbal skills to show my client that I understood her feelings, emotions, stories, and plans. I think I still need to work on myself and methods for being a good counselor. To reach this goal I should developed my Questions which I think they are so common some times, although it related to speaking in English. I have to be a good English speaker.

Anomie Theory

Right off the bat when reading the article it states that it's the most widely read article in sociology. The author Robert K. Merton opens his paper by first challenging certain offenses that were popular in 1938. Most of the theories that Merton has analyzed mentioned â€Å"biological drives†. Some of the theorists view crime as â€Å"biological drives† in which our society comes to terms with restraining it. What I found interesting, Merton doesn't agree with other theorists, he, on the other hand, argues that a person or persons drive for crime is frequently shown to be stemmed from society itself. This is when his theory or argument splits into two parts. The article refers to his â€Å"anomie theory†. This hypothesis of his is looked to be explained why certain parts of societies have increased rates of criminal activity than let's say, the other half of the societies in which they appear to have decreased rates of criminal activity. Merton focuses on the relative emphasis placed on this set cultural goals society has placed as well as the institutionalized norms for achieving these goals of society. It is come to know some certain places in society have a high comparative prominence which is called cultural goals. Also, to have a low corresponding value of the norms or as well some gain the achievement of goals, which increases the rate of crimes. Merton characterizes these societies by using the terms anomie or normlessness, whereas it is explained from â€Å"the goal-seeking behavior†, Merton mentions. An individual is exposed to little commands or in other words law. This turns into a repercussion for persons employing the most beneficial values including that of criminal acts in order to achieve their once again prize. The â€Å"strain† theory Merton discusses in this half of the article argues that some person and persons within a society are being exposed to â€Å"special† pressures that of criminal actions. Merton mentions that while it is urged as well as expected that people strive for financial riches, people of the lower class are prevented from achieving this goal. This leads to individuals to have pressure, but even then they can adapt to the strain or so-called pressures of values. Continuing of Merton briefly discusses why some types of individuals are more likely to respond to strain with crime than others. Merton's strain theory has been the subject of extensive commentary and researches the evidence for his strain theory which is mixed. Certain recent tests of this theory seem to be at it's accurate as well as the anomie theory. The anomie theory proposes that criminal activity is most seen in those who place much emphasis on cultural goals and little on the norms for achieving the goals, meaning to be successful. Before going into the article I made a note that has caught my attention about the author itself. Albert K. Cohen was a student of Robert K. Merton. I just found this to be very intriguing because some of his points or theories have been taken into account in Cohen's articles. Cohen has a particular interest and focus of criminal societies. To narrow it down, Cohen focuses more on the lower-working-class urban gangs of 1950, during that time they were the subject of attention. Cohen in the article poses a question of: â€Å"How can we explain the origin and content of delinquent subcultures?† Since he was a student of Merton as I said before he draws some of Merton's theory to provide his own, collective answer to the question which is often outlined throughout the article. In the first part of his theory, that is being stated in the first section of the article. Cohen provides a well-explained origin of deviant social groups. The second section applies that the theory to explain the origin and contents of man it has to be specified by gender. Cohen focuses on working-class males and urban gangs. While I was reading the parts of the article, I have noted and made some comparisons and contrasts with Merton's strain theory. Similar to Merton, Cohen argues that â€Å"goal blockade† is what causes delinquency. Now Cohen, on the other hand, argues that lower and working class males don't concern themselves with the goal of cultural goals. Other than the obvious of not concerning themselves with achieving this success, they would rather concern themselves with the fulfillment of making it to the higher societal class. The achievement of broader goals referred to the respect from the higher-ups in the financial success aspect of cultural goals. This was noted by Cohen to be crucial because of the difference in goals. It is said in the article that an individual can obtain financial riches through illegal activities such as theft, this is one of Merton's adaptations of innovation. An individual can't steal the status of a higher class, which makes perfect sense since it could lead to a huge consequence, which Cohen discusses throughout the article. The consequence is that the lower and working class often have to evolve to the goal blockade by making an alternative plan. This is how someone, an individual would gain their true success. This is also noted to be very much alike to Merton's adaptations of criminal behavior, in which was explained that these new goals and methods are basically being replaced for the previous goals instead of the new. From reading onward I made the connection that both the lower and working class share hostility towards the middle-class persons. The hostility leads them to set up a status quo that values everything that the apparent middle class doesn't concern itself with. Based on these very theories it is explained that the middle class values private property and respect for an individual. Now, this caught my attention because it made me question his theory. It's suggesting that lower and working class boys don't value such things. Also, in the theory, it gives an example of what I was questioning. The example that was given was that while gangs of some sorts value the destruction and theft of any property probably more towards private property and leading more towards aggression towards others. Cohen then goes onto the explanatory origins and contents of the criminal social group. After getting towards the end of the article it states the definite features of his hypothesis. Theorists have come to the main claim that the goals of criminal persons are not disagreeable to an idea of standard goals as Cohen has explained throughout his theory. Even though there has been a criticism the data shows and tends to often prove and support this argument. All of this information that was given by this theorist Cohen brings a fundamental contribution to criminal law. Anomie Theory Anomie theory is important for explaining whether crime is a normal or abnormal (pathological) social phenomenon (Cartwright, 2011). It describes a lack of social norms, lawlessness and normlessness (Cartwright, 2013). In detail, it is a breakdown of social bonds between an individual and the community. This theory was first coined by Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist in his book Suicide published in 1897 (Cartwright, 2013). Later on, Robert Merton, the President of American Sociological Association, developed the link between anomie and social structure. Unlike Durkheim, Merton used the notion from Durkheim’s anomie theory and explains that social structure could exert pressure on an individual and directly cause deviance (Cartwright, 2011). This theory is better known as the Anomie-Strain Theory. Furthermore, in 1994, Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld, like Merton, brought more attention to social organization and social institutions instead of focusing on individuals when analysing crimes (Cartwright, 2011), so the Institutional-Anomie Theory was developed. In order to understand the anomie theory better, the developments of this theory from Emile Durkheim to Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld should all be considered. For Emile Durkheim, his main concern about anomie was social solidarity (Cartwright, 2011). Based on this concern, he divided solidarity into two categories: mechanical solidarity, which maintains low adaptation skills; and to the contrary, organic solidarity whose inertia sensitively needs changes (Cartwright, 2013). Durkheim observed that these two groups would co-exist. The reason is that anomie is impossible when solidarity is organic. Their sensitivity to change leads to evolution among this form of labour. Later in 1897, Durkheim pointed out that the suicide rates were due to the dramatic economic changes, such as economic depression and the sudden growth of the economy (Cartwright, 2011). â€Å"According to Durkheim, these periods of anomie –times of normlessness, lawlessness, and unregulated choice – made individuals more susceptible to committing suicide or engaging in deviant behaviour† (Cartwright, 2011, p. ). In this study, Durkheim associated anomie with the influence of a lack of the norms. In Durkheim’s study of anomie theory, two notions should not be neglected. Firstly, Emile Durkheim referred to society much like a functioning organism (Cartwright, 2011), evidence for the theory can be easily found in his referring to the society as â€Å"the social organism† or â€Å"the functions of the central or gan† (Cartwright, 2011, p. 6). In order to maintain the continuation of the organism, each of the integrated parts has to be working well. Secondly, Durkheim discussed crime as an â€Å"abnormal† activity, which indicates that a certain proportion of crimes are normal and happens in most societies, (Cartwright, 2011). f in the steps of Durkheim’s study, Robert Merton described more about the relationship between social structure and anomie theory, later known as the anomie-strain theory. The definition of the word â€Å"strain† in the verb form means to subject to tension or stress. This meaning is very similar to the strain theory. The theory indicates that the social structure of a society may pressure or force the citizens to commit crimes, due to the failure to provide many individuals’ with â€Å"the conventional means necessary to realize those culture goals†, which also means that the individual lacks access to cultural goals, such as money, job, or education (Merton, 1938). In Merton’s publication Social Structure and Anomie, he provides a good example that explains his theory. For example, in the USA, the society’s general goal is wealth; therefore, in order to achieve this certain goal, the institutionalized manner is to be hard-working or obtaining education (Merton, 1938). Based on this theory, Merton identifies five modes of adaptation, including conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion (as cited in Cartwright, 2011, p. 21). According to Merton, innovators are most likely to engage in criminal behaviour, since they may accept the recognition of certain cultural goals but reject achieving the goals in a legitimate way (Merton, 1938). This illegitimacy adjustment as the major concern involves two features (Merton, 1938). Firstly, such antisocial behavior â€Å"by certain conventional values of the culture and by the class structure involving differential access to the approved opportunities for legitimate, prestige-bearing pursuit of the culture goal† (Merton, 1938, p. 27). Secondly, it is the consideration of equal significance. Because of the limitation of legitimate effort, for those individuals with formal education and few economic resources, success is hard to get (Merton, 1938). In addition, Merton declared that the theory he studied was incomplete, since various structural elements were neglected; for example, â€Å"the relevance of cultural conflict for an analysis of culture-goal and institutional-means malintegration† has not yet been examined, and â€Å"the social function performed by illicit responses† has also been omitted (Merton, 1938, p. 30). As for Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld (1995), their study, known as the institutional-anomie theory, focused more on how criminal behavior is affected institutionally, such as by schools, churchs or companies. Messner and Rosenfeld declared that criminology has overly focused on analyzing the behavior of individuals, such as mental illness, but paid less attention on how social organization and institutions influence the behaviour (Rosenfeld & Messner, 1995). Based on the comparison chart that Messner and Rosenfeld established in Crime and the American Dream: an Institutional Analysis, the statistic shows that the United States of America has the highest rates of robbery or homicide among a number of countries (Messner & Rosenfeld, 1995). The reason is due to â€Å"the crime causing nature of American-style capitalism and its unique cultural goals or aspiration† (Cartwright, 2011, p. 52). Messner and Rosenfield are also concerned about the normal functions of social institutions. The definition of â€Å"institutions† means â€Å"relatively stable sets of norms and values, statuses and roles, and groups and organizations† (Messner & Rosenfeld, 1995, p, 60). At this point, Messner and Rosenfeld introduced four major social institutions: political system or polity, economy, institution of family and institution of education (Messner & Rosenfeld, 1995). Even though these four institutions may not seem directly relevant to crime; however, according to Messner and Rosenfeld, in order to analyse the crime in the United States, the interconnection between these four institutions are central (Messner & Rosenfeld, 1995). In this study, Messner and Rosenfeld (1995) also talked about the institutional balance of power. Due to the monetary need of every cooperation and institution, the economy â€Å"has come to dominate the other three institutions† (Cartwright, 2011, p52). The devaluation of the economy has overcome the other three major institutions. At last, the dominance of the economy has developed to a very extreme level, and the monetary goals bring out the term â€Å"the ends justify the means† (Cartwright, 2011, p, 52). As the development of anomie theory, from Emile Durkheim to Robert Merton to Messner and Rosenfeld, is discussed, the elements that tie these together is that they all try to figure out the reasons that cause criminal behavior and examines as to why crime happens. This also counts as a similarity between the three anomie theories. In the article â€Å"Cheap Capitalism† written by Hongming Cheng, he characterized cheap capitalism by â€Å"low prices, inferior quality and unsafe condition of goods or services to maximize profits† (Cheng, 2012, p, 254). Cheng also pointed out that the cheap capitalism is â€Å"facilitated by cheap labour and raw materials and, more importantly, associated with degraded morality in the business world† (Cheng, 2012, p, 254). In my opinion, the article provides a good example of and explanation for crime in the non-capitalist countries, such as China. Cheng gives an example about food crime, which involves rampant institutions using cheap and dangerous industrial chemicals in foods (Cheng, 2012). One explanation will be that the food industries provides low-quality food to cheap labourers, since the poor working class cannot afford buying expensive but healthy food (Cheng, 2012). The case is related to the institutional-anomie theory studied by Messner and Rosenfeld (1995). One way to cause crime could be due to the social structure and social institutions. In the article, Cheng also provides a table of scales from 1 (not very important) to 4 (very important) that describes the factors that may lead to and influence the food crime. It turns out that social culture, moral and values got rated 3. 8 out of 4, followed by â€Å"lack of adequate enforcement† that got 3. 6 (Cheng, 2012). From this table, it shows that â€Å"moral anomie is a major factor that associated with food crime† (Cheng, 2012, p, 265). From my perspective, the institutional-anomie theory is connected to this case the most. In conclusion, the development of anomie theory, from Emile Durkheim to Messner and Rosenfeld, provides brilliant ideas and thoughts that explain crime thoroughly. The evidence that supports their theory is solid and valid. Based on this, it makes the theory complete and reasonable.

Marketing Pizza Hut in Nigeria Essay

Executive Summary The fast-food industry has been one of the most successful industries even with the economic meltdown that occurred in 2008; its success is due to the relative low cost of its products and Pizza Hut is an example. Established in the United States in 1958 by two brothers, the company has since grown from being local company to an international company with over 11,000 units in the United States and across the World. The company has branded its image and name for being one the leading pizza making restaurants in the world. Despite its presence internationally the company is still yet to dominate Africa, although, Africa is developing region with a lot environmental risk in certain regions some countries are taking measures to remedy such risks; with outlets in the Northern and Southern Africa the company can expand in other areas. The suitable location will be Nigeria located on the Western side of Africa. Nigeria being the most populated country in Africa is country with abundant resources, oil and gas are the major source of income with agriculture following suit. The country has a wide range different cultural background each exhibiting one’s own way life, but the country is united as one nation with English being the official language. Although, the country is known to be environmentally risky region, the government is adopting a new reform that will benefit the nation and encourage Foreign Direct Investment. For Pizza Hut, franchising its restaurant to such  location will increase its strength and presence in the African region with other countries likely to follow the path. History Pizza Hut was started in the city of Wichita, Kansas in the United States in 1958. It was two brothers â€Å"Dan and Frank Carney† while studying in college in Wichita, Kansas were approached by a family friend with the impression of opening a pizza store. Being inspired with the idea, they borrowed an amount of six hundred dollars from their mother and procured some second hand equipment’s and hired a small building on a busy intersection in their hometown. Thus became the start of the of the greatest pizza name in the world. The company incorporated after a year and its initial franchise began in Topeka. (Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 2013) Background Overview Pizza Hut is an American chain of restaurants and international franchise that offers various types of Pizza’s along with a variety of side dishes and desserts. Pizza Hut began franchising around 1959. Pizza Hut otherwise known as Pizza Hut, Inc., in the corporate world became a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., as of 1997. Yum! Brands, Inc., is considered to be the largest restaurant company around the globe. Our study indicated that Pizza Hut has around 14,357 franchise units around the world today and also is ranked 10th among the top 10 franchises for 2013. (Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 2013) Purpose The purpose of this report would be to make use of the study and results to prepare a marketing report incorporating Pizza Hut, Inc., in Nigeria, Africa in order to disclose a marketing audit, plan and strategy and also use the appropriate material and subjects related to entering the Nigerian Market. There would however be a portion of concerns and reasons that would involve the company while shifting and familiarizing to the new location. However due to high cost of these fast food brands, many people still cannot afford it. Hence reasonable prices are to be varied in order to compete in these types of challenging markets. Country Overview: NIGERIA Nigeria also known as the ‘Giant of Africa’ is the most populous country in Africa. Nigeria was colonized by the British and got her independence on October 1st 1960. The country is a federal constitutional republic, with 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. There are over 250 ethnics groups in Nigeria, which the majority being Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. After the country’s independence the country had a civil war that led to the formation of military regime during the 70s till 1999, which saw the beginning of a democratic regime. Culture and Religion With a population of over 160 million people living in Nigeria, projected figures shows that the religious demographic indicate that 50% of the population are Muslims, 40% Christians and 10% practice their indigenous belief (CIA World Fact book). In Nigerian society religion plays a major role in people’s way of life; Islam is of majority in the Northern region, which is dominated by the Hausas while Christianity is in the Southern region. The Yorubas have a more diverse religion and those in the middle-belt practice their own indigenous belief. Throughout the country religion is a means for social mobility, providing means of incorporation into business and political circles as well as educational system (Library of Congress). Politics and Government The Constitution of Nigeria shows that the country is a sovereign state, whose citizens are bounded together by a Federal arrangement. The branches of government is divided into three; the Executive, a Judiciary, and a Legislative. The Executive power is solely for the President who is also the chief of state and head of the government. The Legislative branch consists of the Senate members, and House of Representatives, and the Judiciary consists of the all the legal system both at Federal level and State level. The president appoints members of the Supreme Court subject to confirmation by the Senate. There multiple political parties in Nigeria of which three are very strong, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and Alliance Congress (AC); the PDP has been ruling the country for over a decade. (Nigeria: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS). Legal System The legal system in Nigeria is a combination of statutory law, English common law, customary law, and in the northern region Islamic law. The Federal and State courts apply the English common law, while the local courts apply customary and Islamic law (Nigeria: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS). Economy Nigeria being an oil-rich nation has been faced with heavy political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor management, but in 2008 started economic reforms. GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) = $ 455.5 billion (2012 est.) Compared to the rest of the world = 31 GDP (PPP) 2011 = $ 428.4 billion GDP (Real Growth Rate) = 6.3% (2012) Compared to the world = 41 GDP (Real Growth Rate) 2011 = 7.4% GDP (Per Capita) 2012 = $2,800 Compared to the world 180 GDP (Per Capita) 2011 = $2,700 (CIA World Fact Book) The economy of Nigeria slowed down in 2012 as shown above; the oil sector continues to be the major contribution of the regions revenue with a growth rate of 8% compared to -0.35% in the non-oil sector. Economic activities are mostly denominated by Agriculture, gas and oil sectors in Nigeria. Though the economic reform looks strong there are still challenges the country needs to face. There is a high unemployment that rose from 21% in 2010 to 24% in 2011. Another downside to the economy is the security challenges arising from religious or ethnic conflicts, costs associated with environmental factors, and the slow global economic growth and the sovereign debt crisis in the Euro region. Demographics Population http://www.indexmundi.com/nigeria/age_structure.htmlworld fact book The above population pyramid shows a structure of a countries population, population Is distributed on the horizontal axis, which is divided by male on the left and females on the right. The X-axis indicates population and the Y-axis has distinguished age groups. Economic statistics The economy in Nigeria is a mixed economy with developing market sectors (legal, finance, communication, transport, entertainment). Nigeria is ranked 36th in terms of GDP as of 2013. Due to the resilience witnessed in 2012, the economy of Nigeria is expected to grow rapidly and gain stability. Nigeria GDP growth slowed down from by 7.4 % in 2011 to 6.6% in 2012. In diversity with sectors in Nigeria, agriculture stands the highest contributor, followed by crude oil, natural gas and wholesale products. Economy in Nigeria is the largest in West Africa and top three in Africa. Personal income per capita http://www.tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/gdp†per†capita Personal income per capita has improved over the years and has maintained a stable growth from 2004 – 2012 due to the improved income to the country from crude oil and agriculture. From $726.4 per person in 2004 and a drastic change in 2012 with $1052.3 per person. Gradually with the development and newfound opportunities in Nigeria the income per capita will steadily grow. Foreign investment Before the exporting of oil, agriculture was one of the largest fractions in the countries earnings. A key for direct foreign investments in Nigeria is the oil and gas sector. Other foreign investment opportunities such as telecommunications, electricity, real estate, food and beverage, consumer goods, health care and tourism. Working conditions Working conditions in Nigeria is far from ideal, apart from civil servants and employees of foreign countries, working conditions and wages are acceptable. This may not be the condition of the local people in Nigeria. Protests by the trade union leaders, strikes, income inequalities, late payment, poor wages affect the standard of living in Nigeria. Technological analysis Infrastructure in Nigeria is weak; it is one of the main problems that affect the growth of the country. Unreliable electricity, water resource, road, transport have pulled back the growth of Nigeria in the previous years. In recent developments the country has public– private partnership, investors and international companies moving into these regions for a better prospect and can revive the economy. Market Audit The Product When considering the market audit and competitive market analysis for any business, there are four factors to consider fundamentally. These four factors are product, price, promotion, and placement. Pizza Hut is a fast food restaurant chain that provides the dine-in and take-away services for fast food customers. The other external and internal environmental force such as the cultural, legal and political also has the greater impact on the product availability, its sales, marketing and reputation. The legal forces are unbiased to start a business venture in Africa, specifically the fast food chains such as Pizza Hut. Some social and cultural forces also play an influential role in creating and destroying the opportunities for any business. KFC, Donut King, Dominos, and Italian Pizza are most well renowned names in providing the high quality fast food products in these markets and are using the high standard advertising and promotional strategies thus the competition is challenging. T he understanding of recent advertising, trends, promotions and marketing ways are considered to be necessary when stepping into the Nigerian fast food products market. The Market Market is a place where major process of the business takes place. The economical, political, social, cultural, financial, legal and technological forces are basically some of the factors that play a significant role in creating and destroying the opportunities for any business. If the economy of the country where the product or service would be marketed is stable and unbiased, it is a great opportunity for the businesses. The political and legal stability plays a vital role for starting any business in a country. The social and cultural environmental forces are most significant to consider because they contain people, the real buyers of the products and services. (Glader, 2006, pp. 16). Nigeria’s culture and tradition are slightly different than the other regions of the world i.e. UK and USA. There are several languages are being spoken in Nigeria, but the official language is English. This is one of the best strength of Nigerian culture that welcomes the foreign firms to join the Nigerian market. The legal system of Nigeria is a combination of several laws and principles including Islamic, customary and English laws. There could be some threats for the fast foods businesses because of diverse religions and laws systems. Nigeria has a mixed economy and stands at the 36th position in terms of GDP as of 2013. The agricultural industry of Nigeria significantly supported its economy followed by the natural resources of crude oil, natural gas and wholesale products. The income per capita increased in the period of 2004-2012 (Trading Economic, 2013). The income status of people is acceptable, but not for general Nigerian public. However, the earning people are able to afford the fast food product purchase even in regular intervals. While the poor wages of most of the people, late payments and strikes can often make critical situations in the country. Figure : GDP Per Capita The technological advancement is growing rapidly in Nigeria and it is a most important advantage for MNC’s. The online markets are majorly playing important role in bringing buyers and sellers closer. People now prefer to use online platforms for placing orders and making purchases. Thus the  online promotional strategy and also television and physical ad banners would be helpful for Pizza Hut if implemented. Several other products are also getting rapid fame among people such as MacDonald’s and Italian Pizza. The introduction of several beneficial schemes and promotions such as coupons, gifts, weekend packages and midnight offers would be profitable and would also help Pizza Hut to get rapid repute and vast customer circle. Market size The market size of the host country describes the demand and supply scale of the products. To supply the products in any host country there must be sufficient potential demand. Larger the market size, better the economical growth would be (Wei & Liu, 2001, pp.38). Several international investors and marketers have opened their retail business in Nigerian market such as Shoprite, Artee Industries Ltd, and Internationale Spar Centrale BV in 2012. The rapidly increasing population of Nigeria will generate the strong and ever going demand for international products specifically the fast food products. The increasing rate of urbanization and positive economic outlook of Nigeria will support the MNC’s. (Euro Monitor, 2013). Competitors One of the main competitors and its product prices in Lagos is: Dominos Pizza Domino’s Pizza is a popular pizza joint in Lagos. They offer both dine in and home delivery services. Their motto is to spread happiness around Lagos. Products and Prices Domino’s main offering may be pizza but a wide variety of side orders is also offered by the fast food joint. The price list of their popular products is as follows: Chicken Feast Grilled chicken breast, mushrooms and sweet corn. Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,000 Large: â‚ ¦ 2,900 Hot Pepperoni Feast Extra beef pepperoni, red chillies & extra mozzarella cheese Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,000 Large: â‚ ¦ 2,900 Hot Veggie Onion, green pepper, banana, red chillies & tomatoes Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,000 Large: â‚ ¦ 2,900 BBQ Chicken Grilled chicken breast, Onions & BBQ sauce. Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,300 Large: â‚ ¦ 3,200 BBQ Philly Steak Philly steak, Beef topping, Onions & BBQ sauce Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,300 Large: â‚ ¦ 3,200 Meal Deals and side orders are also offered. The joint also serves Cold Stone Ice cream Promotion and Advertising Domino’s pizza uses different channels of advertisement and promotion. Billboards and hoardings are used to promote special deals and discounts. The fast food joint has a website that houses the menu and also facilitates online order booking. Domino’s prides itself on its ability to make prompt deliveries throughout Lagos. Distribution Domino’s Pizza has six main outlets in Lagos. The bulk of distribution is attributed to home delivery. Apart from these international fast food chains, many local fast food joints are open in Lagos. These include Mario’s Pizza and fast food Sweet Sensation Mama Cass Ghana High These fast food chains offer a wide range of discount deals and competitive prices. Pricing Strategy Pricing is one of the most important aspects of the marketing mix of the product. Product placement and promotion depends on how the product has been priced. In order to set a pricing strategy, pricing objectives must be set. These include: Current profit maximization Current revenue maximization Maximize quantity Maximize profit margin Quality leadership Partial cost recovery Survival Status quo Since Pizza Hut will be introducing its products in Lagos for the first time, its pricing object should be to ‘maximise quantity’ and ultimately become the market leader. In order to attain this status Pizza Hut may employ one of the two pricing strategies: Skim Pricing: whereby the company prices its products high. This offers profit maximisation. By adopting this strategy the company assumes the stance of serving a niche market. Penetration Pricing: whereby products are priced low to maximise quantity and ease into the market. Since, the target market for Pizza hut is price sensitive and highly elastic, the best pricing strategy would be ‘Penetration Pricing’. By pricing the products low at the beginning, Pizza Hut would be able to gain more market share and cater to a greater market. Pricing Methods Several pricing methods may be employed to satisfy the pricing objectives of the company. These methods vary from product to product. Some companies may use different and innovative pricing methods that better satisfy the needs of both the customer and the company. Traditionally used pricing methods include: Cost-plus pricing: based on production cost plus a certain profit margin Target-return pricing: based on a target return-on-investment Value-based pricing: based on value offered relative to competitors Psychological pricing: based on customer’s perception and demand Pizza Hut may employ any one or a combination of the above mentioned pricing methods to accomplish its pricing objectives. Price Discounts The list price is normally discounted for the distribution channel. This may be done in the following ways: Quantity discount Cumulative quantity discount Seasonal Discount Cash discount Trade discount Promotional discount Pizza hut could offer the following price discounts to its customers: Quantity discounts: whereby customers buying in greater quantities could be offered special deals and discounts Promotional discounts: special promotions could be used to boost sales Marketing Plan Marketing Objectives Marketing objectives helps define what a company wants to achieve through it’s marketing activities. Firms from different industries create their marketing objectives by doing a thorough analysis of their firms SWOT analysis in order to identify the key areas of concentration. For Pizza Hut, to define its marketing objectives it has to decide on the entry strategy that it will adopt for Nigeria. Entry Strategy One of the leading markets in Sub-Saharan Africa is Nigeria with a population of above 158 million. However Nigeria having a wide range of ethnic groups is an environment with high risk potential. It would be advisable for Pizza Hut to franchise the company to another company in Nigeria, in order to reduce unforeseen risk. A franchise is an agreement between two parties where the franchisor sells the right to franchise the company to a franchisee. However due to the changes in routines and consumer flavors, preferences are readily growing towards packed and convenient foods. All these matters are assisting the country’s retail food sector to develop. In growing markets like Nigeria, consumers would always prefer to have a cuisine that is more appropriate to the native palate rather than an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"international† cuisine Finding the right partner to sell the rights might be quite daunting but Devyani International Limited an Indian based company with operation in Nigeria might be good partner to sell the franchise to. Devyani International Limited an associate company of RJ-Corp – Largest bottler for Pepsico with currently having about 300 outlets of Pizza Hut, KFC, Costa, Swensen’s, and many more brands in India (Devyani International Limited). The company opened KFC in Nigeria as of 2009 and is currently investing on opening more outlets in the region (Business New Nigeria). Our study showed that an average Nigerian spends around 72.97% of his/her income on food. The table below shows the percentage of total food expenditure in Nigeria as of 2010. IMAP’s Food & Beverage Industry Global Report – 2010 Total Food Expenditure Percentage of Total Expenditure (%) Beverages/Tobacco 2.73 Meat 12.88 Fish 15.22 Diary 5.61 Breads/Cereals 34.08 Fats/Oils 5.15 Fruits/Vegetables 15.44 Other Foods 8.89 Percentage of Total Food Expenditure (%) 72.97 After selecting the entry strategy, establishing the SMART approach for the marketing objective would seem useful. This will however help to ensure the objective are: Specific – explains what needs to be gained. Measurable – objectives should be measurable in terms of performance indicators, percentages, outcomes, and much more. Action-oriented – State which action need to taken and who should take them. Realistic – the resources available should be able to meet the objectives. Time Specific – specify time frame and schedules for achievements or completion. To achieve the SMART approach, Pizza Hut will have to train the management of its franchisee on how to operate and manage the business similar to that of Pizza Hut’s method. Product Adaptation The key for international food chains such as Pizza Hut is to emphasize on adapting and accepting the local palate and then developing innovative foods to win over the native consumers. The term ‘Product Adaptation’ uses the strategy of the follower. That is the new product is based on improvements or modifications of the current product of the company (MBA Skool). To be successful in an international market it necessary for a firm to adapt its product to meet international customers’ or markets needs (Small Biz Connect). For Pizza Hut, it will have to rely on the franchisee to foresee the product adaptation in the region. The franchisee with its extensive knowledge in the market understands consumer preferences, even though Nigeria is country with wide range of cultures but each culture share common trait in its region. Promotion Mix: Promotion is the method used to create awareness about a product or service to customers a firm offers (Small Business Development). Once the business has started the following are means to raise awareness to the public about the company: 1. Advertising – one of the most important forms of passing information to  the general public. It is a form of communication used to convince or persuade potential consumers to choose a company’s product or service over its competitors (Small Business Development). Successful advertising should be planned properly so that the consumer perceives the intended messages. There many types of media options to choose for advertising; choosing which type of media depends on the market a firm is trying target and also on the budget. The types of media include: press advertising, radio, television, direct mail, ambient, and much more. Firms should be careful on selecting the type of media (or mixture) for advertising their product so as not waste resources, a famous quote from John Wanamaker (1838-1922) state â€Å"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted – the trouble is I do not know which half† (Small Business Development). 2. Sales Promotion – relates to incentives or activities mostly short-term that produces the likelihood of purchase or sale of a product. Sales promotions can be used to target different types of customers, types of promotions include: consumer, business, trade, and Sales force promotions. 3. Public Relation – this is all about building relationship with stakeholders of a company by obtaining favorable publicity, incorporating a strong brand image and name, and providing accurate information to the public. Having a strong relationship with stakeholders can generate positive outcomes for a firm where customers can provide good recommendation to others due their satisfaction with the company (Small Business Development). The franchisee of Pizza Hut should be able to use any of the above-mentioned promotion or use all of them. For the advertising both parties should discuss on the cost for doing the advertisement whether both would share the cost or one party would be responsible. Channels of Distribution Agricultural and livestock products have a high import tariff in Nigeria; the government imposed such high tariffs as part of their economic reform to boost the economy and to support the agricultural sector. Pizza Hut would face high tariffs if it were going to supply the business with its own  produce. The company or the franchisee can partner with any of the intermediaries to provide the company with agricultural products; this in short would save the firm cost it would have to bear due to import tariffs and compensating with high prices of the products to the customers. SWOT Analysis Conclusion Once colonized by the British, Nigeria is known as the â€Å"Giant of Africa† which is one of the most populous countries in Africa. Having a population of over 160 million people and over 250 ethnic groups with each having their own dialects, it is a mixed economy with developing market sectors. 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