Microsoft Porter s Five Forces Analysis - 1584 Words

MICROSOFT 1. Industry and company profile a) What is the industry? What value does the industry provide to its customers? Microsoft Corporation is known as Microsoft which is an American multinational technology company. It is computer software, consumer electronics and computer hardware industry. It also produces manufactures, licenses, supporters, personal computers and services. Its main products is computer software and best software products are known as Microsoft windows and devices, cloud and enterprise, application and services. It is the world’s largest software maker company. It is also one of the world’s most valuable Industry company. b) Include an industry competitive analysis using the Porter Competitive model. You should discuss in details each of the five forces that affect the competitive landscape of your company’s industry. Discuss why each of the forces play strong or weak in role in the industry and give evidence to support your argument. Microsoft Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Above picture shows the competitive model of industry. Microsoft’s Five Forces analytical framework porter model made by Michael Porter . It represents five individual forces of Microsoft, which follows the overall competition Shape of the industry. I will explain each force to better understand the competitive model of industry. Vendredi(2013) 1.Threat of new entrants Threats of new entrants means that if an industry is profitable then it will attract more competitors.Show MoreRelatedThe Five Forces Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesThe Five Forces Framework and Competitive Strategy In this framework due to Michael Porter there are two high-level stages in the creation of competitive strategy, each stage corresponding to a high-level determinant of profitability mentioned in the previous section. The first stage is the assessment of the attractiveness of the industry in which a given company is embedded based on a structural analysis of the industry. In this stage, called the five forces framework, five forces that influenceRead MoreBusiness Strategy : Porter s Five Forces1378 Words   |  6 Pages One of the business strategies that company can use is Porter’s Five Force strategy (Porter, 2008). Porter’s five forces model is a framework that aims to analyse the level of competition within an industry and business strategy development. The main principle of the model is that either one or a combination of five competitive forces within the organization determines an organization’s benefit potential. The Porter’s Five Forces include b argaining power of buyers, bargaining power of supplier,Read MoreInvestor Identification And C : Value Analysis1995 Words   |  8 Pagesshares the same awareness or fear in a corporation. In order for Microsoft to maintain a successful sustainability, they have to give recognition to major stakeholders. Furthermore, the company should gain the powers of the participants, their essential views, and introduce a part inside Microsoft for supervising the stakeholder. The proceeding paragraphs will discuss two key areas a) investor identification and b) value analysis. Enterprise Level Strategy Leaders of technology and other industries’Read MoreJst Any1257 Words   |  6 PagesPoints Total Instructions: Circle the correct answer in the following Multiple Choice Questions. Each question is worth 1 point for a total of 20 points. 1) The keyboard and monitor are an example of which of the five components? A) Hardware B) Software C) Procedures D) Data 2) The five-component framework is symmetrical in design. The two outermost components are: A) hardware and software B) data and software C) people and procedures D) people and hardware 3) Inventions, standards, and productsRead MoreWells Fargo As A Community Based Bank1558 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing in and of each community in which they work together, whether it s Columbia, South Carolina; Des Moines, Iowa; or Roseville, California is a competitive advantage. Wells Fargo is known to be in more U.S. communities than any of their competitors. As a whole they relate to the communities and take geographic pride in where they live and where we re they from. As a component of their work to assure they can locate what s best for each of their customers, staying focus on what they think is bestRead MoreStudy of Software Industry Using Porters Five Forces Model4351 Words   |  18 Pages Michael Porter provided a frame work that models an industry as being influenced by five forces. These forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. The objective of corporate strategy should be to modify these competitive forces in a way that improves the position of the organization. Porter’s model supports analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management canRead MoreCompany Background Of Lenovo Company2399 Words   |  10 PagesBackground: 1 Porter’s Five Forces Model: 3 Threat of New Entrants: 5 Threat of substitute products 6 Bargaining Power of Buyers: 7 Bargaining power of suppliers: 7 Conclusion 8 Introduction: PCs and innovation industry is dynamic and quickly developing with expanded propel in innovation thus organizations in it are confronted with high rivalry are liable to different components that impact their operations. In that regard, this report tries to present Lenovo s business position byRead More3. Critically Evaluate the Outside-in Approach to Strategy Formulation.4033 Words   |  17 Pages 2012:5). This paper is an analysis of IT security industry’s strategic approach in GCC. It will evaluate the industry through porter Five Force model and other external strategies. Also, this paper will throws light on the inside-out strategy over outside-in strategy Porter Five Forces Framework The IT security industry, these days, is a critical area in business sector as well as political sector in the GCC. According to Porter Understanding the competitive forces, and their underlying causesRead MoreDifferent Theories And Models That Argue For Or Against Differentiation2547 Words   |  11 Pagesdifferentiation as a competitive advantage. From the firm s point of view it is very important to acknowledge the industry in which it competes, to quote Porter, the industry is the arena where competition takes place. Industries are comprised of firms that produce similar products and services making them competitors. The firm’s competitive environment has a common structure that consists of five competitive forces based on Porter’s 5 Forces model from 1980: †¢ Threat of new entry †¢ Intensity of rivalryRead MoreIntel Pestel and Five Forces Analysis3088 Words   |  13 Pages1. PESTEL: Strategic analysis is basically concerned with the structuring of the relationship between a business and its environment. The external environment which is dynamic and changing holds both opportunities and threats for the organizations. The organizations while attempting at strategic realignments, try to capture these opportunities and avoid the emerging threats. So it is very important for organizations like Intel to study and understand about the external environment. To do this

Sustainability †Case Study Zimbabwe Free Essays

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Locate and identify with a sketch map the geography of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in southern eastern Africa. We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainability – Case Study: Zimbabwe or any similar topic only for you Order Now The terrain is mostly high plateau with a higher central plateau (high veld – any of the open grazing areas of southern Africa) and mountains in the east. Zimbabwe covers an area of 39000 sq. kms and has a population of 12.8 million of which 35% are urbanised. Half of these are in the capital city which is Harare (located by the red dot on the map). What are the challenges that face Zimbabwe today? You can read also Costco Case Study There is racial divide as only 2% of the population is white; of the majority black population 71% are Shona and 16% Ndebele. The country is now effectively bankrupt. Social service provision is in decline and unemployment is running at 60%. From being self sufficient in basic food stuffs it is estimated that in 2003/2004 only one third of its main staple food maize will be available. Half the population are said by an O.E.C.D. Report (2003) to be facing starvation without outside aid. There are spatial inequalities such as at the periphery. The World Bank (1999) estimated the 6 million population in the communal lands live on less than an average of 1US$ a head per day and that 58% live under the poverty line compared with 8% in the core. The periphery lacks urbanisation, rail and road networks, power grids, mining estates, manufacturing and various forms of social infrastructure. From 1990 – to date the government moved away from a direct attempt to address the issue of regional inequalities towards economic policies which benefited the core region but which it was hoped would also bring spread effects to the periphery. The core is still dominated by a capitalist based and export orientated economy. There is extreme social dualism, 20% of the population command 60% of the country’s GDP and are mainly urban based. Since 2000 an ill thought out Fast Track land reform programme, together with illegal land occupation of white commercial farms, has failed to significantly relieve pressure on communal lands and crippled the commercial agriculture sector which was a main source of food supply and the major source of exports. Outline the urgent priorities that Zimbabwe faces today. Reduction of regional inequalities is a central policy under the government’s declared principle of ‘Equity with Growth’. They are a result of a combination of interrelated factors: Natural resource disparities and natural events such as periodic drought, Economic forces, core periphery contrasts, a failure of government policies, external factors operating from 1890. From 1998, and particularly following the controversial 2000 general election, Zimbabwe has been plunged into crisis as a result of a number of factors – periodic droughts, the Aids epidemic, rampant inflation adversely affecting both internal finances and the country’s competitiveness in overseas markets and a collapse in all major sectors of the economy. The crippled commercial agriculture sector which was a main source of food supply and the major source of exports, brought about by the land reform programme. This contributes to widespread food shortages and economic downturn from exports. How to cite Sustainability – Case Study: Zimbabwe, Free Case study samples

Great Expectation Essay Example For Students

Great Expectation Essay This is a terrifying thing to happen to anyone never mind a young boy who is already orphaned.  Although not found out until nearer the end of the novel, Magwitch appreciates the help given to him by Pip by rewarding him with a high flying life in London. When you get up to that point the obvious person that was the mysterious benefactor was Miss Havisham, who I will talk more about in the next section. Great Expectations  Chapter Eight  In chapter eight the young Pip is still the narrator but his language is more pretentious and detailed to reflect the fact that it is no longer a frightened boy that is speaking to the reader.  In chapter eight we are introduced to Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham is a woman who is quite old and not in the best of mental states. This is due to the fact her groom left her on the day of their wedding therefore Havisham has lived in her wedding dress ever since that day, the house is in the same way it was on the wedding day apart from any ageing that has occurred like the mould on her wedding cake. The name Havisham is a reference to the life she has lived. Her life is a sham. In away Miss Havisham and Magwitchs lives are similar, Magwitch was locked up in jail behind bars and Havisham imprisoned herself in her home by putting bars on all the windows and also she has become prisoner of her own mind. Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred. There was a courtyard in front, and that was barred;  Before meeting Miss Havisham, Pip came across Estella. Although at the time the two were not formerly introduced to each other. She only called Pip, Boy, she obviously doesnt care for other peoples feelings and also is quite snobbish and thinks she is superior to everyone. Before entering Miss Havishams room Pip found himself fearful. This was very uncomfortable, and I was half afraid. He is fearful despite the fact that he has never met Miss Havisham prior to this. His fear of her is based on the surroundings. These are the bricked up windows, the windows with bars over them and things like this. If you walked down the street and saw a house like this the impression you get is not a good one and you wouldnt think the people that lived there are the nicest in the world. Miss Havisham lives in darkness. No glimpse of daylight was to be seen Miss Havisham is a strange woman. the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see.  Charles Dickens uses Pip to give the reader a good description of the scene, She was dressed in rich materials satins, and lace, and silks all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she wore, and half-packed trunks, were scattered about. She had not quite finished dressing, for she had but one shoe on the other was on the table near her hand her veil was but half arranged, her watch and chain were not put on, and some lace for her bosom lay with those trinkets, and with her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers, and a prayer-book, all confusedly heaped about the looking-glass. It was not in the first few moments that I saw all these things, though I saw more of them in the first moments than might be supposed. And this is what helps the reader create a good mental picture. .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f , .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .postImageUrl , .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f , .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f:hover , .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f:visited , .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f:active { border:0!important; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f:active , .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u91036dff18945825945d0925698f125f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Analysis EssayPip describes to us the clothes she is wearing and the state they are in and this tells us that she has left things the same for a very long time. But, I saw that everything within my view which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow. Miss Havisham has spent her life dwelling on one incident that happened when she was young. It was a bad thing to happen to someone, being left by the person they loved on their wedding day but it is not a reason to take out a vendetta against all men and manipulate Estella into hating all men as well as herself. Estella wasnt the nicest t o Pip but this is because Havisham has conditioned her to be like this. Havisham has told her that all men are evil. In this case it punishes Pip for the actions of one man. Miss Havisham makes demands of Pip one of these being to call Estella in. Call Estella, she repeated, flashing a look at me. You can do that. Call Estella. At the door. To stand in the dark in a mysterious passage of an unknown house, bawling Estella to a scornful young lady neither visible nor responsive, and feeling it a dreadful liberty so to roar out her name, was almost as bad as playing to order. But, she answered at last, and her light came along the dark passage like a star. The name Estella means star and she seems to be the light in Pips life. Even though she finds him common. Let me see you play cards with this boy. With this boy? Why, he is a common labouring-boy!  Miss Havishams response to this is, - Well? You can break his heart. This seems to be Havishams overall plan, to have Estella brake mens hearts.  When Pip sat down to play cards with Estella, he notices how peculiar everything is. The fact that she places anything she moves back in the place from which it came and that the shoe that has been left out has never been worn. Most of chapter eight is just Pip noticing things like these. Chapter eight is also about starting the connection between Pip and Estella. Its a love hate relationship for Pip. He thinks she is very pretty but also arrogant. At one point her snootiness made him upset and he started to cry. The cruel person that she is actually was satisfied that she was the one that made him cry. Despite her cruel treatment to Pip he is infatuated with her. The meeting with Miss Havisham and Estella ends with Estella locking the gate behind Pip and laughing at him for crying. Great Expectations  Language  Charles Dickens uses descriptive writing throughout his novel. This is to give the reader an idea of the scenes so they can create a mental picture. This imagery makes things easier to understand, especially as Great Expectations was originally written in serial form in the newspaper. So using imagery would make it easier for people to remember what had happened previously. Using a young Pip as the narrator makes the reader sad for pip as there is a childish point of view on things but the language used would of have to been very common as Pip is a commoner and relatively uneducated. This is where I think there is a conflict; at times the descriptive language used surpasses Pips education and understanding of the words that are used.  Personally I found the novel at times hard to take in because the sentences used were very descriptive but too long. This is what made it hard to read. However this is what makes his characters memorable. For example Scrooge was memorable and this is down to the writing style of Dickens.  Despite at times finding it hard to understand Great Expectations is a very good read which makes you think.

The Importance Of Tourism And Hospitality Employment Tourism Essay Example

The Importance Of Tourism And Hospitality Employment Tourism Essay The importance of touristry and cordial reception employment in both developed and developing states is attested to by the World Travel and Tourism Council ( WTTC ) , who suggest that travel- and tourism-related activities account for over 230 million occupations, or 8.7 per cent of occupations worldwide ( WTTC, 2006 ) . However, whilst the measure of occupations is unquestionable, the quality of many of these occupations is of great concern to faculty members and policy-makers likewise. Despite the rhetoric of policy-makers and concern leaders that people are the industry s most of import plus, many remain unconvinced that such a position is borne out by empirical grounds. For illustration, Douglas Coupland, the noteworthy cultural observer, has for many captured the Zeitgeist when he talks pejoratively of McJob which he describes as, Alow-pay, low-prestige, low-dignity, low-benefit, no-future occupation in the service sector. Frequently considered a fulfilling calling pick by peo ple who have neer held one ( Coupland, 1993: 5 ; and see besides Lindsay and McQuaid, 2004 ) . MacDonald and Sirianni ( 1996 ) acknowledge the challenges of life and working in a service society which, harmonizing to them, is characterized by two sorts of service occupations: big Numberss of low-skill, low-pay occupations and a smaller figure of high-skill, high-income occupations, with few occupations being in the center of these two extremes. Such a state of affairs leads labour analysts to inquire what sorts of occupations are being produced and who is make fulling them. This point is besides true for the touristry and cordial reception industry and it is of import at the beginning of this book to add a caution about the generalizability ( or otherwise ) of the conditions of touristry and cordial reception employment worldwide. To make so it will critically reexamine some of the jobs which lead many to qualify touristry and cordial reception employment as by and large unrewardin g and unsympathetic, whilst besides sing illustrations of good pattern, of import policy responses and theoretical accounts of HRM which may offer cause for greater optimism in the manner people are managed within the touristry and cordial reception industry. What are the touristry and cordial reception industries? Many faculty members, industrialists and policy-makers have attempted to specify the nature of the touristry industry and the topographic point of the cordial reception sub-sector withinthis broader conceptualisation yet there is still no 1 normally accepted definition.Hence, there are built-in jobs seeking to specify what is a big and diverse sector, which means many of the activities may overlap, and could be described as embracing touristry and cordial reception. For illustration, Lucas ( 2004 ) in her recent work on employment dealingss in the cordial reception and touristry industries chose to speak in wide footings about the Hotel, Catering and Tourism Sector ( HCTS ) . This word picture of the HCTS recognizes that, in world, many occupations in cordial reception and touristry, share common properties and are associated with both cordial reception and touristry activities ( p. 4 ) . Clearly, so, we should acknowledge the potency for a deficiency of preciseness in depicting t he touristry and cordial reception industries. We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance Of Tourism And Hospitality Employment Tourism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance Of Tourism And Hospitality Employment Tourism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance Of Tourism And Hospitality Employment Tourism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In an effort to avoid excessively much impreciseness and, at the same clip, capture the diverseness of the sector it uses the model offered by Peoples 1st, which is the Sector Skills Council ( SSC ) for the cordial reception, leisure, travel and touristry sector, to represent the wide scope of activities that may be seen in the HCTS. The ground for utilizing People 1st is that SSCs are the government-licensed organic structures in the UK responsible for bettering accomplishments within the industry. SSCs are employer led and amongst other things aim to be the voice of industry on accomplishments affairs and promote best pattern attacks to employment ( and see Chapter 7 for the function of Peoples 1st in bettering accomplishments and preparation in cordial reception, leisure, travel and touristry ) . Therefore, Peoples 1stsuggest that the sector as a whole is made up of 14 sub-sectors ( Peoples 1st, 2006 ) : a-? hotels ; a-? eating houses, tourer services ; a-? visitant attractive forces ; a-? young person inns ; a-? vacation Parkss ; a-? self-catering adjustment ; a-? cordial reception services HRM IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HRM HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRIES aˆ? Attract an effectual work force Hour planning/labour markets Recruitment and choice aˆ? Maintain an effectual work force Wagess and public assistance Labor dealingss ( e.g. the function of trade brotherhoods ) Grudge and disciplinary processs aˆ? Develop an effectual work force Training and development Appraisal Hotel industry The hotel in Hoque s ( 2000 ) research, which is termed the HRM quality foil hotel, employed 140 staff and was portion of a big international concatenation. In relation to their attack to HRM a figure of patterns were outstanding in the hotel. Recruitment and choice emphasized the demand for employees to hold an aptitude for client attention, although this tended to be spotted at interview instead than through psychometric or behavioral trials. The hotel used extended initiation programmes to decrease the potency of employee turnover. The usage of cross-functional squads aimed to bring forth cooperation and squad edifice and staff were encouraged to see the hotel as a unit instead than a aggregation of distinct maps. Allied to this extended multi-skilling and crossfunctionalflexibility was encouraged, this cross-exposure allowed staff to see a figure of the other parts of the hotel. There was extended decentalisation, which sought to promote responsible liberty, for illustration th rough a well-understood authorization strategy operating in the hotel. Consultation via a representative advisory commission allowed employees to voice their positions on the running of the hotel. Further to this audience the hotel besides operated an one-year attitude study. Employees were appraised on a annual footing. The assessment system was used for sequence planning and the hotel was besides working towards associating assessment with a merit-based wage system. Employees were besides encouraged by a strong internal labor market which promoted from within, whenever possible. Finally, throughout the hotel there was an paramount accent on quality and the demand to offer outstanding client service . HARD AND SOFT HRM Equally good as supplying the concise definition utilized above, Storey ( 1987 ) besides provided one of the earliest and most abiding efforts to acknowledge different attacks to HRM. These different attacks are captured by the thought of difficult and soft HRM, each of which are now briefly described. The difficult version is seen to be an instrumental and economically rational attack to HRM. In this position people direction schemes are driven by strategic considerations to derive competitory advantage, maximising control while accomplishing the lowest possible labor cost. This attack is quantitative and calculating and labor is a commodity/resource, the same as any other. The focal point is on HRM. On the other manus the soft version is seen to be much moreabout following a humanistic and developmental attack to HRM. As a consequence anorganization s people direction attack is likely to be more consensual and based on a high degree of managerial committedness to employees, which i s intended to take to common high committedness from employees, high trust, high productiveness and so on. Employees are seen as being proactive, capable of being developed and worthy of trust and coaction. This attack focuses on HRM.What difficult and soft attacks to HRM point to is that employers will change their people direction schemes. BEST FIT AND BEST HRM PRACTICES Boxall and Purcell ( 2000 ) suggest that efforts to understand the manner in which organisations approach the direction of their HR can be seen with respect towhether they aim for best tantrum or best pattern . Best tantrum One of the earliest and most influential efforts to develop a theoretical account that recognized the demand for a tantrum between the competitory scheme and HRM was that offered by Schuler and Jackson ( 1987 ) . Schuler and Jackson developed a series of typologies of needed function behaviors that enabled the nexus between competitory scheme and HRM patterns to be made. The type of needful function behaviors within Schuler and Jackson s theoretical account was contingent on the overall schemes that an organisation could follow to seek competitory advantage and the HRM approached adopted to prolong this. First, there is an invention scheme, where organisations seek to develop merchandises or services that are different from rivals, such that the focal point here is on companies offering something new and different. Organizations following this attack seek to develop an environment where invention is allowed to boom. Resultantly, the employee needed function behavior in such a scenario is characterized by things like a willingness to digest ambiguity and capriciousness, the demand to be originative and hazard pickings. Given these features the type of HRM scheme fluxing from this attack is based on holding a big figure of extremely skilled persons who are likely to bask high degrees of liberty. Second, is the quality sweetening scheme wherein houses seek to derive competitory advantage by heightening the merchandise and/or service quality. The attack one time once more points to certain HRM patterns to back up a total-quality attack. These patterns include the encouragement of feedbac k systems, teamwork, decision-making and duty being an built-in portion of an employee s occupation description and flexible occupation categorizations. The purpose of these patterns is to make needed employee behaviors such as co-operative, mutualist behavior and committedness to the ends of the organisation. Last, the cost decrease scheme sees houses trying to derive competitory advantage by taking to be the lowest-cost manufacturer within a peculiar market section. . Best pattern Whilst statements for best tantrum advocator a close tantrum between competitory schemes and HRM, those in favor of best pattern attacks to HRM suggest that there is a cosmopolitan one best manner to pull off people. By following a best pattern attack it is argued that organisations will see enhanced committedness from employees taking to improved organisational public presentation, higher degrees of service quality and finally additions in productiveness and profitableness, Normally couched in footings of bundles , the HRM patterns that are offered in support of a high committedness and public presentation theoretical account are by and large reasonably consistent. For illustration, Redman and Matthews ( 1998 ) outline a scope of HR patterns which are suggested as being of import to organisational schemes aimed at procuring high-quality service: a-? Recruitment and choice: Recruiting and choosing staff with the right attitudinal and behavioral features. A scope of appraisals in the choice procedure should be utilized to measure the work values, personality, interpersonal accomplishments and problem-solving abilities of possible employees to measure their service orientation . a-? Retention: The demand to avoid the development of a turnover civilization , which may of class be peculiarly prevailing in touristry and cordial reception. For illustration, the usage of retention fillips to act upon employees to remain. a-? Teamwork: The usage of semi-autonomous, cross-process and multi-functional squads. a-? Training and development: The demand to fit operative degree staff with squad working and interpersonal accomplishments to develop their service orientation and directors with a new leading manner which encourages a move to a more facilitative and training manner of managing. a-? Appraisal: Traveling off from traditional top down attacks to appraisal and back uping things such as client rating, equal reappraisal, team-based public presentation and the assessment of directors by subsidiaries. By and large, all of these public presentation assessment systems should concentrate on the quality ends of the organisation and the behavior of employees needed to prolong these. a-? Rewarding quality: A demand for a much more originative system of wagess and in peculiar the demand to payment systems that reward employees for achieving quality ends. a-? Job security: Promises of occupation security are seen as an indispensable constituent of any overall quality attack. a-? Employee engagement and employee dealingss: By seeking greater engagement from employees the accent is on offering liberty, creativeness, co-operation and self-denial in work procedures. The usage of educative and participative mechanisms, such as squad briefings and quality circles are allied to alterations in the organisation of work which support an empowered environment. In simple footings best pattern is likely to imply efforts to heighten the accomplishments base of employees through HR activities such as selective staffing, comprehensive preparation and wide developmental attempts like occupation rotary motion. CHALLENGES FACED BY HR IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY By and large touristry and cordial reception has frequently struggled with negative perceptual experiences about employment patterns and conditions and this perceptual experience has frequently been matched by the world. Keep and Mayhew ( 1999 ) for illustration in their reappraisal of the accomplishments issue in the touristry and cordial reception industry suggest the industry has a figure of forces jobs, including: a-? by and large low rewards, unless skill deficits act to counter this ( e.g. chefs ) ; a-? unsocial hours and displacement forms that are non household friendly ; a-? overrepresentation of adult females and cultural minorities in low-level operative places, with better paid, higher position and more skilled occupations filled by work forces, indicating to undeveloped equal chances policies in the sector ; a-? hapless or non-existent calling constructions and usage of casualized seasonal employment ; a-? over trust on informal enlisting methods ; a-? deficiency of grounds of good pattern personnel/HRM patterns ; a-? small or no trade brotherhood presence ; a-? high degrees of labour turnover ; a-? troubles in enlisting and keeping of employees. Acknowledging this world of hapless employment patterns, Riley et Al. ( 2000 ) argue that economic science is the cardinal finding factor for HRM policies and patterns in touristry and cordial reception. Of class this point is likely to be true of any industry, but as Riley et Al. point out it carries a peculiar resonance in touristry and cordial reception, due to the nature of the sector. That is non to state that organisations and directors in the industry are non good cognizant of new managerial thought on HRM. However, they besides find themselves wrestling with traditional jobs , which are underpinned by fundamental labour economic jussive moods . Importantly, these jobs limit managerial actions and this leads Riley et Al. to reason the behavior of directors is determined by the constructions and signifiers under which they live. This inability by industry to acknowledge the most blazing of issues is long standing and can besides be seen in relation to things like a grade of i ll will and resistance from the employers associations in the industry, such as the British Hospitality Association ( BHA ) , to governmental enterprises such as the lower limit pay and working clip directing. The BHA still remains unsure of the benefits of such enterprises, despite support from others who argue these enterprises are likely to hold a potentially positive impact on the industry. Given the above treatment it is unsurprising to see a long history of support for the proposition that touristry and cordial reception remains a hapless employing sector. From Orwell s Down and Out in Paris and London in the 1930s to recent work by the likes of Price ( 1994 ) , Kelliher and Perrett ( 2001 ) , Kelliher and Johnson ( 1997 ) and McGunnigle and Jameson ( 2000 ) , the dominant paradigm has tended to emphasize the negative facets of working in the sector. For illustration, McGunnigle and Jameson surveyed a selected figure of hotels from the top 50 hotel groups ranked by ownership of sleeping room stock, which were considered to be most likely to exhibit good pattern HRM. Despite this they concluded, This survey suggests that there is small acceptance of HRM doctrine in corporately owned hotels in the UK sample aˆÂ ¦ [ and cordial reception ] aˆÂ ¦ has a long manner to travel before it can claim that it is promoting a civilization of committedness . Similarly, K elliher and Perrett ( 2001 ) , pulling explicitly on Schuler and Jackson s typology, develop a instance survey analysis of a designer eating house . Such a eating house might be though of as potentially developing a more sophisticated attack to HRM as they sought to distinguish themselves from concatenation constitutions such as Hard Rock Cafe and TGI Friday s. However, although the eating house had moved to a more sophisticated attack to HRM in countries like planning, preparation and development and assessment, and apparently sought an innovation scheme, there was small existent grounds that human resources were seen as a beginning of competitory advantage BEST PRACTICE IN TOURISM ANDHOSPITALITY Some of the most of import work to emerge in recent old ages on the inquiry of the extent of good pattern in the HCTS is the work of Hoque ( 2000 ) . Based on his work on the hotel sector, he argues that statements which portray the industry as backward and unstrategic are now outdated, at least where larger hotel constitutions are concerned. Indeed, he suggests that it is possibly clip research workers stopped foregrounding the illustration of bad direction and branding the industry as under-developed or backward, and started placing attacks to hotel direction capable of bring forthing high public presentation ( 2000: 154 ) . The research conducted by Hoque consists of a questionnaire-based study of 232 hotels and a figure of follow-up interviews conducted in targeted hotels, based on the consequences of the study. Based on this research he discusses three key issues. First, the extent to which hotels have experimented with new attacks to HRM. Second, the factors that influence HRM decision-making and whether these factors are any different in the hotel industry compared to elsewhere. Finally, he reviewed the relationship between HRM and public presentation in the hotel industry. Hoque is able to claim that, compared to a sample of over 300 greenfield-site fabrication constitutions, the hotels in his sample where using a figure of patterns that were really similar to outdo pattern. Indeed, in exemplifying the mode in which academic theoretical accounts can, in world, overlap it is besides deserving observing that there is important convergence between Schuler and Jackson s quality sweetening and invention attacks with much of the best pattern attacks. Hoque s work remains utile in offering a description of organisational patterns that support a professional, high-quality attack to service. That said, there are a figure of unfavorable judgments that can be levelled at the research ( Nickson and Wood, 2000 ) . As Hoque himself recognizes his sample of hotels is big by industry criterions, averaging 125 employees per unit compared to an industry standard of 81 per centof constitutions using fewer than 25 people, and therefore as Hoque ( 2000: 51 ) himself recognizes patently unrepresentative of the industry as a whole . Furthermore his trust on city-centre hotels with a high proportion of corporate clients is every bit unrepresentative. Last, the trust on managerial voices in his research, to the exclusion of those on the having terminal of many of the initiativesdescribed ( i.e. employees ) , may be considered an of import skip. To be just, Hoque s sole trust on managerial voices is non alone and is shared by much of the literature on HRM. The cardinal point emerging from the work of the likes of Redman and Matthews and Hoque is what good pattern HRM is likely to look like in the touristry and cordial reception industry.

ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) - Statistics Definition

ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) - Statistics Definition Many times when we study a group, we are really comparing two populations. Depending upon the parameter of this group we are interested in and the conditions we are dealing with, there are several techniques available. Statistical inference procedures that concern the comparison of two populations cannot usually be applied to three or more populations. To study more than two populations at once, we need different types of statistical tools. Analysis of variance, or ANOVA, is a technique from statistical interference that allows us to deal with several populations. Comparison of Means To see what problems arise and why we need ANOVA, we will consider an example. Suppose we are trying to determine if the mean weights of green, red, blue and orange MM candies are different from each other. We will state the mean weights for each of these populations, ÃŽ ¼1, ÃŽ ¼2, ÃŽ ¼3 ÃŽ ¼4 and respectively. We may use the appropriate hypothesis test several times, and test C(4,2), or six different null hypotheses: H0: ÃŽ ¼1 ÃŽ ¼2 to check if the mean weight of the population of the red candies is different than the mean weight of the population of the blue candies.H0: ÃŽ ¼2 ÃŽ ¼3 to check if the mean weight of the population of the blue candies is different than the mean weight of the population of the green candies.H0: ÃŽ ¼3 ÃŽ ¼4 to check if the mean weight of the population of the green candies is different than the mean weight of the population of the orange candies.H0: ÃŽ ¼4 ÃŽ ¼1 to check if the mean weight of the population of the orange candies is different than the mean weight of the population of the red candies.H0: ÃŽ ¼1 ÃŽ ¼3 to check if the mean weight of the population of the red candies is different than the mean weight of the population of the green candies.H0: ÃŽ ¼2 ÃŽ ¼4 to check if the mean weight of the population of the blue candies is different than the mean weight of the population of the orange candies. There are many problems with this kind of analysis. We will have six p-values. Even though we may test each at a 95% level of confidence, our confidence in the overall process is less than this because probabilities multiply: .95 x .95 x .95 x .95 x .95 x .95 is approximately .74, or an 74% level of confidence. Thus the probability of a type I error has increased. At a more fundamental level, we cannot compare these four parameters as a whole by comparing them two at a time. The means of the red and blue MMs may be significant, with the mean weight of red being relatively larger than the mean weight of the blue. However, when we consider the mean weights of all four kinds of candy, there may not be a significant difference. Analysis of Variance To deal with situations in which we need to make multiple comparisons we use ANOVA. This test allows us to consider the parameters of several populations at once, without getting into some of the problems that confront us by conducting hypothesis tests on two parameters at a time. To conduct ANOVA with the MM example above, we would test the null hypothesis H0:ÃŽ ¼1 ÃŽ ¼2 ÃŽ ¼3 ÃŽ ¼4. This states that there is no difference between the mean weights of the red, blue and green MMs. The alternative hypothesis is that there is some difference between the mean weights of the red, blue, green and orange MMs. This hypothesis is really a combination of several statements Ha: The mean weight of the population of red candies is not equal to the mean weight of the population of blue candies, ORThe mean weight of the population of blue candies is not equal to the mean weight of the population of green candies, ORThe mean weight of the population of green candies is not equal to the mean weight of the population of orange candies, ORThe mean weight of the population of green candies is not equal to the mean weight of the population of red candies, ORThe mean weight of the population of blue candies is not equal to the mean weight of the population of orange candies, ORThe mean weight of the population of blue candies is not equal to the mean weight of the population of red candies. In this particular instance, in order to obtain our p-value, we would utilize a probability distribution known as the F-distribution. Calculations involving the ANOVA F test can be done by hand, but are typically computed with statistical software. Multiple Comparisons What separates ANOVA from other statistical techniques is that it is used to make multiple comparisons. This is common throughout statistics, as there are many times where we want to compare more than just two groups. Typically an overall test suggests that there is some sort of difference between the parameters we are studying. We then follow this test with some other analysis to decide which parameter differs.

The Coffered Ceiling in Architecture and Your Home

The Coffered Ceiling in Architecture and Your Home A coffered ceiling is a pattern of indentations or recesses in an overhead surface. In architecture, a coffer is a sunken panel in a ceiling, including the interior surfaces of domes and vaults. If a surface is coffered, it is not smooth. The architectural detail has been popular since Renaissance architects imitated Classical Roman techniques. Modernist architects often play with the depth and shape of the coffer. Key Takeaways: Coffered Ceilings A coffered ceiling is a series of indentations or hollows on the surface of a ceiling. Coffered ceilings decoratively hide ceiling imperfections and create the illusion of height. Historically, the design is considered dignified and formal.Simple coffered ceilings are created by crisscrossing beams that create geometric patterns, usually squares or rectangles. The word coffer comes from the ancient Greek word kophinos, which means basket. The Latin word for basket, cophinus, was adopted by the old French to mean various types of hollowed containers. The words coffer, a chest or strongbox to hold money, and coffin, a box for the dead, are both French derivations. The Latin word capsa, meaning box, evolved into the words caisson (an ammunition chest) and casket (same as coffin). Caisson ceiling is another term used to describe this type of ceiling hollow. The Chinese name for this type of ceiling, zaojing, means a well for plants that grow in water. The Latin word lacus, meaning lake or basin of water, is also used for this type of sunken panel (lacunar) ceiling. Coffers have been used in ceilings for centuries. Sometimes they were used to disguise the architectural engineering, where one beam or brace would be structurally necessary but others were built neaby for visual symmetry and to hide the necessary beam. Although hollows are sometimes used for structural weight distribution, coffers have always been used decoratively. Historically, a coffered ceiling can make a room look larger and more regal, as it does in the Palace of Versaille. Coffered ceilings are sometimes called caisson ceilings, plafond caissons, lacunaria, cross-beamed ceilings, and zaojing. Sometimes the English refer to these ceilings as coffer ceilings but never cougher ceilings. Coffered ceilings are found throughout architecture, from the Pantheon in Rome to the mid-century modern residence called Sunnylands at Rancho Mirage, California. The architect of Sunnylands used coffers inside and outside, to visually connect interior spaces with the outdoors. Exterior Detail at Sunnylands. The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company via flickr.com, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) cropped Coffers are not to be confused with latticework, a particularly important element in Islamic architecture. Like coffers, lattice is created with crisscrossed building materials, often pieces of wood, but lattice is arranged in decorative patterns to allow air through screens and windows, as in mashrabiya and jali. Coffered ceilings also should not be confused with the popular tray ceilings found in many large suburban homes. A tray ceiling is often a feature that enlarges a small kitchen or dining room without manipulating the footprint of the room. A tray ceiling has one, large sunken area in the ceiling, like one coffer, or an inverted tray. Creating Coffers Coffers are the sunken geometric areas in a ceiling, but most ceilings begin as a flat surface. Where do the coffers come from? Coffers can be created in at least two ways: (1) place a roof beam or crossbeam framework that naturally creates a space between the beams - the space appears sunken because the beams protrude; or (2) remove ceiling material, as you would carving a hole, or press into a flat surface to create an indentation, as you might create a sunken imprint into uncured concrete. Choosing the first method will take away ceiling height. Choosing the second method gains extra space for the rooms overall volume. Most coffered ceilings are created using the first method carried out in different ways. Unfinished Coffered Ceiling. Brian Moloney The Finishing Company Richmond via flickr.com, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) cropped Creating the design framework can be handcrafted by a carpenter like Brian Moloney, owner of The Finishing Company in the Richmond, Virginia area. Maloney is a finish carpenter, but that doesnt mean he comes from Finland. In fact, he comes from Ireland. Finishing is just one of the many carpentry skills of a master carpenter. Coffered Ceiling Built by Brian Moloney, Finish Carpenter from Ireland. Brian Moloney The Finishing Company Richmond via flickr.com, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) cropped An easier drop ceiling method is often used by commercial developers, manufacturers, and do-it-yourselfers (DIYs). Companies such as Classic Coffers can be hired to install a grid (sometimes beneath a fixed ceiling), then the panel coffers are placed within the grid. These arent the tacky looking drop ceilings of your grandmothers basement. A coffered drop ceiling can be created to look exactly like the wood finishing of a master carpenter. Only Brian Moloney could tell the difference. The DIY may buy a box of polystyrene foam tiles - faux tin like tiles - that purportedly can be installed right over Pop Corn ceiling. Its your choice. A less well-known method of creating coffers is offered by none other than Michelangelo. The Renaissance master manipulated the illusion of space with trompe loeil, a painting technique that tricks the eye into believing a certain reality. Michelangelo used his artistic skills to paint many of the three-dimensional moldings and crossbeams, creating the illusion of coffers in the most famous ceiling of all time, the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Rome. Which is wood and which is paint? Detail of Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo. Fotopress/Getty Images (cropped) Photo Credit Tray Ceiling, irina88w/Getty Images

The Carbon, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen Cycles and the Human Impact on Essay

The Carbon, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen Cycles and the Human Impact on These Cycles - Essay Example Carbon cycle is typically carried out whenever a hydrocarbon fuel or petroleum uses oxygen for combustion to run an engine of a vehicle or a facotry equipment. Like respiration, during combustion the carbon and hydrogen content of fuel are burned to yield water and carbon dioxide as products given off to the atmosphere. These products as well as the energy released by the exothermic reaction are then absorbed by the plants so the latter manages to produce its own food as photosynthesis takes place with the help other nutrients besides the sustenance provided by carbon dioxide. These plants consequently emit oxygen back into the atmosphere and possess carbohydrates, formed out of using carbon dioxide and water, with its stored energy to be used by the living organism once again. When weathering occurs, phosphate cycle begins when the inorganic materials containing phosphorus and phosphate ions in certain ocean salts or rock sediments are transported to land. Plants eventually take them in and are transferred to herbivores upon consumption and these herbivores may be eaten further by carnivorous animals so that the latter are also imparted a share of phosphorus or phosphates. At the point of death, they are brought back to soil by the decomposers that feed on decaying bodies with phosphorus and these materials may return to the ocean or be reconstituted into the rocks by means of run-off water.

Resolving International Disputes. What Mechanisms are Available to the Essay

Resolving International Disputes. What Mechanisms are Available to the United Nations to Resolve International Disputes - Essay Example The UN has an additional challenge in the form of geographical dispersion and cultural diversity1. Among the primary purposes of the UN are international dispute resolution and upkeep of international security and peace, which means that the body takes collective measures to prevent and remove threats to the security and peace. The mechanisms that are in place to facilitate such objectives include the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the General Assembly and the Secretary General. Being the key organ charged with the responsibility of maintenance of security and peace, the Security Council calls upon parties involved in disputes for the purpose of settlement as per articles listed in Article 33 of its statutes2. The dispute mechanisms are structured processes that address grievances or disputes arising between parties engaged in societal, legal or business relationships. The mechanisms are used in resolution of disputes and usually incorporate negotiation, mediat ion and conciliation. Through the dispute settlement systems in place, the UN is the best-suited international institution to address the new challenges facing international security. This paper will discuss the mechanisms available to the United Nations to resolve international disputes and their merits. The Security Council has the key responsibility of maintaining security and peace among countries. Other organs of the UN may only make recommendations to member states, but the Security Council has the authority to implement 1 Winnefeld, J 2004, The changing nature of intra-state conflict, Rand, California, pp. 19. 2 Simma, S 2003, The charter of the United Nations, Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 56. binding decisions that member states have agreed to carry out3. Such decisions by the Security Council are referred to as Security Council resolutions. As described in Article One, the UN has a purpose to maintain international security and peace. Hence, it takes collective me asures to prevent and remove threats to peace, suppresses acts of aggression and brings peace in conformity with the guidelines of international law and justice. It aims to develop friendly relations based on respect among nations. As an international body, the UN is determined to reaffirm faith in basic human rights, dignity and value of humanity. Its intention is to establish conditions that facilitate respect and justice for the obligations that stem from international sources of law and treaties as well as promoting better qualities of life, freedom and social progress4. The key motivation behind creating the UN was to save future generations from the threats of war. From the time it was created, the body has been striving to prevent the escalation of disputes into war as well as facilitating the restoration of peace in the event of armed conflicts. Typically, dispute mechanisms used by the UN are not judicial in nature since they are not deployed in courts of law. Instead, they are governed by core processes of human rights as defined by treaties of human rights5. The UN acknowledges that the absence of military conflicts or war between countries is not an assurance of international security and peace. Threats to international security and peace are seen in other sources outside of the military such as the instability arising from ecological, humanitarian, social and economic fields. Other factors that contribute to the insecurity are international environmental disputes that stem from 3 Thomas, G 2009, Admission to the United Nations: Charter Article 4 and the Rise of Universal Organization, Martinus Publishers, Chicago, pp. 64. 4

Different Types of Soils in India Essay Example for Free

Different Types of Soils in India Essay 1. Black soils The principal region of black soils is the Deccan plateau and its periphery extending from 8Â °45to 26o north latitude and 68o to 83o45 east longitude. They are formed from Deccan basalt trap rocks and occur in areas under the monsoon climate, mostly of semi-arid and sub-humid types. The overall climate of black soil region may be described as hot and dry summer, 40-100 cm rainfall per annum, mild to moderate winters and annual temperature ranges from 24-30o centigrade, mean maximum temperature during April-May ranges from 36~42Â °C arid mean minimum temperature during winter ranges from 15-24Â ° centigrade. Semi-arid to sub-humid, tropical to sub-tropical monsoon type climate with alternate dry and wet periods and calcification (formation of calcium carbonate) are favourable to the formation of black soils. The soils are characterised by dark grey to black colour with 35-60% clay, neutral to slightly alkaline reaction, high swelling and shrinkage, plasticity, deep cracks during summer and poor status of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Impeded drainage and low permeability are the major problems. Black soils. are divided into shallow black soil of a depth of 30-50 cms, medium black soils of 50-120 cm and deep black soils of more than 120 centimeters. The natural vegetation comprises dry deciduous species, viz palas (Butes frondoss), sisam (Dalbergia sisu), neem (Azadirachta indica) and teak (Tectona grandis). Cotton, sugarcane, groundnut, millets, maize, pulses, safflower are the common crops grown on these soils. Because of their inherent drainage problem, they are prone to salinity and sodicity under irrigated conditions unless proper drainage is ensured. Because of its high water retaining capacity, rainfed crops like minor millets, pulses like horse gram are vegetables of different types and citrus fruits can also be grown. These soils are also known as regurs, nullah regadi (a telugu word meaning black clay) and black cotton soils as cotton was the major crop grown in these soils. 2. Red soils These soils are derived from granite, gneiss and other metamorphic rocks. These soils are formed under well drained condition. The climate is semi-arid tropical with mean annual temperature of 25Â °C and mean annual rainfall from 75-100 cm. The soils are higher textured, friable structure and contains low soluble salts. They are slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, well drained with moderate permeability. They are generally poor in nitrogen, phosphorus, lime, humus etc. In this soil, lime concretions and free carbonates are absent. The red colour is due to the higher degree of hydration of the fericoxide in the soils. On uplands, they are gravelly sandy or stony and porous and light coloured on which food crops like bajra can be grown. On the lower plains and valleys, they are dark, coloured fertile loams, irrigated crops like maize, wheat, pulses, potatoes, fruits, millets etc can be grown. These soils have also been found under forest vegetation. Sometimes they found along with black soils (side by side) and also yellow soils (red and yellow soils). Excessive gravelliness, surface crust formation and susceptibility to erosion due to high slopes are some of the problems in these soils which can be overcome by adopting suitable measures. Morphologically the red soils can be divided into red loams which have a cloddy structure and argillaceous soil and red earths with loose friable top soil rich in sesquioxide type of minerals. 3. Laterites and lateritic soils Laterite is a geological term and means literally a rock. The laterites and lateritic soils have been loosely used in the same sense. The lateritic soils are enriched with oxides of iron and aluminium, under the conditions of high rainfall with alternate dry and wet periods. During rainfall silica is leached downwards and iron and aluminium oxides remains in the top layers. Laterites are usually shallow and gravelly at higher lands, but are very deep loam to clay soils in the valleys where good paddy crops are produced. Higher landy soils are poor in nutrient status where as lower level soils are dark and richer in nutrients and organic matter. All lateritic soils are poor in calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. They are generally well drained and porous. The soil reaction is more on the acidic side. On laterites, as already mentioned, rice is grown at lower elevations and at higher elevations, tea, coffee, cinchona, rubber and cashewnut can be grown under good soil management conditions. On the whole, laterites are poor in fertility and readily respond to manuring and good cultivation. Based on the climate lateritic soils are grouped into high rainfall areas with strongly and weakly expressed dry season and humid zones with pronounced dry wet periods. 4. Alluvial soils Alluvial soils, cover the largest area in India (approximately 7 lakh km2) and these are the most important soils from agricultural point of view. The main features of alluvial soils have been derived as silt deposition laid down by the Indian river systems like the Indus, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the rivers like Narmada, Tapti: Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. These rivers carry the products of weathering of rocks constituting the mountains and deposit them along their path as they flow down the plain land towards the sea. Geologically, the alluvium is divided into recent alluvium which is known as Khadar and old alluvium, as bhangar. The newer alluvium is sandy and light coloured whereas older alluvium is more clayey, dark coloured and contains lime concretions. The soils have a wide range in soil characteristics viz. acid to alkaline sandy to clay, normal to saline, sodic and calcareous, shallow to very deep. The climate ranges from arid to humid s ub-tropical. The following groupings of alluvial soils may be recognised: alluvial soils (Khadar, bhangar and highly calcareous), deltaic alluvium, coastal alluvium, coastal sands, calcareous sierocomic and grey-brown soils. a. Alluvial soils The alluvial soils occuring in the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Brahmaputra valley cover a large area. The soils are transported and deposited by the rivers from the parent material. The rivers are the Ganga, Jamuna, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The soils are deep and hard pans in the subsoil are calcareous (made of calcium carbonate) and acidic. These are deficient in nitrogen, phosphorous and humus, but not in potash and lime. These soils are fertile amongst all the soils of India. They produce a wide variety of crops like rice, wheat, sugarcane, jute and potato. They are distributed mainly in the northern, north-western and north-eastern parts of our country. b. Deltaic alluvial soils They are formed from sediments carried by rivers and deposited in the mouths of rivers joining the sea. The deltas of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery are the most important ones. In Gujarat, the deltaic alluvial soils which are sandy loam to clay loam are locally called Goradu soils. The Godavari and Krishna rivers pass through basaltic region having black soils and these soils are dark and fine textured. The Cauvery delta soils are significantly clayey and Ganga delta soils show high accumulation of organic matter, as in the Sunderbans of West Bengal, due to swampy vegetation. These soils are fertile and grow a wide variety of crops suited to climatic conditions. c. Coastal alluvium Soils developed on coastal alluvium are found along, the sea coasts. Soils are dark coloured, coarse textured and poor in fertility. Some soils are saline due to the inundation of sea water. Such soils in the Konkan coast of Maharashtra are called Khar soils. d. Coastal sands Sandy soils occur prominently in the coastal area of Tanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, along the Kerala coast, Bapatla in Guntur distrjct of Andhra Pradesh and Puri district in Orissa. If sandy soils are not saline, plantation crops like coconut, cashew and casuarina can be taken up for cultivation. Other soils under alluvium are calcareous sierozomes and grey brown soils. Calcareous sierozomes can be seen in the desertic region of Haryana and Punjab. The word sierozem denotes a group of soils having a brownish-grey surface horizon with a sub-layer of carbonates which is developed under mixed shrub vegetation in a-temperate to cool, arid climate. Grey-brown soils as the name itself indicates its nature, can be found in, desert soils of Rajasthan. 5. Desert soils In the north-western part of India, desert soils occur over an area of 0.29 million hecta,res, which includes a major part of Rajasthan, south of Haryana and Punjab and northern part of Gujarat. Rainfall ranges from less than 10 cms to 50 cms, mostly contributed during monsoon season. The region consists of sand dunes and undulating sandy plains. The temperature regime is very high throughout the year and a maximum of 50-60Â °C is recorded during summer. Due to high temperature organic-matter built up is very low. The soils in the plains are mostly derived from alluvium and are pale brown to brown to yellow brown and fine sandy to loamy fine sand and are structureless. The clay contents low and presence of alkaline earth carbonates is an important feature. The nitrate nitrogen and phosphorus makes the desert soils fertile and productive under proper moisture supply. By increasing the water holding capacity, the productivity of the soils can be increased which involve s addition of organic matter and clay. 6. Tarai soils The word tarai is a hindi word, which means moist. Thus, i\ is a wet regime having high water table. Tarai soils are foot hii soils and extend in strips of varying widths at the foot of Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar-Pradesh, Bihar and West-Bengal. Soils under the natural conditions are thickly vegetated and swampy. Several types of grasses and trees from the native vegetation on removal of which the soils become highly productive. The soils are formed from the materials that are washed down by the erosion of mountains. They are alluvial origin. High soil moisture content all through the year results in luxuriant vegetation dominated by tall grasses. They are neutral to slightly alkaline with significant amounts of organic matter. The texture varies from sandy loam to silty loam. Generally, these soils are fertile and by providing proper drainage, the productivity can be increased.

Contemporary Significance of the Greek Views of Paideia :: Philosophy

Contemporary Significance of the Greek Views of Paideia ABSTRACT: We argue that there are three basic views of paideia in ancient Greece. After briefly discussing them, we turn our attention to the contemporary situation. We try to show that the dialogical or Socratic view of paideia can contribute toward a deeper understanding of the contemporary problem of multiculturalism. In this article we will argue first that there are three basic views of paideia in ancient Greece (I). Then after making a brief overview of their fate in the later history (II), we will turn our attention to our contemporary situation and try to show that it is the dialogical or Socratic view of paideia which can contribute to a deeper understanding of the contemporary problem of multiculturalism (III). I. The three basic views of Greek paideia are all connected with the concept of truth and the relation of man to it. I call these views "basic", simply because I consider the man's "transcendental" relationship to truth (which includes the denial of this relationship) fundamental for our understanding of paideia, especially in ancient Greece after Parmenides. 1) The authoritarian view is found in the so-called Presocratic thinkers, such as Parmenides and Heracleitus. They assert the existence of absolute eternal truth that can be grasped intuitively and expressed verbally by a few wise men (sophoi). Even though they disagree and dispute each other on the content of truth, they all share in the esoteric view of truth. Just as Being is separated from the realm of appearance by Parmenides, so the wise man who alone can discern Being is clearly distinguished from the common crowd who cannot move beyond the realm of appearance. Or according to Heracleitus only the wise man can give ears to the eternal Logos amid the ever-changing flow of the world; whereas fools are compared with swine that are content with mud. This view gives the wise the authority to teach Truth ex cathedra. 2) The relativistic view of the Sophists, especially of Protagoras and Gorgias, is more "democratic". We should not forget that the Sophists flourished especially in democratic Athens as testified among others by the friendship between Protagoras and Pericles, the greatest statesman of democratic Athens. Both Protagoras and Gorgias criticized and ridiculed the Parmenidean concept of Being. The famous words of Protagoras, "man is the measure of all things" should be interpreted in this light.

How Did the Internet Affect My Privacy

Elizabeth. Loachamin 06 February 2013 Movies are one of my favorite hobbies. ? Each film has its own beauty and meaning, it’s really hard for me to pick one to be the movie that I enjoy the most. However, according to some films I have recently watched,  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœthe pursuit of happiness’ which has great influence on me, the beauty of a relationship between father and his son is what interest me the most. The pursuit of happiness’ tell us the story of a father and his son after a failed investment, the father that plays on the movie was actor, is Will Smith loses everything his wife, his house, and his money. The only thing that helps the man keep on living is his son. The whole movie describes the bad days of his life when he had no money, no place to live, not even a place to sleep; the father and son had to sleep in a public rest room. I really like the way the main character protects his son, the way he fights against fate and the way he tries to attain the l ife he once had.Thanks to the directors that make these types of movies and show so much passion and drama on movies like ‘the pursuit of happiness’. Will Smith is famous for action films but this time, he shows the audience a new appearance. I actually can see such a wonderful movie about the relationship between father and son like this. It is a bit embarrassing to admitted but I cried watching this movie it was very emotional for me, If you are the type of people who like movies about family, you should not miss this movie ‘the pursuit of happiness’

Foreign Literature Essay

Youth marketing is a term used in the marketing and advertising industry to describe activities to communicate with young people, typically in the age range of 12 to 34. More specifically, there is the tween marketing, targeting people in the 8 to 12 year-old range, teen marketing, targeting people age 13 to 19, college marketing, targeting college-age consumers, typically ages 18 to 23, young adult marketing, targeting young professionals, typically ages 22 and above The youth market is critical because of the demographic’s buying power and its members’ influence on the spending of family members. In addition, teens and young adults often set trends that are adopted by other demographic groups. The youth market is viewed as a difficult group to connect with and sell to, based on the fragmented media landscape and young people’s keen ability to identify and reject marketing messages that lack credibility. Nonetheless, many brands market to youth by offering relevant products and services while communicating a brand message in an appropriate voice and tone. Successful brands marketing to youth have a foundation in or association with key interests and drivers among youth: music, sports, fashion, video gaming and technology, among others. While frowned upon for preteens and younger teens, another common way advertisers target the older youth market is through product placement. Product placement occurs when a brand name product appears in a medium not necessarily related to the product itself. Companies often pay for their products to be placed in a movie or on a television show. This act, while not an overt form of advertising, seeks to target youth in a subtle manner. Youth marketing strategies commonly include television advertising, magazine advertising and online marketing. Today young people expect to be able to learn about, interact and be entertained with brands or services targeting them online. Other common youth marketing tactics include entertainment marketing, music marketing, sports marketing, event marketing, viral marketing, school and college programs, product sampling and influencer marketing. Examples of brands embraced by youth and used as examples in marketing cases are: Vans Footwear, it used youth marketing tactics to grow from a niche sneaker brand to a successful international business and Mountain Dew, a well- known soft drink brand that expanded market share through youth marketing tactics in the 1990s. Consumer behavior and attitude towards youth marketing This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. (February 2012) Since the 1980s, the marketing industry has seen an increase in research as well as an increase in spending. The marketing industry’s budget in 1992 was $6 billion and by 2003 this figure had risen to an estimated[by whom?] $15 billion in marketing efforts. According to Tim Kasser of Knox College, there is little that is known about youth marketing opinion. He states that since the late 1990s there have only been two large-scale opinion surveys conducted. The first of these surveys was sponsored by Center for a New American Dream, which consisted of 400 random parents nationwide. The second was sponsored by power exchange and took its survey participants from people who make a living off of youth marketing. The purpose of this survey was to assess a participant’s attitude towards a variety of youth marketing issues. Respondents to the survey were asked a range of questions regarding the ethics of youth marketing. The public opinion on youth marketing ethics according to this survey was mostly negative. An overwhelming 78% of respondents agreed that the current practices used in youth marketing were harmful to children, whereas 3.7% believed that the current practices were fine the way they were, while the remaining 85.1% didn’t believe that youth marketing had any ethics. The results of this survey shed light on youth marketing’s pros and cons. But this survey has shown that respondents clearly view the current tactics being used as potentially harmful and in need of structure.[citation needed] By the end of this survey, Tim Kasser concluded that a large portion of respondents to his survey felt that youth marketing morals were unacceptable and that they contributed to a range of youth-oriented problems. Also he found that marketing that took place in public schools was unacceptable and that governmental regulations should be put in place to prevent marketing groups from advertising to eight-year-olds. Even though this is just the tip of the iceberg,[according to whom?] talks on youth marketing have been ongoing; there have been few changes to policy or law in regards to marketing to youth. The results of the survey done by Tim Kasser suggest that people are ready to change public policy and legal initiatives in regards to these issues.[2] Youth trends On the other end of the youth marketing spectrum, you[who?] could say that the traditional definition of â€Å"youth† doesn’t really exist. This assumption was based upon consumer behavior in a study done by Viacom Brand Solutions International called the â€Å"Golden Age of Youth†. This case study was designed to focus on adults from 18 to 34 years old who primarily delayed their adult responsibilities in favor of staying younger in all aspects of life. According to this study, 16- to 19-year-olds are considered to be going through the discovery period. As people grow older they usually phase out of the discovery period and into the experimentation period, when they hit the age range of 20 to 24 years old. Usually those that don’t fit into the groups above are part of the golden category, which consists of anyone 24 to 34. Some of the key results that were produced from this case study were that 24–34-year-olds usually don’t respond to the same marketing techniques as teens and those that think so are being fooled, whereas in reality only 8% in the study were actually true teenagers. It also showed that the golden youth were the happiest out of all the categories and drawn towards expensive brands compared to teens. Based on the categories provided by Viacom and the results of the case study, it goes to show that over 52% of adults from 25 to 34 still have a lot of growing up to do. Youth trends are part of an environment pertaining to information that we[who?] know as youth marketing and is rapidly evolving and is interconnected with the evolution of transmission systems and content quality.[citation needed] It is easy to give very little weight to these new trends that are evolving in this information environment, but these changes should not be taken lightly[according to whom?] because it will affect how youth communicate and absorb this information. These changes can easily be shown through various media such as smart phones or social networking sites like Facebook, allowing youth marketing to occur on a sensory level. Morals and education of marketers: Youth marketing is under increased scrutiny by many public-oriented establishments such as government agencies, academia, and the media.[citation needed] The increased inquiry into the marketing industry has occurred because of the increased commercialism towards kids and marketing in schools. These are just a few of the ideas that have become more saturated in mainstream society.[citation needed] Recently[when?] in youth marketing there has been much information and misinformation on this topic despite the issue of youth marketing. In regards to the public opinion of youth marketing, one side that has not been represented is that of the youth marketing industry. This point of view is crucial[according to whom?] to understanding the basics to making positive progress on issues related to youth marketing. John C. Geraci, who wrote the article â€Å"What do youth marketers think of selling to kids?†, gives an insight as to the mindset of those working in this industry by conducting an online polling. This polling consisted of 878 interviews each around 30 minutes. The interview covered topics such as educational background to ethics in youth marketing. According to the polling, those that work in youth-oriented careers are 92% more likely to have a four-year degree and less likely to have academic skills specifically for dealing with children. Most of these people also feel that the ethical standards are on par with other industries. But at the same time they feel that ethics can be a matter of intentions and not results. Usually companies will invest time in producing ad campaigns and products to make sure they are suitable for a youth-oriented market, which means that these ideas can easily be turned over because they are deemed not suitable. In addition, they usually spend large sums of money on market research to ensure products have some educational value for youth and are acceptable to those buying the products.[citation needed] Most ethical procedures in the youth marketing industry occur behind office walls and are usually not seen by the public, media, or politicians, which means that problems that arise with youth marketing don’t originate from the people creating the ads but are the result of multiple causes. For example, childhood obesity has not been caused by one ad or product brought out by a marketing company. But it is a health concern that has developed due to multiple factors, that influence how the public reacts to certain ads and products brought out by these companies. Youth consumer behavior The Internet has ushered in a new digital media culture that allows different forms of media to converge. What once used to be multiple separate devices such as a telephone, television, or computer are now able to converge as one form of technology. Smart phones are the perfect example[according to whom?] of this hybrid technology that the new digital media culture has ushered in. As early adopters of new technologies, the youth in many ways are the defining users of the digital media that are embracing this new culture. â€Å"The burgeoning digital marketplace has spawned a new generation of market research companies which are introducing an entire lexicon of marketing concepts (e.g., â€Å"viral marketing,† â€Å"discovery marketing†) to describe some of the unorthodox methods for influencing brand loyalty and purchasing decisions.† The research that is done on youth marketing quickly becomes outdated by the time it’s published as a result of the growth of digital media as educators and health professionals continue to get a grasp on the situation. Youth advertising is an important determinant of consumer behavior; it has been shown to have an influence on a youths’ product preference and purchase requests. There are some scientists[who?] that believe studying youth consumer behavior is a negative thing because it impacts their beliefs, values, and moral judgments. They argue this because they believe that youth are more influenced by advertising messages than adults are. Advertising impacts usually are conducted by focusing on three specific effects: cognitive, behavioral, and affective. Usually cognitive effect studies are more focused on children’s abilities to distinguish commercials from reality and their ability to understand the difference between the two. When cognitive studies are being done they will follow Piaget’s theory to track the concrete development of children. Piaget’s theory is divided into stages; these stages are known as the pre-operational and concrete operational stage. The first stage focuses on the age group of 2- to 7-year-olds whereas the second focuses on 7- to 12-year-olds. On the other hand, there are some scientists[who?] that believe youth marketing is a good thing because it helps to define who they are as a consumer. On that note, it has been proven that requests by youth for advertised products decrease as they mature (1,14,24,26). Youth-oriented audiences tend to become more critical about their purchases and less susceptible to media advertising as they grow up. Gender also tends to have a role in a youth’s thought process when requesting an advertised product. In most cases, boys are more persistent in their requests than girls. Other factors that may co-determine children’s consumer behavior include socioeconomic level of the family, frequency and kind of parent–child interaction, and involvement with peer groups. These are just a few of the issues regarding youth consumer behavior and it is not going on in just our country[clarification needed] but in other countries as well such as the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a perfect example[according to whom?] to show how youth marketing is viewed in another country. In the Netherlands youth advertising may not mislead about characteristics or the price of the product in addition to this products aimed at children cannot have too much authority or trust amongst children. But there are loopholes in the way the Netherlands protects children from direct youth marketing. These loopholes usually question concepts such as â€Å"misleading†, â€Å"authority†, and â€Å"trust†. Social responsibility and how it affects consumer behavior Studies of social adolescents in social marketing media are usually concerned with activities that have heavy consequences. For example things like smoking, violent entertainment, alcohol abuse, and fast food consumption are all things that are negatively going to affect a young consumer’s consumption behavior. Recently though the de-marketing of these harmful behaviors has started to occur slowly over the years, the focus of social and youth marketing has shifted from reinforcing positive behavior in favor of discouraging abusive behaviors. Since social and youth marketing are trying to head in this direction it indicates to the industry that youth marketing can be used for positive benefits. For example, rather than just a company associating itself with a non-profit or global aid organization is easy to understand. But youth more often than not want to actively get engaged in experiences that directly affect the world such as world hunger for example. Which indicates that companies should not just associate themselves with non-profit but actually offer their own non-profit experiences that young consumers can get involved with. Overall this idea and how it relates to youth marketing might seem a bit abstract[according to whom?] but it potentially links to a young consumer’s behavior. This idea of creating cause-related experiences is important for the industry to take note of when it comes to youth marketing. By influencing a young consumer view of a specific company as a well known supporter of a positive non-profit can create brand loyalty beyond traditional brand utilities. This loyalty to the brand in a sense makes the volunteer or youth-oriented customer are aiding in the production of more loyal customers to the brand. In the long run, these non-effort opportunities can become embedded in a generation and become self-producing for the company as long as they maintain the events that cause consumer loyalty. Real-world examples In order to understand the public’s opinion on youth marketing, one must be able to understand the experiences that each generation has been exposed to while growing up. Generation Y is very similar to the baby boomer generation especially at different points in life. So it is essential to see what experiences each generation has experienced while growing up. But different formative experiences affect each person of Generation Y. For example, the events that made the biggest impression on members of Generation Y who graduated from school in 2000 were Columbine, the war in Kosovo, and Princess Diana’s death.[8] Targeting the Demographic Social Status and Brand Loyalty Products and brands with Social Power encompass the notion that â€Å"Corporate cool hunters are searching for teens that have the respect, trust, and admiration of their friends.† The American Psychological Association said, â€Å"Advertisers understand the teen’s desire to be â€Å"cool,† and manipulate it to sell their wares, a concept that’s been offered to marketers by psychologists including James McNeal, PhD. Marketers assume a silent role as manipulators and the role they manage to play is not only in the purchases of teens but also in the social statuses of teens. A key aspect to youth marketing or any targeted demographic marketing is that these products are supposed to fulfill the needs or desires of the consumer. A large portion of sales promotion is dedicated to accomplishing this. However, according to Ainsworth Anthony Bailey of University of Toledo in â€Å"The Interplay of Social Influence and Nature of Fulfillment: Effects on Consumer Attitudes,† not much of this research has focused on non-fulfillment of promotional promises which in turn, breaks the trust of the consumer and hurts the entire image of the brand and its product. The role of brand loyalty and/or belonging to a brand becomes a primary act for the young consumers. Promotion is always positive; commodities are presented as the road to happiness. In short, advertising uses existing values and symbols rather than reflecting them. Child psychologist, Allen Kanner states that, â€Å"The problem, is that marketers manipulate that attraction, encouraging teens to use materialistic values to define who they are and aren’t.† It’s key that we acknowledge the need for teens to not only identify but to let the brand identify them. It’s what feeds into the notion that Marketing and Branding effects teen consumerism. Salancik & Pfeffer’s (1978) Social information processing theory addresses mechanisms by which peers influence individuals’ behavior and attitudes. According to this theory, social information consists of comments and observations made by people whose views an individual considers relevant. The literature on social influence suggests that this could impact consumers’ perceptions. Classroom According to the Media Awareness Network, a huge space where young adults can be targeted is in the setting of education or classroom. Whether it be through sponsored health educational assemblies, or as simple as the vending machines in the lunch room, or contests/incentive programs, and the companies that supply the schools with new technologies such as Mac computers. The academic setting becomes a prime marketing tool in reaching our youth because the classroom provides a captive audience for any product or brand to be modeled in front of. One example that the Media Awareness Network provides to explain how the academic environment can be used to silently speak and market to the youth is contests and incentive programs like the Pizza Hut reading incentives program in which children receive certificates for free pizza if they achieve a monthly reading goal. Similarly, Campbell’s Labels for Education project, in which Campbell provides educational resources for schools in exchange for soup labels collected by students. Internet According to the director of Saatchi & Saatchi Interactive, â€Å"This is a medium for advertisers that is unprecedented†¦ there’s probably no other product or service that we can think of that is like it in terms of capturing kids’ interest.† Advertisers reach the young demographic by eliciting personal information. It’s as easy as getting them to fill out quick, simple surveys prior to playing these games. They offer prizes such as T-shirts for filling in â€Å"lengthy profiles that ask for purchasing behavior, preferences and information on other family members.† Advertisers, then take the information they obtain from these polls and surveys to â€Å"craft individualized messages and ads† in order to draw and hook them into a world centered around a certain product or brand. The ads that surround the individual in these â€Å"cyber worlds† are meant to keep a firm grip on each individual. It provides the setting for them to be completely consumed by the advertisers messages, products, and brands around them. These games are not just games. They’re â€Å"advergames†, CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports for â€Å"Gotta Have It: The Hard Sell To Kids.† Advergames allow for marketers to incorporate brands and products into a game-like setting where the child playing it, is exposed constantly to these brands and products. A 10-year old girl who was interviewed by CBS, says she can score with Skittles, race with Chips Ahoy or hang out with SpongeBob. â€Å"You think about that 30-second commercial, basically a lot of those games are pretty fun to play and kids really get engaged in them,† Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, a group that has successfully pushed for limits on TV advertising to kids, says. â€Å"So really it ends up becoming a 30-minute commercial.† Kids in an Adult World The influence that our youth have on purchases made in a household are extremely high, shockingly, even on high-end items such as what vehicle the family decides to purchase. For example, one study estimated that children influenced $9 billion worth of car sales in 1994. One car dealer explains: â€Å"Sometimes, the child literally is our customer. I have watched the child pick out the car.†[12] According to, James U. McNeal, author of â€Å"Kids as Customers: A Handbook of Marketing to Children,† car manufacturers cannot afford to ignore the children in their marketing. Nissan is one of many companies know to do this. They sponsor the American Youth Soccer Organization and a traveling geography exhibit in order to promote and get eyes on their brand name and logo in child-friendly settings. There’s analysis of the process of the development of a child and how it relates to how marketers know they can have a great deal of power in the field of persuasion on them at such young ages. At the age of five or six, children have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality and make-believe from lying. They do not distinguish programs from ads, and may even prefer the ads. Between seven and ten years-old, children are most vulnerable to â€Å"televised manipulation†. At age seven, the child can usually distinguish reality from fantasy, and at nine, he or she might suspect deception. This could come from any personal experience where products have turned out not to be as advertised. However, they cannot fully decipher this logic and continue to have â€Å"high hopes† for future products produced by a particular brand. By the age of ten, the individual starts to have a cynical perception of ads, in that â€Å"ads always lie†. Around eleven or twelve, a toleration of adults lying in advertisements starts to develop. At this stage, it’s the true coming of the adolescent’s â€Å"enculturation† into a system of social hypocrisy. Product Placement Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the good or service is featured. Factors Affecting Consumer Behavior Consumer behavior refers to the selection, purchase and consumption of goods and services for the satisfaction of their wants. There are different processes involved in the consumer behavior. Initially the consumer tries to find what commodities he would like to consume, then he selects only those commodities that promise greater utility. After selecting the commodities, the consumer makes an estimate of the available money which he can spend. Lastly, the consumer analyzes the prevailing prices of commodities and takes the decision about the commodities he should consume. Meanwhile, there are various other factors influencing the purchases of consumer such as social, cultural, personal and psychological. The explanation of these factors is given below. 1. Cultural Factors Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by cultural factors such as: buyer culture, subculture, and social class. Culture Basically, culture is the part of every society and is the important cause of person wants and behavior. The influence of culture on buying behavior varies from country to country therefore marketers have to be very careful in analyzing the culture of different groups, regions or even countries. Subculture Each culture contains different subcultures such as religions, nationalities, geographic regions, racial groups etc. Marketers can use these groups by segmenting the market into various small portions. For example marketers can design products according to the needs of a particular geographic group. Social Class Every society possesses some form of social class which is important to the marketers because the buying behavior of people in a given social class is similar. In this way marketing activities could be tailored according to different social classes. Here we should note that social class is not only determined by income but there are various other factors as well such as: wealth, education, occupation etc. 2. Social Factors Social factors also impact the buying behavior of consumers. The important social factors are: reference groups, family, role and status. Reference Groups Reference groups have potential in forming a person attitude or behavior. The impact of reference groups varies across products and brands. For example if the product is visible such as dress, shoes, car etc then the influence of reference groups will be high. Reference groups also include opinion leader (a person who influences other because of his special skill, knowledge or other characteristics). Family Buyer behavior is strongly influenced by the member of a family. Therefore marketers are trying to find the roles and influence of the husband, wife and children. If the buying decision of a particular product is influenced by wife then the marketers will try to target the women in their advertisement. Here we should note that buying roles change with change in consumer lifestyles. Roles and Status Each person possesses different roles and status in the society depending upon the groups, clubs, family, organization etc. to which he belongs. For example a woman is working in an organization as finance manager. Now she is playing two roles, one of finance manager and other of mother. Therefore her buying decisions will be influenced by her role and status. 3. Personal Factors Personal factors can also affect the consumer behavior. Some of the important personal factors that influence the buying behavior are: lifestyle, economic situation, occupation, age, personality and self concept. Age Age and life-cycle have potential impact on the consumer buying behavior. It is obvious that the consumers change the purchase of goods and services with the passage of time. Family life-cycle consists of different stages such young singles, married couples, unmarried couples etc which help marketers to develop appropriate products for each stage. Occupation The occupation of a person has significant impact on his buying behavior. For example a marketing manager of an organization will try to purchase business suits, whereas a low level worker in the same organization will purchase rugged work clothes. Economic Situation Consumer economic situation has great influence on his buying behavior. If the income and savings of a customer is high then he will purchase more expensive products. On the other hand, a person with low income and savings will purchase inexpensive products. Lifestyle Lifestyle of customers is another import factor affecting the consumer buying behavior. Lifestyle refers to the way a person lives in a society and is expressed by the things in his/her surroundings. It is determined by customer interests, opinions, activities etc and shapes his whole pattern of acting and interacting in the world. Personality Personality changes from person to person, time to time and place to place. Therefore it can greatly influence the buying behavior of customers. Actually, Personality is not what one wears; rather it is the totality of behavior of a man in different circumstances. It has different characteristics such as: dominance, aggressiveness, self-confidence etc which can be useful to determine the consumer behavior for particular product or service. 4. Psychological Factors There are four important psychological factors affecting the consumer buying behavior. These are: perception, motivation, learning, beliefs and attitudes. Motivation The level of motivation also affects the buying behavior of customers. Every person has different needs such as physiological needs, biological needs, social needs etc. The nature of the needs is that, some of them are most pressing while others are least pressing. Therefore a need becomes a motive when it is more pressing to direct the person to seek satisfaction. Perception Selecting, organizing and interpreting information in a way to produce a meaningful experience of the world is called perception. There are three different perceptual processes which are selective attention, selective distortion and selective retention. In case of selective attention, marketers try to attract the customer attention. Whereas, in case of selective distortion, customers try to interpret the information in a way that will support what the customers already believe. Similarly, in case of selective retention, marketers try to retain information that supports their beliefs. Beliefs and Attitudes Customer possesses specific belief and attitude towards various products. Since such beliefs and attitudes make up brand image and affect consumer buying behavior therefore marketers are interested in them. Marketers can change the beliefs and attitudes of customers by launching special campaigns in this regard. View as multi-pages