The Importance of Authenticity in a Man’s Life

Authenticity, as defined by existentialist philosophers, is the degree to which one is true to one's own personality, spirit, or character, despite external pressures. According to Jean-Paul Sartre, â€Å"Existence precedes essence†, in other words, man makes himself. In order for him to define himself, he should be totally free. But, how can he be free totally? Man can be totally free when he lives an authentic way of living. By living a life of authenticity, man should not seek guidance towards the established codes of life. He should decline every sort of objective morals and values that is set by his society for him?. By this, he should be living his life according to his true self. Living by his true nature requires him his freedom of choice. And by creating his own choices, he freely makes his own actions despite external forces. These actions which he freely chooses are now the basis of his existence. But in order for him to be able to live an authentic life, he must take full responsibility for all of his actions. Knowing things about freedom and authentic living, what are its implications to man’s life? Being authentic will enable a man to live his life to the fullest. And living life to the fullest means is to have a life that is joyful, meaningful, and full of values and happiness. By living authentically, he will be able to liberate himself from the barriers that are cast to him by his society. By transcending the presupposed purposes-in-life, the true purpose of his existence become so clear to him. With the knowledge of his existence’s ultimate purpose, he can formulate the best decisions for himself. Deciding according to his own choices will lead him towards the fulfilment of his personal goals. In sum, all these things will guide him to a more comfortable and a better life in which he lives through the assistance of his own choices and according to his very true nature. Indeed, authenticity is truly significant to a man’s life. The most mportant aspect of living an authentic life is total freedom. Because of total freedom, man is able to make personal choices and also, he leads his life to anew. He is no longer having problems when it comes to decision making for the reason that he already has a clear view of his ultimate purpose. For one to acknowledge his freedom of choice and the responsibility that he hold as a being is, according to Sartre, to have an authentic way of living.

Gender and the Media Essay

Socialisation is the way an identity is defined throughout life for a person. Children are seen a blank slate that is going to have a personality and roles set by the environment he lives in. A child generally has an idea on what gender they are by the time they are 2 years old. A boy will portray himself with the colour blue, would be very hyperactive and tend to bully girls. Females would be more mature, refer themselves to the colour pink and socialise with other girls, this is called primary socialisation. Personalities are defined through interactions with people that are close to them, there society’s values and they learn the attributes of their sex at a young age and they know what is expected of them as a certain sex. The person is reinforced by social praise and punishment so the person can learn from mistakes and good deeds. Media has played a massive part on how socialisation as occurred to an individual. I am directly concerned with how the media affects young women within today’s society, particularly through the use of gender stereotyping within young women’s magazines, mainly through articles and advertisements. Here, the ideas and beliefs already created by the media are useful to advertisers because they are socially accepted ideologies. They know that they will influence women. It has been stated in the past that it is these media interpretations of ‘The Perfect Woman’ that have been the cause for so many women becoming increasingly pressured into looking good and so dieting, keeping fit etc. This can, in extreme cases lead to serious psychological diseases such as anorexia and bulimia, where one of the main causes has been identified as social pressure. Society affects how people perceive themselves, Body Image awareness still exists in our society. Many people living on our society are influenced by the media and the fashion industry. Both are equally responsible for the increased number of people suffering from eating disorders. Fashion industries tend to only feature whose figures vary from eight to ten. Their androgynous waif-like figures are presented as representative of the everyday woman. In doing so the average woman in the street is forced to measure herself against an unrealistic ideal. Most models are above average height, have naturally lithe bodies and are aged between sixteen and thirty. Their image is constructed and manipulated by a predominately male homosexual industry which appears reluctant to show women as curvaceous individuals. Celebrities themselves fall foul of the dominant media representation of women. When society thinks of a family we automatically think of the nuclear family in which there is a mum, dad and often two or three children. This type is seen as the statistical norm until the 1980’s where it was considered abnormal to deviate from this ideal family type and there were characteristics that came with this which were seen as socially acceptable. Children were seen as the outcome of a loving heterosexual couple and each person i. e. the mum and dad should have distinctive roles within the family. The mother should be concerned with motherhood and household chores. The father should protect the family and be a disciplinary role model, as well as their main role being defined as the breadwinner, this meaning they often bring in the most money. The mother should be the housekeeper who attians the house and looks after the children as they grow up. A young male would grow up learning the princilpes of the father and the young female would grow up adobting the mather principles. Post modernism shows that gender is the main topic in an individual’s life as events that have occurred are directly linked to a individuals gender. Post modernism gives the individual more choice and that is the basis of post modernism, choice! The individual is more independent on their life choices; such old life ambitions of marriage and children are not compulsory but are a option that some people may seek. Unlike pre modernism and modernity where marriage and kids are ultimate goals and people automatically assume that this is the right path to follow. This gives way to new events that once were either not existent or unethical such as unisex and inter-racial marriages. It shows a deterioration of religion and supernatural belief, which leaves great division among people in identity and lifestyles. People are now working more flexible times, fashion has changed in such away that people can wear what they want, food is more oriental and music comes in a wide variety. Identity has separated into many huge groups such as social classes, ethnic group, age and gender. This leads to unrest to certain groups that want change as people now have a sense of spreading opinion and arguing their rights. Certain groups such as feminists, Marxist ideology and ageist rights. As choice and individual opinion now can be widely credited it gives chance for concern to be broadcasted such as the feminist supporters wanting females to be treated as equals among men. The first wave of feminism gave people the ideology in 1928 when they got the vote, which provoked the idea of gaining more such as the 2nd wave of feminism in the 1960’s when women burned the bra’s, this caused great reasoning between the two gender differences. Karl Marx however says that society not the individual is the important issue as that eventually the working class will soon rule society. This radical change has brought in new changes such as ‘the new man’ that is a unique gender that of a masculine and unemotional male, the new man focuses on his physical appearance and pays attention to diet, personality and self image, he is more emotional and doesn’t fit in with a patriarchy idea. As post modernism has totally effected today’s society it shows how an individual can make all the differences and how self concern and freedom is the new ideal but this idea could change and evidence suggests that it could lead to pre modernism of the old age as though it is a long term cycle of a society but critics say this is the final situation of society and the end solution is total equality among genders, races and age. This idea of choice could lead in any direction depending on current affairs within society yet time is not a important issue as this process could last a log time.

3rd Economics Commentry : International Trade Essay

The European Central Bank (ECB) is employing a new system of monetary policy which now it directly purchases government bonds from the Spanish and Italian governments. The objective is to lower interest rates on Spanish and Italian government bonds, which theoretically should show private investors that the two countries are financially able in returning their money thus decreasing the rising pressure on interest rates in the Eurozone, a dilemma threatening to counter the current torpid recovery from the 2008 and 2009 recessions. Monetary policy is a term for the manipulation of the interest rates and money supply by the Central Bank of a country, managed to either decrease interest rates (expansionary monetary policy) or increase them (contractionary monetary policy). In hope of shifting the Eurozone economy closer to its full employment level, the European Central Bank currently is purchasing European government bonds proficiently boosting the money supply of the euro. If effective, the ECB’s â€Å"quantitative easing†[1] should reallocate loanable funds towards Spain and Italy’s private and public sectors as a result of lower interest rates on government bonds. The increase in supply of loanable funds should bring down the interest rates for private investors (households and firms), making private investments more appealing. The purchase of bonds by the European Central Bank makes it inexpensive for Spain and Italy to borrow money, lowering the interest rates on their bonds, returning international investor confidence, who may possibly be more agreeable in saving their money in Spain and Italian banks. The influx of loanable funds into these economies (rise in the supply of loanable funds from to ) should decrease the real interest rate reassuring a greater number of firms to invest in capital goods and households to fund the consumption of a higher number of durable goods, pushing aggregate demand (AD) to the right (increase) returning the economy of the Eurozone to its full level of employment of output (represented as a shift from to in the right hand side graph). Though usually monetary easing like this should result in inflation, it is unlikely given the European’s large gap in output (illustrated as the distance between and the full employment level of output shown as a dotted line). An increase in AD should result in an increase in output however insignificant inflation as a result of the excess capacity of the factors of production within the European economy. An expansionary fiscal policy would prove impractical for Spain and Italy aiming for full employment as the increase in reluctance over their deficits and debts has triggered amassing borrowing charges from the private sector. The ECB as Krugman debates should carry on playing a growing part in the development of credit to cash strapped European governments; with the intention of preserving low interest rates to prevent the crowding-out of private spending’s. The problem of inflation in Europe’s current recessionary atmosphere should be a rather miniscule concern. It is only when the confidence of private sector stakeholders has returned (a circumstance requiring small borrowing cost) will private sector spending recommence and the economies of the euro may begin generating employment and increasing their production again. In the short-term, Italy and Spain should take profit from the ECB’s bond-buying initiative, and make significant, productivity-enhancing funding’s in infrastructure, schooling and job training. The states of the Eurozone must become more competitive with those of Eastern Europe and Asia if they optimise to economically grow. In the medium-term, the Eurozone nations must exhibit a promise to fiscal limitation and more stable budgets. Eradicating loopholes that permit industries and prosperous consumers to evade paying taxes is imperative for example. In addition, rising the age of retirement, economizing on social welfare programs and raising marginal tax rates on the highest income earners should all visibly communicate the message to investors that these countries are indeed dedicated to fiscal restraint. As a result, their dependency on European Central Bank lending’s will deteriorate and private lenders will once more be keen on buying government bonds from the Eurozone at lower interest rates, permitting constant advancement in the private sector.

A Medication Daivonex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Medication Daivonex - Essay Example Daivonex is not recommended for children under 6 years of age. Children 6-12 years of age cannot be given more than 50g a week of the medication, and for children over 12 years of age, no more than 75g a week of the medication may be given to them. This medicine should also not be used in patients who have the allergy to calcipotriol or to any other components of the medication. Patients with disorders of calcium metabolism should not use this product. Those with severe widespread psoriasis cannot be given this medication. Patients with high blood calcium levels or who are taking calcium and/or Vitamin D supplements cannot take this medication. For breastfeeding women, this medication should not be applied to their breasts. Proper consultation with the doctor should be done before this medication is to be prescribed and used on children (Medsafe Consumer Information, 2004). In adults, not more than 100 grams of cream or ointment should be used in a week and not more than 60ml of scalp solution can be used in a week. In cases where there is a need to use the combination of the preparations for psoriasis, not more than 60ml of the solution plus one 30 gram of the ointment or cream tubes may be used in a week or the limit is 30 ml of the solution and two 30g tubes of Daivonex. The medicine must be applied on the psoriasis plaques forming the visible coating over the affected area. Accidental application of the medicine on the normal skin must be washed with water because it can cause irritation in the unaffected area. It must not be applied on skin folds, on the face, and on the genitalia (Medsafe Consumer Information, 2004). The recommended dosages are set in place because more than 100g weekly of Daivonex can cause elevated serum calcium. The use of scalp and cream solutions in children has yet to be fully established; hence ointment is the preferred formulation of the medication in children.  

Module 3 SLP Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Module 3 SLP - Assignment Example Market research is essential in identifying specific market needs, characteristics of such markets as well as strategies to be devised to reach those markets (Jargon 2012). The following report explains the processes that were involved in the planning and execution of market research about the company’s products. The research process stemmed from a SWOT analysis that was carried to determine the company’s ability to take advantage of various opportunities in the market as well as tackling its threats in the market. The process was comprehensive, tackling both the internal and external business environment and providing recommendations on ways to improve the companies effectiveness and competitiveness over its rivals. The main objective in carrying out the research was to find out the specific weaknesses that the company was facing in its operations. In addition, it was also to find out some of the pointers to the company strengths so that it would work on weakness to increase its competitive advantage. In analyzing the company’s internal environment, the research aimed at identifying the influence of specific issues on business activities, as well as their merits and demerits to the business. According to the SWOT analysis that was done, there were pertinent issues of concern to the business that needed research on how they could be addressed to increase the company’s market competitiveness. In reference to the business’ internal strengths, some of the issues relevant for research included the number of staff and their knowledge about company goals and objectives, awareness about company products and their marketing strategies. There was also concern about the communication channels that were used in the company and how they influenced effective performance. As far as the company’s weaknesses were concerned, there was need to research the record keeping process

Spending a Single Day at the Beach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Spending a Single Day at the Beach - Essay Example Located on Padre Island, Texas, the longest barrier island in the world, the beach area near Bob Hall Pier is unique in its ability to both relax and excite at the same time. This is because of its soft white sands, its range of surprising wildlife and an element of danger. The beach near Bob Hall Pier is first characterized by very fine white sand. This sand is generally very soft and very fine, almost like dust, thanks to the high winds the area often gets. This fine sand drifts across the roadways in beautiful, wave-like sheets that give the invisible breeze a face. Anything standing within this blowing dust receives a fine ash-toned coating. It brings with it the faint taste of salt from the nearby ocean and leaves a gritty feeling between the teeth. Because the sand is so fine, it causes no pain when it strikes, feeling instead like a soft brush of feathers against the skin. Only when the wind is particularly brisk does it feel any different. Taking a closer look at the scenery reveals all kinds of surprising wildlife in spite of the barren appearance. Seagulls are present everywhere, but the gulls here are called ‘laughing gulls’ because of the unreserved laughing sound that is their call. There are also sandpipers and other shorebirds stomping their orange stick-like legs like jackhammers against the wet sand trying to find the eerie white ghost shrimp hiding just below the surface. Sand crabs can be sung out of the ground and sit patiently listening like a human audience in an amphitheatre until someone makes a sudden move. Then these small, light-brown colored crabs scuttle quickly into their dark holes. The thick, green railroad vines make the reason for their name clear in the criss-crossing tracks they make on the sand and can add a splash of vibrant purple color to the beach atmosphere.

Classical Period and Romantic Period Research Paper

Classical Period and Romantic Period - Research Paper Example When we talk about classical music it is important to know that the term is applicable to music that was composed in a particular style from the 1740s to 1820. The composition of music during these years comprised of a distinct sense of proportion. Initially it was somewhat difficult for listeners to derive pleasure and enjoyment from, however after a certain time the music began to dominate their music preferences. Initially the perception modern listeners have of the classical era is that it was either too serious or plain music; however to the listeners in that era, the music was unique and very different from that of the Baroque era. The key distinction between classical era and that of the Baroque era was that the classical music had more variety when it came to divergent rhythms throughout a piece. Melodies which were introduced in the classical era were a lot more balanced, easier to sing and to remember. It was in this era that numerous nursery songs were written. It was in t he classical era that the social function of music started to evolve from that of its prior aristocratic and religious affiliations towards the public and secular sphere with its middle class connections. The gradual increase in public concerts, the growth of commercial opera houses, the increase of publishing of music, and the increase in the number of musical pieces that were composed as well as played were all implications of the change in musical times. Form was of critical importance to the composers of the classical era, and this period had a lasting effect as far as form is concerned, especially when it came to the various instrumental music forms. Previously composers had already begun to pay special attention to the various musical instruments and their capabilities. Hence the move to writing not just solo music for one specific instrument, but focusing on music which had mixed ensembles with a variety of instruments. The modern orchestra was of key importance here. It was in the classical era that the common instruments like the toccata, concerto grosso, and fugue became replaced by forms which had matured as a result of the classical period. This is where the roots of the sonata, concerto and symphony can be traced. Even though each of these forms had significant precursors prior to the classical era, but it is this version of the form that came to become the most influential through the course of the other following eras, the romantic and modern era, and even today it is still highly recognized by a multitude of art music audience and performers (Jones, 2006). Among the many kinds of music of this period, the classical era is well known for symphonies, which is a type of a large orchestral ensemble. These pieces of symphonies primarily had three movements; the first of these was the sonata, followed by the minuet, and the finale. Taking inspirations from earlier composers, Haydn and Mozart took symphonies to their peak in the late 18th century. Whi le Haydn concentrated on achieving rhythmic excellence and the composition of theme based music Mozart contributed to the symphonies by a contrast of memorable lyric themes which made use of a full sounding orchestral settings (Roger, 2008). To cater to the middle-class, classic composers came up with a ton on new chamber music which made use of a magnitude of combinations. The piano sonata became one of the important forms of chamber music. This was mainly after the refinement it received at the hands of composers like Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The string quartet played an

Homeless vietnam veterans and what is being done to help them Essay

Homeless vietnam veterans and what is being done to help them - Essay Example According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, the number of homeless Vietnam era veterans exceeds the number of fatalities that occurred during the war. Statistics show that forty seven percent of the homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. At present there are more than 200 community-based veteran organizations, besides the federal and state agencies in the United States, that are working toward providing the best possible care to these unfortunate war veterans. Besides these there are also some organizations in Australia, Canada, and South Korea that are helping the homeless veterans in their nation. Many of them have quite an impressive achievement record. There has been a lot of support and a vast number of people have benefited from the various programs. But statistics still show that more than 600,000 veterans are homeless at some point during the year. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) The VA was one of the first organizations that extended its wholehearted a nd sincere support to the homeless Vietnam War Veterans. ... Over the years, the VA has launched many new programs, which dealt with specific problems faced by the war veterans (NCHV Releases FY 2010 Annual Report, 2011). Project CHALLENG In 1994, the VA launched the project CHALENG, which assessed the needs of the homeless veterans living in a particular area and then focused on their health care, education, job assessment, training, placement, and counseling. It also prepared a list of all the homeless services in the local area and encouraged coordinated services, which proved to be much more beneficial than individual efforts (HUD, VA Release Supplemental Report on Veteran Homelessness, 2011). Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program This program reaches out to the thousands of homeless people who are currently not receiving any kind of benefits and so are most vulnerable. Prompt assistance is offered and the fundamentals problems that led to homelessness are addressed. They are then provided with individual care that includes getti ng physical and mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and help finding food, shelter, clothing and transportation (Homeless Veterans, n.d.). HCHV/Grant Per Diem Program The purpose of this program is to fund community agencies that provide services to the homeless veterans. It promotes the development of supportive housing for the homeless veterans to achieve residential stability. This program provides grants through a competitive process for up to 65% of the costs of construction, renovation, or acquisition of a building for use as service centers or transitional housing for the homeless Veterans. The VA has recently founded a National Call Center. This Homeless Veterans hotline ensures that the homeless Veterans or

Global Marketing Strategy. Project Shakti Essay

Global Marketing Strategy. Project Shakti - Essay Example Still, it is undeniable that unless a business is a monopolist, it will have to face competition in the market. As a result, a market will always consist of many business organizations competing for the same customers and the same profit making opportunities. Therefore, it is the duty of the management of the organization to device strategies and mechanisms that it can use to be ahead of its competitors. This is referred to as gaining competitive advantage (Chaston, 2012). In the global markets, an organization faces competition from a variety of organizations. Therefore, the company has to build and sustain its competitive advantage in order to succeed in such an environment. How can Shakti contribute to HLL’s bottom line? It is for this reason of gaining global market competitive advantage that HLL formed project Shakti. Shakti can contribute to HLL’s bottom line by using implementing a number of strategies. One key strategy is the creation of new brands. The Shakti p roject can come up with new and unique brands in the market to assist in catching the attention of already existing customers (PWC, 2011). In addition, new customers will also be attracted and thus, this will be an easy way of creating customer loyalty for the organization. The management will also have gained competitive advantage since; it will be the only provider of that product in the global market. Therefore, it is highly probable that the price of the product will not be affected by other market prices. Creation of new products should also be accompanied by high quality products and efficiency in production. With high quality products, customers will be able select the organization’s products out of the products of the competitors. This will help HLL in building global competitiveness since it will be a step further as compared to its customers. Use of Price Leadership Strategy Shakti can also achieve HLL objective by using the strategy of price leadership. Instead of being the follower, the organization could focus on always being the price leader. This way, it will be able to set its prices according to its costs of production. Price leadership is a strategy that assists in building competitive advantage since; the organization will be the one setting the prices of the competitors. Therefore, the organization has the advantage of being able to choose the quantity to supply to the market while, the competitors’ supplied quantities are dependent on the supply of the price leader (Hill & Jones, 2012). What economic value is Shakti creating? What social value? Social Values Shakti is creating a lot of economic and social values in the Indian Society through a number of ways. One social value that stands out is the empowerment of women (Rangan & Rajan, 2005). In India, a large number of women are underprivileged and marginalized. Having women being involved in the Shakti project was a way of making women feel needed and of importance to the s ociety. It is thus a way that promotes social values in the society since women are able to hold a place in society. The society also develops since; with men already at work and women now occupied with the Shakti project, there will be no idlers and thus the society will achieve more. Economic Values The Shakti project also comes with a number of economic values; one of the main economic values is the introduction of information technology to the Indian villages (Rangan & Rajan, 2005). In addition, creating the communities portal is a way of enlightening the villagers and introducing them to new ideas and information sources. With access to a wide variety of information, the villagers might also become more innovative thus enhancing the economic value of the village. The villagers can

Two of Americas Most Wanted and Renowned Serial Killers, Gary Ridgway Essay

Two of Americas Most Wanted and Renowned Serial Killers, Gary Ridgway and Dennis Rader - Essay Example This paper deals with the lives of two of America’s most wanted and renowned serial killers, Gary Ridgway and Dennis Rader. Both of them have caused a great number of grievances and havoc among the people by killing several individuals and were hunted down by the police with an aim to stop murder from taking place. This paper observes a compare and contrast of the lives of these two serial killers, their motives and the way that they went about murdering people. Gary Leon Ridgway and Dennis Rader were both born in the countryside; Ridgeway in Utah and Rader in Kansas, and only have a four-year gap between each other. They both have gruesome nicknames which have made them quite unpopular among the people – Gary is called ‘Green River Gary’, the ‘Green River Killer’ or ‘The Riverman’ whereas Dennis has adorned the nickname of ‘BTK’ or the ‘Bind, Torture, Kill Strangler.’ Both of them have the commonality of strangling their victims and killing them, then dumping their bodies away in order to dispose of them. Both have been subject to life imprisonment without parole and are hated among people for having killed so many people without any reason at all. The police are still trying to understand their reasoning behind the killings. Delving into the personal lives of serial killers always helps a person understand the atrocities of their past and what made them become the way they are in the present. Ridgway had a very troubled childhood because he often witnessed his parents fighting violently with each other. He was dragged into the fight and abused by his mother for whom he began to develop both anger and sexual feelings. (Prothero, Mark; Carlton Smith ) Rader, on the other hand, had a very normal childhood and graduated from high school and then college. As a child, he loved torturing animals and hated them with all his might. He also had a sexual fetish for women’s undergarment s; this was seen in his killings as he often killed women, stole their undergarments and went about wearing them on his own.

Decussion quesions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Decussion quesions - Essay Example 1. Transparency Each pharmaceutical company is out to make profit. The need to ensure the competition does not have an edge over the company; a lot of resources are invested in keeping a company’s secrets. The fact that different companies cannot share information on how best to implement projects is a serious challenge in managing different portfolios. 2. Time A lot of time is taken in developing any new drug. On top of time, a lot of individual processes have to be undertaken and some of these processes need to be run simultaneously. It becomes a challenge to the project management team to ensure that time allocated is used as efficiently as it can possibly be used. The team has to ensure that not a single process exceeds its allotted time or the entire project will be affected. In addition to that, the team should be able to reconfigure the timetable if any delays may occur in the process off project execution. 3. Regulations The pharmaceutical industry product affects huma n health and therefore it has to be closely regulated by the government to protect the people. This regulation are much welcome but they also pose a challenge to any project management team. Everything that is to be undertaken in the development process has to be within the rules and this causes a strain on time and resources which are always limited. If the regulations are not followed a company may end up losing billions therefore the project management in this industry has to be stringent. 4. Multiple projects A single drug company might have several drugs under development at one particular time. These projects have different needs and requirement and this may pose a challenge to any project management team. It is important to ensure that all the resources made available to the team are equitably distributed and well utilized. It is also paramount that not a single project is left behind since if there is an imbalance in the resource distribution, all projects will be affected.? What Are The Advantage And Disadvantages Of Using Project Management? Project management is the process by which projects are planned, operated and monitored (Pinto 5). The main aim of this process it to ensure that the project’s objectives are achieved as efficiently as they possibly can. As much as project management is geared towards increasing efficiency of the implementation of a project, it has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages Project management has been credited as a tool for bringing changes within an organization effectively. Recent research conducted in several organizations attributes successful management changes have been due to proper project management. Today most organizations include project management as a tool for attaining business goals. Secondly, Project management employs various tools that enable the evaluation of projects. The ability to evaluate projects enables project managers to rapidly determine whether the proposed project is viabl e and this is done by looking at how efficiently the previous projects were implemented (Pinto 19). The evaluation also enables the project manager to determine the best method to use to implement the proposed project. Thirdly, during the project development and implementation process, the teams involved work efficiently. The use of project management provides a tool to reduce costs implication of any new projects. Using multilevel approach to solve a problem cuts on cost and also promotes

Activity theory Essay Example for Free

Activity theory Essay Cognitive changes: There are several changes that occur with aging, one of which is cognitive slowing. The slowing that occurs in all cognitive tasks where speed of response is a component is considered the most pervasive cognitive change in developmental aging. The probable locus of slowing is in the central nervous system (Bob McCallum, 1998). Pigment lipofuscin builds up in the brain during old age and it gradually results in brain degeneration. The aged brain weighs less, the lateral ventricles tend to be dilated, and the ribbon of cortical tissue is narrowed (Hurlock, 1986). Such degeneration is held accountable for a decline in the brain’s capacity to function. But the average person’s intelligence is not likely to be seriously impaired before age 70 or 75 (Peterson, 1989). With good physical and mental health, adequate educational levels, and intellectual stimulation, it appears that there is not as a great decline in intellectual abilities with age as previously thought, especially in the 60 to 75 age group. Emotional changes: Emotional changes over the adult life span are a topic of considerable importance for psychotherapists working with older adults. At the psychological level, the older adults are more difficult to arouse but also have more difficulty returning to a state of calm once aroused (Woodruff, 1985). The accumulation of experiences leads to more complex and less extreme emotional experiences in later life. A review of research, using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with older adults, noted that older adults were lower on scales associated with anger, impulsivity, and confusion and argued that people may become less impulsive with maturity (Gynther, 1979, in Bob McCallum, 1998). It was concluded that as a whole, emotionality in older adults may be both more complex and subtler than that of younger adults. Theories on Aging Attempts to understand and explain the lives and activities of those who appear to age successfully have led to the different formation of theories on aging. There are fourmain theories: (a) Disengagement theory: It is based on the notion that as people age they progressively withdraw from social, physical, and emotional interaction with the world. As they gradually disengage themselves, the society too withdraws from its engagement with the aging person (b) Activity theory: It stresses that older people should remain active as long as they possibly can. When certain activities and associations must be given up (for example, employment), substitutes should be found because life satisfaction is highly dependent upon continued social, emotional, and physical involvement. In a positive environment older people generally moved toward activity and informal contacts, rather than disengagement (Butler, Lewis Sunderland, 1998). (c) Socioenvironmental theory: This approach is based on the understanding that people respond to the social meaning of events. Two factors that affect the meaning old people place on events-and thus their interaction patterns-are the physical proximity of other persons and the age homogeneity of an environment (Gubrium, 1973, 1975, cited in Butler et al. , 1973). (d) Developmental theory: Erickson (1963) and Peck (1997) present a theory that describes human development in terms of progression through a series of stages. Old age is a stage of life in which the individual must try to balance the search for ego integrity with a sense of despair. Out of this conflict emerges wisdom the human virtue most commonly associated with old age. The negative emotions associated with this stage, are in part a result of the limitations of a person’s physical and psychological energy (Butler, Lewis, Sunderland, 1991). (e) Biological or medical perspective. Moberg (2002) further elaborates this physical and psychological decline and it’s effect on the elderly. Highlighting aging from the biological/medical perspective of physical decline along with losses of friends, employment, mobility, income, and so forth, has contributed to a pervasive negativism among biosocial scientists that is evident in their different way of talking to (hardly with) elderly persons, avoidance of touching seniors, and other indications of ageism. Opportunities for service are withdrawn from many who are retired, even in churches that use the Bible with its high value for elders, so ‘disengagement theory’ becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Time spent in solitude and meditation can be wholesome, contrary to assumptions of ‘Activity theory’ that lonely outer activities are worthwhile, for being alone is not the same as being lonely!

Tesco Marketing Strategies and Activities

Tesco Marketing Strategies and Activities Abstract The study focuses the marketing strategies adopt by the TESCO and its comparison with other manufacturing, business and non-profit organizations. It also looks into linkages between the operations at these organizations and their marketing strategy. It shows that in current ever-changing and challenging market companies with different background have to adopt different marketing strategy to get the advantage over competitors. These companies and organizations have to link their operations with that marketing strategy so that they could meet with the maximum customer satisfaction. TESCO has a competitive advantage over its rivals in retail market as its adopting diverse strategies in operation as well as in marketing. TESCO is utilizing modern technology effectively. 1 Introduction Marketing is a way to introduce your product to your targeted customers in any market. Todays business world demands every business to adopt a workable marketing strategy so that they could achieve competitive advantages over their rivals and could generate higher sales and profits successfully. There are different ways adopted by all the companies to maximize their reach in markets. This marketing strategy should be aggressive and effective. In this assignment we are going to study the approaches adopted by the TESCO which is one of leading retailer in United Kingdom. We will also study the difference of approaches adopted by TESCO comparing to the other manufacturing companies, service and non-profit organizations. The assignment will answer following four questions parted into three tasks, which are given below:- Task 1 (A) Understand and critically appraise the importance of marketing within the development of business plans and strategies at Tesco plc. Task 1 (B) In the report you must also evaluate and analyse the processes of market development in the dynamic retail business environment in which the company (TESCO) operates. Task 2 Critically evaluate, appraise and analyse the place of information systems and new technologies in developing business and marketing strategies and planning at Tesco plc. Task 3 Evaluate and analyse the linkages between marketing and operations in manufacturing, service and not-for-profit organisations to compare how these organisations undertake marketing. The focus of this study will be to understand the concept of marketing in general with focusing on the strategy and activities adopted by the TESCO. It will also help us in understanding the differences of marketing strategies adopted by different kinds of business and organizations like manufacturing, services and non-profits. 1.1 Background Founder of TESCO Jack Cohen, has started this business when he started to sell groceries in East London in 1919. The first days profit was 1 Pound. The business could lead him to sell his first product in his own brand name of Tesco in 1924. This name has come from the two first letters of TE Stockwell, and Co from surname of Jack. In those early days, Jack Cohen had a partner in firm of tea as a supplier, TE Stockwell. In 1929, Cohen could open his first store in Burnt Oak, Edgware in north of London. Tesco has become plc in 1932. A specified land has been bought in north of London at Angel Road, Edmonton for building a new headquarters and warehouse in 1934. (www.tescocorporate.com) Annual sales on Tesco touched landmark of one billion Pound in the year 1979. It exceeded to two billion Pound in the year of 1982. Same year for first time Tesco put some computerize checkouts in its stores. In the year 1985, Tesco became the first grocery retailer which started emphasizing on nutritional value of its brand products through an initiative named as Healthy Eating. In 1991 it became the biggest independent petrol retail seller in Britain. Next year it launched more new products and services which included Tesco Organic range, computers for schools and Every little Helps. Tesco has expanded its market on year, 1988 and 1999. Tesco improved customer service through lunching Customer Champions policy in stores; it became leader in organic retailer for the UK market. Tesco went to South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. But later Tesco exited the Taiwanese market and it shifted to Czech Republic in 2005. Adopting the diversification strategy, a store under name of Tesco Homeplus was launched in 2005. In 2009 club cards re-lunched in the UK with a big investment of 150. Figure 1 shows Tesco around the world Website Tesco.com is the worlds most active online supermarket and in year 2009 the group had sales of more than  £577 million, with increase of 29% on year 2008. Tesco online widely operates with over 270 stores around the UK, covering 96% of the online retail market. Estimated more than one million households nationwide using the online service, the company has a strong platform to further develop this revenue stream. Anon (2004) 1.2 What is marketing? Marketing is the systematic approach of selling goods, adopted by any business and not for-profit organization with a specific message. It always attempts to raise the organization ability to generate profits, whether these are financial (profits and donations) or electoral. Tescos strategy is very clear, with the growth as target from four areas the core UK business of grocery, non-foods, international retailing services and expansion other services such as financial, the dotcom and telecommunication. 2 Task 1 (A) Understand and critically appraise the importance of marketing within the development of business plans and strategies at Tesco plc. 2.1 TESCOs Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy involves analyzing the market, and determining which product to offer and the exact what range of the customers to be suited, considerations relating to fashion, seasons ,sizing, as well as the appropriateness. Tesco decide that there will be a specific core European range of environmentally friendly products which are exported throughout the Europe, while there would be another range for local customers. However before any decisions are made about marketing strategy, a detailed market research is undertaken to test the concept of the new range, the pricing, attitudes towards Tesco, the new Alliance with partners, purchasing habits of the customers. TESCO adopts campaigns for marketing the business, such a campaign would consisting of TV and radio advertising at regular intervals. Advertisements in news papers and magazines. The alliance partner making press releases and sharing about their ventures on their national and regional media benefits Tesco. Company benefits in creating thousands of new jobs. The introduction of an environmentally friendly of products. Billboard campaigns. Internet advertisement. Direct marketing to known customers (Club cards) Tesco has a successful history since years of its start. Today, Tesco Plc is a successful retailer in the United Kingdom. Tesco has put some series of practical marketing strategies. According to Ansoff matrix strategy, Tesco could develop its markets and products in the UK market, and ultimately with diversification strategy has got in front of other rivals. Ansoff, I. (1989), by applying these different strategies, Tesco successfully got its competitive advantages over it other rivals. In the UK, the groceries market has been among the major businesses. Now Tesco is also securing the large market shares in this ever-changing global retailer market. Figure 2 shows that the strategies might be applied by Tesco regarding to Ansoff matrix and vertical integration has been successful. 2.2 Task 1 (B) In the report you must also evaluate and analyse the processes of market development in the dynamic retail business environment in which the company (TESCO) operates. TESCO has a very successful business history on its record, today it is most successful retailer in the United Kingdom. The position of Tesco among other rivals in UK shows that company successfully applied its designed marketing strategies. As a growing retailer, TESCO could easily take over from its other rivals and could be on a distinctive advantage over the top hundred profitable businesses in UK. Tesco has applied some series of experiential marketing ways. Market incursion, Product improvement, Market progress and Diversification are the strategies through Tesco have put influence and it is remaining on top in the market. By applying effective strategies, Tesco has successfully got its competitive advantage among other retailers. 2.2.1 Market Penetration strategy In order to achieve success, Tesco has a three way strategy. First, Tesco always takes customers from other competitors like ASDA, Sainsburys, Morison and Somerfield, etc. Second, by providing the quality product and higher level of services, Tesco could attract and keep more customers, where these Tescos customers feel that Tesco is the best service provider. This situation makes the distinction among Tesco and other competitors. Third, attracting to more non-users of products and services to some business, by using of advertising and promotion or other marketing strategies, these would be capable policies (Ansoff, 1989, Lynch, 2003). According to Lynch, Marketing Penetration strategy is very important for Tesco because retaining existing customers is cheaper than attracting new one. (Lynch, 2003). For example, Tescos international expansion strategy has responded to meet the maximum needs of customers. it is sensitive to local expectations in other countries, by entering into joint ventures with local partners, such as Samsung Group in South Korea (Samsung-Tesco Home plus), and Charoen Pokphand in Thailand (Tesco Lotus), appointing a very high proportion of local personnel to management positions. (Tesco Preliminary Results 2006) Tesco is accessing to the lowest cost materials for supply and efficient production to influence the retail market. By recognition of low cost supplier, it is a privilege for Tesco to offer goods and services to its customers benefitting at cheaper prices in the town. Tesco Having good experience of dealing with larger size and diversity of the customers and customers satisfaction that is necessary for Tesco as a retailer to retain it in the market. TESCO successfully has created its Brand loyalty. Tesco operates as Internet system provider (ISP), its now in mobile phone and home phone business, and Volp businesses. Tesco in joint venture with O2 could build up diversification in telecommunication and it could increase it businesses in voice over internet with Freshtel Australia. It developing a success slogan of The right message To the right audience At the right time 2.2.2 Marketing and Sales Loyalty programs for example Tesco Clubcard are available through information technology advances that discourage the customers from switching over to their rivals. Tesco also has introduced a Greener Living Scheme to give consumers guidance on environmental issues, like how to reduce food waste and food carbon marks when one is preparing meals. 2.2.3 Services Tesco has been adopting a dual policy of cost leadership and diversification, which led to importance placed over the customer service.   Drawing upon this dual strategy is exhibited through the development of self-service kiosks, financial services, focused direct marketing and promotions. The relative analysis of the value created by the big four supermarket chains, i.e., Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons has been provided. (Keynote (2010), 3 Task 2 Critically evaluate, appraise and analyse the place of information systems and new technologies in developing business and marketing strategies and planning at Tesco plc. 3.1 Place of Information system and Technologies Information system is modern day business tool which helps businesses to communicate internally and externally with effectiveness. It also includes the use of current advanced technologies. Any business which gets starts these days required to adopt proper and effective information systems that connects not only the all internal parts of business but connects business with its markets. The use of new technologies gives a company advantage over its rivals. The main question always remains for managers how they effectively utilize existing information systems and technologies. According to its website, Tesco maintains business relationships with approximately 2,000 own-brand primary suppliers from less than a hundred countries. (www.tescocorporate.com)The current achievement of Tesco could be supportive of their claim that Tesco logistics management strategy always helps to gain its competitive advantage. Tesco respects to the UK Governments statutory Supplier Code of Practice, and it holds strict execution on moral trading and commercial policies, and other conducts of ethical trading like training to all commercial staff. Superior effectiveness of the computer-controlled logistics schemes is seen in Tesco (Fernie and McKinnon 2003). its e-tailing is a key marketing and sales activity, placing grocery order over the website that operate in highly automated central warehouses and automated logistics is more competent as to judge against with other groceries in the market. Tesco looking for strengthen its relationship with suppliers and to increase market share based on the characteristics of services (e.g., intangibility, heterogeneity, simultaneity, and perish ability). (Thompson and Strickland 2003) Various Marketing and Communication Means Adopted by TESCO to build this relationship more effective and profit based. These means included following methods of communication:- Mail Television Radio/Digital Radio Website   Email Telephone On floors at stores TESCO effectively get benefits from modern technology from security purposes like alarm systems, mechanical doors, self scanning machines for customers (which saves their time from being into large lines for payments) towards other advanced like CCTV. There is swift transporting system within stores to supply from warehouse at store. In a swiftly shifting business environment with high pressure from its competitors Tesco have adopted new expansion strategies and diversified the present order to sustain its market position as leader in retailing market. In light of the above analysis, it can easily be concluded that Tesco is holding its leadership position successfully within the highly unstable retail market, where all companies are required to follow both cost leadership and diversification strategies. Tesco successfully has been able to realize both with the help of a lean and agile supply chain management, effective marketing strategy along with the better use of information technology and new developed systems. 4 Task 3 Evaluate and analyse the linkages between marketing and operations in manufacturing, service and not-for-profit organisations to compare how these organisations undertake marketing. 4.1 linkages between marketing and operations In organizations and businesses, when a new manager starts its business plan or operational plan for the first time he wonders about: What is the real aim? What am I going to achieve? What is my marketing strategy? He can answer all these questions according to the nature of company or organization. He focuses the aims and targets through a working plan and supports that plan with an effective workable marking strategy that makes the organization or company very prominent in the market.The main objective of marketing is to bring development in the business or services and to get the attention of beneficiaries or consumers. Various businesses and organizations adopt different marketing techniques according to their needs. For example if we see a tight linkage between marketing and manufacturing it tells that a manufacturing company always looks for the value-added opportunities. It ensures with the aim of the right manufacturing capabilities are existing to meet up the requirements of customers. It also focuses that near- and long-term demands has been put in to the formation of manufacturing plans, inventory strategies and material handlings. Essentially manufacturing strategy should be aligned with marketing strategy. It should be developed in manner that improves the viable capability of the organization. In addition simple inter-functional co-ordination, manufacturing and marketing strategy decisions must be united and linked to the company strategy. In their empirical study of new firms, conclude that the synergy between marketing and manufacturing strategy decisions is more closely related to business success than either marketing or manufacturing decisions alone. In businesses or non-profit organizations share holder progress is not the main purpose, return on investment is less of an adding resource in business planning, however a vital necessity. Here return on investment is not primary motive of the business. Instead the main motive of enterprise may be some other purpose. Thus, the main difference between marketing products or services is that there is much more personal contact required when marketing a service as compared with marketing products. Marketing services may require meeting the customer in a face-to-face basis, or it may mean contacting prospective customers over the telephone. For all those firms which always emphasize product qualities those are not taking serious about the significant correlations with the marketing strategy. While firms which emphasized cutback in costs, they always focus on improving the sales. Firms which put greater emphasis on the product design effort those emphasize three marketing strategy factors: a change in the product line improves sales effort, and helps in new market development. This relationship seems rational, as the focus on product design and its development will lead to opportunity in new markets or for new customers. All those activities which affect the flow of goods and services from producers or service deliverer to the users or consumers are part of marketing. While in advanced industrial economies like UK, marketing strategies play a main role in formatting corporate policy. Once concerned with rising sales through marketing and other promotional techniques, corporate or organization marketing departments these days focus on product development, credit policies, distribution, customer support, and internal communications. Different organizations or business adopt different methods for marketing and connect the marketing and operations to maximise their output. The aim is same to get maximum attention from customers or beneficiaries. 5 Conclusion There are more than six billion humans who are living in this global market which is always inviting business and organizations to sell their product, services or make them benefited from some social and developmental work. It is estimated that there are 900 million PCs worldwide. 44% of UK adults use SMS text messaging on a daily basis, compared with 36% who use the Internet. 63% of Americans are not willing to lend their phone and there are 1.3 billion Internet users, 1.5 billion TV households, 3.3 billion mobile subscribers, Average time to report a lost wallet 26 hours and average time to report a lost mobile, 68 minutes. That shows the competition and challenges for companies to adopt workable marketing strategy for companies and organizations. Tesco is quite able to recognize technological changes and infrastructure particularly on its e-tailing business. Aside from Tescos use of internet as major technological infrastructure, changes are to be anticipated or the management should be able to deal with the rapid changes in technologies. Tesco is required to improve technological infrastructures through innovations to increase efficiency as well as quality of the products and services. All in all, Tescos senior executives who think about how to establish and sustain competitive advantage using logistics strategy should consider how to tailor their own logistics. To do so, they will need a sound understanding of the fundamental principles of good logistics as well as exploring new logistics capabilities. A strategic model to enable Tesco to obtain its objectives and to sustain competitive advantages in the markets. In USA Tesco cannot enter to this market and compete with the strongest retailer such as Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has completely covered all the United State markets and there are not any chances for other rivals to enter to the market.

Product and market analysis of Ice Cream

Product and market analysis of Ice Cream Kulfi is a popular South Asian, ice cream made with boiled milk typically from water buffalo. It comes in many flavors, including pistachio, malai, mango, cardamom (elaichi), and saffron (kesar). Kulfi differs from western ice cream in that it is richer in taste and creamier in texture. As well, where western ice creams are whipped with air or overrun, kulfi contains no air; it is solid dense frozen milk. It is made by boiling milk until it is reduced to half. Then sugar is added and the mixture is boiled for another ten minutes. Then flavorings, dried fruits, cardamom, etc. are added. The mixture is then put in moulds and frozen. One can eat kulfi plain as is or it can be garnished with ground cardamom, saffron, or pistachio nuts. As well, Kulfi is also served with Falooda vermicelli noodles. But since the kulfi could not become world famous, with the concept of kulfi, ice-cream was started in 1981 in India. Then onwards it has been one big journey. on the road. Now, Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor brings to you the new generation of Ice Creamsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The Evolution of Ice Cream Ice creams origins are not known to reach back as far as the second century B.C., although no specific date of origin nor has inventor been undisputable credited with its discovery. We know that Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar. Biblical references also show that King Solomon was fond of iced drinks during harvesting. During the Roman Empire, Nero Claudius Caesar (A.D. 54-86) frequently sent runners into the mountains for snow, which was then flavored with fruits and juices. Over a thousand years later, Marco Polo returned to Italy from the Far East with a recipe that closely resembled what is now called sherbet. Historians estimate that this recipe evolved into ice cream sometime in the 16th century. England seems to have discovered ice cream at the same time, or perhaps even earlier than the Italians. Cream Ice, as it was called, appeared regularly at the table of Charles I during the 17th century. France was introduced to similar frozen desserts in 1553 by the Italian Catherine de Medici when she became the wife of Henry II of France. It wasnt until 1660 that ice cream was made available to the general public. The Sicilian Procope introduced a recipe blending milk, cream, butter and eggs at Caf Procope, the first caf in Paris. Ice Cream for America The first official account of ice cream in the New World comes from a letter written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen. The first advertisement for ice cream in this country appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available almost every day. Records kept by a Chatham Street, New York, merchant show that President George Washington spent approximately $200 for ice cream during the summer of 1790. Inventory records of Mount Vernon taken after Washingtons death revealed two pewter ice cream pots. President Thomas Jefferson was said to have a favorite 18-step recipe for an ice cream delicacy that resembled a modern-day Baked Alaska. In 1812, Dolley Madison served a magnificent strawberry ice cream creation at President Madisons second inaugural banquet at the White House. Until 1800, ice cream remained a rare and exotic dessert enjoyed mostly by the elite. Around 1800, insulated ice houses were invented. Manufacturing ice cream soon became an industry in America, pioneered in 1851 by a Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell. Like other American industries, ice cream production increased because of technological innovations, including steam power, mechanical refrigeration, the homogenizer, electric power and motors, packing machines, and new freezing processes and equipment. In addition, motorized delivery vehicles dramatically changed the industry. Due to ongoing technological advances, todays total frozen dairy annual production in the United States is more than 1.6 billion gallons. Wide availability of ice cream in the late 19th century led to new creations. In 1874, the American soda fountain shop and the profession of the soda jerk emerged with the invention of the ice cream soda. In response to religious criticism for eating sinfully rich ice cream sodas on Sundays, ice cream merchants left out the carbonated water and invented the ice cream Sunday in the late 1890s. The name was eventually changed to sundae to remove any connection with the Sabbath. Ice cream became an edible morale symbol during World War II. Each branch of the military tried to outdo the others in serving ice cream to its troops. In 1945, the first floating ice cream parlor was built for sailors in the western Pacific. When the war ended, and dairy product rationing was lifted, America celebrated its victory with ice cream. Americans consumed over 20 quarts of ice cream per person in 1946. In the 1940s through the 70s, ice cream production was relatively constant in the United States. As more prepackaged ice cream was sold through supermarkets, traditional ice cream parlors and soda fountains started to disappear. Now, specialty ice cream stores and unique restaurants that feature ice cream dishes have surged in popularity. These stores and restaurants are popular with those who remember the ice cream shops and soda fountains of days past, as well as with new generations of ice cream fans. According to legend, Marco Polo brought the secrets of ice cream with him from the Orient, together with other sundry savories. There is, however, no proof of that, although there is some evidence that the Chinese indulged in iced drinks and desserts, which gives some weight to the Marco Polo theory. The Chinese did, however, teach Arab traders how to combine syrups and snow, to make an early version of the sherbet. Arab traders proceeded to show Venetians, then Romans, how to make this frozen delight. The Emperor Nero was quite fond of pureed fruit, sweetened with honey, and then mixed with snowso much so that he had special cold rooms built underneath the imperial residence in order to store snow. In the 1500s, Catherine de Medici brought the concept of the sorbet to the French, who were soon to make a great improvement on it. As you will have noted, the above are frozen desserts, not ice cream. That invention awaited the development of the custard, then the discovery that freezing it would create a delectable dessert. This notable event occurred in 1775 in France, and was shortly followed by the invention of an ice cream machine, which did a much better job of creating a light and fluffy frozen custard than beating by hand could do. Thomas Jefferson, who imitated Nero in having a special cold room for storing snow, provides us with the first recipe for ice cream found in the United States. Not to be outdone, George Washington invested in one of the ice cream machines. Until 1851, ice cream (or, more frequently, cream ice) was solely made at home. But an intrepid man from Baltimore, named Jacob Fussell changed all that by opening the first ice cream factory. Near the turn of the century, the ice cream soda was created, although by who seems to be in questioneither James W. Tuff or Robert Green. It does seem to have been done by accident, howevera scoop of ice cream falling in a glass of flavored soda water. At any rate, the drink became a national craze, and many a girl and boy went courting over an ice cream soda. So many, in fact, that many municipalities passes laws forbidding the sale of soda water on Sunday. Quickly afterwards, the sundae was inventedit contained the ice cream, syrup, and whipped cream of the soda, but without the evil influence of soda water. Numerous variations existed. The next ice cream craze with the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis. Charles Menches was doing a lively business selling scoops of ice cream in dishes, all the way up to the point that he ran out of dishes. Frustrated, but determined to still find a way to make a profit, he lighted upon his friend Ernest Hamwi, who was selling a wafer-like cookie called zalabia (a Syrian treat). The combination proved irrestible. HISTORY OF THE ICE CREAM CONE For over a century, Americans have been enjoying ice cream on a cone. Whether its a waffle cone, a sugar cone or a wafer cone, what better way to enjoy a double scoop of your favorite flavor? Making Its Appearance The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, invented his ice cream cone in New York City. He was granted a patent in December 1903. Although Marchiony is credited with the invention of the cone, a similar creation was independently introduced at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair by Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian concessionaire. Hamwi was selling a crisp, waffle-like pastry zalabis in a booth right next to an ice cream vendor. Because of ice creams popularity, the vendor ran out of dishes. Hamwi saw an easy solution to the ice cream vendors problem: he quickly rolled one of his wafer-like waffles in the shape of a cone, or cornucopia, and gave it to the ice cream vendor. The cone cooled in a few seconds, the vendor put some ice cream in it, the customers were happy and the cone was on its way to becoming the great American institution that it is today. A Business Is Born St. Louis, a foundry town, quickly capitalized on the cones success. Enterprising people invented special baking equipment for making the Worlds Fair cornucopia cones. Stephen Sullivan of Sullivan, Missouri, was one of the first known independent operators in the ice cream cone business. In 1906, Sullivan served ice cream cones (or cornucopias, as they were still called) at the Modern Woodmen of America Frisco Log Rolling in Sullivan, Missouri. At the same time, Hamwi was busy with the Cornucopia Waffle Company. In 1910, he founded the Missouri Cone Company, later known as the Western Cone Company. As the modern ice cream cone developed, two distinct types of cones emerged. The rolled cone was a waffle, baked in a round shape and rolled (first by hand, later mechanically) as soon as it came off the griddle. In a few seconds, it hardened in the form of a crisp cone. The second type of cone was molded either by pouring batter into a shell, inserting a core on which the cone was baked, and then removing the core; or pouring the batter into a mold, baking it and then splitting the mold so the cone could be removed with little difficulty. In the 1920s, the cone business expanded. Cone production in 1924 reached a record 245 million. Slight changes in automatic machinery have led to the ice cream cone we know today. Now, millions of rolled cones are turned out on machines that are capable of producing about 150,000 cones every 24 hours. FROM THE COW TO THE CONE How Ice Cream Is Made Everybody has a favorite flavor or brand of ice cream, and the debate over whose ice cream is the best rages on each year. While each manufacturer develops its own special recipes, ice cream production basics are basically the same everywhere. The most important ice cream ingredients come from milk. The dairy ingredients are crucial in determining the characteristics of the final frozen product. Federal regulations state that ice cream must have at least 10% milk fat, the single most critical ingredient. The use of varying percentages of milk fat affects the palatability, smoothness, color, texture and food value of the finished product. Gourmet or super premium ice creams contain at least 12% milk fat, usually more. Ice cream contains nonfat solids (the non-fat, protein part of the milk), which contribute nutritional value (protein, calcium, minerals and vitamins). Nonfat dry milk, skim milk and whole milk are the usual sources of nonfat solids. The sweeteners used in ice cream vary from cane or beet sugar to corn sweeteners or honey. Stabilizers, such as plant derivatives, are commonly used in small amounts to prevent the formation of large ice crystals and to make a smoother ice cream. Emulsifiers, such as lecithin and mono- and diglycerides, are also used in small amounts. They provide uniform whipping qualities to the ice cream during freezing, as well as a smoother and drier body and texture in the frozen form. These basic ingredients are agitated and blended in a mixing tank. The mixture is then pumped into a pasteurizer, where it is heated and held at a predetermined temperature. The hot mixture is then shot through a homogenizer, where pressure of 2,000 to 2,500 pounds per square inch breaks the milk fat down into smaller particles, allowing the mixture to stay smooth and creamy. The mix is then quick-cooled to about 40 °F and frozen via the continuous freezer method (the batch freezer method) that uses a steady flow of mix that freezes a set quantity of ice cream one batch at a time. During freezing, the mix is aerated by dashers, revolving blades in the freezer. The small air cells that are incorporated by this whipping action prevent ice cream from becoming a solid mass of frozen ingredients. The amount of aeration is called overrun, and is limited by the federal standard that requires the finished product must not weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon. The next step is the addition of bulky flavorings, such as fruits, nuts and chocolate chips. The ingredients are either dropped or shot into the semi-solid ice cream after it leaves the freezer. After the flavoring additions are completed, the ice cream can be packaged in a variety of containers, cups or molds. It is moved quickly to a hardening room, where sub-zero temperatures freeze the product to its final state for storage and distribution. ICE CREAM LABELING WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? There are many choices in todays ice cream case to suit a wide variety of consumer tastes. There is plenty of information on food labels, but what does it really mean? Here, the International Ice Cream Association sheds some light on how ice cream and related products are labeled. Labeling Definitions The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets standards of identity for many foods so that consumers will get a consistent product, no matter what brand or type they buy. For ice cream, FDA permits the use of nutrient descriptors such as light, reduced fat and low fat so that consumers know exactly what theyre selecting in terms of nutritional content. These FDA standards follow the federal Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), which governs all food labeling. Here are some of the terms consumers are seeing in the supermarket, and exactly what those terms mean: Ice cream is a frozen food made from a mixture of dairy products, containing at least 10% milk fat. Reduced fat ice cream contains at least 25% less total fat than the referenced product (either an average of leading brands, or the companys own brand.) Light ice cream contains at least 50% less total fat or 33% fewer calories than the referenced product (the average of leading regional or national brands.) Low fat ice cream contains a maximum of 3 grams of total fat per serving Nonfat ice cream contains less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving. Quality Segments In addition, there are commonly used marketing phrases that describe ice cream products in terms of quality segments, such as super premium, premium and economy. Several factors can contribute to a products quality segment, such as price, brand positioning, product packaging, quality of ingredients and the amount of overrun (air) in the product. Overrun refers to the amount of aeration the ice cream undergoes during its manufacture that keeps the mixture from becoming an inedible frozen mass. Overrun is governed by federal standards in that the finished product must not weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon. Super-premium ice cream tends to have very low overrun and high fat content, and the manufacturer uses the best quality ingredients. Premium ice cream tends to have low overrun and higher fat content than regular ice cream, and the manufacturer uses higher quality ingredients. Regular ice cream meets the overrun required for the federal ice cream standard. Economy ice cream meets required overrun and generally sells for a lower price than regular ice cream. Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor Company profile: Name: Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor Date of Launch: 20th September 2006 Promoters: Justin Dcosta Phinsy Chirayath Rahul Mahapatra Shruti Saraf Aaron Dsouza Fizzah S.J Product: Sugar free and Fat free healthy Ice Creams. Health conscious desert. Proposed Flavors: World famous Vanilla and 20 different mouth watering flavors. Project: Manufacturing and selling of healthy sugar free and fat free Ice Creams. Specially made for health conscious and sweet tooth people. Head of department/ management: Justin Dcosta : Finance Phinsy Chirayath : Public Relation Rahul Mahapatra : Marketing Shruti Saraf : Product Testing Aaron Dsouza : Human Resources Fizzah S.J : Outlet manager Investments: Total capital investment required: 7 crore Borrowed capital (loan from IDBI bank): 3 crore Total partners investment: 4 crore Each partners capital: 70 lakhs All the six promoters and administrators of Ice Age Ltd will be equal partners and the profits sharing ratio between them will be equal. Introduction. Founded in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Ice Age Ltd.. company is setting up an Ice Cream manufacturing and selling parlor. The project will have great significance in the present day context of increasing weight and illness among the youth as well as adults due to increasing fat and sugar intake due to increasing content of sweetener in the Ice Creams and juices. The manufacturing of all types of ice creams will be done at its production site and then will be transported to its parlors established in the heart of the city. Ice Age Ltd.. is entering the Indian market with an aim of establishing its brand as a necessity of the Indian buyers. The company will follow a strategic positioning approach for the target market. Ice Age Ltd.. has kept into account the income and behavioral factor of the Indian buyers while designing the products. It is important for the company to understand the consumer behaviour before it goes into such a market. The Indian consumer for the first time will have a premium product which is eco-friendly, healthy and affordable. Business strategy Our business strategy will include the determination of the most beneficial product market in term of establishing itself in this new product segment. The most important factor for the success of Ice Age Ltd. brand is the perception of the consumer and to what extent it can build a positive image in the consumers mind. The intensity of the business environment, the sustainable competitive advantage of a quality product will give it a strong base to build the market. It is important for us to adopt a different strategy for the Indian market since it is composed of quality buyers as well as those who will buy for their family. Thus, we shall introduce some new strategies so as to establish our self in the Indian market and develop a strong customer base. The Model used for preparing the marketing strategy by Ice Age Ltd.. in the Indian Market Product Range External Analysis Competitors Analysis Internal Analysis Environment Analysis Marketing Strategies Future Plans Conclusion The first growth vector will involves gaining penetration with the existing product-market Ice Age Ltd. will attempt to attract customers from competitors through its strategic positioning and will establish strong brand equity. The second growth vector will involves product expansion while staying in the current market. Ice Age Ltd. will then offer a new product. It will be aimed not only for the existing market but also for the price conscious segment. The third growth vector will apply the same products to the new markets. The fourth growth vector will be to diversify into new product markets. We shall concentrate on the second growth vector and study the strategy with respect to the Ice Cream market. Internal Analysis According to the recent studies, most of the newly launched product or services fail due to improper analysis of their internal and external needs. A company should most effectively and efficiently take care of all the internal matters and needs. Since internal analysis is so use full and the life cycle as well as pricing is totally depended upon this analysis, Ice Age Ltd.. has taken proper and fully effective steps in analyzing all the need and requirements of the company. During internal analysis the promoter should take care of the following things: Raw material requirement Power supply Labour requirement Working force Capital Working capital Internal rules and regulations Proper management Proper material handling External Analysis Customer Analysis The Indian market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to marketers. Two-thirds of countries consumers live in rural areas and almost half of the national income is generated here. It is only natural that rural markets form an important part of the total market of India though the urban market is increasing drastically. Our nation is classified in around 450 districts, and approximately 630000 villages, which can be sorted in different parameters such as literacy levels, accessibility, income levels, penetration, distances from nearest towns, etc. The rural bazaar is booming beyond everyones expectation. This has been primarily attributed to a spurt in the purchasing capacity of farmers now enjoying an increasing marketable surplus of farm produce. In addition, an estimated induction of Rs 140 billion in the rural sector through the governments rural development schemes in the Seventh Plan and about Rs 300 billion in the Eighth Plan is also believed to have significantly contributed to the rapid growth in demand. The high incomes combined with low cost of living in the villages have meant more money to spend. And with the market providing those options, trends and tastes are also changing. Thus Ice Age Ltd.. has decided to enter this market with the basic idea of tapping the upper middle class which had established itself as a huge tapped market in the perception of a lot of national and multinational players who were then trying forages into the Indian market. Competitors Analysis NEED OF COMPARISION Consumer Mindset The consumers always have a different loyalty status for different brands. Sometimes they buy some brand due to the price or sometimes due to the features. Studying the consumers mindset is of vital importance as perception of individuals at the buying stage of various brands is unpredictable and ever changing. Market Share The market share of the players in the two wheeler auto market needs to be studied to know which company is in the booming stage and which company is in its closure stage. Also the advertisement and promotional share needs to be studied. Thus, market share helps us know the current market leader and market follower so that our company can develop an efficient marketing strategy for its product range after analyzing the current market players position. SWOT Analysis The SWOT Analysis i.e. the Analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the company products and its competitors at a glance. It needs to be compared to get an overall analysis of all the major companies and to know the company having better strengths, more opportunities and on the other hand the company having more of weaknesses and threats. The above diagram represents the sales of the famous Ice Cream parlors in Mumbai and their sales before Ice Age entered the market This diagram represents the sales pattern of all the Ice Cream parlors in Mumbai including Ice Age Ice Cream Parlor after one year from the launch of Ice Age Ltd (Estimated) Environment Analysis High initial launch cost There is a large front-ended investment made in new products including cost of product development, market research, test marketing and most importantly its launch. To create awareness and develop franchise for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure is required on launch advertisements, free samples and product promotions. Launch costs are as high as 50-100% of revenue in the first year and these costs progressively reduce as the brand matures, gains consumer acceptance and turnover rises. For established brands, advertisement expenditure varies from 5 12% depending on the categories. It is common to give occasional push by re-launches, which involves repositioning of brands with sizable marketing support. Market research Customers purchase decisions are based on perceptions about brands. They also keep on changing with fashion, income and changes in lifestyle. Unlike industrial products, it is difficult to differentiate products on technical or functional grounds. With increasing competition, companies spend enormous sums on product launches. Market research and test marketing become inevitable. The business rests on the two aspects that are brand equity and distribution network. Marketing driven In relative terms, marketing function has greater importance in the Ice Cream industry. The players have to reach out to mass population and compete with several other brands. The perceived differences are greater than the real differences in the product. Brand equity Brand equity refers to the intangible asset in the form of brand names. The consumers loyalty for a particular brand is due to the perception that the product has distinctively superior and consistent quality, satisfies his/ her specific needs and provides better value for money than other competing brands. A successful brand generates strong cash flow which enables the owner of the brand to reinvest a part of it in the form of aggressive advertisement/ promotion to reinforce the perceived superiority of the brand. The worth of a brand is manifested in the consumers insistence on a particular brand or willingness to pay a price premium for the preferred brand. Distribution network In this sector, one of the most critical success factors is the ability to build, develop, and maintain a robust distribution network. Availability near the customer is vital for wider penetration as most products are high value products. It takes enormous time and effort to build a chain of stockiest, retailers; dealers etc and establish their loyalties. There are entry barriers for a new entrant as a new product is typically slow moving and has lesser consumer demand. Therefore dealers/ retailers are reluctant to allocate resources and time. Established players use their clout to inhibit new entrants. However, when a product offers a strong breakthrough, equity build up rapidly and so does the distribution network. The major problems faced while marketing in the Indian market: Underdeveloped People and Underdeveloped Markets: The number of people below poverty line has not decreased in any appreciable manner. Thus underdeveloped people and consequently underdeveloped market by and large characterize the Indian markets. Many Languages and Dialects: The number of languages and dialects vary widely from state to state, region to region and probably from district to district. The messages have to be delivered in the local languages and dialects. Even though the numbers of recognized languages are only 16, the dialects are estimated to be around 850. Prevalence of spurious brands and seasonal demand: For any branded product there are a multitude of local variants, which are cheaper, and, therefore, more desirable to mass. Different way of thinking: There is a vast difference in the lifestyles of the people. The kind of choices of brands that an urban customer enjoys is different from the choices available to the rural customer. The rural customer usually has 2 or 3 brands to choose from whereas the urban one has multiple choices. The difference is also in the way of thinking. The rural customer has a fairly simple thinking as compared to the urban counterpart. Marketing Strategies Differentiation The concept is to make the product different from those of its competitor. When we look at the Indian Ice Cream market we see that the leaders naturals have constantly maintained its market leadership by constantly differentiating on the basis of new flavors. And coming up with line extensions with regular frequency. The only alternative for Ice Age Ltd. to survive in this industry will be to differentiate itself. This differentiation could be on the basis of the marketing mix. (Product, Price, Promotion, Place) Thus, as per the different factors of marketing mix 4 Different strategies are made to market in the developing cities in India. Target Market Ice Age the healthy ice cream parlor offers a wide range of sugar free and fat free ice creams. The ice creams are specially made keeping in mind all the health conscious people as well as youth and people who suffer from illness like diabetes. Ice Age is a healthy ice cream parlor which targets the higher middle class and rich class of the society. Due to the variety of flavors and the specialty of being sugar free and fat free makes the Ice Age Ice Creams more popular among the fitness and health conscious people. Ice Age targets the market where people are ready to buy healthy junk food due to their taste buds and the fact that Ice Age Ice Creams are totally fat free and sugar free with the same original taste. Hence Ice Age Ice Creams targets the market where people from age group 1 year to 80 years can enjoy their favorite ice cream keeping in mind health conscious people, diabetic people, young people, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Segmentation Segmentation variables Several variables differentiate consumers who prefer different kinds of Desserts, such as frequency of consumption, price sensitivity, relative importance of calories vs. taste, consumption occasion (at home, at work, at a social event, during recreation or at a restaurant), and desired serving size. The two most important variables are probably price sensitivity and the taste-calorie tradeoff. The reason that price sensitivity is especially important is that some consumers will pay high prices for a product of high q

An Analysis Of Nature In The W Essay -- essays research papers

An Analysis of Nature in the works of Robert Frost When reading poetry by Robert Frost the theme of nature is strongly present and persistent. Robert Frost uses the world around him to create a mystic feeling to his writings, almost giving the reader a sense of nostalgia. The influence of nature in Frost’s works creates a palette to paint a picture filled with symbolism for the reader to interpret. The nature in the poems makes the poem an intimate piece in which most readers can identify with or imagine in some way because of the intense imagery used. In the analysis of Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening we can pick out specific examples to illustrate Frost’s overall use of nature. In the first stanza of Robert Frost’s Stopping by the Woods on A Snowy Evening we find the speaker reflecting on the beauty of a wooded area with snow falling. Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. (p.923) You can feel the speakers awe and reflective peace when looking into the woods that night. He doesn’t know the owner of the land but is still drawn to the beauty of the scene. Frost gives a scene that is taken into the reader and digested for a time in the speaker’s mind. It shows us that it is all right to take a minute out of a hurried hour and reflect upon what is around you, whether it is a snowy wood or a quite ... An Analysis Of Nature In The W Essay -- essays research papers An Analysis of Nature in the works of Robert Frost When reading poetry by Robert Frost the theme of nature is strongly present and persistent. Robert Frost uses the world around him to create a mystic feeling to his writings, almost giving the reader a sense of nostalgia. The influence of nature in Frost’s works creates a palette to paint a picture filled with symbolism for the reader to interpret. The nature in the poems makes the poem an intimate piece in which most readers can identify with or imagine in some way because of the intense imagery used. In the analysis of Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening we can pick out specific examples to illustrate Frost’s overall use of nature. In the first stanza of Robert Frost’s Stopping by the Woods on A Snowy Evening we find the speaker reflecting on the beauty of a wooded area with snow falling. Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. (p.923) You can feel the speakers awe and reflective peace when looking into the woods that night. He doesn’t know the owner of the land but is still drawn to the beauty of the scene. Frost gives a scene that is taken into the reader and digested for a time in the speaker’s mind. It shows us that it is all right to take a minute out of a hurried hour and reflect upon what is around you, whether it is a snowy wood or a quite ...

The Eating Behaviour of Young People Essay -- Adolescence

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adolescence is a stage in life that has many biological, cognitive and sociocultural changes. This stage in life is when individuals are most vulnerable and health behaviors play an important role in their future. An adolescent today is bombarded with many behaviors that can affect their future such as; smoking, drug use, and sex. These behaviors can carry immediate and severe consequences but there are other health behaviors such as eating choices and physical activity that can carry risks as well (Lytle, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lytle explains that there is data that suggests that adolescent’s current eating behaviors are putting them at risk for many different diseases later in life. Some of those diseases include: cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Adolescents today have decreased physical activity and poor diet habits which makes nutritional issues for adolescents a very important topic that needs to be addressed (Lytle, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cardiovascular disease begins in childhood. A study completed by Kelley, Krummel, Gonzales, Neal and Fitch examined 279 children. There hypothesis was that children who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease based on their family history would have diets that were different than the low risk children. The children’s height, weight, and total cholesterol were measured and each child filled out a food frequency questionnaire. 23% of the children were at risk for cardiovascular disease and their cholesterol was significantly higher. However intakes of energy, fat, cholesterol and fiber were similar in both the high risk and low risk groups. The researchers concluded that all children whether high risk or low risk need to change their dietary patterns in order to prevent cardiovascular disease. Those at high risk need specific guidelines in order to lower their risk for the disease. Healthcare professionals must promote the healthy benefits of healthy eat ing habits to both children and their families and finally it is critical that public health research address behavior modification in children (2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diets high in saturated fat, total fat, sodium and low in fiber are associated not only with cardiovascular disease but also some types of cancer. Also diets low in fruits and vegetables are associated with increased risk of some types of cancer. National nutrition surveillance data ... ...zine and have their stories told to millions of readers. Keri Kulik, an exercise physiologist, who helped the Schall’s with monthly strategies to meet their goals, followed them for the next 6 months. Each month Keri gave the Schall family key strategies for success. Strategies started small like walking two nights a week together, watching less television and decreasing soda intake. By month 3 the family was including more sports like cycling, tennis and baseball in their routine also they have started circuit weight training together and have been drinking more water. By month six the Schall’s have consistently included exercise in their daily life and love it. They had one goal as a family and that was to increase physical activity, now the Schall’s are interested in working on their diet. They had made a consistent effort to eat a healthy breakfast every morning and include more healthy meals and snacks in their day. As Keri stated, â€Å"they now see th e big picture and are motivated to continue their healthy lifestyle.† Fit Family Fit Kids has shown how making small behavior changes in one families life can make big changes in both parent’s and children’s health (Fitness, 2005).

Conservation of Water Essay

Nothing could be truer and telling than the fact that water is the elixir of life. Conservation of water is as much essential as preserving our flora and fauna and also protecting our heritage. With the highly disturbing reports of our water sources drying up or depleting in nature and nuance, it is time that we sat up and gave a serious thought and consideration to measures that could help save water and conserve it for use, both for the present and future generations. There is no denying that with the fast changing patterns of life, the demand for water is going to increase, both for domestic and non-domestic purposes. Unless some prompt and purposeful measures are taken to save and conserve water, the day would not be far away when we might be asked to face the music for want of adequate and regular supply of water, for domestic, agricultural, industrial and many other usages. The problem of depleting water sources is real and therefore the measures to meet the challenge should be equally robust and realistic. Knowledgeable people visualise the solution in traditional wisdom and modern technology. Just as the subject of environmental studies is being taught at different levels of school and college education, similarly the subject of water (how to avoid its wastage and conserve it) should be included in school curriculum. If students, in particular, and the public, in general, are made aware how to use water prudently and conserve every drop, we can face the dilemma of scarce water resources and increasing demand for this precious liquid. With modern technology at our disposal, waste-water from cities and industry should be recycled. A comprehensive water policy that addresses the issues related to water resources, water-table going down in certain States, crop pattern or diversification ensuring linkages with sectors like energy, forestry and agriculture, should be drawn up. Last but not least is the crying need to work in harmony with nature and give back what we take. After all the havoc that we have done to nature, the latter is still benign and bountiful. To make the best use of nature’s benevolence, all users of water in India are required to know that discretion is the better part of valor and prudence is the panacea for many a man-made mess.