Presto Cleaner

Mr.. Shelton Is upset because the complaint office doesn't do his work well. The Interaction between Mr.. Shelton and Paul Hoofer have made the bad situation worse. This case brings together the customer expectation and the service that Presto cleaner had to offer. The customer expectations are influenced by many different factors such as: C] Personal needs D Word of mouth Reputation of the company I can deduce that the quality in this case is not the best. The larger issue on Presto Cleaner staff agenda must be to modernize quality performance, just as he's working to update his technology.Both service and infrastructure should be state-of-the-art. The quality also is acknowledged as a necessary requirement successful competing and surviving in the market place. Defining quality I can stress four important points: C] D D D Quality: The ability of a product or service to meet or exceed customer expectation Ability: The competence, either native or acquired, that enables one to do som ething well Consistently: refers to a reliable or steady pattern of performance Expectations: a state of anticipation about a future This four points are very important on keeping close the customers and especially for he rivalry on the market.In fact Paul Hoofer don't think about how to work out the complaint, but his thought is to close this case as soon as possible even if the company will lose an costumer. Purely in economics terms, the loss could be enormous. Assume that Presto Cleaner manages to lose one customer a day. Based on Mr.. Shelton estimates of his laundry expenditures, the annual revenue loss from such an unnoticed customer defection would reach almost $500000. In this context, Mr.. Shelton request is not at all unreasonable. To remedy this situation, Presto Cleaner's president, Mr.. Sickles, should take some Immediate first steps.First, he should send a letter of apology to Shelton with two enclosures: a $235 check, to cover the $35 charge for the delayed order and the $200 cost of four new shirts, and a $50 certificate for future Presto Cleaner service. He should act on the principle that, having made service mistakes, Presto Cleaner should bear all the customer's out-of-pocket costs. Presto Cleaner By Andre send a complain letter at Mr.. Hoofer, that is the responsible of the Complaining The case regards Mr.. Shelton as a complaining customer and Paul Hoofer as a expansible of Complaining Office.

Little Red Riding Hood Analysis Essay

I am going to describe the theme of Little Red Riding Hood, and describe the elements I found to contribute to the theme, how those elements affect the narrative theme. The elements that I am going to use in this paper are the narrative point of view, plot and symbolism. The point of view of is described in our text as is third-person objective, which the narrator takes a detached approach to the characters and action increasing the dramatic effect of the story (Clugston, R. W. 2010). â€Å"Plot tells what happens to the characters in a story. A plot is built around a series of events that take place within a definite period. No rules exist for the order in which the events are presented (Summers, Hollis 2012)†. The plot of the story is considered to be little red riding hood’s death as she is eaten by the wolf. The point of view, symbolism and plot help the reader to find the theme the author is portraying in the story. To find the theme of a story you need to know how to find identify the point of view of the story. As you read the story you can see that the narrator is not telling the story in the first-person point of view, the first-person point of view is when one of the characters in the story, telling their own thoughts or feelings. Third-person point of view is when the narrator is not a character in the story. There are a couple different types of third-person point of view, omniscient, and objective. Omniscient point of view is when the narrator is knows or can relate to the characters, there is a second type of omniscient point of view is limited omniscient point of view which is when the narrator relates only one characters feelings or thoughts. The author of â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† uses third-person omniscient point of view. In the first paragraph you can see that the narrator is not a character in the story, â€Å"Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen. Her mother was excessively fond of her; and her grandmother doted on her still more. This good woman had a little red riding hood made for her. It suited the girl so extremely well that everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood† (Clungston, 2010). Plot according to our text is defined as â€Å"A dynamic element in fiction, a sequence of interrelated, conflicting actions and events that typically build to a climax and bring about a resolution. Clungston, R. W. 2010 Chapter 5)†. â€Å"A unified plot has a beginning, a middle, and an end. That is, an author leads us from somewhere (a character with a problem), through somewhere (the character facing the problem), to somewhere (the character overcoming or being overcome by the problem). In literary terms, we speak of a story having an exposition, a rising action, a climax, and a denouement, or outcome. The exposition gives the background and situation of the story. The rising action builds upon the given material. It creates suspense, or a reader’s desire to find out what happens next. The climax is the highest point of interest. The denouement ends the story (Summers, Hollis 2012). † In â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† she starts the story off with describing little red riding hood as an extremely attractive woman who is asked by her mother to take some cake and a pot of butter to her sick grandmother. She describes red riding hoods trip to her grandmother’s house, where she met a wolf, whom was very hungry, â€Å"As she was going through the wood, she met with a wolf, who had a very great mind to eat her up, but he dared not, because of some woodcutters working nearby in the forest (Clungston, 2010)†. The wolf decided to convince red to go one direction to her grandmother’s house, â€Å"â€Å"Well,† said the wolf, â€Å"and I’ll go and see her too. I’ll go this way and go you that, and we shall see who will be there first† (Clungston, 2010). The plot changes to one of deceit when the wolf arrives at grandma’s house before red riding hood, He pretends to be red and the grandmother has him in. The wolf then kills the grandmother and puts on her bed clothes and waits for red riding hood to arrive. He tricks red riding hood into believing he is her grandmother. â€Å"The wolf cried out to her, softening his voice as much as he could, â€Å"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up† (Clungston, 2010). After red riding hood came in the wolf gets her to take her clothes off and crawl in bed with him. He sets the trap for her and she gets eaten up by the wolf, â€Å"All the better to eat you up with. † And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and ate her all up. (Clungston, 2010). According to chapter 7 in our text symbolism â€Å"a symbol is something that has a literal identity but also stands for something else—something that is widely understood and has been developed over a long period of time or by common agreement. This second identity (or referent) is always abstract in nature† (Clungston, R. W. 2010). One of the parts in the story that I find has symbolism is â€Å"As she was going through the wood, she met with a wolf, who had a very great mind to eat her up, but he dared not, because of some woodcutters working nearby in the forest. (Clungston, R. W. 2010). The wolf symbolizes a person trying to take red riding hood’s body, His wanting to eat her up. When the wolf talked to little red riding hood and the author writes â€Å"The poor child, who did not know that it was dangerous to stay and talk to a wolf,† it symbolizes red riding hoods innocence as in she has never had sex with anyone before. The wolf says to red riding hood to â€Å"come get into bed with me† symbolizes the temptations we all face in life. The theme that is hidden in â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† is the death of red riding hoods innocence, and virginity. The story was written in a time when that having sex before marriage was unheard of and made a woman frowned upon by others. By using symbolism, plot and point of view it helps the reader identify the point that the author is writing about. I found that the meaning of the fairy tale is one of morals, and how for some people once you lose your virginity then you are tainted or ruined for the person you love and get married to.

Rich and Unhappy or Poor and Happy

* Choosing a career that pays well, but makes a person unhappy, and choosing a career that   makes a person   happy,but does not pay well. What is the purpose of life? What is the one thing that truly matters in order to experience a meaningful, gratifying existence? Some people might say that love and happiness are all one needs in order to live a fulfilling life, where no amount of materialistic wealth will amount to the same level of contentment as a life where one’s career is something that one strongly believes in and has passion for.Others, however, might argue that the only path to an enjoyable life is when one is able to live luxuriously. To have the finest, rarest, most expensive items or clothing is to have value and importance in society, which in turn, makes life worth living. In order to reach this stage, necessary steps need to be taken even if it causes unhappiness doing so.Choosing a career that ensures a generous paycheck will guarantee a life filled with materialistic commodities, but it doesn’t guarantee the benefits of a career that entices them, such as the drive or desire to work and the gratification one feels that might affect their emotional well being for the better. Yet, Choosing a career that sparks interest and passion guarantees a feeling of fulfillment but may not guarantee a substantial enough pay to enjoy some of society’s luxuries, such as the ability to travel or not having to worry about putting food on the table which otherwise might lead to stress that is harmful to one’s health.In a perfect world, everyone would be able to choose a career that houses both aspects, but alas, that is not the way the world works. Should one choose a career that pays well, but makes one unhappy? Or should one choose a career that makes one happy, but barely pays the rent. A life filled with the luxuries that our society provides can be seen by many to be a much-desired way to live. For them, the end result overc omes the means to get there, such as a stressful, unrewarding career who’s only redeeming aspect is a substantial paycheck.The ability to purchase the materialistic objects of ones desires, such as a fancy car, or a big house, is enough for some people to put themselves through school in a programme that doesn’t stimulate them emotionally, or intellectually. Nevertheless, with the disposable income, one would be able to take part in activities outside of work that is enjoyable and stimulating, like traveling or going to various cultural events that are out of reach for those with lower incomes.However, while one may be enjoying life outside of work, the harsh reality is that one spends the majority of the week at ones job, so in reality, a huge portion of one’s life is spent in apathy and indifference if the work doesn’t invoke any sort of enjoyment. As this continues over the years, depression is likely to follow due to the constant dread and lethargy th at goes along with the job, and the realization that it will be like that day in and day out for years to come.For those who choose this way of life, happiness equates to the number of possessions they gained with their hard earned money, regardless of the mundane work they had to go through in order to achieve it, unless of course, they realize they made a huge mistake choosing money over their actual dreams and aspirations when its already too late. Other people have a completely different view of life as the ones who value money in high regard.These people see the benefits of a life filled with things that give them satisfaction, with the choice of career being a huge component of it. When one decides to spend the rest of ones life doing something that one is passionate and excited about, the wage it garners wouldn’t be high on one’s list of concerns, especially if it means that waking up every morning wouldn’t be such a dreaded daily event. The mere thought of spending another day doing something one enjoys is enough to keep one motivated throughout the longevity of their career.There are a few instances however, that may cause certain hesitation. For example, a young aspiring artist might be satisfied with a one-bedroom that doubles as their studio while eating ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner for now, but what if down the road they decide they want to settle down and have a family before they are able to make a profit from their art, which might not never even happen in the first place? The pressure of this realization and the constant worry of having to make ends meet could be detrimental down the line.Soon, the joys that the job brings could be overshadowed by the stress produced by this situation. Fortunately, most people that choose to go down this path are able to make ends meet and are content with living in the simplest terms as long as their lives revolve around the career of their liking. The decision of choosin g which career path to take is probably one the most important, tear-inducing decisions a person has to make in their lifetime. It will dictate the way their life will go from that day forward nd the means on which they must live by. Whether it is a career that will bestow significant financial gain, or a career that will bestow significant personal gain, the decision rests on the personal opinions of the individual’s definition of a happy life. Even though this decision is entirely subjective, there is a stat that is worth mentioning; over a third of an average person’s life is spent working. Is being able to by the latest Prada really worth hating a massive part of one’s existence?

The influence , the importance of time management and Cooperative Essay

The influence , the importance of time management and Cooperative learning upon me as a teacher to be and the learners of EFL (Learning through group, pair work in classrooms) - Essay Example A teacher can manage time efficiently in a classroom by planning, reducing paperwork, preparation of routines, schedules and time table that eliminate waste of time and confusion, allocate independent assignment, use learning centers, prepare seatwork that allows the teacher to work in small groups and maintain an environment in classroom that enables student to have a smooth transition from one activity to another. Beginners and veteran teachers can increase their teaching time with efficient use of time by assessing factors that consume time and thereby teachers can increase their teaching time. A teacher can be a good classroom manager by delegating work to volunteers, aides and students and save the extra time for other valuable student related work (Time Management 2009). Time management enables a teacher to recognize the amount of time required to complete important tasks on a regular basis. Prioritization of activities is made simple and allocation of time for optional activities can be made through effective time management. This gives an opportunity to avoid unimportant tasks of lesser significance that consume more time and engage the teacher fruitlessly. Effective time management simplifies the schedules of the teacher and gives more freedom to accomplish the objectives of teaching with reduced stress. Well planned teaching schedule rescues the students from a poorly organized day at school. A teacher can keep the daily teaching routine under control by discussing time management issues with colleagues (Making time for success). Further, teachers are responsible for the success of students. The effective utilization of class time reduces the anxiety of teachers and enhances the performance of students. Teachers will have some extra time at the end of the class to reflect and review the topic learned during the class on a well organized day (Time Management 2008). The significance of a teacher’s lesson time management should not be

World Trade Organization College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World Trade Organization College - Essay Example The impact has, however, been uneven. Developed WTO members have enjoyed expanded imports under GATT/WTO while there has been little impact of WTO membership on imports in developing WTO members. The role of WTO stimulating international trade is paramount, however, from the perspective of empirical evidence and economic models, WTO's role seems to be controversial in some aspects. The transition from the GATT to the WTO was a significant event, though it did not occur abruptly but as a gradual response to evolutionary changes that have occurred since the original agreement was signed in 1947 and have continued even after the transition in 1995 (Barton et al. 2006). The first evolutionary change such change involved the gradual expansion of the membership in the GATT and the WTO. The original 1947 agreement was signed by twenty-three member states. The number grew over the next decades, with the Dillon Round involving 26 states, 62 states in the Kennedy Round, and 123 in the Uruguay Round (Bagwell and Staiger, 2002). The major consequence of this growth has been a shift away from dominance of the trade system by the United States and a rise in dominancy by other states, notably those of the Europe (Barton et al. 2006). The second evolutionary change includes the expanding scope of the GATT... Uruguay Round, from 1986 to 1994, the subjects included tariffs, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, textiles and clothing, intellectual property, as well as ten other topics (O'Brien et al. 2000). ANALYSIS The WTO requires participants to decrease import barriers but there are important reasons to expect membership to influence exports in the same manner. Members participate in the WTO and motivate their join with their comparative advantages and disadvantages (Kelly, 2009). Participants choose industries and economies, to which they provide protection and simultaneously they aim to obtain access for their competitive industries, preferably those having political support (Feenstra, 2004). If members only eased import controls and did not receive broader market access, only few countries would actively pursue membership (Feenstra, 2004). Second, members produce an extensive amount of work, attempt various strategies as well as apply litigation procedures to secure their rights to foreign markets (Kelly, 2009). Practically, WTO's dispute resolution mechanism represents one of the major advantages of the WTO. For many members it provides legitimate procedures to file costly and, what is m ore important, time consuming litigation that their import/export products are not being given their rights under WTO legislation (Bagwell and Staiger, 2002). Third, countries that participate in the WTO have unique opportunity to export to other states while conducting domestic protection (Feenstra, 2004). Practically, this give an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of free trade, and simultaneously adjusting national economies to global trading regime. It is well-accepted that the GATT/WTO's achievements are outstanding, especially in tariff liberalization (Bagwell and Staiger,

Greek Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greek Civilization - Essay Example It is upon this Achaean Wall that the quest for honor and justice prevails. Notably, â€Å"death in ten thousand shapes hangs ever over our heads, and no man can elude him: therefore let us go forward and either win glory for ourselves, or yield it to another† is a quote which basically means the determination of the warring armies around the legendary phenomenon to claim honor and justice for perceived past injustices as evident in Homeric Book XII. The place of timeh is the Achaean Wall. In the quest to die of honor if such a fate so reaches his army, Polydamas asks Hector to mobilize the soldiers and pass through the trench and the contested territory controlled by the Achaean army. Hector buys the idea, and all of the Trojans descend but for one senior member known as Asius (Moon, 2014). The army’s forward advance is driven by the determination to die of honor, and true to their mission, the enemy forces pin them down in the brutal confrontation. Their attempt to conquer the rampart with relative ease is thwarted. As the Trojans advance towards the enemy forces, they notice a rather important communication; above them, they come across an eagle holding a huge snake. The reptile confronts its captor fiercely, prompting the injured eagle soaked in blood to abandon the serpent. Polydamas interprets this sign to the effect that even though the Trojan army is superior to their enemy any attempt by them to storm the Achaean vessels with fire would result in their defeat. The resulting situation will force the Trojans into hasty retreats with heavy casualties. Hector disregards the sign and rebukes Polydamas saying that the army should construe the bird sign positively and seek justice for their country or retain their honor in death if they all die pursuing the noble cause (Presgonzlez, 2005). The two patriots and agents of justice move across the ramparts, mobilizing the soldiers. In the meantime, the Trojans led by Sarpedon and

The Hunger Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Hunger Games - Essay Example The young characters have been depicted as heroes and heroines when some of them are seen reflecting on happier moments in the past, a good example being the main character, Katniss. This essay will critically analyze the book, giving a breakdown of the main ideas found in each of the chapters. In the first chapter, the author introduces Katniss Everdeen, the narrator and the main character. The teenage girl sets out on a gathering and hunting expedition with her friend Gale as they await for the reaping in the afternoon. Katniss has been forced to take part in a fighting tournament against other teenagers. The government has forced children to fight each other to death on TV, the winner taking home prizes. The fights are usually broadcasted to the entire world. Katniss does not enjoy the fights, but she kills with a lot of professionalism and finesse, just to stay alive. From the story in the book, it can be analytically noted that the author has used Katniss to show a transformatio n from a difficult life to one where she experiences pleasure. Katniss lived a life that was full of poverty and suffering. Due to her efforts in hunting and gathering, she used her skills to later enjoy her life by experiencing pleasures which she never knew of before. These pleasures include pretty clothes, food and warmth. However, it is important to note that the author has not in any way depicted sexual pleasure. This shows that the book is very chaste and non-erotic, making it very appropriate for its target audience, young adults (Grossman 1). The story also focuses on the life of a teenage girl who gets stung to death by a mutant swarm of hornets. The author has used violence in a very hypnotic way, unlike other books on violence which tend to be very repellent. This is because violence has been used amidst a fairy tale, making the book very unique. The violence is not merely a cheap thrill. It is something deeper in the sense that the author condemns violence and the action s that take place in the arena but invites readers to enjoy the violence that has been narrated in the story (Sperling 1). ‘The Hunger Games’ exposes children readers to the violence against which society tries so hard to shield them. The author uses this strategy to show adults that they should not forget their experiences as children. They wanted to enjoy the same things against which they are shielding the children. The author supports the fact that children are not stupid, and they are physical creatures. This makes them aware of the fact that violence raw emotions, power and violence exist. The author is really saddened by the fact that adults choose to pretend that these things are not in existence and that children should not know about them (Grossman 1). The book is a bloody, horrifying and chilling one because of the violence depicted through the actions of the characters. The author shows a lot of bloodshed and ruthless killing, especially among children. The setting of ‘The Hunger Games’ is an unspecified time in the future, where such violence seems to be the order of the day (Grossman 1). This shows just how bad the author thinks things will be for humanity in the future. The world that the author has depicted is one whereby a ruling caste dominates the people. In the story, this ruling caste lives in a city known as Capitol (Sperling 1). The rest of the vulnerable population that is being dominated by

Medical Care in the United States Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical Care in the United States - Assignment Example That said, the cost of providing that care that falls upon the government will always be a consideration and cannot be disregarded. Finding a balance that is pleasing both to the healthcare need and to the country’s costs will be extremely difficult to achieve. A solution that will be successfully pleasing to all parties involved will be even harder. There will always be a level of imbalance present given the numbers of Americans who are financially unable. This will leave a perpetual area of imbalance in the need for and the economics of healthcare. The healthcare system that currently exists is definitely flawed and positive change can only benefit the country. However, unless the replacement is more functional and provides better outcomes for both the application of the healthcare system and economic cost to the country than the changing would be expensive to implement to have little change and therefore pointless results. Obamacare is hugely different from what Americans a re currently accustomed to in that it will require individuals to obtain health insurance or be fined for not doing so at tax time. Americans will find that insurance costs will rise. The cost will be even higher for Americans with pre-existing conditions previously denied by insurance companies. Again, I am not saying the reforms are not in order or that Americans do need to take a more responsible role in their own healthy living and healthcare, but Obamacare is simply not the reform that will succeed in the United States.

Sustainable Development for a Stable Future Essay

Sustainable Development for a Stable Future - Essay Example When new businesses come into existence, it is largely under the principles of established businesses and therefore unsustainable and environmentally harmful ideals are fostered at the initial period. If attitudes were to change at the fundamental structures of business, people could set up organisations that nurtured and conserved the environment instead of using it up for profit. The former is what has been termed sustainable development. The idea has been difficult to promote to society, since it seems to involve a complete change of ideals when it comes to business and daily life; regardless of this hesitation, can sustainable development be the way towards a healthy environmental future world wide As pointed out in Conformity and Conflict, Easter Island has been shown as a microcosm of the entire world; resources used up completely and the human society made impossible and then extinct (Spradley et al 2000 pp.118-126). The difference is glaringly obvious: the inhabitants of earth have no viable options when it comes to relocating, whereas the Easter Islanders were able to abandon the island and inhabit outlying lands. Diamond explains how the society of Easter Island was built up quickly and then brought to an almost immediate halt as the people living there used up virtually every resource that was available to them. Where the island had been rich in plant and animal life when humans initially settled there, a mere few hundred years of unsustainable development left the rich lands barren of all life sustaining resources and now sits bare with the skeleton of human society for all to witness. How does this factor into today's society Diamond explains that Easter Island can be used as an example to the rest of the world because the people there acted in exactly the same way as we are now, all over the world: they did not respect the balance of life and overstepped their boundaries as one species and one small part of an ecosystem. Easter Islanders will have noticed their food and other natural supplies dwindling, however they certainly didn't manage to rectify the situation in time for their own survival. The ethnographer notes that these isolated Polynesians "grew bananas, taro, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, and paper mulberry" while their only domesticated animal being the chicken (Ibid.). Extensive use of fishing hooks, Polynesian style tools and above all their amazing stone statues and carvings goes to show that the island must have supported several thousand inhabitants at its peak. Diamond asked, "what happened to those settlers" Linguists and archaeologists are in agreement that the society flourished from around A.D. 400 to after the 1500's, after the resources had run out. Archaeologists have found that during the prosperous years of the Easter Island culture, sustainable development was not on the agenda despite the fact that the society was obviously structured and quite complex and capable of many th ings. For the erection of

Market Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Market Structure - Essay Example Characteristics of Perfectly Competitive Market In a perfectly competitive market, a large number of buyers are willing to buy products and services at a certain price level and a large number of sellers are willing to sale those products and services for the specified price level. All firms are price taker in perfectly competitive market, having a relatively small market share and operating in a profit maximization motive. Profit is maximized in that point where marginal revenue meets marginal cost (Stackelberg, Bazin, Hill and Urch, 2010). There are no barriers to entry and exit for firms into the industry. All factors of production are perfectly mobile in long run perfect competition. Complete information is available to the consumers in terms of product quality, method of production, price of competitors. Purchasing behaviour of the buyers is rational as all information is available to them. Market cannot be affected by any externalities. Buyers are well aware about their market rights. Therefore, no cost of benefit can influence one party to harm the other party. Firms are engaged in producing homogeneous goods which are hardly differentiated in terms of price level and quality. Economies of scale is absent in this market structure as a result of continuance of a large number of buyers and sellers. There is no transaction cost is perfect competition. Hence no cost is involved in exchanging goods in this type of market structure. Local fish or vegetable market is a perfect example of this kind of market structure (Stackelberg, Bazin, Hill and Urch, 2010).

Production of one tonne of a bioproduct by fermentation process Essay

Production of one tonne of a bioproduct by fermentation process - Essay Example It is also found the apple cider vinegar is good agent is reducing the risk of cancer. It also fights diabetes, high cholesterol and heart problems. Vinegar is used massively is a number of products including foods, pickles, beverages, detergents and glass cleaners. The major use of the vinegar is in the foods and pickles. Vegetables and raw fruits are dipped into vinegar to preserve the vegetables and raw fruits. Chinese sauces are made up of vinegar and the more Chinese soups and foods enter the market, the use of vinegar will increase. United Kingdom imported vinegar of worth $30 million Canadian dollars in 2009, while the exports of the vinegar remained under $17 million Canadian dollars in 2009. This shows that vinegar has a great local market as well as foreign market. The increasing demand of the pickles round the world increased the demand of the vinegar. At this stage, white vinegar is utilized the most. It has the most application considering various types of the vinegar. The health benefits of the vinegar increased the market demand of the vinegar to a considerable level. The process that had been utilized to manufacture vinegar for many years is simple but it takes many days to complete. However, current industrial processes are considered to be a little complex but the time consumption for the completing of process dropped significantly. The very first process is to collect the fruit or crop. Industrial processes recommend that crops that are rich in sugars or derivatives. The fruits juices are extracted and processed by adding several enzymes and microorganisms. In case of crops, the crops are grounded, refined and mixed with adequate amount of water, then enzymes and added and then the product is fermented. The basic steps of the process include the refining, adding distilled water, fermentation stage 1, fermentation stage 2, fermentation stage 3, distillation, pasteurization and dilution to suite the exact taste. Fruits,

Time for a Change Essay Example for Free

Time for a Change Essay Part of running a major business involves periodically examining what’s working and what can get better (Hogg, 2010). As everyone knows, just as every other company needs to work to remain relevant, we have to keep up with our primary competitors including Allstate, Farmers, Geico and Progressive. We need to do work better to perform processes uniformly across the state and the only way to do so is go from four regional offices in California, to one regional office. We first will need to create a transition committee that will have supervisors from each offices, section and division managers as well communication with other zones that have gone through similar transitional change. With this transition, we will also need to take into consideration how much this will cost the company and also how much will be saved as a result in the conclusion of the process. Which office will be the first to close, which will come second which will close last and finally which will remain open? There will also need to be a plan for the increase of work load when we close the offices and how we will keep the work load down and manageable by adding specialty teams that focus on certain areas of the work instead of handling it all. Additionally, we will also need to review how this will affect the potential impacted communities, and how we will handle the internal and external communication plans. When creating a transitional committee we need to select the right members for this committee. We understand that some may not be making the move but their assistants will be beneficial to everyone. Within this committee we need to select who will handle what roles each person will be in charge of. We will have groups in charge of different areas. Such as people count, communication, timelines, training and expenses. For the people count, this group will be in charge of finding out how many people will be moving and how many will be leaving. With this information they ill be required to determine the amount of new associates that need to be hired and how many hiring waves. The group that will handle communication will be the ones who will communicate to associates the time line of transition as well as information on the specialty teams that will be formed. This group of individuals will be required to travel to all offices to a job fair for associates so that they can see how their department is changing and what the new roles will look like. It will give them an opportunity to find out if they would be interested in a certain specialty team. For the training group, their job is to determine how many trainers will be needed and if temporary trainers will need to be pulled to help train new associates as well as set up refresher courses for existing associates. The expense committee will not only be covering the transition expenses, but also travel expenses and hiring expenses. Why is it necessary to transition from 4 regional offices to one? First, with the recent move of our payment plan department and our Life/Health department to other states all four regional offices now have less than 60 percent occupancy. One of our offices is even at 40 percent and the building itself needs some costly upgrades to minimally keep it as a viable work location. Another reason why we need to close these offices is due to the fact that each office seems to do work their own way in lieu of processing work items in the same manner as intended and designed by the corporate office. By combining everything into one singular location, we can ensure that processing consistency is achieved while also aiming to treat every policyholder in the state exactly the same way with consistent high quality service. Doing so would enable our Zone to achieve and retain the Remarkable expectations set forth by policyholders. Another reason why it would be highly beneficial to transition from 4 regional offices to 1 is the day to day expense. The current cost per average month to simply cover electrical utility expenses is one hundred thousand dollars in a single office with gas expenses around fifteen thousand and forty thousand in public water fees. Since we are not a company regulated by stakeholders but a company literally managed by our policyholders also referred to as a mutual company, it is our policyholders who are paying for all the utilities on 4 offices that are not being used at full capacity. In transitioning to a single office we will be saving our policyholders an estimated 5. 6 million ollars annually which can be reinvested into the organization by way of rate reductions and directly benefit customers. We need to determine which office will remain open. Since a separate entity of the company manages facilities and all are owned the decision really comes down to a few details. Which facility can house a majority of the associates, can new talent be recruited in that community to sustain the growth, which facility is the most energy efficient, which facility needs the least amount of necessary upgrades, and where would a majority of our associates be willing to relocate to? This decision was relatively simple as the Central California office location was the newest facility and the only that was not a single level structure, is in a growing city that has an established university and the ability to add much more housing that will be required. An added benefit is that water expenses are minimized as the grounds are all hydrated with reclaimed well water. As a result of that decision the next decision is determining which office to close first. We will first close our West Lake and Costa Mesa offices as each is very costly to keep open and sit on prime freeway real-estate. When any transition involving associates is being planned, one must realize that there are numerous impacts both positive and negative. While the realization is there that we will lose very loyal, experienced, tenured associates we must also realize that we will also shed a significant expense. Employee compensation is our largest investment in the organization. With the loss of those associates and backfill with newer associates there will naturally be a savings component in conjunctions with that realization and change. Newer associates will have a lower base salary, fewer vacation benefits resulting in increased days producing at the office, and potentially an improved work ethic as they are very happy, not for a new job but the potential for a new career. Combined occupancy of the southern office locations were at a total of 70 percent capacity. For those associates there will be a few options. We will offer early retirement packages for those who are at retirement age. We will offer a relocation package to all employees who are willing to relocate and we will provide them with a weekend tour of the new facility and community to assist them with their decision. This package also includes a bonus if they were able to sale their house prior to the move. If not, State Farm will buy their house and sell it for them. The last office that will close will be our Northern California office. That will not happen for at least 3 years after the first two offices close in an effort to minimize work flow disruption and well as mitigate the loss of tenured employee capital. With the closing of the two offices, we will need to learn the number of employees that will be part of the transition and how many employees that will take the early retirement package and how many will quit State Farm all together. We will need to determine the work flow as well as how many new associates that need to be hired in the final location. Also being incorporated into the transition process is a new workflow distribution system along with a new specialized team concept approach to facilitate with training new associates to make each job responsibility less than what it currently is. Different associates are strong in certain areas and weaker in others so the thought is to capitalize on each of the strengths. The teams that we need to create should be the following. For example in our Auto Department, they will be going to the following. New business application issuance team consisting of both underwriters and assistants, added car application issuance teams, three processing/production teams, one rating/accounting team, three call center teams finally one training team and one quality review/improvement team. Our Personal Lines Fire team will be doing something very similar as well as our Business Lines Department. Our claims department will also go into smaller specialized teams. With these specialty teams in place it will help with the work flow as well as ensure that the work gets processed correctly an efficiently. Additionally, since our current underwriting assistant training program last a surprising three years due to the complexity of the job. With the specialty teams that will be in place the training will not need to be as long as the focus of each role will evolve to its new state. The new training program will last up to 15 to 18 months to get fully proficient with continuing development to refine complex skill sets in their respective specialty areas. The first year training will be focused on the basics and once the trainers get a feel for what the trainees strengths are after that year, the next 8 months will be focused on their area of specialization. By doing this, we will provide better and more accurate service to our policyholders and more time will be spent doing the work. When we get to the point of communicating to our employees we will be earing different remarks from them such as why us, why not the other office, what am I going to do and so on and so on. They’ll need information to make decisions about their and their family’s future (Van Camp, 2012). When we determine when we are going to tell them employees there are five key concepts that we need to remember when we are communicating to all employees. The news we will be providin g will be life changing for numerous amount of people and we will need to be prepared to handle a large amount of questions and backlash and personal feelings. What we need to do and focus on is providing regular, weekly e-mail blasts from leadership describing the changing events. Let employees know when major decisions are expected to be made; for example, communicate when benefit and personnel information will be released. Encourage dialogue between managers and their teams. If needed, have leadership step in and directly communicate with employees through town hall-style meetings and discussions. Create a channel for two-way open communication. For example, create a virtual suggestion box or a forum for discussion between employees and leadership. Posts can remain anonymous for employees at every level through the organization. If there is no information available or something has yet to be decided, let employees know that, but don’t keep them guessing. Employees who have to wonder about their futures are not engages in their jobs, and productivity and loyalty will be affected (Van Camp, 2012). When we go to the public with this information we will need to provide our plans in writing so that the media does not misconstrue any of our information. We do not want false information being provided and pushed out to the public. We already know that we are changing the lives of our employees but we will also be changing the communities. We also need to be prepared for questions such as what will this do to smaller area’s that depend on the business from State Farm associates, impact to the local housing market and loss of existing talent. For associates not wanting to continue with the company we will assist them with their resumes and interviewing skills in an effort to minimize their personal impacts of the transition. There will be numerous classes to assist with resumes and interviews as well as letter of recommendation from their supervisor to help them get another job. Finally we will have our operations managers from each office deliver the message of the closing of the offices. No one looks forward to addressing an angry audience, but you do have one major factor working in your favor: People definitely care about your message. As with an apprehensive audience, treat their emotions with respect and avoid humor. Prepare thoroughly so you can provide complete information in a calm, rational manner. Consider using the indirect approach to build support for your message while addressing points of concern along the way. Remain calm and don’t engage in emotional exchanges with the audience (Bovee Thill, 2012, p. 477). Our operations managers would be the perfect candidates that will be able to deliver this message so that they will be able to hear the compassion in their voice and to understand that this is not an easy move on anyone. We want to remain ahead of our competitors. We want to ensure that we are not one of those companies that will start having massive layoffs due to the decline of the business. State Farm has been around for 90 years and we want to be around for even more. By having a transitional committee, we will be able to affectively shut down 3 offices and move the work load and employees to one. We will be able to have specialized teams within all of the departments. We will drastically reduce cost which will allow our policyholders to have more rate decreases on their auto and homeowners policies. We will show compassion when delivering speaking to our associates and to the media. Last but not least we will keep everyone in the loop through emails and meetings with management so no one is left in the dark.

Online Car Rental System Tourism Essay

Online Car Rental System Tourism Essay People travel from one place to another for many reasons, some due to their jobs or business and few for holidays and vacations. As a traveller they cannot own a car in every place or country they go, they always prefer other options like public transports, cabs, busses, trains and rent cars or bikes. Getting a car on rent has become very famous due to the cost as it is much cheaper than using cabs for a whole day and because it is much more secure and convenient. Keeping this in the mind Researcher has decided to develop an online car rental system, by using online car rental system a traveller can book the car. As the name of the system suggest, this system will be an online car rental system. This system will not only help the travellers to select the car of their chose but they can also compare the different models of car available and different type. They can compare prices, models and brands. They can select if they want that the car should be delivered to their door step with additional charges or they will pick up the car from the nearest store. They can select the car according to their requirement and budget. Problem statement and Literature review à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expensive rent for travellers As stated by Flowers, J and Levere, J. (2008) due to rise in drivers fees and taxes such as state and local surcharges applied on airports, the rent of the cars can increase at an average of 25 per cent. Due to rise in Tax, the travellers have to pay up to 25% of tax when the booking or renting a car from the airports. Even if the traveller pays the higher price they have to go with the cars which are available at that point of time in the car rental office. It can be expensive cars or even luxury cars which are not in budged of every person. To overcome this problem the Online Car Rental System will help the traveller to book the car even before they have arrived. So that they do not have to pay extra airport charges and get any car which is in their budget and which suits them and their requirements. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Returning the car remotely According to Yang, Y., (2008), difficulty is in uncertainty of length time of the person who have taken the car on rent and which referred location he wants to return the car. Sometimes a person takes a car on rent, but it is not sure when will the person return the car and will the person be able to come to the same location to return the car or not, in this situation that person have to pay more if he delay to return the car on time. This online car rental system will provide an online service where the person can increase the time limits and predefined the location person will be dropping the car or he want the car to be taken from. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cannot reserve specific car model According to Korstanje, M. E., (2011), Due to limitation in operations creates problem for renter to reserve specific model. Reservations are not given on the basis of model but group. Due to operation limitation in the area like airports, this problem causes issue like in which the renters are not able to get what they actually want and they have to go for the car which is available in the store even if it is not what they are willing to have. This online system will help traveller to do online booking in which he can select which car he prefer with the facility of comparing with other car on the basis of type and price so that he can makes best decision. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No time for customers feedback As said by Meyer, C., and Schwager, A., (2007), Due to many transactions by individual customers which are monitored by the company they does not get time to take feedback from them regarding the service provided. When a customer comes to an office for renting a car, due to having many customers the staff member of the company does not get chance to ask customers regarding their services because of which their problems are not rectified. To rectify these issues the online car rental system will have an online feedback service after each customer have done with their transaction at the time of logout. The system will ask for a feedback from the customer. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time wasting As said by Ahlstrom, C., Kircher, K., et al., (2012), Due to a single mistake of the airport rental service it take hours to get cars on rent. When there is a problem in the airport rental service it can take hours to get the car on rent which is actually wasting the time of the renter. In online car rental system the reservation will be done before traveller arrived at the airport so that when the traveller arrives at the airport the car will be ready to be taken. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Change car on each route As said by Asconavieta, P.H.S. (2011) car rental companies usually work on the regional basis because of which traveller have to change car on every route. Due to shortage of area coverage as the car taken for the company should return to the same location makes the traveller to keep changing the car even if they go from one state to another. They have to come back to the same location. So when they go to different state they have to change their car. To rectify this problem the online car rental system will have an option of selecting the area the customers want to return the car. So In the country like Emirates or Maldives where the area is short, the car can be taken from one state to another state without any problems. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Improper scheduling for proper car utilisation As stated by Minodora, 2009, improper scheduling in car rental companies causes the company unable to utilise their car and even increase work time for renter to get car. Due to improper scheduling in the car rental companies the car spend more time in the companys car lot or customers have to wait until the car is not returned. Using online car rental system the scheduling will be done online by the customer itself as the car which they select they have to put the time they will return. If in case they fail to return or inform the pickup point extra charges will be charged to them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Return car on the same agency location According to Goldbarg, M., Asconavieta, P. and Goldbarg, E., (2012), car rented from a company can only be returned to the agency of the same company. If a renter take a car from a company he or she have to return it to the same agency of the same company but if the person is new in the region it will not be possible for him to do that it will be wasting of time in searching for the agency. In the online car rental system the renter can select whether he wants to retune the car or he wants the car to be taken from where he is , it can be hotel, airport, mall or any other location he can predefined the location online and the car will be picked up from him. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Insufficient revenue Lin-in, H., and Tao, Q. (2011) described that car renting companies in certain areas unable to get sufficient revenue for growth. This issue is due to concentrating on a limited region because the rate of sale increases based on the area of the company it is located in if the company is limited to its area only. In online car rental system there will be no boundaries, the company can concentrate on any location and get revenue from any part of the area or even country if the country is not in a bigger size like Emirates or Maldives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rejection due to short time frame According to Guerriero, F., Olivito, F. (2011) in order to increase the revenue, company with limited car does not rent the car for a day or few hours. Because of limited area of work company does not give their cars for short period of time to increase their revenue which make it difficult for the traveller to search car renting company after he have reached to the unknown country or location. As the online car rental system allows traveller to book the cars online. A person does not really have to go through all this type of issues as a person will be getting the car as soon as he or she arrives. Research Aims Objectives 4.1 Aims To create an online system, that will allow travellers to easily rent a car. It will also allow user to select the car according to their requirement and compare it with other options of cars. Make it easy for a traveler to return the car on remote locations. Solving the manual scheduling problem as every transaction will be done online. 4.2 Objectives Is to create a reliable web base online system on which user can access using internet from anywhere. To use software tools in implementation, this will help in implementing features for easy access. Allow system users to participate in the early stages of development so the outcome will be user oriented. Research Questions There are two categories in which the researcher has classified the questions. 5.1 Domain research Questions How the system will help in car scheduling? How the system will affect the operation of the renting company? How the proposed system is different from existing systems? How to integrate online payments by credit cards? 5.2 Technical research question Which scripting language can be used for the proposed system? Which data base system can be used for the proposed system? How the different feature can be implemented into the system? Which web authoring software can suits best of the system? Research Design 6.1 Domain Research The research in domain research will be conducted from literature source like journal, eBooks, white papers and library books. Furthermore research will be done by using online resources such as IEEE Xplore, Google Scholar and my Athens. 6.2 Technical research Mainly Web resources such as eBooks and journal will be used in conducting technical research. Research Plan Personal Reflection 7.1 Facts finding Methods The fact finding method which the researcher will use is questionnaire and interview fact find methods. Questionnaires are objective and will reach too many respondents which will provide researcher with sufficient information for accurate analysis. On the other hand the interview method will allow the researcher to get deep understanding about the topic area. 7.2 Limitations Like every system have some limitation, in order to collect data and questionnaire from traveller during the development will be difficult and their participation is not possible so this matter can be overcome by using social networks and other web application to take questionnaire before or in the early stages of the system development

General Environment Facing Under Armour Marketing Essay

General Environment Facing Under Armour Marketing Essay Target in men, women and youth. (Under Armours diverse product line for men, women, and youth is complex, but the message is simple: wear HeatGear when its hot, ColdGear when its cold, and AllSeasonGear between the extremes.) Cultural differences. (Product transcends cultural differences and it is appealing to many athletes, regardless of nationality; Under Armour is puisuing a worldwide scope via regionalization.) Economic Increase economic condition by improving the sales balance and reducing the seasonal variability in sales, inventory efforts and distribution. Economic risk. (The degree of economic risk associated with the premium pricing and Under Armour is feeling the effects of the current declining retail consumer market that is affecting the broader economy.) Current economic downturn challenges Under Armour to compete against major rivals. Political/ Legal The company works with multiple licensees directly throughout the product development process to ensure that the products are aligned with its brand and quality expectations. Under Armour does not have a patent on any of the materials use in its products. Therefore, it needs to be cautious in its licensing agreements so companies do not steal its know-how and introduce their own versions. Under Armour signed a five- year partnership agreement in April 2009 with Cal Ripken, Jr. The intellectual property rights laws and regulations of countries in the global market vary dramatically. Sociocultural Under Armour missions is to enhance the experience for all athletes by applying passion, science, and the relentless pursuit of innovation to create clothing with temperature control, comfort, and flexibility. Under Armour has reached regular athletes, active outdoor enthusiasts, elite tactical professionals, and active lifestyle consumers. Planks shirt truly did regulate athletes body temperatures, lending to improved performance. Under Armour had five lines of clothing made for every climate. Footwear product line designed for high performance through a highly breathable and lightweight design. Global Under Armour is able to successfully penetrate the sports apparel market by using the image and influence of: domestic and international professional teams, collegiate teams, Olympians, and individuals. Under Armours products are sold worldwide, with the companys headquarters located in the United States and support offices in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China. Under Armour sells products in 13 countries, including in-house distribution in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Sales in other Western European and Asian countries are done through partnerships and third-party distributors. Under Armour do not have to contend with the challenges associated with establishing manufacturing plants in foreign countries. Technology Plank created a synthetic shirt made of high-tech material that had a snug fit designed to feel like a second skin. Products are offered through the company website. For the first ten years of its existence, the company was able to sustain operations by using off the shelf software programs. Under Armour invested in a new SAP system. This system is a key to the companys ability to add products to list of offerings, as it allows Under Armour to manage a more diverse inventory and to ship directly to distributors. Physical Environment When Plank was a football player he grew tired of having to change his damp, heavy t-shirt under his jersey, so he set out to create a unique product that would meet the needs of all athletes. Though the materials and technology used to create its products are not exclusive, by implementing an effective corporate strategy Under Armour has been able to fashion itself as a profitable business and remain a key player among competitors. Use Porters Five Forces Model to analyze the apparel, footwear, and equipment industry in the US. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? Porters Five Forces Model Medium threat to new entry Under Armour operates in a highly competitive industry where the dominant competitors have significant breadth of market coverage that is difficult to find an entry point. The main competitors have been advertising and establishing distribution channels, marketing agreements, and recognition for many years. High threats of substitute products Under Armours major competitors are Nike and Adidas with similar or competing product offerings. Under Armour does not have a patent on any of the materials used in its products. High intensity of rivalry among competitors There is stiff competition in the athletic apparel industry with companies of various sizes employing different strategies in order to attract consumers to their product and brand. The larger companies continuously increase competition by spending large amounts of money on product innovations, advertising, and sponsorship. High bargaining power of suppliers Under Armours customers is willing to pay the price for its products because their products have value in it. Some of it suppliers are commodities and thus are subject to price fluctuations; for example, petroleum-based materials are used in Under Armous products and the petroleum industry has experienced significant swings in price and relative availability in recent months and years. Under Armour relies heavily on suppliers and manufacturers outside of the United States. Seventy to 75 percent of the fabric used in its products comes from only six suppliers, lending to Under Armours weak position relative to its suppliers. Low bargaining power of buyers Under Armour has developed unique products that consumers value. The customer is willing to pay the price because the Under Armour product has value in it. Who are Under Armours main competitors? How do they measure up against these competitors? Classify the competition under the 3 Is framework immediate competition, impending competition, invisible competition. Competitor analysis Competitors Nike. Adidas combined with Reebok. Columbia Sportwear. SportHill. Immediate competition The immediate competitor is Nike. Nike is the leader in athletic shoes and captured half of the athletic shoe market. Footwear is new product line that was launched by Under Armour in fourth quarter of 2006. Under Armour is likely to introduce other athletic shoe like basketball shoe in future. It is a challenge of Under Armour to drive into athletic shoe market because Nike has already captured most of the market share in footwear. Another immediate competitor is Adidas. Adidas, who is the second largest athletic apparel manufacturer in the world after merging with Reebok. The apparel is major revenue of Under Armour. In year 2007, the apparel dominated 84% total sales of Under Armour. Reebok second largest manufactured in athletic apparel manufactured, so the merger between Adidas and Reebok become the immediate competitors for Under Armour. Impending competition The impending competitor of Under Armour is SportHill. SportHill utilizes the expertise of elite athletes to perfect its design and innovative new products. It is well known for quality, comfort and reliability. Their clothing can be found globally in most major retailer stores and can be purchased online. Therefore SportHill poses a threat to Under Armour. Invisible competition The invisible competitor of Under Armour is its suppliers. The intellectual property rights in technology, fabrics and processes used to manufacturer Under Armour products are generally owned by their suppliers and not unique to Under Armour. The lack of proprietary product rights, intellectual property rights in foreign countries, and a heavy reliance on relatively few third-party suppliers and manufacturers could adversely affect the long-term sustainability of the firm. Conduct a SWOT analysis to understand Under Armours strengths and weaknesses. Using the table below, conduct a SWOT analysis identifying the firms strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the table below. SWOT Analysis Strengths Employees work as one team. Plank manages his company with a unique team-driven style. Under Armour is one team and my job is to help ensure we operate and execute as one team. Strong leadership. Planks drive to keep trying even during difficult times when it seemed the company might never flourish is what made it possible. He knows every aspect of it because at one time he actually did the work himself. Under Armour sells products in 13 countries, including in-house distribution in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Under Armours accessories category is developed and managed directly by Under Armour. Under Armour possesses an efficient operations and distribution network. SAP system has the ability to add products to its list of offerings, as it allows Under Armour to manage a more diverse inventory and to ship directly to distributors. Weaknesses Low level diversification. 84% of its revenue comes from athletic apparel and gear. Highly dependent upon premium priced products that are closely related. Opportunities Utilizing broad-based, frequently free endorsements and well-received publicity, Under Armour has also reached regular athletes, active outdoor enthusiasts, elite tactical professionals, and active lifestyle consumers. Success was initially slow in coming, but once Plank made his first big sale to Georgia Tech University, Under Armour grew rapidly. During 2007, Under Armour increased its marketing initiatives by opening self-owned retail and outlet stores. By leveraging its licensing partners (JR286, Inc. and USG), Under Armour can provide a wider range of branded products to its customers. Under Armour signed a five-year partnership agreement in April 2009 with Cal Ripken, Jr., a retired professional baseball player, to be their official uniform representative. Under Armour feels this is a great opportunity because Ripken previously was partnered with Nike. Threats The main competitors have been advertising and establishing distribution channels, marketing agreements, and recognition for many years. There is stiff competition in the athletic apparel industry with companies of various sizes employing different strategies in order to attract consumers to their product and brand. The larger companies continuously increase competition by spending large amounts of money on product innovations, advertising, and sponsorship. Under Armour faces several issues and challenges. These challenges include the current economic downturn, competing against major rivals such as Nike and Adidas/Reebok, and maintaining a positive brand image despite setbacks, such as the recent recall of its mens protective athletic gear. The lack of proprietary product rights, intellectual property rights in foreign countries. A heavy reliance on relatively few third-party suppliers and manufacturers. Under Armour relies heavily on suppliers and manufacturers outside of the United States. 75% of the fabric used in its products comes from only six suppliers. Conduct a Value Chain analysis to identify value-creating activities. Value Chain Analysis Firm infrastructure The companys operations from Planks grandmothers basement moved out into a manufacturing warehouse in Maryland. Human resource management Having been part of a sports team, Plank manages his company with a unique team-driven style. Under Armour is one team and my job is to help ensure we operate and execute as one team. Many of his first employees were his college classmates and teammates. Most of them are still with Under Armour and play important roles in management. In order to facilitate its international expansion, Under Armour hired several new executives with experience in international business, most notably Peter Mahrer. Technology development At the end of Under Armour first year of operations, Under Armour had five lines of clothing made for every climate, and the companys operations were moved out of Planks grandmothers basement into a manufacturing warehouse in Maryland. After Under Armour went public in 2006, Under Armour invested in a new SAP system. This system is the key to the companys ability to add products to its list of offerings, as it allows Under Armour to manage a more diverse inventory and to ship directly to distributors. Procurement Under Armour relies heavily on suppliers and manufacturers outside of the United States. 75% of the fabric used in its products comes from only six suppliers. Inbound logistics For the first ten years of its existence, the company was able to sustain operations by using off the shelf software programs. Operations Under Armour licenses its brand name to independent manufacturers for other miscellaneous products such as bags, socks, headwear, eyewear and watches. The company works with multiple licenses directly throughout the product development process to ensure that the products are aligned with its brand and quality expectations. Outbound logistics After Under Armour went public in 2006, Under Armour invested in a new SAP system. This system is a key to the companys ability to add products to its list of offerings, as it allows Under Armour to manage a more diverse inventory and to ship directly to distributors. Products are offered through the company website and retailers, and the company stores in the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Marketing and sales Products are offered through the company website and retailers, and company stores in the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Service When customers would request products that Plank had not created, he would respond, Of course we make that! and then immediately go to work with suppliers and contractors to deliver on his promise. What is Under Armours business-level strategy? Is the strategy appropriate to offset the forces in the industry? Conduct an analysis of Under Armours business strategy by using the 4 Ps Framework. The 4 Ps Framework is used to understand a companys strategy based on its: Position (Mission, Values, and Vision) Priorities (what is important to the firm in the short and long terms) Payments (what it will spend its money on to reach those priorities) Performance (how it will measure success) Position The task at hand was to simply make a superior T-shirt and nothing more. Under Armours mission is to enhance the experience for all athletes by applying passion, science and the relentless pursuit of innovation to create clothing with temperature control, comfort and flexibility. Under Armours stated goal is to be a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance products. Ever since its inception in 1996, Under Armours leaders have strived to achieve the companys vision of becoming the worlds leading performance athletic apparel brand by employing a differentiation strategy through innovation. Priorities For short term, there appears to be a trend that sales are higher in the third and fourth quarters of each year, aligning with the football and basketball seasons and the traditional holiday gift-giving season in the United States. For long term, Under Armour has been able to quickly earn loyalty after a customer has had one or two good experiences with their purchase. Payments For short term, Under Armour has contemplated putting more emphasis on its baseball product line to improve the sales balance and reduce the seasonal variability in sales, inventory efforts and distribution. For long term, they have the technology in the fabric and the design and the features satisfy what the athlete needs. Their model is getting to the athletes-supplying them with great product that helps them perform better. Performance This is further evidenced by a 133 percent compound annual growth rate and an equally enormous increase in operating income from $5.7 million to $52.5 million between the years 2003 and 2007. As of 2007, Under Armour had $606 million in sales revenue, far surpassing its first years revenue in 1996 of $17 thousand. Do you recommend any changes to its strategy and/or foresee any challenges? Dependability on suppliers. Under Armour relies heavily on few third-party suppliers and manufacturers. Under Armour should try to find more suppliers for their fabric. Even if the price of fabric rises or suppliers stop supplying the company, Under Armour still has other suppliers to carry on its business. Strategies for competition. There is a stiff competition in the athletic apparel industry. Under Armour should do more advertising to bring awareness to people about the companys brand. This way, Under Armour could have more competitive advantages in the market. Lack of patents. Under Armour should apply for patents for its products innovations to prevent other competitors from duplicating its products.

The Conflict in the Balkans Essays -- War Violence Serbia Military Swi

The Conflict in the Balkans The conflict in the Balkans is interesting because for years, reporters and politicians have touted it as being the result of ancient ethnic hatred. The first phase of Yugoslavian disintegration can be attributed to the conditions of the people living in Kosovo, an autonomous province of Yugoslavia. In 1981, the socioeconomic conditions in Kosovo were far worse than those in the other republics of Yugoslavia. Poverty was rampant and unemployment was around twenty percent as compared to about two percent in Slovenia that same year. The standard of living in Kosovo was deplorable and whatever aid was given to the province by the federal government was mismanaged. Another significant problem with this particular province was that while the Serbs claimed the province as the â€Å"Cradle of Serbian Empire† because of a legendary battle and defeat that happened at Kosovo in 1389. The Albanians constituted approximately eighty percent of the population of Kosovo. In reality, Kosovo c ould be claimed more by the Albanian majority than by the Serb minority. Many of the valiant warriors who fought and died at the Battle of Kosovo were in fact Albanian warriors, a fact seldom acknowledged by the Serb leadership. The â€Å"Serb Empire† was not as grand and powerful as modern Serbia would contend. Relations between Albanians and Serbs were good in the Middle Ages. Under independent rule, the region was able to make available an Albanian curriculum and Albanian culture grew in importance. Economically, however, Kosovo was still suffering since whatever gains the economy made were outdone by the gains in population made by the Albanian Muslims. The power in Kosovo was vested in a small group of elite Albanians who did well at advancing national identity and improving education and other public works but who were poor at managing and maintaining a functional economy. Whenever federal funds were given to the province, those elites at the top either wasted the money on grandiose projects and ornate buildings or on their new and privileged lifestyles. In the late 1980’s, Slobodan Milosevic came to power in Serbia. His first actions were directed against Kosovo Albanian dominance in the province. He removed virtually all of the Albanian’s rights, their leadership role in government, their party, and their parliament. He further removed their control of ... ...t this help, something could be done against the police and army. The citizens could be taught to take a stand and protect themselves in a non-violent way. Having the knowledge that how you are living is not wrong and that the action by higher authority is not right, can make strength grow. The bottom line is that something needs to be done about the way citizens are treated in Albania. Maybe it isn’t the place for the USA to step in, but on the other hand we could help them. In the near future things need to change over there but it is going to be a feat to get through to them. Nothing is ever a guarantee but every try is worth it to the citizens. Works Cited CIA World Factbook 2000 Serbia and Montenegro 1999. http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sr.html Human Rights Watch. Yugoslav Military and Serbian Police Commit War Crimes in Kosovo 30 Jun. 1998. http://www.hrw.org/hrw/press98/june/kosov630.htm Malerba, Ainello D. â€Å"The Long Hard Road† The Washington Post July, 1995: 57-69 The U.S. Swiss Embassy Ustasha http://www.usis.usemb.se/nazigold/ustasha.html Visiglia, Michael A. Baltic Conflicts New York, New York: Workman, 1987

theme :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My reasoning’s for choosing the path that I choose were simple. My life has revolved around sports since I was 5. So what better of a business world to go in besides sports? I cant think of anything better. The major I choose was sports management. This is a field that I will excel at and succeed in life after my football career ends.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I was a little kid I always had a lot of energy running around outside non stop. So my mom thought I should do something with all that energy, so sports came to mind. My first sport was tee ball. I played short stop and wore number 8. I wanted to be just like Cal Ripken. I really enjoyed tee ball and was pretty good at it, but that wasn’t it. Next came football and that’s when I fell in love. Football turned my whole perspective of life around.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As soon as I would step foot on the football field it felt like I was in a different zone. I’m at a peace with my self when I’m playing football. I don’t hear anything I’m just in a zone doing what I love for fun. It got me to where I am today†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. college. If it wasn’t for football I don’t know what I would be doing right no or where I would be I’m just thankful that I am here. If I cant play football all my life I at least want to be around it or any sport for that matter. Football has been a guidance for me in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sports is such a good way for kids these days to get away from all their troubles and problems either at home or on the streets. It kept me on the right path for the most part or I wouldn’t be here right now. sports management is just like another guidance for me. Only this is for my career and future not to stay out of trouble or to just have fun, its more than that. I want to wake up every day and know I’m going to work to do something I love. The only thing I could think of is sports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That was my life’s run down leading up to the point where I decided what I wanted to do in and out of college. theme :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My reasoning’s for choosing the path that I choose were simple. My life has revolved around sports since I was 5. So what better of a business world to go in besides sports? I cant think of anything better. The major I choose was sports management. This is a field that I will excel at and succeed in life after my football career ends.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I was a little kid I always had a lot of energy running around outside non stop. So my mom thought I should do something with all that energy, so sports came to mind. My first sport was tee ball. I played short stop and wore number 8. I wanted to be just like Cal Ripken. I really enjoyed tee ball and was pretty good at it, but that wasn’t it. Next came football and that’s when I fell in love. Football turned my whole perspective of life around.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As soon as I would step foot on the football field it felt like I was in a different zone. I’m at a peace with my self when I’m playing football. I don’t hear anything I’m just in a zone doing what I love for fun. It got me to where I am today†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. college. If it wasn’t for football I don’t know what I would be doing right no or where I would be I’m just thankful that I am here. If I cant play football all my life I at least want to be around it or any sport for that matter. Football has been a guidance for me in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sports is such a good way for kids these days to get away from all their troubles and problems either at home or on the streets. It kept me on the right path for the most part or I wouldn’t be here right now. sports management is just like another guidance for me. Only this is for my career and future not to stay out of trouble or to just have fun, its more than that. I want to wake up every day and know I’m going to work to do something I love. The only thing I could think of is sports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That was my life’s run down leading up to the point where I decided what I wanted to do in and out of college.

Merciless Death in Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weathe

Merciless Death in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," Katherine Anne Porter gives readers a glimpse of the thoughts of a woman about to die.   Lying in her bed in her daughter Cornelia's house, eighty-year-old Granny Weatherall drifts in and out of consciousness.   Through her thoughts of events both current and bygone, it is learned that Granny has worked hard all her life, and frequently tells herself that she did a good job.   She thinks of events that made her stronger: digging holes for fence posts, "riding country roads in the winter when women had their babies" (311), taking care of sick animals and sick children.   Though Granny Weatherall tries to assure herself that her life has been rewarding, she is in fact unsatisfied in her last hours because of things left undone, being treated like a child in her old age, and loved ones she has lost.   When it becomes apparent to her that her time is running out, Granny realizes there are many things left undone that she meant to do.   Granny thinks of tomorrow, a time that is "far away" and ...

Consumer Buying Behaviour Essay

1.1 Introduction What do we mean if we are talking about consumer buying behaviour? There are several decision processes and acts of people (consumers) buying  and using products for themselves or their household. These processes might be very interesting for companies and their marketing managers. But what are the reasons why marketers should know about consumer buying behaviour? -Well, there are several reasons: At first it is important to know about the reaction of the buyer to the firm ´s marketing strategy because this has a great influence on the firm ´s success. Another thing is that the firm can create an almost perfect marketing mix to satisfy the customer. The third reason is that it ´s much easier for the marketers, if they know about the buying behaviours, to predict the reaction of consumers on marketing strategies. On the following pages I want to give a short overview about â€Å"Consumer Buying Behaviour† and â€Å"Organisational Markets and Buying Behaviour†. 1.2 Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour Consumers always want to create an assortment of products which satisfies their needs and wants in the present and also in the future. To realise this aim, the consumer has to make a lot of decisions. These purchasing decisions can be classified into three main categories of decisions: Routine Response Behaviour This behaviour happens when the consumer regularly buys cheap products that need very little search and also very little decision effort. In this case the consumer prefers a special brand but he also knows other brands of the same product class to have an alternative to buy if there is something wrong  with his favourite brand. Limited Decision Making This is the case if the consumer buys a product occasionally or if there is a new brand, he doesn ´t know about, in a familiar product category. For this type of decision-making, the consumer needs a moderate amount of time for gathering information and deliberation. Extensive Decision-Making This is the most complex decision-making behaviour. It happens when a purchase includes unfamiliar, expensive or infrequently bought products; for example cars, houses etc. The buyer uses a lot of time for evaluating alternative brands or choices and also for seeking information. A big contrast to the extensive decision-making processes that were mentioned earlier is the behaviour of the impulse buyers. These people do not plan conscious to buy, they have a persistant urge to buy something immediately if they like it. But often these people get in emotional conflicts, they often feel guilty because of their limited finances or something else. 1.3 The Consumer Buying Decision Process As I mentioned earlier, the decision process is a major part of buying behaviour. This decision process can be divided into five stages: Problem Recognition This occurs when the buyer notices that there is a difference between the desired state and the actual conditions. The consumer gets aware that he has to change something to get satisfied. For example, if somebody needs a car to get to work and one day the car stops working. In this situation the person recognises that there is a difference between the desired state (a working car) and the actual condition (a broken car). Information Search After recognising the problem, the buyer searches for information about a new product which can solve his problem and also is able to satisfy his need (this is only the case if the decision process continues). For example, the above-mentioned car owner, after recognising the need for a new car, he may search for information about different brands and types of cars. Here we distinguish two aspects to an information search: In the internal search, buyers check first if they have any information about the  needed product in their memory. If they cannot get enough information from their memory for a decision, they are looking for more information in an external search. In the external search the buyer may focus on communication with friends or relatives, to hear about their experiences with special brands. He also can obtain information from public sources like manufacturers, salespersons or product-test organisations. Evaluation of Alternatives To evaluate the products of which the buyer got information he is looking for criteria to compare the products. These criteria are for example characteristics or features that the buyer wants (or does not want). In the example of our car buyer these features could be if the car has an airbag, electrical window control or air-conditioning system. The buyer also thinks about how important each criterion is; because some features may carry more weight than others. This evaluation of the consumer can be influenced by the marketer by framing the alternatives – that means the manner how the marketer describes the product and its features. Purchase In this stage the consumer chooses the product or brand which he wants to buy. This selection is based on the result of the previous evaluation stage. There is also a set of criterions which must be taken into account: One of the most important criterions is the product availability which may influence which brand is purchased. If the favourite brand is not available at the moment the consumer may choose the brand that is ranked second. Other criterions that also could be important for the consumer are for example the price, delivery, guarantees, maintenance agreements, installation and credit arrangements. Post purchase evaluation After the purchase the buyer begins to check the product if the actual performance meets the expected level. In this stage many of the criteria used in the evaluating alternatives stage are used again. The result is either satisfaction or dissatisfaction. 1.4 Personal factors influencing the buying decision process The purchasing decision can be influenced by a lot of personal factors, which means factors that are unique to only one person. There are three categories of personal factors: Demographic factors Situational factors Level of involvement Demographic factors These factors are individual characteristics such as age, sex, race, ethnic origin, income, family life-cycle, and occupation. Demographic factors influence in which extent a person buys or uses products in a specific product category. For example consumers between 15 and 24 years often prefer to buy household basics because they have to establish their own household. Whereas people aged between 45 and 54 years often spend more money on luxury and leisure products; the reason for this is that these people have more money, because their children have left home. Situational factors Situational factors are the external conditions that exist when a consumer is making a purchase decision. Sometimes a consumer decides to buy something as a result of an unexpected situation. For example, a person may buy hurriedly buy a plane ticket to spend the last days with a dangerously ill relative. But it is also possible that a person terminates the buying decision process because of situational factors. For example, when the consumer decided to buy something and because of external circumstances he does not need it anymore. Level of involvement The level of involvement means the importance and intensity of interest in a product in a particular situation. The buyer ´s level of involvement determines if he or she is interested in seeking information about certain products or brands. Consumers seem to be more involved in the purchase of high-priced goods and of products that are visible to others, such as clothing, furniture, or cars. So the consumers are more interested to gain more information in this product categories. 1.5 Psychological factors influencing the buying decision process In addition to the personal factors there are also psychological factors that can influence the buying decisions. The five psychological influences on consumer behaviour are: Perception Perception is the process of selecting, organising and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning. These information inputs are received through sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch; that means with all of our five senses. Motives A motive is an internal feeling that forces a person to satisfy a need or to achieve a goal. If a person buys something this activity is affected by a set of motives; at this moment some of the motives in the set have priority, but the priority of the motives also can vary from one time to another. It is very important for the marketers to know about the motives of their customers; there is only the problem that most people do not know why they buy a particular product. The solution for this are special kinds of interviews in which the interviewer wants to gain, in an informal atmosphere, information about the consumer ´s motives. But this topic is very complicated, so I would not like to go into this more nearly Ability and knowledge Every person has got different abilities; one ability that is very important for marketers is the individual ´s capacity to learn. Because learning may change a person ´s buying behaviour by gaining new information and experience. For example; when a consumer buys a particular product and he likes it, he is more likely to buy the same product the next time. But if the consumer is not satisfied by the product he will switch to a different brand. Another aspect of an individual ´s ability is knowledge. Knowledge can be divided into two components: familiarity with the product and expertise; together this means the individual ´s ability to use the product. For example; if a consumer does not know about a special kind of product he will not buy it and if he knows about the product but does not know how to use it he also will not buy it. Attitude Attitude refers to knowledge and positive or negative feelings about an object or activity. These objects or acts may be touchable or untouchable, living or non-living. For example people have attitudes towards sex, religion, politics, and music (all untouchable); but also towards cars, football, or pizza. People learn these attitudes through experience and also through relations to other people. Likewise people have attitudes towards companies and their products, so the aim for the companies marketing-strategy should be to give the customer a good feeling about the company an her products. In other words, the company should try to influence the customer ´s attitude. Personality Every person is unique, because of internal traits and behaviours. Marketing managers suspect that there are communities between people ´s traits, and so they are searching for them to find relationships among these similar  characteristics and the buying behaviour. The aim is to find out which kind of consumer prefers which types of brands and products. With this knowledge marketers can try to aim advertising campaigns at general types of personalities. 1.6 Social factors influencing the buying decision process The last kind of factors that can influence the buying decision process are the social factors. The consumer can be influenced by a various number of social factors. The family plays a big role for buying decisions, because there are a lot of different interests. The male head of the household is likely involved in the purchase of products such as alcohol or tobacco. Although female roles have changed, also a lot of women are involved in taking buying decisions related to many household items. Another group that can influence the consumer are reference groups. A group becomes a reference group when a person identifies with it so much that he or she puts very great value on the opinions, habits, and behaviours of the group members. But this could be a very negative reference for an individual, because the values of the group do not have absolutely to be right. Another important factor is the social class in which the individual lives. In every society there are people who belong to higher or lower positions of respect. The different social classes are described as open, because it is possible for everyone can move into and out of them very easily. For grouping people into classes many factors need to be taken into account, such as occupation, education, income, wealth, race, ethnic group, and possessions. Though the number of factors chosen for the ranking can be very various; it depends on the person who is doing the ranking. Social class also determines to some extent the type, quality and quantity of products that a person buys or uses. For example people living in the upper-class prefer luxury automobiles such as BMW or Audi while people ranked in a lower class cannot afford such cars. The last one of the social factors that I want to mention is culture. Culture means everything in our surroundings that is made by human beings. It consists of tangible items, such as food, furniture, buildings, clothing etc, and intangible concepts, such as education, welfare, and laws. But culture also includes the values and different kinds of behaviours of a specific society. Culture influences buying behaviour because everything in our daily life is permeated by it. Culture determines our lifestyle, how we dress, what we eat, or where we travel. So it is another important factor for marketers to know. 1.7 Understanding consumer behaviour It is very important for marketers to understand consumer buying behaviour because that is the only possibility to offer greater satisfaction for the consumer. Although there remains a certain amount of consumer dissatisfaction. The reason for this is that some marketers still are not consumer oriented and do not regard customer satisfaction as a primary objective. Another problem is that the tools for analysing consumer behaviour are not very precise, so it is impossible for marketers to determine what is highly satisfying to buyers. Understanding consumer behaviour is a very important task for marketers. Even though the marketers were not able to gain al the knowledge they need, progress has been made during the last twenty years and is likely to continue in the next twenty. There will not only be refinements in research methods to gain more information, there will also be more pressure for the  companies because of an increasingly competitive business environment, and this will make such information essential for companies. 2 ORGANISATIONAL MARKETS AND BUYING BEHAVIOUR 2.1 Introduction In this chapter I would like to give a short overview about organisational markets and organisational buying decision processes. I want to explain the various kinds of organisational markets, the types of buyers that make up these markets, and much more. Look forward to a new, interesting topic. 2.2 Types of organisational markets The following section describes the four kinds of organisational markets, and the characteristics of the customers that make up these markets. Producer markets Persons and business organisations that buy products with the aim of making profit by using them to produce other products or by using them in their factories are classified as producer markets. These markets include buyers of raw-materials, as well as purchasers of semi-finished and finished items. Though the prerequisite for this is that the consumer uses these materials or items to create new products. A good example for this is a car manufacturer which buys steel and component parts to use directly in the production of cars. Reseller markets Reseller markets consist of intermediaries which means people that buy finished products to resell them with the aim of making profit; examples for  this are wholesalers and retailers. One thing that is important to know is that resellers do not change anything at the physical characteristics of the products they sell. There is only one exception, producers that sell their products directly to the consumer. This is the case when the company produces, for example, high-tech products, which need a lot of explanation and service for the customer. But in all other cases all the products sold to a consumer market are first sold to a reseller. In the normal case it is like this; the wholesaler who carries an immense number of products buys the products from the producer and sells them to the retailer. The retailer carries less products in stock than the wholesaler and sells these products to the final consumer. And the best thing is that every party makes profit (mostly). Government markets Government markets consist of national and local governments. Every year they spend a lot of money for many various products and services to support their internal operations and to provide the public with everything it needs, things like education, water, energy, infrastructure, national defence, etc. It is a little bit difficult for governments to spend the money in the right way because they are accountable for the public money they spend. This is also a problem for the companies which want to sell their products to the state because there is a relatively complex set of buying procedures which are linked with the accountability for the public money and it is understandable that most companies do not want to deal with so much red tape. However there are also marketers that have learned to deal with the complex buying procedures and do not find them to be a stumbling block. And they have good reasons for this because deals with governments can be very lucrative. Institutional markets Institutional markets do not seek to achieve business goals they try to achieve charitable, educational, community or other non-business goals.  Members of institutional markets can be organisations, such as churches, some hospitals, libraries, museums, universities, and charitable organisations. These institutions spend millions of dollars every year to provide goods, services, and ideas to their members. It is very difficult for marketers to sell their goods to the various kinds of institutions because of their different aims; so some marketers use special marketing activities to serve these markets. 2.3 Dimensions of organisational buying After we have looked at the different types of organisational markets I think we should also take a look on the dimensions of organisational buying. Characteristics of organisational transactions In comparison to consumer sales organisational transactions are different in several ways: Organisational buyers order much bigger quantities than individual consumers. That is one consequence linked to the behaviour of suppliers which prefer to sell their products in large quantities. This is the only way for them to make any profit. Another point is that organisational purchases are not negotiated as frequently as consumer sales. Some products that are purchased by organisations might be very expensive, such as machines, or office equipment, and they are used for a number of years. There are also products that are purchased frequently, such as raw materials, or component items, which are used continuously in production. But how I mentioned before the purchased quantities for these goods are much bigger. Also the purchase decisions are not as quick as they are for normal consumers. Because of the expensive products the purchasing decisions are often made by a committee which takes more time than only one individual  needs to take a decision. One thing that is unique to organisational sales is reciprocity. That is an arrangement between to organisations in which they agree to buy from each other. That seems to be very good for those both companies, but most reciprocal agreements threaten competition and that is why most of them are illegal. But nevertheless there are still some cases where such agreements take place. Attributes of organisational buyers If we think about organisational buyers we guess that their purchasing behaviour is different to the behaviour from consumer buyers because they are better informed about the products they want to purchase. However that is not quite right. Organisational buyers also have personal that can be influenced by some of the factors I mentioned earlier, such as psychological, or social factors. Employees are also only people. Primary concerns of organisational buyers Organisational customers are always concerned about buying the right stuff. So they take various factors into account before they make a purchasing decision: Most organisational customers want to offer to their target markets products of good quality. To achieve this aim companies often create a set of expressed characteristics, commonly called specifications. So the organisational buyer can determine if the quality of the different products corresponds to the necessary specifications. Another thing that is very important to organisational customers is service. The services that are provided by suppliers influence directly and indirectly the costs, sales, and profits of the organisational customer. If a marketer wants to have an advantage against his competitors which sell products that are similar to his products, he has to think about the perfect  mix of services that he can provide. I would just like to mention some services that may influence buying decisions: market information, inventory maintenance, on-time delivery, repair services, and credit. The most essential thing for the organisational customer is still the price. If the price is too high the operating costs will also be too high and at long last the product will be too expensive for the final consumer. But when purchasing for example a machine the buyer does not only look at the price, he compares the price with the profit he can gain with this machine, and also compares factors like product quality, and supplier services. Methods of organisational buying No organisational buyer will do his job in the same way like another but most of them use one or more of the following purchase methods: Description: Products are commonly standardised according to certain characteristics, such as shape, weight, size, and colour. With this standards an organisational buyer is able to purchase a product simply by describing quantity, shape etc. This purchase method is common for agricultural products. Inspection: This purchase method is common especially for large industrial equipment, used vehicles, and buildings. These goods have unique characteristics but may vary in their conditions. So the organisational buyer has to base his purchase decision on inspection. Sampling: In this case the buyer takes a sample of the desired product and starts out from the assumption that the sample is presentable for the parent population. Then he checks if the quality of the sample is acceptable. This method only makes sense if the tested product is homogeneous. Negotiation: The buyer describes exactly what kind of product he needs and asks sellers to submit their offer. The buyer may take the most attractive offers and negotiate with those suppliers to see from who he can get the  best conditions. These contracts only make sense for one-time projects. Types of organisational purchases The first type of organisational purchases is the new-task purchase, that means that an organisation makes a purchase of a product that is needed in a new job or to solve a new problem. So it is a product that never have been purchased before. A new-task purchase may require the creation of product specifications, vendor specifications etc. If a new-task purchase is changed the second or third time it is ordered, it turns into a modified re-buy purchase. That means the specifications of the new-task purchase have been changed, or have been modified. If a buyer purchases the same product regularly under approximately the same terms of sale we are talking about a straight re-buy purchase. Mostly this type is used with routine purchase decisions. Demand for industrial products The products sold to organisational customers are also called industrial products, and the demand for those products is called industrial demand. There are four different characteristics for industrial demand: Derived demand: Because organisational customers often buy products that are used directly or indirectly in production of goods that are sold to consumers to satisfy their needs, we can derive the demand for industrial products from the demand for consumer products. That is why it is called derived demand. For example the demand for computer CPUs derives from the consumer ´s demand for personal computers. Inelastic demand: In industry there are a lot of products for which the demand is inelastic. That means that a price increase or decrease will not alter the demand for this product. The reason for this is that a lot of products produced in industry contain a large number of components and so a  price increase or decrease of one of these products will not cause a serious higher or lower per-unit production cost. So the company is not forced to find an alternative product. But if there is a price increase for a component that represents a big part of the product ´s costs the demand may become more elastic because the price increase for the component will also cause an increasing price for the final consumer. Joint demand: Joint demand means when two ore more items are used in combination to produce a product. For example, a company that produces axes needs the same number of axe handles as it does axe blades; these two products are demanded jointly. Demand fluctuations: The demand for industrial products may fluctuate because it derives from consumer demand. A high consumer demand for a particular product may cause that producers buy large quantities of raw materials and components to ensure that they can produce the product for a longer time without any problems. They also may expand their production capacity which requires new machines, more workers, and also more raw materials and component parts. The opposite of this case is a decline in the demand for special consumer goods which causes a demand reduction for industrial products used to produce those goods. The consequence is that industrial customers buy less raw materials and components and stop buying new equipment and machines. There can be even a temporary standstill in the production for these goods. 2.4 Organisational buying decision The buying centre In industry few organisational purchasing decisions are made only by one person; in most cases they are made trough a buying centre. The buying centre consists of people within an organisation who are involved in making organisational purchasing decisions. The members of the buying centre are responsible for evaluating the product ´s performance, selecting suppliers,  negotiating the terms of purchase, and also for developing specifications. Stages of the organisational buying decision process Like consumers, organisations follow a buying decision process which you can see at the figure below. This process is almost similar to the decision process that was explained in sector 1.3 (The consumer buying decision process). Influences on organisational buying There are also some factors that may influence the decision process, they can be divided into four major categories: Environmental: These are factors like laws, regulations, economic conditions, competitive forces technological changes. Organisational: Objectives, purchasing policies, resources, buying centre structure Interpersonal: Cooperation, conflict, power relationships Individual: Age, education level, job status, personality, income 2.5 Concluding remark I hope you enjoyed my short overview about the topics â€Å"Consumer buying behaviour† and â€Å"Organisational markets and buying behaviour†; and I also hope that my explanations were understandable.