History, Preparation, Execution, Results, And Lessons...

Introduction In February 1941, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel received command of the recently created Afrika Korps. The unit deployed to Libya in order to support the Italian Army that had recently suffered setbacks against the British forces. For the next two years, Rommel’s forces fought across the North African desert against British forces led by Generals Archibald Wavell, Claude Auchinleck, and Bernard Montgomery. The culminating point for this campaign was the two battles of El Alamein, after which the Germans retreated to Tunisia and eventually surrendered. This case study will examine the history, preparation, execution, results, and lessons learned during the Battles of El Alamein and how that defeat helped lead to the overall Axis defeat in World War II (WWII). History The fighting on the African continent began before WWII. Italy, in the late 19th century, had colonies in Libya, Eritrea, and Somaliland (now Somalia). In 1935, Bunito Mussolini, the dictator of Italy, wanted to have an Italian East African Empire. To accomplish this, his Italian forces conquered Ethiopia by 1936, forming his empire consisting of Somaliland, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. The British, meanwhile, provided soldiers for the defense of the Suez Canal in Egypt in accordance with the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936. With Mussolini declaring war on England and France in June 1940, Britain found itself surrounded by Italian forces. Mussolini wanted to link the two sections of his

Under Armour free essay sample

Rapid change and innovation of technology, affects company by continuous improving product innovation, procurement and production process Political Legal factor Intellectual property rights law and regulation of the countries in global market very vary, affecting the company to consider their unprotected intellectual property issue. Use Porter’s Five Forces Model to analyze the apparel, footwear, and equipment industry in the US. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? Ans. First, The threat of the entry of new competitors (High) due to †¢Total U. S. performance apparel business is dominated by existing brand ex. Under Armour, Nike and Adidas. The loyalty for existing brand is quite high while there’s high initial investment required as well. For The bargaining power of suppliers (High) as company heavily rely on relative few third party suppliers. Moreover, the intellectual property right owns by suppliers, not unique to us. Therefore, the switching cost is very high. Under Armour was first conceived in 1996 by Kevin Plank, who at the time was the special teams captain for the University of Maryland football team. Plank, frustrated with having to repeatedly change his cotton shirt during practices, set out to create a shirt whose materials allowed the perspiration to dry quickly, causing the athlete to be quicker, faster, and stronger as a result of less burdensome water weight. He made it his mission to develop a shirt using synthetic materials that handled perspiration most efficiently than was previously expected. He developed a shirt that used said synthetic materials to handle perspiration and tested the prototype, aptly named 0039, with his own football team. After he graduated, Plank went to many different universities trying to find a buyer for his product. After some time, Plank found his big break when he managed to earn the football team of Georgia Technical University as a client. As the performance apparel market has grown, Under Armour has diversified their product offerings, developed different types of performance gear, and ventured into women’s apparel, footwear, and other merchandise. This case study seeks to analyze Under Armour’s history, resources, capabilities, and core competencies, business and corporate-level strategies, as well as the general environment and competitive landscape. After careful scrutiny of these varying areas, the factors contributing to Under Armour’s current success and future challenges will appear to be much clearer. Current Situation Currently, 3Under Armour employs roughly 5900 individuals and, in terms of revenue, they are the third largest provider of performance sports apparel in the world. They are currently only in direct competition with Nike and Adidas. In 2012, Under Armour had an estimated revenue of $1. 8 billion dollars, with expected net revenue in the range of $2. 84 billion to $2. 87 billion for 2014. This represents a growth of 22 percent to 23 percent over 2013. 4Under Armour has an estimated operating income of $85. 3 million. In recent years, shoes have been Under Armours fastest growing product line, 5growing at a rate of about 31 percent from 2011 to $239 million in sales in 2012. Under Armour has quickly gained a reputation of providing quality equipment and sports apparel, thus leading to the company to be the official sponsor of many sports teams and individuals, such as the Tottenham Hotspurs of the Barclay’s English Premier League. Under Armour is also quickly becoming well-known for its charitable contributions to the community. They currently support the fight against breast cancer, as well as being a big supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project (which helps troops wounded in combat return to normal living) and various youth outreach programs in the community. Industry Structure Being an emergent competitor within the oligopoly of the athletic apparel industry, Under Armour is forced to focus on quality and innovation so as to keep up with competition and customer demands. Other than Under Armour, the industry’s most prominent competitors are Nike and Adidas. In Figure 1 of the Appendix, a strategic group model illustrates Under Armour’s performance in comparison to the other leading competitors in the same industry. 7The size of each bubble is the amount of market share that that company holds. According to the map, Under Armour comes in at third place; it is apparent  that the firm needs to make some changes if they desire to remain a legitimate player in the long run. As shown in Figure 2 of the Appendix, a Porter Five Force Analysis makes it clear that the overall rivalry within the athletic apparel industry is medium to high. Because Nike and Adidas already have a substantial amount of capital resources and other assets, Under Armour struggles against them to gain market share. 8Also, private labels of retailers and newer sports apparel companies could potentially pose a threat to Under Armour, but mostly due to the fact that Under Armour does not hold any fabric or process patents. This makes it extremely easy for any competitor to duplicate a product or process with no consequence. However, the threat of new entrants is not too troublesome within the industry because of the great capital cost required for branding, advertising, and meeting product demand. Furthermore, the sports apparel industry is in the maturity phase of the industry life cycle. This means that each company included in the oligopoly must compete directly against one another for market share. And in order to avoid becoming a weaker firm and being forced to exit, Under Armour must constantly rejuvenate their product line with better quality and new innovations. Macro-Environmental Trends In an examination of Under Armour’s external environment, or macro-environmental trends, the company’s political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, ecological, and legal environmental trends were considered. Politically, Under Armour does not face many roadblocks. If anything, the firm’s domestic operations benefit from government subsidies for eco-friendly practices. Additionally, since this industry is not usually called upon during campaigns, corporate taxes remain stable (meaning unlikely to change) and political pressures all bear a minimum on Under Armour in both the long and short term. 9Looking at the United States GDP growth over the last four fiscal years, the economy has grown at an approximate 2. 4 percent. Although climbing, this number continues to fall short of the desired 3 to 4 percent growth. With interest rates low, and constant growth in the economy quarter after quarter, the economy is looking more promising for large companies such as Under Armour. This also bodes well for Under Armour since consumer confidence is on the rise and disposable income becomes more available given the rise in employment over the last year. Next, the socio-cultural environment was examined to see what the trends are arising around the world. Although Under Armour started as a company whose mission was to serve the best gear to athletes everywhere so that they could reach their peak potential, Under Armour has made a name for themselves in the accessories industry. Not only are people wearing Under Armour in athletic events, but in the classrooms, and even in the back woods. People of all demographics are purchasing products from the industry. Technology is a force that can either make or break a firm’s success in today’s business world. 10 With Under Armour, the company regularly upgraded its products as next-generation fabrics when better performance characteristics became available and as the needs of athletes changed. Since Under Armour’s development team remains current on technology, there is nothing that the technological environment could possess to threaten the company. Finally, ecological and legal environments were examined. In the US, environmental and labor laws require companies to maintain their carbon consumption at a regulated level and give tax credits to those companies that practice sustainable activities. Also, hiring and promotion laws require businesses to promote and hire new employees fairly. 11 Employee reviews have been mostly positive with regards to Under Armour’s human resource policies, yielding an above average approval rate. Strategic Typology Under Armour has a strategy that has positioned them to be one of the top five athletic wear and accessory companies in almost every category regarded. They have done so by playing the role of prospector (according to the Miles-Snow model). By being the first to market such materials in athletic wear and clothing, Under Armour provided a product that had never before been seen in the world of competitive and non-competitive sports. With other aspects of production such as accessories and later generations of apparel and gear, Under Armour has also played the role of analyzer. This means they tested the markets by using athletes to test their newer products to determine the needs of athletes – both professional and amateur – as well as youth athletes. Internal Analysis The strong internal structure of Under Armour starts with CEO Kevin Plank. Because Plank founded the company he has the passion, dedication, and motivation one needs in order to grow a company into a large international competitor. No one will have the same drive to make their company succeed more than one’s self. Although the company is several years behind Nike and Adidas, Under Armour has been growing steadily since its inception. 12Since 2004, Under Armour has increased its net income from 25. 38 million to 208.62 million in 2012 and is predicted to keep growing. Under Armour has roughly 11. 20 billion of apparel clothing market capitalization, which is dwarfed by Adidas’ (24. 90B) and Nike’s (66. 47B) cap. 2013 revenues show the same results with Under Armour at 2. 33 billion, Adidas with 18. 62 billion, and Nike with 26. 29 billion in revenue. Under Armour is doing better than the industry average at 763. 1 million. These statistics are common across the board; Under Armour out performs the industry average but fails to compete with Nike and Adidas in many financial aspects. Under Armour does lead the industry in gross margin with . 49, tied with Adidas. The Nike and Adidas popular brand names have allowed them to rule the sports apparel market over the last decade, however, Under Armour keeps growing year to year. With a higher margin and a great research and development program, Under Armour can continue to creep up on the industry leaders, becoming a power house of its own. Since day one, it has been an uphill battle trying to compete with the top sports apparel companies in the world, however, Plank surrounded himself with a strong supporting team. Kip Fulks, a former Maryland lacrosse player and schoolmate of Plank, was brought onto the Under Armour team to help promote his product to lacrosse players, as well as other athletes in the Maryland area. Ryan Wood, a high school acquaintance of Plank, was also made a partner of the company to help continue to grow the business even further. With two fellow athletes as his vice presidents, Plank not only had two partners he could trust, but also had two fellow sports enthusiasts who shared the same passion for improving athletes’ performance in all sports. This strong upper management would be the key to getting Under Armour off the ground and competing in the worldwide market of sports apparel. Plank and his companions created a product the public had ever seen before; a compression shirt using wicking performance fibers that kept athletes cool and light without the feeling of a sweat-soaked cotton t-shirt. 14This product proved valuable because it kept athletes cooler, but it also kept them from being slowed down by the added weight of accumulating sweat. However, Under Armour did not stop there. Further research allowed Under Armour to create footwear, pants, hats, headbands, and other accessories in order to keep athletes cool, as well as special clothing that could keep athletes warm in colder climates. Unfortunately, due to no patent protections, competitors such as Nike and Adidas began to replicate such products into their own brand. Since changing the company’s name in 2005, Under Armour has grown into a solid, well-known sports apparel brand. Having such a high quality brand has allowed for high brand equity and loyalty from customers, much like top competing brands. The company has grown from the east coast to nationwide, as well as some international markets. With only a few thousand employees, Under Armour believes in quality over quantity. They hire only the best employees and train them well to ensure top research and development, not to mention top class customer service. A solid research and development team has allowed for the innovation of new products to gain an advantage over their top competitors. Under Armour is known for its â€Å"after-sales† follow up and interaction, which has allowed for a strong brand loyalty throughout its customers. Although Under Armour has a great infrastructure, there is still much more they could do to grow. About 80 percent of revenue comes from performance apparel while just 20 percent comes from footwear, accessories and licensed revenue combined. Also, about 90 percent of the revenue comes from domestic sales; a majority of them coming from only two distributors: Dicks Sporting Goods, Inc.  and The Sports Authority. There is still great opportunity for Under Armour to grow by broadening their product line, as well as penetrating new emerging worldwide sporting markets. Upcoming events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup offer Under Armour a great opportunity to get their apparel, footwear, and accessories worn by top athletes in a global setting. However, they are going to have to work diligently in order to steadily compete with Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, and other sports apparel brands. Problem Statement As previously stated, Under Armour currently sits in the number two position in athletic clothing and apparel, bested only by Nike, the athletic clothing and shoe brand giant. 14Nike is the number one leading company in apparel, shoes (by nearly 30 times if you include Jordan and Converse brands by Nike) and even accessories. The reason for Nike’s long lasting, and most likely everlasting, success as number one is their brand name and its reputation as being the best. Specifically, Nike is not necessarily Under Armour’s biggest problem; rather it is the large number of competitors occupying similar – if not larger – market share in the industry. With players such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Mizuno, Reebok, and many others, it has become increasingly difficult for companies to generate enough momentum to tap the market share in a significant way. Of course there are ways to make Under Armour more successful through marketing, development, and product line expansion, however, the largest concern lies with the extent of the competition with already well-established branding. Currently, Under Armour has Cam Newton positioned as the face of their brand, with many other notable players solely being endorsed, however, the lack of multiple â€Å"MVP† caliber athletes as the face of the brand could also cause younger consumers to look elsewhere for apparel and athletic wear. Companies like Adidas – who endorse Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Robert Griffin III, as well as being an official sponsor of the NBA – and Nike – who has endorsed Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods and many more – already hold a slight advantage. Under Armour’s premium pricing for certain lines of apparel and clothing may affect sales in areas with lower average household incomes, causing certain consumers to shift towards the Adidas and Reebok aisles rather than Under Armour or Nike aisles. By capturing some of the smaller companies’ customers, Under Armour may have the ability to gain additional market share. Strategic Formulation While Under Armour maintains a strong market share compared to their competitors, there is still room to expand into untapped markets. Such markets would consist of expansion into international markets such as various major European Soccer leagues i.e. Barclays English Premier League, BBVA La Liga, and the German Bundesliga, as well as Latin American Baseball Leagues and European Rugby Leagues. By moving into these markets, Under Armour has the potential to take a larger share of apparel sales, not to mention securing long-term team sponsorships for professionally managed sports clubs. With the large number of professional leagues and individual players Under Armour can increase their overseas brand awareness and apparel sales. A second recommendation would be for Under Armour to use their overseas expansion to gain high profile endorsements for marketing purposes. This exposure to a greater presence across more platforms will allow for a more densely populated market in the household sector of sales. With sport platforms such as rugby, cricket, and soccer leagues still with alternative sponsorships, up and coming athletes are yearning for well-known corporate sponsors, and thusly Under Armour has the ability to gain market share through marketing campaigns. Another alternative strategy to increasing market share and sales would be for Under Armour to reinstate their original moniker, KP Sports, Inc. , as a low cost alternative to their Under Armour line of products. The product line of KP Sports, Inc. would include all previous Under Armour products sold at a reduced cost and marketed to lower income regions of the world. This would provide the opportunity for Under Armour to increase their sales without tarnishing their higher priced, higher quality brand name and image, while still providing quality equipment and apparel to regions of the world that would otherwise lack access to such products. A final recommendation for Under Armour would be to increase their retail presence through the use of more specialty store locations. With only a handful of existing Under Armour specialty stores, customers are being forced to shop at retail locations such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority. Such stores are over saturated with other top competitors such as Nike and Adidas. By increasing the number of specialty locations, Under Armour can offer their customers a wider selection of products, as well as offering them expert assistance in meeting their athletic apparel needs. Additionally, these locations could offer sales and discounts similar to those of factory outlet locations without the stigma of being a low quality alternative. After evaluating all of the potential alternatives the choice is clear that expanding to overseas markets is the best option to gain market share, increase sales, and build a stronger brand image. With approximately 98 percent of sales coming from North America, the expansion overseas would provide limitless opportunities for sales growth. Given the large amount of success since the company’s inception, Under Armour has the potential to become the largest athletic apparel provider in the world if they can gain a larger market share abroad. In order for Under Armour to implement these strategies the company needs to think on a larger scale. Plank has done a great job getting his company off the ground and into the top three performance apparel firms around the world, but if Under Armour wants to survive and continue to thrive, it needs to think beyond the norm and penetrate these new, emerging international sports markets. Plank has always strived to be the best so he has only hired the most competent workers for his company. Structurally, Plank should search for global partners that have connections in foreign markets. When marketing a product one must not only have to know the product well, but be familiar with the customs and norms of the market in which they are competing in. Incorporating foreign presidents and vice presidents into the company would allow Under Armour to get a solid hold on the Latin America, European, and even Asian, African or Australian markets. Under Armour should also focus on areas with extreme climate. Doing so would play to the advantage of their specialty performance wear for hot and cold weather. This may call for a rise in the number of people Under Armour chooses to employ. In order to reach new markets Under Armour must also reallocate its resources. This means looking for cheaper labor markets to manufacture goods, as well as setting up new distribution centers domestically and in foreign settings. Cheaper labor and shipping costs can lower the price allowing for Under Armour to compete with Nike in the price war. Also, licensing the cheaper KP Sports brand can allow for a lower, more cost efficient alternative that will not tarnish the Under Armour brand, which has been known for the highest of quality. In the United States, Under Armour needs to open up more outlet stores which exclusively sell Under Armour merchandise. Spreading out merchandise between other retailers such as Bass Pro Shop, Champs Sports, Foot Locker, and even Fanatics – an online sports apparel shop – will also help increase market share. Under Armour may want to stay away from generic stores such as Walmart and Target in order to reduce the chance of damaging brand name. Marketing is another key element to capturing market share and increasing sales. When it comes to commercials, billboards, and celebrity endorsements, Nike and Adidas lead heavily. Under Armour needs to get its name out to the public as much as Nike and Adidas in order to steal customers away, not to mention reaching up-and-coming teens who will be looking for gear to perform in when playing their desired sport. This also means targeting the biggest of star athletes on the rise. Not every endorsee will be a Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or Peyton Manning, but finding the next big breakthrough athlete may be what it takes to get young athletes to switch to Under Armour products.  On a financial level, Under Armour needs to keep funding a strong research and development team to continue to develop breakthrough products. Innovation will allow Under Armour to gain an advantage over Nike and Adidas, causing these companies to develop their own new products in order to continue to compete with Under Armour.

Two Factor Theory free essay sample

Two Factor Theory by Herzberg as its name suggested the theory indeed is divided into two parts. First part being the Hygiene factors or sometimes referred to as Maintenance. Extrinsic factors meaning they come from the environment of the task/job and the person carrying the task, and not from the person himself nor the task itself. By fulfilling these factors, workers have no dissatisfaction, vice versa the theory suggests that if these factors are in absent, workers will have dissatisfaction. Hygiene factors are basic requirements from workers, in which the organisation must provide and maintain in order to motivate and share good relationship with workers in the long run. Hygiene factors are indeed called extrinsic factors because they are factors such as salary, job environment; job security, companys policies and benefits, and so on. Simple explanations, ones salary should be at the same level of those having the same job in the same industry. We will write a custom essay sample on Two Factor Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The job should provide good environment making the person will secured, hence has no dissatisfaction. In the case where ones salary is too low, one is likely to be dissatisfied and then likely to be demotivated. Second part being the Motivational factors, whereby these factors are much more personal, derived from within the worker himself; and because of that, to Herzberg motivational factors unlike the hygiene factors are regarded as motivators and also referred to as intrinsic factors. Motivational factors are much more short term factors, job achievement, job recognition, job promotion are examples of such factors. As mentioned Herzberg recognised as motivators and therefore if a workplace has high level of these factors, workers are most likely to feel satisfied. Herzberg explained when a workers accomplishment get recognised for instance, it can lead to a higher level of esteem; sense of responsibilities can lead to sense of ownership in the organisation. Assuming when workers have higher level of esteem, workers are more satisfied, and when workers share a sense of ownership with the organisation, they feel more motivated. Two Factor theory even though is widely accepted and implemented, it does have its limitations. Many said that Herzbergs theory, which assume the correlation between satisfaction and productivity lacks research support, and disregards human nature that tends to blame external factors when things go wrong. The theory speaks off safety in workplace, ignoring the environment faced by certain industry such as the blue collar workers. There is a point that shall be emphasised while reviewing the two-factor theory; that is by eliminating dissatisfaction (providing the right amount of salary per se) does not result in higher level of satifaction. By eliminating dissatisfaction (providing a secured job) can only result in a peaceful workplace, and not unnecessary motivate workers to perform better. More importantly, an organisation cannot keep raising a workers pay whenever he feels dissatisfied, therefore Herzberg suggested to focus on the motivational factors by utilising each workers competencies. Victor Vrooms Expectancy theory is a process of psychological thoughts, where by it is believed that workers are motivated when they believe they have the ability to achieve the task if they put in good amount of effort, and by achieving, as a return they will earn rewards which in their view worth their effort, and that the reward is something they desire enough to make an effort. Vroom concluded the workers performance is based on knowledge, experience, skill and personality, therefore each individual is different, and that they may share different objectives. Vroom specified three variables required for expectancy theory. The first one is Expectancy, in general workers have to believe that they are able to accomplish the given task for them to start feeling motivated. The second variable is Instrumentality, this stresses the fact that receiving a reward when the task is accomplished, must be ensured, if workers have doubt whether or not they will receive a reward, there is high chances they feel demotivated. Lastly Valence, it referred to the value workers hold towards the reward. Be it money, promotion or just a sense of recognition, different workers may value different rewards, therefore the management must find out what his workers value. Vroom concluded that individuals usually go for the option that has the most motivation forces (MF). And that motivation force is the product of the three variables being mentioned. Therefore MF = Expectancy x Instrumentality x Valence; noticing the formula, none of the variable can have the value of zero, or the whole process will be zero, meaning absolutely no motivational force.

Demeter and Persephone Essays

Demeter and Persephone Essays Demeter and Persephone Paper Demeter and Persephone Paper Have you ever wandered how our seasons came about? It all has to do with the two major goddesses, Demeter, who is the goddess of the grain and harvest, and Persephone, the goddess of spring also queen of the underworld. Demeter is the daughter of Cronus and the titaness Rhea. Persephone who happens to be the daughter of Demeter, is also the daughter of the almighty Zeus. Demeter and Persephone have many powers. They both have the conventional powers of the Olympian gods including super human strength vitality, longevity, and resistance to injury. In addition to that they each possess other powers. Persephone can cross dimensions, cure the sick, and influence the growth and prosperity of flowering plants . Demeter can alter her appearance and it is said that her emotions are in tune to the harvest. The harvest is bountiful when she is happy and drought occurs when she is sad. Persephone grew up on Mount Olympus and her laughter spread throughout the halls. Demeter and Persephone were very close, so close in fact that Demeter could not bear to let Persephone out of her sight. When Demeter sat on her throne, Persephone was always on her lap and when she went down to Earth to look after her trees and fields, she always took Persephone. Wherever Persephone would dance on her feet in the fields, flowers sprang up. She was so lovely that even Hades, who noticed little, saw her and fell in love with her. He wanted her for his queen but he knew Demeter would never let Persephone go, so he went to Zeus and together they created a plan. A few days later, Persephone was running about in a meadow, she strayed from her mother with the daughters of Oceanus, gathering flowers, she came upon what seemed to be the most beautiful flower she had ever set eyes on, amazed she reached out with both hands but suddenly the earth opened and Hades arose out upon her in his dark chariot drawn by black horses. He seized the frightened girl, turned his horses, and dove back into the ground. Persephone was very sad for she still hoped to see her dear mother and the tribes of the eternal gods, so long hope calmed her great heart for all her trouble nd the heights of the mountains and the depths of the sea rang with her immortal voice: and her queenly mother heard her yet Persephones cries for help died out as the ground closed just as suddenly as it had opened. Bitter pain claimed Demeters heart, she rushed wildly about in the meadow searching for her daughter who had vanished without a trace. Demeter sped like a wild-bird over the firm land and yielding sea, seeking her child. For nine days, Demeter, wandered over the Earth, so grieved that she neither ate nor drank anything. She didnt even sprinkle a single drop of water on her body. When the tenth day had came, Hecate, came to tell her the news. Demeter, now knowing that her brother Hades had kidnapped her daughter was no longer sad but filled with anger. She cursed the Earth that had swallowed her daughter. Forests, gardens, and farm land all turned lifeless People began to starve, the gods begged her to restore the Earth to fertility but she would not promise anything until she had her daughter back. Zeus could not let the Earth go to waste so he sent Hermes with a message to Hades. Dark-haired Hades, ruler over the departed, father Zeus bids me bring noble Persephone forth from Erebus unto the gods, that her mother ay see her with her eyes and cease from her dread anger with the immortals; for now she plans an awful deed, to destroy the tribes of earthborn men by keeping seed hidden beneath the earth, and so she makes an end of the honors of the undying gods. For she keeps fearful anger and does not consort with the gods, but sits aloof in her fragrant temple , dwelling in the rocky hold of Eleusis. Even Hades had to obey the orders of Zeus, and sadly he bid farewell to his queen but not before giving her three pomegranate seeds to eat. The fates have ruled that Persephone can be free now as long as she ate nothing while in the underworld. These three seeds are enough to invoke this ruling which even Zeus is powerless to change so a compromise has to be made. Therefore, Zeus commands that Persephone must spend one third of every year living in the underworld with Hades and two thirds above ground with Demeter. In the underworld, Persephone became the wife of Hades and Queen of the underworld. It is said that Persephone came to love the cold blooded king but Demeter, however was consumed with rage and sorrow. These two goddesses should forever be remembered because they created our seasons and are an important part of our history.

Discussion Board - Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board - Ethics - Essay Example Using a quotation partially is a very widely spread and officially allowed technique in scientific writing, however, I am aware of the fact that like this, its author’s position might be distorted (either voluntarily or non-voluntarily, as people often tend to â€Å"interpret† opinions of others and see what they want to see). In other words, a part of quotation that is taken out of the context, can serve to support virtually any statement or idea. That is why I choose, while writing my papers, to keep in mind the norms and guidelines of scientific ethics, which presupposes that I should only use quotations when I am 100% sure that it truly reflects the idea of its author. Dilemma 2. One more issue of ethical character that I want to talk about is something that I never participated in personally but seen it in a family of my close friend – and considered it quite a complicated dilemma. The problem is the one of putting elderly people into nursing homes. To my strong belief, elderly people most of all need care and love, their family that can provide them with the feeling of security, safety, stability, and being needed. On the other hand, many aged people who are practically helpless sometimes refuse to move in with their children or grandchildren. As a result, many families with elderly relatives often find themselves in a sort of â€Å"vicious circle†: they know that their old ones need help, but cannot give this help because, say, their parents or grandparents do not want to move in with them, and the kids cannot devote enough of their time to the aged people. In this situation, many families prefer to turn to nursery homes that very often provide even better conditions than many people have at home. Elderly people are given full medical care there, they are free from any household duties and have plenty of opportunities to spend their time with people of their own

5 Understand the application of theories and models of reflection and Essay

5 Understand the application of theories and models of reflection and evaluation to reviewing the students own practice. 1 Be able to investigate practice in your own area of specialism - Essay Example He argued the model of professional training which he termed â€Å"technical rationality† of charging students with knowledge in training schools so that they discharge them in the world of training. The cultivation of the capacity to reflect â€Å"in action† (while doing something) and â€Å"on action† (after you have done it) has become an important feature in professional training programmes. Its encouragement is seen as a particular important aspect of the role of the mentor of the beginning profession. It can be argued that â€Å"real† reflective needs a mentor to guide and ensure the reflection is in line rather than bogged down in self-justification or pity. He suggested that the four lenses offered tools and practices to support good teaching. The faculty to ask the teachers to engage at least one of the lenses from the students and document the progress they see in the students. Teachers’ wishing for excellence may engage more deeply using different lenses that fit the student. The four lenses are; c) Student Lens: engaging with student views of the learning environment can lead to more responsive teaching. Evaluations, assessments, groups focus, can each provide cues to improve teaching and learning d) Literature Lens: Teaching theories provides the vocabulary for teaching practice, and offers different ways to views and understand your teaching. Here you will find ways to utilize scholarly literature in your teaching and critical reflection David A. Kolb was highly influenced by earlier research conducted by John Dewey and Jean Piaget. Kolb’s reflective model shows the idea of experimental learning and is centered on the changing of information into knowledge. This takes place after a situation has occurred, and involves a practitioner reflecting on the experience, gaining a general understanding of the concepts encountered during the experience, and then testing these general understanding

Key Messages To Communicate With Targeted Segment Marketing Essay

Key Messages To Communicate With Targeted Segment Marketing Essay Introduction: In the modern society, fashion had always been considered as an important aspect in daily life. According to the Fashion arts (2010), there is an increasing in number of intensive competition between fashion retailers for their shares of the consumer market. In another word, it is a battle to gain the customers attention and the customers loyalty. Therefore, I am now writing this report in order to support our companys strategy to promote our new range of clothes. This report will provide a draft communication plan with a logo and a strapline along with recommendations for our KMstyle store in order to enhance our brand, communicate with public. What is a communication plan? Communication plan is a document written in order to accomplish our association communications. It will help to define the audiences needed to communicate with, show the way to accomplish our objectives, which method or tools can be used and how you will evaluate the results of the program. Communication consist of writing, oral, electronic interact with certain type of audiences. A communication plan usually aiming for what is our main objective, goal, who is the audience needed to be approached, key messages, tactic, how we can contact them, in which method, using which tools, where to get the information (Robin Mayhall) Overview and define our main objective KMstyle is one of the fashion leading retailers over 20 years in the fashion industry. The company operates a supply chain network with over 100 stores in the UK and continuous expanding. Kmstyle provides an extensive range of womans fashion products include clothing, accessories. We are now launching a new range of trendy fashion clothes designed by top supermodel Kate Moss. Our goal is to create and maintain a favourable public image by communication to the general public, attract new customers, promote our brand and stay up to date compete with other retailers. Define our target audience It is vital to identify who our target audience are; they are critically influence on the communicators decision about what to say, how, when, where and to whom. Kmstyle new launching products are focusing on young and trendy segment. Question such as: Is the target new to the category or a current used? Is the target loyal to the brand? Target is loyal to competitor or someone who switches between brands? If a brand user, is he or she a frequently shopper or notshould be considered as the answer will effect communication strategy (Kotler P, Brady M, Goodman M Hansen T 2009, p 696). All we need is information which can be obtained internally from our staffs, marketing department, HR department ect as well as externally from customers and even from our competitors. Key messages to communicate with targeted segment This is where we need to question ourselves: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY AND HOW of communications: WHO will introduce the new range of clothes, brand or event? WHAT is our company new offering? What are those new features or benefits? WHEN these offering will be available? When the promotion will be launched? WHERE will the events, promotion, offer will take place? WHY should the targeted audience be interested in our range of products? HOW can our audience get more information on the offering/promotion/products? These messages should be cleared, written in language that the target audiences can understand and relate to. (Fine ArtsFund) Identify communication methods This is one of the most important steps in a communication plan as how KMstyle plans to communicate with the segmented audiences? Which key messages should be used each time we communicate? And how we can make sure our audiences receive the information, hence we can draw out new ways to reach them (Fine ArtsFund) Failure in communication will cause negative effects to our companys image in the future, therefore choosing the correct method, using appropriate mediums, deliver the right messages at the right time are essential. Communication mix Media Most conventional communication tool is advertising. The main purpose of advertising is introducing and reminding the public about our companys existent in another word creating brand awareness. Advertising KMstyles aim is to inform, persuade the public, remind and reinforce information about the brand. It is a non-personal sale presentation which influences a large number of audiences (Kotler P, Brady M, Goodman M Hansen T 2009, p 72). Advertising can be general classified as newspaper, magazines, radio, television, internet, websites email, direct mail, outdoor ads, transportation ads, email and phone call which are various methods to connect people (Jeff Madura 2007, p529) Advertising advantages are: Make good impression on the reader by suggesting a professional approach which improves the changes of its message being accepted The content or information is easier to understand Add impact and interest Messages will be delivered to a large number of audiences Exposure is unlimited to your ad as people can come back to see the ad anytime. Newspaper and magazines are low cost budget, they are distributed nationwide and more focused Radio has its advantage as it talk to the audience even thought it lacks of visual effect. Television ads become more common nowadays, research had shown approximately more than 40 million women are watching the annual Academy Awards, many fashion firms and lipstick focus may their ads on this program however advertise on a popular show will be very expensive for example a one minute ad during the Super Bowl cost more than $3 million (Jeff Madura 2007, p531). Choosing internet as a communication medium is a must. It is necessary to have a proper website designed which includes all the information about the new range of clothes, together with promotions, vouchers Direct mail advertising: is also used by sending catalogs directly to homes, for example the cosmetic firms Avon advertised their products by direct mail method. Outdoor ads: are shown on billboards and signs can also be considered as they attract customers attention quickly. Transportation ads: print advertisements such as poster, leaflets, slogan, logo are often displayed on busses, cabs, taxi as they have a strong visual effect and easily recognized at one glance (Jeff Madura 2007, p533) Product placement: is where the product is advertised through the star, movie, show as the majority of public are getting tired of normal advertisement. Product placement become the latest trend and widely used as they are quite costly to launch but mostly bring out an effective results. For example: by showing many of the clothes on the hit show Gossip Girl had made a massive impact on young designer and Project Runway alumna Alexandra Vidal, as fans often eager to own and to wear the same clothes as their favourite star (Trend Hunters) Conduct survey, questionnaires: enable public to acknowledge our brand also we will be able to get their email and contact information once they register through our websites. After that, we can send out information about our brand, sending out news, survey, and questionnaire through internet. Sending out survey is an easy way to find out what people need and want, whether they satisfy with our service, this method is commonly used in every organisation nowadays. Its characteristics are : Useful in describing the characteristics of a large population which none other method has this capability. Can be controlled and dealing remotely through email, telephone, mail which show the results in statistical way. With a high flexibility, many question can be asked in a survey, to complete usually need 5 30 minutes. Had a high reliable rate, easy to obtain and low cost. Survey can be shortening to questionnaire form, which can be used on focus group, face to face interview. However the percentage of replying results is relatively lower than the other method also they were designed under a general questions, possibly missing what is most information needed to get (CSU) Personal selling involves individual sale-person conducts: personal selling Face to face, one on one basis which sale-person got paid by commission. This method can be alternative such an interview face to face with customer to get more information from them or Focus group: invite 3- 10 customers to form a group with prepared questions about KMstyles fashion product range in order to retrieve specific information such as: thoughts, feeling, attitudes or ideas about the company from customers. Sale promoting: produce a high sales response in the short run (Kotler P, Brady M, Goodman M Hansen T, 2009) Coupon: are attached in newspaper, magazines and ads to encourage the purchase for a product consequence increase customers loyalty to the brand Vouchers: discount 10-50% off or buy 3 for 2 prices Premiums: giving out gifts or prize for customer who purchase over  £100 for example. This method gives an extra incentive to purchase products. (Jeff Madura 2007, p533) Public relations: create and maintain a favourable public image is crucial. It has a big impact on KMstyles reputation. Special events: some firm sponsor a special event such as car racing, sports, and football for example: Nike promoting their brand logo printed on runner shirt or shoes. On the other hand, in fashion industry event such as fashion shows week enable the viewing of fashion latest style, this is a place called social gathering and get interact with other brands as well as reporters, media. News releases: a brief announcement of a firm in written form provide to the media with headlines which enables the firm to update the public about its products or operations, also to clarify false rumours that could adversely affect the firms reputation. Press conference is similar to the new release but instead of written from it is an oral announcement. It is more specify and more personal as news are released directly to the media. (Jeff Madura 2007, p533-543) Recommendation key to success General speaking, to be effective, communication to the audience has to Be targeted carefully to suit each section Must be an on-going, consistent and frequent process. The information available must be reliable and up-to-date, in order to multi level and promotional to draw attention toward our company (WARP, 2004). KMstyles webpage should have easy contents yet professional layout. Information that is published on the site should be cleared for the audience by using email hyperlinks, newsletters and other media. There should be links to customer service, clothes range with pictures and prices, size guide, info personal shopping is highly recommended as many people do their shopping online or some orders are global. Below is an illustration of a fashion retailer website names RiverIsland:Untitled Creating blogs, groups, registering with some popular websites such www.facebook.com, www.twitter.com, yahoo, MSN where a large amount our target audience are connected. Create a link to our main KMstyles website to get the public subscribed. Recommend fashion popular fashion websites with large community networks: fashionising.com, stylehive.com, keboodle.com, thisnext.com, stylefeeder.com, shareyourlook.com consist of difference styles and fashions which will help KMstyle improve and gather information (Chris Odel) Through internet, we can get customers email which will help us to contact them, sending them information, surveys about our new range, new promotions or vouchers and collect their information. Conducting survey I recommend the website: https://www.questionpro.com , it will help to design survey questions for free. Once you register for an account, you will be able to access to the website, from creating every single question to a complete a professional survey and sending it to emails directly from your account. Below is a demonstration of a survey created from questionpro website: dd Meeting up with a marketing officer or hr, accounting department or even any staff who work for KMstyle in order to collect more information about our customers, also statically know about KMstyle range of products. For example: booking an appointment with Mr X a sale manager operation, he has the recording of stock room, he will eventually be able to give out the figure of which products are best selling and which are not ect(River Island) Advertising is highly recommended as a key of branding awareness, KMstyle advantages are having our products designed by top supermodel KateMoss. It will be effective and efficient to use her image to boost up KMstyle using fashion product placement method. According to Tungate Mark When a celebrity wears something, it has direct impact on sales, April Glasssborow, senior buyer for international designer collections at Harvery Nichols recalled when Victoria Beckham was photographed in a green satin Chloe dress by the Sunday Times Style section, it created a demand. Focus on advertising on fashion magazines type such as : Cosmos, Glamour, Vougue, Elle Recruiting sale staff for improving personal selling, staff will approach customers with questionnaires given and leaflet to handout over public A few samples of question can be: Do you like shopping? How often do you shop? Which brand is your favourite? What style of clothes do you consider best suit you? What do you think about our KMstyle Brand? What type of clothes you usually shop in KMstyle? Have you ever shop form our online store? Did you receive offers or discount from us? In the consequence we will be able to collect more data from these answers. Developing poster upon Kate Mosss style or poster display in front of the store. For example : FashionShowLogoNewLowRes.gif katemoss1.jpg New range of products Feel of the temptation km_logo.jpg Image source: http://magsandfashion.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/katemoss1.jpg http://www.berninausablog.com/files/FashionShowLogoNewLowRes.gif http://www.katemarston.co.uk/images/km_logo.jpg Additionally, billboard with high quality of printing which visible through the day can be placed on Piccadilly Circus or airport Press conferences or new releases rely on Kate Mosss image. Recommended on: the Times, the Guardian, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph An example of successful promotion: Victorias Secret relies on models to do promotional tours in which they promote Victoria Secret products (Jeff Madura, 2007) Launch or attend the fashion shows e.g. the London Fashion week to boost up KMstyles image and create positive public relation. Here are some keys step needed to be consider before running a fashion shows: Decide the purpose of the fashion show make a list of what are our objective for the shows put up fliers, ads, poster, leaflet in order to spread news about the shows book a location in advance with an estimate amount of audiences Have meetings with models: Kate Moss advertise the show dont be too stress and have fun, enjoy the show! (Kate Russell) Below is a sample of an advertisement on fashion show Image Source: http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs24/f/2007/355/0/7/Fashion_Show_Poster_by_lightskinnnn38.jpg Fashion_Show_Poster_by_lightskinnnn38.jpg Main keys to success: Draw out a timetable and bulletin all the key points: date and time, things to do, meeting need to attend, person need to contact, how frequent, and staff involved Enable customers to access and contact our organisation, looking out for feedback in an effective way Keep contact, stay on track and inform customer about information from our company also connect with internal departments. Efficiently using communication method to promote our company range of product and improve our appearance Considering having or attending press conference, fashion shows keeping data up-to-date, renewing our material in order to attract more customers. Recruiting more staff specialise in marketing area and sale staff. Conclusion: In the fashion industry, it is vital to understand how communication is the key of information and taking a consideration to be able to communicate is necessary. Generally speaking, this report overall present a draft communication plan along with my communication support recommendations in order to help KMstyle promote the new range of clothes to the targeted segment. Together with the disadvantages, advantages of each methods and how to ensure a success results in communication process.. If there is any further enquiry regarding these; please do not hesitate to contact me via my email. (2687 words) References and sources Books: Kotler. P. Brady, M. Goodman, M Hansen, T (2009). Marketing Management, Pearson Education Limited, England, Essex, chapter 19, designing and managing marketing communications, p 696 Kotler. P. Brady, M. Goodman, M Hansen, T (2009). Marketing Management, Pearson Education Limited, England, Essex, chapter 20, managing mass and personal communications, p 722 Madura, J (2007), Introduction to business, 4edn, Thomson south western, advertising, p529. Madura, J (2007), Introduction to business, 4edn, Thomson south western, advertising, p531. Madura, J (2007), Introduction to business, 4edn, Thomson south western, advertising, p533-543. Electronic/online source: University of arts (2010), Introduction to fashion retailing, [Online]. Available from: http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/shortcourses/shortcourses_Introduction_to_fashion_retailing.htm [Accessed 05 Feb 2010] Robin Mayhall, How to develop a communication plan, key messages, [Online]. Available from: http://www.hieran.com/comet/howto.html [Accessed 05 Feb 2010] Robin Mayhall, How to develop a communication plan, tactics, [Online]. Available from: http://www.hieran.com/comet/howto.html [Accessed 05 Feb 2010] Fine ArtsFund, Creating a communication plan, Online]. Available from: http://www.artsincubator.org/marketing/communication-plan [Accessed 09 Feb 2010] River Island, [Online]. Available from: http://xml.riverisland.com/flash/content.php [Accessed 09 Feb 2010] River Island [Online]. Available from: http://isw.changeworknow.co.uk/riverisland/vms/managers/positions/RI-7Y6FJL01 [Accessed 09 Feb 2010] Tungate, M, 2008. Fashion Brands : Branding Style from Armani to Zara [Online].2nd Edition. Kogan Page, Limited. Chapter 4. The designer as brand, p280. Available from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/westminsterintl/docDetail.action?docID=10250421p00=communication+plan+fashion+promoting [Accessed 12 Feb 2010] CUS, Writing guide research, advantages and disadvantages of the survey method, [Online]. Available from: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/survey/com2d1.cfm [Accessed 09 Feb 2010] Trend hunters, Fashion Product Placement Gossip Girl Boosts Alexandra Vidal, [Online]. Available from: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gossip-girl-alexandra-vidal-fashion [Accessed 10 Feb 2010] WARP (2004), Example of WARP communication plan V1.1, 3.2 Audience, [Online]. Available from http://www.warp.gov.uk/Marketing/CommPlanV1.1.pdf [Accessed 10 Feb 2010] Chris Odel, ezinearticals, Promote Your Own Clothing Brand Top Fashion Networking Sites [Online]. Available from http://ezinearticles.com/?Promote-Your-Own-Clothing-BrandTop-Fashion-Networking-Sitesid=1102112 [Accessed 10 Feb 2010] QuestionPro, Fashion attitudes, [Online]. Available from: http://www.questionpro.com/akira/showSurveyLibrary.do?surveyID=148mode=1 [Accessed 10 Feb 2010] Kate Russell, How to start a fashion show, [Online]. Available from: http://www.ehow.com/how_4443476_start-fashion-show.html [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]