A Sound of Thunder Paragraph Essay

The consequences of time travel cannot be matched in terms of unpredictability because any tiny alterations to the distant past can change the outcome of the ensuing events of the future. In the futuristic tale, â€Å"A Sound of Thunder,† by Ray Bradbury, the standard way of life in the present time is subtly altered when an ambitious hunter named Eckels travels back in time to hunt a prehistoric animal. When Eckels is confronted by the frightening Tyrannosaurus rex, he panics and ignores the rules of the guide, falling off the established path. In the heat of the moment, he accidentally steps on a butterfly causing a chain reaction that creates various realignments of society in the contemporary era. Firstly, the essence of society is transformed from good to evil. Before departure, the man behind the desk was against the beliefs of Deutscher and was supportive of Keith. On his return, Eckels notices a slight difference in the demeanor of the man behind the desk; he is now firmly supportive of Deutscher and considers Keith a weakling. He laughs and says, â€Å"You joking? You know very well. Deutscher, of course! Who else? Not that fool weakling Keith. We got an iron man now, a man with guts!† This quote infers that society has drastically changed from the time Eckels departed for the safari to his return on the following day. Second of all, Lesperance does a reconnaissance to select certain targets for the hunters, his mandate being to identify animals that were going to die on the particular day of the hunt anyways. â€Å"I track them through their entire existence, noting which of them lives longest†¦ When I find one that’s going to die when a tree falls on him, or one that drowns in a tar pit, I note the exact hour, minute, and second. I shoot a paint bomb†¦ This way, we kill only animals with no future, that are never going to mate again.† This illustrates how conscientious the company is about the effects of time travel and altering the history of the world. Finally, on Eckels return, his senses detect subtle changes in the atmosphere and his surroundings. Most of all, his eyes see the change in the English language. The sign above the desk was in a phonetic form, and he immediately realizes the intellect of the human race had deteriorated. â€Å"But the immediate thing was the sign painted on the office wall, the same sign he had read earlier today on first entering. Somehow, the sign had changed.† This shows that the slightest, simple, accidental modification of history can have apocalyptic consequences for modern civilization. In conclusion, Eckels’ meandering in the forest 60 million years ago, creates a society with less righteousness, responsibility, and human intellect.

Menigitis research paper Essay

Meningitis is a bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. A family who lived in Geneva, Switzerland was first diagnosed with the disease in 1805. It was not until 1866, that the disease traveled its way into the United States. Professor Anton Weichselbaum discovered the cause of cerebro-spinal meningitis illness in 1887. There are five types of meningitis: bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, parasitic meningitis, fungal meningitis, and non-infectious meningitis. Bacterial meningitis and Viral meningitis are the two most common and serious types of meningitis. Bacteria meningitis is caused by bacteria. There are several types of pathogens that can cause bacterial meningitis: Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes. Some of the symptoms of Bacteria meningitis are nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, and confusion. Bacteria meningitis can be life threatening and result in the need of medical attention. It is also contagious and can be treated with antibiotics. Viral meningitis is more common, than Bacterial meningitis and is sometimes referred to as â€Å"aseptic meningitis.† Viruses, like enteroviruses and herpes simplex viruses, cause viral meningitis. Viral meningitis occurs mostly in children younger than the age of five. The most common cause of viral meningitis is enteroviruses, which is most often spread from person to person through fecal contamination. There is no specific treatment for Viral meningitis. It is just like any other virus, it runs its course for about 7 to 10 days. To prevent from getting Viral meningitis, you should wash your hands thoroughly, especially after changing diapers and using the bathroom, and avoid sharing items with sick people or when you are sick, such as eating utensils. Both bacterial and viral meningitis show similar signs and symptoms, but bacterial meningitis is more severe and fatal. There are vaccines for some of the types of bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis. There are no vaccines for the most common cause of viral meningitis, so the best way to prevent it is to not get a viral infection. Works Cited Page 1. 2.http://www.ehow.com/about_5234584_meningitis-first-discovered_.html 2. 3.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9276.php 3. 4.http://www.news-medical.net/health/History-of-Meningitis.aspx 4. 5.http://www.meningitis-trust.org/meningitis-info/types-and-causes/ 5. 6.http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html 6. 7.http://www.nmaus.org/meningitis/viral-or-bacterial.htm

On Learning to Be an Indian

If you are going to choose between Simpatico and Rose, what will you choose? We know that Simpatico and Rose has its own identification and different structure but they also have similarities, they have stem, leaves and they are both flowers, right? It's like an Indian Culture and Philippine Culture, they have its own identification, different traditions and different cultures but they also have similarities on it. But first, did you know the difference of culture and tradition? What is culture? What is tradition?In India, praying at 5 o'clock in the morning and sang the hymns of the day at that time is their culture, it's like â€Å"Angelus† praying at 6 o'clock in the morning or 12 o'clock in the afternoon in the Catholics in the Philippine tradition; ash and smeared on forehead in Indian culture is like â€Å"Ash Wednesday' tradition in the Philippines; if you committed innumerable offenses like eating beef and other offenses, you may lost your right in both religion (Hind uism) and caste have similarities in Giggles in Crisis who are not allowed to eat â€Å"Dingus† and Muslims who are not allowed to eat eats (tradition in the Philippines); has hospitality to the visitors is also the same in Philippine culture; has a â€Å"betrothal ceremony' has a similarity in courting before the agreement to be married, in the Philippine culture; in Indian culture, the oldest woman in the house became the head of the family.Philippine culture, the father is the head of the family; in Indian culture, the bride must learn all the household chores, etc. S same of the culture of the Philippines but if you're rich and can afford servants or maids, the servants/maid will do the chores for you; And in India there was a prejudice not only against inter-caste marriages but against inter- community too but the Philippines doesn't have that type of culture, and I'm proud to say that, that we have a democratic country and we can do, choose what we want. It's seen that every culture has similarity to other culture/tradition of other country and some cultures or traditions have differences. Maybe the method of the culture or the way they do it makes it unique to others, and because of this uniqueness, the country may became famous and may influence other culture.

To what extent does restructuring transform corporate market and Essay

To what extent does restructuring transform corporate market and financial performance Discuss using an extended example - Essay Example It plays a vital role in decreasing the stress between debt holders and equity holders due to which they can come up with instant solutions of different problems. And on the other hand it also reduces financial crisis and losses. Financial performance and corporate markets have been transformed through restructuring to some extent, but the degree of transformation is the main question. This question is answered in the following example of a worldwide food processing company â€Å"THE HEINZ COMPANY†. According to Gordon Donaldson, â€Å"We have become so familiar with the phrase financial restructuring in the past decade that we often fail to ask why financial structure became such a battleground for contending agents of change.† (Donaldson 1994, 6) â€Å"H.J Heinz Company† was originated in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania in 1869. The company was founded by German Henry John Heinz. At that time Heinz was only 25 years old and initially he used to distribute condiments to limited grocers by Horse-drawn wagon. Initially the company’s original name was â€Å"Anchor Pickle and Vinegar Works†. The first product line of the company had only horseradish but later tomato ketchup and pickles were also introduced. In 1874 L.C Noble became the partner of Heinz Company. After their partnership the company’s name changed from â€Å"Anchor Pickle and Vinegar Works† to â€Å"Heinz, Noble & Company† and they moved to a larger headquarter located near Pittsburgh. Their assets increased to 30 acres of Horseradish, 24 horses, 12 wagons, 100 acres of garden and a vinegar factory in St. Louis. In 1875, banking panic and economic chaos forced Heinz into bankruptcy and their business failed. But soon after in 1876, Heinz restructured its company with an aim to repay all his creditors and introduced a new product in its product line â€Å"Tomato Ketchup†. Heinz formed a partnership with its cousin Frederick and brother John. In 1877, their product line further extended

Greer's observation of masculinity run riot Essay

Greer's observation of masculinity run riot - Essay Example According to Greer (894), research conducted by Skuse found out that different treatment was subjected to the feeding infants was wired into the mothers’ routines such that boys got away with cries that appeared to be demanding for food. On the contrary, girls were allowed time to learn between cries and feeding which perhaps teaches them patience and less masculinity in their later life. â€Å"Mothers perceive boy babies as hungrier and as better feeders than girls; what this means is probably that they enjoy feeding their boy babies more than they enjoy feeding their girls, for whatever reason,† Greer (894). The toughening that the boy eventually gets from the traditional masculine myths of how tough men ought to be further propels the boy to very high heights of virtual gender status preached by masculinity. It is clearly illustrated in Greer’s essay that boys learn the virtue of courage from the manner in which the mothers breastfeed them and later pay attention to them better than what fathers offer to their daughters. The female strength in sociability and intuition enables boys to have a better learning experience regarding their environment than what girls make of their learning from their fathers. â€Å"Daughters will develop more self-confidence if their fathers are encouraging and appreciative of their efforts, but fathers seldom give such matters much attention and, if they do, usually demand objective verification of a daughters merit before giving encouragement. By â€Å"masculinity run riot,† Greer (898) implies that the male fraternity under the masculinity perception regime in the society attacks those they feel inadequate to propel the tough roles that males ought to play. It follows that a regrouping occurs where soft males are isolated and made fun of due to the fact that they fall short of the masculine cult expectations. It is possible therefore that the majority of males who feel superior to others due to

Consumer behaviour Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Consumer behaviour - Case Study Example Situational analysis on the company is conducted to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which used as a basis of formulating the various alternative strategies for addressing the underlying issue. The best option is selected for the implementation and this option is cost effective and has significant favorable effects to the company. Problem statement Levi Strauss & Co. is a giant apparel company based in San Francisco and it is privately by the Levis for the last 147 years which has been marked by the years of success characterized with increased profits and the overall sale of its cloth wears. Levi Strauss is an all American brand and that its corporate image among the potential and the existing customers has a higher level of publicity. Therefore the goals and the objectives of this giant apparel cloth wear company for the last few years is to constantly sustain their increased sales and profitability, maintain its market share, consistently develop new products that is available to the existing and the emerging market segments through regular company research and development and finally is to consolidate its customer base by maintaining customers loyalty and satisfaction. Unfortunately Levi Strauss & Co in the recently over a period of time has become difficult in meeting these goals and objectives. Notably this trend has been attributed by the consumer changes in the cloth ware and apparel industry where there is frequent changes in fashion and designs thus affecting the changes and preference of the consumers across the entire market segment (Stamatiadis 2009). The key move that Levi Strauss & Co did not take keenly in during this period of fashion change and designs of the clothing wear in this industry is the failure to make changes according to the changes in the taste and preference of their existing customers thus contributing to Levi Strauss & Co being always seasons behind in terms of the emerging trends and designs hence their major competitors. More important is that they have not been able to sustain the market segment that comprises the young comprising of the under twenty five and the kids who have perceive that the Levi’s styles are too tight and they are suitable for the old generation thus resulting into the loss of the market share in which the younger generation has been Levi Strauss & Co major existing customers. One of the major setbacks is the failure to consolidate the younger generation who have been contributing more to their profits (Stamatiadis 2009). These emerging issues has resulted into the company realizing little success in its operations and the overall revenue generation and the loss of the customers and the reduced market share in the cloth wear industry, the changes in the consumer behavior in due to change in their taste and preference has resulted into their competitors such as JNCO, Old Navy and Kirkwear having an added advantage over them this resulting into th e loss of market share from 31% to 17% despite increase in the market of jeans wear and the overall cloth wear in a span of three years. The implication of these problems to Levi Strauss & Co include tumbling sales due to the loss of market share and the existing customers, layoffs of the employees where they reduced the number of employees by 40% laying off over 15000 total number of employees, plant closings due to the reduced sales and the loss of t

Long-Term Investmet Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Long-Term Investmet Strategy - Essay Example A normal life insurance policy functions as a financial coverage for a person and his/her family in case of the person’s demise. Apart from that, a person can also enjoy a number of other returns, which the person would get after the contract matures. These profits are paid in a structured settlement or slabs (Oviatt 19). Life insurance is an agreement between both an insurer and an insured (insurance contract holder), where the insurer guarantees to pay a selected receiver a sum of cash (the "benefits") upon the passing away of the insured individual. Relying on the contract, other proceedings such as critical illness or terminal illness might also prompt payment. The contract holder normally pays a premium, either as a lump sum or regularly. Other expenses or costs, for instance funeral expenses, are also, at times, incorporated in the benefits. I raised a family, which always works hard to achieve their goals. This is because I also work hard in life to achieve my goals. Af ter retirement, the main thing I want to do is reward my children plus my wife for the hard work we have put to erect our family. Knowing that I will be retiring at the age of 60, and my two sons and one daughter all have well paying jobs plus my wife takes pride in taking care of her flower farm, the only thing I can think about is life insurance as a long term investment strategy for my people. I feel that if I will still be alive after my retirement days, then that money will help raise my family appropriately, but if I will be gone, then my wife or children will use that money constructively. I prefer life insurance since I can have a chance to grow that money without using it for a long time. The benefit to the policy holder is "peace of mind", bearing in mind that the death of the insured individual will not end in financial suffering for lenders and loved ones. It is feasible for life insurance contract payouts to be made so as to aid in supplementing retirement benefits. Nev ertheless, it should be vigilantly considered all through the funding and design of the policy itself. Life policy is an official contract of the terms, as well as the conditions of a contract, explaining the limitations and restrictions of the insured party. Detailed exclusions are frequently written into the policy to restrict the legal responsibility of the insurer (Oviatt 25). They normally have common examples, which are claims associated with fraud, suicide, war, civil commotion and riot. Life insurance has various types of bonuses. The main two, however, include reversionary bonus and terminal bonus. A reversionary (yearly) bonus is rewarded at the end of every year. The yearly bonus might comprise of two parts. The assured bonus is a sum usually expressed as a fiscal sum per ?1,000 sum assured (Oviatt 25). It is determined at the beginning of the contract and normally cannot be changed. The rest of the yearly bonus will rely on the investment return attained by the money sub ject to smoothing. The terminal bonus, on the other hand, is paid at the maturity of the policy or, at times, at the surrender of the contract. It is, at times, referred to as the concluding bonus. The terminal bonus stands for the insured’s entitlement to an amount of the fund, which has been held back for the aim of smoothing. In various

Data mining Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Data mining - Research Paper Example One of the notable differences that is there between data mining and databases is the fact that in databases, stored facts are retrieved from the data store while in data mining; patterns are analyzed so that new patterns that have been previously unknown can be got. Data mining is done using data that have been stored, otherwise known as static data, while database use data which are n operation and which are updated regularly. Data mining use data which have been got at a given instance. One thing that is worth noting is that data mining has its origins in statistics rather than computer science. Although many concepts are derived from computer science, it has been argued that it shows many characteristics and has been from statistics and also has been derived from statistical urge to derive patterns which have been unknown in the past. Data mining components Data mining entails storing and managing data in a multi-dimensional database. A multi-dimensional database is perfected for use in data warehouse. It is also useful in online analytical processing (OLAP). An OLAP is a solution for giving businesses superior techniques for visualizing business metrics from different points of view. Data must be organized in a way that will allow for optimized inquiry into the data. Data mining is the process of sorting through a collection of data for the purpose of identifying patterns and using the patterns to establish relationships. With competition going tighter, organizations are becoming more sensitive to how they handle the patterns they get from the behavior of their clients. These patterns can be used for the benefit of an organization. Many of the decision making process today are based on pattern that is got from the data (Han, Kamber, Pei, 2011). For effective data mining, data must be stored, organized and managed using the latest tools. This will allow users to ask leading questions that will aid in making decisions. In managing data in a multidimensional environment, the intention is to b able to process data very quickly and get answers using the shortest time possible. This is the main gist of data mining. With this, it is possible to get facts that will lead to better decision-making. The speed is achieved by organizing data into data cubes; this shows the dimensions that are available to the user. The data will have various attributes that are associated with it. The attributes are created depending on the requirements that are required of the data. In data mining, it is important to get some pattern from the information that has been gathered (Han, Kamber, Pei, 2011). Data management is the process where important information is organized in such a way that it is easy to get some rule and convention that is happening. Forms of data mining There are many forms of data mining. Two popular forms of data mining are class description and class discrimination. The former, class description, entails features that expose some hidden ch aracteristics in a given collection of data. An example is that there could be a need to find out the patterns and the characteristics of people who buy low-end vehicles. There could be some characteristics of these people from the other people who buy expensive vehicles. On the other hand, class discrimination entails looking for features that separates two sets of objects. One example that can be given to show this is the characteristi

Clinical Manifestations, Causes and Treatments for Lupus Research Paper

Clinical Manifestations, Causes and Treatments for Lupus - Research Paper Example There are a number of variations of lupus, with the most common being systemic lupus erythematosus which affects the entire body. The causes of lupus are not fully known, although stress has been shown to play a role in the appearance of symptoms, and the presence of the disease itself is thought to be genetically linked. There is no known cure for the disease, although medication and treatment can help to alleviate some of the symptoms. Nevertheless, lupus sufferers can often lead relatively normal lives, and more than 80 percent survive the first ten years after diagnosis. Thesis statement Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects a large number of systems and is difficult to diagnose. However, despite the fact that there is no known cure for the disease, treatments are available, and most people can live normal lives. Introduction The name lupus is from the Latin word for wolf due to the appearance of a facial rash which was thought to resemble the bite of a wolf . However, not all suffers get the rash, and it is not always severe . Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which results in the body perceiving its own tissues as invaders and raising an immune response against it. The disease can be present in several different body systems and substantially ranges in severity. Some cases of the disease are life threatening, while others can be trivial and little to no effect on daily activity. The result of this is that the disease can be extremely difficult to diagnosis . The primary means of diagnosing lupus is through the use of an anti-nuclear antibody test (ANA). However, this is not fully reliable, as many people have positive ANA results that do not have lupus, and some forms of lupus do not trigger a positive ANA result. For example, although many people are diagnosed with lupus through blood screening, only around ten percent of these actually have the disease . Consequently, a range of methods are used for diagnosis, and patients are often misdiagnosed man y times before being correctly diagnosed with lupus. Lupus varies in intensity, it can flare up with stronger symptoms for a time, and it can go into remission for many years at a time. The exact causes of flares or remission are unknown, but research suggests that stress is a likely driver of the severity of the symptoms . One of the most recognizable aspects of lupus is the red rash that many patients get. In many cases when the rash heals, there is no trace of it remaining . While most lupus sufferers have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), there are other variations of the disease. Types of Lupus Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can affect all or most of the body, including the blood, joints, skin and often kidneys . The term â€Å"systemic† refers to all over, while erythematosus means red. This can affect any part of the body . The disease acts by the presence of antibodies in the bloodstream that attack components of the hosts system. Wherever these land, they cause inflammation and often pain. Symptoms vary substantially depending on where the antibodies are present. For example, some lupus patients have general aches, severe pain in their joints, a skin rash or an unusual blood count . SLE is the most common form of the disease, and this type is most often associated with the term lupus . For a person to be officially diagnosed with lupus (SLE variant), the disease must conform to four of 11 criteria. The criteria are broken down into three sections, the

Enterprise Information Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Enterprise Information Architecture - Essay Example Data security helps maintain privacy of data. There are a number of data security technologies to support this process. They are as follows: The topic of my research paper is Enterprise Information Architecture that strategically brings together the information architecture of the organization in a well-documented and logical manner. EAI integrates the information architecture of within an organization in such a way that the organization wide elements of goals, objectives, strategic plans etc also encompass within the architecture.1 EAI aims to provide an architectured environment to the organization that delivers high quality, system integration, time saving and reduction in costs. This aim is achieved by EAI by eradicating or reducing data redundancy within the operational systems, eradicating or reducing process redundancy within the operational systems, and by minimizing the complexity of extracting data from the operational environment into the data warehouse environment. The EAI is often known as a vehicle that provides a road map to development of an architectured environment. The EIA has three sub-architectures and they are as follows: Business architecture: This includes corporate data model (business oriented and integrated view of the data that is important to the organization), function model (decomposes the core business functions performed within the organization), interaction model (a matrix that shows which data is updated, deleted or important), current systems model (inventory of current systems implemented within the organization). Technical architecture: This depicts the existing and desired technical environment of the organization. It also includes an inventory of the systems of the existing technical environment as well. Organization architecture: This reveals the processes from the function model that are performed by each unit within the organization. It also shows the organizational structure but at a higher level. Below is the breakdown of the EIA:Enterprise information architecture is a model that has four levels and they are as follows: Physical level: This level encompasses the computer hardware of the organization, network interface, telecommunication facilities and the LANs that support the intranet and extranet. Previously systems in organizations used to be monolithic and centralized but now they are more decentralized and distributed in the form of client/server, network-based computer systems etc. Information level: This level is concerned with the information of the organization like databases, model bases, knowledge bases and metabases. This

Marketing Orientation Essay Example for Free

Marketing Orientation Essay There have been many studies of the term ‘marketing orientation’, and its presence within organisations. Marketing orientation is an approach that companies take which centres its activities towards achieving customer satisfaction through effective marketing. It is where customers form the basis of an organisations performance and overall success. In order to achieve successful marketing orientation, a company must organise an effective structure through planning its activities, products and services successfully. This will help the company on focusing its aims and objectives on the needs and requirements of its customers, in order to establish a relationship that will increase performance and success. ‘Market orientation is the organisation wide development of market intelligence pertaining to customer needs. ’ (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990. p12) Two approaches to marketing Orientation have been suggested by Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999), focusing on the practices and culture that the company adopts. It has been interpreted by Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999) that marketing orientation is either ‘a company attitude or company behaviour. This is whether a company is customer orientated or focuses on a competitive advantage through marketing orientation. Other authors have similiar thoughts upon these approaches to marketing orientation. Drucker (1954) believes that customers perceive marketing as an ‘activity involving the entire organisation’, rather than being a specific company process. The author’s view coincides with the work of Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999), as he focuses on the attitude organisations have in satisfying customer needs. The oth er side to this approach is the significance of a company’s culture towards marketing orientated activities. Felton (1959) states; ‘It is the attitudes and beliefs of a workforce that control the level of orientated activities a company strives to achieve,’ implying the focus is on themselves competing rather than putting the customer first. Trout and Ries (1985) perceive marketing orientation as an effort by companies to increase competitor advantage, rather than satisfy customer needs. Therefore the company’s culture is focusing its strategy on competitor orientation in order to achieve success. An organisations performance is a very important aspect of successful marketing orientation. Narver and Slater (1990) state that marketing orientation is based on 3 performance measures, which include ‘customer and competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination. ’ Introducing effective performance measures can have positive influences on companies, as it helps the company’s culture set aims and objectives for a successful approach to marketing orientation. Jobber (2007) also describes the importance of these measures, stating; ‘A marketing concept culture that manifests in corporate activities to create superior value for customers. However, specific marketing activities relating to the behaviour of a company have ‘emphasis on managerial control rather than the natural culture of the organisation’ (Ellis, 2004), which relates to the work of Trout and Ries (1985) and their beliefs of company’s influencing the importance of competitor orientation over the satisfaction of their customers. Sharp (1991) argues the approach to marketing orientation as described by Drucker (1954), saying that it’s more than just about customer focus; Market orientation has a principle element of focusing on available markets and customer needs. Sharp criticises this view of orientation, as costs of maintaining customer focus will incur in unstable markets, affecting a companies orientation plan. In order to balance this procedure, a company needs equal focus in its approach to marketing orientation, which will help achieve success and efficiency. The link between organisational strategic thinking (Sharp, 1991) and managerial control (Ellis, 2004) helps towards a successful company through competitor orientation. Ellis states that effective performances increase through analysing competitor actions, in order to create a competitor advantage. However, company’s still need to be responsive to customer needs due to volatile markets. Overall increases of a company’s orientation, resulting from effective customer satisfaction, will then lead to greater performances (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990). The relationship between performance and marketing orientation is analysed negatively to strategic marketing. Sin (2005) considers the ‘external environmental aspects’ of marketing orientation, emphasising the importance of linking performance and marketing orientation in order to meet the needs of customers. Sin believes that if companies developed their approaches towards linking these two factors, a more in depth examination of customers needs could be undertaken, which would lead to higher performances within the company. Sin agrees with Sharp’s views, by describing the inclusion of customer needs as well as company aims and objectives. A strategic way of thinking is described by Sharp, where marketing orientation is described as being the most relevant, as it focuses on company, and not just market characteristics. The analyses of various journal articles relating to marketing orientation has led me to understand the different issues relating to marketing orientation. I agree with Kohli and Jaworski (1990) that a company should balance its orientation between customer focus and its aims and objectives, for effective performances. The authors were very clear and focused on what strategies were effective in approaching marketing orientation. I felt that this analysis helped me understand the best method of adopting marketing orientation and how to effectively respond to customer demands, as well as creating a competitive advantage. Limitations to the analysis were discussions from Felton (1959) and Trout and Ries (1995). The views of these authors concentrated on companies who adopted marketing orientation to create a competitive advantage as its main priority. The context of this article focused totally on businesses success and shadowed the importance of customer orientation, something which I feel is crucial for overall success.

Evolution of the Nation Essay Example for Free

Evolution of the Nation Essay Pre-Civil War, the United States was way behind European countries like Great Britain, France, German and Belgium in terms of industrialization (Divine et al, 1991, p. 529). However, postwar, the nation saw its rise as an industrialized power, marked by economic boom, technological and medical advances and a transformed American society. The postwar industrialization was invigorated by the Civil War itself (Tindall and Shi, 1991, p. 889). The war brought on inflation which further â€Å"enhanced the position† of property owners and entrepreneurs (p. 889). Additionally, it was said that Republicans launched a policy built on business enterprise but its precise role in the country’s economic growth was not clearly justified (p. 889). It also helped that the government provided in creating regional and transcontinental railroads which not only paved the way for a revolution in transformation but also encouraged marketing across states (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 533). The effects of this revolution in transportation would be discussed in length later on. Civil War brought the people together, encouraged them to change the landscape of the nation. Several conditions made it easier to embrace this industrial revolution. One iron manufacturer described the country as a bowl brimming with treasures (Divine et al, 1991, p. 529). The country was teeming with natural resources such as coal, iron, timber and iron ore (p. 529). As if these were not encouraging enough, the nation also saw a growth in people as many immigrants reached the country (p. 529). The population increase contributed to an increase in demand for products, which ultimately enabled businessmen and entrepreneurs to invest more, whether in factories or mines. When more Americans were able to provide funds for various ventures, industrialists formed corporations (p. 529). Compared to a single business, investors bought shares to own the company. Based on the corporation’s profit, they received dividend. This share buying enabled industrialists to raise more funds in augmenting the business (p. 530). The US government, local, state and federal, was also a big factor in fueling economic boom. As stated earlier, the government served a pivotal role in railroads consolidation. But that was not all. The government bestowed money and land to jump start industries. Aside from safeguarding private properties, the government pushed for individual industrialism, where people became entrepreneurs, owners of their own enterprises. Entrepreneurs thrived during the Industrial Revolution. Railways were the key to the country’s expanding productivity. It opened up linkages to other states. Railroads were instrumental in allowing transportation of raw materials like iron, steel and lumber to travel to the West, creating a national market in the process (Tindall and Shi, 1991, p. 889). Post-Civil War, the railroad mileage increased from 53,000 to 94,000 (p. 889). In fact, by 1880s, railroad building reached its peak, from 167,000 to 199,000 (p. 890). Railroads brought the nation together, allowing for faster travel, accessibility and comfort as compared to other forms of land transportation (Divine et al, 1991, p. 533). For example, a horseback travel would cover 50 miles in one day but on a train, the travel time would also cost one hour (p. 533). Railroads made it easier for people to socialize to others, especially those living in isolated areas. Not only did it encourage mingling, railroads also fostered trade among states (p. 533). Carrying raw materials, railroads paved the way for mass production and mass consumption, which translated to greater financial wealth for the country (p. 533). The Industrial Revolution also saw the rise of Americans in inventions and manufacturing. Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone created a centralized way of communication. Machines that were aimed at making work faster cropped out during this time, from the typewriter, cash register, to the electric sewing machine and refrigerator cars (Divine et al, 1991, p. 536). Advertising also saw an increase during this time as businesses tried to convince the public to buy their products or seek their services (p. 539). Newspapers and magazines were instrumental in the growth of advertising. The impact of industrialization saw the rise of Americans workers (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 451). It was the workers themselves who toiled hard for the nation to reach its new industrial age but there was a start contrast between the two. While industry giants like Rockefeller and Carnegie continued to amass wealth and power, workers were left to do the hard work to ensure that giants stayed on top. In the 1900s, wage earners toiled for ten hours a day (Divine et al, 1991, p. 542). Earning $6-12 a week, families had a hard time surviving. Aside from the long hours and low pay, most workers had no job security (p. 542). The introduction of machines also raised the risks for factory workers (Jordan and Litwack 1991, p. 451). Additionally, machines also reduced the task of workers, resulting in lower paychecks (p. 451). It also did not help that the working class was dominated by men. This labor unjust ushered in women and labor unions (p. 458). As with any economic boom, the country also experienced the lows of business cycles, with the panic of 1893 when bank loans grew bigger than deposits made, resulting in the collapse of many firms (Divine et al, 1991, p. 579). For a long time, the government did not stop monopolies. This made the big companies control most of the industries. The concentration of power in the hands of the few was guaranteed to provoke the people to start questioning the system. It led eventually to the creation of the Sherman Act of 1890, which allowed the government to control big businesses (p. 576). The act was instrumental in breaking up one of the largest trust in the country- the Standard Oil (p. 579). The economic growth also made an impact to the government. During this time, the country experienced corruption, reform movements, and political party differences. Factionalism was common. Republican reformers who called themselves Mugwumps sought for civil service reforms (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 471). Under the Republican leadership of Presidents Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur, the issue of monetary policy was at stake (pp. 474-478). Following the depression of 1890, calls for reforms started to surface, leading in an era of progressivism. The progressivism was a movement that sought for â€Å"democracy, social justice, honest government, effective business regulation, and a commitment† to serve the public (Tindall and Shi, 1991, p. 1073). Mainly the idea was to bin the evil wrongdoings while preserving the system. Leaders of the progressive movement believed that doing the aforementioned would ensure the progress of the country. Journalists played a pivotal role in exposing the scandals and corruptions that plagued the country (Divine et al, 1991, p. 612). Journalists who dug the social ills of America were called muckrakers, after President Theodore Roosevelt related them to a character in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress (p. 1074). Democracy was an important element in progressivism, as progressives thought that it would help the government in doing its work (p. 1076). Another major element of progressivism was productivity. Progressives believed that improving productivity would reduce waste. By incorporating Taylor’s theory on scientific management, which focused on dividing the production process into several step, progressives alleged that production would increase and mistakes would be eliminated (p. 1077-1078). Progressives also called for business regulation, bureaucracy eradication, and strengthened social justice (p. 1080). Three presidents served during the Progressive Era- Theodore Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson. Each had their own vision on the spirit of progressivism. References Divine, R. et al. (1991). America the people and the dream Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Jordan, W. and L. Litwack (1991). The United States combined edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Tindall, G. and D. Shi (1991). America A Narrative History 5th Ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company.

Examining Prejudice and Discrimination in Singapore

Examining Prejudice and Discrimination in Singapore In this essay, we will be explaining and giving the definitions of prejudice and discrimination. Also, we will go in depth and elaborate about the various kinds of discrimination in todays society such as gender, disability, size, looks, monetary, status, education, sexual and racial discrimination. After which, we will give solutions and ways to reduce racial discrimination in Singapore. Finally we will end with a round up of conclusion. Prejudice and discrimination is a rising issue in todays society. According to Dictionary.com, prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Discrimination is the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the  group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination. To be prejudiced is to have a cultural mindset and that is relied on negative or unpleasant stereotypes about individuals or groups because of their ethnic, religious, racial or cultural background. To discriminate is to have an active denial of desired goal from a certain group of people. The group can be based on sex, ethnicity, nationality, religion, language, or even class. More recently, disadvantaged groups now also include those based on gender, age, and physical disabilities. Prejudice and discrimination are very common at both the individual and societal levels. Any attempt to eradicate or solve the problem of prejudice and discrimination must thus deal with prevailing beliefs or ideologies, and social structure. Gender- There are many types of discrimination. Gender discrimination, also known as sexism is very common. In most societies, women have been viewed as the weaker sex who is in constant need of protection from the rough world. Women are more delicate by nature compared to men, and are often victims of physical, emotional and psychological abuse. Gender discrimination does not only apply in communities and sometimes families but also a lot of times in workplaces. In Chinese Culture, boys are more wanted than girls as they can pass down the family name. According to BBC news, around a million girl fetuses are aborted and tens of thousands of girl babies are abandoned in China, every year. A boy will bring status and he will also continue the family line. Families also throw big celebrations for baby boys while neglecting the less-wanted girls. The preference for boys is tied up in the Confucian belief that male heirs are necessary to carry on the family name and take care of the family spirit s. A Chinese family worries that if there is no son no one will look after them and keep them company in the afterlife. Confucius once said, There are three ways of being disloyal to your ancestors. Not carrying on the family name is the worse. In early Japan, there is large gender discrimination. They have a saying that goes men as breadwinners and women as homemakers. Even after Japan introduced the Equal Employment Opportunity Law in 1985, which prohibited discrimination against women in employment and urged employers to treat women equally in terms of recruitment, job assignment and promotion. But, they are still the last to be rehired in a full-time job. Japanese women are also expected to quit their job if they have children. Even if companies are facing a shortage of workers, they had no plan to try to hire more women. Women have to work twice as hard as man to advance their careers because of the prejudices within Japanese companies. Their university education is roughly the same as those without an upper secondary education. In 1997, statistics show that Japanese women hold only 9.3% of professional positions, compared to 44.3% in the United States. Womens income is only 45%of mens even though they make up 64% of J apan industry. Females appear to be less strongly oriented toward personal terminal values than men, but more strongly oriented toward moral means. Also in sports, especially soccer, where female officials/referees are slowly introduced to the male side of the game are being discriminated. One such example was Andy Gray, a former footballer, popular football pundit and commentator. He was British television channel Sky Sports main pundit since 1992. However, he was fired after he was found to made sexist comments and made offensive gestures to a female co-presenter. He had commented, Can you believe that? A female linesman. Women dont know the offside rule. in which his fellow presenter, Richard Keys replied, Course they dont. Somebody better get down there and explain. during a post-match show when they thought they were off air. In another show, he was caught on camera( in which it was edited out later on) tugging his pants and asking his female co-presenter Charlotte Jackson to tuck the microphone into his pants. (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3371091/Andy-Gray-sacked-over-sexism-row.html) In Singapore today, Gender discrimination while still existent, is less obvious. Disability Besides the various types of discriminations stated above, there is also a discrimination against the disabled people. Having a disability means that a person has a physical or mental impairment. This in turn has a substantial and long-term negative effect on ones ability to carry out normal everyday activities. Disability discrimination occurs when one is treated less favorably because of their disability as compared to someone without a disability. This is known as direct discrimination. There are cases in which people with some form of disability are treated differently, or are victimized. People who are not disabled laugh at the disabled because of the way they walk or talk. These people gang up and make fun of the disabled. They belittle them, and feel satisfied with themselves. The disabled are not able to do anything about it because there are too many people treating them that way. There is also indirect discrimination where everyone is treated equally, but by treating everyo ne equally, the disabled is put to a disadvantage. This is more subtle and may also be unintentional. An example would be when there are stairs to enter a building but a person with a disability might not be able to use the stairs and may need a ramp. Size/looks Being of a different size or looking different may also be a form of prejudice and discrimination. Often during first meetings, people are judged on first impressions, and first impressions are all about the visuals. Many a time people are discriminated against just because they are too fat, too skinny or not good looking enough. Society has set a standard where everyone wants an ideal body and face. This is known as the golden ratio. The ratio of (foot to navel): (navel to head) is the golden ratio of the human body. A persons face has to be symmetrical and have nice proportions to be considered good looking. There is a reason why plastic surgeries are in demand. While applying for jobs, people are required to attach photos of themselves. More often than not, the people who are better looking tend to get the job as compared to those who are less good looking. Then there is the case of body size. People tend to make remarks about fat people and fat jokes. An example would be Yo Mama So Fat jokes, which is very common. Even though different cultures have a preference for people of different sizes, everyone in general prefer slim to fat. Monetary/financially- Financial discrimination is when people look down on others that they are poorer than them. This will affect them if they want to find a job, get a rent or buy an apartment. People tend to look at the appearance to analyze whether you are rich or you are poor. For example, salesman will normally look for people that are trendier from those who wear clothes that seem old and tear. Service staff of well-known brand in some regions might not serve or even come up to you if they think that you have no money to pay if they let you try. So, what is the point to spend so much time to serve you? In United States, there is a case that they are discriminating against the blind people by refusing to make money readable for them as they think there do not have the need. They dont go out a lot, there does not have many chance for them to use the notes. Even for the device that is specially made for them to differentiate the money is expensive. At the end, blind people have to folding their bills in different positions to tell them apart. (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/395668/financial_discrimination_against_the.html?cat=15) Financial discrimination also involved the low-waged workers. In a way that large number were paid lesser than the minimum wage that they should get and they had worked overtime without pay. When they get injured in the work place, they had to pay the bills themselves instead of having compensation from their company. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112506238) Status/Education For status discrimination, most of this happens in the work place. We can see lot of who butter up status that up high and despise those who have low status than them. Everybody wants to get to a higher place. For these people that have status discrimination in mind, they normally think that this is a short cut and time saving way. For lower status in the society, they are always afraid of offending the people of the higher status. This is because they cant afford to spend the money to fight cases with them. We can also see employer refuse to hire people that have foreign name, speaks with accent, from another country or even locals who does not have a high level certificate. Competition is getting higher and higher in the work place. Nowadays, it is the certificate of education that decides the fate of status in society. Without a certificate, you will get no jobs. In Singapore, there are several foreign domestic worker abuse cases. Many do not know how to speak English and many doesnt know where to seek for help. There are also many cases about children bring their parents to old folks homes and do not care about them anymore, or old folks being abuse because they are a burden to the family. Sexual discrimination (gay/sexual orientation) People often get confused between gender discrimination and sexual discrimination. While gender discrimination is biased opinions about the female/male gender, sexual discrimination is about their sexual orientation. In society today, talking about homosexuality is still an uncomfortable and touchy topic. While it has progressed from the past where homosexuality was illegal and you could be hanged for admitting that you were a homosexual, it has now been legally acceptable to pronounce yourself one. However this does not stop the community around you to form perceptions and opinions about you. The 2 main places where Sexual discrimination is most evident are in schools and the workplace. In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), homosexuals and effeminate men are managed according to the dictates of a manpower directive issued. Probably its most well know classification is Category 302, a medical code given to servicemen who are homosexuals, transvestites, paedophiles, etc. homosexuals are further classified into those with effeminate behaviour and those without effeminate behaviour. This form of discrimination persists despite the fact that homosexuality was depathologised by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973, and homosexuality is not regarded as a psychiatric condition by the local medical profession. More so, the categorization of homosexuality with transvestism and paedophilia by the SAF further backs up the publics wrong impression that it is abnormal. During the enlistment for Nation Service, any self-declared or discovered servicemen who are homosexual are immediately referred and sent to the Psychological Medicine Branch of the Headquarters of Medical Services for a thorough psychiatric assessment. After which, each of their parents are to come in for an interview. Once they are catagorised as a homosexual, they are instantly medically downgraded to a Public Employment Status of C (PES C), regardless of their level of fitness, and put through modified Basic Military Training. After Basic Military Training, they are deployed into a vocation which has no security risks, posted to non-sensitive units and given a security status which restricts their access to classified documents. (http://knol.google.com/k/discrimination-against-homosexuals-in-singapore#Singapore_Armed_Forces) In Singapore, while being homosexual is legal, same-sex marriage is not, and any acts of indecency between two people of the same sex, will have you charged. Singapore being a diverse nation, which encourages harmony between different race, religion and background does not have as many Sexual discrimination cases as compared to America. In fact, according to BBC News on 16 May 2009, there was an event help by pinkdot.sg to commemorate love in all forms and between people of every orientation. The event was for Singaporeans in general to affirm our respect for diversity and the freedom to love, regardless of sexual orientation. Figure : 2,500 pink-attired supporters of gay rights, in a Singapore park. We recognize that many Singaporeans are conservative so we planned an inclusive event that would reach all Singaporeans, straight and gay, organizer Mr Soh says. Racial Racial discrimination is the discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race, also known as Racism. Where most countries do not condone Racism, it is still exists and has become a stereotype in society today. In the US, many laws forbid racial discrimination, and a number of these are directly derived from Title VII in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. The first of these acts makes manifest that employers cannot refuse to hire qualified employees based on race or skin color, and they cant do other things like harass them for race, refuse promotions, or pay them at lower rates. The 1991 Civil Rights Act defines some ways that people who have experienced racial discrimination can sue. Till today, racial discriminations still exist, especially in workplaces where largely foreign workers are employed (mostly Chinese nationals, Bangladeshis and Indian nationals). Faced with language barriers and already lowly paid, they still have to follow orders and listen to vulgarities being thrown at them by their local employers and superiors. The same can be said for domestic helpers, where there are numerous reports of physical (and sometimes sexual) abuses by their employers and agencies. Solutions that can be used to reduce prejudice and discrimination in Singapore Education It not right to judge someone base on his or her race. They might look different from others but they are still human. In order to make people minimize discrimination, it is better to start from the younger generation because they are the future. First step is to take down the Special Assistance Plan( a programme that is catered to students who achieved the top 10% of the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE)) school system (Aaron, 2006). This school system concentrate on Chinese education as there are so many Chinese students and that most of these schools has rich Chinese traditions and history (eg, Hwa Chong Institution). Therefore, how can the racism be reduced in schools like this. Furthermore, government schools should also include religious subject in their system. In addition, universities should also organize some events that relates to intercultural exchanges. This will give an opportunity for students of any nationality to study different cultures. Workplace The company should take racially and culturally staff (Strategies for Reducing Racism, 2001). It is not only for worker and for employee but also apply for management or director. Talk to different people from different cultural and try to figure out what is problem that they have meet. By doing this, the organization will know what they need to do to improve better working environment for their employees. Moreover, try to put different pictures of multicultural so none will feel isolate. Furthermore, there should be a special team to solve any racial problem in the workplace. This group can also come up with some activities for employees so everybody can get closer to each other. Race In Singapore alone, the government has implemented racial harmony. It was in 1964, that Singapore went through 2 five-day periods of racial riots. First in 21st July and second was in 2nd September. The minority of Malays in Singapore had thought that they would benefit from the special rights for Malays that was part of the 1957 Federation of Malaya Constitution when Singapore merged with Malaya. However, it was not part of the agreement of the merger that the special rights were applicable for the Malays in Singapore as well, causing unrest among the Singapore Malays. Reason being that then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had wanted equal rights for all Singapore citizens, regardless of race. The riots that broke out in the 2 dates resulted in lives lost and many injured. (http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_45_2005-01-06.html) And so, on 21st July, which was also the date that the first racial riot broke out in 1964, is celebrated as Racial Harmony Day, in which inter-racial harmony is emphasized and celebrated in schools which students are allowed and also encouraged to dress up in traditional costumes of races other than their own. As most Singaporeans stays in HDB flats, the government have also implemented certain racial quotas for certain flats so that there is a balance between races in a neighbourhood. For instance, certain flats are only allowed to be bought by a certain race. If so happens that the owner of the flat wishes to sell the flat, the buyer would have to be of the same race as the previous owner so that there is always a balance in the races within the area. Because of this rule, there are many cases whereby neighbours of different races have inter-cultural exchanges during festive periods. Like how an Indian neighbor share their homemade delicacies with their Chinese neighbour and vice versa. Locality Welcome new people no matter where they come from, give them some flower or small gift with nice saying such as It is nice to meet you; I hope you will enjoy living here. In this way, everybody will act equally with each other and there will be no prejudice or racism. Another way is that some family can even put the sign with the writing All race are welcome here. By doing this, the new people will feel just like at home. Individual People do not have to make a group in order to reduce racism. People can minimize discrimination by themselves. Just be nice and be polite to everybody. Be brave to stand up again racial discrimination, read book or research about racism on the internet. Talk to those who still a victim of discrimination so people will understand more about this issue. Media As Racial Harmony Day is only emphasized in schools, it can also be spread through the media like radio, television, movies, etc, so that both young and old can be more educated about the importance of racial harmony. Having Racial Harmony Day in school is not enough as the younger generations could still be influenced by others around them especially family members and neighbours. Even though the older generations might have grown up with different races in the older kampong days, there still might be possibility that they have prejudices against other races due to conflicts that might have happened in the past. Conclusion After looking at prejudice and racial discrimination in Singapore, there is still a lot to be done even though it is a multi-racial society as it is still very much a predicament in Singapore. Through our solutions such as more inter-cultural exchanges outside of schools where the government is only implementing the racial harmony idealism, in my opinion, racial harmony must still be educated to each and everyone regardless of age so that everyone knows the importance of racial harmony. Bibilogy http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1506469.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8054402.stm http://aaron-ng.info/blog/racism-in-singapore.html

Relations Between Women In The 18th And 19th Centuries. Essay -- essay

Relations between women in the 18th and 19th centuries. Theme: Relations between women in the 18th and 19th centuries. Thesis: Relationships between women in the nineteenth century America created a web of love and support for women. Mothers and daughters, sisters and friends from childhood formed emotional and sometimes physical bonds that lasted lifetimes. These ties were acknowledged and easily accepted in their societies. Many women survived unthinkable hardships such as geographical isolation, child birth, and loss of children because of the unconditional love found in their relations with other women. I.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction A. Female friendship of 19th century not really studied before B. Abundance of evidence suggests very strong emotional ties between women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. All types of relationships are suggested from sisterly love to passion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  D. In this world men are hardly noted II.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Defining and analyzing these relations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Question of method and interpretation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. How to view same sex relations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.Psychopathology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.dichotomy between normal and abnormal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Viewing within a cultural and social setting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  D. Based on the diaries of women from 35 families from 1760s to 1880s   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.Represents brood range of women   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.Middle class III.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sensual and platonic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Sarah Butler Wister and Jeannie Field Musgrove   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Met while families vacationed; spent 2 years   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  together at boarding school   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. throughout life wrote to eachother talking of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  their deep affection and their anguish when apart   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Marriage brought physical separation but nor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ... ... friends and relatives were present through the entire process. VII. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The relationships between women during this era was core to their lives and survival. Without the love, support, and rituals surrounding their daily lives together, many of the women would not have survived the hardships that often presented themselves in life. Point of Analysis: I feel that the author was a bit long winded in her explanations of some things. There are many things that she repeats. I also feel that she could have presented more about the lives of men. After reading this, I wonder what the men did all day and if they had relationships like this with their friends and male kin. It is a great essay and does show vividly the lives of women during this time Point of Synthesis: This article really helped me to understand the women during this time much more. To see their lives on a much more personal level, and how they socialized really creates a deeper and more personal understanding of women here. Connecting this with their political lives, regional, and religious helps to make the circle complete and create a true understanding of women during this era.

Buddhism :: essays research papers

Buddhism 1.) The First Noble Truth - "Dukkha" A.) The First Noble Truth seems to be an intrinsic understanding that all things are impermanent. This impermanence causes us to feel frustrated when we can't hold on to people or things we think we need. This need helps us feel wanted and/or important. Dukkha can also be described as the suffering we experience and see in our lives. Unpleasant conditions such as being sick, seeing our loved ones get sick and die, getting aggravated over things our children do, losing a job, etc. cause us to experience Dukkha. The Buddha felt that this suffering was brought on by our attachment to people and things. Only by detachment and selfless acts can we become free from the unpleasantness of Dukkha. Another aspect of Dukkha deals with the belief in the importance of oneself. The Five Aggregates are the foundation of this aspect. The "I" saying "I" creates the illusion of "I" which consists of matter, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. These five items produce the compound being that experiences Dukkha. B.) I Believe I give significance to things or events that aren't intentionally producing Dukkha. I'm leaving my house to go to work and I happen to leave a couple of minutes late knowing that there is a possibility that I might be late. As I'm driving someone pulls in front of me and is maybe doing the speed limit. I immediately go into reaction mode. This is where I have to realize that the person in front of me is not intentionally trying to make me late for work. (not until I flash my highbeams or honk my horn) Looking at situations objectively and being more proactive can help us deal with Dukkha better. I believe the Buddha understood that "Dukkha Happens" so its how we deal with it that can cause the frustration, sadness, and suffering. C.) I have mixed feelings on the concept of Dukkha. Specifically with the element of detachment. I agree with the idea of detachment from material things but I don't agree when it comes to people. Although I believe material things come and go with memories of them fading as time goes on, I feel as people come and go through our lives, the memories of attachment stay with us embedded in our hearts as well as in our mind. (Darshana ?) The idea of everything being an illusion or Maya is tough to conceptualize. I do believe we are the thinker behind the thought. The "I" creates the illusion of who we are and how we behave.

Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

Great Expectations Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations is a very enjoyable book for the reader for many reasons. Overall, Great Expectations is a novel that effectively depicts the emotions and feelings of the characters in the story and has a plot that maintains the reader’s interest. These elements, along with others help to make the novel appealing for the reader. When young boy by the name of Philip Pirrup (referred to a Pip by all that know him) encounters an escaped convict in a churchyard, he is extorted to get food and a file for the man. Once Pip retrieves these items for the man, he learns that the man is in fact, an escaped convict. Pip, although being only seven at the time, was part of the group that apprehended the convict. For a few years following this event, Pip frequently visited extremely wealthy old women named Miss Havisham. In the process, he falls in love with the woman’s adopted daughter named Estella. She, however, despises him for being common and not a gentleman and she frequently puts him down and, on one occasion, causes him to cry. After about a year of providing company, she tells him not to visit her any more and pays him for his services. Soon after, Pip is told that his prior plans to be a blacksmith (he was apprenticed to his brother-in-law) were not to be and that he had come into Great Expectations. His benefactor was to remain a secret until the person revealed himself or herself, but Pip was certain that it was Miss Havisham. Pip was very happy not only because his new wealth but also because he was certain that he was to marry Estella whom he still loved. Pip moved to London where he befriended his new tutor’s son and his guardian’s co-worker. Pip was quite shocked, however, when he found his benefactor to be not Miss Havisham, but rather the same man who Pip helped to apprehend when he was a convict. Also his sister, who had raised him since his parents died when he was very young, had died due to an attack she had suffered months before. This devastated him in that he would no longer be wed to Estella. When he professed his love to her, he learned that she was to be married to a person whom he despised. Pip later discovered that his benefactor, named Magwitch was the real father of Estella.

Condoms should be distributed in schools: agree or disagree Essay

The topic of sex is a very controversial matter especially among teenagers. Teenagers are at a point in their lives where hormones are at a high and they feel the need to indulge in sexual activities. Therefore it is important that teenagers understand the importance of safe sex and the consequences of unprotected sex. There are many factors affecting Jamaican high school students as they increasingly participate in unprotected sexual acts and as such condoms should be distributed as they help to reduce these factors; mainly the high teen pregnancy rate, the high STD/STI rate and also the ineffectiveness of abstinence. The first major factor faced by high school students is teenage pregnancy. According to (Guttmacher Institute, 2010), teenagers (aged 15–19) who do not use a contraceptive during sex are twice as likely to become teen mothers; this has become the newest trend among teenage girls. It has also been noticed among health authorities that there is a significant rise in teenage pregnancies, according to (Watson, 2011) from the Jamaican Gleaner; adolescent pregnancy continues to be a major public-health challenge in Jamaica, approximately 18 per cent of children born in Jamaica are attributed to adolescent girls and as such condoms should be distributed in schools as a counter measure. Watson also stated that more than 60 of every 100 pregnancies (66.2 percent) among adolescent girls in the age group 15-19 years were unplanned in 2008. As a result of these findings it can clearly be seen that there is a need for condoms to be distributed in schools to help reduce/ control the teenage pregnancy rate. The second major factor is sexually transmitted diseases commonly known as STD’s. According to (Hirsch, L, MD, 2010) STD’s have become increasingly common among teens. It is well known that latex condoms are the only form of birth control that reduces the risk of contracting a STD, and must be used every time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012 supports this by stating that the correct and consistent use of male latex condoms can reduce the risk of STD transmission, including HIV infection. As a result of this, condoms should be made readily available to students. A study done by (Horn & Keough, 2012) reported that  12 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur each year, 3 million (or 25 percent) are among teenagers about 13 percent of youth ages 13 to 19 contract a STD each year; this is a very high percentage of teenagers, if condoms were to be distributed there would be a significant decrease. Another major factor is the increasing ineffectiveness of abstinence programs. Students have begun to neglect this message as they explore their sexuality. According to (Toledo, 2011) schools using abstinence-only sex education programs have significantly higher teenage pregnancy and birth rates than schools with more comprehensive sex education programs. Supporting this is (Douglas, 2008) who states studies show that most abstinence programs did not delay initiation of sex and only 3 of 9 had any significant positive effects on any sexual behaviour. If we cannot convince students to abstain from sexual activities, we should promote safe sex in schools by distributing condoms. An article written by (Stepp, 2007) supports this by stating that a study authorized by Congress in the United States of America in 1997 following 2000 children from elementary or middle school to high school concluded that abstinence-only sex education does not keep teenagers from having sex. Some may argue that condoms should not be distributed in high schools because they promote sexual activities and also due to the fact that schools are institutions of education. According to (Cullinan, 2004), there will be a problem if teachers distribute condoms, as they will be seen to be promoting sexual activity. Cullinan futher states that education is about providing information; we can provide the information about condoms and where to get them, but they should not be distributed in schools. However, I believe that providing information is not enough, it is better that condoms are easily available to students. Condoms do not promote sexual activity, they just provide protection; (Quigle, 2003) states that condom availability was not associated with greater sexual activity among adolescents but was associated with greater condom use among those who were already sexually active. Supporting this is (Fisher, 2011) who states that paediatric studies show the availability of condoms does not increase sexual activity but can decrease unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. In conclusion, I believe that distributing condoms in high school is a great first step as there are many factors affecting Jamaican high school students as they increasingly participate in  unprotected sexual acts and as such condoms should be distributed as they help to reduce these factors; mainly the high teen pregnancy rate, the high STD/STI rate and also the ineffectiveness of abstinence.

Planet Hollywoo

Marketing 520| Marketing Plan for Planet Hollywood| Midterm Report| | | Marwan Soliman Noha Abdel Fayad Hadil Abdel Fayad May Abdeen Table of Contents Company Background2 Mission Statement2 Company History:2 Situation Analysis2 Environmental Scanning:2 Macro environmental Forces:2 Micro environmental Forces2 Competitive Analysis:2 SWOT Analysis:2 Market Segmentation2 Demographic2 Psychographic2 Behavioral2 Targeting2 Targeting Strategy2 Problem Statement2 Works Cited2 Company BackgroundPlanet Hollywood is a trademark for restaurants, bars, casinos, and resorts that was established in 1991 by its founder Robert Earl and his partners and stockholders Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. Planet Hollywood distinguishes itself with the unique experience it offers its customers from gaming and live entertainment at the Hollywood themed venues. The focus of this marketing plan is the Planet Hollywood restaurants that resemble the Hollywood inspiration with its wide collection of Hollywood p rops and souvenirs from top rated movies and TV shows that decorate the place and the wide collection of items available for sale.Planet Hollywood strives to act as a creator and developer of consumer brands that take advantage of the universal appeal of movies, sports, and other entertainment-based themes The unforgettable dining experience at Planet Hollywood is completed with its delicious diverse menu of salads, burgers, and much more. Currently, Planet Hollywood has sixteen branches all over the world at which three of these are located in the Middle East (Dubai, Reyadh, and Kuwait). Mission Statement â€Å"Planet Hollywood International Inc. s a guest-driven company committed to providing [its] guests with an exciting inside look at Hollywood, combining with exceptional food, outstanding merchandise and uncompromising service in every one of [its] restaurants. [It] recognize that [its] success is achieved by hiring, retaining and developing quality associates†. â€Å"W e have a passion for our guests We care about our associates We do not compromise our high standards We maintain a sense of urgency in everything we do We continuously strive to improve We are team players† Company History:Planet Hollywood International Inc. is the controlling body for entertainment-based theme restaurants located throughout the world. Planet Hollywood International also runs five Official All Star Cafe restaurants, a chain that focuses on professional sports and follows a sports-bar theme, and several Cool Planet Ice Cream shops. The management of the company is currently focusing on its core business of restaurants. The first Planet Hollywood restaurant opened in New York City in 1991 however the events leading to its beginning started 20 years before that date.In 1972, Robert Earl opened a dinner theater in London called ‘The Beefeater’ that offered its customers a dining experience with a medieval theme. Earl earned a degree in hotel and resta urant management the University of Surrey. He was passionate about creating entertainment-based restaurants such as ‘Talk of London,' ‘Shakespeare's Tavern,' and ‘The Cockney Club. ‘ In the 1980s, Earl foresaw the promising American markets that would guarantee the success of his entertainment-themed restaurants. He started off with selling his concepts to the developers of a then-new Disney World called EPCOT Center.Although the deal was unsuccessful, Earl decided to stay in Florida at which he opened several restaurants focusing on medieval and Wild West ideas until he sold it to a larger holding company in the mid-1980s. In 1989, Earl was appointed the new chief executive for the Hard Rock operation under ‘Mecca Leisure†. The ‘Hard Rock Cafe' chain is a music industry-based theme restaurants. With his new position, Earl created 20 Hard Rock Cafes in the eastern region. Meanwhile, Earl partnered with Keith Barish, a film producer at that t ime to open the first Planet Hollywood mentioned earlier.Barish and Earl looked at music, movies, and sports as means that bridge differences of language and other differences between people living in different places. Planet Hollywood witnessed immediate success; its museum-like decorations and its outstanding marketing plan attracted millions of customers. Earl and Barish asked celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg to act as restaurant's owners at which they would pass by ‘their restaurant' to check in and mingle briefly with their fans.A year later Earl left Mecca Leisure to plan the worldwide introduction of Planet Hollywood restaurants actors Don Johnson and his then wife Melanie Griffith, director John Hughes, comedienne Roseanne, and actors Tom Arnold, Wesley Snipes, and Danny Glover became investors by then. By mid-1993, Planet Hollywood International had opened its branches in London and southern C alifornia and was completing the construction of a fourth branch in Chicago. Architect David Rockwell was hired to design the new branches. The branches were created to seat more than 200 people.Each branch contained film props and floor layouts that were unique to their locations. Dorothy's dress from ‘The Wizard of Oz,' the pottery wheel used by Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in ‘Ghost,' a replica of the castle from ‘Dracula,' the Batmobile, the Flintstone buggy, and a plastic model of the meat slab that was pulverized by Stallone in the film ‘Rocky’ were all items put on display in different locations. Celebrities hand prints walls and big-screen televisions to play promotional clips for upcoming movies were further attractions found at Planet Hollywood.Peter Morton Hard Rock International executive at that time filed a suit against Earl and Planet Hollywood claiming that Earl had copied that Hard Rock concept. Earl dismissed the charges and the case against Planet Hollywood never amounted to much in court. In addition, Planet Hollywood continued its move up the ladder of success and became well-known in the theme restaurant business. By the end of 1993, Planet Hollywood expanded to have eleven new branches in different states. The opening of each branch was a major gala event that attracted crowds who were eager to see celebrities and different famous media figures.Each new branch generated revenues worth $ 15 million. Selling licensed Planet Hollywood merchandise in addition to serving food and drinks from a diverse menu were a major attraction of customers. Key rings, T-shirts, sweatshirts, watches, and leather coats are examples of the items sold at the restaurants. The merchandize selling not only boosted the revenues by differentiating Planet Hollywood but its popularity pushed it to open separate retail stores called ‘Planet Hollywood Superstores,' a move that further increased yearly profits.In 1994, Planet Hollyw ood continued expanding to open branches worldwide. The company also began establishing other theme-restaurant ideas such as the Official All Star Cafe. Barish and Earl realized the people’s key interest in celebrities’’ life and continued expanding based on that. They continued recruiting professional sports figures to invest such as hockey great Wayne Gretzky, football icon Joe Montana, and basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal. Also in 1994, the company opened what would become its highest income generator branch at Las Vegas. The Las Vegas restaurant was designed to seat .The branche's opening drew more than 10,000 people who sat on stadium-like bleachers to watch the stars' arrivals at the event. Later that year, another 500-seater of Planet Hollywood opened in Orlando's Disney World. With that branch, Earl and Barish became officially the owners of the two highest-profit generating restaurants in the United States. In 1996 the company decided to go public not only by offering stocks but the company also convinced MBNA to issue Planet Hollywood VISA credit cards that gave cardholders priority seating at the restaurants.A joint venture with ITT Corporation was also established to develop Planet Hollywood casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Furthermore, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and Planet Hollywood International decided to develop comic book character-based restaurant theme calling it ‘Marvel Mania. ‘ Ideas for a new concept called ‘Chefs of the World,' which was to feature a ‘star-studded' culinary staff, also began to rise. Celebrity support received through their ownership and investment in the chains made Planet Hollywood and All Stars Cafe unique by all standards. In only five years the company had grown from one $3. million restaurant in New York to an almost $300 million operation with approximately 50 units throughout the world. Situation Analysis The dining service in Egypt has witnessed a hu ge change in the last few years . Dining out became part of the lifestyle of Egyptians who can enjoy such leisure. People are constantly seeking new diners, especially international ones they try during their trips abroad, they see in foreign movies or hear about from friends. During this period of changes, several international diners opened in Egypt and have proven to be successfully attracting customers.Although different people are always seeking different styles such as Authentic Egyptian, Italian, Shisha serving cafes, quick coffee serving cafes, each sector proved to find their own clientele. Places such as Hardrock Cafe, Apple Bees and Rainforest Cafe have their own successful cases that should be similar to Planet Hollywood’s. Egyptians in general are usually very interested in celebrities and their lives. Planet Hollywood can easily depend on this point in its marketing plan and focus. Environmental Scanning: Macro environmental Forces: Socio-cultural FactorsThere a re more than 50 million people between the ages of 15 and 45 in Egypt which is approximately 65% of the population . This, as a result, has a great impact on the nature of the food service sales. The young generation has changing lifestyles and eating habits. They mainly go out for dinning as it is considered a source of entertainment. As such, the demand for the food services represented in fast food restaurants, informal dining, cafes/bars, has increased tremendously. However, in Egypt, both men and women are usually seeking places where then can smoke shisha.Usually, international chains forbid smoking of shisha in their restaurants as part of their regulations to avoid health and environmental hazards. Economic Factor The Egyptian population is mainly divided into two classes of either rich or poor. The middle class in between is demising. According to the World Bank Statistics of 2005, the income share help by the highest 20% of the Egyptian population is 41. 5% while the share of the next 20% is only 12. 6%. It is believed that this gap is not getting any smaller if not getting wider.The top 20% of the population are consistent with their dining out experience as eating out is considered a main sources of entertainment. Political Factors With the political instability in the country since the January 25th events, dining out is considered one of the few sources of entertainment that remained stable since other sources of entertainment such as parties and concerts are no longer as available as before. Restaurants are more likely to any new expansions making it the right time for Planet Hollywood to open and establish a good solid base in Egypt.However, this political instability also represents a risk to any new business especially with the lack of security witnessed. This security issue will have to be accounted for in choosing the location and operation of the restaurant. Environmental Factors Air pollution in Egypt and especially in Cairo is a matter of serious concern. The air quality in downtown Cairo is more than 10 to 100 times of acceptable world standards. In addition, the layout of tall buildings and narrow streets prevent the pollution from escaping and result in a thick and grey air.As a result, open-air restaurants in some areas, especially downtown Cairo and high density areas, may face some problems and may not be convenient all the time. Therefore, people are looking more for indoor recreation. Another concern is the availability of high quality raw material in Egypt. Due to the lack of training and education, there are a lot of improper agricultural practices, poor hygiene at all stages of food chain, absence of preventive controls in food processing and preparation operations.In addition, misuse of chemicals, raw materials contamination, inadequate or improper storage are also concerns for the food industry in Egypt. Such a situation highlights the importance of a high quality control process that should be implemen ted in any restaurant. Technological Factors People now have access to the internet all the time. They became more demanding and want to follow a certain lifestyle. They know exactly what they are looking for and where they can get which as a result creates a significant challenge in terms of meeting demands and defeating competition.Yet, this is a good opportunity since marketing can now be done easily using cheap online campaigns reaching the targeted customers. Micro environmental Forces Employees Employees are the image of any place, their attitude and commitment directly affects the restaurant’s reputation and customer perception of the place. Research has shown that 70% of customers’ return to a restaurant is usually related to the service and their positive experiences with employees; 68% of defecting customers leave due to negative employee attitudes.Therefore, Planet Hollywood’s employees should be experienced and passionate. They should receive regular trainings and should always be motivated to do their best. In addition, they will be closely monitored to gurantee that the customers are always satisfied. Suppliers Quality and freshness are the most important factors of the food served in any restaurant. Therefore, reliable food service suppliers take part in the success of any restaurant. Planet Hollywood will seek suppliers that will provide high quality products with on time consistent delivery.Our strategy will be to create a partnership-like relationship with suppliers to guarentee the success of the end product. Customers Planet Hollywood’s targeted clientel is already present in Egypt and is currently waiting for such an international diner to open in Egypt’s biggest cities such as Cairo, Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh. Our clients would be 15-35 year old men and women seeking a luxurious yet afforadable dinning experience. Locations Prime locations that are easily reached with suffiecient parking places shou ld be sought.Currently, big shopping malls and diners concentrations are considered the places-to-be by Egyptians. Locations such as City Stars, Mall of Arabia, New Cairo and 6th of October cities should be checked for potential locations. Competitive Analysis: The Egyptian market is very competitive as it consists of many foodservice companies with dominant players that make it hard for small operators to succeed. This governance is due to the brands already having good grounds internationally, in addition to the huge advertising and marketing plans.Below is a list of the major competitors for Planet Hollywood. 1. â€Å"Americana†: Egyptian Co for international touristic projects (TGI Friday’s) First established in 1964 as a small trading company based in Kuwait, Amricana became the most successful restaurant operator in the Middle East that owns around 650 restaurants. â€Å"Americana† is a master franchisee to several leading international entities such as Ha rdees, Pizza Hut, KFC, TGI Friday's, Costa Cafe and Baskin-Robbins. TGI Friday’s is the main brand that would present a competition to Planet Hollywood. Competitive advantage: Fierce advertising and marketing plans for all its brands along with major offers and promotions. * The company has many outlets all over Egypt and is opening more and more each year. 2. Amer Group (Chili’s): Started in 1993 by introducing â€Å"Chili’s†, the famous American restaurant chain to Egypt and the Middle East, Amer Group expanded over the years to introduce more restaurants with a variety of cuisines such as Johnny Carinos, Studio Masr†¦etc. Chili’s will be one of the major competitors for Planet Hollywood. Competitive advantage: * High market penetration with many restaurants all over Egypt and in all the hot spots. Amer Group has managed to maintain a very good reputation among Egyptians through its many projects in different industries as well as very aggre ssive marketing plans. The name of the restaurants is directly related to the group which helped them to easily achieve customer loyalty. * Casual atmosphere that fits both youth and families. 3. Hard Rock Cafe: Established in 1971 in London, Hard Rock Cafe has over 172 venues in more than 51 countries around the world. It opened its branch in Sharm el sheikh in 1998 in Naema Bay; it also has one in garden city Cairo, another in Hurghada, and it is planning to open one soon in Nabe.It offers a wide selection of burgers, barbeques, and steaks, along with a variety of desserts and drinks. Internationally it is known to be among the top competitors for Planet Hollywood. Competitive advantages: * It has a very good reputation worldwide that makes it an attractive place for young outgoing population, and also for tourists coming to Egypt that’s why it is very successful in Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada. * They focus on their employees and treat them like a family and create an envi ronment of fun where the employees look forward to come to work. They also focus on customers making sure that they deliver unique entertainment and dining experience. * Their music mix is very popular and very entertaining which makes Hardrock cafe the number one destination for outgoing youth with passion for music. 4. Planet Africa Part of the Mo’men group, Planet Africa was established in December 2004 in Cairo and it is considered the first themed restaurant in Egypt. The restaurant has the design of a jungle with African merchandise and souvenirs available at the entrance. Planet Africa offers a wide variety of International cuisine. Competitive advantage: First themed restaurant in Egypt and it is Egyptian so it attracts patriotic customers. * Ideal for families as the atmosphere is very kids friendly. * Reasonable prices relative to the portions and quality of food. 5. Sequoia: With only one branch in Zamalek, Sequoia is the favorite restaurant for high end, outgoing young people. It offers a wide range of Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Italian cuisines as well as a very good sushi menu. The place also offers alcohols as well as water pipes. Competitive advantages: * Sequoia is located in Zamalek with a very nice view of the Nile. Considered a hot spot among classy young population. * Sequoia hosts very successful events during Ramadan, New Year’s and holidays. * Suits all tastes as it offers different types of cuisines. 6. Rainforest Rainforest opened in Egypt in 2008 by Wataniya Company for operating restaurants, the leading company in restaurant management in the Middle East, at the City Stars Mall. The design of the place is like a jungle with all types of animals. The high technology fitted into the design changes the sounds of animals every 10 minutes through CDs and there is a thunder storm every 30 minutes. Competitive advantage: Well known brand world wide * The high tech atmosphere of the jungle simulation makes it very attractive for kids and families. * Very good quality of food. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: * Strong popular name among various groups of the targeted market segment. * Branches already exists in nearby countries such as Dubai, Kwait and Riyad, with similar culture and menu adjustments. * Offers a variety of food that is already familiar and loved by the Egyptian population. * Well known for tourists visiting Egypt. * Strong established system of management that could be easily trained and implemented among local employees. Availability of kids menu and kids friendly atmosphere. * Ability to host both small and large events as well as offer outside catering. | Weaknesses: * Requires huge investment to find and build a branch that would be located in a relatively hot spot compared to competitors as well as big enough to maintain the restaurant image worldwide. * Prices are relatively high compared to some of the major competitors| Opportunities: * Egypt is a huge market that is now welcoming any n ew investment after the recession that occurred after the 25th of January events. Dinning out is now one of the necessities of life due to the casual lifestyle of most of the young Egyptians as well as families. * The trend of hosting parties and events outside is becoming more and more popular among Egyptians| Threats: * Fierce and well known competitors that use excellent promotional techniques. * Probability of unwelcoming an Americanized restaurant * After the 25th January events, Egypt became unstable both economically and politically which makes it a risky environment for any new business. | Market SegmentationDifferent strategies were used to segment the Egyptian market to identify our target market. Demographic Age: Household Income: Income is a very important factor in our segmentation process as Planet Hollywood is known to be an expensive high class restaurant. The following segments are recognized: * Low: ? EGP 12000/year * Low-Medium: EGP 12,000/year – EGP 24,000 /year * Medium: EGP 24,000/year – EGP 120,000/year * Medium-High: EGP 120,000 – EGP 240,000/year * High: ? EGP 240,000/yea Occupation: * Students * Workers * Employees * Middle Managers * Executives * Professionals Small-business owners * Large-business owners Social Class: Even though social class perception is directly linked to the income level of the family, but it is also influenced by the family background which is a major contributor in determining the social class. There are three basic social classes in Egypt: Class A, Class B and Class C with sub categorization in each class (e. g: B1, B2 and B3) . Nonetheless, it is apparent, as mentioned before that Class B is diminishing. Marital Status: The marital status is reported as follows: * Single: 37. 31% * Married: 62. 69% Psychographic LifestyleDifferent people have different lifestyle patterns that change at different stages of life. According to the â€Å"Sagacity Lifestyle Model†, Lifestyle has four ma in stages identified as follows: * Dependent (ex. Children living with their parents) * Pre-family (ex. With their own households but don’t have children) * Family (ex. Parents with at least one child) * Late (ex. Parents with children who left their homes) A further sub-classification is by segmenting the above into outgoing and non-outgoing. Motives Planet Hollywood will be providing a unique kind of entertainment for its customers that is not available at any other competitors.Using the asset of celebrities’ investment in Planet Hollywood, customers might find various famous figures when dining might encourage customers to go. In addition, being able to position the brand as a hot spot for the different targeted segment will encourage customers to go in order to fit in and keep up with the social groups and standards. Behavioral Brand Loyalty Planet Hollywood is a strong popular name and can easily develop brand-loyal customers Benefit expectations Customers are gro uped according to similarities in the benefits that they look for in specific products or services.Benefits as location, cleanliness, social image, food service, quality, and hospitality. Use frequency Customers are segmented according to their frequency of dinning outdoors as follows: * Rarely, occasionally * once per month * twice per month * once per week * multiple times per week. Targeting Theme restaurants attract patrons based on mainly the overall dining experience and the entertainment value received. The chosen theme dictates the interior decor, music, type of food, the food presentation and the appearances of the staff. Theme restaurants also sell licensed merchandise as souvenirs.For our target market selection, we have considered several segments from which we could come up with Planet Hollywood possible target diners; the most relevant segmentation schemes were: age, income, social class, and lifestyle. Age| Household income| Social Class| Lifestyle| 0 – 15| ? E GP 12000/year| Lower| Dependant| 15 -45| EGP 12,000/year – EGP 24,000/year| Lower Middle| Pre-family| 45-60| EGP 24,000/year – EGP 120,000/year| Upper Middle| Family| 60-80| EGP 120,000 – EGP 240,000/year| Upper| Late| | EGP 240,000/year| | | Targeting StrategyAs for our target strategy, we will be following the differentiation strategy. We will be designing more than one promotional message with which we will be providing each segment with its specific needs and communicating the different related benefits. Problem Statement Planet Hollywood is a well known international brand, offering a unique authentic Hollywood experience for its customers. The introduction of Planet Hollywood in Egypt will be a challenging process as it should emphasize on the well established brand and the unique experience offered by its famous themed restaurant.Dining service offers a huge market in Egypt, mainly because of the changing socio-cultural behaviors of people especially the tendency to be more outgoing. However, the proper targeting of customers and positioning of the restaurant are of most important in establishing the differentiated strategy of Planet Hollywood. Works Cited (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from AMEinfo. com The ultimate Middle East business resource: www. ameinfo. com FUNDINGUNIVERSE. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Planet Hollywood International, Inc. : http://www. fundinguniverse. om/company-histories/Planet-Hollywood-International-Inc-company-History1. html Hard Rock. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Hard Rock History: http://www. hardrock. com/Corporate/ market segmentation – psychographic segmentation . (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Tutor2u: http://tutor2u. net/business/marketing/segmentation-psychographic. html Planet Hollywood International, I. (2006, July 6). The PH Insider. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from http://www. planethollywoodintl. com/privacy. php PLANNING: MARKETING STRATEGY AND PLANNING. (n. d. ).Retrieved November 10, 2011, from http://www. wadsworthmedia. com/marketing/sample_chapters/766816052_ch07. pdf Population. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Egypt State Information Service: http://www. sis. gov. eg/En/LastPage. aspx? Category_ID=19 Restaurants. (2010). 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