Rural Markets Retail Management free essay sample

Retail Management In recent years, rural markets of India have acquired significance, as the overall growth of the Indian economy has resulted into substantial increase in the purchasing power of the rural communities. On account of green revolution, the rural areas are consuming a large quantity of industrial and urban manufactured products. In this context, a special marketing strategy, namely, rural marketing has emerged. Rural India with its traditional perception has grown over the years, not only in terms of income, but also in terms of thinking.The rural markets are growing at above two times faster pace than urban markets; not surprisingly, rural India accounts for 60% of the total national demand. Today, rural market occupies a larger part of our economy and it is expected to grow at least four times the existing size. Another contributing factor for rural push was growing saturation in urban markets. To be precise, rural marketing in Indian economy covers two broad sections: 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Rural Markets Retail Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Selling of agricultural products in the urban areas 2.Selling of manufactured products in the rural regions In present situation, our huge population is helping marketers to think new marketing strategies. 630 Billion rural populations are greater than total consuming markets of many countries like Canada, South Korea, etc. Tapping the rural market is one of the most important marketing strategies followed by various MNCs and Indian companies now-a-days. A number of companies in FMCG, consumer durables as well as telecom sector have adapted strategies to expand their base in rural market. Among those who have already taken remarkable initiative in rural market are HLL, Colgate, LG Electronics, Philips, BSNL, LIC, CavinKare, Britannia and Hero Honda. Rural Marketing in simple word is planning and implementation of marketing function for rural areas. Rural marketing has been defined as the process of developing, pricing, promoting, distributing rural specific products and services leading to exchange between urban and rural markets which satisfies consumer demands and also achieves organizational objective.

Totalitarianism in Poland essays

Totalitarianism in Poland essays The Totalitarian dictatorships possess many traits or trait clusters to which I am going to apply to Poland. I will compare this ideology of totalitarianism with the novels Ashes (1) The first trait of totalitarianism is that it an elaborate ideology, consisting of an official body of doctrine covering all vital aspects of mans existence to which everyone living in that society is supposed to adhere. It is set upon radical rejection of the existing society with conquest of the world for the new one. There is no government like totalitarian dictatorship has been ever existed, because regimes lack the traits in a large extent. In Poland it was the ideology of Marxism to which every student in Poland we required to read it. This was the doctrine that used to control the aspect of society. In 1939 Russia (then allied with Germany) invaded from the east, and the country was divided between Germany and Russia. When Germany attacked the USSR in 1941, all of Poland came under German rule. Massacres, starvation, and concentration camps decimated the population of Poland. Poland was the only country to combat Germany from the first day of the Polish invasion until the end of the war in Europe. In Poland itself, most elements of resistance to the German regime organized under the banner of the Home Army (AK). The AK became one of the largest and most effective underground movements of World War II. Commanding popular support, it functioned as a force, conducting a vigorous campaign of sabotage and intelligence gathering, and as a means of social defense against the invaders. (2) The second trait of totalitarianism is that it contains a single mass party typically led by one man the dictator,&quo...

Foreign country relating to the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Foreign country relating to the world - Essay Example India is one of the few countries which escaped from the damages of current global recession. India has achieved this positions through carefully planned economic and foreign policies. They have adopted a diplomatic approach to most of the problems associated with it in the region and never adopted an aggressive approach even when their sovereignty was in jeopardy. Immediately after getting freedom, India has started conscious efforts to make an international body for the non-aligned countries under the leadership Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Former Egyptian President Abdul Nazar and Yugoslav President Tito joined hands with Nehru in the formation of NAM. At the time of cold war both US and USSR tried to gain the support of NAM countries in order to expand their power. Some political analysts believe that India was more aligned towards USSR at the time of cold war, but even then India never given up their commitment towards NAM movement. After the destruction of former Soviet Union, America has started to attract India’s support in international affairs because of India’s growing stature as a world economic power. At present India is maintaining a good relationship with both America and Russia which help them in interfering in international politics effectively. â€Å"The principles of Indias foreign policy have stood the te st of time: a belief in friendly relations with all countries of the world, the resolution of conflicts by peaceful means, the sovereign equality of all states, independence of thought and action as manifested in the principles of Non-alignment, and equity in the conduct of international relations†.   (Indias Foreign Policy - 50 Years of Achievement) â€Å"Indeed, the Independence of India itself played the role of a catalyst in removing the vestiges of colonialism in other parts of the developing world, particularly in Africa† (Indias Foreign Policy - 50 Years of Achievement) India has

Analysis of Sale of Human Organs Arguments Research Paper

Analysis of Sale of Human Organs Arguments - Research Paper Example David’s point of people donating organs for money is very persuasive as he talks about compensation for any organ donated. it makes more sense when he claims that organs from deceased people donated and the person’s family could be beneficial. For both the deceased’s family and the needy person of the organ can benefit in the process. For instance, if the family needs some money for bills in the hospital or burial, they can decide to exchange some organs of the deceased for money, which can serve best for all. This type of exchange for vital organs can motivate people to donate one of their organs in their life to save some life or get money to perform other work, which could be urgent (David, 2005). The beneficial should not only be the recipient of the organs but both parties involved. This point is very much persuasive as people can be willing to give out their organs for compensation. This effect can work, as it is evident that donors of these organs live wel l without any disorder or reduction of functionalities in their bodies. An instance when such decisions can serve a good purpose is when money for urgent medication is needed and no available source, someone can donate an organ and serve the pain but make both people survive. In his argument, a person has a right over their bodies and not controlled by either the government or any other body. If an organ transplant sale authorized, people can give out willingly due to the offered compensation. An example of the unpersuasive point is that, if the organs are for sale, some desperate people will not benefit if they cannot afford to buy the organ. As David claims people will tend to kill others for their own benefit. The argument of an objection to selling an organ cannot lead to the destruction of people live or due to the failure of getting the right price for a certain organ. In his exploration, the question which asks for one to assume they needed an organ and in the process finds s omeone willing to sell, it is realistic that, if you need something vital for your life that you have no option left.  

Human Resources Management - Highway Stores Ltd Essay

Human Resources Management - Highway Stores Ltd - Essay Example However, there are areas of significant importance – like training – that have been excluded from the control of Personnel Department and are organized into separate units within the organization. Due to the above phenomenon as well as to the delays in the firm’s development – which have been caused by the dysfunction of the Personnel Department – the examination and the evaluation of the role of the latter have been considered as necessary especially given the extremely competitive conditions that characterize the UK market. Current Personnel Function of Highway Stores Ltd is based in the firm’s head office in Midlands. Furthermore, the specific department comprises a Personnel Manager, a Personnel Officer and 3 Personnel Administrators. The main duties of the staff include the control of all issues related to the firm’s human resource management except the payroll sector which has been incorporated in the Finance Department. The Personnel Function reports directly to the Legal Director. Another significant problem is created by the fact that there is not a specific provision for the training of the head offices’ personnel (training programs as designed and developed by the Training function involves only the employees of the store network). On the other hand, the Personnel function has not proceeded to the design and implementation of a specific problem-solving procedure but there is a standard internal policy that whenever a problem arises, a guidance is issued. Moreover, the lack of appropriate qualifications of the Personnel staff can be viewed as a severe disadvantage of the specific department while due to this fact, most of the problems arising in the human resources field have to be faced by the only qualified person of the department, its Manager. It’s for this reason that Personnel Manager is not available for his managers whenever his intervention is requested by the  Personnel staff.  

Changes to the Concept of Mass Audience

Changes to the Concept of Mass Audience Is the concept of the mass audience becoming increasingly redundant as new communications technologies such as the internet and interactive tv develop. In order to understand whether the concept of the mass audience is still influential, with regard to new communications such as the internet and interactive TV, one will first need to know the meaning attached to the concept of mass audience theory.   Blumer (1950) argues that mass audience theory can be described in four parts.   Firstly, the mass audience may come from all walks of life, and from all distinguishable social strata; it may include people of different class position, of different vocation, of different cultural attainment, and of different wealth etc. Secondly, the mass is an anonymous group, or more exactly is composed of anonymous individuals (he means anonymous in the sense that unlike the citizens of earlier communities, the people who are members of the mass audience for the media do not know each other).   Thirdly, there exists little interaction or change of experience between members of the mass.   They are usually physically separated from one another, and, being anonymous, do not have the opportunity to mill as do members of the crowd.   Fourth, the mass is very loosely organised and is not able to act with the concertedness or unity of a crowd.   His statement was five years after the second world war.   This was during and after a period when the media was used as propaganda, through films, radio, and poster art that they had attempted to persuade mass audiences to follow their policies, in which to the critics of the time it is not surprising that the media must have seemed like a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, capable of persuading millions to follow evil men.   The concept of the mass audience is essential to our understanding of the media.   It is the public in whose name programs are made and laws are passed.   It is the commodity that supports commercial broadcasting.   It is the arena in which the effects of mass communications are played out.   It is the place where the meanings and pleasures of media use are ultimately realized.   The audience, in short, is the foundation of the media’s economic and cultural power, whereby, without it, the entire enterprise has very little purpose, Webster and Phalen (1997).   The idea of an audience is common to both academic theory and industry practice.   As McQuail (2005) puts it, it is one of the few terms which can be shared without difficulty by media practitioners and theorists alike.   In most cases the audience is conceptualized as a large, loosely connected mass on the receiving end of the media.   In addition to this there are sufficient reasons to wonder whether the term audience is still a useful one, especially as there are so many kinds of use of many different communications media.   The term audience cannot easily be divested of its strong connotation of spectatorship, of rather passive watching and listening.   It is also closely tied in meaning to the reception of some message despite the fact that we know audience behaviour to involve several equally important motives or satisfactions, for example, social togetherness and the pleasures of actual use of a medium, regardless of content.   Despite this, there seems to be no viable alternative term, and so it will be used to cover diverse occasions.   In addition, Livingston (2002) comes to a similar conclusion, noting that no one term can be expected to cover the variety of relationships which now exist between people and the media.   She also adds that what is central is the nature of the relationship, rather than an artificial concept.   With this in mind one will move on to talk about the validity of the concept of the ‘mass audience’ becoming redundant as new communication technologies such as the internet and interactive TV develop.   Now, technology can be said to be one of the greatest challenges to the media in recent years, and one that will intensify further in the 21st century.   Its potential impact on the form and content of media output, the processes through which media messages are produced and consumed, and on the role of the media in society is bound to escalate to a level never seen before.   Such challenges are not new as the history of the mass media is a history of technological development with profound social consequences and implications at every stage.   There are however, strong grounds for believing that contemporary media are undergoing particularly dramatic technologically driven change, heralded by a qualitative new phase in the cultures of advanced capitalism.   This is a time that will be characterized by media interactivity, accessibility and diversity, with new freedoms for the audiences (or the consumer) McNair (1996).   It will also be the era of universally available cyberporn, information overload, and the decline or disappearance of some traditional media.   Cyberporn for example, is one big issue which has prompted some politicians and other interested parties to be pessimistic about the impact of these new technologies on the quality of cultural life.  Ã‚   The internet which is also known as the information superhighway through which information can be passed at an unprecedented rate, is a new medium which is currently having a strong impact on the production and consumption (mass audience) of the media.   The internet links millions of individual users and networks by satellite and cable, offering access to the Worldwide Web mainly used by commercial organizations and Usenet, a network for private individuals organized in to thousands of newsgroups.   These facilities can be used for advertising and promotion (including that of university departments, many of which now have a Web page profiling their activities); for on-line publishing of the type discussed earlier in the discussion of print media; and for communication between individuals by e-mail.   The latter maybe used for the circulation of data by researchers (for example, one could subscribe to a Latin American based services supplying up-to-date information about the Latin American media) or for a two way communication between geographically disparate users with a common interest.   As the internet develops and the infrastructure becomes more sophisticated it has become routine for virtual conversations to take place in cyberspace involving many individuals sending and receiving messages almost as quickly as if they were in the same room.   The power of the internet was first demonstrated during the San Francisco earthquake of January 1994, when it was used to send out the first information about the disaster, beating CNN and other news organizations to the Scoop.   But the significance of the internet for media culture goes beyond that of another leap in the speed of information dissemination.   It constitutes an entirely new medium, harnessing the vast information-handling potential of modern computers, now easily accessible to the mass consumer market as well as the traditional scientific and industrial users, and the distributive power of cable and satellite delivery systems.   The internet presents a further, and to date the most radical dissolution of the barriers of time and space which have constrained human communication since after the Second World War.   Speculation about what the Internet will do for and to human society abounds.   From one perspective, which we might describe as utopian; the Internet does indeed herald the emergence of a true global village, a benign virtual community accessible to anyone with a computer terminal and a knowledge of how to use it.   This perspective stresses the accessibility and interactivity of the new medium; the fact that it allows ordinary people to communicate across continents at the pressing of a return key on the keyboard of the computer, at relatively low cost (by comparison with telephone and fax), on all different types of issues and subjects.   The internet is not owned by any state or multinational company, and no state or company can control its use.   The internet’s relative freedom from the commercial and political constraints which have accompanied all previous communicative media, combined with its accessibility and interactivity, censorship, regulation, and commercialization like no other.   Another view is to see the internet as the latest in a long line of dehumanizing technological developments, producing a population of computer-nerds who, if they are not watching TV or fiddling with their play stations, are addictively surfing the Net.   The internet can be said to encourage not communication but isolation, in which one talks not to real people, but disembodied screens.   In addition to this, the cost of buying and owning a PC or laptop is rather expensive for countries whose economies are still developing.   Most people in these countries would not be able to afford to buy and own a PC or a lap top.   Hence, although it is a very useful medium used by people in the developed countries, it will take sometime before a more than average percentage of the general populis becomes aware of the major advantages of the use of the internet.   In most counties in the UK for example, there are libraries that provide free internet services for certain duration of time.   However, most people tend to use the internet for personalized e-mail services and searching for items and services.   These are not accessible through the traditional forms of the media (i.e. newspapers, brochures, etc).   Concerns about the implications of the internet are often based on a fear of its anarchic, uncontrollable character, precisely the qualities welcomed by its most enthusiastic advocates.   The internet, it is argued, provides an uncensorable platform for the dissemination of all kinds of antisocial messages.   For example, in the US newsgroups are devoted to the propaganda of extreme right-wing, pro-gun militias.   Cyberporn as earlier mentioned is also cited, particularly in relation to children and young people.   In July 1995, Time magazine devoted the bulk of an issue, and its cover, to the problem of cyberporn Elmer-Dewitt (1995).   The cover depicted a young boy, face reflecting the green light of a computer terminal, his eyes wide open with ama zement.   The article warned that Usenet and Worldwide Web networks were being used to distribute pornography all over the world, including as the cover illustration made clear to children and young adults.   The material being distributed was of the most extreme kind.   Rimm (1995) argues that computers and modems are profoundly redefining the pornographic landscape by saturating the market with an endless variety of what only a decade ago mainstream America defined as perverse or deviant.   Cyberporn does illustrate the threat posed by the internet, as seen by some.   To a greater extent than is true with traditional forms of disseminating pornography to the mass audience (and this applies to all morally or legally sanctioned information), the internet permits a private mode of consumption (no need for guilty browsing among the top shelves); it is user-friendly, allowing a high degree of selection and choice for anyone familiar with the system; and it is free of censorship, respecting no community standards or national boundaries.   As McNair (1996) puts it, traditional means of regulating and restricting pornography are useless on the Net.   And as children and young people are known to be among the most frequent and adept users of the Internet, cyberporn thus emerges as a serious threat to new generations.   Moral chaos and anarchy without the control of legislators does harbour information overload which acknowledges the inherent difficulty in imposing traditional constraints on the medium.   The key issue here is whether the internet i s a print medium, which enjoys strong protection against government interference, or a broadcast medium which enjoys strong protection against government interference, or a broadcast medium, which enjoys strong protection against government interference, or a broadcast medium, which may be subject to all sorts of government interference, or a broadcast medium, which may be subject to all sorts of government control Elmer Dewitt (1995).   The internet is neither print nor broadcasting, but a qualitatively new medium, to which conventional means of exerting control are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to apply.   It still remains to be seen if the global community (and it would have to be a genuinely global effort) can agree on standards of taste and decency for the Internet which are both enforceable and acceptable to the growing population of users.   According to the BBC (2004), new technologies and services are increasing the choice available to audiences and transferring power from schedulers and broadcasters.   Public sector broadcasting (PSB) providers will have to work much harder in future to persuade audiences to access their material and build brands across a variety of platforms.   They also add that fragmentation of audiences and the growth of digital television are posing new challenges for public service broadcasters.   BBC (2004) do suggest that changes in technology are also creating new and potentially more effective ways of meeting the needs of audiences in the nations, regions and localities.   The BBC also accepts a responsibility to explore partnerships with ot her broadcasters designed to sustain the wider PSB ecology.   The BBC is currently engaged in discussions with Channel 4 about a number of potential areas of co-operation.   These range from sharing R D and technology advances in new media services, through co-operating on international distribution, to options for pooling technical infrastructure, back-office functions and training.   In the same response by the BBC they argue that there is mounting evidence that regional television may be insufficiently local to meet the needs of some communities, having been hindered for decades by technology, topography and patterns of transmitters.   This response by the BBC to Ofcoms review also states that many viewers would prefer more local news to the current model of regional provision.   In their view, it is important to consider new ways of harnessing digital TV technology and broadband distribution, rather than simply replicating the traditional model of regional opt-outs.   McQuail, Blumler and Brown (1972) published results of research into the goals served by media use, not for society, but for media users.   They assumed media and content choice to be rational and directed to specific goals and satisfactions.   Audience members are conscious of the fact that they make choices.   In general these choices, or personal utility as McQuail calls it, are a more significant determinant of audience formation than aesthetic or cultural factors.   All these factors they assumed could be measured.   They do, offer an explanation of media-person interaction, which lists: diversion, personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance (or information seeking) goals.   McQuail in general was critical of this with regard to his earlier work and suggests that social origins and ongoing experience are important in understanding audience and media relations, which fell outside the initial behaviourist and functionalist leanings of the research.   These however are not so easily measured.   Social origins, any person’s class background, for example, can be translated into quantit ative terms (as more or less formal and informal schooling), but ongoing experience may, for any one person, take a multitude of forms that need not even relate directly to one another: from what one learns from an individual film or article in a magazine, to witnessing everyday racism or parental neglect in the street, to boredom doing a job that has seemed so exciting.   Theoretically, uses and gratifications never really develops.   It is impossible to establish whether uses indeed precede gratifications in time, or whether gratifications are legitimized by inventing uses.   If the latter is the case, the uses and gratifications model cannot free us from the dominant paradigm: we are still seduced by the media, to such an extent even that we invent needs for what is basically imposed on us by capitalism (commercial media) or paternalist nation-state (PSB).   It is also important to stress that gratificationist research as it has also been called, was not initially understood to be a mainstream or conservative approach to media and society.   On the contrary, it appeared to break with a tradition of only looking at effects (mass communication research) or at texts (such as the film criticism of the British journal Screen) in order to conclude something about audiences.   Gratifications research at least asked people and made them part of the media meaning society equation.   It is only when gratificationaist research is used as a spearhead in debates about the possible convergence of quantitative and qualitative traditions in media research (the first seen as conservative and mainstream, the second as its challenger), that media critics such as Ang (1989) offer a strong defence of ethnographic method against individualistic quantitative research and of taking a closer look at what we mean by the term active audience.   Ang (1989) argue that it is basically impossible to bring the two traditions in mass communication research together.   The social scientists who work with quantitative method in uses and gratifications research and have here been labelled mainstream may superficially be seen to use the same terms the critical researchers use, but this does not mean that the two have consensus over the way in which the object of study needs to be conceptualized, or infact over the goals and aims of science or social research as an enterprise. CONCLUSION One can conclude here that neither the optimistic nor pessimistic views described above represent a realistic appraisal of the Internet’s significance for media culture.   Certainly, as the utopian perspective asserts, the internet permits a qualitatively new level of communication between human beings, and hitherto unimagined access to all kinds of information.   But the resulting global village can be no more benign than the individuals who use it, and the materials sent down its superhighways and byways.   The Internet, like all previous developments in communication technology is destined to reflect the best and the worst that humanity has to offer.   It will continue to evade state censorship and arbitrary moral regulation, undeniably a good thing, but it will certainly be subject to a creeping commercialization, as its economic potential becomes clear in which the mass audience will play a major role in this revolution.   This process has already beg un, and will accelerate in the twenty-first century.   One will also add that successive waves of information revolution from the invention of the printing press to film and television, and now cyberspace have each presented problems of control and regulation for legislators in the UK and around the world, problems of adaptation and restructuring for the media industries; new challenges and temptations for audiences. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Ang, I., (1989), Wanting audiences, On the politics of empirical audience research, in E. Seiter, H. Borchers, G. Kreutzner and E. Warth (eds) Remote Control, Television, Audiences and Cultural Power, London:   Routledge, pp. 79 – 95. Blumer, H., (1950), Audiences and Media Effects, An introduction. Briggs, A., and Cobley, P., (2002), The Media:   An Introduction, 2nd edition, Pearson Longman. BBC (2004), Ofcom review of public service television broadcasting – Phase 2 Report, November, A BBC Response. Berger, A.A., (1995), Essentials of Mass Communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elmer-Dewitt, P., (1995), On a screen near you: cyberporn, Time, July. Hay, J., Grossberg, L., and Wartella, E., (1996), The audience and its landscape. Livingston, S., (2002), Young people and New media, London: Sage. McNair, B., (1996), Mediated Sex, London: Arnold. McQuail, D., (2005), Mass communication theory. McQuail, D., Blumler, J., and Brown, J., (1972), The television audience, a revised perspective, in D. McQuail (ed.), Sociology of Mass Communication, Harmondsworth:   Penguin, pp. 135 – 165. Rimm, M., (1995), Marketing pornorgraphy on the information superhighway, (on-line version), first published in George town Law Journal Spring. Whelan, P., and Webster, J.G., (1997), The mass audience:   Rediscovering the dominant model. www.ofcom.org.uk

The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay -- Papers Stero

The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Is the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports dangerous? To what degree do these drugs really enhance strength, size, training ability, and muscular performance? Not only are the answers to these questions still unclear, they are the subjects of deep controversy. In order to understand why we are confronted with the problem of performance-enhancing drug use in athletics today, we must look at the history of the development of anabolic steroids: a group of powerful synthetic chemical compounds that resemble the natural male sex hormones (Schwarzenneger 722). Anabolic steroids were first developed in the 1930's as a therapeutic drug to treat growth hormone replacement in deficient children, menopausal symptoms, impotence, and the retardation of the effects of aging by stimulating the rate of synthesis of protein molecules (Biology 121 Web Project 1). These steroids are a simulated testosterone hormone of the ?steroid hormone? group. The steroid hormones (which are also produced naturally) are synthesized from cholesterol. Most simply understood, the hormones function by passing from the blood stream into individual cells where they bind to a receptor and activate certain genes that cause the production of a protein, especially muscle proteins (et. al.). By the late 1940?s, bodybuilders had discovered the effects of testosterone as a means to stimulate muscle growth and to make themselves train with more intensity and aggression (Schwarzenneger 723). In 1953, the first truly synthetic anabolic steroid was developed, having a strength-building effect three to five times higher than testosterone. From bodybuilders to other athletes, steroid use quickly gaine... ... in Sports: Side Effects and Links.? Biology 121 Web Project/Anabolic Steroids. 9 Nov. 2000. 6 Nov. 2000 *http://www.people.virginia.edu/ abs9f/*. Meoreira de Araujo, Mario Cesar and Marcelo R. Facio. ?The Use of Anabolic/Androgenic Steroids by Athletes.? Use of Anabolic/Androgenic Steroids by Athletes MEDSTUDENTS-SPC. 9 Nov. 2000. 6 Nov. 2000 *http://www.medstudents.com.br/sport2.htm*. Schwarzenegger, Arnold. Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987. Vecsey, George. ?The Real Goal is Protecting the Children.? The New York Times 17 Sept. 2000, col. Sports of the Times: 1-3. 18 Sept. 2000 *http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?TS=969323324&RQT=309&CC=1&Dtp=1&Did=000000060561967&Mtd=1&Fmt=*.

Literature Review on Marketing Essay

This part of the thesis deals with the research and critical comments on various literatures related with the marketing activities that can be implemented by a firm to improve their business performance. Marketing Strategy: According to Ferrell and Hartline (2010) Marketing Strategy is both art and science where the firm finds or plans ways to deliver their value by fulfilling the needs & wants of their potential customers. This helps in determining the marketing mix and analyzing the competitive advantage of the firm by implementing and presenting new ideas so as to satisfy their customers. Employing strategies helps in increasing the level of sales by branding, advertising & promotion. So as per the authors (Ferrell& Hartline, 2010) the points that are to be taken under consideration by a firm to properly establish a marketing strategy are discussed below: Firstly, a proper marketing plan is to be established as it helps in providing the necessary detailed outline to carry out the marketing program for a firm. As per the authors ,the marketing plan is not at all similar to a business plan; but a business plan contains a marketing plan along with financial, capital and human resource. Therefore, the core means to accomplish the desired goals & objectives of an organisation’s marketing strategy is through its well defined marketing plan. Secondly, a firm must aim in seeking marketing opportunities available by collecting and analyzing the information. The technique used for data collection& analysis is through situation analysis; which is a process of data collection that describes the current& future issues & trends that can have an effect on the internal, customer, external environments respectively (Ferrell& Hartline, 2010). This helps in making the strategy by identifying the environment of the business is dealing in and analyze whether the plan will be beneficiary or not before implementation. Then, a Marketing expansion is to be made by identifying in the best interest of the their customers using marketing tools like segmentation & targeting and this can be calculated by identifying the customers buying process because it will help the managers in rea lizing who are their customers & what exactly do the customers want (Ferrell& Hartline, 2010). Finally, the firm has to implement the plan but must execute certain  activities to increase employee motivation and commitment in achieving the desired goals and objectives effectively by controlling & evaluating the marketing strategy as per the plan proposed. Therefore, implementation of marketing strategy is incomplete without a control mechanism (Ferrell& Hartline, 2010). The key in effective strategic controlling is by maintain an appropriate communication system and the managers must make business decisions as per the interest of the organisation and its customers. Thus, marketing strategy is a never ending process making it important for the managers to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the plan that has being implemented for future benefits as it can allow the firm to concentrate on its limited available resources & seek their opportunities to increase sales and achieve a competitive edge. By this we can say that strategy plays a key role for a company to be successful in a way that can obtain benefit against its competitors. Analysis of the environment: According to Richard Lynch (2006), analysis of the business environment for an organisation is certainly an important part for this report, as in a much broader sense it helps to describe everything and everyone outside the firm. This includes customers, competitors, suppliers, distributors, government and social Institutions. The following will briefly explain about few marketing analysis that are to be considered for gaining a competitive advantage. The Strategic Analysis is a part of the environmental analysis that contributes in strategically analyzing of the environment by firstly, measuring the Market Size which will enable a firm in assisting and developing a strategy task, then the Market Growth for comprehending how much the market has grown over the years as the growth mainly relates to the organisation’s objectives & lastly, the Market Share to realize how much portion does the firm consume & take benefit within the market in comparison with its major competitors (L ynch, 2006). But for this to be applied the market must first be defined properly meaning the company must realise exactly in which particular market or markets it is entering. The PESTEL Analysis basically defines the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental & Legal factors that can affect the firm as it offers a  valuable starting point of the overall environment surrounding an organisation (Lynch, 2006). Though the PESTEL analysis is depend on past events and experience, but the analysis can be used as a forecast of the future by the managers. Although, this analysis is effective but must be updated on a regular basis as over time the lifestyles, regulations, culture and technology keeps on changing. The Degree of turbulence at the general level of environmental analysis considers the basic conditions surrounding the organisation (Lynch, 2006). Special attention needs to be directed to the nature and strength of the forces driving the change in the dynamics of the environment and the environmental forces that immediate the organisation can be measured according to firstly the Changeability which is the degree of the environment that is likely to change & the Predictability which is the degree of those changes that can be predicted. Lastly, the managers of an organisation must determine the Key Factors of success that helps the organisation in achieving their main goals & objectives as the resources, skills and attributes of an organisation that are vital to bring success in the market place (Lynch, 2006). Usually calculating & measuring the environmental analysis mentioned by the author Lynch; takes a lot of time & money of the company in determining the industry market by statistical tools which is not accurate making it risky & also based on the external factors that keeps on changing making it difficult for every firm to apply the analysis up to its full potential. But, still using Environmental Analysis helps the managers in making effective business & marketing decisions by determining the market industry in which the organisation deals in & identifying the essentials parts that are worth exploring to recognize the success that the firm has by gaining potential for customer satisfaction & differentiating itself from its competitors. The Analysis of the Industry’s Competitive Strategy: Competitiveness of a firm is its capability to achieve its targets. These targets are likely to be conveyed in a range of position depending on the context (Barney 2002). From abusiness perspective, a competitive firm requires to survive in the market and achieve the desired market share and  profitability. The success of a competitive firm can be calculated by obtaining their current position in the defined market. According to Michael E. Porter’s (1985), the best model in realizing a firm’s current situation is by Porter’s five forces model. This identifies the competitive strategy that an operating business has & aims at defeating its rival companies. According to Porter (1985), the guidelines of rivalry are characterized into â€Å"five competitive forces†. These competitive forces are entry to the new competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, and rivalry among the existing competitors. Porter (198 5) further explains that the industry arrangement is reasonably stable, but can altered over time as the industry progresses, and the strong points of these competitive forces varies from one industry to another. Based on this model there’s ahelp in analyzing the bargaining power of buyer’s which willeffect the price that a firm can charge.The power of suppliers defines the costs of raw materials; the intensity of rivalry influences prices of competing. The threat of entry places a boundary on prices, and outlines the investment vital to put offnew competitors; Threats from substitutes usually pose a threat whenever there is a technological or low-cost breakthrough. Chaffey (2002) supports Porter’s model forces as it still provides a useable framework for studyingthe threats arising. The value of Porter’s model enables managers to think about the current industry that is in a structured and easy-to-understand system for further analysis. But, the above model’s framework is fundamentally fixed, while the competitive environment in general is constantly changing and it does not apply to a nonprofit type of organisation (Lynch, 2006). It also assumes that the buyers have no major significance than the aspect of the micro-environment; But the customer are always considered to be more important than other aspects of competitive strategy development process. Thus in order to solve these issues the SWOT analysis can be implemented (Lynch, 2006). As the SWOT analysis determines the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for a firm with in the environment it operates. Even though the model has been questioned with few critical remarks but for the managers of any major firm this model still demonstrates to be a useful for a competitive strategic analysis within the industry. So, there is no doubt that this is the best model that aims at defeating the major competitors in the market. Customer Relationship Analysis: According to Nigel Hill, Greg Roche & Rachel Allen (2007), Customer Satisfaction is all about how a firm succeeds in maintaining their customers as top of their agenda. This further identifies the 3r’s of customer loyalty which are Retention, Related Sales & Referrals. The 3r’s are basically the customer’s behavior that must staying longer, chose to use more of the services/products by a firm. This can be further useful by helping in noticing the customers Attitudes & Behavior towards the firm and prove to be effective for the firm’s achievement of their goals in satisfying their customers. Thus, to improve customer satisfaction organisation’s should focus on its resources on areas where they are least meeting the essential of their customer requirements. But as per the authors (Hill, Roche& Allen, 2007) ‘The profitability of customers increases the longer you keep them’ meaning is that the value of a customer typically increases over time by identifying a customer lifetime value by the following points. An Acquisition is a process of acquiring customers occurs wholly in the first year with a functioning business organisation i.e. before & just after becoming a customer. The Base Profit is the difference between sales revenue earned by a particular good or service and the cost to produce or provide that good or service. The Revenue growth will increase when the customers are satisfied as a satisfied customer have a tendency to buy or use more of the firm’s products or services. Customer satisfaction also leads to Cost Savings as long term customers will cost lesser in providing services as they became familiar with the organisation’s techniques & are more likely to get what they expect. In Referrals a highly satisfied customers will recommend and even applaud the product or service to their family & friends which thus brings more customer by eliminating the cost of acquisition of a customer. The long term customers who are satisfied with what the organisation has to offer will be also ready to pay a Price Premium meaning a higher price since they trust the product or service which results in adding value of the firm. According to Lynch (2006) The Internal Analysis is very crucial as it adds further value for an organisation which in turn is beneficiary for them if they take time in analyzing their business performance through which they can improve the overall customer satisfactory level. Hencethe firm must make in-depth analysis of their departments to determine which areas are to be immediately improved. Overall, it is very important & a responsibility of an organisation to establish a well refined relationship with their customer in such a way that satisfies them and results in earning more profits & establishing a competitive edge on a long term basis. The Market Segmentation: According to Sally Dibb & Lyndon Simki (1996), the market segmentation aims to identify groups of customers with similar needs and then the firm tries to select their segments by targeting thus determining how to position their products/services that helps to appeal in the targeted market of a region. This over all helps the firm in realizing which type of consumers are there and whether they prefer or like the services/products that the firm has to offer and this can be measured by making a research and getting at most possible feedback from the existing customers. The Segmentation process of a market segmentation comprises of three diverse portions namely Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning. It is very important to fully understand how different can the markets be segmented before making a final decision. It is clear that there are three points in the process at which assistance is defiantly necessary. As there is a need to recognize the categories of factors that will contribute to a positive result. During the analysis, it is important to create the qualities that emerging segments display. After the segmentation output has been confirmed, direction is needed for the criteria to review the desirability of the different segments. (Dibb & Simki, 1996) The most commonly used way is arranged in few steps, that tells that segments should exhibit measurability, so that segment size and  prospective can be measured; substantiality, so that the segments are sizeable to be profitable; accessibility, to reach the customers in the segments; actionability, letting segments to assist successfully with marketing programmes and lastly; stability, so that resources can be safely financed (Kotler, 1994). This is clearly aimed at managers during the segmentation process, as it shows features that are in contradiction to emerging segments that can be matched. The problem concerning with market segmentation compared to the authors comments (Dibb & Simki, 1996) is the fact that marketers sometimes fail to produce a usable segmentation answer as it is very difficult for them to analysis information that is constantly changing making the data material collected not precise. On top of that, this analysis is mainly based on statistical information which is at certain point difficult to calculate accurate information as statistical data are also based on the closest assumption value. The Marketing Mix also plays an important role as it identifies the product/service of an organisation, then determine at what price to sell the goods and services, later defines the place which is suitable for production and announce effective promotion methods to bring more customers (Hill, Roche& Allen, 2007). In order to obtain market segmentation success the managers should become critical about the quality of information they are receiving as it plays a vital role for implementing a marketing strategy by questioning the source of data and considering when it was collected. The method of data collection should be correct, durable and must be up-to-date as soon as possible. Marketing ethics: As per Bodo B. Schlegelmilch (1998), marketing ethics is an ethical dilemma that deals with relating the marketing function. The ethical issues usually arise in marketing situations for a firm. This part thus relates to how a firm should make ethical marketing decisions to obtain the satisfaction of the society & must focus on the ethical issues that connect with analyzing the market opportunities that are available. Marketing has been criticized for hurting the interest of customers, society and the environment in the presentation of the marketing mix by stimulating societal moral decay, endorsing materialism and affecting the environment. â€Å"Marketing ethics is thus alarmed with the moral principles and values which guide the marketing  decisions and activities in an ethical manner† (Jobber, 2010). The assistance of both the primary stakeholders (Customers, Employees, Suppliers, Shareholder & other investors) & secondary stakeholders (Media, Special-Interest Groups & Go vernment Institutions) is important to support the ethical activities of marketing practices (Schlegelmilch, 1998). But the most important factor for the reason that ethics are to be considered by the marketing managers are so to satisfy their organisation customers and employees (Schlegelmilch, 1998) as the customers are the people who buys the goods & service which runs the business & employees are those people that works for the company and are determined by their attitudes towards the jobs to keep the business running as well. While all other factors are directly or indirectly related with these two factors making it utmost important to satisfy them so as to achieve the desired goals & objectives. The Marketing activities has an impact on the society and the environment as a whole. Therefore the managers of the organisation should behave responsibly within the best interest of those who will be affected. In conclusion, marketing ethics is an important factor to be considered, despite the challenges and uncertainty a company faces with its applications. Conclusion This chapter presents the theoretical background of the major areas for marketing techniques of the research. The aimis to review the critical points of current knowledge including substantive findings on marketing techniques for theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topicas the reviews are secondary sources and do not require any new or original experimental work.

The Impact of E

The Impact of E Abstract Background: Traditional ways of doing business are changing. More efficient ways of doing business are coming up as a result of transformation in communication technologies. Advancement in information technologies has brought about the internet which is an efficient electronic tool of communication. With the internet, there has been the development of e-commerce which has totally transformed business.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of E-Commerce Technologies on Business Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Aims: There are voluminous benefits of e-commerce with some few constraints. This paper looks into e-commerce: the rate at which it has been adopted in business, its benefits and challenges. Method: This paper looked into different aspects of e-commerce especially so in business organizations. Data about e-commerce, its adoption in business and how it is changing business was gathered fro m different sources more so the latest academic journals and books. From the data, findings and conclusions were derived. Results: From all the data and literature collected it was evident that e-commerce is the way to go in business because. E-commerce has revitalized and paced up the rate at which business transactions take place. A few challenges of adopting e-commerce were also identified in the literature. Conclusion: The findings in this research are important and can act as motivators for businesses which have not fully incorporated e-commerce business practices. The conclusion is drawn from literature and highlights the areas of importance. Major points are noted here. Introduction The world has witnessed major development in the communication technology sector. These developments have affected virtually all aspects of the society. The advancement in the communication technology witnessed the advent of the World Wide Web. A lot of developments have further been noted in the World Wide Web. All this can be described as a process or a journey that began in the early years of the 20th century. The web has been structured so that it could capture different needs in business. Traditional business was facing many challenges. One of the main challenges of early commerce is that it entirely depended on the manual transactions. These transactions were slower, inefficient and pegged on physical proximity of business people.Advertising Looking for essay on essay? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the second half of the 20th century, the development of the internet and the worldwide web gained momentum. It pace of growth accelerated. Though many advanced business firms had already began using the internet or web services in transacting, it is at this time that many businesses began gaining the real sense of e-commerce in business enhancement (Ching and Ellis, 2004). Therefore, many firms began mak ing efforts to connect and export their businesses to the internet and the World Wide Web. Firms began realizing the benefits of the web service. However, this was met with various bottlenecks as it is common with new technologies. The benefits of e-commerce continued to take root in business as a significant number of people were absorbed into using the e-web services or the internet. E-commerce can be defined as a process through which products are bought and sold using the electronic data transmission services. These services are found on the internet and the worldwide web. There is a broad range of e-commerce activities. Among them is an online shopping, online retailing, e-selling and purchasing, e-procurement, e-travelling, online banking electronic payment of online services and online investment (Grandona and Pearson, 2004). As it is today, the use of the internet has spread world over with more than a billion people being active users of the internet. The internet has becom e a lifestyle for most people and even organizations. It would be unreasonable for any person to argue that the web has not revolutionized business as this is too obvious and evident in different business sectors. E-commerce is used in different kinds of business: both products-centered and service-oriented businesses. With the help of e-commerce technologies and services, business firms have been able to form and expand their customer bases. Customers can also easily access business products and services. Therefore, e-commerce has a positive impact in business. This is because it acts to promote business excellence and performance (McIvor, Humphreys and Huang, 2001). This paper thus assesses the level of e-commerce use within businesses and the benefits and setbacks associated with e-commerce implementation and use in business firms. Literature Review E-commerce activities There are different types of e-commerce services most of which aim at accelerating the pace of service deliver y and enhancing efficiency and effectiveness while delivering services. The first e-commerce service is the business-to-consumer (B2C). In such services, organizations seek to use e-technologies to reach their customers or consumers in a more expansive way. We also have business-to-business e-commerce services (B2B). This takes place in the transaction between different firms. B2B services are used in business development as organizations work with others to maximize on business functions. A firm may be working with another supplier organization or the industry from where it gets some of its supplies or where it takes supplies. The working between and among these organizations can be enhanced if the organization opts to adopt B2B services. This will only be effective when both organizations are using e-services.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of E-Commerce Technologies on Business Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consumer to consumer C2C is another e-service. This mostly happens in internet auctions and classified advertisements. C2C selling is common in a number of countries where buying and selling takes place on auctions sites with auctions being conducted by intermediary firms like e-Bay (Rainer Cegielski, 2011). Business-to-employee (B2E) services are used for enhancing the relationship between the organization and its workforce. The organization uses e-commerce to give information and provide services to the employees. Through E-services, employees are enabled to manage the benefits from the organization. Employees are also allowed to take classes electronically. The access and transacting of the business of the organization becomes easier due to easy access to information and other services. B2E is used in human resource management to improve employee-management relationships in the organization. It improves organizational delivery (Rainer Cegielski, 2011). Lastl y, there is the e-governance, which is the incorporation of e-commerce in public administration. Governments are continuing to adopt e-commerce strategies in public services. This is aimed at making the public service efficient and speeding up public transactions. When the delivery of public services is improved the business environment is greatly improved. The public service is the major determiner of the business atmosphere and environment in any given nation. They give supportive services to both public and private enterprises (Cui, Zhang, Zhang and Huang, 2006). Applying e-commerce in technical firms In the past two decades, there has been a change in the application of e-commerce in business. E-commerce application in firms has been shifting from its earlier focus on technology to focus on technology users. Therefore, e-commerce has become identified in communication and strategies as well as the general business practices. E-commerce helps in the exchange of information and ea ses the execution of business transactions between individuals and enterprises. E-commerce enables firms to adopt electronic communication practices in business processes via the Electronic Data Interchange. E-commerce has found a very soft ground especially in technology intensive industries like the Pharmaceutical industry.Advertising Looking for essay on essay? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Such industries utilize high levels of technology thus e-commerce services will easily blend with the practices in these industries boosting the rate of transactions. For firms in these industries to perform well and sustain their growth, as well as gain competitive advantage over other firms, they must adapt and implement innovative technologies. E-commerce is one of these required technologies as it gives firms in the industry an enhanced mode of transacting. E-commerce has far-reaching positive effects when applied on a business-to-business basis. An example is when different enterprises within the industry converges with the aim of consulting on processes and crafting key decisions on products such as clinical development and test of drugs, marketing and sales, people management and drug innovation among others. E-commerce is synchronized with the corporate strategies of firms which bring significant value in firms and the industry at large. The value created has positive implic ation on both products and processes in the firms (Kanungo, 2004). Factors influencing e-commerce adoption in different regions Zhu Thatcher (2010) observed that the rate of use of e-commerce differs in different regions and different countries of the world because of the varied features inherent in these countries or regions. Different countries have different levels of technological infrastructure, which affect the adoption of e-commerce. Research has ascertained that e-commerce adoption has three main perspectives which determine its application in business. These are environmental, firm and technology perspectives. Under the environmental perspective, there are three main areas of focus. These are the economic, institutional and the social cultural environment. All the three environments have forces which affect e-commerce adoption, implementation and enforcement. On the other hand, the firm perspective has its forces that include the corporate strategy of the firm, managerial attitudes, globalization and external pressures. There is also the technological perspective which entails the macro technology environment and the technical strengths of the firm applying the technology. Further research showed that these perspectives affect different organizations differently. An organization may have a full grasp of one perspective and yet lack the others. This will still hinder the firm in developing e-commerce practices. The three perspectives are interactive thence a lapse or weakness in any end up influencing the entire process of ecommerce adoption (Li Xie, 2012). Studies that were conducted in Singapore in the year 2003 showed that Singapore was well prepared as far as the development and use of e-commerce technologies was concerned. Singapore was noted as having certain and unique features such as efficient telecommunication and transport infrastructure, transparent financial and legal structures, and a very affluent population that has well-articulated m ulticultural links. The population uses the English language as a common language in communication (Li Xie, 2012). The table below is a summary of research which was conducted by different scholars in different times and regions to ascertain factors which influence the adoption of e-commerce. Author and year Scope of analysis Influencing factors RodrÄ ±Ã‚ ´guez-Ardura and Meseguer-Artola (2010) Spain Non-technological external factors Technological external factors Non-technological internal factors Technological internal factors Shih (2008) Taiwan Pressure from customers, suppliers and competitors Kshetri (2007) Developing countries Economic factors Sociopolitical factors Cognitive factors Ho et al. (2007) 17 European countries Internet penetration Telecommunication investment intensity Education level Regional contagion Hong and Zhu (2006) America and Canada Technology innovation Web spending Web functionalities Partner use Molla and Licker (2005) South Africa Per ceived organizational e-readiness Perceived environmental e-readiness Brousseau (2003) France Early adoption of Minitel and EDI Macroeconomic climate Distribution channels Wong (2003) Singapore Demographic structure Physical infrastructure Human resources Financial and legal institutions E-commerce policy initiatives Figure 1.0 factors influencing e-commerce adoption. Source: (Li Xie, 2012). From the data in the table it is noted that different regions and countries are affected by different factors. The level of development is a major boosting factor for e-commerce adoption. Application of e-commerce using appropriate models According to Lee and Kim (2007), the use of e-commerce by business firms is considered to be of a big advantage. It is seen as one way through which business organizations can remain competitive thence relevant in the prevailing business environment. Just like it would be for any venture, there are considerations that have to be adhered to prior to the initiation of e-commerce in business. There are different models, which can be followed in initiating e-commerce by firms. Most of the models of e-commerce application show that e-commerce is beneficial to business organizations. Research has shown that most e-commerce initiatives in the business end up either failing or not achieving full results. Also, these initiatives exploit all the potential due to poor or mal-planning that goes into the initiative. Different models of e-commerce have been developed due to this fact. This could bear enhanced results if they are used by organizations prior to the acquisition and implementation of e-commerce. Most models of e-commerce ignore the planning aspect. Therefore, it will be beneficial if firms in their prior stages of e-commerce adoption focus on e-commerce planning models. These will give a good background for the organization eliminating gaps that are often inherent in the implementation phase (Kao and Decou, 2003). Benefits of e-com merce in supply chain management Firms across the world are being forced to reinvent the relations with their customers and suppliers by way of adding value to the relations at a minimized cost. This is due to the demands of the economy. Therefore, research shows that many firms are adopting integrated global business models which end up further complicating their supply chains (Mora-Monge, 2010). Therefore, companies are embracing information technology to help them in minimizing the impact of the complicated supply chains. They help in optimizing supply chains. Companies use B2B e-commerce transactions as evidenced in recent research (Crespo and Bosque, 2008). E-commerce has a profound effect on supply chain. E-commerce has been found to pace up the rate of performance of many supply chains across different firms. This is evident in the findings of an empirical study by Hong, Tran, and Park (2010) titled â€Å"Electronic commerce applications for supply chain integration and comp etitive capabilities’. This research has its foundation in the resource based view theory. A model was developed by the authors and then tested using a total of 711 sample companies (IMSS IV). These firms were located in 20 different countries across the globe. The results showed the importance of two specific electronic technologies – Internet based communication and technologies and EDI for integrating supplier and consumer functions. The results revealed that supplier and customer chains can be enhanced by using selected forms of information and communication technologies in business (Hong, Tran and Park, 2010). E-commerce is quite beneficial to buyer seller relationships. It speeds up buyer-sellers transactions through what is called comparison shopping. Customers are able to compare prices of a big range of commodities quickly. These commodities are found on sales and advertising sites. Such sites are synonymous with certain industries for instance the automobile, air travel and insurance. E-commerce also cuts down the cost of business and raises competitiveness. The consumers will get to enjoy the services being provides on sites by firms competing. They are likely to get products at reduced prices. For the business firms, they will only undergo the initial cost of establishing internet and other e-commerce enablement tools. One this is established, the firms will experience reduced costs of the transactions that they make (Rob and Coronel, 2009). Benefits of e-procurement Quesada, Gonzalez, Muller and Muller conducted a research in the year 2010 titled Impact of e-procurement on procurement practices and performance. They wanted to establish the correlation between the usage of e- procurement technology, practices and their effect on procurement performance. They used a model which was derived from other researches. The model was tested using 368 procurement specialists as a sample. All the specialists came from the United States. The find ings of this research indicated that procurement practices and e-procurement technology had a positive effect when applied in business firms. The findings also showed that there was a high rate of adoption of e-procurement services in business for a majority of the companies that were surveyed. This suggests that a significant number of companies should buy into the usage of e-procurement technologies. This is a good way of improving the collection of information, contacting suppliers and conducting intelligence and analysis exercises (Quesada, Gonzlez, Mueller and Mueller, 2010). The support for e-commerce E-commerce can be applied in both large firms or even in the Small and Medium Enterprises. SMEs can maximize the potential of their firms when they opt to use e-commerce. E-commerce can lead to the reduction in business coats for small businesses. These costs include the establishment of offices and other operational costs. Notably, the cost incurred in establishing a single stor e is almost similar to that of setting up a fully functional e-commerce web for a small business. However, e-commerce has more benefits when compared to the storefront. E-commerce will help the business to reach a significant number of customers. This is the main aim of any business venture. Once a substantial number of customers are reached, the business will be able to attain increased sales. The new customers will be likely to demand goods and services of the company once they are reached and are able to learn about the products of the company. The firm becomes more open to opportunities for instance up-selling and cross-selling (Thanasankit, 2002). The other aspect which makes e-commerce to be more relevant and important in business is convenience. Online services are always available and can be accessed by the online shoppers at any time. These services can also be accessed from any place by the shoppers. Therefore, business remains active all the time (Rob and Coronel, 2009). Business to business procurement services yields about 5 trillion US dollars each year. This was as at 2000. This is the total figure globally. This has been growing with time. An estimation made by the Boston consulting group showed that, in the US, business conducted transactions worth about $2 trillion in the business-to-business purchase. These transactions were done using the internet. They were transacted as at the end of the year 2003. Business-to-business transactions are increasing with the explosion of internet usage and the growth of e-commerce. While business-to-business transactions have a positive impact on the growth of business, a lot of focus has only been paid to the large firms that are conducting such transactions. Small firms also conduct such transactions but they end up being left out in the overall statistics (Mullane, Peters and Bullington, 2001). Schlenker and Crocker (2003) found out that there are real benefits of applying e-commerce in small businesses. There is a major problem that has prevented the application of e-commerce in small business firms. This is because the staffs of these firms have a notion that e-services are expensive. They are thus reluctant releasing resources which would help in applying such services in the firms. These services have to be supported by the senior staffs that are well aware of the benefits of reducing business costs by way of embracing e-commerce (Caskey and Subirana, 2007). Conclusion Literature has revealed that e-commerce is a quite old phenomenon. However, its comprehensive or wide usage is a recent phenomenon. E-commerce gained prominence from the late 20th century when there was a revolution in the use of the internet and the worldwide web as a result of the revolution in information and communication technologies. E-commerce has gained roots in business especially so from the beginning of the 20th century. E-commerce has become one of the fashions of doing business. Many business firms ha ve either adopted online services or are working on modalities of exporting their businesses to the web and the internet. E-commerce involves either the use of the internet or the worldwide web services by organizations. There are different activities that are related to e-commerce. These include online shopping, online banking, e-selling and purchasing, online retailing, e-procurement, e-travelling, electronic payment of online services and online investment among others. Business and other non-profit motive organizations are adopting e-commerce initiatives at a very high rate. This, as argued by many researchers, is a reflector of the benefits that accrue to e-commerce. The general notion is that e-commerce is turning out to be a very influential tool in enhancing business performance. Even the non-profit organizations are of the view that e-commerce will enhance service delivery in their activities. In this case, performance will be enhanced and is rated basing on how efficient a nd effective they are in delivering services. Literature reveals that there is a difference in the rate at which organizations are adopting e-commerce strategies. Notably, big organizations are the major adaptors of e-commerce. Small and medium enterprises are buying into e-commerce at a very slow rate. This means that there are challenges of acquiring, implementing and enforcing e-commerce especially for SMEs. SMEs often have a low capital on which they operate. Adopting e-commerce needs quite a substantial capital which goes into the installation of internet. However, this is just a fear as research has revealed that the cost of installing online services is affordable. Moreover, the benefits of adopting e-commerce will exceed the cost of installing e-commerce enablers by far. As it is now, more advanced countries are more favored in conducting e-commerce because of advanced technological, legal, organizational and developmental structures. For organizations that are already using e-services, there are a lot of benefits being ripped. These includes improvement delivery of services to customers – supply chain efficiency, increased efficiency in procurement- e-procurement, increased number of customers – online marketing, improved service delivery in banks among many others. However, literature has also revealed that there are major barriers and challenges which come with e-commerce. A good example is a security risk resulting from cyber terrorism, technical problems and policy problems related to adopting e-commerce. However, when proper prior planning is done before adopting e-commerce both small and big organizations will make substantive gains. Therefore, it can be concluded that the adoption of e-commerce is beneficial in many aspects despite a few hitches. In this respect, organizations should be encouraged to adopt e-commerce in order to maximize on their potentials. References Caskey, K. and Subirana, B. (2007). Supporting SME e-commerce migration through blended e-learning, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 14(4), pp.670 – 688. Ching, H.L. and Ellis, P. (2004). â€Å"Marketing in cyberspace: what factors drive e-commerce adoption?† Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 20 (3), pp. 409-29. Crespo, A.H. and Bosque, I.R. (2008). â€Å"The effect of innovativeness on the adoption of B2C E-commerce: a model based on the theory of planned behavior†, Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 24(6), pp. 2830-47. Cui, L., Zhang, C., Zhang, C and Huang, L. (2006). â€Å"Exploring e-government impact on Shanghai firms’ informatization process†, Electronic Markets, Vol. 16(4), pp. 312-28. Grandona, E.E. and Pearson, J.M. (2004). â€Å"Electronic commerce adoption: an empirical study of small and medium US businesses†, Information Management, Vol. 42(1), pp. 197-216. Hong, P., Tran, O. and Park, K. (2010). Electronic commerce applications for supply chain integration a nd competitive capabilities: An empirical study, Benchmarking, Vol. 17(4), pp.539 – 560. Kanungo, R. P. (2004). â€Å"E-commerce in the pharmaceutical industry: threshold of innovation†, Management Research News, Vol. 27(8). Kao, D and Decou, J. (2003). A strategy-based model for e-commerce planning, Industrial Management Data Systems, Vol. 103(4), pp.238 – 252. Lee, S. and Kim, K.J. (2007). â€Å"Factors affecting the implementation success of internet-based information systems†, Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 23(4), pp. 1853-80. Li, P and Xie, W. (2012), A strategic framework for determining e-commerce adoption, Journal of Technology Management in China, Vol. 7(1), pp. 22 – 35. McIvor, R., Humphreys, P. and Huang, G. (2001). Electronic commerce: re-engineering the buyer-supplier interface Measuring Business Excellence, Vol. 5(2), pp 39-44. Mora-Monge, C. A. (2010). The impact of electronic commerce on the supply chain, Benchmarking, Vol. 17(4 ), pp 539-560. Mullane, J. V., Peters, M. H and Bullington, K. E. (2001). Entrepreneurial firms as suppliers in business-to-business e-commerce, Management Decision, Vol. 39(5), pp.388 – 393. Quesada, G., Gonzlez, M. E., Mueller, J and Mueller, R. (2010), Impact of e-procurement on procurement practices and performance, Benchmarking, Vol. 17(4), pp.516 – 538. Rainer, R. K. and Cegielski, C. G. (2011). Introduction to information systems. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley Sons. Rob, P. and Coronel, C. (2009). Database systems: Design, implementation, and management. Boston, Mass: Course Technology. Schlenker, L. and Crocker, N. (2003). Building an e-business scenario for small business, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Vol. 6 No.1, pp.7-17. Thanasankit, T. (2002). E-commerce and cultural values. Hershey, Pa: Idea Group Publishing. Zhu, L. and Thatcher, S.M.B. (2010), National information ecology: a new institutional economics perspective on global e-commerce adoption, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Vol. 11(1), pp.53-71. Appendix A: Member responsibility matrix This assignment was done by five people namely x1, x2, x3, x4 and x5. All the group members converged and discussed the topic together in order to get a deeper understanding of the topic of research. After a discussion and understanding of the research topic we planned on how we were to conduct the research by assigning each group member a task which was to be completed by the member and presented for discussion and approval by the group. We assigned ourselves tasks basing on the topic which we thought were important for our research. Therefore, the topics were assigned to each member as in the table below: Group member Responsibility X1 Was given the task of collecting information different kinds of e-commerce activities and how they influence business. X2 Was handed the task of finding literature on how e-commerce affects or changes the manner in which business es operate. The member was to focus on a specific industry – pharmaceutical industry. X3 Was bestowed with the task of getting literature on the factors which affect e-commerce in different regions of the world. The member came up with the data based on different researches that were done in different regions. X4 Was to find research based information on at least two different kinds of e-commerce activities – e-marketing and e-procurement. The member was to justify the research and findings in order to ascertain whether such e-commerce activities were beneficial. X5 Was to get general literature on e-commerce both in large organizations and in small and medium enterprises. The member was to focus on the benefits and challenges of e-commerce for each of the business organizations.

Colonial Rule in Peru

Colonial Rule in Peru In 1533 Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador, colonized Peru in order to gain power and westernize the country, changing the dynamics of the land completely. Peru was left decimated, as the Spanish bought diseases with them, killing over 90% of the Inca population. Who Were the Incas? The Incas arrived in 1200 CE, an indigenous group of hunters and gatherers, consisting of Ayllus, a group of families controlled by a Chief, called Curaca. Most Incas did not live in cities as these were used for government purposes, only visiting on business or for religious festivals as they were extremely religious. The Incas economy can be considered prosperous as Peru contained mines producing luxuries like gold and silver and they had one of the most powerful armies at this time, using numerous weapons and recruiting every male capable of military service. The Spanish conquered Peru, with the aim to westernize the country, changing the dynamics of the land completely, similar to the intentions of the other colonial powers during the era of exploration and colonization. In 1527 another Spanish explorer commanding a Spanish ship, saw a raft with 20 Incas on board, was amazed to discover numerous luxuries, including gold and silver. He trained three of the Incas as interpreters as he wished to report his findings, this led to Pizarros expedition in 1529. The Spanish Quest The Spanish were eager to explore, allured by the prospect of a rich country. For some, like Pizarro and his brothers, it enabled them to escape from the impoverished community of Extremadura, in Western Spain. The Spanish additionally wished to gain prestige and power in Europe, previously conquering the Aztec Kingdom, Mexico in 1521 and started to conquer Central America in 1524. During his third expedition to Peru, Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru in 1533 after executing the last Inca Emperor, Atahualpa. He had been aided by a civil war occurring between two Incan brothers, sons of a Sapa Inca. Pizarro was assassinated in 1541 when Almagro was made new Peruvian Governor. On 28th July 1821, Peru became independent from colonial rule, after an Argentinian soldier, called San Martin, conquered the Spanish in Peru. Spanish colonization led to Spanish becoming the main language in Peru. The Spanish altered the countrys demographics and left their mark, for example, the Spanish coat of arms still remains a symbol for Peru after being given it by Spanish King Charles 1 in 1537. At What Price?   The Spanish brought diseases with them, killing numerous Incas including the Inca Emperor. The Incas caught malaria, measles, and smallpox as they had no natural immunity. N. D. Cook (1981) showed Peru encountered a 93% population decrease as a result of Spanish colonization. However, Incas did pass syphilis onto the Spanish in return. The diseases killed vast amounts of the Inca population; more Incas dyed from diseases than on the battlefield. The Spanish also accomplished their aim to spread Catholicism in Peru, with about four-fifths of the population of Peru today as Roman Catholic. Perus education system now includes the whole population, differing from focusing on the ruling class during colonial rule. This benefited Peru greatly, now having a 90% literacy rate, contrasting to the illiterate and poor Incas during Spanish rule, therefore not capable of advancing as a country. Overall, the Spanish succeeded in their aim to change Perus demographics completely. They forced the Catholic religion on Incas, remaining the same today and keeping Spanish as the main language. They killed vast amounts of the Inca population due to diseases from Europe, destroying the Inca population and used racial tension to create a hierarchy system with the Incas at the bottom. The Spanish also influenced Peru greatly as they gave it its name, originating from a misunderstanding of the Indian name of river.

History of the Catholic Church on the Death penalty and How it Changed Research Paper

History of the Catholic Church on the Death penalty and How it Changed Over Time - Research Paper Example In the early days of Christianity, death penalty however was favored by the Church as asserted by St. Augustine. During Catholicism’s infancy, it was viewed as a way of deterring the commission of sins and a means to protect the innocent from the wicked. Thomas Aquinas during the Middle Age upheld this view on the death penalty that the state does only have the right, but is also duty bound to protect its flock from its enemies both from within and without the Church (Book 3, Chapter 146). At that time, it was thought that dispensing such punishment is not a sin for it is the justice of God that is being carried out. Such, it is only proper then that by removing evil from society will preserve the good. Such that, evil men that undermines and is an impediment of the common good should be removed from the society of men through death. Many passages of the Holy Bible were used to justify this early position of the Catholic Church on the death penalty. While it was commanded that â€Å"thou shall not commit murder†, it was argued in I Peter (2, 13-14) that thou should â€Å"be subjected therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether to be on the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of good†. ... During the same time, especially on the First Crusade in 1095, the Catholic Church, through Pope Urban II implied the penalty of death penalty to non-Christians when it encouraged the retaking of the Holy Land by force. As a result, Jews and Muslims alike were killed in the process for being non-Catholics. Death penalty was also used as a political weapon against its dissenters on its colony especially in the South East Asia. At the time when Spain invaded through the use of the Cross and Sword an unknown island in East known today as the Philippines (after King Philip of Spain), death penalty was used against those who call for secession from Spain. For more than 300 years (1565-1898), the death penalty was used against political enemy by pressuring the Governor General who then ruled the archipelago But circumstances and time change and so did the position of the Catholic Church on the death penalty. Despite of its previous position on the death penalty, the Catholic Church is now one of the most fervent advocates of the abolition of the death penalty. Whilst before it find necessary to remove the wicked to protect the innocent through death, it now calls for a deeper respect for the human life and that position even transcended even to the unborn. Recent position of the Catholic Church about death penalty changed to the abrogation of the death penalty. One of the Church’s recent Pope who was vocal against the imposition of death penalty was Karol Wojtila or Pope John Paul II. â€Å"During his tenure, the news media devoted substantial, even inordinate, attention to John Paul’s pronouncements on abortion, divorce, gay rights, the death penalty, euthanasia, human cloning, and other controversial topics† (Mulligan, 2006). †The Holy See has consistently sought the

Johnson Control Capital Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Johnson Control Capital Investment - Essay Example Therefore, the company possess huge amount of investment in foreign markets foreign business operations. Theoretically, some traditional and efficient methods are used to evaluate capital investment in domestic as well as emerging foreign markets by businesses. But, capital investment is highly risk associated strategic business activity and the company needs to focus beyond the traditional methods of evaluating capital investments like net present value, internal rate of return, payback period etc. Emerging financial businesses like investment banking and financial research companies offers flawless capital investment solutions to many leading multinational organizations and they follow several advanced methodologies for evaluating proposed capital investment practices by the MNCs especially in emerging markets. The main objective to use beyond the traditional methods is to reduce future risk i.e. these methods helps to identify the maximum extent of risk possibilities and provide a lternative solution to reduce the possible risk in substantial extent. One of the efficient methodologies for evaluating capital investment is Salomon-Smith-Barney Model. This methodology is widespread and efficient method used by leading investment banks to evaluate capital investments especially in the emerging markets for reducing risk of investment. This is one of the most recent developed methodologies for international capital investment and it was developed in 2002 by Zenner and Akaydin for leading US investment bank Salomon Smith Barney (Anson, 2011, p.488). This model is risk adjusted and modified extension of G-CAPM approach of capital valuation. In this methodology, different global factors and are considered with a high importance and regional factors are recommended as useless due to market inefficiency. This model mainly focuses on how risk possible risk can be identified in maximum extent and how it can be minimized. As this methodology is modified extension of G-CAPM approach, therefore, it has focused on key shortcomings of the approach. Having a main objective to reduce risk of foreign investment especially in emerging economy perspective, this methodology has focused on a key fact that emerging markets are not totally harbor specific and integrated restraint and complications which can justify a risk premium. The developer of this methodology added an idiosyncratic risk premium into the G-CAPM approach and extended that approach in a new form with high capability of risk indication and reduction. This methodology has adjusted the country risk premium by the overall risk level of a specific capital investment. Country risk premium is generally referred by many capital investment models as it is unadjusted risk political premium of the target country. This is qualitative measure which might not be real valued and incorporated in a valuation model. But this methodology use sovereign bonds yield spread in place of political risk premium which is based on high approximation and highly overestimates required rate return from the capital investment in foreign markets. Thus, this methodology can adjust the most debated country risk premium that can be depending on cash flow from highly risky projects or investments and different individual risk characteristics of specific projects with full premium. Answer 2 Inflation has significant impact on capital investment. Johnson Control has substantial investment in one of the leading Asian emerging