Monday, September 30, 2019

Athlete’s Warehouse Essay

Executive Summary Colin’s unemployment status has caused him to consider opening up his own business. His dilemma is deciding where to locate his business; either at Great Eastern Building downtown or Exploits Valley in the mall. Due to him being unemployed, Colin needs to begin earning an income to live. To do so he needs to improve his projected sales so that his net income would be sufficient to live on and to be able to pay back Ed’s investment in the business. The most feasible solution to Colin’s situation is opening up the business downtown at the Great Eastern Building. This location produces a higher net income and a lower break even point than the mall. Although the net income starts out quite low, once the business is established as a quality store with good merchandise and excellent customer service, customers loyal to them will return to their store when they have a need or want that they can fill. Before the business is up and running, Colin must determine how he will integrate the four aspects of the marketing mix to satisfy his target market. He will need to decide how he will promote his store to the local citizens in the best way possible, while giving them what they want and need on good quality products at affordable, competitive prices. Statement of Problem Given that Colin is in an unfortunate situation, his primary concern now is deciding whether or not to open up a business. His immediate issue resulting from this dilemma is that he must decide where to locate his business. It is this particular dilemma that Colin needs to confront the issue of improving projected sales for the possibility of incurring a profit. In addition to currently being out of work, Colin is looking to change his unemployed status. Colin must first consider his target market and then take into account the marketing mix when deciding where to locate and how he can make the business profitable. This is a two-step process that is the main focus  of any marketing manager’s job. Analysis of Situation Due to Colin’s unfortunate state of affairs and the situation of his last business, he must immediately find work to earn an income. Before deciding whether or not he should open up a business, he needs to clearly define the market which the company would be gearing towards. Then he needs to manage the marketing process using product, price, place, and promotion. This is also known as the four Ps of the marketing mix. His business plan must be feasible and reasonable to be able to make his business successful. Many factors must be taken into consideration before deciding where to locate. To do so, he must consider the rent, the size of the store, competition in the area, pedestrian traffic and other things of a similar nature. Colin should construct a projected income statement and break even analysis to compare the two locations to find out which site is more profitable. Furthermore, to avoid his previous cash flow problem he needs to make sure his inventory turnover is not too high and that he does not tie up all his capital in his assets. Either way would tie up his cash and he will not be able to pay his expenses again causing him to declare bankruptcy. This business has a better chance of succeeding than the last one because this time around Colin will be able to devote all his time to the business instead of letting Ed take care of it for the most part. Action Plan For Colin to start working, he must open up a business at the Great Eastern Building. Opening up a business in this location will not only provide Colin with work but it can also help him earn an income. This location not only provides the store with a lower rent than Exploits Valley; it also allows Colin to set his own store hours. This gives him the flexibility to work when he wants and needs to. Since Colin does not like working for others, this situation is ideal for him. To make his business successful, Colin must consider an integration of price, promotion, place, and product. He must also try and distance themselves from their competition. To do so the brothers must maintain the quality of their  merchandise and customer service, reasonable prices, and improve their promotion strategies. For one thing, the price of his products must be within a reasonable range of his competition: Sports Experts. Too low and consumers may think he is offering low quality merchandise; too high and most people will not consider purchasing from his store. Also, Colin must preserve the excellent service he is known for. Prospective customers will go to his store even though pedestrian traffic is not as high as Exploits Valley’s due to his expertise in sports clothing and equipment. He must also uphold merchandise quality because even though he continues to provide advice to consumers, if his products are too shabby, most would not consider returning to his sto re. Attracting his target market will comprise of one thing in marketing: providing them with what they want and need . To help promote his store to his target market, Colin must not rely on word-of-mouth advertising even if the location of the store is in a small town. He must attract a potential customer’s eye to enter his store. Distribution of flyers or even through the local radio station will suffice because the store is not located next to the highway. Although the projected sales are lower than the other location, the projected net income is higher (see Exhibit B). These figures are conservative due to the GAAP conservatism principle . Furthermore, for Colin to break even at Great Eastern he can sell less than he would have had to at Exploits Valley (see Exhibit C). Therefore, it will be easier to make a profit at Great Eastern than at Exploits Valley. Contingency The business may not generate the amount of sales projected, thus not being able to incur a profit. Furthermore, pedestrian traffic may also not be up to par which could possibly lower the number of prospective customers. This would lead to lower sales than expected. Similarly, Colin’s expenses may be more than predicted. There could be some unforeseen problems that need to be fixed. For example, his employee turnover could be higher than expected if  the staff he trains is not satisfied working there, they will leave and find employment elsewhere. Not only will they take his expertise with them, but Colin will have to train new employees. Consequently, more money will be needed which will add to his expenses, therefore lowering his net income. Some of these problems combined could lead to another closure. Should Colin’s new business fail after the first year, he should declare bankruptcy and start looking for employment elsewhere.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Han China and Gupta India Essay

Han China differed from Gupta India politically, developing a strong bureaucratic system while India allowed local rulers to stay in control, but the Guptas focused more on trade and made more intellectual achievements than China, especially in mathematics. They established empires that were successful, but also distinct in their own ways. Although these two civilizations were notably different politically, economically, and intellectually, both were successful in bringing prosperity to their empires. During the Han dynasty, China successfully improved its bureaucracy, but in India local rulers maintained regional control. India’s territory never grew to be as large as China’s, so different forms of government were needed for each civilization. Han China retained the centralized government formed by the Qin, and expanded the bureaucracy. The bureaucratic system suited China, because it was able to support the civilization as it expanded into a large empire. The emperor Wu Ti created civil service examinations for his bureaucrats, which could be taken by any male. Wu Ti also urged Confucianism in order to gain support, as it urged respect for the government. On the other hand, India lacked an extensive bureaucracy, and local rulers were allowed to keep control as long as they remained loyal to Gupta authority. Because of its separated regions, it was very difficult to politically unify India. Similar to China, the Gupta rulers turned to religion to strengthen support for the government. In contrast to China, they favored Hinduism because they claimed to be appointed by Hindu gods. Additionally, Hinduism encouraged the rigid caste system. The empires were also similar because political power was given to landowners. Although the Gupta period is considered the golden age of India, providing its greatest period of political stability, it never developed the solid bureaucracy that Han China did. Although trade is vital to any civilization’s success, India emphasized trade far more than China did. China’s economy focused on extensive internal trade, while India developed more maritime trade. Trade gradually became more important during the Han dynasty, focusing on luxury items for the upper class such as silks, leather, and jewelry. Internal trade was made easier by the standardization of currency and circulation of copper coins. Han rulers expanded the empire, which allowed trade with more places. Some merchants even took profitable trips to India. Even though they were important, trade and the merchant class did not become the focal points of Chinese economy. This was due to the emphasis on Confucianism, which frowned upon a life devoted to moneymaking. On the other hand, the Guptas established a strong economy. It was partly based on technological sophistication, new inventions, and production. For example, Indian artisans were the first to manufacture cotton cloth, calico, and cashmere. In these areas, India and China were rivaling, but the India’s economy became more vigorous. Merchant activity was greater in India than in China, with merchants at a relatively high caste status. They traveled by land, and also by sea, increasing maritime trade. Han China and Gupta India’s economies can be compared as firmly agricultural, both relying on a large peasant class, organized into cooperative close-knit villages. Han rulers regulated agricultural supplies by storing extra grain and rice in good times, preventing price increases when harvests were bad. The Gupta period in India was known for its wealth, which was due to extensive trading both internally and by sea, as opposed to Han China’s economy, which relied more on technological innovations. The Hans and Guptas both made many important intellectual achievements, but there was more academic success in India, especially in mathematics. The Chinese studied astronomy, calculating the movement of planets, as well as observing sunspots. During the Han dynasty, scientists invented a seismograph to register earthquakes. In addition, they actively researched medicine, studying principles of hygiene that would support longer lives. Generally, the Chinese focused their studies on practical findings, such as discovering how things worked. They studied the mathematics of music that led to advances in acoustics. Like China, Indian scientists also progressed in astronomy and medicine. Many astronomical discoveries were made, such as the calculation of the solar year, the circumference and daily rotation of Earth, a theory of gravity, and the discovery of seven planets. In medicine, hospitals also stressed cleanliness, like China. India surpassed China in mathematical discoveries. Scholars created a numbering system and the concepts of zero and negative numbers. Mathematicians also calculated square roots and a more accurate value of pi. These advances in both civilizations were possible because of support from the government. In China, the government sponsored intellectual life, organizing research in astronomy. The Guptas had a vast university center in Nalanda featuring lecture halls, libraries, and an observatory. This supported the new discoveries that were being made. Both civilizations made important intellectual achievements that were advanced by world standards, but Gupta India especially excelled in mathematics. The Han and Gupta dynasties were both successful periods in China and India. Their success was due to different causes, because their societies were very unlike each other. China’s government centered on its strong bureaucracy developed during the Han dynasty, while India never advanced a decent bureaucratic system. Both civilizations had strong economies, but India focused more on over-sea trade than China did. Also, Gupta India made more intellectual achievements particularly in science and mathematics. The Han and Gupta periods were similar in some ways, but their civilizations showed distinct differences politically, economically, and intellectually.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Gender Stereotypes Essay

What are gender stereotypes? They are â€Å"simplistic generalizations about the gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals and/or groups. Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but they rarely communicate accurate information about others. When people automatically apply gender assumptions to others regardless of evidence to the contrary, they are perpetuating gender stereotyping. Many people recognize the dangers of gender stereotyping, yet continue to make these types of generalizations. † You probably hear a gender stereotype on a daily basis but probably don’t realize it because it’s so common and casual now for people to just through everyone into a category and just assume they all are the same. Which is quite sad to me. You shouldn’t be judged and characterized based on your gender. Just because one female or male does something everyone in their gender should be assumed does it to? NO. Some examples of gender stereotypes are â€Å"cooking and cleaning are a women’s job† â€Å"woman can’t drive or park for anything† â€Å"all men are pigs†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ you get the point it’s a group of people (usually either women or men) that are grouped into a title that’s so bias! Ugh I get so mad even talking about it I hate stereotypes! THE IGNORANCE†¦ I’m going to be watching ‘The suite life of Zack and Cody’ on Disney Channel to get a good grasp of how often gender stereotyping is incorporated into our everyday television shows but goes unnoticed. I watch this show often, but never with the intention of it being stereotypical in any way. So today as I think about it if the characters were stereotyped, they would all be bias to one another’s gender. Girls would be the breadwinner’s, caregivers, nurturers, smarter, stay at home mothers. Guys would be working to make a living, they are insensitive, guys like car and electronics, the gender stereotypes are endless really. They can be basically anything and everything depending on how they are perceived and by WHO they are perceived. Sometimes they depend on what someone has gone through in life and based off that they gender stereotype. As I watch I notice that the mother of Phineas and Ferb is a stay at home mother, she does everything there is needed to be done at home. Takes care of the kids and their problems, grocery shops, cleans, cooks, etc. The father is the breadwinner and is the only one who is bringing in the income to support the family. It’s almost a typical old school American family. They have 3 children, 2 boys, 1 girl. Obviously Phineas and Ferb are the two young boys and Candice is their older sister. The whole show is about their sister always trying to get them (Phineas and Ferb) in trouble with their parents. I guess that’s the typical stereotypical sibling relationship always fighting for attention over the parents and to make one bad over the other and make one another more favorable than the other. I didn’t really realize it at first but then when I thought about my own relationship with my siblings it was quite comparable we always try and nag on each other and get one another in trouble. Phineas and Ferb are always coming up with new inventions, playing with electronics computers and inventing unique things. Just doing things most boys do in the stereotypical way. While, their sister Candice is always going to the mall, hanging out gossiping with her girlfriends, always on the phone, constantly nagging on them, obsessed with boys. The show is very stereotypical now that I think about it. It’s the classical guy/girl gender stereotypes. Candice is the girly girl who likes to gossip and shop and get her brothers in trouble while Phineas and Ferb are busy playing with gadgets of all sorts, not ever worried about Candice or what she’s doing, really involved with electronics and coming up with new inventions and having fun in their own little gadget-world you could say. A lot of commercials that come on and play in the mornings when all the kids programs are on are SUPER stereotypical. For girls they advertise Barbie dolls of all sorts, toys for girls such as cool, unique hair designing tools, kitchen accessories that include fake ovens and what not to play in. Which is stereotypical cause they say mothers should cook and clean and then here they are starting kids off at a young age throwing them under such a stereotype. They have commercials advertising water guns, monster trucks, building tools and what not for the boys. After watching this show that I always watch but with the objective of stereotyping as I watched in my head I noticed so much more than I ever did. It’s really sad that so many shows have gender stereotyping in them that goes unnoticed. It really actually (and excuse my language) pisses me off. That people interpret these things in television shows, their guiding the younger generation already in the wrong direction making them think that girls â€Å"do this† and guys â€Å"do this† and having them think basically in a box. I noticed that the show has the very typical stereotypes. Like I mentioned above. I can honestly say my thoughts have changed about this show and are different from what I thought before I had this objective in mind.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Globalization and Worldwide Poverty Dissertation

Globalization and Worldwide Poverty - Dissertation Example As the discussion stresses globalisation provides a wide-ranging and an all-embracing set of opportunities for worldwide development but evidently, is not progressing uniformly. A few countries have assimilated into the global economy swiftly more than others. Countries that have been able to assimilate are experiencing faster growth and reduced poverty. Likewise, outward-oriented strategies resulted into added economic vitality and wealth to much of East Asia, converting the region from one of the most pitiable territories of the world forty years ago. Together with the ascent of living standards, it became possible to make progress on democracy and economic matters such as work standards and the environment. According to the research findings poverty incidence escalated and high inflation became the norm. In several circumstances, especially Africa, hostile and unfavourable developments made the problems worse. However, as these territories changed their economic policies, their incomes began to rise and vital transformations were on track. They found out that promoting this trend and fostering such economic scenario and not quashing it is the best course for propping up growth, development and poverty reduction. As globalisation made its way into every fiber of human life and human activity, it can be safely deduced that it has both increased and reduced poverty. ... So, how can the developing countries, especially the poorest, be assisted to pull alongside its more affluent neighbors Does globalisation aggravate inequality or can it help reduce poverty What about those countries that assimilate into the global economy, are they inexorably vulnerable to instability These are some of the imperative questions that need to be answered. Literature Review As globalisation made its way into every fiber of human life and human activity, it can be safely deduced that it has both increased and reduced poverty. A process involving the intricate sequence of events - symbolized by the surge of privatisation in public utilities and state-controlled industries, changes in domestic financial markets, taxation systems and liberalised labour markets -- resulted into an unmatched swiftness of international trade and FDI flows (United Nations, 1999; Sala-i-Martin 2002a and 2002b). When social outcomes of globalisation have been closely investigated and deeply scrutinised, academics and logicians have recognised the direction, significance and repercussions of this correlation. And as its effects have been evaluated and analysed, reference was made to two diverse components in the literature - one that connects growth to poverty and inequality and the other pertains to the association of trade to growth. Academic analysis and pragmatic evidence result from the blend of contentions utilised in each sphere of study, one is if 1) growth is distribution neutral as asserted and 2) trade enhances growth, so much so that it can be claimed that 3) trade is helpful in order to alleviate poverty. The notion that growth

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Metacritical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Metacritical Thinking - Essay Example Researchers incorporating systems thinking embark on investigating the link between the smaller social issues, that is, the contributions each problem segment was making on the overall social problem. According to Checkland and Poulter (2006, p. 27) little isolation between issues are made during the research process. However, connection between the various issues is done towards the end of research. Individual researchers with experience in various sub-sections lead investigation therein. This provides opportunity for the contributing issues to be combed conclusively before being incorporated in solution finding processes. However, it is the connection between the various issues that help understand the real social problems, and therefore lead to development and implementation of best solutions. This form of thought process also includes the parameters of spirituality and the arguments related to existence of god. However, there are exceptions too. In this context it would be relevant to say that in the context of meta-criticism Jean Kilbourne presents excellent example of the term. Jean Kilbourne makes an excellent point in her portrayal of advertisement and its appearance of violence and sexually predatory nature. Blatantly sexist, implied violence and the essence of fear or dominance would be inherent in advertisement of all descriptions from lingerie, to jeans all the way to peanut butter. Jean Kilbourne's essay shows us how much we ignore in the world of advertisement, which simply exemplifies that which we ignore in life as a whole. Either her portrayal of the difference between perceptions of men and women in the various ads, including such concepts as intimacy, violence and innocence would be such as to cause alarm or to cause us to seriously examine the route advertisement is taking in the role of human behaviors. Human behavior is altered by stimuli outside the mind, but absorbed by that same mind. It is this absorpt ion that must be considered when understanding the human psyche. Sexual advertisement has a tendency to increase violence done by men continuously exposed to the ads and the industry continues to use these sexual images for attention magnets. The biggest problem with this now would be the fact that now teenagers and children have become a target audience, resulting in addiction toward images and brands. Her meta-criticism is persuasive and highly motivating backed by relevant informative text. (Kilbourne, 116-7) However, it should be noted that there various schools of Meta-critical thought process and they are generally associated wit cosmological criticism and arguments. The first one, derived from the argument of motion, stipulates that for bodies to be in motion, they have to be moved by other bodies. Since it is contended that the two states of being 'potential' and 'actual' are mutually exclusive, it is not possible for a "mover" and the "moved" to be the same, i.e. automated movement is axiomatically ruled out. Now, based on this contention, if we regress to infinity, then we arrive at the concept of the 'first mover'. Since the 'first' mover, cannot, logically be moved by any 'preceding' body, the former has to 'God'. The second postulate is in terms of the nature of 'efficient causes'. This

Economic Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic Globalization - Essay Example In general terms, economic globalization can be considered as an objective trend that features allotment of factors of production as well as transnational flow which have emerged as social productive forces have gained more strengthen. The need of the mature market to have constant expansion in both the international and the domestic markets lays basis for the economic globalization as a phenomenon. Economic globalization has caused a co-existence of challenges and opportunities and has resulted into many losses along with gains as will be shortly looked into in the following sections. Economic globalization is fairly much like the first industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution came as a precursor of the material prosperity. The first and foremost similarity between economic globalization and the first industrial revolution is that both have resulted into an immense and abrupt new era of social productive forces along with the opportunity to re-establish the global economy. Today, the world economy is becoming integrated as more and more state boundaries are losing their significance as a result of the expansion of trade and material exchange. Economic globalization will have profound impacts on the international environment. The promotion of international trade directly signifies the spread of economic globalization. One gets an instant sense of connectedness with the globe when one living in US sees Chinese tag on the T-shirt, Pakistani tag on the football, and South Korean sticker on the car standing in the porch. But on the other side, there are many negative impacts of economic globalization on the international environment. From a general perspective of microeconomics, the world is not at an acceptable level of equilibrium, but rather is experiencing sharp fluctuation, aggressive speculation, and controlled monopoly or polygopoly. Statistics and quantitative analysis are geared for the short term and often yield wrong and unpredictable

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Web Site Evaluation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Web Site Evaluation Paper - Essay Example The essay "Web Site Evaluation Paper" discovers the evaluation of Forbes website. The website defines the credentials of the author by showing that he was part of the Great Premium Content Experiment at AOL as a media columnist for the business website Daily Finance. As such, he has authority and credibility to author this web page. Moreover, the introductory materials reveal that the author was motivated to publish this information on the web. In fact, the author claims that he would be bored if things were not different which means he is motivated to publish this information on the web. Ultimately, the website provides the contact information of the author by offering his email address, his twitter account, and his Google account, which means that the audience can respond to his works and interact with him freely. The website’s purpose to inform, explain, or persuade is very clear. The title of the website reflects a clear opinion that the website seeks to pass to the target audience. The title, â€Å"Larry Page: Google Should Be Thinking Bigger with Its R&D† reflects a clear purpose to inform, and persuade the audience. Indeed, the site is explicit, as the title leaves no room for confusion or doubt about the author’s point of view. In fact, the website starts by introducing the author’s points of concern, which are some of the blue-sky products that Google is developing now. The website indicates clearly that the author has an affiliation with a specific organization by asserting that Jeff Bercovici is Forbes. staff. It goes ahead to give the organization’s domain as part of the author’s contact information by giving his email as jbercovici@forbes.com (Bercovici 1). Most of all, the website does not indicate its specific audience since it claims the author covers media, business, entertainment, and technology. We can establish that the topic covered by the website is very clear since it is explicit. However, part of the audience might not know what the initials R&D mean in this context and hence some ambiguity. The website equally uses an easy language to present the relevant information discussing the topic and thus its clarity and effectiveness. Notably, the site exhibits suitable depth and comprehensiveness to fulfill its purpose. To this effect, the website uses relevant information, presents the inner and crucial details of the company in reference, quotes the views of relevant business leaders (Bercovici 1), and integrates all pieces of information to support the author’s view. Indeed, the information presented by the website clearly supports the opinion of the author. It uses historical evidence like when it quotes the example of Google’s massive success in mobile (Bercovici 1). It also quotes the actual words of Google CEO, Larry Page who sought to persuade investors on the viability of the current project. The website clearly states the sources of information and we can indeed ascertain that the information is original. This is because the author uses direct quotes to state what

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Guns in Students' Hands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Guns in Students' Hands - Essay Example The debate has attracted left wing and right thinkers who have their reasons to abort or support carrying guns in school. The complexity that borders this debate is that rules that guide institutions defers from one state to another (Korones). Some states allow people to carry concealed weapons while others do not allow. However, the daunting task in this essay is debate on this issue by considering either side of the argument. While many some people feel that carrying a gun is a constitutional right, it has negative impact among students. American universities sometimes witness violent crimes because of personal differences that some students harbor. Carrying guns to campuses would aggravate the state of such violence in college. Many pro gun advocates feel that handling college crimes require a weapon, which can protect an individual from her or his detractors (Hanford). The proposal seems to create more problems than solving the issue of crime increase in institution. I believe th at no person would sit back and wait for legal redress in an event, which attract heated debate. Psychologists acknowledge the difference in temperament of people as shaped by environmental factor during childhood. Aggressive behavior that one develops when in early stages of development can have devastating effects at later stages in life. Apparently, many college students are either in their late teenage or early adulthood. Pressure associated with groupings usually aggravate students aggression and may act contrary to the provisions of law in order to win views of his colleagues (Korones). This leaves no room for weapon in colleges because the intention of a student against a fellow student might not be predictable. It is impractical to assume that students would uphold moral standards set by colleges when clear differences are evident during debates and other college activities. When guns get their way into colleges or campuses, the education facility might fail to deliver its m andate (Harnisch). The shooting in lecture hall is clear evidence that lectures might not accept a debate over issues that are controversial in the society. Failure to exhaust issues touching on a particular topic compromises education standards. Learning institution delivers its duty by elaborating or issues while taking a middle ground. Everyone is aware about the long stretch to equality in the United States. I believe that the society has information pertaining to slavery and atrocities associated to slavery. Debating such issues in college is likely to influence thinking of a college student. Some stories about the past evident in American history evoke emotions depending on which side one would take. Such emotions may spill into the society when proper measures are not in place to control student reactions. Evidently, lectures do not have the burden of evaluating the behavior of a student in campus or control private issues of a student. Campuses should be free from guns in or der to allow conclusive debates to take place. I believe that a person will be free to debate exhaustively when he or she is free than when under the influence of an impending danger. Guns in the hands of students might comprise public safety when student riot (Hanford). Rioting in campus is not a strange occurrence. Many reasons contribute to differences experienced in colleges. College students engage in college

Monday, September 23, 2019

Competition and markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Competition and markets - Essay Example Factors determining the elasticity of demand are market demand elasticity, the number of businesses in the market in addition, the firm’s interaction in the market. In monopolistic situation, the demand curve is always downward sloping and the industry demand curve is the firm’s demand curve. The marginal revenue of a monopolistic firm is always below its price and the marginal revenue usually changes with the changes in output but not equal to price. The marginal revenue decreases with increase in output since the monopolist can only sell more units by reducing prices. Average Revenue curve is the demand curve and the average revenue is similar to price, however, Marginal revenue must always be less than the Average Revenue even as output increases with fall in prices (Mankiw 2011). Firms in competitive markets sell absolutely similar or homogenous products and are referred to as price takers. Perfectly competitive market comprises of many suppliers who cannot single h andedly influence either the market price and the total market output hence each supplier can only control a small part of the total market demand. The suppliers output is greatly controlled by the market forces and the price in which the suppliers must sell their products is at prevailing equilibrium price such that any increase in prices may invite another supplier who may be willing and able to supply at the equilibrium price. The inability of producing more goods than the market demand and the incapability of raising prices results into a horizontal or perfectly elastic demand curve. As much as a supplier may be able to reduce product’s prices, it may result into a loss hence the need to embark on the market price (Mankiw 2011). 2. There are various characteristics associated with the perfectly competitive markets such as the large number of firms in the market, assumption of non-existence of externalities, minimal government regulation, homogeneity in the units of input, production of homogenous goods, non-existence of barriers to entry, and the availability of perfect knowledge. In perfect competition, different firms produce goods that are perfect substitute and whose prices cannot be easily changed by a single firm. Automobile may be produced under the market conditions similar to perfectly competitive market because of the fact that motor vehicles manufactured have very close substitutes. In addition, there is no barrier to entry and the suppliers cannot increase the vehicle prices abnormally. In case an automobile company reduces prices of its products, they may run at a loss. Moreover, the automobile firms can only manage and control a few customers in the larger market making it hard for them to determine the quantity of the automobiles to be manufactured and their prices (Mankiw 2011). Beer production also fits perfect competition conditions since beer product produced by one firm may as well be produced by another firm with may be very sli ght content changes. The fact that beer is manufactured by using almost similar product makes it challenging to differentiate the beer products. Furthermore, as a characteristic of perfect competition, there are many beer consumers as well as numerous beer manufactures. The beer consumers are always very loyal but highly sensitive to price changes thus any slight change in price upwards, may hinder the consumers from using one particular product. In

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Gospel according to Matthew Essay Example for Free

The Gospel according to Matthew Essay It is said that the ideas of Liberation Theology espoused by the more liberal elements of the Catholic Church is found the gospel according to (Saint) Matthew. one of the four major gospels in the New Testament. From the word itself, the words written here imply the truth and is considered sacronsanct and leaves no room for doubt. The gospel essentially states that Jesus is the messiah sent by God to the world. The question is how is Liberation Theology and social justice related to Matthews gospel? In the understanding of the Jews, as well as Liberation Theologists, when Jesus clashed with the Pharisees and scribes, it suggested that his teachings, as shown in Matthews gospel contain a message of social justice. This is underscored in one of the Eight Beatitudes, â€Å"Blessed are the lowly; they shall inherit the earth† (New American Bible, Matt. 5:5) and If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (Matt. 19:21). I for one sees that this makes sense. Matthews teachings do evoke the need for social justice which can be inferred here as the hallmark of a true Christian regardless of the denomination one belongs to and not a nominal one where he is Christian by affiliation but not in practice. However, that is the extent of my agreement. Liberation theologists have a tendency to take it very far to demand change in governments by colluding with revolutionary movements just because they do not agree. When Jesus came to this world, this was what the Jews also thought but Christ reminded them he did not come to this world to be a political leader and liberate them from their political masters. He came to offer them something better and it is a matter of accepting this invitation to the kingdom of heaven. Works Cited New Amercian Bible. Camden, New Jersey: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1970.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Oxendales Marketing Strategy Analysis

Oxendales Marketing Strategy Analysis Anthony Nolan Marketing Campaign Oxendales started off as a purely clothing supplier when they first appeared online but nowadays they sell a lot of different things from home wear to electricals and entertainment items. Through broadening their stock range, they have become a more desirable option for many more segments of the demographic. This report will show how Oxendales go about their business and how they are viewed by the public that use their service. Oxendales marketing campaigns are ongoing. They are around a long time and their name is a household one. Nonetheless they do still need to get their product out there. With this company, selling items is just part of the offer. They also give credit and charge interest on that credit. They make a lot of money doing business in this manner. Once a new season collection of clothing is announced their marketers set in motion a plan that gets the new arrivals from the storehouse to the public. They appear to have a good idea of who they are targeting with their campaigns. The demographic being targeted is the medium to low income earner or people on social welfare; people who can afford to pay instalments but cannot necessarily afford to buy a product outright. For this segment of the market, Oxendales are often an invaluable ally in helping them to clothe themselves, their families and their homes. Oxendales have a huge selection of items on offer for people and for the household. They tend to bring out two new lines of clothing every year. The different styles and items are reflective of the different seasons. The first line of the year is the Spring/Summer collection, which typically comes to the fore around March or April. Then around September they announce their Autumn/Winter collection. Oxendales introduce their new lines typically through a number of channels that they feel will get their product specifically to the target segment. They show their stock on television, using TV3 as their main channel for showing people the wares on offer. They utilise the show Ireland AM to get their new offers into the vision and minds of the public. At the same time as being seen on television they will also be launching advertising collateral campaigns on many different levels, from more television advertising to social media and physical paper advertising. They will follow this up by interacting with the public one-to-one in trade shows such as the Womans World Show which is a yearly event held at the RDS in Dublin. This public relations meet and greet is meant to align Oxendales with many of the other company brand competitors attending the show as well as get their own brand into the minds of the public or to cement their brand in the minds of people who already know of them. No matter where and through what channel they are showing their items, one will find a consistent feel to their advertisements. The colours used are often very alike across all of their advertising campaigns. If one is reading a flyer that falls out of a magazine they will feel that the look of that flyer is consistent with an advertisement they may have seen on-line for example The visual connection is apparent. The consistent look leads on to the famous Three Cs of marketing. Do Oxendales fulfil this criteria? Well their communications are first class. Their advertisements and language used is clear and concise and is not in the least confusing. They sometimes communicate how simple it is to get credit from them as much as their actual items for sale. Their items are often not as Compelling as their credit offers. Oxendales can often reel in a buyer through the promise of buy now-pay later. This is a compelling way to attract custom from the target segment. Their look remains Consistent throughout. Their colours and designs used for advertising is instantly recognisable and they do utilise consistency across channels. Oxendales use integrated communications too. Every time a piece of Oxendales literature is examined or online source seen, one can immediately identify that the company link to the other places they are available to view as well as to their website. They often also link to their credit facilities which experience has told them is a unique selling point. The Marketing Mix The Product Being Sold The most important part of Oxendales overall product is convenience. Online Shopping is on the rise according to Roy Morgan Research (2015). So, from that we can conclude that people are using the convenience of online shopping for a myriad of reasons. What are these reasons? Upstream Commerce (2012) quoted the eight most important reasons that people shop online as Convenience, Better Prices, Variety, Fewer Expenses, Comparison of Prices, No Crowds, Compulsive Shopping and Discreet Purchases. We will see many of these reasons pop up again and again. Barbara Thau of Forbes.com (2013) quotes a study by strategy and marketing consultants Simon, Kucher and Partners when she propounds that 24% of online shoppers like to buy books, consumer electronics and entertainment online while 18% of online consumers prefer to buy health and beauty products, toys, sports equipment, hobby interests, clothing, merchandise and furniture online. This is an interesting finding in relation to Oxendales online activity. 24% of online shopping is spent on books, consumer electronics and entertainment. How many of these do Oxendales supply? The answer is two of the three. Oxendales will sell a person everything from an IPod to an Xbox and from a television to a heater (and many, many items in between). Books are the odd ones out. We move on 18% of people shop online to buy health and beauty products, toys, sports equipment, hobby interests, clothing, merchandise and furniture. That is seven categories of items that could possibly be sold online. Again, how many of them do Oxendales sell? The answer is Five. This online behemoth sells all of that list barring hobby interests and merchandise (though all things sold could be classed as merchandise surely?) So going by the experts views on why people shop online, one would have to conclude that Oxendales understand the reasons and offer an excellent product to people in their online store in order to fulfil the needs of their customers. Specifically however a product is more than just an item. How does this company fulfil the other range of criterion that goes to tick the product box in relation to Marketing? Quality: Like many shops, both online and physical, the quality of item bought is directly linked to the price of the product. Having sampled many of Oxendales products they have been found to be durable and fashion sensitive. Certainly as an online shop, Oxendales is seen as a high quality outlet. Image: The image of Oxendales is linked to a few things. Firstly, it is seen as somewhere that people can buy things now and pay later, thanks to their simple and effective paying plans. They are also seen as ultra-convenient. Oxendales have a wonderful selection of items too in a vast array of sizes and models. So the overall image is one of ease of access to what people want and ease of payment. Branding: Oxendales is a household name. They have been around since 1875 (Oxendales: About, 2016) so it is understandable that in that time they have become so well known. Features, Variants and Mix: As alluded to earlier, this online super store offers many items in many different configurations, sizes, colours and categories. Customer Service: Excellent customer service is available, through online, telephone and written media. When an order is received, the packaging staff also include a return label in case an item does not suit the customer for whatever reason. Availability: Always available to use, every moment of every day of the year. Warranties: Oxendales offer a refund, repair or replacement service on all items purchased that do not reach the consumer in perfect condition (Oxendales: About, 2016). Promotion Oxendales promote sales by giving special offers on their website. The have seasonal promotions in which they offer certain items at a discount price. When Spring arrives, they will often sell outdoor furniture and garden implements at a special discount. In addition to their discounted stock, they also promote through email by giving existing customers money off codes that they can apply to their basket the next time they are online for a discount. For non-members, the company will email introductory offers always highlighting their easy payment option. Almost everybody who applies to Oxendales will be accepted for payment through credit. This company is a market leader in direct marketing. Price It appears that Oxendales do not believe in low price equalling higher sales. Their prices are never as low as one might find on the bargain rail of a local department store. Even when discounts are given, one might find that the item on discount would still exceed the price of a similar discount in a high street shop. As far as positioning goes, the idea that Oxendales wants to hold in the mind of consumers is one of ultimate convenience and ease of purchase. Due to their massive stock one can find almost anything within their range to suit them. Due to their credit facility, one can spend money that they do not actually have and then pay off the cost of the purchases over a set period of time. Due to the company accepting almost anyone that applies for credit, that will place a multitude of people in a catchment net for business, particularly approaching festive periods and leading up to birthdays, weddings, interviews etcetera. The position of Oxendales as a brand is very much one of convenience. However, when people are finding it difficult to keep up to date with payments then the company could be seen as a nuisance and increasingly in a bad light due to their continued letters and phone calls, even though the reason for the continued negative correspondence lies with the consumer. Finally, Oxendales do not only sell through a credit account payment option. They also allow people to pay directly like any other online shop, through use of Credit/Debit card. They do not allow payment through an online bank such as PayPal however. Place Oxendales use a number of different suppliers as part of their distribution channel. Many of their suppliers are little known brands like Premier Man for example. These brands are created and sold exclusively in online shops like Oxendales. The items are produced at low price in many Asian countries, shipped to Oxendales warehouse and then sold on to the consumer or end-user. The company also sell high street brands such as Levis, Wrangler, Toshiba, Black and Decker and Timberland to name a very few. It is the same type of distribution channel. Oxendales buy in the stock at the stock price and then sell on with a mark up to the customer. Of course Oxendales also gain revenue through the interest they charge on their credit facility. The sales support for this company is quite good. They can be contacted by telephone, through a form online on their page and by email. The best way is by far by telephone as one knows they are being heard and they will get an immediate response. The company use a first level channel for selling goods. The goods are produced and then sent directly to Oxendales without the need for a wholesaler. The company also has a presence on social media such as Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Blogger. People As far as customer contact goes, Oxendales rarely need to interact with anyone. They do have a phone contact number and there is an automated response which, if navigated correctly will eventually lead to an operator who is usually very friendly and interested in the query being made. However because their system is so well set up online, there is little need for assistance from another person in order to order goods or return them. Having said that they do have top quality IT staff who keep the website current and glitch-less so that the business of making money can continue apace. The webpages of the Oxendales website have all of the facilities that even the most limited computer user might need and understand. The people who work on the image of the company have done a good job keeping the convenience image to the forefront. They also superbly make the consumer feel that they are getting a bargain when in fact they may not be, not compared to a high street store. However the consumer often values convenience over price. Process The process used is very definitely a customer focussed approach. Oxendales want to radiate a friendly and relaxed approach to consumers in everything they offer, from getting the customer to choose the products to be bought to getting the customer to part with their money. Everything on the website is streamlined and very easy to navigate. Most modern internet speeds will allow for easy navigation and very quick page loading. The design of the website is excellent. The pages scroll and it is up to the user of the site to choose how many items to view per page. There is also a facility where one can sort the item content on a number of criteria from Best Sellers, New in, On Sale to Ratings, Price lowest to Highest and vice versa. Moving from one area to the next is very easy too with the use of a docked banner at the head of the page displaying the different department names, each one hyperlinked to the appropriate section. The actual process of finding, adding to the basket and checking out ones selections is very easy on this website. It gives the impression of years of experience on the companys part. Physical Evidence The whole online experience of shopping at Oxendales is really a very good, easy and addictive one. Given a large enough spend limit it could be imagined that many people would get themselves into a lot of debt in a single visit. Once one uses this site, and provided one has some credit left on their account, it is almost a certainty that one will return and purchase again and again. The whole feel is one of ease and once a purchase is made, one of fulfilment. Oxendales offer a positive feeling to people visiting their site. When the products ordered do eventually arrive at ones front door, they are always packaged superbly in a heavy weight plastic outer layer covering a bubble wrap and a thinner plastic inner layer. They come with a printed receipt and a printed returns label should it be required. Really the whole process from ordering to actually receiving the goods is very simple and incredibly stress-free. Visible Metrics Not having access to information about Oxendales Social Media internal metrics one can only comment upon the visible on-page information that is available to all viewers. On Facebook, Oxendales have 20585 followers. The Facebook page receives between one and four new posts from the page manager each day. New posts receive on average four likes each Judging by the amount of likes for their posts, their followers either do not regularly visit the page or they do not like the posts. Due to their continued success in the online shopping market, one could conclude the former reason for the lack of post likes. There have been seventeen visitor posts going back to December 17th 2015, from a membership of over twenty thousand. Oxendales post both images and video files to their Facebook page but neither are very popular Oxendales have 1344 followers on Twitter The Twitter Page receives between one and five new posts per day from the page manager. New posts receive an average of one like each New posts are rarely retweeted Like Facebook, it can be construed that their presence on Twitter does not greatly contribute to their actual sales on their website. Very rarely does any one of the 1344 followers ever reply to a tweet on the Oxendales Twitter page Oxendales has 23 followers on Instagram They have posted 184 images on Instagram Out of 184 posts, they have received just 5 comments Out of 184 posts, they have received 114 Likes concentrated on 26 of the total posts Without access to their page metrics and only going on the visible data one could conclude that Oxendales success is certainly not based upon their online presence. From the information gained one can see that very few people interact with the company through social media. For this reason, it must be concluded that their success is based upon other strategies. Targeted Demographic Oxendales has an emphasis on contemporary womens styling ranging from sizes 12-32 and were constantly developing our collections to bring you the latest looks that will keep you on-trend throughout the season. With our brand ambassador Lorraine Kelly choosing her favourite pieces, were making shopping for plus size clothes, lingerie and wide fit shoes and boots fun, easy and enjoyable regardless of age, size and shape. (Oxendales Website, 2016) The above direct quote is taken from the home page of the Irish Oxendales website. They do offer clothing for children too and for men and they offer homeware and electrical goods. However, this is the headline from the home page of their website. This above all would intimate the following: That the company are targeting the female demographic above all else. That they are attempting to target all age groups of adult women. That they are attempting to target all shapes and sizes of adult women. That they are targeting women who are fashion sensitive and want to be dressed in up to the minute styles Once one clicks on the Menswear hyperlink, the following is displayed: At JD Williams we know that finding stylish menswear that fits perfectly can be tricky. Our collection of big and tall menswear comes in a range of sizes to give you perfectly proportioned design. We have t-shirts, polos, coats and jackets in chest sizes 36-66, plus our trousers and jeans are available in 5 leg lengths, including extra-short and extra-long leg and waist sizes 32-64. Discover how easy it is to find the perfect fit for every occasion. (Oxendales Website, 2016) Oxendales is still the page header however Williams and Brown is the Menswear Department name. They are using this ploy of renaming the department to make it distinct and separate from the other departments. Their catch-line on this page would suggest the following: That they stock many different types of clothing from T-shirts to jackets to trousers That they cater for all sizes of man, tall, small, fat, thin and everything in between You name it, kids need it. Cots, highchairs, clothes, shoes, coats. But with all this in one place, shopping for your family has never been simpler. Look out for our new range of girls and boys clothing in our collection of baby, nursery and childrens essentials. (Oxendales Website, 2016) This demographic is aimed at the younger generation and is found on the kids page of the website. So what can one glean from this statement? They stock items for many ages of child They stock items for both girls and boys So what can be concluded from the information gained? The conclusion has to be that Oxendales, while catering for many different types of person and interest, primarily wants women to visit their site. This is suggested by the first page loaded on entering the website being aimed primarily at women. The want ladies of all ages and who are fashion sensitive. They probably know that even in the year 2016, women still do a lot of the buying for the household and therefore by targeting women on their home page, they are indirectly offering them the other areas of the site for their perusal also. The tag-lines on the Menswear and kids-wear pages are also aimed at women as well as men. They continue to talk about interests of women, the perfect fit and fashion. Advertising Campaign Oxendales advertise their online business in a number of ways. They use different online sources and some physical ways to advertise (as opposed to intangible online advertising). Their latest advertising technique is to sponsor television shows. They are the current sponsor of the popular television drama Downton Abbey. This means that every time the show is on television, the Oxendales brand is shown on-screen prior to the start of the episode and at the start and end of every advertisement break. This is more than just advertising of course as they are also positioning their Brand next to the aristocratic gentry of a period now long since passed. The nobility and wealth of the families portrayed in the show places Oxendales into a high class light by association. They also advertise on television on daytime television. Ireland AM is a popular morning show mostly for stay at home mothers and unemployed people. The latest fashions available from Oxendales can be seen quite often being modelled on this show. Ireland AM also tend to use real people as models rather than incredibly beautiful sculpted catwalk ladies and gentlemen. This is good for Oxendales as they are trying to sell their brand to the people in the street. On the negative side, using normal people their clothes may not look as glamorous as they would on a professional model. Oxendales advertise online on such sites as hotfrog.ie and rollercoaster.ie. The former is a business directory and this type of advertising is quite astute as people use business directories all the time to locate phone numbers and addresses. Having an ad in such a place should serve the company well. The latter, rollercoaster.ie is a parent and pregnancy site. One can immediately see what Oxendales intentions are here. They are appealing to the mother on behalf of the child; they sell for both. Their online presence also stretches to social media. Not only do they have their various social media pages but they also have paid advertisements in the side bars on the various pages on various sites. Finally, they use the old fashioned paper and card as advertising media. Quite often in glossy womens magazines, postcard sized spam cards will fall out when opened. This junk often consists of various offers and advertisements for different shops, both physical and online. Oxendales do advertise in this manner. They also buy advertisement pages within the magazines pages. Their other paper advertising is through their own full and mini-catalogues. The full Oxendales catalogue is only available through request from their site. However, the mini-catalogues showing their latest offers are sometimes distributed through peoples letterboxes and as a third party supplement in Sunday Newspapers. Bibliography ONLINE SHOPPING STATS: http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6095-online-shopping-on-rise-201503182332 WHY SHOP ONLINE? http://upstreamcommerce.com/blog/2012/02/14/8-reasons-consumer-likes-shop-online WHY SHOP ONLINE? http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbarathau/2013/10/08/why-consumers-really-shop-online/#304510da4ab5 OXENDALES ABOUT US: http://www.oxendales.ie/shop/aboutus/aboutUsView.action?cm_sp=OXI-Footer-_-AboutUs-_-AboutUs MARKETING CAMPAIGN: http://www.cio.com/article/2377257/online-marketing/7-ways-to-create-a-successful-integrated-marketing-campaign.html OXENDALES IRELAND: http://www.oxendales.ie/?PROMO=2000gclid=CjwKEAjww9O3BRDp1tq0jIP023YSJAB0-j1SZzTjxpFOGyGZev_jbyMQPHU5trQzI0Kn6-f5OQA2NhoCPDHw_wcBgclsrc=aw.ds Principles of Marketing 8th Edition, Kotler and Armstrong 2012, Prentice Hall Pearson, Ps 4/5/6 38-45