New product marketing plan

In the market analysis, I intend to assess both the future and current market(s), positioning competitive conditions and any regulatory concerns that may exist in United States as Honda Company ventures into introducing bicycles in America. The potential for our product which is bicycles consists of quite a large and wide range of individuals who love outdoor sporting as well as those who have an interest in biking as a sport. This is also applies to the avid riders. In other words, this group constitutes young people especially children who like to bike during their play time, those students who take on biking as their only means of transportation, and competitive riders as well as weekend riders.Targeting may occur in two main phases. The first one concerns the single segment which consists of a single product. This is whereby a single product is targeted by a marketer and this takes place in a market that consists of many segments. On the other hand, the second phase relates to a situation whereby a single product is aimed at the available market segments as a whole by a marketer. In this case, less importance is placed on differentiation as compared to cost. In addition, there is also multi segment system of approach whereby different segments in the market are targeted by a marketer and this also includes various products that are differentiated (Baker, 2003).The overall market for Honda is the United States’ market and company’s target includes young families, children and sports men and women. The current population of people who use bicycles is high in the United States and this size is constantly increasing. This therefore provides a good potential market for Honda bicycles that are about to be introduced. As concerns the socio-cultural characteristics, our target market consists of people who are open as regards their culture, beliefs, values and lifestyles. United States’ citizens once believed that those people who ride bicycles were mostly trouble makers; this belief has drastically changed since the inception of Honda Company. This therefore means that the target market is bound to perceive the introduction of Honda bicycles as a good thing.As concerns, the economic background, the United States market consists of people who have above average earnings hence they are capable of purchasing these bicycles. This is also because they are likely to have disposable income. Moreover; the customer needs and requirements vary a lot. For instance, the primary needs for any children who might want to purchase bicycles concerns their safety, value and sound construction whereas a competitive circler will look for the product’s technological superiority, reliability and light-weight construction.Our target market intends to have young adults who earn $ 35,000 as their annual incomes and the avid riders who have an annual income of $45,000 and above and they should be aged between the ages of 25-44 years. As pe r our surveys, our consumers will be willing to pay $ 410.What will drive the demand for our bicycles are the reasonable prices that we are about offer to our esteemed customers, our brand image and high quality products (bicycles).Industry and Competitor Assessment. The main competitors include Yamaha from Japan, Bajaj Auto, TVs-Suzuki and Harley Division (HD). Harley Division is a strong company that is financially stable besides its constant growth. In addition, HD offers-low cost and high quality goods, they posses a brand image which is strong and adaptable and lastly the company has a strong global marketing and distribution system. As a result of these factors, the competition has managed to satisfy the needs of our proposed targets.The main competitive advantages that these competitors have include lower costs of goods that will enhance competition, mergers between them and this will adversely affect the current market share that Honda possess. These companies have establish ed such a strong global competition because of the high quality and low priced goods that they offer. This also includes the brand images for their products which are also superior. Moreover, these companies offer advanced and high quality bicycles because they are knowledgeable on the greatest and current trends in the bicycle industry hence the ability to attract more customers both the old and the young population in United States.The other competitive advantage concerns the location of the business and also the reputation that they hold for their products among the majority population in United States. For instance, Mountainmart is also threatening competitors in the biking industry since they often apply a huge discount structure and commodity approach for its various product line. However, despite its price advantage, Mountainmart doesn’t offer a high performance service as well as bike lines. In addition, its location is not convenient as it is located far away from st udents who constitute the main target market. As a result, it does not portray as much competition to either of its competitors.However, Honda has also its own advantages that translate to its strengths giving the company a competitive edge over other business competitors. The company will produce and intends to offer a wide range of highly qualified bicycles which include comfort, mountain, children’s bicycles and hybrid. Since lifestyles are constantly changing, Honda Company is bound to offer a unique and healthy lifestyle with the current trend of bicycles that is bound to offer. Moreover, Honda also offers customer service which is excellent such as training, safety tips, instructions, repairs, bike fittings and proper use among others and this will be good aspect in tackling down our customers.Marketing Strategy Customers are the focal point as concerns the purchasing of products that organizations worldwide promote, development, and price and distribute hence this call for proper definition of these products so as to enhance and maximize consumer satisfaction. Positioning as a concept has in the past and even today changed the available nature that relate to advertising. The starting point for positioning relates to a service, an institution or merchandise.Positioning entails making the product to appear in a person’s mind (Ries and Trout, 2001). Positioning is therefore effective when it takes place at the right time. Getting into a person’s mind involves having the right messages fixed into people’s mind as this calls for an appreciation. Therefore our offering will be positioned through advertising so that people can be aware of the bicycles that we intend to introduce in the market. In advertising, enormous advantage is guaranteed for those products that are able to position themselves in the market as the first products hence it is essential to have very good products in the available particular fields in business.The ma rketing strategy of Honda will constitute the four elements of the marketing mix which include product, price, distribution (place) and promotion so as to make effective management decisions in order to attain the stated objectives of the firm. They will be blended in an optimal manner by the firm with an objective of getting a positive response from the consumers of goods and services in the market. This is because these four variables play the vital role in the decision making process by management. Products could either be goods or services that are available for consumer consumption.As concerns product decisions, the decisions that will be made may be based on appearance, service, function, warranty and packaging among others. Therefore the product decision at Honda will include differentiated products and different brands will be available for the bicycles. Honda intends to introduce bicycles that create a great appeal to the general public as well as the younger demographic he nce creating a larger market share for the company (Gorchels, 2006).As regards pricing decisions, the need could occur under a number of specific circumstances for different types of products and services. For an existing brand or product the decision can incorporate increases, reductions and holding price. The major circumstances in which pricing decisions need to be made are: new product introduction, changes in external circumstances e.g. competitive action in raising and lowering of prices, raw material tax or any duty changes in the market structure, as well as other internal changes arising from new products and new processes.It is therefore vital for decisions made on pricing to consider the probable pricing and the profit margins of products. Discounts, financing and other various options such as licensing also constitute pricing decision. At Honda, pricing decisions and strategy, the decisions made will use the method of low-end targeting. This will enhance provision of the se bicycles at lower prices so that everyone can afford to buy them (Gorchels, 2006).Placement decisions are mostly linked to various marketing channels of distribution which often provide the means for transferring these products so that they can get to the specified customers. Decisions that concern distribution include logistics, channel member selection, levels of service and market coverage.Honda plans to have dealers who will be used to distribute the bicycles to various destinations. These networks of dealers will be placed in various destinations so that potential consumers can access these products, merchandise or accessories. The company also hopes to use promotions such as shows, public relations and marketing programs in its distribution decision (Minzburg & Quinn, 1991).On the other hand, decisions that are made relating to selling and communication towards potential consumers are referred to as promotion decisions. These decisions require a breakeven analysis as these costs may be large. The promotion strategy at Honda will be based on brand image, advertisements and commercials that will be available to all.The most effective means of communication for our product (bicycles) is the mass media method of communication. This method enhances the rate at which we can connect with our target customers. Public relations will also be part of our promotion strategy. It is a purposeful form of communication directed towards the publics by the organization with the objective of developing good will (Cooper & Hiebing, 2004). Public relations is also future oriented and proactive hence the objective of maintaining and building an organization’s positive perception.ReferencesBaker, M.J. (2003). The marketing Book. Elsevier.Cooper, W., & Hiebing, R. (2004). The One-Day Marketing Plan. McGraw-HillProfessional.Gorchels, L. (2006). The Product manager’s handbook: Supplemental Worksheetsand templates. McGraw-Hill Professional.Minzburg, H., & Quinn, B . (1991). The Strategy Process. Prentice Hall.Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2001).Positioning: The Battle for your mind. McGraw-Hill New product marketing plan New Product Marketing PlanThis paper will focus on the development of a marketing strategy for a new product- Honda bicycle.Market Analysis In the market analysis, I intend to assess both the future and current market(s), positioning competitive conditions and any regulatory concerns that may exist in United States as Honda Company ventures into introducing bicycles in America. The potential for our product which is bicycles consists of quite a large and wide range of individuals who love outdoor sporting as well as those who have an interest in biking as a sport. This is also applies to the avid riders. In other words, this group constitutes young people especially children who like to bike during their play time, those students who take on biking as their only means of transportation, and competitive riders as well as weekend riders.Targeting may occur in two main phases. The first one concerns the single segment which consists of a single product. This is whereby a single product is targeted by a marketer and this takes place in a market that consists of many segments. On the other hand, the second phase relates to a situation whereby a single product is aimed at the available market segments as a whole by a marketer. In this case, less importance is placed on differentiation as compared to cost. In addition, there is also multi segment system of approach whereby different segments in the market are targeted by a marketer and this also includes various products that are differentiated (Baker, 2003).The overall market for Honda is the United States’ market and company’s target includes young families, children and sports men and women. The current population of people who use bicycles is high in the United States and this size is constantly increasing. This therefore provides a good potential market for Honda bicycles that are about to be introduced. As concerns the socio-cultural characteristics, our target market consists of people who are ope n as regards their culture, beliefs, values and lifestyles. United States’ citizens once believed that those people who ride bicycles were mostly trouble makers; this belief has drastically changed since the inception of Honda Company. This therefore means that the target market is bound to perceive the introduction of Honda bicycles as a good thing.As concerns, the economic background, the United States market consists of people who have above average earnings hence they are capable of purchasing these bicycles. This is also because they are likely to have disposable income. Moreover; the customer needs and requirements vary a lot. For instance, the primary needs for any children who might want to purchase bicycles concerns their safety, value and sound construction whereas a competitive circler will look for the product’s technological superiority, reliability and light-weight construction.Our target market intends to have young adults who earn $ 35,000 as their annu al incomes and the avid riders who have an annual income of $45,000 and above and they should be aged between the ages of 25-44 years. As per our surveys, our consumers will be willing to pay $ 410.What will drive the demand for our bicycles are the reasonable prices that we are about offer to our esteemed customers, our brand image and high quality products (bicycles).Industry and Competitor Assessment. The main competitors include Yamaha from Japan, Bajaj Auto, TVs-Suzuki and Harley Division (HD). Harley Division is a strong company that is financially stable besides its constant growth. In addition, HD offers-low cost and high quality goods, they posses a brand image which is strong and adaptable and lastly the company has a strong global marketing and distribution system. As a result of these factors, the competition has managed to satisfy the needs of our proposed targets.The main competitive advantages that these competitors have include lower costs of goods that will enhance competition, mergers between them and this will adversely affect the current market share that Honda possess. These companies have established such a strong global competition because of the high quality and low priced goods that they offer. This also includes the brand images for their products which are also superior. Moreover, these companies offer advanced and high quality bicycles because they are knowledgeable on the greatest and current trends in the bicycle industry hence the ability to attract more customers both the old and the young population in United States.The other competitive advantage concerns the location of the business and also the reputation that they hold for their products among the majority population in United States. For instance, Mountainmart is also threatening competitors in the biking industry since they often apply a huge discount structure and commodity approach for its various product line. However, despite its price advantage, Mountainmart doesnâ⠂¬â„¢t offer a high performance service as well as bike lines. In addition, its location is not convenient as it is located far away from students who constitute the main target market. As a result, it does not portray as much competition to either of its competitors.However, Honda has also its own advantages that translate to its strengths giving the company a competitive edge over other business competitors. The company will produce and intends to offer a wide range of highly qualified bicycles which include comfort, mountain, children’s bicycles and hybrid. Since lifestyles are constantly changing, Honda Company is bound to offer a unique and healthy lifestyle with the current trend of bicycles that is bound to offer. Moreover, Honda also offers customer service which is excellent such as training, safety tips, instructions, repairs, bike fittings and proper use among others and this will be good aspect in tackling down our customers.Marketing Strategy Customers are the fo cal point as concerns the purchasing of products that organizations worldwide promote, development, and price and distribute hence this call for proper definition of these products so as to enhance and maximize consumer satisfaction. Positioning as a concept has in the past and even today changed the available nature that relate to advertising. The starting point for positioning relates to a service, an institution or merchandise. Positioning entails making the product to appear in a person’s mind (Ries and Trout, 2001). Positioning is therefore effective when it takes place at the right time.Getting into a person’s mind involves having the right messages fixed into people’s mind as this calls for an appreciation. Therefore our offering will be positioned through advertising so that people can be aware of the bicycles that we intend to introduce in the market. In advertising, enormous advantage is guaranteed for those products that are able to position themselve s in the market as the first products hence it is essential to have very good products in the available particular fields in business.The marketing strategy of Honda will constitute the four elements of the marketing mix which include product, price, distribution (place) and promotion so as to make effective management decisions in order to attain the stated objectives of the firm. They will be blended in an optimal manner by the firm with an objective of getting a positive response from the consumers of goods and services in the market. This is because these four variables play the vital role in the decision making process by management. Products could either be goods or services that are available for consumer consumption.As concerns product decisions, the decisions that will be made may be based on appearance, service, function, warranty and packaging among others. Therefore the product decision at Honda will include differentiated products and different brands will be available for the bicycles. Honda intends to introduce bicycles that create a great appeal to the general public as well as the younger demographic hence creating a larger market share for the company (Gorchels, 2006).As regards pricing decisions, the need could occur under a number of specific circumstances for different types of products and services. For an existing brand or product the decision can incorporate increases, reductions and holding price. The major circumstances in which pricing decisions need to be made are: new product introduction, changes in external circumstances e.g. competitive action in raising and lowering of prices, raw material tax or any duty changes in the market structure, as well as other internal changes arising from new products and new processes.It is therefore vital for decisions made on pricing to consider the probable pricing and the profit margins of products. Discounts, financing and other various options such as licensing also constitute pricing decisio n. At Honda, pricing decisions and strategy, the decisions made will use the method of low-end targeting. This will enhance provision of these bicycles at lower prices so that everyone can afford to buy them (Gorchels, 2006).Placement decisions are mostly linked to various marketing channels of distribution which often provide the means for transferring these products so that they can get to the specified customers. Decisions that concern distribution include logistics, channel member selection, levels of service and market coverage. Honda plans to have dealers who will be used to distribute the bicycles to various destinations. These networks of dealers will be placed in various destinations so that potential consumers can access these products, merchandise or accessories. The company also hopes to use promotions such as shows, public relations and marketing programs in its distribution decision (Minzburg & Quinn, 1991).On the other hand, decisions that are made relating to selling and communication towards potential consumers are referred to as promotion decisions. These decisions require a breakeven analysis as these costs may be large. The promotion strategy at Honda will be based on brand image, advertisements and commercials that will be available to all. The most effective means of communication for our product (bicycles) is the mass media method of communication. This method enhances the rate at which we can connect with our target customers. Public relations will also be part of our promotion strategy. It is a purposeful form of communication directed towards the publics by the organization with the objective of developing good will (Cooper & Hiebing, 2004). Public relations is also future oriented and proactive hence the objective of maintaining and building an organization’s positive perception.ReferencesBaker, M.J. (2003). The marketing Book. Elsevier.Cooper, W., & Hiebing, R. (2004). The One-Day Marketing Plan. McGraw-HillProfessional.Gorch els, L. (2006). The Product manager’s handbook: Supplemental Worksheetsand templates. McGraw-Hill Professional.Minzburg, H., & Quinn, B. (1991). The Strategy Process. Prentice Hall.Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2001).Positioning: The Battle for your mind. McGraw-Hill  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Professional.

Shall We Tell the President?

In February 24 he heard shocking news. Some people were planning to kill the president and he understood that a senator is also involved in this. When they knew that he heard everything, they tried to kill him. But fortunately he escaped. After the meeting Mark Andrews talked Dry. Dexter and fixed a date with her. Barry called Nick and informed every thing. Nick States entrusted Mark to the hospital. On the way to the home Barry and Nick met In an accident and died _ March 3 Thursday Evening: Mark called Dry. Dexter and postponed the meeting. When he arrived in the hospital Angelo and Benjamin Reynolds who lied near Angelo had died.Mark tried to inform the news to Nick but he didn't get. So he informed all incidents to the FBI director H. A. L Tyson and through car radio he knew that Nick and Barry were died. 4 Friday 6. 27 am: Mark meets Tyson and informed to keep it secret; at the mean time Tyson had appointed two persons to look Mark. Mark starts his investigation about which sena tor involved in this case. At the Library of Congress he checked the congressional record to find out who were all in Washington on February 24. He got a list of 62 senators then he double checked and shortened it Into 38. Friday Afternoon 12. Pm: A meeting of conspirators takes place. One man Is Tony, he was an excellent driver another is Xanthium, a Vietnamese and an excellent rifle shooter, he hated Americans. The third man is Ralph Matson; he is an old FBI agent and the Peter Nicholson, a millionaire. The last man is called chairman. Ralph Matson was the killer of Angelo Ceasefires; he disguised like a Greek priest and killed him. Tony and Xanthium were the killers of Barry and Nick . They discussed about the planning to kill the president. Arc 4 1-relay Attorney 4 pm: Mark called Nils classmate Ana Knew auto ten mafias. When mark speaks with Dry.Dexter he got the news that Angelo was a Greek then he contacted a Greek orthodox priest and understood the killer who he see in the h ospital. 5 March Saturday Morning: Mark meets Tyson. In their Mathew Roger the Cast. Director of FBI gave information about the man who made the arrangements for the luncheon party. Marks visits Arians Ceasefires and learns that a priest came and gave fifty dollar bill to her. Mark traces the 50 dollar bill to know the finger prints. Mark contacted the secretaries of the 62 senators in his list not revealing the secret. He could cut down the number of senators' who had private luncheon on February 24.Sunday Morning 6 March 9 am: Mark calls a person in New York Times to know more about mafias and their attitude towards Gun Control Bill and also about senators who had close connections in organized crimes. Monday Morning 7 March 7 am: Tyson informed mark that a walk-talky of the FBI had missed and through that the information are going out side. For to know which senator where in the capitol on 3 March, mark looks the records and make a list of seven senators ‘Pearson, Noun, Bro oks, Byrd, Dexter, Harrison, Thornton'. 8 March Tuesday Morning 1 am: Tyson scolded Mark when he got the report from the woo men who are appointed to observe mark.They reported that Mark is in love with a senator daughter. Tyson scolded him because his lover's father Dexter is under suspicion. Mark goes to the senate house to see the Gun control bill debate, in which there he reduced his list to 5, because he understood that Noun and Pearson were not in the senate on 3 March. 9 March Wednesday: Tyson tells mark that Dexter may be the conspirator because the porters had seen in him on February 24 in Georgetown with his daughter. Mark shocked, he meets Elizabeth. Tycoon's men informed it and he scolded Mark.

Reflection on Interview Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection on Interview Paper - Assignment Example For this interview that I have selected, I believe that my understanding and information regarding Shell would benefit me in case if someone would ask me anything related to the company. It is highly important to know your potential organization in order to avoid any embarrassment. This would create a negative image of yourself and of your personality on the minds of your employers. Therefore, I tend to appear as a knowledgeable and informative person when it comes on knowing your employers. This would also enable you to appear confident that you know each and everything in detail about your employers. How Well I Have Answered The Questions: It is not right to say that I have answered all the questions in the right manner. I believe that your answer should be appropriate no matter if you have answered it in a right way or the wrong way. Your answers should reflect your personality, your thinking and your professional approach. I think I would have answered Question 4 (How do you work under pressure) in a more detailed manner. My answer should be: â€Å"I enjoy working in a challenging yet, stimulating environment. Time management and prioritizing responsibilities are the key factors in effectively managing your work under extreme pressure and stress. When managing with stress and pressure, I believe that panicking is not the right attitude. I enjoy challenges as they make you learn different things such as how to deal with stress, how to avoid pressure, you can come up with different solutions and develops a problem-solving attitude in you.† This shows my attitude, my personality, and my problem solving approach on my employers. However, it is necessary to be more descriptive with your answers where necessary rather than going for the shortest possible answers. Shorts answers can sometimes create a negative impact of your personality on the minds of your employers. However, try to be rational, show your confidence, be polite and just be yourself. I belie ve that a person should appear what he/ she is rather than acting what he/ she is not. Analyzing All the Answers to the Questions: Answer 1: â€Å"I find this company to be a leader in it is field so I apply for this job since it matches my skills and abilities .I feel that this position will enable me to demonstrate my abilities and skills and make a contribution in an area i have studied in and see my future career in.† Analysis: I could have made this question more informative. I would have added more information regarding the strengths of the company with my strengths just to show on the employers that my abilities and my skills have brought me at Shell; which is a multinational corporation with a huge employee capacity and strong market creditability. Answer 2: â€Å"I think you should choose me because this position offers me a chance to learn new things and be part of the wining organization.† Analysis:

Piano Sonata in D Major Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Piano Sonata in D Major - Essay Example I have chosen to evaluate the different musical elements embedded in this composition because I have always been an admirer of Mozart. Since this composition is considered one of his best works, I find it very interesting and analyzing it is something that I will enjoy. The sonata was divided into 3 distinct movements. Each movement possessed different elements of music such as rhythm and melody, color and texture, and form and harmony. However, it should be noted that these differences only highlights the musical and aesthetic value of the piece. The first movement allegro, meaning fast, is written in a strict sonata form. The sonata form is founded around 1770 and eventually became popular and widely utilized in musical composition during the turn of the 19th century. The beginning movement is divided into 3 sections: the exposition; the development; and the recap. In the exposition, Mozart introduces the first and secondary theme which is also known as the main melody. Next, the development section in which the material presented in the exposition is expanded. In this section, remote chords are introduced. Finally, the movement ends with the recapitulation. The material used in the exposition was re-stated in the home key of the piece following an ABA form. The fir The first movement also portrays a thick orchestral texture. Mozart used double thirds, remarkable scales and tremolos to create beautiful melodic line which is sometimes located in the left hand. The left hand octaves resemble the effect of woodwinds, violins, and the vigorous bowing of the celli and double-basses resulting to create an orchestral effect. Though having a thick orchestral texture, Mozart was still able to control and maintain the serenity and elegance of the music which best characterized his musical style. The Second Movement The following movement, a Rondeau en Polonaise in Andante (meaning slow in tempo), is an elegant structure whose lively thematic melody is embellished every time it returns. In this movement, Mozart used a Polonaise as another material for his composition in which during his time resembles a stately procession. The Third Movement The concluding movement, Tema con variazioni(Theme and Variations) is regarded as one of the finest compositions of Mozart in this genre. The theme was modified in to twelve remarkable variations. Although Mozart altered the theme, he maintained that the thematic idea would still be present and aurally recognizable. The underlying accompaniment of the left hand followed the traces of harmonic progressions stated in the original theme. The emergence of dissonances in each variation which somehow created a new harmony made it quite different. Each of the twelve variations that he wrote based on the original theme can be considered as a best reference for composers and arrangers. The variations exploit a lot of musical and technical devises such as virtuosic runs, crossing of hands, octave doubling and the use of parallel minor key in variation 7, remarkable alberti base and many more. The aria like penultimate variation is the most interesting among the twelve variat

POLITICS OF KNOWLEDGE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

POLITICS OF KNOWLEDGE - Essay Example cesses based upon divine or supernatural intervention.1 For instance, earliest humans attributed floods, famines, and other natural occurrences to spirits and the fact that they were otherwise frustrated or angry with their behavior. However, with the advent of the scientific revolution, identifiable and statistically measurable metrics were provided that helped the average individual to understand the fact that they live in a rational and bounded universe; bounded to science and the processes that it involves. As a function of seeking to understand this scientific revolution to a more demonstrable degree, the following discussion will be based upon how rationalist and empirical epistemologists facilitated a fundamental shift from divine human-based knowledge. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the individuals involved within shifting epistemology towards a human-based knowledge most essentially affected the means by which stakeholders within society sought to question the status quo.2 For centuries, the church had held unchecked authority over the way in which individuals understood the world around them. To a varying degree, the overall level to which individuals sought to question this authority was relatively limited. However, with the advent of the scientific revolution, stakeholders within society, although all classes, were encouraged to question the status quo and consider whether or not scientific merit provided a rational and reasonable explanation for the processes and beliefs that they had so long been led to engage with. A secondary manner by which rationalist attempted to provide a fundamental shift from divine to human-based knowledge is with regard to the way in which they sought to use identifiable numbers and processes as a function of proving a particular point. Naturally, this is the very cornerstone of science; however, in centuries past, the league and dictated as the final understanding of whether or not a particular process or

Counter Insergency in Afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Counter Insergency in Afghanistan - Essay Example (Jeffery 1995) Till 1989, the Soviet Union had been fighting against these Mujahideen but could not win. They had to pull out from rugged terrain of Afghanistan. This resulted in the disintegration of Soviet Union in to several independent Republics. The left over triumphant Mujahideen divided between themselves under Persian speaking northern alliance and Pushto speaking Taliban (Rizwan 2005). Since the later group was dominant in numbers and support from the other surrounding Islamic countries captured almost allover Afghanistan in 1994. They continued in gaining grounds and strengthening their power on the basis of fundamentalist version of Islam (William Maley; 1998) and disregarded the allowance of Human Rights to all the other nations of the World. After 09/11, 2001 when the trade center in New York came under attack and caused destruction of thousands of lives in USA. The allegation went directly to Taliban and Usama Bin Laden allegedly hiding in Afghanistan. Now the Taliban had to go. USA along with NATO forces attacked Afghanistan and dislodged Taliban Government. Contrary to Soviet occupation Taliban could not resist the US pressure arms and ammunition for a longer time. Since 2002 the conventional US coalition forces installed Hamid Karazai's Government with a view to build national consensus of political process and start the reconstruction work on war footings. The American strategy changed from destruction of enemy by force and aimed at large scale reconstruction efforts to ally the local population for elimination of Taliban as a potential danger for peace and security in the region. Taliban had in fact proved to be the political arm of Al-Qaida covertly operative in USA. The reconstruction efforts under Hamid Karazai Government have proved to be a success at a larger scale. On the political front, American and NATO forces have been able to secure larger portion of local populace at least in Urban and Sub-Urban Areas. The local commanders have been lured into the political and reconstruction process. They have been instrumental in containing Talibization of the areas under the control. They have been actively participating in Jirgaaz (Political Congregation of Elders). The International community has been able to pledge significant funding for Afghan Economy. At London Conference of International Donors in 2006 US$ 10.5 Billion have bee n pledged for the five-year plan of security governance rule of law and human rights. At this point of time Afghan Government has been portraying a much bigger and better picture of economy and good chances of foreign direct investment. Since 2001 around 15 billion US$ have been spent on the reconstruction efforts of Afghanistan. There are numerous UN agencies and International NGOs like Action Aid UK, Oxfam UK, ICRC UK who have been pro-actively working for the betterment of Afghan Nationals. All these efforts have effectively demoralized and contained the spread of Taliban in Afghanistan. This was not the case while Soviet's had

Trickster Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trickster - Research Paper Example Events in the world are not so simple to distinguish and thus, the divisions of the oppressor and the oppressed, the victimiser and the victimised, are porous and these two categories often overlap. The coexistence of both categories within the same society often makes this porosity of categories inevitable and this shall be analysed while looking at the characters who seek to escape social boundaries and social restrictions through trickery, and usually earn a living through exploiting others. It is thus, not surprising that in many of these stories, the trickster belongs to non-white races and may often be women or belong to ambiguous sexual identities and orientations. Literature becomes a medium whereby writers seek to show the society how trickery becomes the only option that is available for a class of people who are unable to launch any open form of protest. The character of the trickster may in some cases, not even be human. It may be the society that plays tricks upon the co nsciousnesses of human beings and may also lead to the distortion of memories. Toni Morrison’s story, Recitatif, exemplifies this idea. It talks of the life of a child named Twylla. Twylla is raised for a while in a shelter home where she meets Roberta Fisk. She enters into a friendship with Roberta and sees how a deaf woman named Maggie is abused by the older girls of the shelter. The story of Maggie is told often through memories and often, the narrator of the story can be suspected of being an unreliable narrator. This feature of the story makes it impossible for the reader to identify what happened to the character of Maggie and the question remains whether she was victimized as a result of her being black. This ambiguity in the story points to the unseen character of the trickster in the story, memory. The memory of both Roberta and Twylla are shown to be unreliable and they serve the function of the traditional trickster (Morrison). The trickster, in a manner that is si milar, can also be the collective consciousness of a community. The clean environment of Harlem on Sundays makes the people believe that they are better off in life than they actually are, in the Langston Hughes’s poem, â€Å"Passing†. The real lack of economic resources and squalid manner of living makes these areas want to be like people of other areas that were economically better off. This is possible, according to Hughes, only by converting the collective imagination of the people into metaphoric tricksters (Hughes). In another work by Hughes â€Å"Who’s Passing for Who?† he describes his experience with a couple which seemed to be white. They later reveal that they are colored. While leaving Hughes, they say that they were white people trying to pass off as colored. In this story, the trickster couple serve to bring to the fore the racist assumptions that are made by both white and colored people. Both sets of people harbored prejudices that were de ep-rooted. The young black writers who are a part of the group that Hughes is with try to make themselves appear very knowledgeable. This is a consciously put on act that is aimed at impressing the white people. When they are told that the couple is colored, they end up being very friendly with them and they let their guard down. They then become more

Hello platform Report advice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hello platform Report advice - Essay Example uiry from Booz Allen Hamitlon company that wants to know whether to continue with internal or in-house software development or acquire their social software from another company. Like many other companies, Booz Allen Hamitlon Company has to make sure all its stakeholders understand what system development means and what purposes it is meant to serve. This information should be known by both insiders and outsiders in order to make the evaluation of their decision easy to implement. This is so because effective partnership is significant in creating a close and mutual and respectful working relationship between developers and users of any software project (Maier 1998). To take the best step, there are issues that Booz Allen Hamitlon must sort out. First, the company must identify a large IT problem that needs to be solved. Jessup and Valacich (2003) advise that the problem should then be broken down into several smaller and manageable pieces that can be translated into computer programs. The social software should join each program into an overall comprehensive system that caters for the whole problem as illustrated in the below diagram by Jessup and Valacich (2003). At this point, any company can discover the complexity of the program needed and weigh options with regard to the expertise it has at hand. Where the company realizes that its personnel are not competent enough to develop such software, it should consider other alternatives (FCA 2007). Incase the company realizes that their problem needs software that their personnel can develop, then it should consider developing it in-house if the time consumed and resources needed are less than the cost of purchasing or securing the development otherwise. As Booz Allen Hamitlon Company considers the off-the-shelf software development, the evaluation process will be vital. This should be done by evaluating and analyzing the features, functions, benefits and costs of the viable options so as to develop the best

Challenge in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Challenge in the Workplace - Essay Example He was quite angry because he had been making calls to our company and had suffered the run around by the people who were assigned to help him. When I received his call and learned of his plight, I looked up his inquiry and discovered that his check was ready but not yet sent out for some reason. I informed him of this problem and assured him that I would call him at the end of the day with an update regarding his claim. Normally, a check release request does not require a personal call follow up with the client. But I decided to make an exception in this case due to extenuating circumstances. After I had contacted the right departments in order to get the check cleared for release, I made sure to get the check into the mailing queue by the end of the day. I then called the client back and informed him that his check was honestly in the mail and gave him the routing number for future reference. The client was pleased with my work and thanked me profusely for helping him out. Needless to say, he was one happy client but I had to suffer the penalty of having to explain my actions to my supervisor. Although I had to accept a written warning attached to my employee file because of my actions, I strongly believe that I did the right thing. In fact, I would not change a single action I took that day if I had to do it all again. After all, company policies are in place to protect the company but do not exist to prevent clients from getting their just dues from the company. If a little manipulation of company policy will not affect the overall company function, then going that extra mile for the client should only serve to give the person a better partnership experience with the company.  

Critically examine Essay Example for Free

Critically examine Essay The four items from the book all say that women have the majority of the expectation to do more of the domestic tasks. These tasks include such things like caring for the children emotionally, washing clothes and making sure the house is tidy etc. The man is seen to be the main breadwinner and has little to do with such domestic tasks. There are views that say, however, that men are getting more actively involved, for example item D from M. Denscombe says that The amount of time fathers spend with their children has increased fourfold over a generation between 1961 and 1995. But it is very hard to do research within a family unit unless you are in the unit already and can research from within. Item B from M. Jones suggests that the domestic division of labour is not in proportion to the division of employed work, even though there is evidence to suggest that this is sometimes the case, generally studies indicate that inequality rather than symmetry is the defining characteristic of the majority of present day marriages. There are many different sociologists that believe that the division of labour in the home is getting more equal in the present day. Item A involved a huge survey of 543 parents and found that working mothers spend more time on housework than on their full time job. It says that mothers in full time employment spend 56 hours on housework compared to mens 31 hours a week. This shows that even when the mother is working there is still the expectation for her to be the main carer and house worker; this sort of division of labour, which is expected, is called the dual burden. Item C is from M. Leonard and suggests that women accept the role of the housewife because they want to be seen as a good wife and mother. For this reason they are more likely to accept an unequal division of labour. Willmott and Young (1973) introduced the idea of symmetry, which basically meant that the roles of the husband and wife were equal and balanced. They still agreed that women would take the main responsibility for the childcare and domestic tasks, but said that men were spending about the same amount of time as the women in the home doing home-related activities. The idea of symmetry meant that the domestic tasks would be shared equally, but this would not be strictly true as men were still seen to do the practical jobs such as do it yourself tasks or decorating, while the women would wash up. This meant that they did about the same amount of time on domestic tasks, but they were not shared completely equally. This symmetrical division of labour made the relationship more home-centred and they would spend more of the leisure time together, providing a stronger relationship. Willmott and Young would agree that the domestic tasks have become more equal between the husband and wife. This sort of marriage is called the egalitarian marriage where the tasks are more joint. Burghes would agree with Willmott and Young who say that fathers are more active in childcare these days than they were in the 1960s. Benston, a Marxist-feminist argues that women are used as reserve army of labour and that the work that they do and the way they work benefits the capitalist system because they are easily employable and can be let off work easier than men. The capitalist system promotes the traditional nuclear family where the man is the breadwinner and the wife is the carer and looks after the house this is because of the capitalist system that treats women as slaves, women are the slaves of wage slaves Rosser and Harris agree with Wilmot and Youngs theory and say that nowadays the husband is expected to help with the household chores, to stay at home or go out for the evening with his wife, to help with the children, to push the pram, to share the major family decisions. The case studies of young married couples confirmed this marked change in the conjugal relationship and the marked contrast within the recent past. This is a big change from years past as the husband is getting more involved with the children and helping out more within the home. Elizabeth Bott argues that the conjugal roles in the home are both segregated and joint. This means that the jobs round the house are shared in terms of time doing them, but they are segregated because the wife would do different tasks to the man. The man would do such jobs like looking after the car and getting things fixed around the house, while the woman would do jobs which are associated with the mother figure, these are such tasks as making sure there is a dinner on the table and looking after the children while they are playing. Bott also argues that the norms and beliefs of the middle class would eventually filter down into the working class. At the moment the middle class has a different system when it comes to domestic division of labour, they tend to have the joint domestic task system, where as the working class have a segregated division of labour. By saying that this will filter down means that eventually the working class will change their division of labour so that the tasks between the husband and wife are joint. In conclusion I think that the roles within the family are being a lot more shared, so are becoming more symmetrical. The husband and wife are beginning to share their domestic tasks and this will bring them closer to each other, this point agrees with that of Willmott and Young when they say that more of the leisure time that they have will be spent together in the home. I also agree with the view from Beck who says that fathers need an identity, which in this modern world is not provided by their work anymore so they look to other places to provide it. More and more fathers are taking an active role in the development of their children, which provides them with the identity, which they need. The involvement should not be exaggerated though because compared to the mother they still dont play a huge role in the care of the children. This view agrees with Item D, which is the Item that I agree with most as it describes the change of involvement of fathers with their children form the 1960s to the 1990s.

Sainsburys Opportunities for Expansion: Analysis

Sainsburys Opportunities for Expansion: Analysis 1. Introduction The aim of this report is to analysis the accessibility and strategies for Sainsburys to entry India retailer market. Based on findings, the report employs Dunning OLI theory and Porters diamond framework to discuss the possibility of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), gives recommendation on whether Sainsburys should access Indian supermarket sector or not. Furthermore, it provides some available strategies for addressing and strengthens risks and opportunities in India. Strategies comprise of several elements, which include entry mode, location choice, main products, human resource strategy and marketing strategy. As known, with huge domestic demand and fast growing GDP rate, India is one of the fastest growing emerging markets. Although, bearing various restraints for MNEs, it also has high potential in economic development, which makes India one of the ideal destinations for multinational enterprises (MNEs). Strict commercial regulations set by Indian government pose additional potential risks for MNES to cooperate with local enterprises. By giving emphasis on regulation aspect, this report also examines Sainsburys ability for surviving in the competitive market. Wal-Mart and Tesco have invested capital into India market for a while. Some people keep positive think that they can successful survive in local competitive market. But some people still keep looking this new market. No matter what difference of MNEs consideration, Invest in India seems a new trend in many industries. Based on very different opportunities and risks, what kind of strategy does Sainsburys can develop in India, and that is our group learning from here and concerning. 2. Company profile Sainsburys is the third biggest supermarket retailer in the UK. There are more than 290 convenience stores and 502 supermarkets across the UK. According to statistic provided by Datamoniton (2010), more than 18 million customers visit Sainsbury every week. The financial performance is excellent for the past few years, as reported the pre-tax profit increased by 57.3% from  £466 million in 2009 to 733 million in 2010. (Key note, 2010). Food and grocery are the main products, despite of displaying high-end products from other independent suppliers, the own brand which accounts for 40% of its sales, also showed promising driving power. Moreover, its new strategy is to develop more products of private labels and promote local organic products (GMID, 2010). 3. Macro and micro investment environment analysis The macro and micro investment environment analysis integrated two methodologies. Basically, this report adopts Dunnings (1988) OLI theory to critically examine Sainsburys ownership, location and internalization conditions in India. However, due to the limitations of OLI theory, the report also employs Porters diamond theory to help to give full interpretation. It would contribute to give a depth and board analysis of investment environment. 3.1 Ownership analysis Table1. Ownership analysis Advantages Disadvantages Capital advantage High reputation for offering good quality food to customers Low demand of electric energy Less FDI experience in Asia Relatively weak demand of matched customers Low level infrastructure and poor electricity supply In terms of Sainsburys ownership, there are three principal advantages. 3.1.1 Strong capital position Sainsburys has stronger position that superior to the Indian local biggest retail companies. Compared Pantaloons Retail Limited, which is the biggest Indian retailer with an asset of Rs 1030.16 million, Sainsburys has a net current assets  £4,966 million in 2010 ( £1=Rs47.273, Feb, 2011) (Sainsburys annual report, 2010, refresh annual report, 2009-2010, Yahoo finance, n. d.). Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar, the subsidiaries of Pantaloons, are the first and second biggest retail shops in India (Techchandani, n. d.). 3.1.2 Serve for customers Sainsburys has strong awareness of offering good quality foods to customers. In the UK, proprietary, a system that retailers indicate quality assurance by selling products under their own labels as their brand products, is a common method (Holleran, Bredahl and Zaibet, 1999). Under this system, Sainsburys sells foods as its brand, and consumers trust its brand (Cotterill, 1997). It is because the high quality own brand merchandise that enhanced Sainsbury brand influence, also improved supply chain management, to fulfill the customers, suppliers and Sainsburys needs (Baidu, 2011) 3.1.3 Low electric energy store operating skills During 2009 to 2010, Sainsburys reduced its consumption of energy 2.5% despite of extending over 6% of its space by introducing eco-light bulb for store operation (Sainsburys, 2010). India is fifth biggest energy consume county and its energy supply is in a poor condition (India Energy Market Overview, 2010, Central Electricity Authority, 2010). Therefore, operating stores in instable electric condition, this low energy store operating skill might be competitiveness when competing with others (Sainsburys, n. d.). 3.1.4 Weakness On the other hand, there are also limitations. Though, Sainsburys is operating a head office in Hong Kong and it trades Asian products directly to Sainsburys in the UK, the operating type is not a retailer. Without investment or operations overseas as a retailer company, Sainsburys is lack of experience (Import Bureau, n. d.). 3.2 Internalization analysis As relative data mentioned, it shows that immature supply chain management and poor quality of infrastructure and technology skills are keys to add transaction costs. Recently, Sainsburys is aggressively developing strategy of private label, it includes food and non-food product (GMID, 2009). In order to maintain high quality and low costs own-brand, logistics management and advanced technology play critical roles. However, India supply chain is not well developed. For example, many food suppliers cannot prevent food spoil in hot weather. Therefore, Sainsburys cannot exploit local logistic to link present strategy of private label (GMID, 2010). Furthermore, it is a challenge for Sainsburys to decrease transaction costs effectively in India. Tsao et al (2010) reported that it is high spoilage rates around between 25% and 30% in grain supply chains. Besides, lack of information technology, logistics concepts make the service price greater crop costs approximately over 2.4 times. Sainsburys incurred high costs by 210% despite the fact that wholesalers, retailers and the intermediaries are the foundation for determining the final price. By contrast, in the western countries, the rates are approximately 3% and between 50% and 100%. Therefore, in this immature environment, Sainsburys may greatly shrink its margin. 3.3 Location analysis Advantages 3.3.1 Market size (Porters diamond) The organized retail sector makes up 5% of the Indian retail market. According to a research, investment in the organized retail market was around $ 503.2 million in 2009, and will increase to $1.26 billion in the next four to five years. Indias retail sector is expected to have a 10% increase in its compound annual growth rate and also estimated to reach US$ 833 billion by 2013 and US$ 1.3 trillion by 2018 (Business maps of India). 3.3.2. Increasing demand (Porters diamond) Nowadays, potential investors are attracted to the Asia Pacific retail market because of their population size and growth prospects, the relative immaturity of many markets in these regions helps them to take advantage by organizing the retail sector and increase the share of overall retail sales (Business Environment Outlook, 2010). The A.T. Kearneys annual Global Retail Development Index for 2010 categorises the retail market in India is as the fifth largest destination in the world and also the third most attractive emerging market for investment in the retail sector (Market Overview, 2010). 3.3.3. Low Labor costs (Eclectic paradigm) A new survey shows that labor costs in India are euros 2,024 a year, while the financial cost of employing a worker in Belgium, Sweden and Germany is more than euros 50, 000 per year (SiliconIndia news, April 2005). Besides, there is a high level of qualified English speaking workforces in India. 3.3.4. Competition condition According to the retail market data, the table shows that India maintains the 2nd position with a high score of 63 for its market entry potential. This simply reflects Indias underdeveloped retail market as well as the absence of local and multinational competition. India also recorded a good score for the value of retail sales and prospects for retail growth. In this market, there are local mom and pop family stores and the existing supermarket brands occupying the majority domestic market, as well as multinational brands which are planning to enter. Mom and pop family stores still dominate supermarket business. Since the large super market chain has not build an effective supply chain yet, it leads to the increase of products prices. Moreover, people prefer the service, as most of these shops offer home delivery, easy credit, and gifts and discounts for customers, by contrast, large supermarket cannot offer as good service as Mom and Pop. In addition, more than 2000 supermarket chain closed in 2008 due to these little shop and economic downturn. It is a significant challenge for the most supermarkets now and future (Srivastava, 2009). Despite of the existing 15 stores spanning India, Marks Spencer Reliance India are planning to open 35 stores over the next five years. Carrefour SA, the largest retailer of Europe, is planning to open who lesale stores in India by 2010 and has planned to set up the cash-and-carry outlet in the National Capital Region. Mahindra Retail, a part of the Mahindra Group, is also planning an investment at about $ 19.8 million. Threats Table2. Asia pacific retail business environment ratings Source: India Retail Report Q3 2010, pg. 10 3.3.5 Limits of Potential Returns Within the country structure category, India drops to the bottom of the table with a score of 40 indicating that a high score for the size of its population is balanced by low scores for its small urban population and spending capacity of its general population (Business Environment Outlook, 2010). In terms of retail market data, the table shows that India maintains the 2nd position with a high score of 63 for its market entry potential. This simply reflects Indias underdeveloped retail market as well as the absence of local and multinational competition. India also recorded a good score for the value of retail sales and prospects for retail growth. 3.3.6 Risk of Realisation of Returns The market risk data shows that India has the second lowest score. This signifies that the regulatory environment would affect factors relating to market entry. The country risks data also rating India as the second lowest. This shows that India possesses a high score in the areas of economic instability and policy, moderate in the areas of financial risk, short-term economic rating and short-term political rating. Finally, India has a poor score for long-term inflation, institutions, physical infrastructure, market orientation and labour infrastructure (Business Environment Outlook, 2010) 3.3.7 Infrastructure of advanced factor (Porters diamond) The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011 reports that Indias infrastructure is in serious need of upgrade especially in respect to transportation and energy supply (World Economic Forum). In relation to this, much of Indias farm produce gets to rot to market because of few refrigerated trucks and lack of modern transport logistics management (The Telegraph, 2011). Table3. Indias development stage Source: Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011 The diagram above shows the stage of development in comparison with the rest of the world. The diagram indicates that India is still in stage 1 which is the factor driven stage. India scores 3.5 out of 7 with respect to its infrastructure which is quite poor and needs an upgrade. It is very important to possess efficient infrastructure because it is a critical determinant for economic growth and it determines the location for economic activities and this helps to connect markets between regions and also reduce the cost of marketing in another region (World Economic Forum) 4. Recommendation Based on analysis of Dunning OLI theory and Porters diamond, the shortages makes Sainsbury cannot fulfill all elements at the same time. Despite of Indias huge market size and fast growing economy, there are still shortcomings which will affect Sainsburys investment. It lacks good infrastructure, high level of corruption, long-term inflation, unstable government policies and issues with government regulations on FDI. Furthermore, it is facing the competition from both local competitors and other multinational enterprises which are investing or planning to. A good example for lack of infrastructure is the need for more enough refrigerated trucks to preserve farm produce during transportation to the markets and this can also be related to the lack of a modern transport logistics management. Lastly, it may not have cost efficiency as invest supermarket in India. Therefore, we strong recommend Sainsburys do not direct invest supermarket in India now. However, we support the second option for Sainsburys. We suggest that Sainsbury enter India in the term of operating as a supplier business. It based on followed reasons: 1. In July 2010, Dean Nelson reported that India is making a move to deregulate its retail sectors so as to allow British supermarket giants like Tesco and Sainsburys has the opportunity to set up new stores throughout the country. 2. More also, Britain is hoping that India will lift its restrictions in various sectors like banking, insurance, financial and professional services so as to allow law and accountancy firms to practice there. It is believed that the establishment of British Universities in India would help meet the high demand for higher education (The Telegraph, 2011). The purpose of this relationship is to exchange knowledge and technology that can both benefit the two nations and can help the growth of mutual trade and investment. Although the relative regulation has not passed yet, it actually can give investors more confidence. Hence, we suggest Sainsburys can start with supplier business and prepare for establishing supermarket someday when the timeliness is rape for it. Furthermore, it will benefit Sainsburys to own more competitive advantages in the future. 4.1 Entry modes of Sainsbury There are several modes that the multinationals can apply, such as joint venture, mixed venture with the government and take part in privatisation. However, as mention above, there are various regulations making the joint venture the only possible mode. There are both advantages and disadvantages regard with joint venture. 4.1.1 Advantages From ownership aspect, it can reduce the capital of investment since local government accounts for 51% and organization owns 49% share. This can decentralize the risk and save the capital because this model can substantially reduce risks of being subject to nationalization or other types of adverse government interference. Another benefit is Sainsbury take the advantage of partnership in terms of original channel, reputation, knowledge, technique and existing system. For example, Sainsburys can share local knowledge and marketing experiences with local partner, such as management system, skills, language and culture that are necessary for competing in India. Moreover, the local company can help to handle many issues with local government, such as labour dispute, environment and union issues. 4.1.2 Disadvantages Nevertheless, this entry mode also is facing several shortcomings, such as the multinationals are easy to lose control over the technology, unable to engage in global strategic operation, and easy to lead to conflicts over goals and objectives. Because of Indias restrictive commercial laws, instead of operating as a retailor, Sainsburys can only form an alliance with domestic conglomerates to undertake wholesale-only operation, such as outlet, cash-and-carry wholesale stores, before the government loosen its restriction over this field. 4.2 Wholesaler advantages in India Sainsburys is good at developing own brand product in UK. And, some India enterprise start to realize the advantages of own-brand, such as decrease unites costs and enhances customer loyalty. The market orientation of Sainsburys is upper class level in the retailer or wholesale areas, and the main customer group is targeted at middle class and even higher. Moreover, in terms of the consumer behavior is rapidly changing in India; some tend to seek for the high-quality product with low price and the brand name. Thus, it successfully increases the market demand of the own brand goods of Sainsburys. In sum, Sainsburys can adopt high-end and differentiation strategy via private label for increasing competitions in market (GMID, 2011 Key note, 2011). 4.3 Localization Kerala state is chosen as the best location for Sainsburys subsidiary because of the optimal investment environment and considerable population of middle class. From the investment environment perspectives, in addition to the well-constructed infrastructure, the education popularization, universal health insurance is the highest across India and as well. The average income in local around $1,040, and the economic growth rate around 13.5 % and high level of FDI ($2.6 billion) between 2000 and 2008. Retailer, tourism, education, IT and IT service are main industries there. Literacy rate is 90% of local residents, and it has a widely influence of making people to accept a concept of higher quality food and other product. (Ministry of economic affairs of ROC, 2010) The follow table gives more information in terms of competitive advantage by Porters diamond. Table4: competitive advantage on Kerala state Factor endowment Educated population rate higher than other state in India Developed natural resources and agricultural environment Well Infrastructure Demand condition Increasing awareness of brand and food quality in south India. People have well educated and higher consumption capacity Health food is excepted to become important to urban consumers Relating and support industries Generate spillover effect due to flourishing farming industry Develop rapidly in Service industry Firm strategy, structure, and rivalry Increasing rivalry including local and international enterprise, e.g. Hindustan Unilever, Nestlà © Export-oriented food industry in local enterprise Sources: GMID, 2010 Moreover, according to OLI analysis in previous sections, it can substantially reduce threats if Sainsburys invest in Kerala. For example, the skill of food manufactory and infrastructure are superior to other places in India. The local government intends to build advanced transportation network to link with other big cities. It can release the stress of food spoil, and it will cover a greater region in south India for Sainsburys. Furthermore, high degree of education is the key to implement Sainsburys strategy (i.e. quality product and own brand). 4.4 Marketing strategy When Sainsburys run business in India, its high quality reputation will be able to opportunity on it marketing activities, on the other hand, cultural differences will be a risk. To utilize the opportunities and manage the risk, target marketing strategy and localization strategy might be useful (Salomon, et al., 2009). For example, Sainsburys high quality reputation is its competitiveness, so if it focuses on quality sensitive Indian customers it can make clear discrimination with competitors. Also, localization of products, promotion and price is also important for Sainsburys to success its business in India. For example, over 80% of people are Hinduism and they do not eat beef and many people are vegetarians (Hill, C. W. L, 2011). About the population, young age structure (0-14 years) is 30.5% and it is higher than U.K. and it might affect its offering products promotion (Central Intelligence Agency, n. d.). 4.5 Human resources management Superior human resource management (HRM) can be a sustained source of high productivity and competitive advantage in the global economy (Hill, 2011). There are three types of staffing policy. According to the International Business, if Sainsburys use the global standardization policy, it has two advantages which use HRM efficiently, and build a strong culture and unofficial management networks (2009). However, it still has some disadvantages, such as high cost, and limitation from national immigration policies. When Sainsburys invests in India, it needs to estimate the consumption ability and business performance of India, and then to calculate initial personnel cost which has to accordance with local regulations and culture, to carry out with Sainsburys organization chart recruitment. There are two stages of recruitments (see Table 1). Table5. Strategy of recruitments Strategy Advantage Disadvantage Short term Internal recruitment External recruitment Part time recruitment To build human resource database Have more time option and retention talents High cost of HRM Lack talents Expatriate failure Middle and Long term To train staff Cultural training Practical training Compensation Department rotation To develop international view To decrease culture myopia To improve local responsiveness Training and relocation costs increase Need a higher compensation structure Source: HRM, n. d.; International Business, 2011 As can be seen from the above table, the short term illustrates that internal recruitment is the fastest method for HRM, but it does not have any assist to build a new HR database in India. At the beginning of the investment, Sainsburys needs to spend high price for HRM (HRM, n. d.). After this stage, training staff is very important, because it can get some benefit such as developing international view for employees which will cost a lot than before. Sainsburys needs to consider this point and makes a balance about the cost.

Hate Crime Laws Essay examples -- Hate Crime Essays

Imagine you are a family member of a man who was chained up to the back of a pickup truck and drug along a gravel road for two miles until he was dead. Then imagine how you would feel after you found out that this happened just because he was a black man. Things like this sicken me. I believe that the people that are responsible for these horrific crimes should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. That is why I strongly support hate crime laws. Now, before I dive into this very controversial subject, I should probably define what hate crime laws are so you will have a better understanding of what I am talking about. As I have understood it, hate crime laws are laws that protect certain minorities or groups from bias motivated violence and harassment, and also more harshly punish people that commit these crimes against them. As I started to do my research on hate crime laws I began to notice that there are many experts that are on my side of this issue, and very few experts that oppose hate crime legislation. According to Issues and Controversies on File some experts that do not support hate crime laws believe that these laws â€Å"perpetuate inequality among U.S. citizens†. They say that hate crime laws â€Å"single out† or pick the minorities that get the special privileges while other groups don’t get any protection. The way they see it is, â€Å"why should it be any more of a crime to attack a gay person, they ask, than a heterosexual person?†(506). Other experts that oppose hate crime laws such as Don Feder, believe that these laws deny another basic concept of democracy (equality before law) by creating different classes of victims†(3). Feder says that â€Å"anti-bias laws punish ideas.† He believes that the... ...ated Violence.† Corrections Today August, 1999; 68 3.†Hate Crime Laws.† Issues and Controversies on File. Dec. 25, 1998. 4.†Hate Speech†. Issues and Controversies on File. June 4, 1999. 5.Hays, Kristen. â€Å"Suspect Charged With Hate Crime.† Vancouver Columbian Mar. 3, 2000:A2. 6.Jacobs, James B. â€Å"Hate Crime Legislation: Challenging Intolerance.† Current Sep. 1992: 7.Jost, Kenneth. â€Å"Hate Crimes.† The CQ Researcher Jan.8, 1993 8.McCafferty, Dennis â€Å"WWW.HATE.COMES TO YOUR HOME: Is it Free Speech? Or Does it Incite Violence?† USA Weekend March 26-28: 6-7 9.McCarthy, Sarah J. â€Å"Fertile Ground For Terrorist?† Humanist Jan./Feb. 1999: 15-16. 10.Sheppard, Nathaniel, Jr. â€Å"Hate in Cyberspace.† Emerge July- Aug. 1996 34-40. 11.Title 9A. Washington Criminal Code: Chapter 9A.36, Assault-Physical Harm. â€Å"West Revised Code of Washington Annotated. 1999.

Essay --

Congregation Bet Breira One does not simply walk into an unknown world without feeling some sense of fear or confusion. It is this unnerving feeling that wrapped its icy web around my gut as I stepped into the Bet Breira Temple. I pressed onto this unknown territory, full of regret for taking up this assignment and not choosing a religion that was closer to mine. This temple, that had always seemed to pose as a strange piece of architecture, became a totally different entity once I was inside. I felt like I was staring at a grand stadium, all of the pews lined up in rows leading towards the heavens all staring at one center altar. This place had its similarities to my usual place of worship back at St. Kevin Catholic church; however the people and the religious symbols that hung were completely new to me. It was as we entered however that the biggest surprise struck me. Accompanied by my Jewish friend Chris, I asked him, â€Å"Hey who is that woman wearing those strange clothes?† and all of my Catho lic upbringing could not prepare me for what he had to say next, â€Å"That’s the Rabbi.† As I recall the events that transpired, I realize my ignorance could have been perceived as sacrilegious had anyone noticed my face of disbelief. In Reformed Jewish Synagogues, Synagogues being the Hebrew word for Temple, women can be ordained as Rabbi’s. They go through the same process as men, learning the Hebrew language and mastering the Torah. The Torah is Judaism’s most sacred item, a book written by man through their God’s intervention. One difference between the different sects within Judaism is the differences of views of the Torah. Though Reformed Jews see the different Jewish laws to be guidelines, Orthodox Jews believe them to be essential laws... ... them and cares for them. It is through a Reformed Judaist view that God has been caring for humanity for thousands of years, and one can see the amount of pride there is in each of the parishioners. Ultimately I am very happy for partaking in this experience. Having visited a church that I have never gone to has not only taught me a valuable lesson about another group’s belief system but has also made me grown more appreciative of my current faith. I am glad that I was able to do research prior to coming to the synagogue because it helped me understand the events that were transpiring before me. However, much like looking up the â€Å"Spark Notes† of a book, no research compared to the actual experience of participating in their ritual. It was a great honor to have been allowed this opportunity and I now know that many religions have very similar religious dimensions.

RETIREMENT Essay -- essays research papers

Retirement, Are You Saving Enough?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As and investor, you are overwhelmed with advice in newspapers, magazines, and mailings discussing what to invest in for a successful retirement nest egg, when to start saving for retirement and who to invest with. There are millions of people who realize that an investment portfolio for retirement is necessary, but do they really understand the investment instruments and the amount they must invest for tomorrow? The subject of retirement is a fascinating area but it also could be a fuzzy subject without the correct amount of knowledge, understanding and professional guidance. The number one question of concern for individuals facing retirement issues is whether or not they have enough annual income to retire. â€Å"In 2001, only 63% of workers said they felt confident they would have enough money to live comfortably in retirement†¦just one year later, that figure was 72%.† (www.smartmoney.com) With the baby boomer generation nearing retirement in the up coming years there are numerous questions that need to be answered before they can flat out retire. Have they been saving enough for their retirement or will they fall short in the later years of their lives?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The average â€Å"baby boomer† must realize that â€Å"they will have more time to enjoy the abundance they are accustomed to and they will need the income to do so. According to the Society of Actuaries, baby boomers can expect to live well into their 80,s and many will live well into there 100’s and beyond. That means someone who quits working at 65 may be looking at spending 35 years in retirement.† (www.aol.sageonline.com) The worst news about the increase in life expectancy is that people are not saving enough to maintain their high standards of living and they must adjust accordingly. So what are these people supposed to do?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, people must save as much money immediately and let go of the old notion of retirement. The basic fact is that â€Å"Social Security currently makes up about 40% of a retirees income, it is now up to the individual investor to generate the remaining 60% in order to maintain the standard of living they are accustomed to.† (Prosser 12) Some of the old rules of saving for retirement still apply, Michael McDonald, vice president of a national brokerage firm says the 60 t... ...ill accumulate interest. Making withdraws are non-reportable income and won’t change your adjusted gross income which otherwise could put you into a higher tax bracket an affect other withdraws from accounts. This leaves the Roth IRA more flexible because there will be no minimum distribution requirements, so you take out what you need and let the rest grow. After age 59.5, even before retirement, you will be able to make withdraws before retirement if the account has been open for at least 5 years. However, the withdraw must fit the requirements of a â€Å"qualified withdraw†. In order for a withdraw to be considered qualified it must be as a result of a medical emergency, loss of working ability, forced retirement, etc†¦ The Roth IRA seems like it has no disadvantages but there are drawbacks of a Roth IRA to a traditional IRA. One disadvantage with the taxes is that you are paying taxes now while you are likely to be in a higher tax rate then you would be whe n you were in retirements. The Roth IRA doesn’t offer tax deductibility leaving people to pay more taxes now. Other than these drawbacks there really isn’t any other reason not to invest in a Roth IRA compared to a traditional IRA RETIREMENT Essay -- essays research papers Retirement, Are You Saving Enough?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As and investor, you are overwhelmed with advice in newspapers, magazines, and mailings discussing what to invest in for a successful retirement nest egg, when to start saving for retirement and who to invest with. There are millions of people who realize that an investment portfolio for retirement is necessary, but do they really understand the investment instruments and the amount they must invest for tomorrow? The subject of retirement is a fascinating area but it also could be a fuzzy subject without the correct amount of knowledge, understanding and professional guidance. The number one question of concern for individuals facing retirement issues is whether or not they have enough annual income to retire. â€Å"In 2001, only 63% of workers said they felt confident they would have enough money to live comfortably in retirement†¦just one year later, that figure was 72%.† (www.smartmoney.com) With the baby boomer generation nearing retirement in the up coming years there are numerous questions that need to be answered before they can flat out retire. Have they been saving enough for their retirement or will they fall short in the later years of their lives?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The average â€Å"baby boomer† must realize that â€Å"they will have more time to enjoy the abundance they are accustomed to and they will need the income to do so. According to the Society of Actuaries, baby boomers can expect to live well into their 80,s and many will live well into there 100’s and beyond. That means someone who quits working at 65 may be looking at spending 35 years in retirement.† (www.aol.sageonline.com) The worst news about the increase in life expectancy is that people are not saving enough to maintain their high standards of living and they must adjust accordingly. So what are these people supposed to do?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, people must save as much money immediately and let go of the old notion of retirement. The basic fact is that â€Å"Social Security currently makes up about 40% of a retirees income, it is now up to the individual investor to generate the remaining 60% in order to maintain the standard of living they are accustomed to.† (Prosser 12) Some of the old rules of saving for retirement still apply, Michael McDonald, vice president of a national brokerage firm says the 60 t... ...ill accumulate interest. Making withdraws are non-reportable income and won’t change your adjusted gross income which otherwise could put you into a higher tax bracket an affect other withdraws from accounts. This leaves the Roth IRA more flexible because there will be no minimum distribution requirements, so you take out what you need and let the rest grow. After age 59.5, even before retirement, you will be able to make withdraws before retirement if the account has been open for at least 5 years. However, the withdraw must fit the requirements of a â€Å"qualified withdraw†. In order for a withdraw to be considered qualified it must be as a result of a medical emergency, loss of working ability, forced retirement, etc†¦ The Roth IRA seems like it has no disadvantages but there are drawbacks of a Roth IRA to a traditional IRA. One disadvantage with the taxes is that you are paying taxes now while you are likely to be in a higher tax rate then you would be whe n you were in retirements. The Roth IRA doesn’t offer tax deductibility leaving people to pay more taxes now. Other than these drawbacks there really isn’t any other reason not to invest in a Roth IRA compared to a traditional IRA

Benefits of Cost Allocation in an Organization

Introduction: The Need for Cost Accounting and Allocation A product or a service cannot be provided without costs going into its creation. The ability to transform a raw material into the final product, whatever the final product may manifest, is unavoidably connected with a cost. Often costs are incurred in a manner that is not even directly related to the making of the final product but to activities that are necessary for the production process.Activities such as planning and administration come under the support activities that are not directly related to the creation of a product or service but they are necessary for a organization to operate. Often a situation arises when a cost becomes attached to more than one product or department. The question as to whom to ascribe a cost to when more than one party seems responsible for the charge had been a highly problematic issue for accountants for long while. Many schools of thought have sprung up with regard to this dilemma.Some feel that costs can be assigned based on dividing space, or percentages of use. Others were of the view that there is no need to allocate costs at all. â€Å"A third group preferred no allocation at all, because regardless of the method applied, bottom-line would not change† (Doost, 1997). The introduction of Activity Based Costing further pushed cost allocation into the background (Doost, 1997). However, Activity Based Costing had a major shortcoming in that not all cost incursion are clear-cut enough to be charged to the ultimate users.The need to allocate costs in the face of multiple users remained. Cost allocation is also known as cost apportionment and cost distribution. Defining Cost Allocation Cost allocation is the process of accounting developed to deal with a situation in which assigning costs to a particular product or department is difficult. The process involves identifying and linking the costs incurred with the cost objectives. Cost allocation consists of three ma in steps: ? Defining an â€Å"object† to link costing to ?Accruing the costs linked to the object Determining a method to link the object with the accrued cost The cost object can be thought of as an activity or a process, a product or service or even a part of the organization for which a separate measure for costs is required. Definition of the object is based largely on the needs and circumstances of the organization. After costs are incurred, they undergo an appraisal and are assigned to various pools depending upon a criterion that has been determined to link costs to the object. The costs are of two types; direct and indirect (Ijiri, 1975).Direct costs are traceable to the cost object through a highly objective, uncomplicated relationship. Indirect costs are the real purpose of cost allocation and are cost incurred without any traceable source. They must be assigned according to some bridging activity that will form the link between costs and cost object. The Benefits o f Cost Allocation Most literature follows the disadvantages of cost allocation and shows why it should not be used. However, cost allocation continues being used in numerous organizations.Two authors, Horngren and Kaplan have been the exceptions in relating this aspect and Zimmerman builds on their work to show, that in spite of what research, what benefits are derived from cost allocation which makes it popular among the practitioners. Horngren and Kaplan refer to the benefits to managerial behavior. Zimmerman (1978) divides this into the agency problem and using allocation as a proxy. The agency problem arises whenever a relationship is formed between a principal and an agent, such as that between the owners of the company and its managers (Jenson and Meckling, 1976).This situation assumes that the agent will do his or her best to increase the welfare of the principal; however, in reality an agent will sometimes act in ways that reduce the welfare of the principal. This is due to the lack of optimal monitoring systems. The monitoring system can restrict such acts but not completely stop them. The portion that can not be reduced is, thus, a expenditure and is known as agency costs that a principal needs to bear. A similar situation occurs between a superior and a subordinate when costs are allocated. The subordinate has his own interests at heart, including his chances of advancement.Thus, by allocating to the subordinates the superior’s expenditures, motivation is created for subordinate to carefully monitor their superior’s spending and ensure that the superior does not spend unnecessarily or for personal gain on the company’s tab. Thus, the subordinate will monitor the spending by the superior, ensuring less shirking and adequate spending on perquisites (non monetary incentives e. g. air conditioning in the office). Thus, the superior’s welfare is dependent directly on the subordinate’s productivity, subordinate’s compensation and the agency costs related to this relationship.This agency costs include the monitoring costs, bonding costs and residual loss. Excessive consumption of prerequisites by the superior, thus, negatively affects the subordinate's future promotions. To avoid this, the subordinate would either go over the direct superior’s head or attempt to convince the direct superior to reduce spending. Thus, cost allocation itself allows a principal-agency relation to be created in the organization, and using allocated costs, a means of monitoring superiors is created.This monitoring is not so effective if done by a person higher-up than the superior (because of one-to-many relation and lack of incentives), and is one reason that costs allocation are widely used in organizations. Another assumption made is the fact that lump-sum tax can also reduce an agent’s spending on perquisites. Here, costs allocations act as a lump-sum tax as they allow costs to be allocated to dif ferent departments. Thus, if a cost is allocated among five departments, then for each department this is similar to a lump-sum tax, and this is reduce the agent’s spending on perquisites in each of the departments.However, if this tax amount is tied to profits, then theory shows that mathematically the perquisites spending may actually increase. Thus, non-controllable costs are allocated to managers to decrease their perquisite spending and should be based on lump-sum overhead allocation rather than tied to profits. The above discussion also implies that costs allocations are better used when other forms of monitoring costs are high, perhaps due to geographical locations etc. Another benefit of cost allocation is observed with regards to manufacturing overhead costs.Zimmerman (1978) shows that a shared resource inflicts costs on others, for instance, for a shared resource a user will be constantly expanding his utilization. Besides the overuse, this agent is also inflicting a delay costs on other whose work may be affected by the delay they have to endure. After a certain point though, the costs will be more than the benefit derived from the shared resource and it would be more profitable to expand resources. Costs allocation acts a proxies to this expansion costs and allows proper allocation of costs which can be monitored. Thus, the manufacturing overhead issue is as follows.For a manufacturing concern, its main costs are its direct material used, direct labor required and manufacturing overhead, which are not directly traceable to one product but are incurred in manufacturing. When a principal assigns an agent, he also passes on the responsibilities and decision making thus resulting in a decentralized organization. In such a setting, each person will choose that level of inputs which minimizes the overall costs. This will be at a point when minimum variable costs are used by decreasing inputs and using maximum fixed costs, which are indirect costs. This will firstly not operate at optimum level, and secondly this will impose costs on other departments by using more of the manufacturing overhead costs. Hence, a need for centralized decision making arises. By using centralized decision making, a level of inputs is selected which minimizes input costs. . Also, manufacturing overhead is allocated based on requirements rather, than to show minimum costs. Thus, cost allocation allows optimal distribution of indirect costs, and also incorporates other immeasurable costs like delay costs, expansion costs etc.Doost (1997) also shows how cost allocation is useful for determining actual product costs by using all relevant costs, and can be used for control purposes. He demonstrates that the budgeted amount of manufacturing overhead costs allow monitoring of overspending or under spending and is the responsibility of the specific department. Conclusion Cost accounting is a highly useful method of accounting that is very accommodating to c ontrol and coordination measures of various costs. The importance of cost allocation has not diminished over the years.Cost allocation continues to be as important today as it was in the seventies. The basic principle behind cost allocation has remained largely the same; however, new methods of forming the link between costs and cost objects are continuously being formed. It continues to finds its application in cost control and accountability. By no means a cure-all, cost accounting does, however, provide a sound foundation for increasing responsibility, control and accountability by changing the very behavior of managers and creating an environment where cost reduction can be linked to advancement.

Erik Erikson Stages of Human Development Essay

Erik Erikson stages of human development with a particular approach of the Identity crisis of adolescence and implications for youth policy and practice. Erik Erikson`s developmental stages: The Adolescence Identity Crisis approach. â€Å"They say is human to experience a long childhood, but is also civilised to have an even longer childhood as it leads the person to achieve more technical and mental abilities known as virtuoso; at the same time it can also leave a long residue of immaturity and emotional confusion† (Erikson, 1994- Erik Hamburger Erikson, 1902-1994). In the collected works there was a researcher who spent a lot of time studying about human development and his name was Erik Erikson; most of Erikson`s work is based on real life situations such as the war and human depression which could influence the behaviour of one person, the author believed that the culture one individual lives in is also influencing their behaviour as an example of such arguments is Erikson`s study Sioux Indians investigated in a reservation. Erikson argued that the human behaviour is influenced by the body interactions, by the human mind and the overall cultural influences (Marcia, 1966). Erikson developed a theory which states that there are eight major stages in the human development dividing the adulthood developmental stages into young adults, middle age adults and older adults experience. The first stage Erikson described is the Infancy starting from birth up to 18 months also called the Oral Sensory stage and the main concept of the stage is emphasising the importance of love and care given to an infant by their mother as well as the visual contact and touch as the forms of communication and emotional exchange; this stage is also known as â€Å"Trust versus Mistrust† which stands for the infant`s basic needs accomplishment as when the infant`s needs are fulfilled by the mother as the role model the child will form trust and confidence where as if the basic needs such as visual contact are not offered by the mother it can lead the infant to develop mistrust in the closest person due to the lack of positive communication (Oswalt, 1995-2012). The second stage starts at 2 and continues up to 4 years old is also known as the â€Å"Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt† which stands for the fact that the child is actually asking if their person is ok and accepted by the others due to the fact that he starts to explore the close environment and gains motor abilities; at this stage the children are developing their first interests and the parents still play a fundamental role in encouraging and supporting the child`s autonomy and independency skills (Erikson, 1970). The third stage is also known as the Preschool stage â€Å"Initiative versus Guilt† starting at 4 until the child reaches 5 years old and although is a short stage the child development is significant as they start to master the nearest environment by achieving basic learning skills of life for instance the child learns that the things are falling down and not up. At this stage the child develops a certain level of independency and courage but at the same time they can develop some negative behaviour such as frustration, rudeness or aggressive intentions (Erikson, 1993). Between 5 and 12 years old is the stage of â€Å"Industry versus Inferiority† when the child is asking if they have a place in the world and becomes more aware of the fact that they are individuals, become more responsible, start to share more and to cooperate better in certain situations as they understand the meaning and sense of life to a deeper extend, at the same time the child discovers new talents and interests (Erikson, 1980). The fifth stage is the Adolescence starting at 13 up to 19 years old also known as â€Å"Identity versus Role Confusion† which stands for the crisis the teenager might experience when identifying their own personality; it is the most critical period as it could influence the person` s life as it is characterised by confusion in most cases, it will be critically appreciated in the last part of the essay. The sixth stage is the young adulthood starting at 20 up to 40 years old also called â€Å"Intimacy versus Isolation†, period governed by the conflict of love. Although, at this stage the identity crisis is coming to an end, the young adult can isolate because of the intimacy need and the fear of being rejected by the groups, overall the stage refers to the person`s need of finding the right partner for life (Erikson, 1990). The middle adulthood starts at 40 up to 64 years and is also known as â€Å"Generativity versus Stagnation† and is characterised by the adult intention and concern of helping and guiding the younger generation so the main focus of the adult is to contribute towards society development by offering support to the new generation (Erikson, 1980). The last stage described by Erikson is called the late adulthood starting at 65 till death also known as the â€Å"Ego Integrity versus Despair† when the adult is meditating upon their life events and what they have achieved throughout the life, if they realise that their life has been successfully will form integrity if not it can lead to despair and the feeling of failure (Erikson, 1980). One of the Erikson`s most talked stages of human development is the Adolescence which main focus is the teenager`s concern about how they look, how they are interpreted and accepted by their peers, friends and groups (Marcia, 1976). Erikson claims that in the late stage of adolescence the teenager develops a sexual identity which will define them as a person for their future life; the teenager makes a transition from the child to adult life which will actually mark their future roles in the society. The first stage of the transition is marked by the confusion of who the teenager wants to become, who they are at the moment and how will they be accepted by the society as an example of such uncertainty is the teenager`s preoccupation to fit into small jobs, they will try different roles such as babysitting or catering assistants until they will decide what they want to become in the future. Erikson claimed that eventually the teenager achieves a sense of identity but before that there is a crisis and a confusion stage which influences the teenager`s future decisions and interests; the period is critic as it can lead the teenager into bad groups, drugs, violence and other dangers since they are really confused and easy influenced so the parents must support and guide them towards the right path (Marcia, 1980). Erikson believes the transition is marked by the identity crisis which makes the stage unique as it becomes a synthesis of earlier stages and a kind of anticipation for the adulthood life as the youth stage is a bridge between child and adult experience (Fletcher and Branen, 2009). The stage is a radical change in terms of puberty, ability to search and find own life directions, awareness development of the society meanings and roles; the teenager is challenged to establish boundaries for themselves and this is when their identity crisis becomes hard to deal with, but Erikson believes the society will help and guide the adolescent to find their own way by offering different experiences which will impact the teenager`s interests and will define who they want to become as adults(Erikson, 1980). The theorist claims the identity crisis might be prolonged for some individuals due to the society and because it takes time to achieve certain life skills, personal interests and form a clear overview of the adult life, so there is no exact deadline for the teenager to create a life strategy, but Erikson thinks that by the age of 18 to 20 the adolescent must know their own interests and head to a certain direction in life gaining a psychological and social stability (Fletcher and Branen, 2009). Finally, Erikson thinks that the major impact and influence on a teenager identity crisis is the sociological environment the person lives in and the youth culture existing in that specific society, although the youth culture might be particular from a country to another or from a race to another, overall the youth policy needs to be SMART which stands for systematic, measurable, achievable, reliable and time related so that it will help the teenager to establish their own direction more clearly and investigate the opportunities they might have within the adult world (Kail and Cavanaugh, 2004).The way a teenager experiences the transition period impacts the future psychological, sociological and youth developmental skills, so Erikson believes it is fundamental what kind of â€Å"tools† the society and mostly the youth environment offers to the adolescent so they can choose from and establish their future path in terms of career opportunities, personality definition and overall place in the society (Oswalt, 1995-2012). As the essay showed, Erikson made a comprehensive induction in the human developmental stages emphasising the meaning and role of each stage; the infancy is governed by the love and care offered by the mother to the child, as the child grows up they become more independent and, have bigger autonomy but yet they are uncertain about their place in the world as the second stage described, at the age of preschool the child learns the basic skills and define their ego in order to become more responsible with own interests and talents towards the fourth stage. The fifth stage is governed by confusion as is the adolescence identity crisis when the teenager decides their future path, as a young adult the person will be interested in making a family and ensure they are loved; the middle age adult will be concerned in offering guidance, support and advice to the new generation of children but towards the late adult stage we saw that the retired person is concerned about their life events and motivated to meditate upon their life cycle. References: Elkind, D. (2004). Erik Erikson`s Eight Ages of Men. Module III Teaching Supplemental Handouts. Erikson, E. (1970). Reflections on the dissent of contemporary youth. International Journal of Psychoanalysis. 51 (11-12). Erikson, E. (1980). Identity and Life Cycle. New York: WW Norton and Company. Erikson, E. (1993). Childhood and Society. New York: WW Norton and Company, 242. Erikson, E. (1994). Biography: Lecture Notes and Ego Psychologists. PSY (345). Kail, R. and Cavanaugh, J. C. (2004). Human Development: a life span view (3rd Edition). Belmont CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 16. Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego identity statuses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 3 (551-558). Marcia, J. E. (1976). Identity six years after: a follow-up study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 5 (145-160). Marcia, J. E. (1980). Identity in Adolescence. Handbook of Adolescent Psychology. New York: Wiley. Oswalt, A. (1995-2012). Erik Erikson and self identity. Edited by Zupa nick Psychology Department MSW.