Operations and Logistics Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Operations and Logistics Management - Essay Example Supply chain gap analysis is explained in the essay to analyse the problems faced by Tesco regarding SCM. The operational issues and the business functions of Tesco are evaluated throughout the essay with regard to supply chain. It has been consequently observed from the essay that the effectiveness of the business largely depends on a strong SCM along with the productive relationship amid the partners. The businesses around the world are inclined towards strengthening their supply chain management (SCM) in order to attain greater competitive traction. Supply chain is the cohesive activity that brings not only the product in the market place but also generates satisfied customers. SCM domain covers a wide range of activities in the functional area. In other words, SCM includes all the activities that are associated from the procurement of the raw materials to the production and transportation of the finished good to the end customer. The business in order to be effective and successful in the marketplace uses the SCM model to eliminate the wastage of time and effort with the aim to deliver he finished goods in timely manner to the end customers. The major assumption behind incorporation of SCM model is based on the belief that the sooner the products reach the customer the sales of the business will increase. The supply chain includes various channels such as the manufacturing, ope rational, transportation, warehousing and then physical distribution of the products. Supply chain is established by the company to create value for the stakeholders by providing required value to customer in the right time at the right place. In this regard, it can be stated that Tesco is effective in the market with wide customer base due to its low price products which has materialised primarily owing to its strong SCM (Beamon, 1998). Tesco Plc is one of the leading global retailers with various retail stores serving millions of

What Is Critical Reflection Education Essay

What Is Critical Reflection Education Essay In the report first of all to study what is critical reflection, define what is reflection, through to compulsion or voluntarism, employer or individual responsibility, personal and values research the reflection of the role and value. Research how to realize the critical reflection, define what are CPD and PDP. People in certain work environment how to accurately use critical reflection, make critical reflection and CPD, PDP together, through the leadership skills, communication skills and problem solving skills, critical reflection and other aspects of the in-depth analysis. The last, write down my own personal development plan, through the strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats analyze my future development. From the report draw a conclusion. 2.0 Introduction Critical reflection has great value in the areas of personal and professional development. Continuing professional development is a means by which one can maintain a competitive edge in their professional lives (Bourgeois 2011). This should be accompanied by personal development which will include the improvement of ones skill set in order to add value to ones own life as well as their professional life. Reflection involves analyzing our knowledge and experiences critically. Reflective practice is the practical application of the results of reflection. It entails the individual identifying the patterns of thought that have been applied to our previous actions and how they will affect our growth and development going forward (Guralnik 2009). The difference between the two lies in the aim of reflective practice to improve the manner in which you work rather than just understanding it, which is what reflection aims to do. The purpose of reflection and reflective practice is self-understanding and improvement. An individual reflects upon their thoughts and subsequent actions in the workplace with an aim to improve upon them (Welich 2007). By taking part in this process, an individual is then able to understand their own shortcomings and improve them by applying new strategies. These are valuable to both an individual and the organization in which he/she is based. When an individual is able to improve their own actions through reflective practice, it benefits both themselves and their organization (Mintzberg 2009). Self-improvement of individual workers leads them to be more productive and efficient in the work place. This in turn leads to a more productive work place, especially if all the employees within an organization are encouraged to use reflective practice (Baidu 2010). 3.0 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Continuing professional development can be seen as a direct result of critical reflection. Once one reflects critically on their professional capabilities and goals, then they are able to start the process of CPD. It is important to understand several concepts involved with CPD. There are four stages in the CPD cycle: reflection on practice, planning, action, and evaluation. These four stages take place in a cyclic manner (Slack 2001). Reflection on practice involves an individuals identification of what he or she needs to learn or be able to do in the professional environment. An individual critically reflects on his/her own professional practice (Pyme Administrate Hoy 2010). This will include what is being done right and what requires improvement. Depending on the individuals profession, this may include certain techniques and procedures that have come up within their area of expertise. Planning involves the specific actions that are taken by the individual to learn the things which he or she has identified in the reflection on practice stage. After the specific areas of focus have been identified, then the individual comes up with the best way for him/her to learn. This may be through personal endeavors or by seeking professional assistance e.g. through seminars (.Jummal 1999) At this point, the areas of improvement have been identified and the necessary knowledge acquired. The next stage is action. This involves the implementation of the new knowledge in a professional setting. An individual acquires knowledge that will help improve their professional lives and the application of this knowledge in the work place is important to CPD (Lewis and Green 1998). If what was learned is not applied, then the two aforementioned stages will have been for nothing. The fourth stage is evaluation. This is a reflection on what has been learned as well as its application. The individual can now evaluate what benefits, if any the learned and applied knowledge is benefitting his/her professional practice. They are then able to gauge the success of the effort that they have put towards CPD. The cyclic nature of CPD means that after a while, it will be necessary to begin the process again by reflecting on current practice (Porter 2000). This may overlap with the fourth stage of evaluation. 3.1 CPD paradoxes and dilemmas There are several paradoxes that have been identified in CPD. Have explored these paradoxical concepts through their review of the work as follows: 3.1.1 Compulsion or Voluntarism This applies to whether the pursuit of CPD is voluntary or by compulsion. The reason for CPD is an important factor that contributes towards ones dedication to it (Garner and Boulton 2011). 3.1.2 Employer or Individual Responsibility There is both an individual responsibility as well as one for the employer when it comes to CPD. The employer needs to create an environment that is conducive to CPD (Scales 2011). The individuals responsibility in this case is to pursue CPD within the tenets provided by the employer. Without dedication from both the employer and the individual, CPD cannot successfully occur. 3.1.3 Teaching or Learning When an individual is taught something, they need to be able not only to learn it in theory, but also to apply it in practice. There needs to be a connection between the experiences on the ground and what is taught to the learner, which may not always happen (Megginson and Whitaker 2003) . 3.1.4 Life Purpose or Life Experience Life experience in CPD requires the individual to reflect on the path that has led them to the present position. Life purpose involves reflection on the purpose of ones life, both professionally and personally to intensify the effects of CPD (Pickering 2011). 3.1.5 Personal Development or Organizational Learning An organization is incapable of learning. Only the people working within that organization are able to learn and improve (Headley 2010). CPD must therefore begin with personal development of individuals that will later lend itself to organizational improvement. 3.1.6 Values Driven or Pragmatic Development Within an organization, development can either be driven by pragmatic concerns or those of the values held by the organization. Those developments based on the organizations values are consistent and can hold true over time. On the other hand, those driven by immediate pragmatic concerns such as profit tend to change from time to time and employees might find them hard to adhere to (Mauborgne 2009). They may even at times be contrary to the individuals CPD and the organizations values. 3.1.7 Journey or Exploration CPD can either be based on preset achievements or goals or can seek improvement without necessarily setting out the final goal. The type applied depends on an individuals preference, time constraints, and the flexibility of the organization in which he/she is based. 4.0 Learning Theories There are several theories related to the manner in which individuals learn. It is important for an individual to understand these theories and relate them to his/her own way of learning (Williamson2011) . Understanding ones learning style preferences is important to personal and professional development because it will assist in the planning stage of the CPD, as well as PDP. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs: According to Maslows hierarchy of needs, there is a certain order in which ones needs must be met. These needs are arranged in a pyramid, with the most necessary needs at the bottom of the pyramid and the least necessary needs at the top. CPD and PDP are related to the final two needs described in Maslows hierarchy. More specifically, CPD can be likened to a pursuit of ones responsibilities in the workplace while PDP can be associated with personal growth and fulfillment. In keeping with Maslows hierarchy, it is therefore important to pay attention to the needs that come before esteem and self-actualization in order to be able to pursue PDP and CPD. Dunn and Dunns learning Styles: According to Dunn and Dunn, there are certain stimuli that should be used to stimulate learners (Slack 2011). A further classification provided by Dunn and Dunn divide these stimuli into five segments i.e. environmental, emotional, sociological, psychological, and physiological (Dunn and Dunn 2003). The rate of learning and retention is influenced by more than just an individuals level of intelligence. When the vark styles are taken into consideration, then it is clear that some teaching methods are better suited for specific learners. Visual learners find teaching methods that include visual aids favorable to learning. Auditory learners prefer to listen (Administrate Hoy 2010). Reader or writer learners like to refer to books and take down notes. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. They rely mostly on their sense of touch. There are instances where a learners preferred mode consists of two or more of those described above. Experiential Learning: Experiential learning can either involve learning through experience or applying what one has learned instantly to a pertinent setting. According to Kolb and Fry (1976), learning involves a cycle that includes experience, observation and experience, forming abstract concepts, and testing new situations. The cycle can begin at any one of these four points. Just because experience is mentioned first does not mean that it is always the first step in the cycle. 5.0 Personal Development Plan (PDP) Through reflection and reflective practice, it is then possible to come up with a personal development plan. A personal development plan is not necessarily completely independent of CPD. One may view some areas of PDP such as pursuing education to be in line with certain goals within PDP. Learning is a continuous life event (Mathews and Seott 2002). There is not a single time in the course of ones lifetime that one can stop learning. This is especially due to the fact that human beings learn through life experiences. The starting point in examining my own learning cycle would begin with experience and knowledge up to the present. This includes educational background and professional experience (Porter 2011). There are certain experiences that have great value in teaching of new skills, or perhaps pointing out flaws in my own preferred process. 5.1 My Own Personal Development Plan (PDP) It is important for an individual to have a PDP that reflects their own knowledge, experiences, and aspirations. There are two major things involved in my PDP. These include personal skill development and professional advancement. These two are interrelated because in pursuing personal skill development through learning and education (Willianmson 2010), I will at the same time increase my chances for professional advancement. My PDP will reflect the interrelated nature of PDP and CPD, and as such involve milestones in the PDP that will contribute towards CPD and professional advancement. The future includes continuous learning. This will be facilitated through seeking educational opportunities such as seminars (Crawford 2008). It will also involve a personal dedication to continuous learning through constant reading of relevant informative websites and blogs. A great advantage of this avenue is that it is up to date with many websites and blogs being updated at least once a week if not more (Anna 2000). Blogs and websites also provide a more relaxed and interactive learning atmosphere than seminars and other formal learning environments. 5.2 My Future Plan In the future, I want to be a hotel manager in China. Using the SWOT analysis method, developing my knowledge and skills, I will be able to apply this newly acquired expertise in my professional life (Secord 2010). In keeping with Maslows hierarchy, pursuing self-actualization needs will by extension also help me meet my esteem needs at the professional level. PDP takes precedence over CPD because personal development. Strengths: As a hotel manager, my biggest advantage is good at communicating with others. Hotel service industry is the biggest characteristic of regular and customer communication, understanding of customer ideas, better service to customers. As a hotel manager, and customer communication is important, but it is more important to know how to communicate with staff. Concerned about the staffs daily life, on the staff of the outstanding performance to give praise, when employees have errors, should not blindly criticize, but education and help employees. In the usual to allow employees to feel they are valued. Through the staff and guests communication, better management of the hotel. Weakness: Doing all the things before, I will first think of all possible scenarios, and to make corresponding arrangement. Hotel service industries, this weakness causes my usual workload is too big, spending too much time, effort and employees in a little thing. Often this is not conducive to the normal operation of the hotel. Opportunity: In China, tourism industry is very developed, in recent years, the tourism industry is on a new level, and the development of tourism industry will promote the development of hotel industry. But I have practical experience, to Chinas hotel industry has some understanding, for newly graduated students, I have to quickly adapt to the hotel service work. A lot of the hotel catering and housekeeping departments just hire some nonprofessional staff training after work, a lack of professional personnel. I as a hotel management graduate students, to the hotel service industry has deep understanding, can quickly into the work. Threats: Although the hotel management in China is a new type of occupation, but as China Tourism and hotel service industry development, more and more technical talents, but the hotel management job is really limited, for me it is a great threat to. So Im supposed to work at the same time many self-promotion, pay attention to the development of personal skills, at the same time the accumulation of experience and knowledge, in the remain invincible in the work. 6.0 Conclusion Reflective practice is the starting point of both PDP and CPD. Through critically analyzing ones knowledge and experiences, it is then possible to come up with a valid plan that will lead to self-improvement (Bourgeois 2010). It is important to note that PDP and CPD are not mutually exclusive. Both involve critical reflection on past experience and coming up with a plan for improvement (Sarasvathy 2012). At times, pursuing ones personal development goals such as seeking education can advance CPD in an individuals career. It is therefore important to pay close attention to both PDP and CPD.

Animal Farm: Comparing The Book To The Movie :: Animal Farm Essays

The novel†¦no†¦no†¦it’s not really a novel, it’s more of a fable. The fable by George Orwell†¦no†¦no†¦George Orwell isn’t his real name. His real name is Eric Blair. He wrote under a pen name to save him and his family embarrassment from earlier books he had written. The fable, by Eric Blair is a cute story how animals take over a farm. Well, actually the farm and the animals are just symbols. The fable by Eric Blair is political satire on the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the events that followed. The whole story is filled with symbols and irony. All of the characters in the story are symbols of real life people. The pigs as a group represent the Bolsheviks. Old Major represents Karl Marx, the founder of Marxism. Both speak out on how they feel. Napoleon represents Lenin in the beginning of the story, but as he gains more power, he becomes a Joseph Stalin. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky who was also banished from his land. Squealer represents propaganda and is a Party Hawk. Boxer and Benjamin represent the heroic working masses of Russia. They do most of the work but get none of the credit. The dogs represent the KGB, or the secret police. They take orders from Napoleon and do as he says, right or wrong. Moses represents the Orthodox Church as his name alone makes you think of religion. Mr. Jones represents a filthy capitalist. He is only concerned about money for himself. The book goes greater detail than the video. The book explains the characters better and gives more exa mples of their symbolism. The point of view in which the story is told in is ironic. The point of view is told from the lowly animals prospective. An example is when Boxer is â€Å"treated at a hospital.† Benjamin realizes that the truck is for horse slaughtering but Squealer convices Benjamin and the rest of the animals that hospital just didn’t have time to re-paint the truck. A couple of paragraphs later, the pigs hold a party in honor of Boxer and suddenly have acquired money to buy whiskey. Once again, the book goes into greater detail and has more examples of irony. A The book and movie are surprisingly not that far apart on many levels, although there are some venial differences.

Which May Influence the Health and Development of Babies

3500 Unit 18 Task 1: (E1) Summarise the factors which may influence the health and development of babies in the first year of their lives. There are many factors that can influence the heath and development of babies in the first year of there life some factors can occur in the antenatal period before the child is born, some perinatal during the birth and some postnatal after the birth. An example of an antenatal factor is smoking. If the mother smokes during pregnancy the baby is more likely to be born premature with a low birth weight.They also can have poorer lung function and have organs that are smaller than a baby that is born to a mother that does not smoke. Another example of an antenatal factor is stress and worry. ‘Stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy may affect her unborn baby as early as 17 weeks after conception, with potentially harmful effects on brain and development, according to new research. ’ The cord being wrapped around the babies’ neck is a factor that can affect the perinatal period. If this does occur sometimes the cord will be cut before the birth of the baby can precede, other to this an emergency caesarean will be performed. When the cord compression is severe or long standing, the baby may have low Apgars and suffer brain damage, which could result in a degree of mental retardation or cerebral palsy. If the compression is severe enough and labor has not yet begun, the baby can die in uterus and be stillborn. Being born premature is a factor that can affect a baby during the birth. Premature birth is refers to a baby that is born less than 37 weeks of the pregnancy. Babies that are born premature are at greater risk for short and long term complications, including disabilities and impediments in growth and development.If the child’s mother suffers with postnatal depression this can be a factor that can affect the baby. As a result of this factor the child’s mother might not be able to bond with the child therefore the child will not feel safe and secure and also they may not be able to care for their child to their full potential. Also, although postnatal depression is more common in women, men can be affected too. The birth of a new baby can be stressful for both parents and some fathers feel unable to cope, or feel they are not giving their partner the support she needs.Abuse is a factor that can affect the baby in the antenatal period. It can leave the baby with lifelong affects such as confidence issues, depression and enabling them to make positive relationships. The baby may also fall behind in their expected stage of development. ‘Emotional problems such as anger, hostility, fear, anxiety, humiliation, lowered self-esteem and inability to express feelings. ’ Are also other affects of abuse towards a baby? E2: describe how indoor and outdoor environments for babies can be made safe, reassuring and stimulating.Write about what needs to be considered and provided in the setting so babies are safe, stimulated and feel reassured in their environment. This may include: relevant policies and procedures, attractive, reflects those that use it, indoors/ outdoors provision, age/stage equipment/resources†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Whilst children are playing indoors and outdoors there has to be many things that the practitioner has to consider and put in place. Although both environments have to be enjoyable, fun and stimulating they also have to be safe and secure for the babies.A policy is one thing that has to be put in place and used correctly in order for the environments to be safe and secure. An example of one current policy that is put in place in settings is the Health and Safety policy. The Health and Safety policy gives guidelines on how to keep children, staff, visitors and parents safe whilst attending the setting. An example of a procedure that will be stated under this policy is the signing in and out procedure. This procedure is put in place to make sure that no persons can enter the setting without reason or permission to be there.Equipment and resources in the setting needs to be appropriate for the age of the babies. An example of this which I have seen in the setting is paint. The paint that had been purchased for the setting was not age stage appropriate for the babies to do finger painting with which is what the paint was intended for therefore the paint could not be used. Staff ratio is important whilst keeping the children safe indoors and outdoors. In order to be able to meet all the children’s care needs and give the correct supervision then there needs to be the correct number of staff to the number of children that are in the setting.E3: State the choosen age group. Give information about the expected stage of overall development and identify changes which can be usually expected in the next two months. All babies are individual and will develop at different rates all babies will not develop to the same stage at the same age. A baby at the age of 3 months will be expected to be able to hold a rattle for a few seconds but they usually can not look at the rattle at the same time. By being able to do this the baby has developed on their physical skills. Within the next two months of their lives the baby will be expected to develop to the next expected milestones.At the end of four months the baby can now roll from their back to front. By being able to do this the infant has developed on their motor skills. Also the baby can now push up on his forearms and lift their head and chest 90 degrees when lying on their stomach this position only requires a slight lean to either side to become a roll. These two skills will help the infant to develop and slowly begin to crawl. An infant at the age of 5 months is now beginning to gain some balance and if the infant is sat on their parents lap or on the floor they might be able to sit for a few second unaided.If the parent places the child’s legs in a v shape and gives the baby a toy as distraction then they may be able to sit for a little bit longer each time. By doing this the parent is helping them to develop on their balance. E4: Explain how two different play activities/experiences can support the overall development of the baby described in E3. Write about two play opportunities which are developmentally appropriate for The baby described in E3. These may include everyday experiences such as Bath time or play activities. Identify how the overall development of the baby is helped by each experience/activity.A play activity such as laying the child under a play gym would help to support all developmental skills of a baby age 3 months. One example of the skills that are being built is physical development as they will be improving upon their fine motor skills such as their grasping reflects. Social and emotional skills are another area of development that the baby will be building upon. The practition er will be sat with the baby whilst they are under the play gym talking and communicating with to them, this will help to form an attachment between the practitioner and the baby. This activity is also supporting Bowlby’s attachment theory.At 5 months an activity that will help developmental skills is sitting the baby on the floor and providing them with a distraction such as toys to help them to be able to sit up unaided. A developmental skill that is going to be developed from this activity is the babies’ physical development. Intellectual development is another skill that is going to be built upon because the child will be exploring the different objects that the practitioner has provided them to play with this also links to the physical development as the child will be grasping the different objects while sat upright.E5: Describe the role of the practitioner in meeting the particular needs of babies in the chosen type of setting (group childcare) Give information a bout the responsibilities of the practitioner in EITHER group care OR home-based care. Responsibilities should relate to the chosen care setting and could include: establishing relationships with baby and parents, identifying and planning to meet baby's holistic needs, observation and recording of development, supervision, resources/equipment, routines, other children†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Meeting the care needs of the babies that are attending the setting is the main role of the practitioner. To be able to do this the practitioner has to establish positive professional relationships with the babies and their parents. The practitioner needs to establish this relationship to be able to meet the babies’ needs this will help this happen because the practitioner will be able to learn the babies’ routine and get to know the baby holistically. Good communication skills will aid this to happen.By getting to know the baby the practitioner will be able to plan to meet the baby’s needs. The practitioner can get to know the child holistically. Observations can be used to plan and also to support the practitioners planning. By doing regular observations the practitioner can observe the child and from the observation can gather an understanding of where the child is at in there development and use this information to meet the particular needs of children in the setting. They can then use the findings from there observation to plan for lessons, activities and the future. To monitor on-going development and plan for the next stage it is important to check that development is progressing steadily. With a good understanding of development patterns you can plan for the next stage. ’ The role of the practitioner is to also to provide the correct resources and equipment to meet the child’s needs and that provide stimulation. E6: Show how the child protection policies and procedures in the setting protect and safeguard the babies. Information about how c hild protection policies and procedures of the setting protect babies.This may include: observation/recording/reporting, recognising signs of abuse, confidentiality, rights of child, welfare of child, work with parents, teamwork†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Having implemented child protection policies and procedures in the setting will ensure that babies are always safeguarded whilst being in the setting. Child protection policies and procedures are put in place to protect the rights of the child, ensure the welfare of the child is being kept up to standards and also making sure that there needs are being met appropriately.It is also important that all practitioners in the setting understand their role regarding child protection. It is also vital that everyone is aware and follows the policies and procedures that are put in place to protect the baby’s. There are many forms of abuse that a child can be subjected to and that are subjected to. As a practitioner safeguarding children you need to be aware of these signs and be able to pick on them to be able to keep the child safe. All children, whatever their ages, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse’. ‘All staff (paid/unpaid) working in sport have a responsibility to report concerns to the appropriate officer’. An example of a form of abuse that a child may be experiencing could be is physical abuse. A sign of this abuse that could help the practitioner to pick on the abuse that the child is experiencing is ‘Has unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes’.Although one single sign does not prove child abuse is occurring in a family, but a closer look at the situation may be necessary if these signs appear repeatedly. Confidentiality needs to be abided by all the time during child protection. Not only will it help to keep the child safe confidentiality will help to keep the practitioner safe and cover themselves. Although if the practitioner thinks that a child is at harm then they need to approach the settings safeguarding officer and let them know what they think could be happening.Teamwork and working alongside parents are also essential to make sure that the child protection policies and procedures are successfully implemented in the setting. Whilst working with babies and keeping them safe the practitioner might have to work with other professionals such as social workers. Therefore the practitioner will have to make sure that they have good communication skills and that they are taking regular observations so that they are able to pass on information regarding the child to be able to keep them safe.E7: Explain the importance of the key worker system. Give reasons why well planned care routines and the key worker system benefit babies in early year's settings. This may include: links with home, individual needs identified/met, security and consis tency, babies learn to predict what is to happen, overall development and learning, relationships with parents, shared information, confidence and trust†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. A baby needs routine, stability, safety and life’s basic essential to be able to develop and thrive therefore a well planned care routine is vital.During the time the baby spends in day care their home routine needs to be brought into the setting as this will help the child to make a clear link to the routine that they follow at home this will help the baby to be settled and feel safe. Having a well planned care routine will help the practitioner to meet the babies’ individual needs. The baby will be having nap time when necessary, having feeds at the correct time and also be receiving any medication that is needed to be administrated. As a result of all these things the child will be helped to feel security and consistency.Having a key worker system in the setting will allow all the needs of the baby to be met and will also give the baby the security, consistency and routine the need. ‘This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom she/he is particularly responsible. Your child’s key person will be the person who works with you to make sure that what we provide is right for your child’s particular needs and interests. When your child first starts at the pre-school, she/he will help your child to settle and throughout your child’s time at pre-school, she/he will help your child to benefit from the pre-school’s activities. Having the key worker system in place will help ensure that a close professional relationship is developed between the staff and the baby’s parents so that the needs of the baby are made paramount and that the baby’s needs are met to the parents’ wishes. Confidence and trust will be built through the key worker system and well planned care routines because the baby’s needs are bei ng met and there is a good relationship developing then confidence and trust will come as a result of this which will help the well planned care routine to be affective.The practitioner must also abide by the Care Standards Act 2000. This act sets national standards that the setting has to meet whilst caring for the children in their setting. 219 227 235 531 595 D: Consider how the care routines can enhance the overall development of babies from birth to 12 months. A development of E7. Give examples of how the overall development of babies can be supported during care routines, eg as well as giving babies food and drink, meal times can be very enjoyable and stimulate the social and emotional development of babies because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Well planned care routines can not only meet the individual needs of babies from birth to 12 months they also enhance their overall development. Nappy changing is made to be a part of a well planned care routine and is a part of the child’s care routine that not only has to be done to meet the baby’s individual needs but that can also help to enhance development in other areas. During nappy change the practitioner can communicate with the baby through singing and talking. As a result of doing this the practitioner is helping to develop on the baby’s language and social and emotional development.As the practitioner is talking and singing to the child they are also helping to build a bond between themselves and the child therefore if it was the baby’s key worker that was always changing the baby then this will help then bond to become stronger. Nappy changing can also be very enjoyable and stimulating for the baby and this will also result in helping to develop on the baby’s language development further. Another example pf how an event of a well planned care routine can also help to enhance the overall development of a baby is meal times.As well as meeting the baby’s individual care need an d helping the baby to understand routine it is also helping the baby to develop in other areas of development such as language development and can also help the children to form bonds with social and emotional attachments. At meal times in my current baby placement all the baby’s sit around the table together and all are eating or fed at the same time. Meal times are made fun with the practitioners communicating with the baby’s either through song or talking.By doing this the practitioners are helping the baby’s to become familiar with words which will help them to develop on their language development and they are also helping the baby’s to form bonds with the members of staff in the setting. As a result of this the children are going to be stimulated and experience enjoyment which will help when carrying out future meals times. Therefore as a result of this the baby’s will begin to enjoy nappy changes and meal times and the practitioner will be a ble to use these events of the care routine as times when the child can also be learning and developing.C: Discuss the importance of an environment that is safe, reassuring and stimulating. A development of E2. Consider why babies need a safe, reassuring and stimulating environment. This may include: the rights of the child and parents, encourages exploration, mental, emotional and physical benefits etc. Having a safe, reassuring and stimulating environment for babies that are attending the setting is essential in helping the baby to feel safe, secure and settled. The environment that a baby is developing in affects the way they grow and develop.As a result this environment will allow the baby to grow and develop their skills. Babies need plenty of opportunities to explore and move but they also need to be talked to and played with. Babies that have no or little stimulation will not or will slowly develop show signs of development. They will lack development in areas such as languag e and cognitive development. Offering babies lots of stimulation also encourages the children and helps them to develop on certain skills. By giving babies a safe, reassuring and stimulating environment then the practitioner is respecting the rights of the child.Every child has the right to be safe, feel reassured and have stimulation. To create this type of environment the practitioner has to enforce and used certain policies and procedures. An example of one of these policies is the child protection policy and a procedure that comes under this policy is that all staff has to be crb checked before entering the setting. As a result of this no one with a criminal conviction can enter the setting and it ensures that no one of any danger can work with the babies. Reference could be made to appropriate curriculum frameworks.B: Evaluate the role of the practitioner in promoting an inclusive approach when working with babies and their families 8 980 496 510 515 A practitioner should alway s have and promote an inclusive approach when working with babies. The practitioner should ensure that all babies are included and are care for with their individual needs being met at all times. As all the babies are different then within the setting there is going to many diverse needs that need to be met and the babies also have different family background and cultures that need to be considered in order for the practitioner to be inclusive.One role of the practitioner in promoting an inclusive approach is to put systems in place that can help to meet the children’s individual needs such as if one baby in the setting is allergic to peanuts then the practitioner will put a system in place so that the particular child is not going to come into any contact with nuts. An example of this would be that the baby’s feed or food would be kept in a separate place to the other baby’s food or snack so that the food is not coming in contact with any peanuts. A positive at titude in the setting is another way that the practitioner can promote an inclusive approach.If all the practitioners in the setting have a positive attitude towards the setting, children, parents and each other then it will help everyone to feel welcomed and included in the setting. Respecting the baby’s family’s beliefs and wishes is a way that the practitioner can demonstrate that they are promoting an inclusive approach. If the baby’s parents request that the baby cannot participate in a certain task or if they insist that the baby must do or receive something at a certain time then the practitioner must carry this out to the correct procedure that the family have requested in order to show respect for the families’ wishes.The settings environment must be welcoming and diverse to ensure that everybody feels comfortable, safe and secure whilst using it. An example of this would be the displays and facilities in the setting. The displays in the setting must show a diverse range of information and pictures by doing this the setting is sending a message out to them that visit that they are diverse and that they do embrace individuality. Working with parents to achieve the best for the baby is helps to make the setting welcoming.If the parents are made to feel that they can come into the setting any time and approach the practitioner with any issues then this will help the parent to feel that they are welcomed into the setting. Also keeping the parents involved with decision making is a way that the practitioner can make the setting welcoming by doing this the practitioner is making the parent feel valued and that there opinion matters. A detailed consideration of how the practitioner ensures the setting welcomes and provides for all babies and their families.Evaluation may include: systems in place to support individual needs, the environment reflects those that use it, positive attitudes, value diversity and respect beliefs/ values , staff and parents involved in decision making, writing and reviewing of policies, partnership with parents, reflective practice, challenging poor practice†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. A: Reflect on the influences of theoretical perspectives of development and attachment on current practice in settings working with babies under 1 year of age. A detailed consideration of theories relating to development and to attachment.Make links to show how these have influenced current practice in settings that care for babies. This could include: Current research/theory into the effects of day care on babies, quality care standards, national initiatives, Curriculum frameworks, provision, key workers †¦ Bowlby’s attachment theory is a theory that influences current practice in settings working with babies under 1 year of age. ‘John Bowlby was one of the first people to recognise the need of babies and young children for a strong stable relationship with their primary carers. Bowlby believed that mental health and behavioural problems could be linked back to a child’s early childhood. ‘Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment suggests that children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others, because this will help them to survive. ’ Bowlby believe that attachment behaviours are natural and will be activated by any situation that is seen to be a threat to the achievement of closeness to the adult, such as fear, insecurity and separation. ‘Attachment is an instinct in babies.They must form an attachment by the time they are 12 months old as otherwise they may find it hard to develop strong relationships in the future. ’ Bowlby’s theory influences settings now to have the key worker system in place. The key worker system allows the baby to form an attachment with their key worker as the key worker will be the one that is providing the baby with are the basic essentials to be able to survi ve therefore the child will form an attachment with the practitioner as they are the child’s only form of comfort and survival.The key worker will also be providing the baby with a routine that is the same to the one that they are following at home therefore this will also help the attachment to form as the child will feel the similarities between the key worker and home. A current theorist that influences on current practice and on the way practitioners meet the learning needs of babies is Lev Vygotsky. He believed that children are active in their learning and thinking. He also believed that children’s social environment and experiences are very important.Vygotsky influences the practitioners to provide the right resources for the baby to be active in their own learning. For example providing the baby with rattles, when the baby is provided with and shown the rattle then they will reach out for the object by doing this the practitioner is enabling the child to build upon their physical skills and also be active in their learning. Vygotsky, Piaget, developmental 284 70 Bowlby, attachment 80 82 576 Task 1: E1 Task 2: E2+C Task 3: E3 + E4 Task 4: E5 Task 5: E6 Task 6: E7, D, B Task 7: ABibliography http://www. needingworthcommunitypreschool. org. uk/introduction/keyworker. htm ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. guardian. co. uk/science/2007/may/31/childrensservices. medicineandhealth [ 2 ]. http://www. ivillage. com/what-if-cord-wrapped-around-babys-neck/6-n-145567 [ 3 ]. http://www. nhs. uk/Conditions/Postnataldepression/Pages/Introduction. aspx [ 4 ]. http://www. secasa. com. au/index. php/family/11/95/5 [ 5 ]. Thornes N, Childcare and education, 2008, Cheltenham,Page62 [ 6 ]. ttp://www. nspcc. org. uk/Inform/cpsu/helpandadvice/organisations/childprotection/ChildProtectionPolicy_wda60690. html#Introduction [ 7 ]. http://www. nspcc. org. uk/In form/cpsu/helpandadvice/organisations/childprotection/ChildProtectionPolicy_wda60690. html#Introduction [ 8 ]. http://www. childwelfare. gov/pubs/factsheets/signs. cfm [ 9 ]. http://www. needingworthcommunitypreschool. org. uk/introduction/keyworker. htm [ 10 ]. Page 80 [ 11 ]. http://www. simplypsychology. org/bowlby. html [ 12 ]. Page 80

Gender Inequality: Why the comparison? Essay

We have entered a century that can be defined by advanced technology, people expressing themselves in ways that one cannot imagine and doctors acting as God. A hundred years ago, it would take days before a telegram will reach its destination. But now all you need is a computer and an internet connection and you would not think that the person that you are talking to is 10,000 miles across the globe. Before, women cannot get a job and must stay at home to take care of the household; they were not even allowed to go to school. But now, the females are competing in the same league as the males. More women are finishing high school and pursuing college, getting into their respective professions. A couple years back the newborn screening was not yet developed and hence, a lot of newborns were not able to be screened for such diseases. But now that this method is working in full force, you can actually detect your infant’s diseases earlier and have higher chances of prevention. There are also a number of machines that can actually make doctor’s works easier, decreasing the mortality rate, prolonging life. If a group wants to express their hatred and anger, they can have a strike, and the media will expose them and they will be heard. That is why the media is one of the powerful agents in today’s modern world. Not only are the technologies more advanced, so are the minds of the people. Today you can do the unthinkable and even immoral way back in the medieval times. You can choose not to believe in God without getting sacrificed or stoned to death, you can change your gender, even the anatomical constructions can be changed, provided you have the money and the courage to go through with. But unlike those times, people now have changed. Our minds are broader, our acceptance more tolerating. Which puts me in a position to think that maybe what Judith Butler, the author of Gender Trouble, wants to voice out is not really a big deal today as when compared to the time she published this book. In my opinion Butler is trying to figure out how we got to define what a man and a woman is, what their differences are, and what our culture and norms want them to be. How an individual determines the nature of their femininity or masculinity is a question that she wants to answer. And she concluded by saying that we do not really know what our gender is. What we have come to know is what we were told to become. Our gender is defined by how we portray the roles of a female or a male. And how we further develop these performances, how stabilized we are with it that we do not change it anymore. But I do not think that you will get that answer anymore if you ask any person in the streets. Yes, we may have our own theories, our own definitions of what a man and a woman is, but all these are deeply rooted from the anatomical structures that we possess plus the environment that we grew up in. I do have high respects for Butler’s work, especially in her in-depth discussion of the theories of Simone de Beauvoir, Luce Irigaray and Sigmund Freud. And the mere fact that she wrote a book about it tells of her wisdom on the subject matter. But to be honest, only one thing comes to my mind about people who try to determine these kinds of things: gender gap. Admit it or not, a person’s gender highly differentiates and molds one person from the other gender. Gender gap, according to Gertrude Abramson as mentioned in her article, â€Å"Has the gender gap closed? † is a disproportionate difference or disparity between the sexes. Maybe that is why Judith Butler wants to know if a person is made to be male or female, to also solve gender equality problems. Because I think if you get to agree that both gender came out equally and was made equally, then the differences will be treated as minor ones and will be eventually be ignored. How bad has the gender gap been to everybody? A target of scrutiny is the gender gap in economics wherein the males are the dominating ones. â€Å"Statistics show that in 1890 the percentage of married white women who reported an occupation outside the home was extremely low—just 2. 5 percent for the entire United States. The figure increased to 12. 5 percent by 1940, 20. 7 percent by 1950, and then by about 10 percentage points for every decade since then. By 1990 the labor participation rate for all married women had climbed to almost 60 percent, versus 78 percent for married men. † (Gender Gap) But these statistics definitely turn the other way around when it comes to school. In college, according to the U. S. education department, women reign, earning an average 57% of all BAs and 58% of all master’s degrees in the U. S. alone. There are 133 girls getting BAs for every 100 guys — a number that’s projected to grow to 142 women per 100 men by 2010. (The New Gender Gap) So the question is, why all this comparison? I do not think there should be any, as this is the reason why there is inequality in the first place. I think that there should be no more distinction between the capabilities of men and women, only in their biological differences. Because the reality is that whatever the success of the female is, they are also the success of the males. Everything, every law, every bill has been passed so that all sexes, whether it be gay or lesbian, male or female have been heard in court to give equal opportunities to everybody. If you do not have the right to get a same sex marriage in this state, you go to the state that accepts that. And compared to a century ago that colleges do not accept females, nor some companies do not get female employees, now they are accepted. One cannot really tell of how this happened, it just did. What I am trying to say here is that maybe, if we do not pay as much attention to the gender differences, the world will be a better place. With all due respect to those theorists and their constant search and exploration for knowledge, but I stand by my own opinion. ReferencesThe Library of Economics and Liberty. (2002). Gender Gap. Retrieved December 31, 2007, from http://econlib. org/library/Enc/GenderGap. html Business Week. (26 May 2003). The New Gender Gap. Retrieved December 31, 2007, from http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/03_21/b3834001_mz001. htm International Society for Technology in Education. (May 2006). Has the Gender Gap Closed? Retrieved December 31, 2007, from www. iste. org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume_33_2006_2005_/May_No_8_/33806a. pdf

Common Application to Enforce 650-word Limit and Eliminate Topic of Choice

Common Application to Enforce 650-word Limit and Eliminate Topic of Choice In April 2011 I reported on a new 500-word limit for college personal statement, enacted by the Common Application. In that article I wrote, â€Å"Students are now requested to write 250-500 words on their chosen topic.† I now realize how loaded two words in that sentence were: requested and chosen. Come August 13, 2013, two important changes will take effect in the Common Application: (1) The 250-500-word (**UPDATE: Word limit was updated to 650 words for 2013-14 as of September 2013) bookends will be enforced, not requested; and (2) although students will still be able to choose a topic, the topics will be much more constrained- the â€Å"Topic of your choice† option is going to be eliminated from the array of essay questions. The Up Side I am personally pleased with these changes to the rules. After all, what’s the point of a suggested word limit without any modicum of enforcement? It has bugged me, quite honestly, that even though there is a 650-word requested essay length, students have been writing essays of 750 words or more and getting admitted. Writing a 650-word essay is a challenge and requires students to rise to the occasion. Shorter essays, by their nature, must use more creativity and hold more focus- challenges that can prove the writing prowess of any college applicant. I have also been bothered by the logic of having several essay topics to choose from, and then a separate question allowing the applicant to write on a topic of his or her choice. Why is there not just one question that asks students to write about a topic of their choice, with some suggestions of topics they might choose? Eliminating the catch-all forces students to be creative and to prove that they are able to answer a specific question posed to them. No one gets off the hook here. Protests Abound According to the comments on the NYT blog, I am in the minority. Concerned commenters express their opinion that eliminating the open essay question tamps down on creativity and limits the student’s â€Å"voice†; one post suggests that admissions committees will not be able to get to know applicants in a meaningful way without this essay topic. Almost everyone expressed upset at the changes. On the other end of the spectrum, one person commented, â€Å"If a student can’t creatively respond to a prescribed prompt, THAT is the problem- not the prompt.† I agree. Furthermore, I find that many of my students, given the opportunity to write on a topic of their choice, end up writing an essay that would have been appropriate for one of the other prompts- for instance, a person that influenced you or a topic of importance. One parent observed the same phenomenon with her son. Here’s the comment I submitted: †¦ I love this change. From my perspective, the best display of a students writing ability is how the student responds to a restricted question. Does she take on the topic in a way no one else did? Can he be creative and focused in a word-limited essay? Does the essay answer the question? It might be worth noting that in many classes, essay and paper topics are prescribed. I dont remember topic of your choice essays in English 101. Its likely that this Common App change is meant to test applicants ability to perform in their college classes. And schools can still request a supplemental essay if they want to see an additional layer of creativity. Encouraging Challenge and Creativity And after submitting my topic, I saw this additional comment by someone who agrees with me: â€Å"By removing â€Å"topic of choice,† the Common App challenges applicants by forcing them to think creatively under constraints. Anyone can ramble on about whatever they want, but a truly successful and creative writer can surprise the reader under tight restrictions. It’s the same as writing under certain poem structures–even though you have to follow the rules, you can still express yourself. This is the same reason I think enforcing the word count is a good idea, because it forces applicants to writes as effectively as possible.† What do you think about these changes? Do you have a student who will be affected by them (or one who is applying to college this year and thus gets in â€Å"under the wire†? Please share your thoughts below.

The Rise of the Philippine Middle Class (Ilustrados) essays

The Rise of the Philippine Middle Class (Ilustrados) essays In the mid-18th century (1750s), there were 5 principal social classes in the Philippines. These were the Peninsulares, the Insulares, the clase media or middle class, the Chinese and the indio. The Peninsulares, which included the Spanish friars, were the Spaniards born in Spain, ( the Iberian peninsula) and were the wealthiest and most politically powerful among the social classes. The Insulares were the Spaniards born in the Philippines. The clase media consisted of three subclasses: the Spanish mestizos or mestizos de Espaol; the principalia; and the Chinese mestizos or mestizos de Sangley. The Chinese and the indio or natives made up the lower half of the social pyramid. The mestizos or half-breed, which initially referred only to those of Spanish-native descent, had an indio parent and a Spanish or Chinese parent. Usually, Spanish who married indios were in the lower strata of Spanish society. Mestizos, in general, constituted no more than 2% of the population but because of the even smaller population of creoles in the Philippines, they were able to take some control over commerce and industry and acquire (and dispense of) a disproportionate share of wealth. Chinese mestizos who had a higher position in society compared to the pure Chinese, separated from the Chinese community and set up their gremios or guilds. They also competed with the Chinese in the business sector. A gremio is a self-governing organization. Each gremio had a cabecilla. The cabecillas elect the gobernadorcillo de chino who acted as the mediator between the Spanish and the Chinese. Initially, the Chinese mestizos had several advantages over the Chinese. Spain perceived the Chinese as foreigners and forbade them from changing their residence, a restriction was only removed in 1839 when Chinese were given the right to choose their occupation and residence but which still required those who traveled between Manila and the provinces to obta...

Definition and Examples of Etymon in Linguistics

Definition and Examples of Etymon in Linguistics In historical linguistics, an etymon is a word, word root, or  morpheme  from which a later form of a word derives. For instance, the etymon of the English word etymology is the Greek word etymos (meaning true). Plural etymons or etyma. Put another way, an etymon is the original word (in the same language or in a foreign language) from which a present-day word has evolved. Etymology:  From the Greek, true meaning The Misleading Etymology of Etymology [W]e have to avoid being misled by the etymology of the word etymology itself; we have inherited this term from a pre-scientific period in the history of language study, from a time when it was supposed (with varying degrees of seriousness) that etymological studies would lead to the etymon, the true and genuine meaning. There is no such thing as the etymon of a word, or there are as many kinds of etymon as there are kinds of etymological research. (James Barr, Language and Meaning. E.J. Brill, 1974) The Meaning of Meat In Old English, the word meat (spelled mete) mainly meant food, especially solid food, found as late as 1844... The Old English word mete came from the same Germanic source as Old Frisian mete, Old Saxon meti, mat, Old High German maz, Old Icelandic matr, and Gothic mats, all meaning food. (Sol Steinmetz, Semantic Antics. Random House, 2008) Immediate and Remote Etymons Frequently a distinction is made between an immediate etymon, i.e. the direct parent of a particular word, and one or more remote etymons. Thus Old French frere is the immediate etymon of Middle English frere (modern English friar); Latin frater, fratr- is a remote etymon of Middle English frere, but the immediate etymon of Old French frere. (Philip Durkin, The Oxford Guide to Etymology. Oxford University Press, 2009) Sack and Ransack; Disk, Desk, Dish, and Dais   The etymon of ransack is Scandanavian rannsaka (to attack a house)(hence to rob), whereas sack (plundering) is a borrowing of French sac in phrases like mettre sac (to put to sack)... An extreme case of five English words reflecting the same etymon is discus (an 18th-century borrowing from Latin), disk or disc (from French disque or straight from Latin), desk (from Medieval Latin but with the vowel changed under the influence of an Italian or a Provenà §al form), dish (borrowed from Latin by Old English), and dais (from Old French). (Anatoly Liberman, Word Origins . . . and How We Know Them. Oxford University Press, 2005)​ Roland Barthes on Etymons: Triviality and Satisfaction [I]n Fragments dun discours amoureux  [1977], [Roland] Barthes demonstrated that etymons can provide insights into the historical polyvalence of words and the transferral of alternate meanings from one epoch to another, For example, triviality can certainly become quite a different concept when compared with the etymon trivialis which means what is found at all crossroads.  Or the word satisfaction assumes different identities when compared with  the etymons  satis (enough) and satullus (drunk). The variance between current common usage and the etymological definition exemplifies the evolution of the meanings of the same words for different generations. (Roland A. Champagne,  Literary History in the Wake of Roland Barthes: Re-defining the Myths of Reading. Summa, 1984)

To what extent can the Iranian Revolution of 1979 be considered the Essay

To what extent can the Iranian Revolution of 1979 be considered the root of Extremist Islam in Iran Today - Essay Example As a result, the Western Countries accused the Iranian people of spreading terrorism across the world. Since the Victory of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, it's marked a turning point to the Iranian people. They continued to remain firmed to their ethic based on the foundation led by Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini of Islamic extremism. Before the Islamic revolution of 1979, Iranian people were under the yolk of the capitalist and injustice, as at the time of Shah Phalavi. "Numerous symptoms led to the crumbling downfall of Shah Phalavi, ruler of Iran until 1978. One of these symptoms is rising expectations which can be seen during the 1960s and 70s. The rich Shah cleared the way for the land reform law, enacted in 1962. The land minority had to give up its land to the government, and among those stripped of land, were Shi'a Muslim". (The Iranian Revolution) However, Ayatollah the leader of the Islamic Revolution, during that time of Reza Shah Phalavi, was the spiritual leader of the Iranian people, especially the masses. Though he is Muslim, but the struggled he undergone against Shah has benefited the entire masses of Iran, both Muslim and Christians. Khomeini continued to condemned Reza Shah Phalavi and his policies. ... Though he is Muslim, but the struggled he undergone against Shah has benefited the entire masses of Iran, both Muslim and Christians. Khomeini continued to condemned Reza Shah Phalavi and his policies. He had also motivated the poor Iranians that the only way they will have a peaceful living is to adapting to Islamic extremism. Ayatollah's words had encouraged the people of Iran to waged uprising against Shah whom they regarded as an oppressive leader. Thy therefore joined the Ayatollah crusade against Shah under the Islamic platform. The continuous hatred against the West today by the Iranian government and its people today, their hatred against Jews, and the spread of Islamic extremism across the world they embark, was rooted since the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Khomeini. In an interview with James Wasserman, where in his statements had made mentioned what he described as the root of extremism and terrorism in today's Iran and other part of the world. He has this to say: "The Iranian revolution of 1979 heralded the emergence of fundamentalist Muslim State and the proclamation of religious Jihad against the unbelievers and infidels. Wasserman further added: "Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shiite leader of Iran, must be seen in some measure as a successor of Hassan-i-Sabah. He was able to organize a band of powerless, stateless religious rebels into a group capable of overtaking one of the most powerful Militant machines of the Middle East that had the full support of the west. Khomeini also accomplished something that Hassan did not-the union of fundamentalist Shi'is and the fundamentalist Sunnis. When the modern Islamic terrorism Network was born, in large part directed Tehran, a thousands year-old dream was realized".

Factors for Determining the Extent to which the State has Full Control Essay

Factors for Determining the Extent to which the State has Full Control within its Territory - Essay Example In the modern world, people are living in a globally mutually dependent system where events taking place a thousand miles away have an effect on them. The world is shrinking because of globalisation, which is a political, economic, socio-cultural and technological process whereby state borders significance decrease and their citizens reside in an incorporated worldwide system. Nonetheless, government and non-government actors are demanding the supremacy of states as well as their self-governance. The attrition of state borders, as well as, the decline of state self-government is an important matter as it reduces the extent to which a state has full control within its territory. Sovereignty distinguishes a state from all the other associations. It denotes the final and ultimate legal authority and beyond, which no further legal power, exists. It has two aspects: internal sovereignty and external sovereignty. Internal sovereignty is the ultimate authority of the state over every person and association within its geographical boundaries. By virtue of internal sovereignty, the state formulates and enforces laws on people as well as associations. Any person or association who violates these laws receives a punishment. On the other hand, external sovereignty refers to the freedom of a state from foreign powers control. There is no external authority, which can limit the state’s power. ... It denotes the final and ultimate legal authority and beyond, which no further legal power, exists (Keohane & Nye 2001). It has two aspects: internal sovereignty and external sovereignty. Internal sovereignty is the ultimate authority of the state over every person and association within its geographical boundaries. By virtue of internal sovereignty, the state formulates and enforces laws on people as well as associations. Any person or association who violates these laws receives a punishment. On the other hand, external sovereignty refers to the freedom of a state from foreign powers control. There is no external authority, which can limit the state’s power. France is a sovereign state, and this enables it to have a considerable control within its territory. It comprises of equal persons and not separate communities. There is national sovereignty also known as top-down sovereignty, which is sovereignty of national states as well as popular sovereignty or bottom up sovereignt y, which is sovereignty of the people (Krasner 1999). In France, national sovereignty matches up to the notion that each Nation, which has an assembly of people unified by a mutual history, culture and language, retain control of the choices, which it has to come to for the common good of the people. Popular sovereignty in France is important because it is the essence of democracy; power proceeds from the people who entrust it in the interim to their elected officials. It is inalienable and delegated (Friedman 2005). People have the freedom to act, decide, and undo. Numerous organisations often operate across the borders of many countries, for instance, Microsoft, which is and an American multinational company that helps customers

E-Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E-Business strategy - Essay Example Starbucks Company also has an information technology department that incepted its first website in 1998. This use of website has enabled the company slowly embrace and transact with e-commerce. In the year 2000, Starbucks Company managed to upgrade its server system to the Microsoft Commerce server 2000, which led to a remarkable improvement witnessed in its online service delivery. The Company has continually embraced e-commerce by purchasing different commerce servers in relation to the change in technology Stanford-Smith and Kidd 2000.The presence of e-business and e-commerce has enabled Starbucks Company to consistently purchasing numerous advanced registers and coffee machines to replace the old systems. The use of these new systems has contributed to the improvement of staff‘s efficiency and the speed, with the inclusion of assisting the shops to produce better quality coffee products. The use of these new materials and processes has resulted in the company. Starbucks Com pany and coffee houses no longer experience annoying queues to be served. This ensures the Starbucks considerably expand its customer base, and assist in the improvement of better customer relations.E-business has become one of the few technologies strategies that have been sort of by many companies and organizations. Through this technology, companies are able to improve their facilities by the use of the internet, intranet and extranet in ensuring that they have both intra and extra communication within the company, and the outside world.... Some of the issues that need to be addressed include poor communication between the staffs, customers and the external world. Rationale for The process mapping of Starbucks technological advancement Starbucks has made some efforts to improve customer communication. This has been central to design evaluation. These efforts include development of the brand in order to improve customer experience. One of these processes involved improvement of internal communications in the effort to ease customer base connection. Sophisticated feedback machinery sees to it that customer’s feedback is collected and acted upon in an effective and timely manner. One of such an effort includes the intention by the company to partner with Square’s GPS mobile for improved payments. In addition, through GPRS, the customer can be able to receive alerts on any updates including special offers. Starbucks can also get alerts whenever a returning customer has returned for more. Furthermore, Starbucks was named the most popular social media brand. It uses several social media sites to reach out new customers and continued communication with the old customers. Some of the popular sites used by Starbucks include Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. In addition, the company has adopted the use of digital network in its stores. With Wi-Fi availability, the company is able to entertain customers with digital networks. The process mapping of Starbucks technological advancement The Intertwining E-business and Starbucks can be intertwined. This is because e-business uses tools like mobile phones, file transfer, video conferencing, internet, intranets, and extranet to improve the administrative and operational activities. It ensures that Starbucks is in a position to access the internet to source

The amygdala is responsible for emotions. Discuss Essay

The amygdala is responsible for emotions. Discuss - Essay Example Along this line, man for centuries had thought about an ultimate purpose for his existence and place in the grand scheme of things. He had thought about God and what happens after a life here on earth. Man likewise has considered a lot of things in his life for which there are no easy answers as yet. Among these considerations is how to define consciousness. Consciousness is something humans easily understand but this concept has defied so far any attempts to define it in a precise manner. Perhaps a common definition is it is an awareness of anything at any given moment. However, it is certainly something that is mysterious but also familiar to most of us. Consciousness can be narrowly defined in medical terms such as a person who is alert and responsive to various stimuli but in psychology, consciousness is different. In the same manner, humans are also interested in knowing the ultimate cause of his own emotions. There is no question that thoughts originate in the brain but there h ad been some types of dispute with regard to the origin of our emotions. People of earlier times had ascribed it to our hearts as the seat of emotions. This view is common among the hopeless romantics in our midst but lately, science has indicated otherwise. Recent scientific research studies had shown us our emotions emanate from a part of our brain to an almond-shaped mass in our temporal lobes. Discussion Much of what is known today about human behaviors is through a new branch of science known as bio-psychology. It is known by many other names such as psycho-biology, biological psychology and physiological psychology. However named, it is a study of complex relationship between our biology and human behavior. In other words, this science attempts to find biological links to our own behavior and foremost among its research objectives is to find a logical solution or explanation for our emotions. In particular, this branch of science tries to find biological basis for emotions suc h as joy, pleasure, laughter, sorrow, pain and grief. To narrow it down further, it attempts to explain emotions in terms of physiology (or our various bodily living systems) and in particular, how the brain controls our thinking and behavior patterns (Alder, 2000, p. 5). This paper deals with some of the theories being put forward on how to explain emotions. Moreover, the discussion here can hopefully help to shed light on some perplexing behaviors that are sometimes observed in humans and maybe make people understand them a bit more. Like the issue of consciousness given as an example earlier, emotions are quite complex and do not easily lend themselves to categorizations in terms of their origins or causes. The debate on where and how emotions originate is a bit contentious just like what is that observed or discussed with regards to consciousness. Emotions and consciousness are two very closely related topics of interest to psychology, and questions such as how to detect emotion s or consciousness in ill or comatose people are important as well as how to measure them precisely, or whether animals have consciousness or even if artificial intelligence can eventually have it. Learned Behavior – the human mind is a complex thing to observe and is therefore very mysterious. Much of what has been known and learned about it sometimes came by accident. A strange case like that of Phineas Gage is often cited in medical literature to show that even more serious injury can occur to the brain but without

Business Excellence Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Excellence Model - Essay Example Quality is the key because any process completed without the expected quality will be abhorred by the intended customers, leading to problems for the organization. So, Total Quality Management (TQM) is the management function, which should be incorporated in all the processes that will happen in an organization. Furthermore, if Excellence is inbuilt into that TQM, then there will be optimal quality in all the processes, making organization’s every initiative a successful endeavour. So, this paper by focusing on the term â€Å"Excellence† from the perspective of TQM, will discuss how excellence can be managed optimally in an organization. According to princeton.edu, Excellence can be defined as the â€Å"quality of excelling and also possessing good qualities of highest degree†. The term gives the same meaning when analyzed from the organizational perspective as well. That is, when the organization produces products or offers services, they have to incorporate quality in it. Only if there is quality, it can succeed, otherwise it will be disliked by the customers. While trying to maintain that quality, the organization will also or should also try to achieve excellence. This state of excellence could be some thing that is set by the organization themselves or by certain external agencies. So, only if organizations achieve excellence in quality, it can reach the ‘minds’ of the customers, then entice them and eventually ‘push’ them to buy the organization’s products or use their services. â€Å"Quality is ensuring everything we do has the customer in mind... Quality is about buil ding reputation, performance and an attitude of winning in everything we do.† (Zafirovski) The leader or the management team should always put a lot of emphasis on the concept of TQM, to provide a quality end product or service to the customer. TQM is â€Å"an organizational undertaking to improve the quality of manufacturing and service. It focuses on obtaining continuous

Buddhist teachings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buddhist teachings - Essay Example ing; 2) the desire as the reason for suffering; 3) nirvana as the cessation of suffering; and 4) the Eightfold Path which leads to the cessation of suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path was indicated by Buddha. It consists of eight rules and leads to the cessation of suffering and liberation from samsara. According to the median path it lies between the adherence to world pleasures and asceticism. 2. Theravada is the earliest school of Buddhism, which was formed by Buddha followers immediately after his death. They were trying to attain personal enlightenment by literal adherence to Gautama’s lifestyle and meditation practice. The knowledge of Theravada is recorded in canonical text Tipitaka and explained in large commentary literature. In the middle of the 5th century Theravadins divided into three groups, and in 100 years the most orthodox one established themselves in Sri Lanka. Mahayana emerged as an opposition to Theravada during first centuries B.C. and flourished in the beginning of the first millennium. The ideal of Mahayana is Bodhisattva – a person who is striving to enlightenment, but refuses nirvana for the liberation of all other beings from suffering. Mahayana argued that nirvana is available for everyone, both a layman and a monk, and everyone on his path to enlightenment may rely on bodhisattvas’ help. Vajrayana is Tantric Buddhist School which was originated in 3rd – 7th century in India and later was spread to Tibet. It embodies the idea of relative and absolute unity to the individual lives, claiming that each person has indestructible nature of the Buddha. The aim of Vajrayana is to bring mind into non-dual state, when each event expresses its unlimited potential. Its methods are designed for those who can see the reflection of own mind in his teacher, thus to adopt teacher’s non-personal qualities through the dedication and self-identification (Keown,

Business Excellence Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Excellence Model - Essay Example Quality is the key because any process completed without the expected quality will be abhorred by the intended customers, leading to problems for the organization. So, Total Quality Management (TQM) is the management function, which should be incorporated in all the processes that will happen in an organization. Furthermore, if Excellence is inbuilt into that TQM, then there will be optimal quality in all the processes, making organization’s every initiative a successful endeavour. So, this paper by focusing on the term â€Å"Excellence† from the perspective of TQM, will discuss how excellence can be managed optimally in an organization. According to princeton.edu, Excellence can be defined as the â€Å"quality of excelling and also possessing good qualities of highest degree†. The term gives the same meaning when analyzed from the organizational perspective as well. That is, when the organization produces products or offers services, they have to incorporate quality in it. Only if there is quality, it can succeed, otherwise it will be disliked by the customers. While trying to maintain that quality, the organization will also or should also try to achieve excellence. This state of excellence could be some thing that is set by the organization themselves or by certain external agencies. So, only if organizations achieve excellence in quality, it can reach the ‘minds’ of the customers, then entice them and eventually ‘push’ them to buy the organization’s products or use their services. â€Å"Quality is ensuring everything we do has the customer in mind... Quality is about buil ding reputation, performance and an attitude of winning in everything we do.† (Zafirovski) The leader or the management team should always put a lot of emphasis on the concept of TQM, to provide a quality end product or service to the customer. TQM is â€Å"an organizational undertaking to improve the quality of manufacturing and service. It focuses on obtaining continuous

Procedures Involved in Fracking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Procedures Involved in Fracking - Research Paper Example Though many officials and researchers have credited fracking and claimed that it will improve the economy by reducing energy costs and creating more jobs, the data is greatly exaggerated and this paper will reveal the actual facts of the subject matter. Even before taking fracking into consideration, environmentalists have already expressed great concern on the level of industrial pollution and this process will only increase the adverse effects that society has been trying to reduce. Taking all the scientific evidence into consideration, it is clear that hydraulic fracturing is a hazardous process that should not be a part of modern day society, and in detail, this paper will further solidify this point. Firstly, the paper will illustrate the methodologies utilized during hydraulic fracturing. The process involves the injection of high-pressure fluids deep into the rock layers. This leads to the formation of fissures within the layers of the rock formation. This leads to an increase in the flow of natural gas, in turn, increases the amount of gas that is available for extraction. One of the main areas of concern is the composition of the fluids that are used in the extraction process. In fact, several states have created laws to regulate the number of harmful additives that are used in this process. For example, Barer and Gordon reported that the legislation in Texas requires fracking companies to send a list of the ingredients used in the fracking to the residents living near the drilling sites (par. 1). The major component of fracking fluids is water. It also contains a solid component in the form of ceramic or sand beads. The components which mainly bring a concern to the public are the chemical additives, which are sometimes toxic.

Danone Marketing Strategy

Danone Marketing Strategy Danone is the worlds largest fresh dairy company with a thousand cups of Danone offerings being consumed every second around the world. It operated in India through a joint venture with the Britannia group till 2009. After the split, Danone India was setup as a wholly owned subsidiary of GroupeDanone with the aim of promoting fresh diary and milk products. The dairy industry benchmark suggests that the packaged yoghurt market in India could be about 60,000 tonnes, while the indigenous market comprising curd sold in loose pouches by local dairies may be about 140,000 tonnes. The major players in the organized segment include Amul, Nestle and some smaller regional players like Nandini in Karnataka and Milma in Kerala. Thus, India presents a promising opportunity to Danone especially with its differentiated emphasis on quality and freshness. With this in mind, Danone has launched its line of yoghurt in the select markets of Mumbai and Pune and is now targeting a market share of 12% in 5 years. This report outlines the marketing strategy decided by Danone to achieve these targets. Introduction Groupe Danone is engaged in the marketing and production of fresh dairy product and beverages. It is headquartered in Paris and is the fifth largest packaged food company in the world with just over 1% shares of global sales 1786 billion US$ in 2008. In recent years, the company has refocused its operation into three core markets water, fresh dairy products, baby food and medical nutrition. Danones principle product is Yoghurt. It is the worlds leading company in yogurt with 24% value sales in product category. Mission Danones mission is to provide healthy food products to as many people as possible. Our rationale for choosing Danone yoghurt is based on the following alarming statistics Under-nutrition contributes to 53 percent of the 9.7 million deaths of children under five each year in developing countries such as ours Iron deficiency is the most prevalent form of malnutrition worldwide, affecting an estimated 2 billion people. It is impairing the mental development of 40-60 percent children in developing countries Vitamin A deficiency affects approximately 25 percent of the developing worlds pre-schoolers. It is associated with blindness, susceptibility to disease and higher mortality rates. It leads to the death of approximately 1-3 million children each year. Iodine deficiency is the greatest single cause of mental retardation and brain damage. Worldwide, 1.9 billion people are at risk of iodine deficiency, which can easily be prevented by adding iodine to salt In light of the above, we found the following characteristics inherent in Danone yoghurt which made it more than just a convenient tasty snack: DANONE YOGHURT is fortified with 4 micro nutrients : Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc and Iodine keeping in mind the sheer number of Indians who suffer from deficiency of some or all of these nutrients Other benefits of yoghurt are: Nutritious texture The smooth creamy texture of yogurt comes from lactic acid, which is formed when milk ferments. Fermentation occurs using two lactic bacteria:  Streptococcus thermophilus  and  Lactobacillus delbrueckii var. bulgaricus. Improved digestion During fermentation, between 20 and 30% of milks lactose is converted to lactic acid. Since yogurt contains bacteria such as  ÃƒÅ¸-galactosidase, those who are lactose-intolerant can tolerate it better when they eat it. Yogurts texture makes it easier to digest. Due to its thickness, yogurt takes longer to move through the digestive system, allowing the lactase enzyme to break down lactose more efficiently and absorb nutrients effectively. Low fat Recommended fat intake represents between 20% and 35% of total energy intake and is normally 65 g a day for women and 90 g for men. Eating yogurt allows one to maintain these limits. With at most 5 g of fat per serving, yogurt is pure health food that is not just low fat, but also contains a host of other nutrients Another reason for choosing Danone yoghurt is that it has been launched very recently in Pune. As a part of the phased launch program in India, Danone yogurts were initially made available in three flavors (strawberry, mango and vanilla) across super marts and grocery stores in Pune and now Mumbai. Danone fortified yogurts have a shelf life of 15 days. While Danone Dahi is priced at Rs 27 for 400 grams and Rs 14 for 150 grams, flavored yogurts are priced at Rs 10 each for 100 gram pack size. Such a product which is in its initial stage of launching, gives us an opportunity, as marketing students, to analyze the Indian market for flavored yoghurt and develop a marketing plan for further expansion of Danone Yoghurt. Situational Analysis Yogurt is a fermented milk product prepared by blending bacterial cultures into the milk. In India, traditional yoghurt products such as dahi, sour milk drinks such as lassi and buttermilk used to br produced at home at very negligible cost. Many sections of consumers still prefer preparing such items at the home because of high costs of branded products in the market. But at the same time due to growth in the middle class section of society in big cities and increased awareness of nutritional value of such dairy items, accompanied by a fall in the per unit prices of processed dairy products, the sales of packaged dairy food products has grown in the last decade. Context Currently yoghurt in India is available in two forms namely: set and stirred. Set yoghurt is available in plastic cup containers usually in packs of 100 to 400 grams. It is particularly popular in the northern and western parts of the country. On the other hand the stirred or loose form is available in plastic pouches in packs of 100 ml to 500 ml quantity. These loose packs are more prevalent in the southern part of the country. Rising average income of households in the urban areas, increasing awareness about the health benefits of processed dairy products, combined with the increasing western influence in society has lead to a faster rate of growth in the demand for yoghurt and other sour milk products amongst the Indian consumers. Till very recently there was not much demand for flavored or fruit yoghurt among Indian consumers and most of people consumed it in plain form. Company Groupe Danone (Danone) is a global market leader in production and marketing of fresh dairy products and beverages. The group is headquartered in Paris, France and employs 76,044 people globally. The group recorded revenues of E 15,220 million (approximately $22,393.8 million) during FY2008, an increase of 19.1% over FY2007. The operating profit of the group was E 2,270 million (approximately $3,339.9 million) during FY2008, an increase of 33.8% over FY2007. The net profit was E 1,313 million (approximately $1,931.9 million) in FY2008, an increase of 10.8% over FY2007. The product line offered by the company include bottled water, savory snacks, dairy desserts, pro-biotic dairy products, beverages and fresh dairy products under more than 25 brand names. The key strengths of the company includes, strong global brand image, market leadership across a wide variety of product types and across geographies, diversified revenue model which reduces the risk and most importantly strategy of product innovation to strengthen groups competitiveness. With the focus on the healthy and nutritional dairy food products, Danone group has re-launched itself in India after its initial alliance with Britannia ended in 2007. The aim of the company is to grab a significant pie of the flavored and value-added milk product category, by differentiating itself through extensive product innovation. The key focus of the company would be on delivering products which have nutritional benefits and would be focused mainly on the health conscious people of the society. Competitors Karnataka Milk Corporation KMC with its flagship brand Nanadani accounted for the maximum share of yoghurt and sour milk product market in India till 2008. KMC didnt have a national presence, but was widely available in southern India especially Karnataka, which accounted for highest per-capita consumption of sour milk and yoghurt products. In addition to KMC, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) also occupied a major chunk of the market and both the companies had recorded a growth of about 1% during 2008. Nesvita, a pro-biotic yoghurt brand of Nestle, increased the market share of Nestle on accounts of increased demand for yoghurt among the consumers in 2009. Pricing was one of the most important factors in determining the market share of the brands. Due to low manufacturing costs, KMC and GCMMF were able to price their products at significantly lower levels as compared to national players like Nestle. For example a 200gm unit of nandani dahi is available for Rs 10 whereas the same quantity for Nestles Fresh and Natural Dahi costs Rs 13. Till 2009 Nestle and Yakult were only international players in the yoghurt market in India. State level cooperatives supported the domestic brands capability of having short shelf life, and so boosted the market for them compared to the international players. Also as late as 2008 there was no private label presence in the yoghurt and sour milk market in India. Collaborators Danone faces intense competition from local players like Karnataka Milk Corporation and Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. These local players have several advantages over an external player like Danone. For example due to low manufacturing costs and state funded cooperatives they are able to price their products low as compared to other players. Also, the distribution network of these local players is far more effective and penetrates deeper into the geographies, which is a major profit factor in dairy product industry. Also the supply of milk and culture to be used in the production process needs to have an efficient delivery system. To address such problems Danone has chalked out plans of joint ventures and partnerships with other players. It has partnered with Dynamix, as the co-manufacturer for Danone products in India. Also it has entered into a joint venture with Japanese pro-biotic dairy products manufacturer Yakult Honsha to launch pro-biotic yoghurt called Yakult distributed through the direct selling channel popularly known as the Yakult Ladies. Also Danone has partnered with several retail chains and distribution networks to make its product readily available to a wide audience. Customers The size of the Yoghurt market in India has increased by approximately 18% in 2008-09 in current value terms to reach Rs 6.5 billion. Sour milk drinks is the fastest growing category, with about 22% value increase in 2009. With the growing awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of the organic and cultured dairy products among the urban population of India, there has been a significant rise in the demand for such products. As the number of players offering such products are currently very few, there is a good business opportunity in this segment. The prospective consumers are people who value the nutritional and health benefits of processed and packaged diary food products. The key drivers which push the customer to look out of such products are the reliability and brand image of the vendor. The customers also place value on shelf-life and whether the product is made with natural ingredients. Packaging also plays an important role on consumer preference. The size of the packs available and the ease with which they can be consumed, stored and re-consumed is an important criteria for a consumer to make a product choice. Pricing of the various packs plays an important role in the ultimate buying decision of the consumers in India. The price needs to be decided by keeping in mind the per unit cost of production as well as the competitors price for the same quantity. Source: Official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, store checks, trade interviews, Euromonitor International estimates Porters Diamond Determining Factors of National Advantage Factor Conditions: India has readily available cheap labor. Also skilled workers are in abundance in urban and semi-urban areas at low costs. The raw materials like the milk, culture are readily available all over the country. Setting up a manufacturing unit is comparatively easy in certain parts of the country due favorable state laws Demand Conditions With increasing awareness of nutritional and health benefits of packaged dairy products there has been a tremendous increase in the demand of such products The size of the Yoghurt market in India has increased by approximately 18% in 2008-09 in current value terms to reach Rs 6.5 billion Western influence over the middle and upper middle class has increased the demand Related and Supporting Industries Plans of joint ventures and partnerships with other players like Dynamix, as the co-manufacturer for Danone products in India Also it had entered into a joint venture with Japanese pro-biotic dairy products manufacturer Yakult Honsha to launch pro-biotic yoghurt called Yakult Ladies Denone has partnered with several retail chains and distribution networks to make its product readily available to the targeted customer segment Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry Currently not many people aware of flavored and fruit yoghurt in India Local players like Karnataka Milk Corporation KMC etc enjoy a number of benefits over external players in terms of lower costs and better distribution systems No private label presence in the yoghurt and sour milk market in India currently Pricing plays an important role in decision making for Indian consumers Marketing Objectives Danones marketing objective is to gain 12% market share in five years till 2014. In a category dominated by well-established players, it will take considerable time to establish market leadership. While this would naturally be a long term goal for the company, its immediate goal should be to incrementally gain market share and create awareness for flavoured yoghurt as well as brand Danone. Marketing Strategies Segmentation Scheme, Segments Profile The market segmentation can be done using demographic and geographic variables. The demographic variables used are income, gender and age. The geographic segments are divided based on urban or rural locality inhabited by the population being segmented. By 2016, the share of middle-class households (defined as those having annual income of US$6,000-$30,000) in the top 20 Indian cities is estimated to move from 39% in 2007-08 to more 55%. High-income households (more than US$30,000) will triple in the same period to 13%. More importantly, the share of low-income households (below US$3,000) could halve to just 7% by 2016 compared to 16% in 2007-08. Such a gigantic shift in household demographics will have a huge impact on demand for everything from food and beverages and consumer electronics to clothing and personal transport. The urbanization of India is taking place at a faster rate than in the rest of the world. By 2030, 40.8% of Indias population will be living in urban areas compared to about 28.4% in 2007-08. The population in urban India saw rapid growth driven by birth and migration during 1995-2007 which will continue until 2015. The percentage of urban households increased from 26.9% to 29.3% in the period 1995-2007, and is expected to reach 31.8% by 2015. Target Segment and Rationale Thus based on the various socio-economic indicators mentioned above, the urban middle-class Indian family would prove to be a very attractive target segment. The choices of women and children play a huge part in deciding the food items consumed by a family. Married women who are educated and who are balancing busy careers with their families have comparatively less time to spend on daily cooking which has resulted in the increased popularity of packaged food. This trend is likely to continue as the number of working women is expected to increase over the coming years. Tweenagers (children in the age-group 10-14 years) have a high level of media awareness and influence family decision-making in urban India. An example of their influence is the success of breakfast cereals in urban India. Cereals are increasingly being consumed by young urban children within rich and middle-income families and Kellogg India has successfully taken advantage of this by positioning its cornflakes as a nutritious snack for children after school. Therefore it is important to target this segment of the population. But influential as they are, a singular focus on just the children can be detrimental as the proportion of tweenagers in the total population is estimated to fall by 0.2% from 2007 to 2015, owing to families opting to have fewer children. Positioning and Rationale For many years Indians have had a negative perception of packaged food as stale and inferior. But with greater information about product quality, the growing affordability and necessity of such goods has contributed to the changed perception of packaged goods as hygienic and high in quality, which in turn has led to the increased popularity of branded packaged goods. Due to greater investment in the power sector and the penetration of electricity to most parts of the country, the sale of domestic electrical appliances such as refrigerators is increasing. This factor too has led to an increase in sales of frozen and refrigerated packaged foods. Consumption of yoghurt in India is highest in Northern and western Indian where Indian yoghurt(curd ) is eaten sweet (as opposed to consuming yoghurt with savory foods like in most of South India)and this would provide an easier progression to flavoured yoghurt in terms of consumer tastes and preferences. The concept of flavoured yoghurt is common in western cuisine, and with middle-class urban Indian families eating out and expanding their culinary horizons more than ever before, they are highly likely to be open to the concept of flavoured yoghurt. Taking into consideration the above mentioned demographic, economic and social factors, Danone yoghurt can be positioned as a tasty and healthy versatile food option. It can be consumed as a snack between meals, as dessert, or even as part of a meal like breakfast. It differentiates itself based on the superior health benefits, taste and quality offered. Danone yoghurt is uniquely positioned as it offers the taste and enjoyment derived from consuming an indulgence food-item like ice-cream as well as the health and nutritional benefits of a health drink (Eg: malted health drinks). In this way it can marry the benefits of both products and differentiate itself from other value-added dairy and health food options present in the market. Market Research MARKET RESEARCH Background: When Danone launched Danone Yoghurt in Pune, they didnt undertake a very extensive market research process. The company was new to India therefore collecting valuable feedback on customer preferences and their attitude towards health snacks was more important. They conducted surveys and got feedback on aspects like their eating habits, number and type of flavors to launch etc. The company was reasonably confident of Danones acceptance in India as it has made the product work in countries with no exposure to fermented dairy whatsoever such as Indonesia. The Problem: What is the consumer perception of yoghurt in general and is there a profitable potential market for flavored yoghurt in India? Decision Alternatives: To increase the scope of Danone yoghurt in other cities beyond Pune and Mumbai To halt expansion The former would require expanding the manufacturing capacity and setting up more factories. Currently there is only one in Baramati (near Pune) in Maharashtra which caters to both Pune and Mumbai markets. Research Objective: To determine if India is ready for Flavored yoghurt and to see which specifications and preferences of consumers can the company cater to in order to capture a larger market share. Data sources: Primary data collected through a survey. This seemed to be the most effective way to gauge peoples knowledge, belief, preferences and satisfaction. For this purpose we developed a questionnaire. Total number of respondents: 76 The sample of people asked to fill the questionnaire ranged from children to elderly to working professionals, to adults who stay home. Danone has not specifically targeted any particular segment of people. The company has decided to cater to families as a whole. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS: Based on the responses to the questionnaire we can infer the following: Most respondents believe in eating and living healthy and feel that yoghurt is a healthy and nutritional alternative to other snacks and eatables. This is no surprise as there is a trend towards health consciousness among children and adults alike In purchasing a snack such as yoghurt, people rank flavor as the main criteria for making a decision. Price and fat content are considered to be other important factors. Among flavors, we found plain yoghurt (or dahi) is the most preferred followed by chocolate. This is expected as dahi is now part and parcel of our everyday meals and chocolate is popular among kids and adults. Besides these, strawberry and vanilla are also liked by the respondents. Danone is the first to offer vanilla flavored yoghurt in India. When asked to rate attributes in yoghurt on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least important and 5 being the most important) respondents rated taste, flavor and health benefits (low fat) as the most important features. RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ANALYSIS People regard yoghurt first as tasty and then as healthy. Danones mission is providing healthy food products to as many people as possible. Danone is a food company and not a pharmaceutical company therefore while the basis of all their products is healthy content, they cannot and do not ignore the taste aspect. Respondents consume curd and other forms of yoghurt mostly between once to 5 times in a week. This boils down to a maximum of once a day. They purchase yoghurt mostly through food chains such as Reliance, More etc. and only about 36% purchase from local shops. Respondents gave considerable importance to availability of yoghurt. It is interesting to note that people are not willing to go out of their way to buy a particular brand of yoghurt especially if substitutes are available. Therefore, yoghurt should be readily available (even in local shops) to induce people to make a purchase and inch towards building brand loyalty for Danone. Since people are willing to pay Rs. 10 to 12 for plain yoghurt, flavored yoghurt can probably be priced marginally higher as it is viewed as a premium product. Marketing Action Plan The Marketing Action Plan deals with the 4Ps of marketing, i.e. Product, Price, Promotion and Place. We have outlined the marketing action plan for Danone Flavored Yoghurt below: Product Danone Flavoured Yoghurt is flavored spoonable yoghurt made from milk, Yoghurt cultures, flavors, stabilizers, whey protein concentrate and color. It is fortified with four micro nutrients Zinc, Vitamin A, Iodine and Iron. Danone Flavored Yoghurt does not contain any preservatives. It has a shelf life of 15 days. The product would be primarily positioned as a healthy snack that tastes good. It is currently available in four flavours in India. They are: Mango Strawberry Vanilla Plain The product is available in 100 g packages. Currently no other product sizes are available. Product Packaging Danone Yoghurt is packaged in a plastic container and vaccum-sealed using an Aluminium foil bearing the attractive logo and branding. The containers are well sterilized before the fermented milk is poured in so as to remove the yeast since that leads to the creation of moulds that destroy the yoghurt. In addition, some stabilizers are added at the final stage that prevent the occurrence of whey, the watery coat that is formed above the set yoghurt. Price The price of the Danone Flavoured Yoghurt is Rs.10 for 100 gm yoghurt. Since the main marketing strategy of Danone is to establish the brand in India and increase the market share, Danone has to apply market-penetration pricing techniques. The product is competitively priced to ensure wider consumer reach and to secure high volume growth. The operational cost involved in the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and retailing of 100 gm of flavoured product are as follows Advertising Objectives The aim of the advertising program will be to create awareness about the brand, to highlight the quality,taste and nutritional benefits of the product. Since Danone is new to India and flavoured yoghurt is in the introduction stage in the Indian market, the advertising has to create sufficient awareness about the product category among the customers and stimulate enough interest to promote trial of the product. The advertisements should also increase the brand awareness of Group Danone and communicate to the consumers that Danone is the largest company in dairy products in the world. The advertisements would be primarily targeted at the segment of urban, middle class families. Choice of media The main focus should be on television ads, as it reaches more urban families than any other medium. Display media such as billboards, signs etc., innovative promotion programs and point-of-sale promotions could also be implemented to ensure wider reach. Advertising Program Television Advertisements The television advertisements would be targeted at the urban, middle class families. We suggest that there should be two separate television advertisement strategies one for increasing the brand equity of Group Danone in India and one focused on building the awareness of Danone Flavoured Yoghurt. It is important to build the brand awareness of Danone as the urban middle class consumers in India are highly aspirational and would love to be associated with a world-class brand. Aspiration-led marketing and portrayal of brands as status symbols has worked well in the past with the Indian consumers. This could also create an edge against established competitors such as Amul or Nestle and aid in brand recall. The advertisement should be informative; the purpose here is to introduce the average Indian consumer to Danone as the worlds largest dairy group. The creative execution can focus on Danones history, its popularity across the world and essentially, the arrival of Danone in India. The product related television advertisement should be built around the product features, taste and health benefits, appetite appeal and the snacking occasions. One of the main intentions is to ensure that potential customers try out the product. The plain yoghurt is a part of Indian diet and is generally preferred over the flavoured yoghurt which has less appeal to the Indian palate. Hence, the advertising has to actively motivate the consumers to switch from traditional sour yoghurt to the flavoured yoghurt emphasizing on both the taste and the added health benefits and can feature men, women and children consuming flavoured yoghurt as part of their meals. It should have eye-catching visual imagery that promotes appetite, appealing music and preferably a story line that involves an urban family that represents the general consumer lifestyle and preferences. The strategy for the implementation of the advertising should be: Launch with a high-decibel advertising campaign to maximize the impact. This can be continued for three to four weeks. The advertisements should be mainly featured on television channels popular in the urban middle class families. General entertainment channels in Hindi as well as English and the television channels that target tweens and English movie channels have more viewership among the target segment. The programs which are most popular with the target segment and those that emphasize health and wellness should be focused on. Outdoor media Billboard and poster ads that complement the television advertisements and enhance the brand appeal should also be a major part of the communication plan. Danone already has implemented innovative promotion media such as the Blue Danone buses in Pune. These ads should contain memorable visuals and communicate detailed information to give the product greater visibility and appetite appeal. Print Media The print media advertisement can deliver detailed information about the brand and the nutritional and taste attributes of the product to the target customers. English newspapers and family magazines such as Readers Digest, Good Housekeeping etc. and health and wellness magazines reach a large base of urban consumers. Sales Promotions The purpose of the sales promotions such as coupons, contests, premiums etc. are to gain attention and to lead the consumer to purchase the product. Since the product is in the introduction stage, the main goal is to encourage trials and thereby adoption. The following sales promotion methods are suggested: Distribute free samples with popular family and health magazines Banded packs with other branded health foods such as breakfast cereals or fruit juices. Point-of-sale displays that are eye-catching Social Media Marketing The urban population is characterized by extensive use of internet media. Internet represents a powerful channel that can be proliferated for effective advertisement campaign. Social media marketing can be employed in the form of presence on networking sites like facebook, orkut and myspace. Forums can be created on these sites that can inform the users of the health benefits of yoghurt, latest technology and its effect on product quality. First hand feedback and consumer sentiments can be analyzed from what they say on these forums. This information can be used to improve product quality, packaging, introduce new flavours and improve consumer interaction and further reinforce the brand image in the minds of the consumer. Place The primary mode of distribution of Danone flavoured yoghurt is a single-level channel with only the retailer as the intermediary between Danone and the consumer. To ensure the freshness of the product, it is put in cold storage at 4 degrees Celsius after packaging and is transported in trucks to the warehouse. Danone is the first company in India to have cold chain from factory to warehouse and from warehouse to the retail shop. At present, Danone flavoured yoghurt is available only in Mumbai and Pune. Danone will be launched across India in three phases: Phase I: It would include marketing in the top 10 metros with use of modern retail chains Phase II: It would include the next 20 Tier 1 citi