Coffee House Business Plan - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2303 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Coffee House Business Plan. The business that I have selected is identified as Baristo Coffee House. I am going to elucidate the significance of the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vision, mission, and values in determining why I have selected its strategic plan. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Coffee House Business Plan" essay for you Create order Strategic plan is to be intended merely as to make certain the business to develop and develop properly. It steers and directs the trade to progress as per planned (Pearce),. It is for in no doubt with this that things can in addition be administered at an active pace. The information given will be described by the business, commodities and services, and customers. This will encompass the mission statement for the coffee house. James Ford, the founder of Baristo Coffee House wanted to fetch high quality Continental-style espresso bars to USA. He wanted it realistically serving lofty quality coffee and food in a consumer friendly atmosphere. James Ford is accountable for the strategy, general management, Growth and branding at Coffee house. Baristo authentic Cafes selling gourmet coffees and deli products will evidently distinguished it from its additional competitors in the market. Vision for the coffee house will be specified which present a clear picture of what the coffee house will will develop into in the future. The analysis and the guiding beliefs will be deemed in the social responsibility, topics of culture and ethics. Subsequently, you will recognize how the coffee house strategic course of the coffee house is evaluated using its vision, mission, and values. Finally , you will scrutinize how the coffee house tackle with customer needs and knobs competitive advantage. Baristo Coffee House Baristo Coffee House is situated at Orlando International Airport is a location where a person that had a demanding day can go to chill out. Baristo s a business provided to the commuters and travelers at the Airport.. People demean the coffee house since of its values and beliefs. Here at Baristo Coffee House, we accommodate to our customers by providing them the most excellent customer service by for all time smiling and giving them a lukewarm place to spend time. Even though Baristo Coffee House will be recognized for its coffee, tea and sizzling chocolate , it will be a assembling place for individuals who desire to read the newspaper, surf the network in the media center, or merely sit on the patio to watch the cars go by.[ David Jinks] Vision and Mission Statement Baristo Coffee House was instituted with a vision in mind. Its accesses are unlock to each person that desires a peaceful and silence place to clear their mind. The mission statement of Baristo is to furnish the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Treasures of the Earth, to the People of the Worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . This statement is for the reason that of the products that Baristo tender its customers. Products, Services, and Customers The products that Baristo Coffee House tenders its buyers are hot and iced coffee as well as specialty coffee, hot and iced tea, hot chocolate, and water. We in addition serve pastries that depart grand with our beverages. Our carrot cake rolls are the mainly popular pastry since we make use of wheat dough and real carrots. All of our items are made from the earth together with organic herbs. Our beverages all comprise the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“King of Herbsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  in them called Ganoderma. We as well make use of Ginseng in a number of of our products to improve energy and stamina. We have a lot of testimonies in relation to our beverages in which our customers constantly come and purchase. Our pastries are prepared from authentic fruits and vegetables and are household straight out of the kitchen. We in point of fact grow our own fruits and vegetables to formulate the pastries. This is because we want to make sure they are 100% natural and not with additives. Baristo will also serve deli sandwiches for the customers who need a small meal that will fulfill their hunger. The sandwiches will consist of Turkey and Swiss, Three Cheese Grilled Cheese, Grilled Veggie Burger, and Pesto Chicken. All of Baristo sandwiches are served on wheat bread or spinach wrap. This will limit calories and serve as healthier as possible. The customers that patronize Baristo Coffee House will be looking for more than a place to just drink coffee. They will be coming to Baristo Coffee House because of the product and great customer service they receive. At Baristo, the customers are welcomed like one of the family. Each cup of coffee or tea will be shared with family and friends. Baristo is a meeting place for book clubs, corporate luncheons, and teenage hangout to surf the web using the free Wi-Fi that is offered to the customers. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Demand:The order for coffee stores and superiority products at competitive prices is huge in the Orlando International Airport. This is typically in view of the fact that of the increase in the number of passengers travelling to the airport, which has only enlarged the customer base Location:The location factoris a significant element for strategic positioning of a firm in the target market. The reality that the Orlando International Airport is of global implication and a coffee shop placed near it can draw customers from together the domestic and worldwide market generates the location aspect as a major power for starting up a coffee shop in the airport. Customer base:The customer base which is the most important element whilst determining the target marketis enormous in the Orlando International Airport terminals which is not only from the region of the travelers who turn up or go away from the airport other than in addition since of the raise in the number of visitors who go along with the passengers Weaknesses: Volatile customer base:The main weak point of the coffee house is the unpredictable environment of the customer base in the airport. Even though the customer potential in the Orlando International Airport is huge, but ever shifting due to the environment of the business in the airport makes the consumer prospective as a grave weakness as much as it is disagreed as strength. As this is an evident factor for any shop in the airport, the weakness is unconscious in nature. Seasonal business:an additional important aspect that needs to be thought is that the airport provides high intensity of customers through the periods of holiday making whilst sustains only the business travelers at other occasions which makes it apparent that the business for the coffee shop is recurring in nature.[ Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes] Opportunities: Differentiation by Pricing:the order for superiority products at aggressive pricing is an rising order at the Orlando airport particularly from the customers holidaying from the remote east of the world. This command can be tie together by the coffee shop during provided value-added services and class products at aggressive prices. The financial scrutiny in the next part will offer a deeper imminent on the pricing of the products. Diverse Target market:The diversity in the market which is merely due to the variety in the travelers to the airport provides an efficient method of draw a position market or more than one section of the market with custom-made products at the same time as providing a foundation line of product variety to meet the overall demand of the customers. Promotion through embracing culture:The reality that the airport supplies visitors from distinction culture constructs it apparent that the coffee shop can draw customers through acceptance its endorsements replicating upon precise culture. This although may appear position marketing, is in reality a triumphant method of reaching the wider market where the tourists would greet the novelty in the support [Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes] Threats: Terrorism:The major hazard is the constituent of tragedy that can be sourced by terrorist assaults. The truth that the Orlando airport is a key place for terrorist attack is the main threat countenanced by any shop in the Orlando International Airport. New entrants and costs:The threat of new entrants in the market is a grave component. This is also an ever more concerning issue with the speedy operation of the construction plan at the Orlando International Airport which not only add to the opportunity from expansion but also the hazard of fresh entrants and rigid opposition in the target market. From the inspection above it is apparent that even though there are imminent threats and certain weaknesses in opening a coffee shop at the airport, the strengths and opportunities are outperforming the weaknesses and threats thus justifying the investment for a coffee shop in the Orlando International Airport. Key objectives for the company encompassing operational, financial, and human resource aspects of the business Baristo will greet all cultures to its institution. It is a assorted company that gives identical opening to all. A number of of the employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ ages range from 18 to 50 years old. This is since of the different environments that they can fetch to the atmosphere at Baristo Coffee House. The Employees will be provided good quality working conditions and all facilities as per our business policy. The social accountability that Baristo brings to the community is the cut rates that it gives on definite days of the week. Mondays are senior citizen c oncession day where they get half off of a specialty drink. Tuesdays are studentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s concession day where they acquire one and acquire the other  ½ off. This will fetch repeat customers to the coffee house and they will support on additional days also. The ethics of Baristo is what fetches its social responsibility to the customers and community and that is why it is one of the top coffee house income earners in the state. Strategic map acts as a road plan for the business in addition. It wraps up a variety of areas for example customers, finance marketing, sales, e etc. All these parts are finished interconnected so as to build goals achievable. The expansion of strategic plan is very much required consecutively to allocate the Coffee, House business to cultivate and flourish at its finest is revealed by this (Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes). This turns out to be very greatly successful just as to accomplish most excellent possible resultants. Strategic Co ntrols, and Contingency Plans To correspond with the vision and mission statement of Baristo Coffee House, the course that it will be going will enhance the profit fringes for the coffee house. In three years, the coffee house income will be enhanced by 75%. This will come about by expanding to diverse locations in the state. The vision of the coffee house is to have 3 or additional stores in the subsequently three years. The diverse types of specialty drinks and menu items that will be inserted will support in the expansion of the coffee house. Relying on the demographics of the added coffee houses, Baristo will in the long run add on a soft jazz band on Friday and Saturday evenings for patrons of 18 years and older. This will append value to the coffee houses and in addition an increase in revenue. Competitive Advantages There are numerous diverse ways to create an gain over the competitors. There can be lots of types of competitive advantages together with the coffee hou seà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cost structure, product offerings, delivery network and customer support. An instance of this advantage is to a enormous motivation level all the way through the employees and customers. The customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s wants are a priority. Baristo deems that a customer-centric approach will append value to the coffee house and will discriminate them from their competitors. Business Financing Plan The price is about $70-$100 per month including materials and we will spend $15,000 $20,000 in total. The decoration stuff and furniture including tables, bars, chairs in addition to sofas are in relation to $8700 in total. Certainly, we have to buy equipments like, air conditioners, laptops and music equipment. We will use central air conditioning and heating system and it costs about $15,000. Finally, the total we suppose to spend on entertainment equipment is about $26,000. Consecutively to tender good quality coffee and additional connected goods, we will h ave to buy many types of equipment for food; for example:, juicer, dishwasher, disinfector, coffee machines, mixer, refrigerator and oven. At least $7000 will be used on those stuffs. Other matters for instance dishes, , napkins, cups, paper boxes, paper cups, glass and bowls, straws, chopsticks, spoons knives,and folks are worth $4000 to buy. Finally, the total we have to spend on the operating expense is about $65,700 for one year. We need 10~15 servers, 2 supervisory managers and 2 chefs. The total number of the salaries will be $15,000 per month. The rent for one month will be $10,000, totally $120,000 for a year.. And finally, the total operating expenses for the first year will be $365700. i.e 30475 per month.[ DiCorpo, T.] Income projection The total estimated amount of turnover each day of our coffee shop will be ($1500) For every month: approximate $45000/month Profit: Total revenue: $45000/month Total sum of variable expenditure for one month: $30475/mont h Profit: 45000-30475=$14525/month Conclusion Mission, vision, and value statements are decisive factors that operate as guiding beliefs for an organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s strategic initiatives (CARI (2007). Organizations construct their corporate, business, and tactical strategies and objectives. In conclusion, Baristo Coffee House will be identified as a bequest for the community. It will give empathy for its customers, be obliging to all types of customers, will give enormous customer service, and will be bona fide to its competitors. References: Wheelen, T. L., Hunger, J. D. (2010). Concepts in strategic management and business policy: Achieving sustainability (12th ed.). Prentice Hall. Pearce, J. A. II, Robinson, R. B. (2009).Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. CARI (2007), The importance of organizational mission and vision,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Referenced on March 27, 2011 Talbot, Marianne ( 2003), Make your mission statement work: identify your organizations.

Sigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology - 1222 Words

In the early twentieth century of Europe, an Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis named Sigmund Freud constructed an original approach to the understanding of human psychology. Prior to the founding of psychoanalysis, mental illness was thought to come from some kind of deterioration or disease rooted in the brain. The certitude that physical diseases of the brain induced mental illness signified that psychological origins were disregarded. Freud insisted on studying the topic hoping to change the way society thought about and dealt with mental illness. Working with Joseph Breuer, a German physician, Freud embellished the theory that the mind is a complex energy-system, the structural investigation of which is the proper province of psychology. He refined the notions of the unconscious mind to be a component of a new therapeutic and conceptual reference point in order to understand the psychological development of humans along with the treatments for their eccentric men tal conditions. Sigmund Freud was one of the most influential European psychology intellects of the nineteenth and early twentieth century because he developed a new therapeutic method called free association in place of hypnosis, he led the way to child psychology through the examination of child abuse, and he challenged positivism by popularizing the concept of the unconscious mind through dreams. Freud developed a new therapy technique used in psychoanalysis known as free association inShow MoreRelatedSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology1283 Words   |  6 PagesSigmund Freud (1856-1939), is a pioneer in the field of psychology in various ways. His dedication to his field helped shape the minds of many nineteen-century contemporary schools of thought. 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His ideals portray that there are three key components that are responsible for a human beings personality. These components include id, ego and superego. Freud s major contributions to todays society and study of psychology are his theories on the unconscious mind, dreams, libido, infantile sexuality, repression and transferenceRead MoreSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology Essay967 Words   |  4 PagesPsychoanalysis is an approach to psychology that was made well known as a way to bring for the unconscious to the conscious. It is theorized that the memories that we store in our unconscious affects us, and can cause neurotic behaviors. The approaches also include Analytical, Individual. Three people that worked on these theories are Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler. Each of these men approached psychoanalysis in both similar and individual ways, and have their own theories that will be furtherRead MoreSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology And Psychology1073 Words   |  5 PagesLuwanna Perry Theories Counseling 06/27/2014 Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud is considered to be the most important figures in the field of psychiatry and psychology. His ideas about psychoanalysis were developed in the 1800’s but are still being used today in the mental health field (www.studymode.com). Sigmund Freud was one of the pioneers/innovator of modern-day psychology. â€Å"As the originator of psychoanalysis, Freud distinguished himself as anRead MoreSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology1568 Words   |  7 Pages Freud Sigmund Yifan Wang Current issues in history Vanier College 2014-11-11 Freud Sigmund In the 19th century, people progressed toward a new era of scientific revolution with new inventions and technologies. Doctors find treatment to heal cancer and people lives longer than before. On the other hand, Freud Sigmund the Jewish psychiatrist offered a new cure to mental illness that individual suffers from (The European Graduate School, 2012). Although he may have the most of influenceRead MoreSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesAt the start psychology was not a science; it was ‘made up’. In pre-historic age it was believed any behaviour that swayed from ‘the norm’ was due to demonic spirits possessing the brain. Advances in treatments and medicine, allow us to recognise how barbarous this belief was. The progress of these advances was clear by the opening of the first experimental laboratory in 1879 by Wilhelm Wundt. Wundt’s establishment of psychology as an academic discipline exaggerated how obsolete the pr evious wayRead MoreSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology Essay1215 Words   |  5 PagesSigmund Freud, originally a neurologist, is a well-known psychologist that developed the field of psychoanalytic psychology. Although he died in 1939 his theories and practices live on and many psychologists will still consult Freud’s ideas when faced with specific cases. Freud was a firm believer in the notion that sex and aggression is the root of motivation for all human behavior and many people agree with him, but one of his former collogues, Alfred Adler, would come to disagree with this ideaRead MoreSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychology1939 Words   |  8 Pagesdevelopments in psychology that support the where our development into each stage come from. For starters there’s Sigmund Freud, a main contributor to psychology (neurologist), that believed there is a specific order in the stages of development. His stages are called Psychosexual Stages of Development. The Five stages include Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latent, and Genital. (As seen in Figure 1) These developments are more on the physical side to growing into puberty and so on. Freuds ideas are the first

Principles of Project Management for Project - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about thePrinciples of Project Managementfor Project Selection. Answer: Project management refers to the process which the team achieves through the specific objectives and goals according to some criteria of success in a project. From the current module I have learnt regarding project management principles, project selection and project initiation processes. The module also helped me to learn the various project management approaches as well as the models that are used in practical field. The process of project planning and stakeholder management also helped me to gain insight and in-depth knowledge regarding the risk management as well as project scheduling processes, monitoring and controlling a project as well as the closing a project. The module that has been covered, helped me to understand regarding the project managements multi dynamic way. The clear and concise reading with practical examples as well as worked out problems helped me to understand the subject to its core and also changed my learning approach. First the lecture notes were read by me along with the demonstration provided by the lecturer. I discussed the subject topic with my groups and peers also searched on the Internet that helped me competent in learning the current subject module. The subject matter that I found difficult to understand was project scheduling in which different types of network diagram was included such as the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and critical path method (CPM) were used to draw the network diagrams and hence provide a project schedule (Turner, 2014). I did research on the Internet as well as read several books and practiced numerical problems regarding the project scheduling that helped me to get a clear grip on the subject. I also discussed this subject with my teacher and lecturer to clear the doubts that helped me to overcome the challenge. Project scheduling helps me in my career as a project manager and it also helps me to schedule the project precisely in order to avoid any kind of delay in the project. My major strength is to analyze any risk regarding a project precisely as well as accurate scheduling of a project incorporating adequate safety factors. Monitoring and controlling of projects are also my strengt h, however my major weakness are project planning in which I need a little guidance to start off as well as stakeholders management that I find a bit difficult to understand. According to Kerzner (2013), the leadership style essential in project management are sharing a vision in which the project managers inspires the team members as well as shares a common vision and objectives with the entire project team. A good communication skill is also required to communicate with people at all levels regarding the goals, responsibility, performance, feedback and expectations. It also helps them to guide the team members (Schwalbe, 2015). A good leadership in a project manager also provides towards commitment, demonstration as well as towards ethical practices. The value of a project within the team that is very essential in creating awareness regarding enthusiasm of the project is also an effective leadership quality to be present in the project manager. Technical competencies are the final and most important leadership quality that should be present within the project manager as technical competency helps solving complicated problems as well as technical problem s in the construction field during the project execution. In projects that have a constraint of tight budget the leadership style that is essential is communication and financial ability in the project manager to execute the project with tight control over the budget as well as communication with the construction workers and other stakeholders during negotiations in the money. As per Walker (2015), for projects having a tight time constraint, the project manager needs to have a project scheduling leadership quality in which expertise technical knowledge and experience is required that will enable the project manager to schedule the project with high precision and accuracy. My leadership style are that I have good communication skill, a team working ability, a sound technical knowledge as well as time management ability that will help me to schedule the project within time and allocated budget as well as ensure that the project is executed on time without any kind of additional risk. My communication skill will ensure that I communicate with my team members as well as construction workers clearly sharing project values and objectives with them. My technical knowledge will also make me competent in understanding the various design and drawings of the project and determine the most economical method of construction. References Kerzner, H. (2013).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Schwalbe, K. (2015).Information technology project management. Cengage Learning. Turner, J. R. (2014).The handbook of project-based management(Vol. 92). New York, NY: McGraw-hill. Walker, A. (2015).Project management in construction. John Wiley Sons.

Winston Churchill an Example by

Winston Churchill Winston Churchill is a man of honor and perseverance. Throughout his lifetime, he battled different challenges which are known to many normal people. During his youth, Churchill did not do well in his academics. He was often left out due to his inability to absorb his lessons compared to other people. As a young child, Churchill wanted the assistance and attention of his parents. However, due to their status as well as the perspective of his parents he was not provided the attention needed by most children (Schneider 4). Need essay sample on "Winston Churchill" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed In addition to this, Churchill was stated to have a speech impediment. Although it was not confirmed by many, it was mentioned that Churchill had a stutter problem. Thus, this speech impediment lessens his capability and confidence to speak to a large crowd. Moreover, as a clarification, Churchill was state to have a problem in pronouncing the letter S; thus debunking the fact that Churchill had a speak deficiency. Upon this, Churchill started to excel in school in English and History. After the death of his father, Churchill came to the conclusion that he was also dying at the same age his father did47 years old. Therefore, he assumed that he would also die at the same age. Due to this, Churchill realized that he had to act fact and create ways to make his own mark in this world (Schneider 5). In another view point, Churchill was very active in the military activities of his government. He was promoted several times in the army and was posted in different countries which were occupied by the Great Britain. He also became a leader for an infantry battalion in a war. Although he acted depending on his responsibilities and duties, he was never in agreement to the act of killing groups of people. Churchill wanted peace and reconciliation but was hoping for a different methodology. Churchills leadership in the Great Britain made a big mark in the politics of the state. However at some point he was also rejected by his partyConservative Party due to the tariffs he imposed during his seat as a prime minister. Due to the fact that he was rejected by his party, Churchill was in political isolation. However, after many years he moved to the opposition party in which he again became re-elected as a prime minister. Over the years of his service to the British government, he was awarded with different kinds of honors. Upon his death, Churchill was provided a state funeral in commemoration of the acts he had done in the political system of the Great Britain. Hence, it as also noted that the presence of Churchill in the politics as well as military of the state became the most important mark in his lifetime. The changes as well as the improvements which he had imposed were tremendous that he was not only loved by the people within the government but also the people of Gr eat Britain (Gilbert, 89). In the end, the leadership of Churchill was astounding as he was able to influence the government as well as the military of different theoretical views of the needs of the people and the state. Churchill remained for the people in the end. Unlike other politicians during his time, he did not seek power yet he joined the government to bring developments and progress for the people. Moreover, Churchills point of view of leadership is truly remarkable that he became an influential leader in the modern politics. Therefore, Churchill was a leader which did not use his power for his own personal gain but for the people of his state. Work Cited Schneider, Robert. (1976). Novelist to a generation: the life and thought of Winston Churchill. United States: University of Wisconsin. Gilbert, Martin. (1992). Churchill: A Life. New York: Henry Holt & Co. Inc.

Death Penalty Essays (459 words) - Capital Punishment, Penology

Death Penalty Chad Heldt Sociology Period 1 4/28/98 The Death Penalty Should It Be Allowed Or Not? In my paper I plan to give my opinion and my position on the death penalty. I believe the death penalty should be for hardened criminals like the Charlie Mansons of the world and people like that. I believe that our judicial system right now is clogged with to many cases pending the death penalty in America. These people should not be allowed such luxuries in prison such as TV, good food, and the ability to get out on parole and the chance for we, the public, to see him/her kill or do it again. It is just not right to the judicial system and us, we pay the taxes so they can appeal and live the good life and that is not how it should be. I believe strongly that inmates should have to suffer just as their victims did when their life was cut short. I think that they should be publicly humiliated before they are put to there demise. The prisoners should not be put on trial six times for the same crime if they are found guilty the first time. This puts a strain on our economy when we have to try the same case more than once. We end up spending in the end around 3.2 million dollars on one execution and why? Because our society is to involved in making a good image for it self so it forgets about what the right thing to do is. We just go on and on with the trials and the appeals and never really get anywhere. The inmates are allowed to appeal so many times that they will die by the time they are finally sentenced to death so what's the point of spending all that money we might as well let them go free. I wish society could be the same as it was about 150 years ago when you were punished right away for what you did there was no mercy. The people had one chance to say what they wanted and most of the time it had no effect on the trial or sometime they had no chance to speak there mind they were just sentenced to death. People take our society for granted and we should not allow ourselves to believe those foul criminals and to feel sorry for them either. Overall, I am strongly for the death penalty and I hope that they can bring it to Minnesota some day. It would untie our court system and it would make a safer society for our children and there children. We also would save money not for the government and ourselves but for our children and there children. Sociology

Top 10 Advanced French Mistakes

Top 10 Advanced French Mistakes If you speak French at an advanced level, congratulations! You may not be fluent yet, but youre definitely on your way. Nonetheless, there are probably a few concepts you can use a bit of help with. Oftentimes these are small details that dont affect your listeners comprehension, but mistakes are mistakes and if you want to be fluent you need to avoid them. Here are the ten most common French mistakes and difficulties for advanced speakers, with links to lessons. Rhythm Pronunciation-wise, one of the last things most French students master is the rhythm of French. In many languages, words and sentences have stressed syllables, but French does not. It can be very difficult to get the hang of giving each syllable the same stress when ones own language is so different, especially when trying to stress the importance of a particular word. Understanding French rhythm is the first step to being able to mimic it. vs. De The prepositions and de cause endless problems for French students because they are used in similar constructions to mean different things. De, du, de la, or des? Another pitfall for advanced French speakers has to do with the preposition de and the indefinite and partitive articles. French teachers commonly receive questions about whether a given phrase should be followed by de or by du, de la, or des. Verbs with Prepositions In English, many verbs require a certain preposition in order for the meaning of the verb to be complete, such as to look at and to listen to. The same is true in French, but the prepositions  required for French verbs are often not the same as the ones required by their English counterparts. In addition, some verbs that require a preposition in English dont take one in French, and vice versa. It all boils down to memorizing verbs with their prepositions. Cest vs. Il est The expressions cest and il est are often confused. Like and de, above, cest and il est have strict rules on usage- they may mean something similar, but their usage is quite distinct. Le  facultatif As an advanced French speaker, you should be very familiar with  le  as  a  definite article  and  direct object pronoun. What you may not know is that there are two optional uses of  le. The  neuter object pronoun  le  is  an optional, formal construction found most commonly in written French, and  l  is sometimes used in front of  on  to increase euphony in French. Indefinite French I find that one of the hardest things to translate into another language is indefiniteness, such as anyone, something, everywhere, all the time. This index includes links to lessons on every kind of indefiniteness, from  indefinite adjectives  to the  indefinite subject pronoun  on.​ Impersonal French Grammatically speaking,  impersonal  refers to words or structures which are invariable; that is, they do not specify a grammatical person. This is, like indefiniteness, a fairly difficult concept for many students of French. Reflexive vs.  Object Pronouns Reflexive pronouns  are used with  pronominal verbs, while object pronouns are used with  transitive verbs, and they have very different purposes. Yet they cause problems for many students due to the issue of  agreement  with pronouns that precede a compound verb. Before you worry about  agreement, though, you need to be sure you understand the difference between reflexive and direct object pronouns- how to use them, separately and together. Agreement I can almost guarantee that you have trouble with some aspect of  agreement,  because even native speakers have trouble with it sometimes! There are numerous types of agreement, but the most difficult tend to be agreement with direct objects that precede compound verbs and with pronominal verbs.

Annotated bibliography on leadership and gender Essay

Annotated bibliography on leadership and gender - Essay Example Beginning with the assumption that high Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a quality found in most effective leaders, the researchers attempt to analyse data taken from participant responses to the QueenDom's Emotional Intelligence They then analyse whether there is a difference between the levels of EQ found in women as opposed to that found in men. Their finding confirmed that principals that scored a higher emotional Intelligence were perceived to be more effective leaders. Their findings also showed that women overall had higher Emotional Intelligence scores than men. Analysis and Evaluation As previously stated the researchers begin with the premise that higher level of Emotional Intelligence equates with better leadership skills. They first cite Sosik and Megerian (1999) as to the reason for this, which is that leaders with higher EQ’s pay more attention to their interpersonal skills and relationships. This brings a closer connection between leadership and staff. EQ leader p ay less attention to the technical aspects and more to the human aspect of the business. This study uses a random sample of 32 participants (teachers), equally weighted male and female, to answer questions regarding the effectiveness of their leaders, in this case the principals of their schools. They believe that the best way to judge leadership effectiveness is by the ratings of those they lead, citing A Technical Report Issued by the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations produced by Cherniss and Goleman ... ocial and emotional competence.† (Cherniss & Goleman,1998) These tools are the QueenDom's Emotional Intelligence (EIQ) and the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) which this study employed. The researches were seeking to find answers to three specific queries, 1) Is there a correlation between EQ and specific areas of leadership such as challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modelling the way, and encouraging the heart?; 2) Is there a connection between EQ and leadership effectives?; and 3) Does gender play a role in this relationship? Their findings indicate that EQ is regarded as an important component of leadership effectives as evaluated by those they interact with. They also found that women are usually viewed as having somewhat higher EQ’s than their male counterparts. These two results prompt them to make the statement that further efforts must be made to promote the training and encouragement of higher levels of EQ in leaders . Furthermore they state that seeing that there is a difference in gender regarding EQ, future training should take that into account. While their research is quite interesting they fall a bit short on exactly what they mean by the difference between men and women and the training of EQ. Certainly EQ is playing a larger role in this area, but they should have explained the gender difference a little more for study to have an impact. Reference #2 Okhakhume, A. S. (2008). Attitudes of Subordinates toward Women in Leadership Position. Gender & Behaviour, 6(2), 1785-1799. Summary This study takes place in Nigeria and concentrates on the bias of gender in that society, specifically in the area of employment and leadership as it regards women. The author states that in Nigeria the workplace has

Aristotle, Mill, Kant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aristotle, Mill, Kant - Essay Example morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Sharman, 2005)." Ideally, Mill’s concept of morality ultimately associates virtue with happiness. He believes that we first learn virtuous actions by linking them to pleasurable things. Mill’s supremacy of morality was founded on the basis of advocating for fairness in the legislation of Britain. Kant’s supreme moral principle states: "Act only on a maxim that you can will to be a universal law (Kant, 1964)." To put it simply, Kant believes that each one should act as if his actions are ultimately contributing to the universal law. He therefore approaches morality from the common sense approach. He believes that a god will is ultimately good. Kant (1964) believes that morality is the process of doing what the society generally permits as acceptable. Morality involves making rationalizations in order to end up with a decision on what is the right thing to do when in a dilemma situation. However, the rationalization must always be consistent with the moral law and in addition to that; it must also be done only for a moral

Korean Baptist Church Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Korean Baptist Church - Term Paper Example The church believes that there’s only one God reveals himself in three personas as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Its platform is the Holy Scripture which is the foundation and the basis of all the doctrines the church stands. The official website of the southern Baptist convention (sbc.net) states: It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. As the church committed to relational, positive evangelism, the outreach is centered on reaching the â€Å"unchurched† one. It takes seriously in developing, educating and empowering the called for service. It is dedicated to serve people as they’re active in many charitable projects. It’s been giving home for the homeless, feeding the hungry and serves as a refuge for many who were devastated by calamities. It’s also supporting missionaries to spread the real teaching of Christ. Furthermore, it is a home for what they called â€Å"true† Christians. Denton Korean Baptist Church located at 2810 N Locust St. Denton Texas is one of the active Korean Baptist Church today. Just like any other Korean Baptist church, Denton Korean Baptist Church is just a traditional one headed by Pastor Hyoung Min Kim. The altar is decorated in a simple fashion which hastens the tranquility of the place. It is a perfect place to discern. A place where God speaks and people listen. Indeed, it refreshes one soul. Yet, the peacefulness outside is still superseded by the warmth of the people. The burning

Third World Debt: Causes and Solutions

Third World Debt: Causes and Solutions Brief: 191234 Title: Third World Debt: Africa A detailed analysis of the third world debt problem in Africa, focusing on the problems, causes, and possible solutions to alleviating third world debt in Africa. INTRODUCTION Developing economies in Africa are facing a tough time. They are obliged to make principal repayments and interest on the external loans accumulated over the decades when they should have been spending their meagre resources on investing in health and education of their citizens, and development of infrastructure to fuel growth. In 2000, Africas external debt totalled US$ 334.3 bn, equivalent to 58% of its GDP (Siddiqi, 2001). With debt and interest payments occupying a high per cent of GDP, it results in lower spending on development. The severity of debt problem can be judged by the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa receives US$ 10 bn in aid but has to make annual loan repayments of US$ 14 bn, resulting in net outflow of foreign currency before loans and investments[1]. In 2005, Nigeria paid US$ 12 bn to the Paris Club of creditors for partial debt cancellation[2]. Millions of Africans live on less than US$ 1 per day; US$ 12 bn would have gone a long way in improving their life style and developing the infrastructure required for future growth. The severity of debt problem in Africa is so much that the All-Africa Conference of Churches has called this debt a new form of slavery, as vicious as the slave trade[3]. Rich countries and world financial institutions, mainly World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), have started debt relief initiatives in the last decade. The High Indebted Poor Countries and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative are steps in the right direction. These initiatives have resulted in debt reduction in many African countries and allowed their governments to spend more on social welfare. But still more is needed both in terms of relief under above initiatives and also through other initiatives like reducing trade barriers for poor countries. This document studies the reasons behind third world debt in Africa and subsequent growth of it. It then looks at some of the prominent effects on the citizens of the affected economies. It also suggests some of the solutions that can be employed in reducing the external debt of the third world countries in Africa. Successful handling of debt will lead to better lives for millions in Africa. THE REASONS BEHIND THE THIRD WORLD DEBT Debt transfer from colonizing states. The initial debt of third world countries arose from the unjust transfer of the debts of their colonizing countries. This was imposed on them when they acceded to international sovereignty. External debt of the newly independent countries amounted to US$ 59 billion in 1960[4]. Not only the amount was high for economies just starting on development but the interest rate was set at 14 per cent. Such a high interest rate made it more difficult for governments of poor countries to make capital repayments. Odious debt. World financial institutions are to be blamed for lending money to countries with dictators and undemocratic governments, knowingly well enough that most of such lending will not be used for benefits of public. Joseph Stiglitz says that when the IMF and World Bank lent money to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s ruler Mobutu, they should have known that most of the money would be used for personal enrichment of Mobutu (Stiglitz, 2002). Many times the reasons behind such lending are geopolitical to ensure alignment of the third world countries with the developed countries. Now citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo are repaying loans that were never used for their benefit. Unregulated lending. During the high oil prices of 1970s, Arab nations deposited their excess cash with Western banks. Western banks then lent it to the third world countries without doing proper due diligence on the use of funds or the capability of the third world countries to repay in future. Mismanagement of projects. Projects, executed with foreign loans, were not managed properly resulting either in incomplete projects or projects with high over runs and time delays. Creditors didn’t do a responsible job in monitoring of the projects. INCREASE IN THIRD WORLD DEBT Over decades, external debt of the third world countries has increased because of the following reasons: High interest rate. Not only the principal loan amount was high for economies just starting on development but the interest rate was set at 14 per cent. This rate of interest is high and makes it even harder for developing countries to make loan repayments and simultaneously spend on development. Devaluation of third world currencies. External loans are to be repaid in the hard currencies of the developed countries. Over time, the currencies of third world countries have devalued significantly compared to currencies of developed countries due to high inflation and high deficits in poor countries. The decline in local currencies means that the third world countries have to work harder to repay external loans. SOCIAL AND ECONOMICAL IMPACTS HIV/AIDS. Africa is suffering heavily from AIDS and is home to two-thirds of those living with the disease worldwide[5]. Only a few in Africa have access to the treatment and rest suffer in agony due to their governments’ inability to make healthcare payments. This is because a significant part of their national income is spent on debt repayment. The rapid increase in AIDS will have a prolonged social and economic impact on the continent. As a result of governments’ inability to stop spread of AIDS and proper treatment, future governments’ will have to pay a much higher price for treatment. Also poor health will result in lower economic growth. Insufficient money for development. Given the priority of debt repayment over development projects, the governments of the third world countries are not left with enough resources to spend on much needed infrastructure development. These countries are very low on social development and need financial assistance to implement welfare plans. Reduction in debt will free money that can be used for better health and education facilities. Some of the benefits achieved in recent past because of reduction in debt are as follows: Reduction in debt has allowed Ugandan government to offer better educational facilities and it has more than doubled school enrolment in Uganda. Vaccinated half a million children against killer diseases in Mozambique Provided extra resources for treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in different countries in Africa[6]. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS More aid to the third world countries. The amount of development assistance to the third world countries has been falling not only in terms of real amounts adjust for inflation but also in terms of percentage of developed countries income (Stiglitz, 2002). If rich countries are keen on helping poor African countries achieve better living standards then they should increase the amount of aid. Aid as grant rather than as loan. In a G8 meeting in Genoa, President Bush proposed that up to 50% of aid to developing countries should be given as direct grant rather than as loans (Veseley, 2001). Grants would help the third world countries spend more on health and education without the burden of future loan repayments. Veseley suggested that the issue of giving grants is subject to local politics at the developed countries. During recessions and higher unemployment, the governments of the developed countries would be reluctant to offer grants. Debt forgiveness. After decades of paying a high percentage of their GDP and exports to meet external loan repayments and yet no where near to either finishing off those loans or bringing them to such low levels where most of the GDP is used for development, the third world countries need debt forgiveness otherwise they simply cannot grow. In some countries the debt service is more than a quarter of exports and in some countries it is as high as half of exports (Stiglitz, 2002). The rich countries, under the ownership of World Bank and International Monetary Fund, launched Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative in 1996 with the aim of ensuring that no poor country faces a debt burden it cannot manage. The rich countries will cancel the debt of poor countries who meet stringent economic conditions set out by the creditors and monitored by World Bank and IMF. In the 2005 G8 summit, rich countries agreed to cancel the debt of 14 African nations. Zambia is one of the countries to be short listed for debt cancellation. In 2003, Zambia spent twice as much on loan repayments as on healthcare. In January 2006, Zambia’s debt was reduced from US$ 7.1 bn to US$ 500 million[7]. The partial debt cancellation under HIPC has allowed the government to offer free healthcare to its citizens. The Jubilee movement in 1990s played a major role in focusing attention on debt relief. It put international pressure on IMF and rich nations and as a result, by the end of 2000, 24 countries passed the IMF threshold requirements for debt cancellations (Stiglitz, 2002). In 2005, the world financial bodies also launched the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) which allows for full relief on debts by the IMF, the International Development Association of the World Bank, and the African Development Fund[8]. Though MDRI offers 100 per cent debt relief it does not offer any parallel debt relief by governments or multilateral institutions beyond the above three. IMF announced in December 2005 that it will grant 100 percent debt relief to 19 countries, most of them from Africa, under the MDRI amounting to about US$3.3billion[9]. This was matched by World Bank in July 2006. Though HIPC and MDRI initiatives are light at the end of tunnel and raise hopes of debt cancellation, yet they are far from the full action required to take care of debt problem. The poor countries are required to meet stringent economic conditions before they can be offered partial debt cancellation. Not all of the developing countries in Africa are in a state to meet tough fiscal conditions because of poor state of their economies. Putting more fiscal measures in place would deprive their citizens of even bare minimum standards. As of result of tough conditions, only about a quarter of African nations have qualified for HIPC and MDRI. Even after debt cancellation for 14 countries, African countries still owe over US$ 200 bn to rich countries and they would still have to pay US$ 14 bn every year in debt repayments to rich countries[10]. The deal would result in annual saving of about US$ 1 bn, which is not enough considering that US$ 14 bn is still payable every year. Also the deal proposed under HIPC doesn’t cancel 100% of debts of any country. The debt cancellation will be 79% for Uganda and 48% for Mozambique[11]. Partial debt cancellation is better than nothing but the governments would still have to make debt repayments when they could have used the money for development. Rich countries to open trade to poor countries. Agriculture is the most important occupation in the third world countries and it is the biggest employer in Africa (Veseley, 2001). Most of the developed countries give subsidies to their farmers. These subsidies result in not only lower agricultural exports to the developed countries but also to other countries. The poorest countries account for less than 1% of the world’s food exports (Veseley, 2001). Doha round of trade talks is focused on removing the agricultural subsidies in US and Europe. The World Bank estimates that if subsidies and trade issues are resolved in the Doha round, then it would generate extra gains in real income of about US$ 20 bn by 2015 to developing countries (Siddiqi, 2006). Mr James Wolfensohn, ex-President of World Bank said that the most important step for development of poor countries is for rich countries to open their markets fully to exports from the developing countries (Veseley, 2001). Stiglitz notes that so unfair has the trade agenda been that Sub-Saharan African countries were actually made worse off as a result of the last round of trade negotiations (Stiglitz, 2002). A reduction in agricultural subsidies would increase exports from African countries and allow them better chances of not only GDP growth but also in meeting IMF criteria for HIPC and MDRI debt relief. CONCLUSION The third world countries in Africa are heavily burdened with debt and significant part of their foreign exchange earnings and new loans are used for repayment of principal and interest on previous loans. The third world countries are paying for legacy issues and are not left with money for the development work on health, education and generation of employment that is needed urgently. The government of developing and crippled economies in Africa are spending their hard earned money on meeting debt repayments when ideally they should have been spent on provision of health issues like HIV/AIDS, education and generating employment opportunities. Rich countries and world financial bodies have taken initiatives under HIPC and MDRI schemes to reduce the debt burden of the third world countries. In 2005, 14 African nations were short listed for debt cancellation. 19 countries qualified for debt cancellation under the MDRI scheme. Countries are already seeing benefits of lower debt repayments in terms of better health and education facilities. But still a lot more needs to be done. HIPC offers only partial relief. Also some of the economic conditions imposed under HIPC will make it difficult for the African governments’ to offer free services to their citizens. The rich countries should offer more aid as grant rather than as loan. Also they need to reduce subsidies and open up their economies to poor countries. This would not only help reduce the debt of the third world countries but also increase their GDPs. BIBLIOGRPAHY Siddiqi, M (2001) . â€Å"Africa hanging in there†, African Business, London, Sep 2001, Iss. 268, Pg. 16 Siddiqi, M (2006). â€Å"Crunch time for world trade deal†, African Business, London, Oct 2006, Iss. 324, Pg. 32 Stiglitz, J.E. â€Å"Globalization and its discontents†, Penguin Books, 2002. Veseley, M. â€Å"Will Bush back words with deeds†, African Business, London, Sep 2001, Iss. 268, Pg. 20 [1] â€Å"Campaign to cancel Africa’s debt†, http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/debt_more.php, 2 Dec 2006 [2] â€Å"Campaign to cancel Africa’s debt†, http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/debt_more.php, 2 Dec 2006 [3] â€Å"Campaign to cancel Africa’s debt†, http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/debt_more.php, 2 Dec 2006 [4] â€Å"Third World Debt A Continuing Legacy of Colonialism†, http://www.southcentre.org/info/southbulletin/bulletin85/bulletin85.htm, 2 Dec 2006 [5] â€Å"The G8 and Africa: Reality Check†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1985type=15issues=1027, 2nd Dec 2006 [6] â€Å"The debt crisis and the jubilee campaign†, http://www.jubileeusa.org/edpacket/intro.pdf, 2nd Dec 2006 [7] â€Å"Africa out of the Limelight: The Debt Crisis One Year After The Gleneagles G8†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1954type=15issues=2, 2nd Dec 2006 [8] â€Å"Debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative†, http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/hipc.htm, 2nd Dec 2006 [9] â€Å"IMF to extend 100 Percent Debt Relief for 19 Countries Under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative†, http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2005/pr05286.htm, 2nd Dec 2006 [10] â€Å"Africa out of the Limelight: The Debt Crisis One Year After The Gleneagles G8†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1954type=15issues=2, 2nd Dec 2006 [11] â€Å"Africa out of the Limelight: The Debt Crisis One Year After The Gleneagles G8†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1954type=15issues=2, 2nd Dec 2006

Athena in the Odyssey vs. Virgil in the Inferno Essay

Two of the greatest works ever written, The Odyssey by Homer and The Inferno by Dante, are detailed, multi-sectioned poems about the journey’s of two men. In each story, the main character is given some sort of guidance by another character in order to aid them in their travels. In The Odyssey, Athena is portrayed as the protector to Odysseus on his journey back home from the Trojan War to his family in Ithaca. In The Inferno, Virgil is requested to lead Dante through the depths of Hell in order to save his soul. Many similarities can be seen between the two characters as they both served as advice givers, protectors, and guides for the main character. While the two guides seem very alike in the way’s they help, it turns out that many differences can be observed between their ways. Athena and Virgil can both be perceived as escorts in the main characters’ journey, but they both are leading their pupils towards different endings and these endings can be representa tive of a much larger purpose that describes the two authors’ views on life at the time each poem was written. In Greek mythology, Athena is regarded as the goddess of Wisdom. She uses her wisdom to aid Odysseus on his journey back home to his family, through various trials and tribulations. Athena’s guidance can be seen when Odysseus is finally being allowed to leave Calypso’s island, which outraged Poseidon. Poseidon sends a great wave to wreck Odysseus’s ship and possibly drown him in the vast ocean but instead Athena helps him survive. â€Å"But Zeus’s daughter Athena countered him at once./ The rest of the winds she stopped right in their tracks,/commanding them all to hush now, go to sleep./ All but the boisterous North-she whipped him up/ and the goddess beat the breakers flat before Odysseus,/ dear to Zeus, so he could reach the Phaeacians,/ mingle with men who love their long oars/ and escape his death at last.† (Ody. 5. 421-427). Another example of Athena protecting Odysseus is during the great battle in the hall when Odysseus finally confronts his wife’s suitors. Athena appears to Odysseus in the form of Mentor and tries to motivate Odysseus to kill all the suitors off with threats and accusations. She even commands the suitors to through their spears at Odysseus all at once. â€Å"At his command,/ concentrating their shots, all six hurled as one/ but Athena sent to whole salvo wide of the mark†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ody. 22. 267-269). Odysseus sees that all of his men are untouched by the suitor’s spears, and this action propels him to take charge and lead an attack on the suitors. Each time Athena guides or protects Odysseus, it’s in order to save his life. She desperately wants Odysseus to get home because Odysseus is a war hero and a King, very much deserving of a safe return home. Athena thinks very highly of Odysseus because he is such a great warrior and she feels he exemplifies the virtue of excellence. It’s easy to see how the ideals of society on life and death in Homer’s 7th Century BC times are portrayed through Athena’s help. The people of this time were most concerned on how you lived your life during the time you had. For them there was no glorious afterlife, so there was no need to try and save your soul to reap the prize of a great time after death. Homer uses Athena as Odysseus’s guide to get back home and live out the rest of his life the way he pleases. He’s spent his time as a warrior and won his most important battles before the beginning of the poem, so now he deserves to live out the rest of his l ife in peace with those he loves the most. Once he arrives home and fights off his wife’s suitors (with the help of Athena of course) he will finally be free in a sense to enjoy his life. In Dante’s The Inferno, Virgil serves as a guide for Dante through the depths of Hell. Virgil is widely considered an allegory for human reason. Reason is needed in a Christian worldview in order to control emotion and desire from taking control allowing for acts of sin. Reason is God’s gift to mankind, a way of staying on the right path and avoiding the dark side of life, if it is used properly. Virgil was requested to help a lost Dante save his soul by Dante’s departed love, Beatrice, who represents God’s grace. Virgil leads Dante through Hell in order for him to learn the descriptions of sins and their consequences. Virgil is with Dante through out his entire journey, unlike Athena who only appears to Odysseus in The Odyssey every once in a while. One example of how Virgil is always there to lead Dante is when Dante faints before entering the First Circle of Hell. Dante faints at the shine of a bright light and awakens already in the next circle. â€Å"With rested eyes, I stood/ and looked about me, then fixed my gaze/ to make out where I was./ I found myself upon the brink/ of an abyss of suffering/ filled with the roar of endless woe.† (Inf. 4. 4-9). This type of situation occurs many times throughout the poem, as Dante proves many times too weak to carry on, and Virgil takes care of him, protects him, and moves them along on their journey. Another situation is when Dante and Virgil arrive at the center of Circle 9 of Hell. They come to the great body of Lucifer, and Virgil throws Dante on his back to continue their upward climb out of Hell. â€Å"At his request I clasped him round the neck./ When the wings had opened wide enough/ he chose the proper time and place/ and took a handhold on those hairy flanks./ Then from hank to hank he clambered down between the thick pelt and the crusted ice.† (Inf. 34. 70-75). While Virgil leads Dante physically in many ways, he also serves as a voice of reason and leads through his words. An example of this is back as they are entering the First Circle. Dante says, â€Å"My master (Virgil) began: ‘You do not ask about/ the souls you see? I want you to know,/ before you venture farther,/ ‘they did not sin. Though they have merit,/ that is not enough, for they were unbaptized,/ denied the gateway to the faith that you profess./ ‘And if they lived before the Christians lived,/ they did not worship God aright./ And among these I am one.† (Inf. 4. 31-39). In this situation, Virgil not only instructs Dante on what he needs to do, but also reveals a little more information about himself as well. Although Virgil seems to guide Dante in almost the exact same way Athena guides Odysseus, Virgil is working towards an all-together different purpose. In Dante’s 14th century AD Christian society, it was imperative to ensure that you lived a good life on earth and repented for all your sins so that you would be in God’s presence in the after-life. Dante uses Virgil as a way for his audience to see that the most important thing is to save one’s soul, even if a little guidance is required to do so. Dante needed to travel through the depths of Hell to be able to wake up and realize how reason should control emotions and desires so that life can be lived in God’s name allowing for a magnificent afterlife. By showing Dante the different circles of Hell, Dante learns the nature of sin and it’s consequences. Virgil teaches Dante a most important lesson; when reason is not in control, it is more likely to commit harsh sins, sins worthy of an afterlife in Hell and not in God’s good grace. Virgil steers Dante toward the light of God once again, saving him from his impending doom, had he not been able to save his wandering soul. Athena and Virgil are considered to be a form of guidance to their poem’s main characters. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Athena helps to ensure Odysseus’s safe return home, but also allows him to live out the rest of his wonderful life on earth by saving him from various dangers including Poseidon and his wife’s suitors. In Dante’s The Inferno, Virgil serves as Dante’s escort through the circles of Hell, but also pilots Dante back into God’s grace by saving his soul. Each can be seen as not only a physical chaperon but also a spiritual one that illustrates society’s point of view on life or afterlife at the time each poem was written. Works Cited Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Trans. Robert Hollander and Jean Hollander. New York: Anchor, 2002. Print. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1997. Print.

Essay on “Rape, Racism, and the Law” Essay

Jennifer Wriggins analyzes the significance how race, ethnicity, and class influence a woman’s vulnerability to rape, the meaning and impact of the rape, and the response of family, of community, and of social institutions. Her article, â€Å"Rape, Racism, and the Law,† specifically focuses on the history of rape in the United States between the rapes of White women by Black men. As a feminist, she specifically focuses on two very damaging consequences of this selective blindness: the denials that Black women are raped; and all women are subject to pervasive and harmful sexual coercion of all kinds. Thorough this powerful essay, she examine the legal system’s treatment of rape and how racism plays a major part in denying the rights of African Americans, as well as, deny the veracity of women’s sexual subordination by creating a social meaning of rape which implies that the only type of sexual abuse is â€Å"illegal rape† and the only form of illegal rape is Black offender/White victim. I was exasperated after reading this article. This article highly irritated and annoyed me because of the interconnectedness of rape and racism. As a woman, it is hard not to get heated about this particular subject. Presently, there are now many struggles against rape. And, in acknowledging the struggles against rape one must also acknowledge the difference among women and the different ways that groups other than women are disempowered. In one of the many examples in this essay, racism and justice collide when in 1859 the Mississippi Supreme court dismissed the indictment of a male slave for the rape of a female slave less than 10 years old. â€Å"This indictment cannot be sustained, either at common law or under our statutes. It charges no offense known to either system. Slavery was unknown to the common law†¦ and hence its provisions are inapplicable†¦ There is no act which embraces either the attempted or actual commission of a rape by a slave on a female slave†¦ Master and slaves cannot be governed by the same system or laws; so different are their position, right and duties.† This ruling is disheartening in a few ways: Black men are held to lesser standards of restraint with Black women that are white men with White women; second, white men are held to lesser standards of restraint with black women that are Black men with white women. However, neither white nor black men were expected to show sexual restraint with black women. This is truly upsetting,  to me, because no man no matter what color should have the right to exercise rape or sexual coercion of any kind with any woman of any color without her consent. This reading is important to social work practice because it reflects and expansive and integrated approach to understanding rape, racism, and the law. By exploring the interconnectedness of rape and racism, I learned to analyze the assumptions implanted in and surrounding rape, racism, and social institutions. Finally, it develops understanding of the narrow focus of the black offender and the white rape victim, and the denial of the rape of black women, which engages within the cultural assumption of American society that is important to understand in the field of social work. This reading also teaches up to be receptive social work professionals able to work respectfully and competently with diverse population groups, with at the same time to understand and develop a sensitivity and respect for human rights. Through this reading, it is easy to see how stereotypes of racial and ethnic differences can have impact on a person’s life in regards to consequences, rewards, and punishments. It has not fit in because examining substantive justice arguably requires that human rights to life, well-being, and the commodities essential to life and well-being, be given priority whenever a societal decision is made. Societal conditions and institutional arrangements should be recognized as grounds for justification because they may impose limits and constraints on the choices available to an individual that are as unavoidable and compelling as those imposed by chance or by another human being. It is a scary thought that your skin color or sex could work against you in the legal system, but it does happen. For this reason, it is easy to understand why many women are not reporting these incidents. Reference: â€Å"Rape, Racism, and the Law† by Jennifer Wriggins

Computers In Soceity Essays - Computer, Humancomputer Interaction

Computers In Soceity Essays - Computer, Humancomputer Interaction Computers In Soceity Dont know anything about computers? Dont think they are a big part of your life? Think again! Computers are wondrous machines that improve our lives in many areas like education, entertainment, and work.(Paragraph)The use of computers in and out of school has made improvements in the way we learn. For instance, the use of computers in the classroom has freed up some of my time so I can give more individualized instruction to the needy, says Instructor Mary S. Teachemall of a local neighborhood grade school is a definite improvement over not having computers as a way of learning. Also, college students having easy access to computers for various school related tasks like changing complete blocks of text on a term paper in a split second, using graphics to better express a particular point or idea, and being able to tap into the world wide web where vast amounts of information is at the fingertips of the user is a marked improvement from 10 years ago. Furthermore, the use of computers in the home has extended the hours we can learn at a higher level without the environmental pressures of school or work thereby improving the way we learn.(paragraph)Also, the use of computers has expanded our choices for entertainment. As an example, the all-American game of Monopoly can be played by a single person and a computer and the need for several people has been obsoleted is one way our choices for entertainment have been expanded. Another example of our expanding choices is that you can not only watch movies on DVD (Digital Video Disc) but re-edit them with your own sound tracks and special effects, listen to music on CD-roms, even manufacture your own cartoons or even your own movies all on a computer. Moreover, the ability of the computer to link a person with others from far away places where conversations without inferences are sparked and ideas are exchanged internationally is a popular selection for millions everyday as a choice for entertainment.(paragraph)I also t hink the working environment where computers are used is becoming more and more diverse. As an example, farmers have computers in their tractors hooked up to GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) systems that not only tell them where to spray their pesticides but are programmed to take care of the task for them as they drive along all because a digital image from a satellite some 23,000 miles away saw too many bugs in a certain part of one of his fields is very diverse. Another way diversity is becoming the norm is with the influx of wireless technology that has made it possible for mobile laptop computers to be linked up to a global network, not just for the mobile office, but for the person sitting on a beach on some south pacific island and still being able to attend a meeting in London England is diversity at the extreme.(paragraph)Computers are really fascinating and becoming more and more amazing everyday as they weave their way into our lives. Dont think you know anything about computers? You really do, without knowing it maybe you have been using them for a long time. Dont think they are a big part of your life? Without even realizing it computers have worked their way into just about every aspect of our everyday lives. From waking in the morning, to the food at the dinner table, to the movie afterwards, computers have influenced the way we live and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Pricing Decision Essay Essays

Pricing Decision Essay Essays Pricing Decision Essay Essay Pricing Decision Essay Essay Companies in their enterprise to win in the extremely competitory and dynamic market are now sing a clear focal point on their selling schemes. This is in order that they may stay relevant in the fast changing concern environment. market conditions and consumer penchants. It is of import that a company considers the effects of the alterations in the concern environment including monetary value fluctuations initiated by its rivals This is best done by first analysing the monetary values offered by the rivals visa vie the company’s cost construction and the competitor’s opportunities to alter in response to the company’s new monetary value offers ( Kotler 2003. p 66 ) . Pricing Strategies The company needs to calculate out the best scheme to implement in order to accomplish the optimal monetary values for its merchandises. To originate cost-cutting with a position to better on the profitableness of the company the company must hold an apprehension of the type of cost that it needs to pull off. This will be to a big extent influenced by its manner of direction. beginnings of professional advice. the broader vision of the company’s ends. communicating scheme. and company’s capitalisation in relation to debt-equity ratio and the cost of borrowing ( Sherman 2007. p 3-4 ) . The company besides needs to understand the several types of costs that it incurs. The assorted types of costs are research and development costs. the operating expenses and administrative costs. human capital costs including wellness attention costs. wages and employee benefits. substructure and system costs. advertisement and promotional costs. fixed and variable costs. and debt-servicing costs. The bottom line is to exhaustively analyze each of these cost classs and weigh their importance to the company’s concern operations. see more efficient available options. and the possible deductions of the cost decrease scheme ( Sherman 2007. p5 A ; 9 ) . A company such as Wal-Mart that has for old ages been in front of its rivals by offering the lowest monetary values for its goods. Wal-Mart is able to pull off favourable monetary value cuts by implementing monetary value cut schemes such as endeavouring to cut down its costs by prosecuting a revenue enhancement decrease scheme. This has been through its investings in Real Estate Investment Trusts ( REITs ) in order to work revenue enhancement loopholes and avoid some of the revenue enhancements levied in peculiar provinces ( Moore 2007. p. 2 ) . Having accomplished the above cost decrease scheme. the company may the come up with appropriate pricing for its merchandises. This is done by first understanding pricing methods. There are six pricing methods that would take to an informed determination in repairing monetary values. These are markup pricing method. the mark return pricing method. perceived value method of pricing. value based pricing. the going-rate method of pricing and the sealed-bid method of pricing ( Kotler 2003. P 66 ) . Deductions of Price Cuts and Conclusion The monetary value of the merchandise or service is a major factor that influences customer’s purchase determination is the selling mix. A combination of the cost decrease scheme and an appropriate pricing scheme is more likely to profit the company and enable it achieve a competitory advantage over its rivals. By following market antiphonal cost film editing schemes in the communicating industry. companies in bend helped make a better manner of life whereby clients are now able to pass on more frequently and at lower monetary values Salazar 2007. p. 1 ) . This translates to increased net incomes to the service suppliers as they are able to sell more units than earlier. Mentions Kotler. P. ( 2003 ) . Marketing Management. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Moore. M. ( 2007 ) . Taxing Schemes: Always Cuting Monetary values. Wal-Mart Attempts to Rollback Taxes. Retrieved March 8. 2009 from hypertext transfer protocol: //walmartwatch. com/img/blog/NIMSP_tax_strategies. pdf Salazar. L. C. Cost Cutting Strategies at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Retrieved March 8. 2009 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. lirneasia. net/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/2-lcs-shoestrings-sing-28feb07. pps Sherman. A. J. ( 2007 ) . Schemes for Cuting Costss and Improving Profitability. Retrieved March 8. 2009 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. sbecouncil. org/uploads/PPT % 20Cost % 20Cutting % 20for % 20Growth % 20and % 20Profitability. ppt

Nutrition Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nutrition - Statistics Project Example Cycle 1 students indicated fruit juice as their favorite drink as compared to Cycle 2 students who indicated Fizzy drinks/Carbonated drinks with high sugar content as their favorite drink. More Cycle 1 students buy snacks/drinks from the cafeteria everyday as compared to Cycle 2 students. Over the last 30 years, the UAE has experienced rapid socio-cultural changes that have been brought about by the growing economy of the Arabian Gulf Region due to the discovery of oil (Bin Zaal, Musaiger and D’Souza 2009). UAE citizens have undergone significant lifestyle changes including a massive transition from deficiency diseases and under nutrition towards degenerative diseases that are associated with over-nutrition. There have been significant changes in food choices leading to a â€Å"nutritional transition† (Al-Haddad, Al-Nuaimi, Little and Thabit, 2000). According to the World Health Organization (2000), nutrition plays a crucial role in affecting the weight of a populace because the changes in economic and social environments have highly significant influences on calorific intake. Physical activity and recreational patterns of people in a given place also play a part in the influences that emanate from effects of nutritional intake. Improper nutrition often leads to a variety of health conditions such as obesity, nutrition deficiency diseases such as goiter, kwashiorkor among others. In the context of the UAE, nutritional challenges have heralded obesity which has resulted into several health concerns. Obesity is described as a medical condition in which body fat accumulates to the extent of causing risks to the health of the victim. It is measured as the Body Mass Index (BMI)- calculated by dividing the weight (Kg) of a person to the person’s square of height (M) (Seidell and Flegal, 1997). One is considered overweight when the BMI is between 25 and obese when the BMI is higher than 30 (Seidell and Flegal, 1997). Students in

Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks Research Paper

Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks - Research Paper Example Superstructure consists of rails, fastening, and sleepers, and sub-structure consists of ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade. This research assignment studies the functions of substructure in track operation. Railroad substructure receives dynamic load from train movement and behaves according to the principles and laws of soil mechanics. Soil performance under loading in soil mechanics is governed by two characteristics: strength and deformation (STRATIGRAPHICS n.d.). Strength refers to the shear strength properties, and deformation refers to settlement. The proper functioning of substructure is characterized by the bearing capacity which implies that shear stresses caused by the cyclic loading has to be lower than the soil’s undrained shear strength value, and at the same time settlement will not develop plastic behavior in the soil. After a number of years of operation, instability of both super and sub structures is caused by the shear failure and plastic settlement of sub -grade. There are many factors that may contribute to the loss of soil-strength. Among them, poor drainage, and trapped water in ballast pockets play significant roles. According to Harry Cedergreen, drainage represents a significant issue for railroad construction and maintenance; stability and low maintenance cost can only exist when adequate drainage is provided (Cedergren 1989, p. 364). Sub-grade failure in railroad jargon is called â€Å"soft track† (Australian Rail Track Corporation a 2001). Soft track includes ballast failure, top formation failure, shallow sub-grade failure, embankment failure, and landslide failure. Water is one of the several contributors that cause these failures. The scope of this assignment is to study methods... The response to the cyclic loading of rail track is an interaction of superstructure and substructure. Ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade relates to substructure. Decades of operation bring structural changes of substructures. The sub-grades of the old existing rail tracks require rehabilitation to satisfy proper functioning and meet current technical operational standards. The scope of this assignment is to find the rehabilitation approach for the existing tracks of Australia. The solution must account that improvement of substructure by dismantling the railways is not an option due to the transport collapse, which is accompanied by financial losses. Rehabilitation of the existing railway is not a sheer issue that relates to Australia only; it is also a significant issue for the European countries, Canada, and USA. CSX Rail Line in Milstead, Alabama, USA faced excessive ballast settlement and soil pumping problems due to the poor sub-grade conditions. Moreover, Tallapoosa River run s parallel to the rail line. The rehabilitation of the track included raising the track, undercutting and removing the existing ballast, and use of filter fabric over the exposed sub-ballast, which was followed by a layer of Geogrid

Midterm exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Midterm exam - Essay Example were primarily formed to support the rebuilding processes of the nations and provide a world forum that can provide mediation. The central banks play critical role and national political and economic agenda main revolved around low interest rates, regulation of industries, labor unions to strengthen the business environment with the countries. Neo-liberalism, on the other hand, can broadly be defined in terms of emerging new economic paradigms in the changing socio-political scenario across the world that favors opening of domestic market for global business powers. But 1975 onwards, the world economy has increasingly become more market driven and trade across geographical regions has become more attractive to developed and developing countries. In the new-liberalism era, the economic conditions had drastically changed through de-regulation of industries, privatization and curb on union power. America came into the forefront of global political and economic front. With Ronal Reagan, as President of America in 1980, the demise of old economic order became a certainty. The role of central bank was significantly curbed and privatization became the major propellant of new economic order. The strong economy and advanced stature of United States, subsequently, made sure the success of US Dollars as Global Currency. This system greatly facilitated international trade and investment but restricted the capital movement so as to maintain certain extent of control by few dominant countries (Harvey, 2005). The advent of neo-liberalism primarily relied on economic liberalization. It promoted more capitalistic approach that favored the rich and made the poor nations as the scapegoat for getting exploited by the developed countries and multi-nationals. The monopoly of American influence in all the leading international financial institutes like World Bank and IMF, have followed the American

The Social Contract Theory of John Locke Essay Example for Free

The Social Contract Theory of John Locke Essay John Locke was born in Wrington , Somerset , England on August 29 1704 to John Locke and Agnes Keene , who were both Puritans (Uzgalis 2001 , Wikipedia 2006 , Microsoft Encarta 2006 . His father , after whom he was named , served as captain of cavalry for the Parliamentarian forces in the early part of the English Civil War . His family later moved to Pensford and Locke grew up in a rural Tudor house in Belluton . He attended the Westminster School in London in 1647 under Alexander Popham , a member of Parliament and his father s former commander. Then he was admitted at the Christ Church College at Oxford University , where he developed greater interest in modern philosophy , such as Rene Descartes , than the school s classical material . He earned a bachelor s degree in 1656 , a master s degree in 1658 and a bachelor of medicine degree in 1674 . He worked with renowned scientists and thinkers , like Robert Boyle , Thomas Willis , Robert Hooke and Richard Lower . In 1666 , he met Anthony Ashley Cooper , the first Earl of Shaftesbury , who was then seeking treatment for a liver infection . Cooper got impressed with Locke and convinced him to move into Lord Ashley s home in 1667 as his personal physician . Locke then resumed his medical studies under Thomas Sydenham who would later influence Locke s thinking . Meantime , Locke coordinated with several other physicians on the life-threatening condition of Shaftesbury s liver condition and persuaded the latter to submit to surgery to remove the cyst . The surgery was successful and Shaftesbury credited Locke with saving his life . In that period , Locke served as Secretary of the Board of Trade and Plantations and as Secretary to the Lords and Proprietors of the Carolinas (Microsoft Encarta , Wikipedia , Uzgalis Shaftesbury was a founder of the Whig Movement and thus had great influence on Locke s political thinking (Wikipedia 2006 , Microsoft Encarta 2006 , Uzgalis 2001 . Locke got involved in politics when Shaftesbury became Lord Chancellor in 1672 . Around 1679 , Locke wrote his two treatises of government in defense of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and to oppose the philosophy of Sir Robert Filmer and Thomas Hobbes . While in the Netherlands in 1683 , he had the chance to rework his Essay and to compose his Letter on Toleration . After the Glorious Revolution , he accompanied the wife of William of Orange back to England in 1688 . He spent time at the country house of his friend , Lady Masham where he met and discussed matters with prominent thinkers like John Dryden and Isaac Newton . He had bouts of asthma and his health continued to decline until he died in 1704 . Locke never married or have any children . Main events , which occurred in his lifetime , were the English Restoration , the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London . He was unable to witness the Act of Union of 1707 although the same monarch ruled both England and Scotland in his lifetime . Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy were new during that period . Locke s influence was most marked on philosophy and politics , particularly liberalism , and specifically on Voltaire . His arguments on liberty and social contract had impact on the written works of Thomas Jefferson James Madison and other founding fathers of the United States . His critics say that Locke was a major investor in the English slave-trade through the Royal Africa Company and that he participated in the drafting of the Fundamental Constitution of the Carolinas while serving as Shaftesbury s secretary . This Constitution , Locke s critics say established a feudal aristocracy and absolute power over slaves . They believe that Locke s statements on un-enclosed property as justifying the displacement of Native Americans . His opposition to aristocracy and slavery , expressed through his writings , is viewed as proof of his hypocrisy and his partiality for liberty only of English capitalists (Wikipedia , Microsoft Encarta , Uzgalis.

Metaphor in Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

Metaphor in Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act III scene 1, Hamlet’s soliloquy of â€Å"To be or not to be† is full of metaphors that bring the various themes of the play together. One of the primary themes of the play is Hamlet’s uncertainty of action and inability to decide how to cope with the problems he faces. In Hamlet’s soliloquy, Hamlet metaphorically discusses his indecisiveness about the importance of continuing his life and asks himself â€Å"whether ‘tis nobler of the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing them, end them.† Hamlet wonders whether it is worth facing all his problems (â€Å"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune†) or to commit suicide (â€Å"and by opposing them, end them.†) Hamlet metaphorically comp...

Growth and Potential of International Luxury Fashion Brands Essay

This is to certify that the project entitled ? Growth and Potential of Luxury International Fashion Brands in India? is submitted towards the partial fulfillment of the program ? Master of Fashion Management‘ by Kanan Gupta. It is an original work done under my guidance and the results are based on the research done by her. Name of mentor: Mr. Kislay Kashyap Asst. Professor Department of MFM NIFT, Patna Date: 01-03-2012 Place: Patna 1|Page DECLARATION I, Kanan Gupta hereby declare that the project entitled ? Growth and Potential of Luxury International Fashion Brands in India? submitted towards, partial fulfillment of the program Master of Fashion Management is my original work and no part of the project has been copied from any other report or carried by someone else or has been submitted for any other degree/award. However, any material taken from any other published sources has been suitably referred and acknowledged at various places. Name : Kanan Gupta Roll no : 17 Batch : 2011-2013 Centre : Patna Date Place : 01-03-2012 : Patna 2|Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I owe my gratitude to many people who helped and supported me during the research and compilation of my project report. I would like to thank my mentor Mr Kislay Kashyap for approving my project and express my indebted gratitude for his guidance and suggestions at every stage of this report. My sincere gratitude is also due to my seniors for their constant encouragement and support. I would like to express my thanks to all those people who were directly and indirectly involved in shaping my project by providing valuable information and co-operation. 3|Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION: This is a project to study about the ? Growth and Potential of Luxury International Fashion Brands in India?. If we look into the past, no one could imagine that a luxury market would exist in India. But over the years with the change in the demographics of the Indian consumer and with higher disposable income available, the luxury market in India has indeed emerged as one of the fastest growing markets in the retail segment. PROBLEM DEFINITION: The Indian Luxury Market is still a niche market and people have got a very low personal disposable income, though it has increased a lot from before but not so much to afford international luxury fashion brands and the people who have got a high disposable income lack enough knowledge about the international fashion brands available in India as the luxury international stores are limited to metropolitans only. 4|Page OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of the projects are ? Analyze the Luxury Brand Awareness among the Indian consumers. ? Reasons behind customers buying Luxury fashion Brands ? Analyze the major international fashion brands in India. ? To analyze the Current Scenario and the Growth of Indian Luxury fashion brands and the Market. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: ? The secondary research is through Magazines, journals, articles and internet. ? Primary research through focus group interview with industry personnel, customers. HYPOTHESIS: ? Assuming that there is a strong scope for the growth of international luxury fashion brands in India. ? Taking an assumption that Luxury fashion brands do not have much scope in the Indian market. 5|Page CONTENTS Ch. No. 1. 0 2. 0 3. 0 3. 1 3. 2 3. 3 3. 4 3. 5 3. 6 3. 7 4. 0 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 5. 0 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 6. 0 7. 0 8. 0 9. 0 9. 1 9. 2 Chapter Name Objective Research Methodology Literature Review Introduction India at Glance Geography People Understanding Luxury Defining Luxury Socio Economic Significance of Luxury Acquainting with Luxury Fashion Brand Major Difference between Regular Brands and Luxury Brands Persona of Indian Luxury Industry Famous Luxury Brands and their destination in India SWOT Analysis Major Problems Faced by Luxury Fashion Industry Growth and Potential of Luxury Brand Growth of Indian Luxury Market Luxury Fashion Branding Strategies Final Summary Primary Research Findings Annexure Questionnaire Bibliography Page No. 7 8 9 9 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 21 23 26 31 32 33 35 39 41 43 54 56 56 58 6|Page 1. 0 OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of the projects are ? Analyze the Luxury Brand Awareness among the Indian consumers. ? Reasons behind customers buying Luxury fashion Brands ? Analyze the major international fashion brands in India. ? To analyze the Current Scenario and the Growth of Indian Luxury fashion brands and the Market. 7|Page 2. 0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: ? Secondary research through Magazines, journals, articles and internet. ? Primary research through focus group interview with industry personnel, customers. 8|Page 3. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW 3. 1 INTRODUCTION: If we look into the past, no one could imagine that a luxury market would exist in India. But over the years with the change in the demographics of the Indian consumer and with higher disposable income available, the luxury market in India has indeed emerged as one of the fastest growing markets in the retail segment. Through this report I have tried to give an estimate of the luxury retail market in India, how much it has penetrated and also how much it is likely to grow. Also I have tried to specify various factors that are crucial for the success of luxury brands in India. While doing out research on this project I have come across many new findings. The role the Indian market plays in the global scenario and the position of India vis-a-vis other countries. Also I understood about the duties and legal requirements for this segment. I have tried my level best to cover all the aspects in regard to my research. India today is fast becoming a new world of modern luxury. The country now teems with luxurious international brands, spurring the ascent of an Indian luxury market. One does not need to travel abroad to shop for luxury. Luxury goods and services sit aplenty right at home. Indians, however, have to realize such, be informed where to avail of them, and be convinced of the convenience and ease of access to these luxury goods and services. In the same vein, foreigners can also visit India to shop for same luxury. India can very well be placed on the global luxury-shopping map. There is, therefore, a huge opportunity to pump prime the luxury market field in India. 9|Page 3. 2 INDIA AT GLANCE: FOCUS : Study about India and its habitats. India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 60 years of its Independence. India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now the tenth industrialized country in the world and the sixth nation to have gone into outer space to conquer nature for the benefit of the people. It covers an area of 32,87,2631 sq km, extending from the snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of the south. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8 °4? and 37 °6? north, longitudes 68 °7? and 97 °25? east and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman& Nicobar Islands is 7,516. 6 km. 10 | P a g e 3. 3 Geography: Location: The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. Geographic Coordinates: Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8 ° 4? and 37 ° 6? latitudes north of the Equator, and 68 °7? and 97 °25? longitudes east of it. Indian Standard Time: GMT + 05:30 Area: 3. 3 Million sq km Telephone Country +91 Code: Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Coastline: 7,516. 6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 11 | P a g e Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons – winter (December-February), (ii) summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season (June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October- November). Terrain: The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula. Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, fluorite, etc. Natural Hazards: Monsoon floods, flash floods, earthquakes, droughts, and landslides. Environment – Current Issues: Air pollution control, energy conservation, solid waste management, oil and gas conservation, forest conservation, etc. Environment – International Agreements: Rio Declaration on environment and development, Cartagena Protocol on biosafety, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on climatic 12 | P a g e change, World Trade Agreement, Helsinki Protocol to LRTAP on the reduction of sulphur emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes (Nox Protocol), and Geneva Protocol to LRTAP concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes (VOCs Protocol). Geography – Note: India occupies a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent. 3. 4 PEOPLE: Population: 1,21,01,93,422 Decadal Population Male: 9,15, 01,158 Growth: Female: 8,99, 54, 828 Density of Population: 382 per sq. km. Sex Ratio: 940 per 1000 males Nationality: Indian All the five major racial types – Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the people of India. Ethnic Groups: 13 | P a g e Religions: Hindus constituted the majority with 80. 5 %, Muslims came second at 13. 4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others. Languages: There are 22 National Languages have been recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country. Literacy: Persons: 77,84,54,120 Males: 44,42,03,762 Females: 33,42,50,358 GDP: Nominal GDP stands at US$1. 53 trillion as per 2010 census 3. 5 UNDERSTANDING LUXURY AND AQUAINTING WITH LUXURY FASHION BRANDS: FOCUS : Getting introduced to the term ? LUXURY? Luxury, derived from the Latin word luxus, means indulgence of the senses, regardless of cost. Luxury is something that everyone wants but nobody needs, its an area of huge comfort and the best of the best. 14 | P a g e A luxury brand is a brand for which a majority of its products are luxury goods. It may also include certain brands whose names are associated with luxury, high price, or high quality, though few, if any, of their goods are currently considered luxury goods. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite is more or less price insensitive and chooses to spend their time and money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. 3. 6 DEFINING LUXURY: The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies. With the clear differences between social classes in earlier civilizations, the consumption of luxury was limited to the elite classes. It also meant the definition of luxury was fairly clear. Whatever the poor cannot have and the elite can was identified as luxury. With increasing ? democratization‘, several new product categories were created within the luxury markets that were aptly called – accessible luxury or mass luxury. This kind of luxury specifically targeted the middle class (or what is sometimes termed as aspiring class). As luxury penetrated into the masses, defining luxury has become difficult. In contemporary marketing usage, Prof. Bernard Dubois defines ? luxury‘ as a specific (i. e. higher-priced) tier of offer in almost any product or service category. However, despite the substantial body of knowledge accumulated 15 | P a g e during the past decades, researchers still haven‘t arrived on a common definition of luxury. Many other attempts have been made to define luxury using the price-quality dimension stating higher priced products in any category is luxury. Similarly, researchers have used the uniqueness aspects of luxury too. Prof. Jean-Noel Kapferer, takes an experiential approach and defines luxury as items which provide extra pleasure by flattering all senses at once. Several other researchers focus on exclusivity dimension and argue that luxury evokes a sense of belonging to a certain elite group. 3. 7 SOCIO ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF LUXURY: Several manufactured products attain the status of â€Å"luxury goods† due to their design, quality, durability or performance that are remarkably superior to the comparable substitutes. Thus, virtually every category of goods available on the market today includes a subset of similar products whose â€Å"luxury† is marked by better-quality components and materials, solid construction, stylish appearance, increased durability, better performance, advanced features, and so on. As such, these luxury goods may retain or improve the basic functionality for which all items of a given category are originally designed. There are also goods that are perceived as luxurious by the public simply because they play a role of status symbols as such goods tend to signify the purchasing power of those who acquire them. These items, while not necessarily being better (in quality, performance, or appearance) than their less expensive substitutes, are purchased with the main purpose of displaying wealth or income of their owners. These kinds of goods are the objects of a socio-economic phenomenon called conspicuous consumption and commonly include luxury vehicles, watches, jewelry, designer clothing, yachts, as well as large residences, urban mansions, and country houses. 16 | P a g e 4. 0 AQUAINTING WITH THE LUXURY FASHION BRANDS Luxury fashion brands have often been associated with the core competencies of creativity, craftsmanship, precision, high quality, innovation, & premium pricing. These product attributes give the consumers the satisfaction of not only owning expensive items but the extra-added psychological benefits like the esteem, prestige and a sense of a high status that reminds them and others that they belong to an exclusive group of only a select few, who can afford the pricey items. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite are more or less price insensitive and choose to spend their time & money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. 17 | P a g e Luxury has never been something easy to define; yet this mystery concept is something highly desired by one & all alike. I look at delving deeper into this mystery and aura of luxury goods by way of comparing them against ? regular goods‘ as well as highlighting the characteristics of the luxury industry. But before beginning with that, lets first attempt to understand some common terms associated in the world of high-end goods. Luxury and Prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Tag-heuer represent the highest form of craftsmanship and command a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by brands. These brands create and set the seasonal trends and are also capable to pulling all their consumers with them wherever they go. 18 | P a g e Premium brands are those brands like Polo, Ralph Lauren, Versace and Tommy Hilfiger that aspire to be luxury and prestige brands but their marketing mix strategies are more attuned to a mass market, albeit a luxury mass market. They also termed as mass Premium brands or luxury brands. Fashion brands are those that address the masses. LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) is the largest luxury good producer in the world with over fifty brands, including Louis Vuitton, the brand with the world’s first designer label, other famous fashion brands are Chanel, Gucci etc. 19 | P a g e Luxury is a Hub of Business Luxury brands take the elements they feel passionate about, add design then develop it and present it to the customers that exceed their expectations. A luxury good is a product at the highest end of the market in terms of quality and price. Classic luxury goods include haute couture items such as clothing, accessories and luggage. However, many markets have a luxury segment including for instance, cars, wine and chocolates. Such brands share characteristics like consistent premium quality, a heritage of craftsmanship, a recognizable style or design, a limited production run of any item to ensure exclusivity, an element of uniqueness and an ability to keep coming up with new designs when the category is fashion-intensive. Keeping it simple and realistic, luxury is anything and everything that you may truly desire; it can be short lived or a life long desire – it is ? your‘ emotional connect and reward that allows it to appear as luxury. 20 | P a g e 4. 1 MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGULAR BRANDS AND LUXURY BRANDS: FACTOR REGULAR GOODS LUXURY GOODS Available at posh, PLACE Available at convenience and according to the product category exclusive and selected locations ? Highly customized or ? Multiple mass variances but PRODUCT standardized. ? Service levels range from low to high. limited editions of products. ? Very high personnel service. PRICING Value for money Premium pricing ? Pre- ? All kinds of media (ATL, BTL) used. ? Product functional and aspirational PROMOTION value appeals. ? All kinds of reference group appeals used. dominantly premium above the line media. e. g. Connoisseur, Magazines, 21 | P a g e Travel media) ? Products have the exclusive appeal. ? Mostly celebrity appeals. Luxury goods are Those goods for which demand is inversely proportional to price. also called as Veblen‘s goods, the demand for the product is said to increase with the increase in price. ECONOMIC DEFINITION BRAND EXTENSION DECISIONS Based on defending your turf. (R&D based decisions to an extent). Based on marketing the luxury brand. DRIVERS OF BRANDS Functional attributes and innovation. Tradition and brand heritage. Source: Luxury Marketing, Samit khanna- IIM-A 22 | P a g e 4. 2 PERSONA OF INDIAN LUXURY INDUSTRY: FOCUS : Understanding the characteristics of luxury brands. CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN LUXURY INDUSTRY: 1. THE MEANING OF LUXURY HAS CHANGED: Luxury has moved from its ? old‘ meaning of ownership (also known as conspicuous consumption – Conspicuous consumption is a term used to describe the lavish spending on goods and services that are acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying income or wealth rather than to satisfy a real need of the consumer. In the mind of a conspicuous consumer, such display serves as a means of attaining or maintaining social status. Invidious consumption, a necessary corollary, is the term applied to consumption of goods and services for the deliberate purpose of inspiring envy in others) of objects to the ? new‘ meaning of the experience / fulfillment derived from possessing a certain object. 2. LUXURY MEANS DIFFERENT TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE: Luxury has no certified origins. But luxury branding is said to have taken birth in the west with the appearance of high-end brands. But there is still no definite meaning of luxury, for someone luxury can be a necessity and vice-versa. If one can think a luxury brand is really cheap, its not necessary that the other person also will think the same way. Luxury is yet to be defined, it totally differs from person to person. 23 | P a g e 3. LUXURY IS A PRODUCT CATEGORY IN ITSELF: This can be best clarified by the fact that both an expensive watch and an apparel can be considered to be luxury items. Therefore, all luxury marketers are not just competing in their ? technically defined‘ product categories (like manufacturers of televisions compete among themselves) but for the wallet share of luxury goods in total. 4. CLASSIFICATION OF LUXURY CONSUMERS: SRI Consulting Business Intelligence places consumers in 3 groups according to what luxury means to them: Luxury is Indulgence – This group is the smallest of the three and tends to include younger consumers and slightly more males than the other two groups. Their purpose for luxury goods is to lavish themselves in self-indulgence. They are willing to pay a premium for goods that express their individuality and make others take notice and are not overly concerned with product longevity or possible criticism. They enjoy luxury for the way it makes them feel, therefore have a more emotional approach to purchases. They respond well to messages that highlight the unique and emotional qualities of a product. Luxury is Reward – These consumers tend to be younger than the first group but older than the third. They use luxury goods as a status symbol to say ? I‘ve made it! ? They are motivated by their desire to be successful and demonstrate this to others. Luxury brands that have widespread recognition are popular, however they don‘t wish to appear lavish or hedonistic in their appearance. They want to purchase ? smart? luxury that demonstrates importance while not 24 | P a g e leaving them open to criticism. Marketing messages that communicate acceptable exclusivity resonate with this group. Luxury is Functional – these consumers tend to buy luxury products for their superior functionality and quality. Consumers in this segment, the largest of the three, tend to be older and wealthier and are willing to spend more money to buy things that will last and have enduring value. They buy a wide array of luxury goods, from artwork to vacations, and conduct extensive prepurchase research, making logical decisions rather than emotional or impulsive. Messages that highlight product quality and are information-intensive are powerful with this group. 5. CUSTOMER LOYALTY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT BRAND AWARENESS: Rather than focus on measuring the brand awareness of a luxury company, measuring customer loyalty is far more significant a metric regarding the success or failure of corporate strategy to connect with the luxury consumer. 6. CERTAIN FACTORS WHICH PLAY A N IMPORTANT ROLE: In luxury marketing there is a subtle interplay between three factors that most strongly influence the luxury consumer to buy: product brand; dealer or store’s brand or service providers’ reputation; and price/value relationship. 25 | P a g e USERS OF LUXURY BRANDS IN INDIA: ? CEOs and other senior professionals (in their thirties and early forties) ? Entrepreneurs in new businesses ? â€Å"Prodigal children† ? Actors and models ? Franchisees, and small and medium Retailers 4. 3 FAMOUS LUXURY BRANDS AND THEIR DESTINATIONS IN INDIA FOCUS : To evaluate about all the famous luxury brands available in India and the places where they are available. UB CITY- THE COLLECTION, BANGALORE: UB City is the biggest commercial property project in Bangalore, India. Pioneered by the chairman of UB Group, Dr. Vijay Mallya , it is built on 13 acres (53,000 m2) of land and hosts 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2) of high-end commercial, retail and service apartment space. UB City has four towers namely, UB Tower (19 Floors), Comet (11 Floors), Canberra (17 Floors) and Concorde (19 Floors). UB City has four towers namely, yelahanka. The later three towers are all named after aircraft. UB City will house the Group offices under one roof – UB Tower. Concorde & Canberra will have retail space on the lower floors and office space in the higher levels, while Comet will have serviced apartments. It will house commercial offices, banks, high-end retail stores, a five star hotel, 26 | P a g e serviced apartments, restaurants, food courts, pubs, health clubs and cafes. Multi-level parking areas will offer virtually unlimited parking spaces. Also on the blueprint is an amphitheatre with food courts and landscaped gardens. UB City will provide parking space for over 1,100 cars. Being an environment friendly project and keeping in mind the green surroundings of Cubbon Park, one-third of the space has been earmarked for landscaped gardens. An elevated roof top helipad will provide a five-minute aerial commute to the airport. Four storeys of multi level parking, in addition to one common basement for the entire UB City and extensive surface level car parks, will provide UB City the remarkable prospect of offering literally unlimited car parking space. BRANDS AVAILABLE AT UB CITY-THE COLLECTION: ? Louis Vuitton ? Alfred Dunhill ? Estee lauder ? Mont Blanc ? Zimson ? Rolex ? Canali ? Salvatore Ferragamo ? Paul Smith ? Lladro ? Versace ? Corneliani ? Burberry ? Jimmy Choo ? Diesel 27 | P a g e DLF EMPORIO, NEW DELHI- DLF Emporio has been designed as a name synonymous with luxury – offering a unique shopping experience where the accent is on exclusivity, space and aesthetics. There is simply no other place where such a wealth of designer and premium merchandise, lifestyle products and services are showcased under one elegant roof. The nuances of luxurious serenity are going to be expressed at DLF Emporio in a way found only in the fashion capitals of the world, offering just the right kind of tasteful and sublime ambience to attract high value spenders. 28 | P a g e DLF EMPORIO RETAIL MIXGreat care is being taken to ensure that the global retail community at DLF Emporio is the most premium. Only the finest signature brands, designer labels and high end lifestyle products co-exist here. Some of the brands in DLF Emporio include Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Fendi, Dior, Just Cavali, DKNY, Tods, Burberry, Hugo Boss to name a few. ESSENTIAL PLAYERS OF THE LUXURY MARKET IN INDIA: ? JEWELLERY- Cartier, De Beers, Tiffanys etc. ? CLOTHING- Louis vuitton, Varsace, Armani, Chanel, Gucci etc. ? ACCESSORIES- Fendi, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo Salvatore etc. ? AUTOMOBILES- Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, Volkswagen, Nissan, Audi etc. 29 | P a g e 30 | P a g e 5. 0 SWOT ANALYSIS: FOCUS : To do the swot analysis and ascertain the major problems faced by the international fashion brands in India. STRENGTH WEAKNESS 1. Brand Name/Brand Ambassadors 2. Customer Loyalty 3. Quality 4. Global Presence 1. Concentrated Market-only metro cities 2. Government Regulations 3. High Prices 4. Percentage of target audience is Less 5. Higher Operational cost-rents. OPPORTUNITY THREATS 1. Manufacturing the brands in India 1. Fake branded stuff available in India itself rather than importing it 2. FDI Regulations 3. Globalization 2. Available at cheaper prices abroad 31 | P a g e 5. 1 MAJOR PROBLEMS FACED BY THE LUXURY FASHION INDUSTRY- 1. LACK OF AWARENESS OF BRANDS AMONGST INDIAN CONSUMERS: The Indian consumers are not aware of the brands available in India, Most rich people who can afford the luxury brands either live in smaller towns and cities where there is no outlet or awareness of the brands. 2. PREFERENCE OF BUYING FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES: People who are aware of the brands and live in metro cities and have a higher disposable income prefer buying from abroad as they travel a lot and so they prefer buying from abroad itself as they get a better and wide variety of products with lesser prices. 1. DUPLICATION AND KNOCK-OFFS: There are a lot of duplicate and knock-offs available in the Indian market. Most of these products come from China. The same branded product, which is available for 25000 Rs. , is available for 1500 Rs. When it is not authentic. Though the quality of these products is not good, they appear to be the same and hence people don‘t mind buying them. But people in India do not believe in authenticity, if they see the name and the knock-off looks exact, they buy that item as they believe in showing off. 32 | P a g e 2. LACK OF RETAIL SPACE: The luxury retail stores are located in 5 star hotels or malls in selected cities, as we all know that there are only two luxury malls in India, The collection-UB City, Bangalore and the DLF-Emporio Mall, New Delhi, because that is where the potential customers are most likely to come for shopping, hence the feasible space available is very less. 3. LOW CUSTOMER TURNOVER: The number of customers who visit a luxury store is comparatively lower than a regular store. Also the luxury store outlets are located exclusively in certain areas and are sometimes not accessible by everyone, this factor also affects the customer turnover. 4. HIGH OPERATIONAL COST: The cost of operating a luxury outlet is high because the size of the store has to be elaborated and also it has to locate at a prime location in major cities. Due to the image that is associated with luxury products, the cost of maintaining the store is high because it has to look upbeat all the time. At the same time these stores normally situated in 5 star hotels or big shopping malls where the rents charged are very high and hence the cost is further increased. 5. 2 GROWTH AND POTENTIAL OF LUXURY BRAND: FOCUS : Study about the roots and the growth of the luxury market of India. LUXURY is no stranger to India. The erstwhile maharajas and princes led a life of opulent splendor. The only way to be apart of the elite as to be born into it. 33 | P a g e The lifestyle as also associated with hunting, polo and her games of the rich. New money could never get into this circuit. The aspiration was always there. But the princes operated in a different league altogether. The era of the selfmade millionaire was yet to arrive. So small possessions, or copied fashion designs with a few geegaws thrown in, became the height of luxury. An achiever of the 1970s could only get by with a good foam mattress — no Omega, Rolex or BMWs. This trend saw a shift, a gradual one, in the 1980s. Luxury began creeping into upper class homes through small things and symbols. The colour TV came in, the humble pen was elevated to a Parker, successful self-made people began to be featured in magazines. The concept of luxury as a reward for achievement gained acceptance, though royalty and the aristocracy continued to remain the benchmark of the elite. The real change came in the 1990s when more people started making more money. There was a sudden explosion of colour and things and objet D’arts began to appear. In order to gain access to luxury and class one could just go out and charge it. What contributed to this shift? India opened up to the world. The liberalization process brought more than high economic growth rates. It showed the people what was possible. In the process, it has altered mindsets. The IT revolution, and the consequent demand for Indian brainpower, has created a whole new breed of wealthy global Indians. At the other end, an increasingly open economy has created new b