What Techniques Does Fitzgerald Use to Convey the Main...

The Great Gatsby â€Å"What techniques does Fitzgerald use to convey the central ideas of The Great Gatsby?† The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is primarily a social commentary on the state of American society during the post-war period of unprecedented affluence and prosperity. Fitzgerald depicts 1920’s America as an age of decline in traditional social and moral values; primarily evidenced by the cynicism, greed and the relentless yet empty pursuit of prosperity and pleasure that various characters in The Great Gatsby exhibit. He presents a society in which uninhibited consumerism, materialism and an all-pervading desire for wealth have perverted the previously righteous qualities of the American Dream, corrupting it in the process.†¦show more content†¦Daisy’s superficiality and ephemeral qualities are achieved largely by Fitzgerald’s use of diction in Daisy’s conversations and descriptions of her physical characteristics. Much of Daisy’s dialogue is utterly devoid of substance, is often repetitive and its sole purpose for inclusion in the text is to demonstrate her, and indeed the upper classes’ lack of direction and purpose in life, and the resultant restlessness that originates from a life of inactivit y and ease that; qualities that are perfectly encapsulated in the line on page 17; â€Å"‘Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.’†. Fitzgerald constantly undermines the character of Daisy to demonstrate that she is the unworthy object of Gatsby’s dream, as is the social class that she symbolises. Her immorality is subtly on display through much of the novel; she treats her own daughter with indifference, objectifying her as yet another material accessory; â€Å"‘That’s because your mother wanted to show you off.’†, she remarks in Chapter VII, displaying an apparent lack of emotional connection one would expect a mother to hold with her child. Additionally after betraying Gatsby at a crucial moment andShow MoreRelatedChapter 1 Analysis of The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesChapter 1 Analysis of The Great Gats by by Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby- this title is merely an adjective or epithet for the main character of the story, which brings about the importance of characterization in the book. Fitzgerald has a rather unique style of characterization in his writing- especially in this book. His use of irony, strong diction and symbolism plays a significant role in conveying his certain ideologies about the people of this certain era, and theRead MoreScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath1720 Words   |  7 PagesScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath In the novels The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the authors present similar ideas, but use different methods to portray them. Similarities in themes can be made between the two texts; these include the pursuit of the American Dream and the use and misuse of wealth. Other themes are also central to each novel, the strength in unity and the influenceRead MoreAn Interview with F. Scott Fitzgerald964 Words   |  4 PagesScott Fitzgerald has been one of the most recognizable authors out there today. Many people admire his work, but he’s hard to catch and follow due to his busy schedule and personal lifestyle being an alcoholic. On the 19th of November 1925 I was given a chance to meet up with F. Scott Fitzgerald, to discuss about the eminent novel written by him â€Å"The Great Gatsby† at his house in Los Angeles. The books about a poor turned wealthy man, Gatsby and his attempt on getting his past lover back. What you’reRead MoreThe Modernist Movement And Its Influence On Art1688 Words   |  7 Pagesself-consciousness  (Farah).  The Modernist movement would influence the literature written such as novels and poetry and would also have an influence on art work during this time period.  Three people who were influenced by the modernist movement i nclude F.  Scott Fitzgerald,  T.S Eliot,  and Georgia O’ Keeffe.     There would also be a movement called the Post-Modernist Movement.  Post-Modernism was a departure from modernism.  This movement took place during the mid-twentieth century.  One characteristic during the post-modernRead More Examine the contradictions in The Great Gatsby, including its narrative2958 Words   |  12 Pagescontradictions in The Great Gatsby, including its narrative styles. The novel moves on two levels: Fitzgerald makes you see the magic and romance of Gatsbys vision of ideal love, dazzling the eye with wealth; yet, at the same time, the narrator pulls us down to earth revealing the immorality, waste and corruption of those who surround Gatsby and cause his death. Examine the contradictions in The Great Gatsby, including its narrative styles. One of Fitzgeralds main aims is to show theRead MoreStudy Guide Literary Terms7657 Words   |  31 Pagesusually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important historical/geopolitical event. Lord of the Flies provides a compelling allegory of human nature, illustrating the three sides of the psyche through its sharply-defined main characters. A form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, andRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 PagesANALYSIS The purpose of Text Interpretation and Analysis is a literary and linguistic commentary in which the reader explains what the text reveals under close examination. Any literary work is unique. It is created by the author in accordance with his vision and is permeated with his idea of the world. The reader’s interpretation is also highly individual and depends to a great extent on his knowledge and personal experience. That’s why one cannot lay down a fixed â€Å"model† for a piece of critical appreciationRead MoreIntroduction : How ve He Do That?10829 Words   |  44 Pagesliterary work you’re reading with certain aspects of many different literary works you’ve read along the way. Not only does this bring depth into the work for your better understanding of the â€Å"big idea† but also makes it a more enjoyable read. â€Å"Whenever I read a new work, I spin the mental Rolodex looking for correspondences and corollaries—where have I seen his face, don’t I know that theme?† (Foster pg. xxvii) I find that memory, symbol, and pattern are especially helpful when I am reading lengthy an d

The Problem Of Self State - 1458 Words

Conscious state according to dictionary.com is being aware of one’s own existence these may involve thoughts, sensations (images, aches, pain, visual, auditory and tactual sensation etc.). Smart refuses to admit to the fact that sensations are irreducibly psychical because of Occam’s razor (which suggests that such matters should not even be put into consideration). He affirms there is no philosophical argument that compels us to be dualist, he writes â€Å"I am in pain is a genuine report, and that what it reports is an irreducibly psychical something†(Adler and Elgin 384). From this context he believes that by claiming one is in pain one is reporting something, which is over and above, (something unexplainable beyond the human†¦show more content†¦we should also involve conscious state as well. He thinks of sensations as dispositions towards a certain types of stimulus/temptation. He reduced behaviours to dispositions and he classified them as being b rain processes an example he gives an example of New Zealanders and the English who both refer to Venus when one group refers to it as ‘Morning Star’ and the other as ‘Evening Star’ his aims is to show that sensations may be similar but with different physical phenomenon. For example two people may be identical in their appearances but might have different properties. â€Å"The question might be asked, that even if sensations are identical with brain processes, are there not introspected non-physical properties of sensations that are not identical with properties of brain processes?†(Identity theory) . To dispel this thought smart adopts topic-neutral a narrower sense of being neutral to dualism and physicalism (Identity theory). If sensations are caused by physical/material things for example light the question based on this belief is whether sensations are material or immaterial from the given example above (Identity theory). Putnam admits to a lo t of claims made by Smart, they both share similar views on identifying pain and other mental states with brain processes. Putman begins by disagreeing with philosophers who maintain that pain states are brain states, and he calls this claim unintelligible. He goes

Functions of Management Free Essays

Functions of Management There are four functions in management. These functions are: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. This paper is explains each function and how it relates to an organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Functions of Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now The following is an explanation taken from the book Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World, by Bateman and Snell, chapter  1, 2, 3, 8, 2009. These four functions are what management is about. The first function in management is planning. Managers must have vision to accomplish the missions and goals planned. Through strategies that will lead to the objectives and finally the goal the company has. A manager must set a course of action in order to achieve his objectives and have success. Planning has a few steps such as environmental scanning, strategic planning, tactical planning and operational planning. Environmental planning consist of being conscious of the economic condition, there clients and the competition. Strategic planning consists of strategizing with the company’s competition, knowing if they can be a danger for the company. Knowing the company’s strength and weakness and how to deal with this is very important in planning. Tactical planning is long term planning. This may mean from one to three years and is used in the development of precise means in strategic planning. Operational planning is short term planning. This means plans for less than a year and is used to support tactical and strategic planning (Bauer, Carpenter, Erdogan,    2008). Planning is followed by the function in management of organizing. Organizing in management is the structural part and is the part that involves all the companies’ employees. In organizing the company they use graphics. Decisions made regarding this organizational design are referred to as organizational design decisions. Job design is the name given to the duties an employee must carry out and how these duties are executed. .The next function in management is leading. Leading is more the social capacities that can inspire the employees to do their task effectively. A manager must be an effective leader in order to make subordinates operate and meet the company’s goals. Leading requires a manager to understand his subordinates and it is important to understand diversity. Motivating the employee’s is very important and reaches the companies objectives and goals. Managing a company is not the same as leading a company. Managing means to manage the employees, to lead is to make sure the task assigned are done efficiently and on time, this may also include the rules a company has, have been followed. The leader is the guide and motivator that the tasks to be done are accomplished on time and within the company’s standards Controlling is the function in management that puts to work the plans made for the company. Controlling is based on three steps. These steps are: establishing performance standards, comparing actual performance against standards, and taking correction standards when necessary (Bauer, Carpenter, Erdogan,    2008). Budget and auditing are important when controlling. The information provided with the budget and the auditing reports are what tell a manager in what direction the company is going. The function of controlling should not be mistaken with controller or manipulative. It is important to take actions that lead the company to the goals planned. Measuring accomplishments compared to established goals is what managing is about. The management functions explained above (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) (POLC), are what best define a managers responsibilities. A good manager is a good leader that will carry out the plans made for the company and lead it to its objectives and goals. These functions provide organization and structure to a company and provide management the necessary tools to be successful in leading to the objectives planned. References Bateman, . , Snell, . 2009). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World (8th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.. Bauer, T. , Carpenter, M. , Erdogan, B. (2008). Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior. Retrieved from http://www. flatworldknowledge. com/pub/1. 0/principles-management-and-orga/32797#. Norman, L. (2008). What are the Four Basic Functions that make up the Management Process. Retrie ved from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/four-basic-functions-make-up-management-process-23852. html How to cite Functions of Management, Essay examples Functions of Management Free Essays Deciding on how to manufacture CleanUp Buddy is relatively easy due to AL TechVenture’s partnership with iRobot Corporation, giving iRobot Corp. the responsibility to manufacture the technology and leaving AL TechVenture with the task of the product’s final assembly as well as the packaging, marketing, and distribution activities. The 4 functions of management are: planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. We will write a custom essay sample on Functions of Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Planning is the starting point from which the other three are built and based on. This is the part of the process where management evaluates the company’s goals and the steps needed to reach those goals. Managers must establish goals, indentify resources, set tasks according to their goals, set deadlines, and even create alternative solutions for in case an unforeseen factor affects their plans. Managers then move on to organizing. They assign the resources identified during the planning stages to each goal established and give them their tasks and deadlines. They divide up the work that needs to be done, determine the departments who will carry out the work, and then delegate the work to these departments and give them their responsibilities and deadlines. Directing is the process of managers leading and motivating resources into completing their objectives and goals. This requires the ability to communicate effectively and the ability to read personalities and knowing how to address certain personalities. Controlling is the function of management where managers assess what’s been accomplished of the goals they have established as well as determine what factors kept the goals from being completed. From there, they would need to provide a way to eliminate these causes as well as provide a new or improved course of action. With my limited partnership with iRobot Corporation signed for the next 6 years which gives them the responsibility to manufacture the technology for CleanUp Buddy, I do not need to establish manufacturing for all components. All I will need is to establish final assembly only operation of my product with the components purchased from local vendors. A big advantage to this decision is that I did not need to raise huge capital that would have hindered me starting the business in the first place. It will also help in minimizing labor cost since there will be no need to hire personnel that will create the technology. I could also use the extra capital and allocate it to hire top-notch quality control so to inspect the parts supplied by iRobot and other vendors. One drawback is that iRobot Corp. will be given control as to how to manufacture the technology and will be in charge of determining the schedule and allocating their resources as they see fit which could affect how I plan. I would be dependent on their schedule and will need a good backup plan should there be any scheduling conflicts. Since planning could be affected, it stands to reason that organizing could be affected as well since I would need to allocate necessary resources to ensure that AL TechVenture do not fall behind on schedule and will be able to meet deadlines. This decision also impact the directing and controlling since I will not be able to oversee iRobot’s personnel’s task and influence them in fulfilling their task on schedule and would not be responsible in evaluating the job performed by iRobot employees that are hired to create CleanUp Buddy’s technology How to cite Functions of Management, Essays Functions of Management Free Essays Week One Individual Paper: Functions of Management Vicky L. Minik MGT/330 January 13, 2013 Dr. Kathleen Dominick Week One Individual Paper: Functions of Management The four functions of management planning, organizing, leading, and controlling will impact greatly organizational success because no matter what type of organization it is for instance it can be retail, food, labor, construction, military, or service industries like hospitals, police, or even nonprofit organizations they all follow the four functions of management to get the job done effectively and efficiently. We will write a custom essay sample on Functions of Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Without one of the four functions correctly carried out management will have failed and production or service will experience negative outcomes significantly. Management’s functions are to achieve goals through working with and through people (Management Innovations, 2008). Each of the four management functions are valuable, and one cannot function without the other. Managers must create a detailed action plan toward a specific goal. Determining what the organization goals are and how to achieve them, management can begin planning towards the intended objective. Setting aims and following up on the execution of the plan is a critical step in the planning process. Ensuring that the plan is both effective and efficient must be included in the initial plan. In some situations involving the employees in the planning process will empower them to get the task completed. Organizing is usually the second step in a manager’s responsibilities of his or her functions. Knowing how many people and what resources are needed for the completion of the organizations target goal is critical to the success of the company. A manager will determine how to delegate or distribute task and position employees according to the plan. Possessing all the necessary resources so that the employees can accomplish their jobs is a process in organizing for the success of the company. Without an organized workplace a manager will face negative outcomes in reaching the planned task and will reflect in job performance. The next step is leading and is accomplished by communicating, motivating, and encouraging employees toward productivity. Leading and managing is not the same thing contrary to popular belief. Leading is the influencing of people so that they will contribute to organization and group goals; it has to do predominantly with the interpersonal aspect of managing (Olum, July). A manager manages employees making sure that tasks are completed on time and policies are followed and adhered to. Employees see managers as one that will motivate and guide them to assist them to reach the firm’s goals. In an ideal situation a manager is also a leader. Managers who want to lead effectively need to discover what motivates their employees and what inspires them to reach the organization objectives. Controlling is the fourth and final step in the process in which the manager evaluates and monitors the results of the accomplished goal and its effectiveness and efficiency. Managers need to pay close attention to cost incurred while fulfilling the plan. If resources are not available because of lacking funds, the organization goal cannot be accomplished. Paying attention to the performance as well as the cost, making adjustment accordingly will assist in the company in making a profit that in turn aids the employees with job satisfaction and security. An effective manager will share this information with their employees to enhance and build trust through involvement. Being a manager involves different tasks that vary. Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling are four of the main functions that must be performed in any management position. Management is a balancing act of many diverse workings and a good manager will maintain the balance and keep employees motivated to reach the organizations goals. A manager who administers the four functions properly will be the reason why the organization will have success. References Management Innovations. (December 03, 2008). Define Management Its Functions. Retrieved from http://managementinnovations. wordpress. com/2008/12/03/define-management-its-functions Olum, Y. (July 12, 2004). Modern Management Theories and Practices. Retrieved from http://upan1. un. org/intradoc/groups/public/document/AAPAM/UNPAN025765pdf. How to cite Functions of Management, Papers

Job Opportunities in Wine Industry-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Analyse the trends in Development and Employment Opportunities of an Industry. Answer: Introduction: The wine industry is one of the oldest industries which are present internally and has several outlets around the corners of the world (Szolnoki 2013).The use of wine has become an important part of the human culture and thus marked its popularity (Conto et al. 2014). It has been noted that with the growing population of the wine industry the job opportunities has increased overtime and has helped to uplift the wine culture among different sections of the society (Conto et al. 2014). The development of wine industries has facilitated the creation of employment and job opportunities providing jobs to various sections of the society. Discussion: Development and Job Opportunities In recent years it has been observed that various job opportunities has been developed in the field of wine industry and people are finding it better to explore these opportunities in future. The category under which an individual may explore his career opportunities falls under the following heads: Sales and Marketing. Considering the above heads it can be mentioned that an individual can explore himself in the following categories of job profiles. The opportunities involved with marketing and sales of wine industry is quite a challenging job while some may find it interesting and gain success in the long run (Szolnoki 2013). The wine industry is a large industry which involves perfect business model, good and unique management with accurate financing (Barrientos 2013). It can be tough for an individual to struggle in the highly competitive market as the industry requires a lot of experience and qualification in order to operate the administration system. It can also be stated that the budget involved with the winery business is quite tricky and complex which requires expert professionals to calculate the figures carefully. There is a great opportunity to explore in the field of Viticulture and Enology which is related to education. Presently, there are number of undergraduate and post-graduate degrees associated with the study of Viticulture and Enology where one can gain knowledge regarding the topic and find suitable opportunities in the future (Brice 2014).The production of wine is not an easy task as it involves a lot of manual labor associated with long hours of work period. The problem arises during the harvest season because the extraction of grapes from the vineyards is not an easy job which requires skilled labors and active participation (Brice 2014). Wine distribution systems have been operated in many countries not only in its regions but also internationally and the system works efficiently with its wide and well connected network system. In recent studies it has been observed that though there are lots of employment opportunities in the wine industry sector but with the increasing competition there has been a drastic change in the employment trends (Chong 2014). It was earlier discussed that the process associated with the production of wine is not easy and therefore in order to succeed in this sector one has to possess good knowledge about the process of fermentation which requires excellent methods and techniques. It can be mentioned that it is not always possible to meet the daily targets and deadlines associated with the growth of wine industry. The individuals working under the head of sales and management may find it difficult to cooperate in such situations. It can be stated that due to these factors the job opportunities associated with the wine industry is likely to disappear in near future The changes in wine industry that can be observed in next five years should be firstly to meet customer preferences. The wine industry not only attracts customers from its region but also from the rest of the world as well so in order to meet with the market demand customer preference is necessary (Barrientos 2013). Innovation is something which is the keyword for success of all industries and it is necessary to involve innovative ideas for the development of this industry in future. In addition to this it is essential to explore new marketing strategies for the further development of this industry. Job Cluster The Wine industry from the time immemorial has provided various job clusters for exploring career opportunities in this field (Szolnoki 2013). The various job cluster profiles set up by the wine industry includes fermentation researchers, managers, wine critics, wine makers, crop researchers, wine consultants. The job cluster that has been selected is the wine consultant. In a globally challenged world nothing is impossible as an individual has the opportunity of exploring different career options available in the market. Wine is something which is an essential requirement for all occasions and without a glass of wine the occasion would be incomplete. There are certain people who can naturally distinguish the taste between different types of wines and such distinguishing capability may be naturally borne in them or have been acquired by practice (Barrientos 2013). Many people do not have the capability of distinguishing the taste of different wine and this special quality makes them perfect for the job of a wine consultant. In recent times wine consultants can be seen in restaurants, bars, hotels and often in some departmental stores where they deal with selling of wines. Wine consultants provide proper guidance to the customers during selection of wines and that guidance are based on expertise views (Szolnoki 2013). The wine consultants should have qualities to be fit for the job profile like patience and alcohol tolerance otherwise he will not be able to survive in a competitive market. The wine consultants should have basic knowledge about the areas of Viticulture and Enology and at present there are universities which provide courses on enology (Brice 2014). In order to reach the ladder of success it is required to obtain experience in the in the desired field. The wine consultants at the early stage of his career cannot gain sufficient knowledge and develop relevant skills it will require a lot of experience (Chong 2014).The wine consultants apart from this should possess a good taste and capabilit y of differentiation regarding the product in order to succeed in the future. Current Capabilities The current capabilities have been determined with the help of assessment tools based on the assumptions listed below: Learning Style It has been observed that the individual possesses certain personality traits which have been discussed in detail: According to the temperament results the type of the individual is INTP which refers to someone who are professors, thinkers and problem solvers. The groups of individuals are bright, tolerant and can grasp any new subject very easily however they appear to be very shy when in new company. The other details regarding this personality test have been mentioned in the appendix below. I INTROVERSION N INTUITION T THINKING P PERCEIVING The learning style score of the individual is 102 which denote that the individual is a highly motivated learner. ACTIVE CHANGER As an active changer the individual is likely to learn new things and explore new ideas involving people and activities. REFLECTIVE REALIST The individual likes to explores ideas that are based on reality. QUIETLY CREATIVE The individual takes time to think in order to create something new. PRAGMATIC DOER The individual is energetic and outgoing. The overall resilience score is high and it seems that the individual is pretty resilient. The results have been presented with the help of a table. COPING WITH CHANGE The individual can manage to cope up with the change. PROBLEM SOLVING The individual is very good at solving the challenges that he faces. SELF CONFIDENCE The individual is confident enough. WORKING WITH OTHERS The individual has the ability to work with others. SUPPORT NETWORKS The individual is confident with the support he is getting from the co-workers. ORGANIZATION The individual may need to change his working style. Gap and SWOT analysis In order to meet the current market demands and match according to the industry standards it is necessary to work hard and sincerely. The quality of the work should be maintained which cannot be obtained overnight as it requires a lot of training and practice. The quality of the work is also based on the experience of the individual the more the person will be experienced the better will be the quality of the performance. In a highly competitive market it is also essential to be fast paced and at the same time possess certain leadership qualities. It is essential to work together in a team or group in order to meet the daily targets as an individual alone would not be able to meet the growing demands of the marks without proper assistance. The most important skill that should be improved is the understanding of the industry in which the person is dealing with and that a good understanding between high quality and cheap quality of wine should be established based on that skill. The person should possess good verbal communication which will be proving to be beneficial for both the customers and the industry. It is also important that a person must respect the job in which he is involved and should give ample time to it in order to establish himself according to the industry standards. In this way the strength and weaknesses can be summarized from the above calculation and it can be added that the individual is socially active and avoiding. The individual is able to connect closely with the customers and has the ability to meet the current market demands. The individual to able to avoid all sorts of challenges and tries to fulfill them without avoiding any complicated situations. The opportunities and threats can be explained n this regard. The individual should improve himself in terms of his working styles not only for his own benefit but also for the sake of his organization. The individual is active enough so he will be able to explore new ideas and cope up with the changing environment. The individual being an introvert can face several issues so he has to share his thinking and ideas before coming to a conclusion. The individual being a natural thinker should not over emphasis on a topic otherwise it may turn into cold and impersonal and may also lead to anxiety. The individual while copying with change shall set a mindset that such change should be positive. The individual has problem solving abilities which can act as a threat sometimes and may lead to excessive work load. Conclusion It can be concluded that from the above discussion that with the recent growth of industrial standards worldwide it is necessary that an individual should actively participate in the competition and work hard until the target requirements are fulfilled. Lastly, it can be said that the individual should improve his professional skills by learning from the outcomes of his mistakes. References Barrientos, S.W., 2013. Labour chains: analysing the role of labour contractors in global production networks.The Journal of Development Studies,49(8), pp.1058-1071. Brice, J., 2014. Attending to grape vines: perceptual practices, planty agencies and multiple temporalities in Australian viticulture.Social Cultural Geography,15(8), pp.942-965. Chong, S., 2014. Business process management for SMEs: an exploratory study of implementation factors for the Australian wine industry.Journal of Information Systems and Small Business,1(1-2), pp.41-58. Conto, F., Vrontis, D., Fiore, M. and Thrassou, A., 2014. Strengthening regional identities and culture through wine industry cross border collaboration.British Food Journal,116(11), pp.1788-1807. Szolnoki, G., 2013. A cross-national comparison of sustainability in the wine industry.Journal of Cleaner Production,53, pp.243-251.

Death Of A Salesman - Character Of Ben Essays -

Death of a Salesman - Character of Ben The character of Ben in Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman functions towards the development of his main character, Willy. Miller uses him as the guiding light for Willie's character; he provides the backbone for what Willy strives for throughout life. Ben functions as Willies idol, and through exploration into which Ben is, we see who Willy is. By viewing Ben's morals, and actions, we are able to see what Willy himself wishes for and believes in. By allowing for our understanding of who Willy is, Ben is also used to contribute to our understanding of the theme of the novel, that you can't allow yourself to get lost in the ?American dream.? Ben appears but three times throughout, first in a flashback, second in a quasi-flashback where Willy has inserted him into a scenario that actually happened, and finally in a complete hallucination. Through the comparison and understanding of each of these occurrences, we are able to gain a vast wealth of knowledge of who Willy Loman actually wa s. For this is Miller's purpose for Ben in this novel, as a device to allow us to understand what is actually going on inside Willy Loman's head. The first time Ben appears is in a flashback within Willies mind. Miller uses this flashback to interrupt the action of Willies feeling inadequate about his present situation. Willy has returned home from a selling trip, unable to concentrate, and unable to keep his mind in the present. Ben appears as an out for Willy from this situation, a way for him to forget about his present condition and feelings. The flashback with Ben provides us with a large amount of information about himself, and thus about Willy. We learn first that Ben is a lot wealthier then Willy, and that while they are brothers, they did not grow up together. The first main thing we find out is that Willy quite idolizes him, although they have never been close ?Ben! I've been waiting for you so long! What's the answer? How did you do it Obviously, Ben has achieved what Willy wishes for. We find out that Ben has made a fortune by ?walking into Africa.? He has prospered by essentially using other people for what they c an give him. ?When I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by god he was rich.? We learn a lot about the character of Willy, because he completely believes that this is an excellent way to make money. He obviously does not believe that one need put in hard work to achieve success, and that in fact preferably this is the way to go. The other main thing that Ben shows us occurs during his fight with Biff. He says, ?Never fight fair with a stranger.? This shows us his morals and values, that you cannot trust people, and that you should always take advantage of people you don't know. This demonstrates the essence of the character Ben, that you should take advantage of which you can and use it for your own good in any way possible. Since Willy believes that Ben is a good example of a success, he essentially believes in what he says, and believes that his boys should follow this. We have prior evidence that Willy does believe that you should t ake advantage of people when he tells Biff not to worry about his math, that Bernard will let him cheat off him. This flashback also provides more then just basic character traits. It reinforces our view of Willy as someone who tends to stretch the truth. He has prior told us that Ben pleaded with him to go to Alaska with him, yet we soon see that this is not at all the case, in fact rather the opposite. The second quasi-flashback has Ben placed into a scene in Willies mind, when he was never there. Miller leads us to believe before the original flashback that Ben actually only came just once, as evidenced in Charlie's line ?You never heard from him again, heh? Since that time However, suddenly he is appearing in another

Hurricane Gilbert essays

Hurricane Gilbert essays Hurricane Gilbert devastated the islands of the Caribbean, the coast of Mexico and Texas (Birchall 182). This storm that some referred to as the storm of the century occurred in the beginning of September, 1988 (www.disasterrelief.org). Hurricanes are known for being violent tropical storms with wind speeds of a minimum of seventy-two miles per hour (students.sunysuffolk.edu). Hurricanes are giant whirlwinds which are capable of doing great amounts of damage (students.sunysuffolk.edu). The storm was becoming more powerful in St. Lucia, in the area of 75 degrees west and 20 degrees north, soon turning into a hurricane and heading straight for Mexico and Texas (students.sunysuffolk.edu). Hurricane Gilbert had many environmental, political, economic and social consequences in the tropical area that it hit. Hurricane Gilbert caused an enormous amount of damage to the environment. Gilbert knocked down many trees. The estimated damages to livestock and crops equaled to $769M (students.sunysuffolk.edu). This is important because it destroyed many of the farm lands of the citizens, whom relied on farming as their main source of income. In the industrial city of Monterrey, torrential rains unleashed a flashflood (www.disasterrelief.org). This flood killed at least 200 citizens when many buses and cars were washed away and buried under mud, rocks and debris (www.disasterrelief.org). This shows the intensity of the rainfalls and wind being able to push and bury vehicles. Gilbert reached category five status, winds greater than 155mph, when its winds were very strong up to 184mph (rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov). It also had a sea level pressure of 888 mb, which is the lowest sea level pressure ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere (www.csc.noaa.gov). This shows how powerful and fast this hurrican e was compared to others from the same hemisphere. Hurricane Gilbert showered Mexico with 5-10 inches of rain, pounded Yucatan Peninsula ...

Conversation Among Four Friends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conversation Among Four Friends - Essay Example Sally: You can’t tell when it's morning or evening, the streets are often busy. Mike: Lucky you, you have time to notice that. Some people elsewhere are so occupied they don’t even notice. Francis: I have to admit. Had we not been in this rented cab, we would not have noticed either. Tania: You don’t want to insinuate that the cab makes us any better placed. Francis: I didn’t mean that. What I meant was... Tania: I know! I know! What you meant was, you always speak your mind. Mike: Easy Tania. That was too harsh. You need not be angry. I thought we were over this. Weren’t we Sally? Sally: Sure, we were. It makes me sad to see Tania and Francis fight again. (The cab rounds the first bend and they are all swayed to the left side of the cab. Francis is in a melancholic mood. He is nervous. The others seem to have realized this and so they alert him.) Mike: Look out Francis! Be easy on the gas lever. (Francis apologizes immediately) Francis: Sorry Pals won’t happen again. Sally: You are angry Francis. Francis: I have reason to be. You are all aware that Tania lately accused me of Stalking Janet, a thought she wasn’t able to prove whatsoever. She insisted and so we had to engage Janet, a move I totally opposed. I was embarrassed at Janet’s site. Tania was not sorry. Now she interrupts me, she doesn’t give me time to speak. She lashes back at me as soon as I utter one word. Tania: Tell us then what you meant, Mr. Right. You know everything! (She suddenly turns pale)

HIMS650 Article Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HIMS650 Article Critique - Assignment Example It is focused on figuring out the reasons for following problems in order to dive deeper. Qualitative research includes participations, observations, interviews and group discussions. Quantitative research is focused at the quantification of the data. With the help of quantitative research, different variables such as behaviors, opinions and attitudes can be assessed. Mixed research on the other hand is a mixture of both methods. The authors performed a quantitative research in the method. There are many advantages as well as disadvantages for selecting this method. Using the quantitative research helped the authors to evaluate the actual percentage of informed people in their area. They used statistics to reach their result and collected fast outcomes with the help of statistically valid random models. However, the disadvantage of this method is the limited ability of acquiring answers. For example, in the research, they focused on the survey collection of health workers at eight hospitals. It excluded out all the other departments which might have improved their research. The research could be carried out better with a mixed research method. It would help the authors evaluate why they received their results as provided. If they found that the results were lower than expected, a mixed research method could have helped them figure out the reason why the findings were lower than their expectations. Albano, L., Matuozzo, A., Marinelli, P., & Di Giuseppe, G. (2014). Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of hospital health-care workers regarding influenza A/H1N1: A cross sectional survey. BMC Infectious Diseases, 14(1), 1-13.

Capstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capstone - Essay Example Special academic programs serve the purpose of arming nurses with tailor made skills meant to enhance workplace related competence. Upon acquiring the required theoretical knowledge, nursing students may demonstrate their ability to articulate the acquired skills in duties within actual healthcare facility settings. At this juncture, I will examine my professional and intellectual growth upon completion of the nursing program. A nurse is free to choose any project as long as it addresses practical, real world challenges using the knowledge and skills gained while pursuing their graduate program. A capstone project entails a paper and presentation which uses the nurse’s experience to address a particular challenge identified in a proposal. A capstone program aims to evaluate nurse’s ability to identify a problem, formulate a relevant research question, use correct methods to tackle the research question and identify how their knowledge relates to current scholars and stu dies. The nurse should also be able to demonstrate the ability to organize information, interpret significance, write a good prose and use evidence and example to develop his study. Capstone portfolio is a benchmark assessment for the program and provides an opportunity for assessment by multiple parties. It help an individual assess himself as a nurse and long time learner and professional (Huba and Freed, 2000) because after graduation, the individual is involved in a process of continuous reflecting, self-assessment and self-guided scholarly and professional growth. When information from your capstone portfolio is used, it provides a forum for assessment by employers or other people from whom the individual seeks specific opportunities. Assessment plan for capstone portfolio is comprehensive as there is minimum requirement (average grade point) to qualify for the program and other qualifications an individual is supposed to meet like the need to provide finger prints, check of cr iminal records and computer competency. Then in the course of the program there is constant assessment by instructor on the courses undertaken and grades earned in return. In other cases a nurse is expected to pass a certain specified course before they can be allowed to undertake another course. This could also apply in courses where one needs to pass in the theoretical classes before they can be allowed into the field for practical work or internship. Classroom experience provides a basic framework before you are allowed into the field which is used as a forum to assess how good one has gripped the concepts that were taught. Upon completion of the program, I have acknowledged importance of acquiring informed consent from clients during clinical and social care procedures. Professional conduct of nursing involves explicitly defined guidelines concerning ethical practices. In addition, the program emphasizes the importance of nursing professional conduct towards the cultural require ments in a nurse-client relationship. In my practical encounter with geriatrics patients, I have learned that clients may refuse to undertake certain clinical procedures, even if those procedures are beneficial to their wellbeing. Throughout the course, I appreciate the fact that clients have a right to decline treatment. As a nurse, I will only be able to administer clinical procedures after acquiring voluntary and informed consent from a patient. According to Heartfield and Andre (2011), this relates to

Customer satisfaction and loyalty in convenient stores

Customer satisfaction and loyalty in convenient stores Abstract: In this article we look at the customers expectation from the convenience stores and the factors which drive the customers in the selection of a convenience store. The article further looks into the types of products that drive customers into convenience stores in Sri Lanka and also analyses their billing patterns to identify the demographics of customers working into the outlet and the type of products purchased. Even though the study looks at customers who are regular at the convenience stores their basket value is relatively very low which means their purchases are carried out at various other stores also. The study further identifies that even customers who are satisfied with the levels of services delivered by the convenience stores, it does not drive loyalty as customers look at shopping at different stores as per their needs. Based on our findings, further research should focus on identifying how customer satisfaction should be used to convert satisfied customers int o loyal customers. INTRODUCTION Rhee and Bell (2002) states that even though shoppers often visit and purchase from many different stores, most of them have a primary association to a main store where most of the purchases are made. This main stores are where the shoppers visit often to purchase when a large shopping basket is necessary. It is important for a new chain of convenience stores to be the preferred main store as when shoppers are converted into loyal shoppers they tend to spend double the amount in their first choice store as per Knox and Denison (2000). This is because most shoppers perceive the primary store as a safe bet according to Roselius(1971) as the primary store is a trusted place with the lowest level of perceived risk of disappointment when shopping. Yet Taher et al. (1996) argues that being at ease with a store is not sufficient to ensure repeat patronage. They go on to state further that with more information being available to consumers about value/cost alternatives Taher et al. (1996) be lieves that the number of customers who are willing to take the perceived risks are growing. This is good news for a small chain of convenience stores, which is relatively new as it means that by providing more information it is possible to attract new customers but the challenge is raised in converting these customers into loyal customers. It is therefore important according to Taher et al. (1996) and Sirohi et al. (1998) that retailers continuously collect information of the consumers who frequent the stores in a structured manner in order to understand areas for development of augmented services to develop loyalty to the stores. The strength of loyalty of customers to a store is one of the most important indicators of the stores strength according to Rhee and Bell (2002). Reichheld and Sasser (1990) reassure that profitability can be increased by increasing the levels of loyalty. Knox and Denison (2000) in their study of the retail sector in UK goes on to state that it is important for a corporate retail strategy to maximize consumer loyalty and minimize consumers from opting for switching. According to Solgaard and Hansen (2003) assortment of products at the outlet is one of the most important factors that drive the choice between the different stores customers patronize in. MODERN RETAIL LANDSCAPE AND CONVENIENCE STORES Retail comprises of all activities which directly relate to the sale of goods and services to the consumer for personal, non business use. (Retail glossary, 2009) The retail sector in Sri Lanka can be categorized into two as modern trade retailers and traditional trade retailers (grocery shops). The modern retail trade in Sri Lanka is expected to grow rapidly with the post war economic development and increase in household income. The penetration levels are expected to increase from 15% currently to 30% over the next 5 years. Modern retail format can be categorized into five formats as BIRO (2001) defines; they are convenience store, mini market, super market, departmental store and hypermarket. Convenience store is small in nature, offer few products. Its concentrated in convenience goods with limited brands. Mini market is bigger than convenience store in size, but still limited in product brands. Same with convenience store, mini market product offers focus on convenience goods. Department store is bigger in nature than minimarket, with varied products. Departmental store is a large retail store offering a variety of merchandise and services and organized in separate departments. Consumer can find shopping goods along with convenience goods in a department store. Supermarket is a large self-service food store selling groceries, meats, household goods, and so on, usually on cash-and-carry basis. Hypermarket is a variation of a supermarket that offers a variety of non food items, such as appliances, clot hing, and services, along with food items, in a vast space much larger than a regular supermarket, sometimes in excess of 200,000 square feet; also called superstore. The grocery items are often priced below market to draw traffic into the store; however, the grocery selection is also more limited than in a regular supermarket. The Sri Lankan modern retail market is dominated by the Cargills chain of supermarkets which has over 50% of the market share. There is only one hyper market in Sri Lanka to fit into BIROs classification of hypermarkets, but it has relatively low floor size. The modern retail market consists of five large players who are subsidiary business units of large conglomerates in the country. With high focus on large volumes and low margins, the customers in the modern retail segment are benefited by having a wider range of products, including groceries and general merchandise under one roof at relatively low prices. Convenience stores are a relatively new concept to the Sri Lankan market, and many consumers are still associating the convenient shops with mini supermarkets. The understanding of the convenience concept with limited range of products is still not clear in the local market. In Sri Lanka one of the growing convenience stores is Go Getter which was launched two years ago and currently it has 25 outlets. For this dossier the customers who visit Go Getter are studied to have an understanding of what drives these customers to the Go Getter outlet and which of these factors can be used to drive loyalty amongst the customers. In most of the Asian region the convenience stores are plenty and available in almost all locations. The growth of the convenience stores is mainly attributed to increased car ownership, increase number of households with refrigerators and freezers, and the growth in the number of working wives. (Jeannet and Hennessey, 1988) In other words the increase in mobility, growing purchasing power and the time constrains bring customers from shopping at supermarkets to convenience stores as customers are on the run and need to purchase products on the go. The wider choice of products and more competition was expected to bring higher quality and safety as well as to counter balance to rising price levels (Lipman 2003). According to Calvin B. Lee (2002) higher customer service levels lead to greater revenue and net income. The above stated research finding elaborates the extent to which customer service can lead to the company development. In every business, the customer service is very important. Without the help of customer convenience stores will find it difficult to attract customers and retention for repeat purchase. LITERATURE RIVEW According to Magi, 1995 and Corstens and Corstens, 1995 most of the consumers shop at more than one outlet. Most consumers patronage two or more outlets regularly because they arrange their shopping trips from different geographical locations (Solgaard and Hansen 2003) (e.g.,on way home from work, or other non-domestic activities). Similarly different stores may be selected as the purchasing requirement may vary by the amount of goods required (e.g., monthly purchases, topping up when necessary) or it can vary by the range of goods required (e.g., vegetables, meat, frozen foods, discount, etc.). Some consumers may even be looking for the products they prefer most or different individuals of the household may have preferences for different outlets. Therefore, to create loyal consumers one needs to understand what driver the customers to the store, however Mitchell et al. (1998) in their number of studies on store image had not identified a link between store attributes and loyalty. Garton (1995) and Bloemer et al. (1998) states that the consumers experience of the stores quality and service had relatively low level of influence in converting the consumer into a loyal repeat customer. Available literature has recognized several factors which influence satisfaction of outlet whilst shopping: Store attributes such as location of store (Woodside and Trappey, 1992) Range and quality of assortment stocked (Claxton and Brent-Ritchie, 1979; Sirohi et al., 1998) The pricing strategy used (Williams et al., 1978) Promotions carried in-store (Urbany et al., 2000; Kumar and Leone, 1988) Assistance provided by floor staff (Macintosh and Lockshin, 1997; MÃ ¤gi, 2003) Atmospherics of store ( Crawley, 1993;Yalch and Spangenberg, 199; Babin and Darden, 1996) Volume of purchase (MÃ ¤gi 2003); Garton (1995) goes on to suggests that to gain store loyalty it is important that the consumers image of the store be in line with the consumers self image. Sivadas and Baker-Prewitt (2000) concluded that the attitudes of consumers which drive the similarity between self image and store image are linked to store satisfaction. Still there is no evidence to suggest that this satisfaction necessarily has a direct effect on store loyalty. According to (Solgaard and Hansen 2003) a consumers preferred store is based on the perceived utility that they derives from the store. Consumers perceive the utility according to what they get for what they give. What consumers get is the output from the store which include service, products, price and other attributes in the consumer experience (Bucklin, 1966; Bucklin et al., 1996). To receive this output from the store the consumer also has to spend his resources in terms of time and money (Blackwell et al., 2001). As resources are scarce, resource maximization will be the key concern of the consumer and he will opt for the store where he perceives he will get the best store output for the resources he spend according to his perception of the services he receive. The available literature has pointed down a few significant drivers which effect consumers perception of store output these include the range of products and its assortment, quality of products available, overall service levels, store assistance personnel, store lay-out, convenience, cleanliness and atmosphere (Blackwell et al., 2001; Levy and Weitz, 2001; Bucklin et al., 1996, Finn and Louviere, 1996). Whilst the cost to the customer goes beyond the monitory value associated with the product prices themselves, and include the resource values of the time and money spend on transportation to and from the outlet. Individual determinants such as shopping intension, attitude towards retail outlets and shopping habits plays an important role on consumer shopping decision. Attitude towards retail outlet and shopping habits tend to influence shopping intension. This implies that retailers should concentrate on strategies in building consumers positive attitude towards their retail so that consumers visit their retail in order to make their visits regular (Siringoringo 2009) DESIGNING OF THE RESEARCH The factors that drive customer satisfaction identified by literature review were used amongst convenience store customers to understand if these factors hold true in the Sri Lankan context. And if they hold true to what extend are the levels of satisfaction they get from the existing convenience stores and their level of loyalty with the existing convenience stores. Further regular customers of 15 convenience stores were identified and their purchase habits were recorded using specially designed software at the point of sale to understand the relationship between customer demographics and purchase patterns. The objective of the second phase was to identify the types of products purchased and the basket value as literature reveals that consumers spend more at the primary stores than at any other outlet. 4.1.1 Objectives Of The Potential Consumer Survey The first phase of the study is carried out amongst the potential/current customers of convenience stores to understand their if the satisfaction drivers of the consumers hold true as per literature review and to understand further if they are loyal to one outlet or if the customers regularly switch between outlets. 4.1.2 Convenience Store Customer Sample The convenience store users sample size depends on resources available as well as on methodological considerations. Based on these, the study objectives will initially entail a review of approximately 390 convenience store potential customers. For the selection of the sample, a number of options for selecting the sample will be considered, with identification of purposive sampling as the most appropriate approach of those considered. Purposive sampling will allow for information-rich cases to be selected, which will generate insights into key issues and into effectiveness of interventions, rather than generalization to a population (Patton 2002). Sampling would entail surveying convenience store consumers and well as potential consumers who will be future buyers of Go Getter. Of the total population of convenience store potential consumers are undefined therefore a sample size of 390 is identified in the following areas: Main City limits and suburban area where convenience stores are popular and consumers are more adaptable to the concept of convenience stores. These constitute 5 of the 10 main cities where the convenience stores are currently functioning will be selected as the survey centers. Data capturing will be based on a structured questionnaire. A purposive sampling procedure will be used and the respondents will be selected based on income, profession, family size, gender and place of dwelling. The questions cover information areas such as current purchasing power, goods and services requirement and assessment of assortments and opinion on the services provided by the convenience stores. The SPSS package with an adapted code-book was used to process and analyses the data. Mainly descriptive statistics mean, mode and percentages will be used. The reason is to select sample is number of population is bigger than the 1 million. According to the Anderson sample chart fewer than 5 % error rate 390 is the best sample size if population is bigger. Hence, they will be selected from the people who work for FMCG sector (suppliers of Go Getter, potential customers, who would like to purchase goods from convenience stores and who live in apartments, who are receiving a salary above 1000US$, who are earning less than 150 US$, which compel them not to stock up their basic needs as well as young executives in the age range of 20 to 40 years who are living mostly in rented apartments or boarding houses. 4.1.3 Information Captured In Phase 1 The questions will be formulated to reveal the information listed below to understand the level of satisfaction customers are currently getting from the outlets they currently shop at. Table 1: understanding the convenient store landscape Objectives Descriptions 1. Knowledge of convenience stores Since the concept of convenience stores is new for the Sri Lankan consumers, identifying the consumers knowledge levels is important if they are to comment on the satisfaction they get from the convenience stores. 2. Product categories In the CVS/retail industry products are categories into different groups such as groceries, personal care, tobacco, perishable, impulse purchase etc. Different retail formats such as supermarkets, CVS, meat shops carry only selected categories of products. The products are categories tested are as follows Snack and confectionary Bakery Colas Mobile Credit Tobacco Groceries Baby care products Dairy products Others 3. Convenience offered/Expected/needed Identifying factors that customers associate as factors that drive convenience at the outlets they currently shop at and the levels of satisfaction they are getting from these outlets. 4. Customer retention/loyalty How loyal are the customers to the outlets that they shop at the moment. Are they switching amongst the outlets or are they shopping only at one selected outlet. 5. Expected retail format What other factors do they look from the convenience stores. These include factors other than convenience such as price/quality/atmosphere/relationship as literature review suggest these factors also drive the customer satisfaction levels There is a dearth of literature on the use of an appropriate scale to specifically measure the level of store satisfaction and store loyalty. Knox and Walker (2001) in their study of measuring and managing (brand) loyalty, stated that there is limitations in practically measuring of customer satisfaction as well as customer loyalty. Since there is no assured measuring instrument, the Likert five-point itemized rating scale is used in this instance to measure the level of attributions which drive store attributes. 4.2.1 Objectives Of The Online Survey The main objective of the online survey is to identify if the products which are purchase by the customers who have been identified as regular customers to the convenience stores are similar to the products stated by the respondents in phase one. This will help understand gaps if any amongst the actual customers at the store and the respondents to the first phase of the survey. The second set of information concerns on the basket value to understand if these regular customers are actually loyal customers as the basket value of loyal customers should be higher than or in par with the basket value in phase one. 4.2.2 Online Sample This data collection is planned to be done from customers who visited the convenience stores using a Convenience card which was given to the shoppers who visited the outlet regularly. This study is planned to be done at 15 outlets of the Go Getter convenience stores. Computerised data is collected from January 2008. The sample comprise of 15 outlets in order of the highest number of customer visited from 1st January 2008. There are 200-300 convenience card holder who visit each outlet on a daily basis. Hence, an average of 250 customers per outlet for 15 outlets will result, 3750 customers per day for a month and the same could be taken as respondents. Therefore it can be considered as an adequate representation. Data will be collected monthly. A special modification was done to the point of sales software application where the specially trained cashiers enter profile data of customers prior to the billing process. 4.2.3 Information Captured In Phase 2 Data which will be collected at the time of checkout is age group, gender, and product availability (were the products that they wanted available or were they out of stock). This data will be automatically correlated with items that they have purchased which will result in the identification and analysis of patterns and trends. 5.0 DISCUSSION OF DATA ANALYSIS 5.1.1 Understanding The Product Range And Pricing Concern From the respondents selected for the data collection 77% of the respondents were in executive or managerial grades. Almost 63% of the respondents earn > $ 150 are in the executive grades whist 70.97 % of those who earn As expected more than half the population (57.63%) stated that they buy other products, followed by 35.59% stating CSD/colas whilst milk products were stated by 32.2%. This clearly reflects that customers visiting convenience stores look beyond the major product groups identified. Regarding the value for money received at competitors, 61.2% of those who earn >$ 150 agreed that that value for money is received whilst 48.4% of those Given what was discussed above regarding the range, it is important to assess whether consumers have any concerns about the range on offer. However, a more than two third of the sample >$150 and 5.1.2 Level of Satisfaction drivers Service is a key dimension that needs to evaluate in the retail industry is customer service, as the entire concept revolves around service delivery. Nearly half the sample 82.8% stated that the check out is quick whilst a majority (90.7%) stated that the sales staff can be identified most of the time. Furthermore, 92.6% of the overall sample stated that the outlets maintained cleanliness with 58.2% stated that outlets maintained cleanliness most of the time. Nearly equal number of persons surveyed commented on the price consistency with 164 persons stating that price consistency is maintained sometime while 181 persons out of 390 interviewees stating that price consistency is seen most of the time. The staff assistance was commented positively with near universally 93.1% stating that the staff provides assistance most of the time or sometimes. On receiving goods promptly, 55.9% of those earning above The respondents earning above $ 150 category felt that the service was good sometimes. Almost universally the respondents were satisfied with the overall level of service (92.6%). Furthermore, a cross analysis between those who shop at the outlets, the facilities they look for and the times of the day and the product range highlights the following findings: Given this levels of satisfaction, it is important to look deeper in to data and see what aspects are valued by the customers at convenience store outlets. In order, a cross analysis was carried out between those who shop at these outlets and what they value most. As the literature suggested almost half the population in both income levels stated that it is location followed by range and service at an overall level. These findings when analyzed by the respective income brackets come in the order of priority where 48.4% state location, 32.3% stating offering a range and fast service being stated by 25.8% of those below $ 150. The order of importance changes when looking at the data of those above $ 1000. To them it is the location that matters most, followed by fast service and the product range. 5.1.3 Tendency To Shop At Multiple Outlets (Low Loyalty) From the total base of 390 respondents, a little less than half the population (40.51%) visit competitor outlets at least once a week and the next frequency was irregular (21.79%) with a similar amount (21.54%) claiming to visit competitor outlets less than once a week. None of the respondents do their shopping at one selected outlet. 40% shift from outlet to outlet more often than not on a regular basis even though there is high level of satisfaction, whilst the balance on a irregular basis shops from different stores. This clearly shows that even though most of the customers are satisfied with the offerings of the convenience stores they still are not loyal to one outlet. Discussion On Data Collected At Selected Outlets The information which was captured through the POS data collection system was analysed to find similarities in the profile of customers visiting the outlets and the type of products mainly purchased. The literature review highlighted that it is important to identify the main products that are looked for by the consumers need to be merchandised properly to achieve customer satisfaction. When analyzing the Go Getter customer profile it is evident that customers of all ages have patronized the outlets. The regular repeat customers were divided into 4 main segments: teenagers, youth, the middle aged and the elderly. Table 1 illustrates the summary of the analysis of data collected from the survey of Go Getter customers for a period of two months. Table 4: Profile of customers at Go Getter outlets Profile information Response Average age segment Dependent upon each outlet. However, a notably high number of customers belong to the middle age seem to frequent. Gender More skewed towards the males, conforming the basic fact that top up is less frequent as a household level in Sri Lanka. Purchase tendency Except for a few variations that were dependent upon the outlet location, most demand was generated to beverages, snacks/confectionary and frozen food. Basket Value Purchases are very small in quantity, bought either on the go or for topping out at homes. Most people (25% 33%) of the customers spend less than Rs 50. Source: Author One of the most striking findings is the fact that seemingly lesser number of teens and youth has visited the outlets, especially teens. This is mainly owing to the fact that in Sri Lanka children are dependent on their parents till their secondary education is completed. Culturally, children leaving home takes place only after marriage and till such time parents and grown up children live under the same roof which is quite opposite to the Western countries. Within this backdrop, teens and youth often do not have an income for themselves and depend on their parents to give them cash for their education and other needs. A higher number of the visitors to the outlet were middle aged and elderly, dominated by the males. This coined with the main products purchased beverages/snacks and confectionary shows that most of the purchases were low value products bought on impulse rather than for household topping up. The outlets in residential areas were doing better than the outlets in commercial areas, still the product range commonly sold shows that beverages/snacks are bought more than household products, which shows that consumers still dont buy products for household topping up from Go Getter. What is very discouraging about the information gathered from the online research is the average basket value of the regular customers. From the data analysis is the basket value spent by the consumers per visit with almost a third of the customers spending less than Rs 50 (less than USD 0.5) on an average visit. This is in line with the first phase of the study that most customers prefer to buy from different outlets. Therefore the basket value of even the regular customers who visit the selected convenience stores remain low as they come into purchase products of low value as and when necessary. 5.3 Limitations of Results This study was done as a part of the doctorate thesis on understanding the consumers and the challenges in the retail trade for the entrance of a new chain of convenience stores in a market where the concept of convenience stores is limited. Therefore the data was collected on understanding the customer satisfaction drivers and to understand what need to be done to increase the revenue of the Go Getter outlets and not to understand how to grow loyalty as the business is currently at the beginning phase. Therefore further research needs to be done on the regular customers of the outlets to understand their levels of loyalty as the factors used in the research to identify the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty are limited. 6.0 CONCLUSION Previous studies carried out by Woodside and Trappeys (1992) states when specific attributes such as low overall prices or most convenient are suggested customers respond with a top of the mind association for each of the values. These associations are the strong drivers of satisfaction are what customers associate with the main store where they make most of their purchases. Bloemer et al. (1998) states the store satisfaction is the mediator of the perception of the store and store loyalty. Still even in reason studies though this connection is seen a solid link between store satisfaction and loyalty has not been established. In a recent study, it was identified that customers are loyal to outlets with an image which match their own self image. Through the levels of satisfaction customers get from the convenience stores, they look for a parallel with the self image and the store image, which according to Sivadas and Baker-Prewitt (2000) does not necessarily translate into store loyalty as there is no clear connection. This lack of clear connection between store satisfaction and loyalty, the relationship between these two attributes remain speculative according to Mitchell et al. (1998). When analyzing the information collected from the Sri Lankan chain of convenience stores and their potential stores it shows high level of customer satisfaction amongst customers who use convenience stores. The study further goes on to show that even though most customers are highly satisfied with the stores they patronize they still are not loyal to any of the outlets they shop at. The customers have a limited loyalty to outlets and prefer to shop at outlets as and when necessary to purchase products as and when necessary. The purchasing habits suggest that even the customers who visit the convenience stores regularly purchase products only for a small basket value suggesting that the main outlet of purchase is different to this outlet even though they regularly visit these selected outlets. This suggests that the customers who visit these outlets regularly are looking for top up products whenever the need occurs and the outlets need to work on cross selling to these customers and increase impulse purchases to increase basket value. The relationship between loyalty and satisfaction is still not clear but as customers are satisfied with selected attributes they continue to patronize the outlets. Therefore in creating loyalty satisfaction is a basic need. It is not clear how satisfaction can be converted into loyalty or if that transformation can be achieved. Therefore further studies need to be carried out to understand the drivers of loyalty in the local retail sphere to understand better on the development of loyalty amongst customers.

Sigmund Freud Essay -- Biographies Biography Freud Psychologist Essays

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud was born May 6, 1856. He was born in a small, predominantly Roman Catholic town called Freiburg, in Movaria- now known as Czechoslovakia. He was born the son of Jacob Freud, a Jewish wool merchant, and his third wife, Amalia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jacob Freud and Amalia Nathanson were married in 1855. Freud was born of a singular and bizarre marriage. In contrast to his mother’s youth, twenty years of age, his father was middle-aged at forty years of age, and had two sons from a previous marriage, both of whom were older than his new wife. In fact, Phillip, the older of the two was himself a father of two children, John and Pauline, when Freud was born. Freud was born an uncle, but he was in fact a year younger than his nephew John, and just slightly younger than his niece Pauline, both of who were playmates of his childhood. This was to be Amalia’s first child, her darling, Sigmund.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Freud was born in 1856, Jacob and Amalia Freud were hopelessly poor. They occupied a single rented room in a humble house. Jacob and Amalia were Jewish; however, the Catholic Church dominated the town of Freiburg. Aside from the church, the only attractions were a handsome market square and inviting surroundings that featured stretches of fertile farmland, dense woods, and gentle hills. At the time of Freud’s birth, the town had over 4,500 inhabitants, with only about 130 of them being Jewish. Similarly, at this time, to be Jewish meant to be a member of a highly visible and oppressed minority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before Freud was even two years old, in 1857, Amalia was pregnant with another child. Because his family assemblage was so unusual, to him, his mother seemed far better matched with his half-brother than his father, yet it was his father that shared his mother’s bed. Freud somehow came to believe that his half-brother Philipp had taken his father’s place as a competitor for his mother’s affection. He found these things to be very perplexing. His mind consisted of these things: his mother pregnant with a rival, his half-brother in some mysterious way his mother’s companion, and his benign father old enough to be his grandfather. This perhaps led to his preoccupation with sexual matters. Incidentally, Freud’s new rival, Anna Freud, was born in 1885.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, in 1859, perhaps due to the decline of the textile market coupled with an increase with ... ...he could not realize it might not be common to others. The immaturity if his ideas on the relations of men and women are astonishing, for nowhere in his writings is it possible to deduce he was aware of the passion, tenderness, poetry and beauty of love- nor all the shades of regard, affection and friendship which are not sexually motivated. Additionally, his idea that in dreams the incidents of childhood are relived again in the present also point to some ingrained characteristics of immaturity. Freud’s emotional attitudes in adulthood continued true to his childhood conditioning; they never changed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freud read himself into every aspect of his clinical practice. His case histories and psychological speculations centered upon himself. He was his own favorite patient. Freud’s confidence was often based on his capacity for self-hypnosis which tricked him into believing his thoughts were extremely brilliant, had occurred to no other before and tremendously enriched the world’s knowledge. Any opposition was a cruel departure from the adulation, which eventually became an indispensable need of his nature. In truth, all of psychoanalysis applied to Freud alone, and to no other.

Competition Bike Incs Essay

Horizontal analysis compares a company’s performance from year to year. I will be reviewing Competition Bikes Inc(CBI) balance sheets and income statements. During CBI year 6, 7 and 8 I have found their net sales , cost of goods to be fluctuating, and few various other items. The net sales from year 6 to 7 increase 33.34 %. The cost of goods from year 6 to 7 was 31.82 %. The gross profit increase 30.89. Comparing year 6 and 7 I found that year 7 improved, but when I compared year 7 to 8 the results were not good for year 8. The company had experienced a 15 percent reduction in net sales. Cost of goods drops 14.8 % from year 7 to 8. Advertising Expenses CBI advertising expenses increased by 37.5 % from year 6 to 7. CBI made a great investment from year 6 to 7 because the net sales increase at a higher rate the increased advertising cost. CBI reduced their advertising expenses by 16.3 % from year 7 to 8. I believed this was done because of the fragile economy. Many companies are trying to make cuts back during a weak economy. These reduces expenses will hold them over until the economy becomes stronger. Website/Sales The website creation and maintenance expenses during year 6, 7 and 8 stayed the same price. Sales commission increase 33.371 % during year 7 from the previous year. Sales commission decrease by 15 % the following year (8). Distribution Network The Distribution network expenses had a positive increased in year 7 by33.3 % jump from the previous year. Distribution expenses are normally supposed to maintain similar numbers, but when you have an increase in sales it is acceptable to increase the distribution expenses. Distribution network expenses decreased 15 percent in year 8. This was caused due to less revenue. Transportation CBI had 33% transportation increase from year 6 to 7. This was caused CBI had more products sold and required more products to be shipped. CBI saw 15 % transportation decrease from year 7 to 8. CBI had less products sold and this caused transportation to decrease in year 8. Administrative Expenses from year 6 to 7 saw 21.43% increase. Administrative Expenses maintain the same expenses from year 7 to 8. Executive expenses increased 29.42 % from year 6 to 7. Year 7 and 8 maintain the same level of expenses. Employment taxes rose by 25.81 % increase from year 6 to 7. Year 7 and 8 maintain the same level of employment of expenses. Administrative expenses are expected due to company having increase production and sales. Utilities expenses rose 3.84 % from year 6 to 7. CBI operation worked proficiently in year 7, and this helped them experienced only an increase of 3.8% in utilities. This was caused due to increase production. CBI utilities increased by 11.11 during year 8. I would suggest CBI have their utilities monitor from day to day to see how they can prevent an increase in expenses when the company is not performing well compared to the previous year. Research CBI saw research and development saw a 37.5 % percent increase from year 6 to 7.During year eight CBI reduces their research and development expenses by 16.3 %. A company should never reduces their research and development if they company perform well in the previous year. I believe this was one of the reasons why CBI had a great year during 7 because they knew what consumers wanted. Due to lack of spending on research and development this caused their sales to drop. Research and development is an important component of competition against other companies without a company will fail to succeed. Interest Income CBI interest income rose 38.1% from year 6 to 7. During year 7 CBI income was properly invested. During year 8 CBI investments had a 3.4% reduction. The reduction was small, but small things do add up over time. I would suggest CBI to monitor their investments and make plans to move around their money if the current trend continues. Balances sheets CBI accounts receivable rose 164.3% from year 6 to 7. During year 8 CBI accounts receivable drop 15 percent. CBI should monitor accounts receivable more closely to make sure past due balances are paid on time. This was caused due to the company noticing a large increase on accounts receivable during year 7 and they tried to capitalize on it. This caused their accounts receivable to drop. Raw Materials CBI manages their raw materials well during year 7. CBI had 3.1% percent reduction in year 8. CBI should incorporate lean production method and Just in time production to avoid wasteful spending and production. Liabilities CBI liabilities increase 1.2% from year 6 to 7. This is expected due to year having 7 having an increase in sales and productions. CBI reduces their liabilities by 3.1% from year 7 to 8. This is good because CBI had a 15 percent reduction in net sales. Vertical analysis A method of financial statement analysis in which each entry for each of the three major categories of accounts (assets, liabilities and equities) in a balance sheet is represented as a proportion of the total account. The main advantages of vertical analysis are that the balance sheets of businesses of all sizes can easily be compared. It also makes it easy to see relative annual changes within one business(Investopedia,2013). Income Year 7 net sales were 7% higher than year 6.CBI preserved their selling expenses at 6.7% of total Net Sales. CBI reduced General & Admin Expenses from 17.1% during year 6 to 15.5% during year 7.This would lead to an increase in Operating Income from 2.8% of Net Sales from year 6 to 5.3% in year 7 and CBI Net Earnings would increase from 1.1% (year 6) to 3.3% (year7). CBI did not perform well in year 8 because their expenses increase during year 8. This caused CBI net earnings to reduce.. CBI Administrative expenses increased 15.5% from year 6 to 7. CBI net sales increase 18.4% from year 7 to 8. CBI operating expenses income was reduce 5.3%of net sales to 1.9 % causing CBI net earnings from 3.3% to a .7%. I would recommend CBI to monitor their general and Admin expenses. Majority of expenses stayed the same during year 6,7 and 8. However during year 8 the CBI did not perform well. I believed CBI needs to find ways to reduces expenses when the company is having a low sales volume. CBI should incorporate just in time principles and lean manufacturing principles. I believe this would help reduce wasted production and this would help reduce utilities expenses. Just in time principles and lean manufacturing principles could also reduce employee expenses. ASSESTS CBI in the cash and cash equivalent accounts drop from 6.2 % in year 6 to 2.7%. However, during year 7 more products were sold compared to year 6. CBI accounts receivable had a major increase from year 6(6.5%) to year 7(16.6%).CBI needs to monitor their accounts receivable accounts more closely and make sure they’re collecting the amount owed to them. During year 8 CBI cash and cash equivalents had risen from 2.7 %( year 7) to 10.3%(year 8). The reason why this happen was due to CBI had started to monitor their accounts receivable. This helped them collect the money they were owed on past due accounts. I would recommend CBI to avoid making purchase on accounts and find ways to use the cash in a more efficient way. CBI should realize it important they have enough reserves during a recession. This will help hold them over until the economy bounces back. â€Å"Trend Analysis is the practice of collecting information and attempting to spot a pattern, or trend, in the information (Wikipedia,2012).†CBI sales were lower than year 7, but they still were able to make a profit. CBI should expect to see growth in the next few years based on their current trend. CBI is expected to have 3,510 units sold in year 9. CBI will have 3,660 units sold in year 10. Finally during year 11,CBI will sell 3,800 units. The forecast numbers are based on the economy recovering. This will encourages CBI sponsors to invest in professional riders and this will increase new bike sales. Currently is cost CBI 1,047.50 to make each product. I would recommend CBI find suppliers who have the same quality parts, but at a lower cost. I would also make recommend CBI is following just in time and lean manufacturing principles. This could help CBI increase their profit margin. Ratio analysis- analyzes numbers Ratio analysis is a method used by businesses to assess their financial situation by comparing two sets of linked data. Current ratio will measure a company’s ability to pay short-term obligations. CBI had a reduction from year 7 (5.9%) to 8(5.35%). Two wheel racing (TWR) current ratio was 4.2% for year 7 and 8. A debt ratio will determine if a business is able to handle any unexpected liabilities it that may come up. A business needs to make sure they enough money to pay off debt to avoid problems with their debt. During year 7 CBI debt ratio was 46.8%. The follow year the debt ratio was 46%. The debt ratio only drops .08 percent during year 8. TWR debt ratio was 38% in year 7 and 8. An acid test ratio will determine if a company can back their liabilities. CBI is doing better than (TWR) by 1.12% and .85%. Inventory turnover- determines the number of times a company can sell it average level of inventory throughout the year. CBI bicycles are customizes for customers so I am unable to compared CBI and TWR. Average collection period, This determines how well a company is able to collect money to the customers they extended credit to.CBI has higher collected amount compared to TWR. CBI was 11.3% higher in year 7 and 8. Gross Profit Margin, will tell investors how much revnue was gain after selling the product(Cost of Good-revenue/gross profit. TWR profit margin is 32.10% higher than CBI profit margin in year 7(27.4%) and 8(27.0%). TWR is operating more effectively. Operating profit margin Measures management efficiency (Operating income/total sales). CBI year 7 was 5.3% and TWR was 5.2%. Year 8 TWR performed better with 5.3% compared to CBI(1.9%). Net Profit Margin show investors the percentage of each sale dollar earn as net income. During year 7 CBI net profits was 3.3% and in year 8 it was .8%.TWR was 5.14% year 7 and 8. The portion of a company’s profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. Earnings per share serves as an indicator of a company’s profitability(Investopedia,2013).TWR was $.08 for year 7 and 8. CBI was $.20 during year 7 and $.04 in year 8. Return on total assets-determine how successful a company is to earn profit with their assets. TWR total assets was 4.8% for year 7 and 8. CBI was 4.5% in year 7 and year 8 was .8%. Return on Common Equity- Income between net income and stockholder equity. During year 7 CBI equity was 8.5% AND TWR was 8.1%. CBI equity in year 8 was 1.5% and TWR was 8.1% Price / Earnings Ratio- Stock prices and company earning. CBI earning share 49.67 and TWR was 29. During year CBI price jump to 83.73 and TWR was still 29. Times Interest Earned Determines the numbers of times operating income can pay interest expense. Year 7 interest earn was 5.27 and TWR was 4.24. During year 8 CBI interest earn drop to 1.77 and TWR remained 4.24. ‘Working capital is a financial metric(current assets minus company liabilities) which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organization or other entity, including governmental entity(Wikipedia,2013).† The financial metric system will analyzes if a company will be able to pay their short term liabilities or do they need to take an alternative solution. CBI working capital in year 6 was $382,394: CBI working capital at the end of year was 1,306,617. CBI increased their working capital by 70.7% at the end of year 8. After reviewing CBI working capital the results indicated they will be able to pay their short term liabilities Recommendation I would recommend CBI to have their accounts executives to build a better relationship with customers and make sure they’re satisfied with the work they are receiving. One of the most important things a company can do is listen to their employees. I would also recommend CBI to reduce their accounts receivables. This could be done by making sure that larger orders from customer are sent out faster. CBI inventory cost increase over 24% from year 6 to year 8.CBI should follow the just in time and lean manufacturing principles. This will reduces inventory cost for CBI. CBI transportation expenses are one of their highest expenses. I would recommend CBI to consider to purchasing their own delivery truck and see if this will help them reduce their transportation expense. Internal controls Internal controls helps a company infrastructure run smoothly. Internal controls also help protect and prevent fraud. Internal control will try to remove the temptations for employee to act unethically in the aspect of putting the company at risk of lawsuit. CBI purchase department (PD) will purchases orders from suppliers based on their monthly budget. Once the order has been received the PD will evaluate bids from different suppliers. Once the order has been received they’re given to the production line. The invoice will be sent to the PD. If there are any supplies left they will be sent to raw materials. The PD will then send an accounting department who issues a check to the supplier. Recommendation I would recommend the whole entire processed be revamped. The first thing I would recommended is to separate the duties of researching the bid and purchasing orders. The next thing I would suggest is to make the receiving department in charge of verifying the shipping when the packages arrive. The receiving department needs to verify every item is there from the supplier and their no missing item from the delivery. The receiving department should maintain an inventory control system. After the receiving department has approved the invoice, they should forward to the purchasing department. The purchase order will be forward to the accounting department for payment. Accounting has currently been only receiving unverified invoices. Risk Accounting has currently been only receiving unverified invoices. The lack of verification could cause CBI to get double charge for item they already paid for. Currently their lack of inventory control system. Currently unused supplies are being sent to raw material without anyway of tracking it. This would make it easy for employees to steal because lack of inventory control system. Recommendation I would suggest an inventory control system be implemented. I would make sure all packages received by receiving department be verified by management to avoid being double charge. The inventory control system will help prevent theft from employees. I would also hire outside firm every quarter to check inventory levels to make sure no one is stealing from the company. Sarbanes-Oxley Act Sarbanes-Oxley Act is government regulation that congress pass in order to improve financial disclosures. This would help prevent accounting fraud and improve financial disclosures from corporations(Wikpedia,2013).†Section 302: A mandate that requires senior management to certify the accuracy of the reported financial statement Section 404: A requirement that management and auditors establish internal controls and reporting methods on the adequacy of those controls. Section 404 had very costly implications for publicly traded companies as it is expensive to establish and maintain the required internal controls (Investopedia,2013). CBI does not mention that they were audited by outside firm. I highly recommend CBI to hire auditing firm to review the company’s annual statement before releasing the numbers to the public to make sure there is no accounting errors. Internal controls are implemented and effective at the end of year 8(Dec 31). The CEO, and CFO certification is need because it is required by SOX and this could not be located. Auditor releases the following statement to shareholders. A material weakness is a control deficiency, or a combination of control deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis Recommendations CBI needs to make sure they are in compliance with the regulations set forth by Sarbanes-Oxley CB. The first thing I would recommend is to conduct a internal control assessment. The next thing I would recommend CBI to hire accounting firm to review their internal controls. The control needs to be based on Sox guidelines. The CEO and CFO needs to certify they’re aware of the CBI internal control and the actions the company have taken to protect investor’s investments. It is very vital CBI CEO and CFO certifies they’re aware of internal control because Sarbanes-Oxley requires this to be done. Since the accounting firm made assessment that the internal control is effective their might be some problems that could arise from the following statement, â€Å"A material weakness is a control deficiency, or a combination of control deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.† I would recommend the CEO or CFO to take action fix the internal control problem because they could face jail time for making statements that were not true. .† CBI should base their guidelines set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Tread Way Commission(CSOTWO). CSOTWO is joint inivate five private sector organizations devoted to providing leadership through progress and guidance on enterprise risk management, internal control and fraud dictation. This is a great way for C BI to improve the internal control process. References Free Dictionary(2013) http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Sarbanes-Oxley+Act+of+2002 Investopedia(2013) http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/horizontalanalysis.asp#axzz2Hh4rgfuE True Bussiness(2013) http://truetobusiness.com/finance/ratio-analysis Wikipedia(2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_control