Coffee and Starbucks

1 A. What is Starbucks’ â€Å"product† †¢Starbucks’ product is a casual experience in a comfortable atmosphere where the customer can enjoy a premium cup of coffee and a newspaper or relaxing conversation with friends. B. What is their â€Å"core product† and what are the â€Å"auxiliary features† and benefits? †¢The core product is a premium cup of coffee. The auxiliary features include the well-educated baristas that can help select the right cup of coffee and help customers learn how to reproduce the experience at home or the office with fresh coffee bean or grounds they can purchase in store. Along with the coffees available there are also Tazo teas, hand crafted espresso and blended drinks a little something for every taste. To go with the drink of your choice you can also enjoy a fresh pastry or a sandwich while listening to music or utilizing the free Wi-Fi to complete the experience. C. What is their â€Å"unique selling proposition† and how do consumers view it now? †¢Starbucks’ unique selling position was offering a high quality coffee for a premium price, while providing a place to relax other than work, home or going to the bar. With their comfortable seating areas and internet access they branded themselves as your â€Å"third place†. Customers bought into it but now that they have started to get more streamlined their stock is falling because they are losing a little bit of that selling position. As the stores get a little less comfortable and become a little more like an assembly line, customers are starting to see it more like a commodity rather than something special. 2. A. Are McDonald’s and Starbucks direct competitors? Yes. While they don’t offer the same quality of food or coffee, McDonalds has put a lot of emphasis on the quality of their coffee and have been able to increase their sales and profits. With the introduction of their McCafe line of coffee drinks McDonalds is looking to take a share of the market from Starbucks. B. What advantages does McDonald’s have in competing with Starbucks for coffee sales? †¢McDonald’s coffee has a very good reputation as a good cup of coffee. While it is not on par with the gourmet coffee and specialties that Starbucks has to offer it is a much cheaper alternative and with the large selection of menu items it can market to a much broader base of customers. For example parents with small children will be drawn to McDonald’s for their coffee because of what they can offer the children that Starbucks can’t. Another advantage is the speed at which McDonald’s can serve customers. Since the coffee and food they serve is less customized they are able to get people in and out at a much faster pace even with the implementation of the drive thru at Starbucks. . A. What changes in society (at the time of the case) helped Starbucks to be successful? †¢There was a steady increase in the number of coffee drinkers in the US in the mid-90s. That combined with the trend of consumers to drink more and more coffee out of the home has increased sales in the entire market. While a large increase of this coffee consum ption was among those that drink coffee at work, the benefit to Starbucks is that they are getting the coffee from somewhere other than the workplace. Along with the increase in consumption consumers have trended to being more and more environmentally conscious. So the focuses on environmentally friendly ways of doing business have helped to keep them in favor with the customers. B. How are these changes related to their target market? †¢Coffee drinkers ranging from 25-29 increased their out of home coffee consumption from 42% to 66% while in the same year 30-59 years old increased from 33 to 46%. 4. A. What are the â€Å"strategic marketing factors† that help to account for Starbucks’ long-term success in developing brand equity? The environment that they offered was one of the big factors that lead to their ongoing success. While there are more and more cafe styled coffee houses coming into the market at this time the idea was very unique and helped to differentiate them in the market. The high quality product and unique sizing of their products also set them apart. Rather than using the standard small med and large names they used unique identifies that helped make their products stand out in memory. Before they came around your options for coffee outside the home were very limited and the ability to get such high quality even at a premium price was a welcome feature in the market place. For the longest time they were really the only player in the space and that niche afforded them very rapid growth and early successes that help fuel even more growth as they expanded worldwide. 5. A. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the company? †¢The most obvious advantage of the card to Starbucks is the guaranteed income. Once people load money on the card it can only be spent at a Starbucks location. It also makes tracking customer purchasing habits and preferences readily available. Then there is the case of the forgotten or lost cards that never get used that equate to pure profit. One last advantage is that with the card they have also created a secondary market for sales by placing the cards in stores like Giant Eagle where people that wouldn’t come into the stores can buy the cards as a gift. B. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the customers? The consumer can control their spending with the card. By loading the card with the amount they allocate for coffee they can track their spending more effectively than before when just purchasing with cash or a random card. While there is no discount associated with the card it does give the consumer some protection when they register the card online. If the card is ever lost or stolen they can report it and a new card will be issued with the same balance and the existing card voided. 6. A. Evaluate Chairman Schultz’ global strategy. Is it â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad? † †¢The global strategy is â€Å"good†. You can build a lot of customer loyalty by taking care of your employees. If your employees are happy and well trained they will provide a much better experience for the customer. Starbucks mission and direction has a solid base in the customer experience as much as the quality of the coffee. So making sure the employees are trained well and very knowledgeable about all things coffee enables them to take the experience past just when the customer is in the store. Educating the customer on how to get the best cup of coffee at home as well will provide you a regular customer for not only their coffee at the office but also the grounds for home. †¢In addition the image they are able to betray as a company that cares about the community and the environment will help build customer loyalty. The fact that they not only work to be environmentally conscious themselves but also work with partners and suppliers to share the information and work together to buy, sell and use environmentally friendly products. B. What recommendations do you have to improve Starbucks’ competitive position domestically? †¢Starbucks needs to stick to what got them here in the first place. Don’t try to become another fast food establishment. Customers that are coming to one of their stores will respect the time it takes to get a high quality cup of coffee. Take that time to cross sell the customer on coffee beans and other goods for the home. While offering food to the customer is a natural evolution for Starbucks it is important that they put as much time and effort into providing high quality food as they do coffee. If they keep the high quality of coffee but serve a lesser food the lesser image will be what is remembered. On the same lines make sure that if you are going to provide places for the customer to sit and enjoy their coffee stick with the comfortable seating that invites the customer to relax and stay awhile. You will not only bring them back time and time again you will encourage them to spend more time in the store every time they visit and therefore increase the opportunities to sell more products. Coffee and Starbucks 1 A. What is Starbucks’ â€Å"product† †¢Starbucks’ product is a casual experience in a comfortable atmosphere where the customer can enjoy a premium cup of coffee and a newspaper or relaxing conversation with friends. B. What is their â€Å"core product† and what are the â€Å"auxiliary features† and benefits? †¢The core product is a premium cup of coffee. The auxiliary features include the well-educated baristas that can help select the right cup of coffee and help customers learn how to reproduce the experience at home or the office with fresh coffee bean or grounds they can purchase in store. Along with the coffees available there are also Tazo teas, hand crafted espresso and blended drinks a little something for every taste. To go with the drink of your choice you can also enjoy a fresh pastry or a sandwich while listening to music or utilizing the free Wi-Fi to complete the experience. C. What is their â€Å"unique selling proposition† and how do consumers view it now? †¢Starbucks’ unique selling position was offering a high quality coffee for a premium price, while providing a place to relax other than work, home or going to the bar. With their comfortable seating areas and internet access they branded themselves as your â€Å"third place†. Customers bought into it but now that they have started to get more streamlined their stock is falling because they are losing a little bit of that selling position. As the stores get a little less comfortable and become a little more like an assembly line, customers are starting to see it more like a commodity rather than something special. 2. A. Are McDonald’s and Starbucks direct competitors? Yes. While they don’t offer the same quality of food or coffee, McDonalds has put a lot of emphasis on the quality of their coffee and have been able to increase their sales and profits. With the introduction of their McCafe line of coffee drinks McDonalds is looking to take a share of the market from Starbucks. B. What advantages does McDonald’s have in competing with Starbucks for coffee sales? †¢McDonald’s coffee has a very good reputation as a good cup of coffee. While it is not on par with the gourmet coffee and specialties that Starbucks has to offer it is a much cheaper alternative and with the large selection of menu items it can market to a much broader base of customers. For example parents with small children will be drawn to McDonald’s for their coffee because of what they can offer the children that Starbucks can’t. Another advantage is the speed at which McDonald’s can serve customers. Since the coffee and food they serve is less customized they are able to get people in and out at a much faster pace even with the implementation of the drive thru at Starbucks. . A. What changes in society (at the time of the case) helped Starbucks to be successful? †¢There was a steady increase in the number of coffee drinkers in the US in the mid-90s. That combined with the trend of consumers to drink more and more coffee out of the home has increased sales in the entire market. While a large increase of this coffee consum ption was among those that drink coffee at work, the benefit to Starbucks is that they are getting the coffee from somewhere other than the workplace. Along with the increase in consumption consumers have trended to being more and more environmentally conscious. So the focuses on environmentally friendly ways of doing business have helped to keep them in favor with the customers. B. How are these changes related to their target market? †¢Coffee drinkers ranging from 25-29 increased their out of home coffee consumption from 42% to 66% while in the same year 30-59 years old increased from 33 to 46%. 4. A. What are the â€Å"strategic marketing factors† that help to account for Starbucks’ long-term success in developing brand equity? The environment that they offered was one of the big factors that lead to their ongoing success. While there are more and more cafe styled coffee houses coming into the market at this time the idea was very unique and helped to differentiate them in the market. The high quality product and unique sizing of their products also set them apart. Rather than using the standard small med and large names they used unique identifies that helped make their products stand out in memory. Before they came around your options for coffee outside the home were very limited and the ability to get such high quality even at a premium price was a welcome feature in the market place. For the longest time they were really the only player in the space and that niche afforded them very rapid growth and early successes that help fuel even more growth as they expanded worldwide. 5. A. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the company? †¢The most obvious advantage of the card to Starbucks is the guaranteed income. Once people load money on the card it can only be spent at a Starbucks location. It also makes tracking customer purchasing habits and preferences readily available. Then there is the case of the forgotten or lost cards that never get used that equate to pure profit. One last advantage is that with the card they have also created a secondary market for sales by placing the cards in stores like Giant Eagle where people that wouldn’t come into the stores can buy the cards as a gift. B. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the customers? The consumer can control their spending with the card. By loading the card with the amount they allocate for coffee they can track their spending more effectively than before when just purchasing with cash or a random card. While there is no discount associated with the card it does give the consumer some protection when they register the card online. If the card is ever lost or stolen they can report it and a new card will be issued with the same balance and the existing card voided. 6. A. Evaluate Chairman Schultz’ global strategy. Is it â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad? † †¢The global strategy is â€Å"good†. You can build a lot of customer loyalty by taking care of your employees. If your employees are happy and well trained they will provide a much better experience for the customer. Starbucks mission and direction has a solid base in the customer experience as much as the quality of the coffee. So making sure the employees are trained well and very knowledgeable about all things coffee enables them to take the experience past just when the customer is in the store. Educating the customer on how to get the best cup of coffee at home as well will provide you a regular customer for not only their coffee at the office but also the grounds for home. †¢In addition the image they are able to betray as a company that cares about the community and the environment will help build customer loyalty. The fact that they not only work to be environmentally conscious themselves but also work with partners and suppliers to share the information and work together to buy, sell and use environmentally friendly products. B. What recommendations do you have to improve Starbucks’ competitive position domestically? †¢Starbucks needs to stick to what got them here in the first place. Don’t try to become another fast food establishment. Customers that are coming to one of their stores will respect the time it takes to get a high quality cup of coffee. Take that time to cross sell the customer on coffee beans and other goods for the home. While offering food to the customer is a natural evolution for Starbucks it is important that they put as much time and effort into providing high quality food as they do coffee. If they keep the high quality of coffee but serve a lesser food the lesser image will be what is remembered. On the same lines make sure that if you are going to provide places for the customer to sit and enjoy their coffee stick with the comfortable seating that invites the customer to relax and stay awhile. You will not only bring them back time and time again you will encourage them to spend more time in the store every time they visit and therefore increase the opportunities to sell more products.

Effects of Media Mass Worksheet Essay

What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century?Communication to the public in the past has evolved through the 20th century through several stages as stated on the table chart shown on page 27 of Chapter 1 – Mass Media. It shows the evolution of mass media through different communication stages. Starting with oral/manuscript, to print and electronic and currently electronically to digitally. These different variances also determined which general public was being reached, the information that was being sent out and the amount of time to receive the information. Today in the 20th century, media can be reached be the masses, people can access the news and media through their televisions, internet, cell phones, social media networks and still newspapers. With the recent turn to the digital age of media coverage you are able to reach wide range of viewers and they are able to access up to date news and important information in a second. This tool can be helpful in emergency situations but can also cause may conflicts in opinions and misleading information. With the digital age and social networks, it allows everyone access to speak their mind, not being just a news-anchor or report from the past and present. There are many social and blogging sites that allow you to voice anything you wish. Allowing someone to rant or rave, demonstrate fact or fiction all at their finger- tips. Although this can be accessed immediately, some information may be basis or misleading, so the general public still will need to take caution when reading news and updates. How did each development influence American culture?During each stage change through the 20th century, it had also changed the taste and preferences of  the general public. Now with access to a wide range of media outlets and networks, common everyday people were turning into overnight celebrities and reality stars. The general public was able to access other prospects, parodies, and creative media outlets rather than just the few the public was limited to in the past. With the media at your fingertips it is hard to not communicate every chance you get. Checking email, having a cell phone that you can make telephone calls while traveling to help keep in touch with family also helps. This feature helped keep families closer and as a nation a tighter community to all events, rather than having to wait days or even months to receive important information. As through each development the cultures changed as described and pictured on Figure 1.2 – Culture as a Skyscraper. Going from the elite and selected few now there are many new forms of expression that can be found online through the internet. I do agree with the diagram and do see how the general public tastes have changed and even lowered, but living in the United States of America, has given each individual the right to freedom of speech and lucky for them others like what they have to say or do, which through blogging, tweeting or Facebook posts can help with popularity and a growing sensation.

Effect of Colors on the Brain and on Emotions Essay

Colors are an intimate facet of our everyday lives and exist in everything that we see. Colors and emotions have a strong relationship between them. It is widely recognized that colors have also a strong impact on our emotions and feelings (Hemphill, 1996; Lang, 1993; Mahnke, 1996). The color red has been associated with excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, and danger. White has been associated with pure, virginal, clean, youthful, and mild. Blue that is most popular color has been associated with trust, reliability, belonging, and coolness. Black is allied with sophistication, elegant, seductive, mystery, and sexual. And Pink is allied with soft, sweet, nurture, and security. Colors are linked with many different emotions. All colors have positive and negative impression connected with it. It has been tested and proven that colors have different alpha rate associated with it. The purpose of the study was to see if the brain responses differently while looking at different colors and to see if there were any connections between color and emotions. Methods Participants The data for this study was gathered by a total of 11 participants from Cognitive Neuroscience Lab class (4 male and 7 female) at the University Center, Lake County Campus. Among those participants included one professor and the other ten consisted of undergraduate students from psychology department at Northeastern Illinois University. All the participants tested had no sort of color deficiency. Stimuli Series of six questions were prepared for the experiment consisting of two parts: the first part included power-point with the five different colors playing each for 20 seconds followed by the questionnaire. The series of questions asked the participants about their emotional stage while looking at the colors. Five random colors were chosen based on cultural reference for America. The colors consisted of red, white, blue, black and pink. The color samples were prepared using Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 software. Procedure For this study, participants were tested individually in a classroom designed as a computer lab. Each participant was seated front of a desktop computer. The monitor displayed each color illustration full screened one at a time which lasted 20 seconds each. Participants were told to look for a smiley face while looking at colors to keep them focused on the screen. Each participant was observed under the NeuroSky Mindset EEG while viewing the colors to record their brain activity. The order of color illustration was same for all the participants. After each participant was done looking at the colors; they were asked a series of questions related to emotions. Participants were asked, â€Å"What emotional response do you associate with (name of color)? and What color attracted you more? These questions were modified from Boyatizis and Varghese (1994) and Hemphill (1996). Only one response was permitted for each question. The answers were recorded on an observation sheet. Each observation lasted about 5 minutes each. Results Data for this study was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. The median and mean was conducted to get the different alpha amplitude. There were a total of seven different responses for answers to choose from for the emotion section of the questionnaire and five different colors to choose from for the response to what color attracted the participant more. Some of the questions had the same meaning (e. g. , calm, angry) and some had different meaning such as (honest, stable). Based on the results; red had the highest amplitude which means that participants were calm while watching the color red. Pink had the lowest amplitude which means that participants were excited or stressed while watching the color pink. The average mean ranged from 29. 3 – 11. 6. Even though red is considered an excited color; the EEG showed that participants were more calm or relaxed while observing red. Pink is considered a soft and sweet color but the EEG showed that participants were stressed and excited while observing pink. One-tailed t-test was used to analyze the data for significance. There was significance between all colors except when we compared red vs. white and white vs. black. The p-value for red and white was 0. 1, for white and blue p-value was 0. 02, between blue and black p-value was . 14, and p-value between black and pink was 0. 03. These results show that there was significance difference in alpha. The different amplitude showed the different alpha rate. Nine out of eleven participants chose pink as most excited color and six out of eleven chose pink as their favorite color. This shows a correlation between brain activity and emotions. The EEG showed pink as the most stressed or excited color and the participants chose pink as more excited as the answer to one of the question for experiment. Discussion The main aim for this study was to examine color-brain activity allied with emotions among random sample from undergraduate students and professor. The present study consisted of five different colors including red, white, blue, black and pink. A headset from NeuroSky Mindset, desktop computer and a questionnaire. Overall, 54. 4% participants said that pink was their favorite color and 81. 8% of participants said that they felt excited when they say the color pink. 18% of participants said they were attracted to the color red and the rest of 27% was distributed equally among the color white, blue and black. The results concluded that there was a significant different among all the colors except for red vs. white and black vs. hite. A total of six participants said that they felt danger when they saw red but the EEG results showed the opposite concluding that they were more relaxed. A total of six participants said they felt calm while looking at white and seven said they were calm while looking at blue color. Almost all for except one said they felt serious while seeing the color black. For future studies, I would have the participants write their emotional response right after they see the color and have them decide what response they feel instead of having them to choose one of the answers given.

Anthropology Assignment Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Anthropology Paper - Assignment Example Linguistic anthropology, the third sub-discipline, is concerned with the origin of the human language and speech with particular emphasis on some specific languages. Through comparing various languages, this sub-discipline is critical in making out relationships between different peoples. The fourth sub-discipline is social-cultural anthropology that entails the study of the three core aspects of a living population—social, economic, and political organization with a view of contributing to community development (Lakeside University, 2012). Question Two Chapter 2 discussed the attempts by early anthropologists to describe race biologically. Describe the typological and population models Typological model is an approach that anthropologists developed to classify people during the 19th and 20th centuries. This idea of classification was anchored on what is today known as race today as it classified people according to parameters like geographical regions and traits like skin col or, stature, and form of hair among others. However, this model of classification was noted to be less biological and more culture-related (O'Neil, 2011). Population model, on the other hand, sheds light on human population patterns from a genetic point of view. In this regard, this model focuses on the patterns of breeding among the human populations and look for traits such as physiological ones that can help put them apart. Although history is clear that humans do not mate as a group for a long time, this model is viewed in good light from a theoretical perspective (O'Neil, 2011). Question Three Describe the impact of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution on studies of divisions of humans The Darwinian Theory greatly influenced the studies of divisions of human in that it brought forth a new platform of scientific thinking in addition to generating numerous controversies. One, the Darwinian theory in a great way clashed with the long-held and widespread view of Creationism that encompassed the intervention of God in the existence of the universe and its creations—plants and animals. In this regard, this theory replaced the idea of divine creation with one that talked of evolution of man through a process he referred to as natural selection. In light of this, the Darwinian Theory gave new meaning to the study of anthropology by coming up with an alternative perspective on the possible origin of man (Tuazon, 2008). Question Four The scientific racialism experiment of the 18th and 19th century resulted in the concept of eugenics. Describe this term and its social consequences Eugenics is a science that focuses on controlling genetic traits of the human race with a view of improving it. Eugenics alleged that those people who belonged to the lower class possessed inferior genes compared to the ones who were socially well off. As such, a reproduction with this group with poor genetic traits would lead to a degraded society. Ignoring the social condit ions that characterize the marginalized in the society; eugenics suggested that the upper class in the society possessed quality skills like artistic and intellectual abilities. Eugenics led to many injustices across societies in the

Individual assignment case study reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Individual assignment case study reviews - Essay Example Therefore, a compare and contrast approach has been followed to understand their future success. Dairy Crest Group Plc is one of the leading dairy products company in Europe. They are engaged in manufacturing, processing and distribution of milk and dairy related products. This company was established in the year of 1981 and it is headquartered in the United Kingdom. This group serves near about 35,000 foodservice customers such as hotels, schools, cafes, stores, convenience stores and hospitals. Their key brands include Frijj, Utterly Butterly, Cathedral city and Clover. The annual revenue of this company is approximately $2,184.2 million in the fiscal year ended 2013 (Dairy Crest, 2013). Organisations like Arla and MÃ ¼ller Wiseman Dairies are increasing the competition of the liquid milk market by their investment in new liquid processing and distribution facilities by (MarketLine, 2014a). Economical Factor: The main financial risks of this Group are interest rate risk and price risk. The change in market interest rate can cause financial risk to the organisation because of their long-term debt obligation. Various non-milk commodities those are affecting the input price of this organisation are vegetable oil, electricity, diesel and gas. They are regularly reviewing the relevant commodity market and the levels of future cover (Vignali, Vrontis and Vignali, 1999). Political Factor: The challenges of trade regulation are increasing day by day. This situation is harming the farmers and dairy processors. Changes in trade policies can restrict their business with other countries. Dairy Crest Group has already invested in various trade operations outside the UK and they have started selling their product in those locations. There is a huge chance of getting affected by the trade policies and exchange rates of those locations. (Pattisson and Lindgreen, 2004). Social factors: Social

Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Plan - Assignment Example 2. Statement of purpose. 3. Table of contents. I. The BusinessA. Description of business. B. Marketing. C. Competition in the market. D. Ways of operating procedures. E. Personnel. F. Insurance of Business. II. Financial Information A. Loan applications. B. Capital. C. Balance sheet. D. Breakeven analysisE. Pro-forma income projections (profit & loss statements)F. Pro-forma cash flowIII. Supporting Documents 1. Tax returns for last three years Personal financial statement. 2. A copy of franchise contract and all supporting documents provided by the franchiser for franchised business. Copies of the following: a. Lease or purchase agreement. b. Licenses and other legal documents. c. Resumes, that of all the principals. d. Letters of intent and other relevant material. Using The Plan A business plan is considered to be a tool comprising of three basic purposes, which are communication, management and planning. A business plans serves as a communication tool that helps in attracting investment capital, attainment of loans, hiring workers and convinces them to work for the company and importantly plays a part in attracting strategic alliances and business partners. A business plan is said to be successful if the outcome of the business is profitable, a business plan that cannot help in attain profits is said to be an incompetent business plan. A realistic approach is required at almost every stage of business and allows an entrepreneur to workout all the potential problems and all the alternatives before launching the actual business. A business plan helps as... This assignment answers on many common questions on the topic of developing a successful business plan. In any marketing sector business plan is considered to be very important and a thoughtful business plan cannot be overemphasises because much hinges on it: financial support, management of the available resources like operation and finances, credit from suppliers, promotion and marketing and last but not the least company’s goals and achievements. The researcher mostly focuses on the successful writing of the business plan. It includes many steps, most significant that were mentioned in the assignment are: Description of business, Marketing, Insurance of Business, Financial Information on loan applications and capital, Breakeven analysis, Pro-forma income projections (profit & loss statements) and Pro-forma cash flow. It is also important to prepare Supporting Documents, such as Tax returns for last three years, Personal financial statement and copy of franchise for franchis ed business. This assignment also describes ways of Using The Plan in real-life situations. Usually, a business plan is considered to be a tool comprising of three basic purposes, which are communication, management and planning. In conclusion, the researcher also states that having good financing is not enough in attaining profits and proper knowledge and planning are required to manage it well. These help in strengthening the management of financing and avoid common mistakes like miscalculating or underestimating the cost of yout future business.

Architecture in the Baroque period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Architecture in the Baroque period - Essay Example Since the origins of the Baroque period can be readily traced to the religious developments during the period, it is also possible to differentiate and isolate that various characteristics of the structures during this period from others. Baroque artists did not make use of lines so that the volumes of the structures they built appear massive and weighty; instead they designed the structures such that the spaces between objects in them seemed vast and infinite. They also placed their figures and forms in a diagonal form rather than in rows so that the viewer could become more involved in the art. In line with the same ideas, figures in composition were made such that there were no clear boundaries between them. Such and other similar practices were employed in order to emphasize emotion and heighten the mood. It was done so with a purpose of arousing religious emotion. All these effects were created in the two most popular structures during the period, namely the church and the palac e. During the Baroque period, artists began to use their own symbolism rather than conforming to the previously established rules of the Renaissance era. Thus, the Church symbolism that had been created by the previous era began to vanish and as a consequence the influence of the Church on artistic content and form decreased. In fact, the events that heavily influenced all the works of art during this period were those of the Reformation and the Counter Reformation. One of the guiding principles was to reduce the influence of the Church.

Current Situation on the Consumer Credit Market in the U.S Term Paper

Current Situation on the Consumer Credit Market in the U.S - Term Paper Example This paper offers contemporary analysis of the recent tendencies in American market for consumer loans. The research clearly shows that the situation in the market is gradually improving, considering the growth in consumer loans provided. Consumer purchases just like the entire consumer behavior, is a complex one. Businesses as well as academicians have been focusing on this behavioral pattern for quite some time. In the post crisis situation the business houses also need to have fair knowledge of consumer’s income. In the post crisis situation where most countries are still recovering from economic downturn, consumers are experiencing low disposable income. The effects of credit crunch of 2007 fails to die down as organizations may not be able to finance sufficient credit and this is likely to have an effect on consumer credit. Clearly after the global financial crisis US economy has suffered a loss in mortgage markets. The credit situation has been deeply influenced by financial crisis. Bad debts as a result of easy availability of credits have culminated into a crisis. Financial crisis was just an outcome of accumulating debt. During the economic times in 2005 consumer spending was at such a rate that savings had landed on zero. Post crisis consumers are increasing their savings rate. Although still much in wide usage consumers are trying to make less use of credit cards. In recent times banks have made some recovery and lending is again taking place. They are mainly supplying student loans.

The concepts of determinism, compatibilism, and libertarianism Essay

The concepts of determinism, compatibilism, and libertarianism - Essay Example Moreover, it is a difficult theoretical issue with regards to different worldviews that individuals hold. This essay discusses, compares and contrasts, and analyzes the concepts of determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. The last section discusses the best perspective among the three. Comparison and Contrast Philosophers have long debated the nature of free will. Three schools of thought have emerged from this debate: determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. Determinism is defined as the belief that for every occurrence there are circumstances which guarantee that nothing else could occur. One variety of determinism describes it as the belief that every occurrence is caused by prior occurrences and the important conditions needed for the creation of that occurrence. Every occurrence is the inevitable consequence of a series of occurrences resulting in that occurrence.1 Hard determinism supports libertarianism in claiming that determinism is irreconcilable with free wil l. Hard determinists refute the presence of free will and libertarianists believe in the existence of free will and rejects determinism as regards human freedom. ... Because everything is indispensable, predetermined, and imposed, individuals cannot be held responsible for their behaviors. Hard determinism accepts the intuitive character of free will but claims that it is a false impression.3 The pure impossibility of free will can be viewed in how hard determinism characterizes freedom. According to hard determinists, real freedom cannot have a source. Since everything is an outcome of causation, free will is ruled out. Hard determinists view human beings as physical entities and human behavior is determined by natural laws. In contrast, while taking into account the deterministic nature of some forms of reality, libertarianism fully accepts moral responsibility and the intuitive character of free will. This perspective does not disregard the existence of causation and natural laws in the physical realm but argues that it is not applicable to everything, especially to human actions. Libertarianists believe that free individuals act for reasons. Causes explain human actions but do not determine or create them.4 Libertarianism willingly accepts that some occurrences could be necessitated but refutes the idea that every action is the outcome of an antecedent cause. Therefore, libertarianism recognizes the causation model in the physical realm but argues that human actions should be understood in terms reasons, intentions, or internal conditions. Basically speaking, external forces could influence the action, but in the end it is up to the individual to choose between several available alternatives. Compatibilism, on the other hand, is presented as a way of reconciling the opposing views of determinism and libertarianism. This perspective establishes a totally deterministic view of

A key issue for the courts when deciding on the legal status of a Essay

A key issue for the courts when deciding on the legal status of a comfort letter is whether or not the party proffering the comfort letter intended to create legal relations - Essay Example Comfort letters are common in loan agreements, as an alternative from asking the lender to obtain a guarantor for the loan. In order for a claimant to be able to rely on the letter of comfort as a guarantee of payment, the claimant has to prove that the person issuing the letter intended to create legal relations between themselves and the claimant. According to Ellinger (1989) comfort letters can be identified into 3 specific types, and can include undertakings from a parent company to meet the financial commitments of the subsidiary company. Less stringent comfort letters identify that the parent company knows of the intention of the subsidiary company to enter into a contract with the other party, but makes no express guarantee to honour the agreement of the subsidiary or to actively intervene to ensure that the subsidiary company fulfils the contract. These letters can have legal effect despite the fact that they cannot be relied upon as a guarantee that the party will fulfil their part of the contract. One of the first cases to consider the effect of comfort letters was Banque Brussels Lambert S A v Australian National Industries Ltd1 in which the defendant averred that the letter should not be regarded as a binding contract. In this case, the bank insisted on a letter of comfort as a condition of the loan agreement between the parties. The bank had originally tried to force the defendant to guarantee the payments on the loan, which the defendant had refused to do. The claimant attempted to aver that the letter of comfort contained promissory paragraphs with regard to the conduct of the defendant and that the defendant had breached these promises. One such paragraph stated We take this opportunity to confirm that it is our practice to ensure that our affiliate [the borrower] will at all times be in a position to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. These

I need a professional CV and cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I need a professional CV and cover letter - Essay Example time I have spent living in different places around the world, resulting in the invaluable work and personal experiences which I have had, I have been researching companies of interest that I feel would be a good fit for my professional interests. With my strong language skills in both English as well as Arabic and the working knowledge that I have of conversing in French, I am confident that these skills, along with my background in; sales, journalism, and theater work, that I have amassed a solid level of experience that would be of great benefit to the workplace. I realize you will need to know a bit more about me in order to consider me as suitable candidate; for this reason, I have enclosed my resume for your review as the first step in the application process. I trust you will find my early experience to be a strong indicator of what I would contribute as a skilled, hardworking addition to your work

Operations in hilti company Essay Example for Free

Operations in hilti company Essay You are the manager of a firm selling product X in a competitive market. You consider writing a market report on X. Due to some economic changes, there is significant increase in the wages of workers. Please write a report about the expected effects on the market equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity of product X. the following points help you organize your report: 1. Indicate the effect of this event on supply and / or on demand. 2. Analyse what will happen to market equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity in the short run. 3. If wages are expected to continue at higher levels, analyse what will happen to market equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity in the long run. The competitive market is one of the type of economic market structure. In a competitive market the price is determined through the forces of demand and supply. The following essay the effects of increase on wages on product price, quantity traded, and the supply and demand. The demand is the want or need of the person with the willingness to purchase the good at a particular price. The demand is negatively correlated to price. As the price increases the quantity demanded decreases. The supply is the desire and willingness of the supplier to sell the product at a particular price. The downward sloping curve represents demand. Supply is positively correlated to price. As the price increases the quantity supplied increases. Hence, the positive sloping curve represents supply. In the competitive market the point where demand and supply meets is the equilibrium point, which shows the equilibrium price and quantity traded. This is illustrated in the following graph. The increase in wages, increases the costs of the product. This then will decrease the supply bringing a shift in the supply curve. The shift of the supply curve occurs when any factor except price changes bringing an effect on supply. The increase in cost of production will reduce the supply at level of the price because now it has become more costly to produce the supply. The supply curve will shift towards left. The following diagram shows that the supply curve S1 has shifted to S2. This has increased the market equilibrium price in the short run from P1 to P2. The quantity traded has decreased from Q1 to Q2. Long? Run market supply curve. The short? run market supply curve is just the horizontal summation of all the individual firms supply curves. The long? run market supply curve is found by examining the responsiveness of short? run market supply to a change in market demand. As the wages will increase, in the long run the price will reduce and the quantity traded will increase because there will be more entrants into the market and the competition will reduce the price of the product. However, the profit levels will also decreases due to the increase in the wages. Question 2 You’ve been hired by a firm to determine whether it should shut down its operation. The firm currently uses 70 workers to produce 300 units of output per day. The daily wage (per worker) is $40, and the price of the firm’s output is $20. The cost of other variable inputs is $500 per day. The firms fixed cost is $3000 per day. You know that the marginal cost of the last unit is $30. 1. Calculate the firm’s daily losses 2. Should the firm continue to operate at a loss? Carefully explain your answer. Total daily losses are the following: Description Cost / Revenue Total cost Total daily sales 300 x 20 6000 Daily total wages 70 x 40 2800 Variable inputs 500 Fixed costs 3000 Total Cost 6300 Daily losses 300 According to the profit maximization theory, each unit sold, marginal profit (M? ) equals marginal revenue (MR) minus marginal cost (MC). Then, if marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost at some level of output, marginal profit is positive and thus a greater quantity should be produced, and if marginal revenue is less than marginal cost, marginal profit is negative and a lesser quantity should be produced. At the output level at which marginal revenue equals marginal cost, marginal profit is zero and this quantity is the one that maximizes profit. In this case, the marginal profit is negative as according in competitive market marginal revenue is equal to price hence, it is $20 and marginal cost being $30, this equals to -$10. The company should not operate at a loss. Question 3 Given the data of the last question (2), the owner of the firm suggested that losses can be reduced by firing some workers. If you found that the marginal product of the 70th worker was 4units of output per day, do you agree with the owner to reduce employment in order to reduce losses? Please explain carefully. The marginal product of labour is the change in the output compared to the change in the number of labour. Hence, the 70th labour is producing 4 units per day according to the data given in the question. The marginal product of labour is 4. In order to determine the demand of labour, the value of marginal product will be calculated. The value of marginal product should equal to price of the product which is the marginal revenue (MR) with the marginal product of labour (MRP). As long as a worker’s value of marginal product exceeds the wage, the worker is hired. But because the marginal product is diminishing, eventually so many workers will have been hired that the value of the marginal product of an additional worker would be less than the wage. At this point the hiring will stop. A firm hires labour up to the point at which the value of marginal product equals the wage rate. If the value of marginal product of labour exceeds the wage rate, a firm can increase its profit by employing more workers. This can be summed in the following way: Where TR = total revenue; Q = quantity MR x MPL = (? TR/? Q) x (? Q/? L) = ? TR/? L Hence, in this case the value of marginal product is: MR X MPL = 20 x 4 = 80 Wage rate = ? TR/? L = 40 The company should continue to hire more labour as the marginal product will diminish which will eventually bring the marginal revenue product of labour down until the wage rate is equal to the marginal revenue product of labour.

McDonalds Business Process Management

McDonalds Business Process Management To achieve the good will from the customers McDonalds has gradually expanded the variety of food and drinks provided from the original offering of burgers, drinks and fries to include breakfast, sandwiches and salad. Furthermore, to being sold as individual items, many of the products are packaged into special offers, listed as Extra value Meals. For example a big Mac is consists on the Big Mac Meal, a drink and a portion of fries one panel exhorts customers to make it large-have large fries and a large soft drink with Extra value meal. To increase the business of the company some special promotion items like ribs and Mexican chicken are also added from time to time. When the customer reaches the front of the queue of the restaurant and asked for his/her food, the counter person employs two selling techniques. The first technique is known as selling up, which involves augmenting the order, by either suggesting a larger portion or an additional item such as a drink. The technique is called suggestive selling. Here an order for a Big Mac and medium fries would be greeted by suggesting to a customer the nearest Extra value Meal alternative that would cost a little more than the original order but give better overall value. Suggestive selling aims to increase as the alternative offered includes additional items, such as drink or fries. The counter person delivered the order in to the till. for the standard items like Big Mac, chicken nuggets, cheeseburger, quarter pounder with cheese, Hamburger, vegetable Deluxe, Quorn premiere, Grilled chicken sandwich, the food would be available in the bins in the production area. The counter person then picks the food in a set sequence like cold drinks, hot drinks, fries, boxed burgers, wrapped burgers etc. McDonalds becomes the successful to achieve the positive impact from the customers because of its food quality, the hygiene standards of its outlets and the speed and style of service. Processes are designed to build in quality and then standardised; company requirements complement and exceed legal minima; training focuses on customer safety; inspections take place at critical points; traceability allows rapid response to problems; and all aspects are continually reviewed with an eye to improvement. These are the marks of excellence. Quality policies also link with others related to the environment and being a good corporate citizen. Training To fulfil the goals and objectives of the company, McDonalds give the first priority on staff training. McDonalds realises that its employees must understand their duties in order to fulfil the goals of the company. To ensure that all employees properly perform their assigned duties, McDonalds invests greatly in their training programme. The Company continue to receive prestigious awards for their leading, edge training. Including the employer of choice Award from the restaurant Business Magazine, new crew member go through a careful orientation process consisting of several videos, followed by several days of direct one-on one training by a trainer. To improve the made for you system, McDonalds presently introduced a strategy known as shift in to over drive and this strategy focuses on helping shift managers work more efficiently. All McDonalds restaurants are required to send at least one manager to participate in the new training programme (Philips, Kenney). This training focuses on the human aspects of made for you, this ensure that the system is being used as design. Since the new system requires perfect work from several people, the entire team must work together for the system to work quickly to provide food to customers. Level of Strategy Corporate: Corporate strategy concerns decisions by the business as a whole in terms of the sectors in which it wishes to compete. At this level, companies decide where to invest or divest in terms of the overall business mix they wish to develop today and in the futur.The corporate strategy of McDonalds is a single business strategy because it deals in the restaurant business. Quality management: McDonalds company integrates different quality management factors in its business process. To ensure quality McDonalds apply different strategies which include speed measurements, the five Ps (People, Product, Price, Place and promotion), employee training etc. The mission of the McDonalds Company consists of delivering operational excellence. At the heart of its effort to increase sales and profits lie policies on food and service quality designed to make the firm stand out from its competitors. While the big McDonalds is not to every ones taste, the company was cited by Fortune as the worlds most well-liked food service company. It aims for zero defects, which are to serve hot, fresh, testy food of good value to customers at every time. Nearly 45 million customers visit to the 28,000 restaurants every day. McDonalds sets exacting requirements for quality and safety. It will only use essentials whose source can be traced and which satisfy all regulations. To verify the supply chain Quality assurance staff carries out audits and site visits in different time. They also cooperate with suppliers to improve the quality of product. For instance, lard was replaced by vegetable oil in buns, fat levels in sauces were cut and saturated fats in the cooking oil were reduced. To circulate its commitment to quality among its 4,000 suppliers, the company introduced the Sweeney award in 1990. Judging takes place every two years. Criteria are based on those used for the Aldrige Award. The 2000 winner, sunny foods (Thailand), supplies chicken products to more than 200 outlets in Hong Kong. Standardisation of the product variety plays the vital role to assure quality of different items. Staff training is simplified by the limited range and process development, including the provision of computer controlled cooking facilities. To ensure cooking regularity Chicken Mc Nuggets are shaped into uniform sizes from breast and thigh meat. Like all meat chicken are traceable, in this case to their grandparents. Their food and water, medication and litter are also traceable to source. Fish products use cod whose origins can be matched to the vessel and day of catch. Boning is a matter great concern and 23 checks occur during fish product manufacture. Mc Donalds prefers to use free range eggs in the United Kingdom. Food quality and safety policies are closely linked to concerns for the environment. Pressed to improve its wasteful practices in food packaging and serving, the company works on reducing its use of materials and energy. Operations, purchasing and training policies all include a strong theme of waste reduction including distribution in reusable containers, using recyclable packaging and installing heating and lighting controls. Quality management tools and techniques to improve operations The quality of the services and products provided by a business is an important concern to the company and its customers. While the cost of quality calamities can be high in themselves, customers confidence in the level of quality will have a significant impact on a companys overall prosperity in terms of future levels of demand and the long term success of the business. Employees of McDonalds are well trained to prepare and present meals according to very specific procedures that are strictly enforced. For eg., a ten-minute holding time for sandwiches ensures maximum quality and freshness to each customer. McDonalds even designs our restaurants to meet the ultimate in hygiene specifications , including hand-washing procedures. Likewise, staffs of McDonalds are also trained to maintain the right procedures, food quality and safety, especially in the preparation and handling of raw and cooked products. Four key points for the quality management of McDonalds are given below: Meet customer requirements: The core of quality conformance Error-free work: Only on standard to aim for- to be right first time every time. Manage by prevention: Adopting a proactive approach to managing quality leads to prevention rather than the detection of faulty work. Measure by the cost of quality: The key measure is the cost of doing business doing things right the first time reduces costs in the task of meeting customers needs and expectations. Measuring performance of operations system McDonalds claims that the quality of its products has indeed improved, waiting times in the restaurants have an average of 2 to 3 minutes per order, slow lane performance in the cut-throat fast-food business. McDonalds is also trying to improve its image and reputation through involvement and sustained investment in projects like sports coaching and its commitment to social responsibility. In the case of operations strategy McDonalds Company take a resources view. McDonalds work in almost every significant economy of the world, but maintain practically the same format for operations. Numbers of McDonalds restaurant in UK are growing rapidly.McDonalds drives 80 percent of its revenues from eight countries like UK, Japan, Canada, France,Germany, Brazil, US and Australia.Technological, Structural and Financial resources are the best market positions which help for sustainable competitive advantages. The Company started to focus on its greatest advantages after 2003. The given graph show s the rate of McDonalds restaurant growth in the UK. McDonalds is famous for its lean operations to provide capacity, tight portion control and fast service. But the drive to reduce cost is not only limited to its core tasks. By analysing electricity costs on a half-hourly basis, reviewing this provision and pro activity seeking alternative suppliers, McDonalds has cut  £14 million from its  £18 million electricity bill for England and Wales. A separate deal for Scotland has lead to saving of more than 30 percent (www.mcdonalds.com).McDonalds 600-plus suppliers are independent Companies with whom long-term relationships have been developed. This strategy is intended to improve McDonalds ability to focus its efforts on its core business- restaurant operations. Most suppliers operate on a cost-plus basis. To discuss the needs of suppliers McDonalds often holds seminars and conferences Conclusion McDonalds posses good information about market and knows a great deal about the common attributes of its most valued customers. There is high rate of franchising in fast food industry, so this sector is supposed to be one of the most challenging sectors to operate in. McDonalds is trying to get good will from the customers by providing hot, fresh and testy fast food of good value to customers on every occasion. McDonalds uses four terms for their operational missions which are quality, cleanliness, service and value.Mc Donalds take a resources view of their operations strategy. They work in almost every significant economy of the world, but maintain virtually the same format for operatons. McDonalds has expanded to become one of the worlds best known brands, with leading share of the branded quick service restaurant industry. Recommendations From the above study and conclusion, I would like to suggest some recommendations for the improvement and to increase the business of McDonalds Company. Most of the staffs working in the McDonalds company are under 21 years of age The waiting time for customers is 90 seconds which is targeted by McDonalds Company, but many people are waiting for long time in the queue for their meals in busy time, so McDonalds should do the management in it. For the internal improvement of the Company, McDonalds should collect external information from its customers to find out good performance and weakness of the Company.

Consumer Behavior: Multi Level Marketing

Consumer Behavior: Multi Level Marketing Consumer is considered as the core element which decides the exiting of a business firm. They are the ones who buy and use products and services (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English). Understanding consumer behaviors, consumer buying process and factors affect consumer buying behavior which may bring number of benefits is one of the most important tasks confronting every competing business. That is why companies spend such a lot of money in understanding behaviors of their consumers. This study aims to identify perceptions and key factors affecting to consumer behavior towards multi-level marketing companies and their products so that marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. PROBLEM STATEMENT Direct selling business has a history of dozens of years in the world and nearly ten years of operation in Vietnam market and more than four years from the issuance of Law on Competition (2004) and Decree 110 on Multi-level Marketing Management, it is still very difficult for distributors of multi-level marketing companies to sell products or to invite people to collaborate with them as an independent business owner of the company because of negative perceptions of consumers on direct selling companies and their products. This makes things to be very difficult for doing this kind of business in Vietnam. In addition, together with the entrance of many new comers into Vietnam market in recent years, the competition in the industry becomes not as harsh as ever before. Being recognized as born in the late 1800s when traveling salesmen created trained sales organizations with hundred of salesmen to sell various products in America, direct selling is considered as a dynamic and vibrant industry offering employment to more than 62 million independent sales representatives. According to data from World Foundation of Direct Selling Association (WFDSA), worldwide retail sales by its members accounted for more than US$114 billion in 2007. Although direct selling industry has a long history and obtained very good results with a great potential of growth, as consideration of many experts, it is not easy for direct selling companies to enter a new market and gain the good perception of local consumers. In Vietnam, direct selling appeared ten years ago (in 2000) but there still are very negative perceptions of consumers on this kind of business and its products. This makes things seem to be very difficult for doing this kind of business in Vietnam. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: Primarily, this study aims to take a general picture of perceptions of consumer towards multi-level marketing companies and their products in relation to the factors that effect consumers buying decision. The main problem is to find out what the most important factors consumers have in mind when buying or not buying products and/or agreeing or refusing to become a distributor of a multi-level marketing company. Specifically, the research objectives include the followings: To define the current situation of multi-level marketing business in Vietnam; To identify factors that have influence on the consumer behavior towards multi-level marketing business in Vietnam; To describe the behaviors of consumers in HCMC and Mekong Delta toward multi-level marketing; To recommend solutions for increasing good perceptions of consumer for marketer working in multi-level marketing enterprises. THE SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF RESEARCH STUDY: The research just focuses on studying the literature of the consumer behavior, and the survey is conducted only in Ho Chi Minh City the economic hub of the South, and some rural areas in Mekong Delta region such as: Tien Giang, Can Tho and Ca Mau provinces which represent rural areas in the South of the country. Consumer behaviors of such regions may not represent the general behaviors of consumers nationwide. Due to the lack of official data of multi-level marketing industry and difficulty of getting the confidential internal business data from multi-level marketing companies, the data used in this research may not be sufficient enough. Besides, due of the limitation of time and money, the survey shall be carried out only with small sample size. THE POSITION OF THE RESEARCH COMPARED TO THE AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE AND FORMER WORKS Multi-level marketing or direct selling is till a very young industry in Vietnam. There is no former research or survey on this business so far. There are so many vague understandings about the industry in the perceptions of Vietnamese consumers. Hence, it is expected that this research will contribute a very first premise for further study for a general picture of multi-level marketing industry in Vietnam market. THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH: The author of this report is now working as Mekong Delta Regional Sales Supervisor in Amway Vietnam Company Limited, a worlds leading multi-level marketing company. Therefore, it is feasible for me to carry the survey, collect data and have enough information for making analysis. THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This is a combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches, the research will access all potential sources and means to collect data and information such as: collection and synthesis of secondary data, questionnaire design and pilot survey to ensure the maximum clarity and effectiveness of the questions, face-to-face interviews using questionnaire, online survey using questionnaire and meeting with some experts or stakeholders of multi-level marketing companies. CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Definition of consumer behavior: Consumer behavior is The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. The action a person takes in purchasing and using products and services, including the mental and social processes that precede and follow these actions. The behavioral sciences help answer questions such as: why people choose one product or brand over another; how they make these choices, and how companies use this knowledge to provide value to consumers. Belch and Belch define consumer behavior as the process and activities people engage in when searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and desires. 1.2 Consumer behavior and marketing mix: 1.3 Types of consumer decisions: 1.3.1 Habitual decision making: Habitual decision making involves no decision as such. Habitual decisions occur when there is very low involvement with the purchase and result in repeat purchasing behavior. A completely habitual decision does not even include consideration of the do-not-purchase alternative. Noticing that the product or service is needed will cause the consumer to purchase some of the same one in the next visit to such product or service supplier. The consumer will not even consider the possibilities of not replacing the product or service or purchasing another brand. 1.3.2 Limited decision making: Limited decision making covers the middle ground between habitual decision making and extended decision making. In its simplest form, limited decision making is very similar to habitual decision making. No other alternative may be considered, except, possibly, a very limited examination of a do-not-buy option. Limited decision making also occurs in response to some emotional or environmental needs. Consumers may also evaluate a purchase in terms of the actual or anticipated behavior of others. 1.3.3 Extended decision making: Extended decision making is the response to a very high level of purchase involvement. An extensive internal and external information search is followed by a complex evaluation of multiple alternatives. After the purchase, uncertainty about its correctness is likely and a thorough evaluation of the purchase will take place. Relatively few consumer decisions reach this extreme level of complexity. However, products such as cars, houses and personal computers are frequently purchased as a result of extended decision making. 1.4 Consumer purchase decision process: The purchase decision process is the stages a buyer passes through in making choices about which products and services to buy which includes five stages which are: problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision and post-purchase behavior. Post-purchase behavior: Value in consumption or use Purchase decision: Buying value Evaluation of alternatives: Assessing value Information search: Seeking value Problem recognition: Perceiving a need 1.4.1 Problem recognition: The consumer decision process begins with the recognition that a problem exits. The recognition of a problem is the result of a discrepancy between a desired state and an actual state which is sufficient to arouse and activate the decision process. Without recognition of a problem, there is no need for a consumer decision. If the consumer resolves the problem by recalling one satisfactory solution and purchasing that product or service without an evaluation, this is termed habitual decision making. Many consumer purchases, particularly of frequently purchased items, such as detergents, soft drink and petrol, are of this nature. Other problems may be resolved by recalling several potential solutions and choosing from among them, perhaps using some additional information, such as current prices. A great many consumer purchases are the results of such limited decision making. Problems that require thorough information searches, both internal and external, the evaluation of several alternatives along several dimensions, and considerable post-purchase evaluation, result in extended decision making. 1.4.2 Information search: Once the problem has been recognized, an information search is undertaken to isolate an effective solution. The information search may be extensive, very brief or somewhere between. 1.4.3 Evaluation of alternatives: After the information has been gathered, which allows the consumer to determine and compare the relevant and feasible alternatives, the decision can be made. 1.4.4 Purchase decision : 1.4.5 Post-purchase behavior: Post-purchase behavior is a process occurs after purchase or acquisition: use, evaluation, disposal and repurchase behavior. These reflect the satisfaction of the consumers relating to the usage of such product and/or service. Consumer satisfaction is influenced by product performance, the purchasing process and consumer expectations. 1.5 Major factors influencing buying behavior: 1.5.1 Internal influences: Perception: Perception is critical to the decision process and is also an internal phenomenon that is highly influenced by the internal influences. Perception is also influenced by external factors such as variety of groups, situations and marketing efforts. Learning and memory: The result of learning is memory and memory also has an influence on the learning process. There are two kinds of memory which are short-term and long-term ones which relate memory to brand image and product positioning. Motives, personality and emotion: Motives are the forces that initiate and direct consumer behavior. Motives may be either physiologically or psychologically based. In developed countries, most consumer behavior is guided by psychological motives. While motives direct behavior towards objectives, personality relates to characteristic patterns of behavior: personality is generally considered to reflect a consistent pattern of responses to a variety of situations, although the role played by the situation itself must also be recognized. Emotions are the feelings or affective responses to situations, products, advertisements and so forth. They affect information processing and preferences, and are becoming of increasing interest to marketers. Attitudes: Attitudes are formed out of the interrelationship between personal experience and lifestyle and the factors that help shape lifestyles. Attitudes are composed of three components which are cognitive, affective and behavioral. 1.5.2 External influences: Demographics and lifestyles The household Reference group Social status Culture Values 1.6 Attitude: 1.6.1 The three components of attitude: Beliefs: cognitive component of consumer attitude Affect: emotive component of consumer attitude Intention: behavioral intention component of consumer attitude Beliefs: Cognitive component of Consumer Attitude A consumer belief is a psychological association between a product, brand, outlet, action, etc. and an attribute or feature (and associated benefits) of such: Beliefs are cognitive (based on knowledge, experience, perception, etc.) The stronger the association of features or attributes (and association benefits) with the products, brand, outlet, action, etc., the stronger the consumers belief Brand equity is a measure of the strength of the association in the marketplace. Strategies to change consumer beliefs: Positioning by: product attributes, consumer benefits, intangible attributes, price, application, brand user, celebrity recognition, brand personality, product category, association with competitors country or geographic area, etc. 1.6.2 The Fishbein models: Affective responses to a brand consist of: The strength or weakness of a consumers beliefs about the brand and its attributes; The consumers evaluation of or feelings toward those attributes. Where: A = Attitude towards a brand Bi = Belief that the brand possesses attribute i Ei = Evaluation or desirability of attribute i I = Attribute 1,2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, m The Fishbein Model Belief-important Model Theory of Reasoned Action Theory of Trying Theory of Planned Behavior CHAPTER II: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2.1 Methods of studying consumer behavior: Qualitative research is a method of inquiry appropriated in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. The qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, when, where. Hence, smaller but focused samples are more often needed, rather than large samples. 2.2 Sources of information: 2.2.1 Internal information: 2.2.2 External information: Two problems the commonly arise with secondary data are they do not completely fit the problem and they are not totally accurate. 2.3 Data collection: 2.2.1 Primary data: 2.2.2 Secondary data: 2.4 Data analysis: CHAPTER III: INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT SELLING BUSINESS Definition of direct selling: The concept of direct selling is based upon person-to-person relationships. The seller goes to the consumer rather than the consumer go to a shop. In todays fast changing society, where more people work and shopping patterns have altered, this type of shopping not only provides consumers with accessibility to a wide range of products but is also convenient. 2.2 Benefits of direct selling: 2.2.1 Benefits from distributor edge: Direct selling offers opportunity for individuals who want to earn an income and build a business of their own. It offers an alternative to traditional employment for those who desire a flexible income earning opportunity to supplement their household income, or whose responsibilities or circumstances do not allow for regular part-time or full time employment. The cost for an individual to start an independent direct selling business is typically very low. This means it provides benefits for investors to avoid a significant risk of loss. This also means anyone can do it. Opportunities are offered to any ones who desire, particularly to those cannot or harshly compete for a job opportunity. There are no required levels of education, experience, financial resources or physical condition in direct selling. People of all ages and from all backgrounds have succeeded in direct selling. Usually, a modestly priced sales kit is all that is required for one to get started, and there is little or no required inventory or other cash commitments to begin. Direct selling can provide to distributors a good way to meet and socialize with people. For those who want to achieve a success based on the level of their efforts, direct selling is a good way. Set your own goals and determine yourself how to reach them since earning is in proportion to your own efforts. The level of success you can achieve is limited only by your willingness to work hard. Moreover, distributors can receive training and support from other distributors who works with them, and from the company they counter. 2.2.2 Benefits from consumer edge: Consumers benefit from direct selling because of the convenience and service it provides, including personal demonstration and explanation of products, home delivery, and generous satisfaction guarantees and serves consumers with a convenient source of quality products. 2.2.3 Benefits from enterprise edge: Direct selling provides a channel of distribution for companies with innovative or distinctive products not readily available in traditional retail stores, or who cannot afford to compete with the enormous advertising and promotion costs associated with gaining space on retail shelves. Direct selling enhances the retail distribution infrastructure of the economy. 2.3 Types of direct sellings compensation plan: 2.3.1 Single-level compensation plan: Single level compensation plan means a representative/distributor is compensated based solely on ones own product sales. 2.3.2 Multi-level compensation plan: In a multilevel compensation plan, distributors are compensated based not only on ones own product sales, but on the product sales of ones down-line. Multilevel marketing is an important component of the Direct Selling industry. It is also referred to as network marketing, structure marketing or multilevel direct selling, and has proven over many years to be a highly successful and effective method of compensating direct sellers for the marketing and distribution of products and services directly to consumers. Differences between multilevel marketing and pyramid scheme: 2.4.1 Multilevel Marketing model: Multilevel marketing is a popular way of retailing in which consumer products are sold, not in stores by sales clerks, but by independent businessmen and women (called distributors), usually in customers homes. As a distributor you can set your own hours and earn money by selling consumer products supplied by an established company. In a multilevel structure you can also build and manage your own sales-force by recruiting, motivating, supplying and training others to sell those products. Your compensation then includes a percentage of the sales of your entire sales group as well as earnings on your own sales to retail customers. This opportunity has made multilevel marketing an attractive way of starting a business with comparatively little money. And the most important statement should be emphasized is that multilevel marketing is a legitimate income opportunity for everybody. Anyone can do it. 2.4.2 Pyramid scheme: Pyramid schemes are illegal scams in which large numbers of people at the bottom of the pyramid pay money to a few people at the top. Each new participant pays for the chance to advance to the top and profit from payments of others who might join later. For example, to join, you might have to pay anywhere from a small investment to thousands of dollars. In this example, $1,000 buys a position in one of the boxes on the bottom level. $500 of your money goes to the person in the box directly above you, and the other $500 goes to the person at the top of the pyramid, the promoter. If all the boxes on the chart fill up with participants, the promoter will collect $16,000, and you and the others on the bottom level will each be $1,000 poorer. When the promoter has been paid off, his box is removed and the second level becomes the top or payoff level. Only then do the two people on the second level begin to profit. To pay off these two, 32 empty boxes are added at the bottom, and the search for new participants continues. Each time a level rises to the top, a new level must be added to the bottom, each one twice as large as the one before. If enough new participants join, you and the other 15 players in your level may make it to the top. However, in order for you to collect your payoffs, 512 people would have to be recruited, half of them losing $1,000 each. Of course, the pyramid may collapse long before you reach the top. In order for everyone in a pyramid scheme to profit, there would have to be a never-ending supply of new participants. In reality, however, the supply of participants is limited, and each new level of participants has less chance of recruiting others and a greater chance of losing money. A closer inspection of a pyramid schemes so called products typically reveals that they have no real market value. This is because the products are often gimmicks such as certificates, spurious training programs or magazine subscriptions, illusory discounts, or over-priced and under-performing miracle treatments and the like. Recruits are often obliged to invest in large quantities of these products with no realistic prospect of marketing them to actual consumers (or returning them for credit). Their investments, however, generate substantial income for the promoter who enticed them into the scheme. 2.4.2 Differences between lawful multi-level marketing model and illegal pyramid schemes: The following factors differentiate illegal pyramids from lawful direct selling businesses: Legitimate direct selling companies offer a genuine business opportunity based on the sale of quality products to consumers. They routinely offer consumers satisfaction guarantees or cancellation rights so that the consumer may return the product for replacement or refund if the consumer is dissatisfied. Pyramids schemes have no such commercially viable product sales base. Legitimate direct selling companies strongly discourage overstocking of inventory and provide participants leaving the plan with an opportunity to return any unused, salable merchandise to the company for a refund of not less than 90% of the salespersons net cost. In contrast, pyramid schemes often encourage or require large stocks of non-refundable inventory and disappointed scheme participants are then left with stock which they can neither sell nor return. Legitimate direct selling opportunities may be taken up with minimal start-up costs and little or no inventory investment. Even modest entry fees may be refundable if the new direct seller decides not to pursue the opportunity. Conversely, pyramid selling schemes often require high entry fees and/or substantial investment in inventory, and neither are refundable. This is because pyramid operators make their money from new recruits to their schemes. The sales and marketing plans of credible direct selling companies are based on the progressive recognition and reward of direct sellers for the development of a customer base for consumption of the companys products. The development and stability of a direct sellers business is dependent on satisfied consumers and fairly remunerated direct selling network members. Pyramid schemes, on the other hand, offer get-rich-quick schemes to induce participants to buy ground-floor or leadership positions. In pyramid selling schemes there is no viable, long-term business opportunity. Unfortunately, some potentially fraudulent schemes will claim to offer a multilevel marketing opportunity, but in fact are simply recruiting schemes in which people must make substantial investments in order to participate. CHAPTER IV: OVERVIEW OF DIRECT SELLING INDUSTRY IN VIETNAM 4.1 Overview of Vietnam direct selling market: 4.1.1 History: 4.2.2 Market size: 4.1.2 Market growth: 4.1.3 SWOT analysis: 4.2 Players of direct selling: 4.3 Distribution channel of direct selling: 4.4 Legal framework for direct selling: 4.5 Leading enterprises: 4.6 What managers thought about perspectives of direct selling in Vietnam? In 2008 the retail industry in Vietnam saw very strong expansion in terms of outlets in both grocery and on-grocery channels. Huge investment by local retailers was poured into the market in order to capitalise on available good locations before Vietnam fully opens its retail industry to foreign investors in 2009. Penetration from foreign retailers was also more fierce compared with 2007. International investors such as Wellcome Supermarket, Best Denki and Lotte Mart, among others, all obtained the requisite license. Local retailers prepared for the foreign invasion by providing better service, improving product quality and implementing more marketing activities and cooperation between local brands. Non-store retailing remained a niche of the overall retail industry. The main product category remained cosmetics and toiletries. Non-store retailing was not yet strong enough to influence manufacturers or other retail formatsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Non-store retailing still needs to educate consumers and increase consumer awareness. (Euromonitor Retailing Vietnam 2009) CHAPTER V: SURVEY RESULTS CONSUMER BEHAVIOR OF CONSUMERS IN HO CHI MINH CITY AND MEKONG DELTA 5.1 Overview of respondents: 5.2 Descriptive analysis: CHAPTER VI: KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Key findings and recommendations: CONCLUSIONS:

Plato Essays -- essays research papers

Plato was a philosopher and educator in ancient Greece. He was one of the most important thinkers and writers in the history of Western culture. Plato was born in Athens into a family that was one of the oldest and most distinguished in the city. His father Ariston died when Plato was only a child. The name Plato was a nickname meaning broad shoulders. Plato's real name was Aristocles. Plato had aspirations of becoming a politician, however these hopes were destroyed when his friend Socrates was sentenced to death in 299 B.C. Extremely hurt Plato left Athens and traveled for several years. In 387 B.C., Plato returned to Athens and founded a school of philosophy and science that became known as the Academy. Topics such as astronomy, biological sciences, mathematics, and political science w...

Tina Modotti :: Essays Papers

Tina Modotti Even though Tina Modotti is considered a Mexican photographer because her artistic career was mostly based in Mexico and the American Southwest, she was born in Undine, Italy in 1896. She moved to California in 1913 and was employed in various labor-intensive factory jobs. She was first known mainly because of her relationship with photographer Edward Weston, for whom she was a model in the 1920s; but her abstract, portrait, and still-life photographs â€Å"showed her to be an accomplished photographer in her own right† (encyclopedia). In the 1920s, Modotti was active with Mexican revolutionaries, joining the Mexican Communist Party, and having close connections with the Mexican Artists’ Union. When her lover, Cuban revolutionary Julio Antonio Mella, was found murdered in 1928, she was accused but acquitted of complicity in his murder (encyclopedia). Modotti was eventually deported to Berlin because of her revolutionary ties when there was an assassination attempt on the Mexican president Pascal Ortiz Rubio. From Berlin, she moved to Moscow in 1931 and abandoned photography temporarily in favor of revolutionary causes there. She also lived in France and Spain before returning to Mexico clandestinely in 1939. When back in Mexico, she continued photography and political work until her death of a heart attack in 1942 (encyclopedia). Most of her surviving famous photographs were from her period in Mexico between 1923 and 1926. The photograph entitled â€Å"Staircase, 1925† is a good example of an abstract architectural image. Composition features in this work include the use of repetition of a line pattern, and perspective. â€Å"It is a picture of space becoming a pattern – a construction of lines and triangles stretched very tightly towards two dimensions – in which depth is both precisely described and subtly denied† (Szarkowski). It bears a resemblance to the drawings of M.C. Escher, where the eye is tricked into seeing an impossibly three-dimensional object. Here, an obviously three-dimensional subject is shortened to appear flat, due to the lack of contrast between near and far distances. The photograph â€Å"Flor de Manita, 1925† shows great equity between figure and ground shapes. It is a plant that has large sweeping curves, but because of the darkness of the subject and the lightness of the background, if viewed from a distance, the nature of the subject is obscured and one sees only white and black shapes that harmoniously coexist with one another.

Determining Hate Crimes Essay -- essays research papers

Exposition: Determining Hate Crimes?Hate based on race, religion and sexual orientation exist within any cultural rich societies. When this type of hate fuels a person into taking violent actions upon those they hate, it is called a hate crime; a topic which the American public is seriously concerned about. It has been a widely discussed subject on the media, and often debates of whether or not a crime should be attributed with hate are the center for discussion.Does hate crime imply on any case when a person is convicted for inflicting damage on someone "different"? It is often difficult to set a benchmark for measuring sufficiency of hate as a cause to label it in front of crime. The term can be conveniently stretched and squeezed by people with different ideas and biases. The four white policemen who brutally beat Rodney King Jr., a black man, half to death for merely speeding is determined by the court ¡Ã‚ ¦s judgment, as officers performing their duty. Hate, to those particular jurors and judge, was not a valid concern. To them, the beating was not due to the officers ¡Ã‚ ¦ resentment for a black man, but because they were simply disciplining an offender of the law. To the minority groups, the court ¡Ã‚ ¦s ruling was outrageous. From their point of view, the savage beating was unnecessary and hate was obviously the factor which induce the four cops to perform such a nasty feat. Because people have varying views and opinions, application of the term "hate crime&qu...

Castle Rock Essay

How is an Atmosphere of Fear and Evil Created in the Chapter ‘Castle Rock’? The infamous ‘Lord of the Flies’ chapter ‘Castle Rock’: By the time you reach the chapter â€Å"Castle Rock†, the children’s behaviour is deteriorating, as they turn into savages, and start attacking and stealing from each other to survive in the ghastly wilderness. It is here that they expect that nobody will travel to rescue and protect them from the malignity from the horrifying island. The author tries to manipulate and influence the reader. He portrays an image that every inhabitant on the island has turned savage; however this is not the case. In fact ‘Piggy’ and Ralph are still sane, although it totally destroys Ralph’s heart, that Roger massacred ‘Piggy’ with the up-most aggression. Hence everybody chased him with repugnance to murder him with bullet sharp wooden spears. All of this puts the readers’ mind into overdrive, and makes the reader petrified. Cleverly by writing, ‘Ralph protested out of the heart of civilisation’ Makes the reader feel sorry for Ralph in his desperation, for all that he desires, which is peace. Moreover, the reader even feels a little guilty, due to the fact that the reader cannot do anything to help Ralph in his ventures. The author says, ‘Awful things have been done on this island’. This insinuates that mysterious and violent transpirences occur day and night. Some are noticed, and some are left overlooked, almost as if it is the norm, or because it is top secret never to be whispered to any other human soul. This makes most of the children want to use its unknown terror to cause chaos. One example of language and punctuation used in the chapter ‘Castle Rock’ is devised to create an atmosphere of fear and evil is, ‘The shivering, silvery unreal laughter of the savages sprayed out and echoed away. A gust of rage shook Ralph! ’ When the author says ‘unreal laughter’ it hints at something sinister and the fact that something evil is in the atmosphere around them. The author makes it sound as if it is a normal and acceptable occurrence, because he doesn’t add any special punctuation to it to make it sound more bloodcurdling than the average day in ‘Castle Rock’. Furthermore, the punctuation used in this quote, ‘A gust of rage shook Ralph! ’ shows how furious Ralph is, by adding an exclamation mark for emphasis. This makes the reader feel the fear of what Ralph might do. In other parts of the chapter, the author creates confusion, which makes the reader think of the multiple directions that a specific part of the chapter can lead to. The author uses his genius skill to manipulate his description to have more than one meaning. One of the meanings is to incite fear, and the other is to bring hope into the hearts of the readers. Another example of language and punctuation used is the quote, ‘Then there was, there was†¦ that’s his fault too. ’ When the author writes ‘There was, there was’, the words ‘there was’ are repeated to show the anxiety of the children who are saying these words. As well as that, the author says ‘†¦ that was his fault too’ the ellipses used shows that what the children had to say was too gruesome to pronounce. The language used shows that someone has committed something so appalling that it cannot be mentioned and that it is something that terrifies the living daylights out of them. In due course, I think that the fear and evil has consumed the island, because it makes most of the children resort to slaughtering pigs just for fun, because they have lost their innocence and conscience. This is mainly down to the fact that there is no law, there is nobody to tell them right from wrong; they think that they have the right to do anything that they desire, there is no concept of crime and punishment. This makes it almost impossible for anybody to live in peace or harmony. Another reason is because secretly they are all scared stiff of Jack, because he is the eldest and biggest, physically, and he has a powerful ally to fight for him and to protect him, known as Roger, however his biggest ally of all is fear itself. Ultimately, Jack wants to have all of his enemies to live in fear, so they slowly turn to him, because when they are fearful of him, they know that the longer they stay with Jacks number one enemy, the worse their punishment would be if he were to capture them. So they eventually turn to him for guidance and protection. Thus, this makes him the ‘king’ of the island in a violent and brutal way.

A Streetcar Named Desire and Top Girl Essay

Man tush non learn to result, solely hangs on to the noncurrent times however faraway or fast he runs that cooking stove runs with him.- Friedrich Nietzsche (German-Swiss philosopher and writer). In the light of Nietzsches opinion, match and contrast the presentation of the former(prenominal) as a limiting factor to the identities of the pistillate protagonists in A Streetcar named appetite and Top Girls Williams and Churchill present the knightly times as a haunting spectre that threatens the functions put across in their future tense life. Both work outwrights urinate the ago as an emerging filament that, parasitic like, has clinged onto the protagonists present and immobilised the characters ability to lick and improvement. The retroactive structure of Top Girls reinforces this.Marlene attempts to guide her operative class roots in the city office, still now the chain of her last(prenominal), her effeminate infant Angie, imprisons her in this rattling en vironment she seeks to flee. Blanche Dubois seeks resort in her siss area in an attempt to release herself from the gyves of her past presenting herself as a gray Belle in search of a humankind and holding on to Old grey traditional set she is always inharmonious to New Orleans and the future America. Initi entirelyy, two athleticswrights present the past as a route of future imprisonment for the characters. The sign exposition of Blanches marriage and widowing is demo by means of the constant symbolic sizable of the traditional polish Polka as well as revealing Blanches extreme sensitivity as a woman, to her past and expo trustworthy as how man faecal matter non forget. Blanche is glue to her past get togethering, and deliberately forces herself to be lyingve that her antecedent experiences no longish intimidates her, scarce ample d have it offledge, her remembrances haunt her, infiltrating in her present and future with the subtle sound of the luxuriant Polka music, slowly becoming very much(prenominal) and more frequent, leading up to the approaching point towards the end, where Blanche reaches her sad self-destruction, where her blood brother in law rapes her.The texture of the polka music creates an enhanced contextual shot of the play, where the audience gains a exempter perspective of how the past reflects on the construction of each characters psyche. Blanche can non forget her past, but chooses to hang on to it. Her prime(prenominal) of constantly remembering the sound of the Polka, is a reflection of her hesitation of wanting to progress Blanche is her throw enemy, therefore universe her own barrier to overcome past dilemmas. non SURE WHAT ELSE TO ADD Churchill presents lies as a means of liberation for Blanche. When speaking to Stella, she laughs at myself, myself for universe such a liar. Im writing to Shep. Blanche unambiguously admits that she in fact, is a liar the repetition of the ad hominem pronoun my self emphasises the irony in her statement Blanche is very well sensible of her past, and so chooses to lie to avoid any future consequences through exposing the truth. neurotic and corrupted, hiding from herself bottomland synthetic illusions. as described by Christopher Innes in John Russel Brown (ed.) 1995 422 Blanche is suit to face with Stella, she is desperate for more or less Alcohol and compulsively searches Stellas house for some hard liquor, I know you must have some liquor on the placeBlanche plain seems to feel no shame of having a inebriation near Stella but nervously tamps her cigarette however, suddenly, further in the scene, Blanche negates a drink, when stanley arrives home from work, No, I rarely equalize it. and lies to Stanley as (He holds the bottle to the light to succeed its depletion.) as he has noticed that mortal has drunk some liquor. Blanche clearly feels fright and ashamed in having some liquor in the presence of the Alpha male, Stanley Kowa lski, and denies the drink however, Stanley has already seen through Blanches pretence and gabs, some people rarely correspond it, but it touches them often. Blanche is richly awake that the first impressions are the ones that stay, especially as she has a necessity to impress men, so she knows that if she accepts the drink and has it near Stanley, her reputation as a Southern Belle will be destroyed.However, Blanche seems to be quite flattered to have Stanleys attention and without a doubt, realises that Stanley is flirting with her, and mechanically switches to her past seductive self which she initially tried to cover up. The promptness in which Blanche reacts and gives in to Stanleys seductive methods, clearly plants how she cannot turn down being a fake but, cannot protagonist but giving in to her old, past likings. Critic JJ Thompson argues that Blanche is detain by the sins of her past, which to an expiration is true as Blanche may not have needed to create a fake past if she had not through anything wrong. She is desperate to conceal the truth near her preceding record of prostitution and promiscuity. However, it is not in fact her sins that trap her, but her desire to hold on to the value of the old south, as society demands spinsters to be the visible manifestation of the Southern rearing and purityWe have no clear trace of Stanleys past, or what leads him into playing in such an manipulative manner, however, in contrast with Blanche, he does not show any signs of being chained to his previous experiences, but shows some sort of complexness in his character, as he intimidates Blanche causation some sort of disruption in her care- innocent(p) lies. This complexion could be the fact that Stanleys apparent broken character is solely a male instinct of advocate possession and pride as a man. Critic Londr argues that Williams intended a difference of power between Blanche and Stanley, to show that two are complex figures whose wants and behaviours must be understood in the context of what is at stake for them. Felicia H. Londr in M.C. Rouande 1997 50. At stake for both is something essentially selfish- break away for Blanche, sexual satisfaction and dominance for Stanley. evenly in Top Girls, Marlenes sister Joyce clings on to her past.She still criticises Marlenes impression by accusing her that I dresst know how you could leave your own child. By referring still to Angie as Marlenes child, suggests that Joyce has not accepted the past and this leads to the growth of her resentment and bitterness, and these sentiments are joint through the monosyllabic tone of the language. Joyce seems to be imprisoned by her past as she has no means of prospering. The womanly home(prenominal) environment becomes Joyces biggest limitation and the ending, implies that she is enduringly trapped in the past, leaving her with no hope for the future. The stage direction Marlene goes. Joyce goes on sitting, allows the audience to perceive the visual jolt the past has created between the mother- fille relationship, and once once more referring back to the post-feminist criticism of Feminist abandoning their excogitation of sisterhood and embracing a more materialistic society, who care to the highest degree the individual, much like Margret Thatchers ideology.Blanche however, uses the figure of Shep Huntleigh to re- break him as a potential date rather of recalling the past and classifying him as a failed sports fan in her life. Even though, this can be seen as a weakness of Blanche, she has not released the chain of her past but simply covering the dirt up with the carpet. Blanche feels enlightened through her untrue past which is obvious as she laughs at herself. The tragic protagonist is all too aware of her lies, and seems to be gaining some sort of pleasure through her fake truths, which shows that Blanche is ultimately just as phony as can be. She cannot let go from her desire to be a delicate so uthern belle, who relies on the kindness of strangers like unfortunate old Mitch, Stanleys friend (not sure on how I can embodiment on it without losing my point) rather than face her cosmos of being an ageing, penniless prostitute with a corrupt reputation. Blanche is far from being trapped by her sins she is trapped by her desires, not for sexual satisfaction but for the past.Churchill also illustrates how the past can set the characters free. In Act 1, the protagonist Marlene gathers women who suffer with their past together, to feel liberated through sharing their experiences. This is an uncommon part of the play and though we do not know exactly where and when it takes place, we are aware that all the women in this scene are from the past of literature, art and history. Marlenes story is ironically told through the historical character of long- pain Griselda implying her promotion at work, Pope Joan fetching over a male share as Marlene had in the office, Dull Gret fight men, Isabella Bird leaving home and her family behind to fencesitterly travel and the historic character from Japan, Lady Nijo, who grew in an imperial court, as one that has her motherhood nature, debilitated due to her three traumas with child abduction taken the child from the own father, the Emperor, I saw my daughter once.Marlene, the protagonist hosts a dinner caller for her friends, where here, all the six women have the hazard to share their past experiences. When Nijo begins to recall her tragic history, her speech becomes more fragmented and the characters take apart less while she talks about her past, it hurts to remember the past admits Lady Nijo. By gathering these persistent women in a celebration of Marlenes job promotion, transmits a message that for the present to be fully valued, the past has to be reviewed. If Lady Nijo had not gone through her losses with her children, she had not learnt the value of being a mother, an independent woman and bearing childr en, leading her into being a Buddhist monk and life sentence her life completely please herself and make headway her well-being.Marlene says, how far weve all come. This comment switches the past form regret to thankfulness of emerging from prejudice against women. The use of the pronoun we demonstrates that this progression is one that all women make together, musical accompaniment a feminist reading of the play as one which would argue that women found on achievementes of women of the past to achieve in future. Churchill presents women in Thatcherite Britain who are trying to establish a future focus, a naked society where women were able to be in power. Blanche is too afraid to embrace this pose to the past it was essential in 1947 as America needed to establish a forward focus following the war, where the suffering past that women once went through, no longer hindered them in taking a stand. Alternatively, it can be argued that the past actually limits the female protag onists in both Top Girls and A Streetcar Named Desire.The structure of Top Girls reinforces this pipeline as the retroactive structure implies the past of these characters keep chasing after again and again, being unable to look towards the future, being disallow by their past. Protagonist, Marlene ends up in her working class, domestic space and the past- which is ironic as she defines her success against her capacity to escape these things, which suggests that her success is not as valid as it might seem.Streetcar on the contrary, uses a linear structure where the action escalates towards the vertex, provided the characters such as Blanche cannot progress but tragically end up disheartened, owed to the past that limits her. Blanche does not accept the new earth and holds on to her old world values of the past. Both playwrights therefore present hostile perceptions on the role of the past Williams sees it as a form of escape and to guide forward from, whereas Churchill insist s on evaluating the impact it has on the present, as we end up re-examining Marlenes success, rather than looking to the future.