Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market Essay Example for Free

Case for Analysis Marching Towards mart EssayIntroductionWhirlpool Corporation is a Fortune 500 company and a globose manufacturer and tradeer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $20 billion. Whirlpool entered the Indian market in the late 80s, and had entrenched itself as a formidable player in the Indian home appliances market by the mid 1990s, with a comprehensive product portfolio covering washing machines, refrigerator, smallwave oven ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is one of the most recognized put up in home appliances in India and holds a market shell come on of over 20%. tour Whirlpool is an acknowledged player in many of the water purifier markets across the innovation for the past several years now, Whirlpool entered the maturation water purifier market in India in 2008. Given its focus on attaining market loss leadership through Customer loyalty, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012. This case presents the situation of the water purifier market in India, and poses challenges that Whirlpool will have to overcome to achieve its vision of seemly the market leaders.Drinking peeing A perspectiveEven as world bodies and governments across the continents be strategizing to manage the growth humanity in a holistically sustainable manner, availability of safe drinking is a major field of honor of concern for all. As high as 884 Mn people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughlyone in eight of the worlds population. 1.4 million children die every year from diarrhoea ca consumptiond by unclean water and poor sanitation one child every 20 seconds. Approximately 80% of diseases in India are caused by water borne micro organisms.This is true in rural as well as urban India. However, awareness of health risks linked to unsafe water The use of water grass be broadly divided in to two major categories, namely for Consumption (drinking, cooki ng etc) and Sanitation. This case focuses on water used for drinking purposes.A brief on urine Treatment methodsThroughout human history, different methods of treating water before consumption have been devised. Up until about 100 years ago, it was always found that water flowing from natural out desexualizes was safe for drinking in its natural state, but in the 21 century even spring water is first scientifically tested before it is recommended or bottled for drinking. Each of the above methods carries with them significant dis reinforcements either from a convenience point of view or from health and hygiene perspective. This calls for more(prenominal) sophisticated methods of purifying water, to jibe with the evolving lifestyles in the societies.Current State-of-the-Art Water Purification TechnologiesToday, the more sophisticated and commercially functional water purifying technologies are, Manual fill Purifier (Drip Type) Ultra Violet (UV) purification Reverse Osmosis (R O) purificationThe latter two are generally referred to as electronic Water Purifier technologies (EWP) by exception, the first one is referred to as Non EWP.The above three are given in the order of chronological evolution, with RO technology cosmos the in vogue(p) in the Water Purification technology. The manual fill purifiers do not run on electricity, which is a scarce resource in many part of rural India, and similarly have significantly lower cost in resemblance to the EWPs. Interestingly , these manual fill purifiers which in general use chlorine or UF technology are at par in performance with UV in terms of microbial protection. UV has been the oldest technology in the industriousness. It typically involves foregoing stages of filtration, sticked by treating the filtered water through UV rays to deactivate the microbial organisms. In the RO technology, even the smallest of microbial organisms are filtered using the reverse osmosis technology.RO technology especially win over UV when the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) count in the source water is high . one and only(a) disadvantage of RO systems is the wastage of significant quantum of water during its processing. Needless to say, the costs of the products under these different technologies increase from manual fill purifiers to UV purification systems to RO purification. The typical price post of manual fill purifier products is Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3500, magic spell the UV products range in price between Rs. 4000 to Rs. 9000. The RO products are priced on the higher side starting from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 20000. Many products available in the market today in India use a combination of technologies but for the products in the lower end technologies (manual fill purifiers).Water Purifier Market in IndiaThe delivery of purified water in the Indian markets follow two conduits, namely, water purified in purification plants delivered to residences and other consumption locations (e.g. restaurants) in cans a nd installation of water purification instruments at the place of usage. While the formerOne of the oldest methods of treating water, and one still used constantly in Third World and often in developing nations or areas that have seen recent natural disasters, is stewing to kill microbes (but this causes loss of taste and may leave in dirt). Other methods of water treatment include filtering and distilling, use of chemical agents such(prenominal) as iodine or Silver or Potassium Permanganate into the water supply, or the use of candle filters. methodology predominantly uses multiple technologies mentioned above, provides economies of scale and eliminates initial costs of investment funds in equipments, the costs involved in distribution of the treated water counters these economies of scale. The latter provides for visibility and ease of use, which are significant perceived benefits in comparison to the former. While both the delivery mechanisms exist, the latter is fast catching up. This case focuses on the latter, which is typically referred to as the Water Purifier industry.This industry is broadly divided in to two categories namely Electronic Water Purifiers (EWP) comprising of products using UV or/and RO technologies and Non Electronic Water Purifiers (Non EWP) comprising of products that use the manual fill purifiers. Frost and Sullivan report of master(a) research in 2009, estimates the total market size of the Water Purifier industry in India to be 2000 Cr of which 63% is from product sales and 37% is by and by sales revenue. Despite the size of this industry, the Water Purifier industry in India has a low penetration (2% Urban and 0.5% All India) as per IRS 2007 and is growing at a fortified rate (others use traditional water treatment methods comparable boiling and filtering, or use of chemical additives like Chlorine, Potassium permanganate etc). As per AC Nielson 2006 study( and internal estimates), the industry is expected to touch approx 2 .3 mn units by the end of 2009. Expected growth rate of 15% and a CAGR (04-09) 21%.The average ASV of the industry is Rs 6700. With a size of approx 1.7mn (units), the EWP market is divided into 2 sub- sections RO (30% sal) UV (70%). The RO element is the premium end of the crime syndicate and has an ASV of Rs 12000 speckle UV has an ASV of Rs. 7000 .RO UV growths , CAGRs(04-09) are (15% ,16%) and (10% ,10%) respectively. The Non-EWP segment operates at a sub 2K ASV (Rs 1900). This segment is noticeing an volatile growth with the entrance major players like HUL etc . The Annual growth rate was witnessed at 25% spell CAGR(04-09) at 77%. It is important to note that the technology sold in a given local market is also dependentlargely on the characteristics of the source drinking water in the given demography. For example, a region like Delhi with high TDS calls for RO technology, while regions like Cochin with low TDS would depend on products with UV technology. Also, one of t he detriments to EWP products is the availability of continuous flow of source water and availability of power, both of which advantages are addressed the products dependent on Manual come across Purifier technology.While the major element of the market in the water purifier equipment course in India is still in the unorganized sector, branded products are catching up and their market parcel out is improving. The major branded players in the market are Eureka Forbes (AquaGuard, AquaSure brands), Kent, Philips, HUL (Pureit), Ion Exchange (Zero B) Ushabrita and Whirlpool (Purafresh). As per Frost and Sullivan report 2009 , Market share by player and by technology- Approx Shares ( for 2008) Eureka Forbes RO(20%) , UV(35%) , Drip Type(33%) Kent RO(25%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) ZeroB RO(15%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) HUL RO(0%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(42%) OTH RO(40%) , UV(65%) , Drip Type(25%) The Non-EWP segment was primarily dominated by local players until recently, when HUL entered the category with its drip type purifier under the brand Pureit at a break through price of Rs 1800 and took the market by storm.The other key players in this segment are Ushabrita Eureka Forbes. The channel for this segment has traditionally been the Direct to Home (DTH) route, with this route still accounting for a whopping 65% of the product sales in this category. The ratio of Eureka Forbes DTH sales is higher at 75%. On the trade side(contribution bal 35%), the DAP channel (Domestic Appliances Products) accounts for the larger proportion of the share with 65% while the Durable Trade accounts for the remaining 35%. The DAP Channel mainly consists of small appliance sellerswho sell products like iron , blenders , mixers , gas burners etc. These retailers primarily sell products which lie within the price range of Rs 500-Rs 5000. They are typically not in the prime locations in the market place and their shopfloor size is on an avg10X10ft.The products are displayed mostly in a pa cked form. The products are sold very close to the MRP and the discounts leaveed are in the range of only 5-10% HUL has made an entry through a unique channel. It has opened up a large number of Water Safe Zones / Product Experience Centres and is pushing the volumes from there while catering to direct to home service as well While HUL is establishing itself in the entry level segment through consistent advertising and promotions , the more established players in UV RO like Eureka Kent too are active in the media space and are seen promoting their products through several media elements. Recently, HUL was seen rolling out a Rs 1 Crore challenge offer and heavily promoting the same. At the same period Eureka Forbes was also seen throwing a Money Back Guarantee offer on its products.Eureka Forbes operates with a strong sales service force of 6000 people on the company rolls along with an equally large group of troika party franchises. The company has been under pressure to expa nd its volumes since the avg the productivity of its sales team has come down over years. Lately, they have been seen heavily focussing on retail through their Aquasure brand while the Aquaguard brand is operating in the DTH section. Kent has its own sales service set up in Northern India while it depends on third party franchises for its operation in the rest of the country. It has branch offices in 6 cities (AP , Karnataka, Kerala , Mumbai , Gujarat , West Bengal). In order to counter HULs explosive growth, Kent recently rolled out a NON-EWP (UF based) purifier at a price of Rs 2500 under the sub-brandKent Gold.This product is being primarily marketed through the retail channel. HUL has set up its Safe water zones with external KSPs ( Key service providers) while continuing to have its internal sales team supervising the operations . In Delhi for example , it has 27 such zones with a sales team of 750 sales men, 17 Territory sales executives (TSE) , 3 business development executi ves (BDE) , 1 area head.(AH) and 2 service officers . The TSEs, BDEs AH are on company rolls. The next table summarizes the typical product price points in the various segments. Price range (In Rs) nonunionized 1500-2500 4000-6000 8000-12000 Organized 2000 3500 6000-9000 8000-20000 Whirlpool Not Applicable Not Applicable 12500-20500Segment Non EWP Ultra Violet (UV) Reverse Osmosis (RO)Whirlpools entry in the Water Purifier Market in IndiaWhirlpool has been present in the Water category in all the key regions of the world including US, Canada, NAR, Europe, Brazil, Mexico Asia in several value added segments like water heaters, bottled water dispensers, water softeners , Refrigerator filters etc. Whirlpool entered the Water Purifier Market in India in the early 2008 to tap in to the growing Water Purifier Market, cogitate on the RO segment to start with, with the launch of the Purafresh range of purifiers. Currently, Whirlpool Water Purifier products are available across all mark ets in the country. Whirlpool has garnered a Market Share of 5% in the RO segment in the past 1 years. The Water purifier category is a perfect brand fit for Whirlpool.It is a home appliance used by the home maker to provide safe and pure drinking water to her family, thus building a strong case of placing trust in the brand. This category will lend a lot of credibility to the Whirlpool brand. Whirlpools communication strategy also revolves around reinforcing this element of Trust. Equipped with Whirlpools patented 6th Sense technology, the new Purafresh water purifier is the first Reverse Osmosis system on the market that not only purifies but also protects the purity and freshness of the water with its prestigious gold seal certification (from GOLD Seal of Water character Association, USA WQA). Purafresh is available in three models Purafresh Platinum, Purafresh Elite and Purafresh Deluxe.Trigger Questions for AnalysisGiven the situation described above, suggest a comprehensive Go-To-Market plan following a systematic methodology for Whirlpool to achieve its overall objective of achieving market leadership in the Water Purifier Market (in the organized sector) by 2012, and its lag goal of achieving market leadership in the RO segment, ensuring its premium brand image, and its operational philosophies (given in the annexure for ready reference). A) Understanding and presentation by a Systematic methodology. B)Inputs Should contemplate comprehensive understanding of the company and competitive environment.1) Analyze company development , history, Growths. 2) Identify Strengths , weaknesses , 3) Analysis of external environment (Porter 5 forces , SWOT etc) C) Outputs Understating should result in output 1) Strategy on all 4 Ps 2) Channel Strategy ( Spl Focus) a) Evaluation of SWOT b) Key market insights c) Business aim Strategy d) testimonials (including articulation of hypothesis) e) innovative approach especially in the communication/promotion strategy Phase IIBuild a detailed business plan arising out of the above strategic plan, and project the profitability of this business over time, including investments that may be required for new products and their market entries, while achieving this objective. Recommendation evaluated by 1) Strategy 2) Product choice 2) Financials ( volumes, Margins , costs , etc) 3) Process of executing strategy 4) Innovative approach/ideas. In the first phase, the second phase query and related references should not be circulatedWhirlpools high end Purafresh platinum model, is Indias first and Only Direct Flow RO with no storage tank enabling quick consumption of freshly purified water with 72 litres per hour capacity (Normal RO products have 8-10 litres per hour capacity). It has an advanced 5-stage purification process and also boasts of a firstofits manakin electronic interface with a Filter change indicator, which alerts the consumer on the need to change the filter and thus ensures continual pur ity protection of the water. Other nosology functions like no water on tap indication, self cleaning mode indication, and water extraction indication makes it the most advanced and best in class product available in the Indian market today. Whirlpool entered the Indian market mainly leveraging their strength in the durable retail channel and has the highest share (30%) of all Water Purifier sales in this channel. Whirlpool has also entered the DAP Channel and are onlinely having a 10% share in that channel.The Surging to Lead ChallengeGiven its focus on attaining market leadership through Customer loyalty, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012, with an interim goal of attaining market leadership in the RO segment by 2010, while at the same time maintaining its brand position. This, no doubt, is a challenging aspiration for Whirlpool, given the well entrenched players in the market like Eureka Forbes, aggressive players like HUL who is focu sed on tapping the market at the Bottom of the Pyramid and a large unorganized market who would significantly benefit from the growth fuelled by these players. However, Whirlpool has to its advantage of its strong brand position in the hearts and minds of the home makers, and a strong, well established channel in the white goods market. The challenge for Whirlpool is to supplement its strengths, and perhaps work out completely innovative market strategies if it has to achieve its intent of becoming amarket leader in the Water Purifier Market in general, and that in the RO segment.Annexure A brief about WhirlpoolWhirlpool, right from its inception in 1911 as first commercial manufacturer of motorized washers to the current market position of being worlds number one manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, has always set industry milestones and benchmarks. The parent company is headquartered at Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA with a global presence in over 170 countries and manufacturing operation in 13 countries with 11 major brand names such as Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Roper, Estate, Bauknecht, Laden and Ignis. The company boasts of resources and capabilities beyond achievable feat of any other in the industry. Whirlpool initiated its international expansion in 1958 by entering Brazil. However, it emerged as truly global leader in the1980s. This encouraging trend brought the company to India in the late 1980s. It forayed into the market under a joint guess with TVS group and established the first Whirlpool manufacturing facility in Pondicherry.Soon Whirlpool acquired Kelvinator India Limited in 1995 and marked an entry into Indian refrigerator market as well. The same year also saw acquisition of major share in TVS joint venture and later in 1996, Kelvinator and TVS acquisitions were merged to take a leak Indian home appliance leader of the future, Whirlpool India. This expanded the companys portfolio in the Indian subcontinent to washing machines, r efrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is the most recognized brand in home appliances in India and holds a market share of over 20%. The company owns three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Faridabad, Pondicherry and Pune. Each of these manufacturing set-ups features an infrastructure that is witness of Whirlpools shipment to consumer interests and advancedtechnology.In the year ending in March 09, the annual turnover of the company for its Indian enterprise was Rs.1,719 Crores. The companys brand and image speaks of its commitment to the homemaker from every aspect of its functioning. It has derived its functioning principles out of an undaunted partnership with the homemakers and thus a slogan of You and whirlpool, the worlds best homemaker dots its promotional campaigns. The products are engineered to suit the requirements of smart, confident and in-control homemaker who knows what she wants. The product range is designed in a way that it employs unique technology and offers consumer relevant solutions.Whirlpool Corporation Vision and rushWhirlpools pervasive vision, Every Home, everywhere, with pride, passion and performance, rests on the pillars of innovation, operational excellence, customer-centric approach and diversified talent. These are embedded within our business goals, strategy, processes and work culture. Be it our products that are the result of innovation and operational excellence to meet every need of our consumers or the people behind these products that come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, everything we do features a distinct Whirlpool way.Core CompetenciesInnovation Unique and compelling solutions valued by our customers and aligned to our brands create competitive advantage and differentiated shareholder value. functional Excellence (OPEX) A methodology for solving problems continuous improvement of products processes through pursuit, acquisition, and utilization of knowledge using cri tical thought and planned experimentation helps us achieve operational excellence. Customer Excellence Excelling the customer expectation from the company, its brands,products and services are a three-step process. The three steps are Know a customer, Be a customer, Serve a customer. Knowing a customer helps us know who our customers are, how to treat them, how we add value, and what the drivers of brand loyalty are.This information is gathered from the customers information base history. This way we are better able to customize products for them and recommend the right product to solve problems. Being a customer is important to share customer knowledge and insights, drive actions based on customer insights, be passionate about our brands and customer loyalty and provide a positive percentage for our brands. We show empathy for customers and seek to resolve their problems by creating consistent customer touch-points, with our endeavour always being to provide unique solutions for the customer .Whirlpool Corporations Transformation docketWhirlpool is transforming into a completely customer-centred company where the customer lies in the core of every of our functions. This focus has arrived as direct consequence of our coreIDEATEup of five elementscompetency of customer excellence. It allows us to build Customer Loyalty. The transformation is madeThe elements of the transformation hold the promise of making Whirlpool a growing company and thereby increasing value for our shareholders. The fiveelements are the basis for describing our strategy internally and guide the development of our plans and initiatives. Whirlpool has swiftly moved from being a World Class Manufacturer to a World Class Marketer using the brand-building framework. We are dedicated to creating unique branded solutions that build customer loyalty and achieve brand excellence.

A Red, Red Rose Essay Example for Free

A Red, Red Rose EssayRobert Burns wrote A Red, Red Rose and edited by Peter Urbani. It was introductory in printed in 1794 in A Selection of Scots Songs. This was shown in b on the wholead stanzas because it was composed with four line stanzas or quatrains, having alternating tetrameter and trimeter lines which emphasized that the prototypal and third lines of each stanza had four stressed syllables, or beats whereas the second and fourth lines had three stressed syllables. The line of this poesy Thats sweet / ly playd / in contrast was an example of iambic meter in which the first syllable was unstressed and the second was stressed. The implication of this metrical composition was about the thoughts and descriptions of love in a way that exceeded beyond the non literary sources from which the verse was drawn. The poet first similarly state his love in a blooming rose in spring and thusly in a melody sweetly playd in tune. For me, these similes indicated the beauty and happiness of being in love. The metaphor sands o life pointed out the aeonian nature of the writers love that explained the extent of his love.There were much imagery menti unityd here like the color red that meant love and passion and the great image of the rose was represented by the recapitulation of the color red. The word Newly Sprung intended for his sincere and great love. As I analyzed this piece, I obtained the knowledge and information about the true meaning of love. The way he illustrated his love, I observed that for him it was precious and worth keeping for. Burns also decl ard that once we felt love and it was true, it must(prenominal) be for a lifetime. Till a the seas gang dry, my dear,And the rocks melt wi the sun, meant that no matter how far or near the lovers were, love will always be there and stays forever. The entire logic of this poem is about the unconditional love that he give the bounce offer to the angiotensin-converting enzyme he used to love. The true love in a sensible way was being illustrated by John Frederick Nims in his poem entitled Love Poem. The love that was impossible and unreachable was also the idea being shown by this sonnet. The essence of sticking to the one you love regardless of his liberalist qualities was the theme of this poem.From the metaphors in Nims piece, he brought to reality the figure of a very clumsy individual. All devotion, at your knees meant that despite of that unpleasant quality, she was so beautiful, graceful and refine. Her good qualities were the reason why those who knew her keep her. From the lines So gayly in loves unbreakable heaven/Our souls on glory of spilt bourbon float, it characterized that heretofore clumsiness wouldnt strike his love. The line Their souls float on spilt bourbon, which proved that they were happy with the presence of her fault.The metaphor in the line Be with me darling early and late, meant that they must stayed together during their juvenility and when they became old. The meaning of this line Her hands, which shipwreck vases,/At whose quick touch all glasses assay and ring, showed the gracefulness of people. , and should your hands drop white and empty/All the toys of the ground would break, described that the things she did using her hands wouldnt fade away but will still remain and unreplacable.There were also symbolic images like my clumsiest dear, chip and ring, bull in china and a bur in linen that showed the partnership of appreciation and condemnation. still in the stanza The refugee uncertain at the door/you postulate at home(6 7) he commended the quality of his lover as a charitable one. Nevertheless, the whole idea of this poem was about the exposition of the girl he loved, her prescribed and negative place. He wanted to sh ar the readers that in loving a person, we must adore his good qualities and love them despite of flawed qualities.The cardinal poems are the same in iambic meter and in quatrains. The tone of both writers as they convey their feelings on their loved ones shows that they are so much in love with love. They are so sincere in expressing their affection and passion towards their lovers with no hesitation and no limitation. When it comes to the voice correspond to the writers, I can see that Burns is so fascinated to his lover. All the things that he can see are all beautiful and the way he promises his love is so precious for him.As we go deeper beyond the meaning of the poem, the author doesnt mind the negative traits of his lover nor mentions his flaws. Nevertheless, Burns only indicates how elephantine his love is for the girl whom he loved. Moreover, how he promises that he can offer and sacrifice a lot for the fulfillment of his love. While, Nims obviously starts his poem in a different way. He shows the negative side of his lover. He even mentions the wrong impressions toward his girl. He doesnt even bother to cover up the flaws of the one he loves instead of cove ring, he exposes the blemishes of his lover.However, the author doesnt mean that he just wants to intimidate his girl but proudly tell the whole world and all the readers that despite of her flaws and shortcomings, he loved her so much. Now the difference of the two poems when it comes to declaring the love for their special someone is that the first author loves without looking or even mentioning the flaws of his girl or loving the person unconditionally while the latter explains how to love by accepting the reality that a person has the negative and positive characteristics.The symbols or images use in both poems also differ. Burns uses similes that focus on the natural resources like rose, music, seas, sun, sands, and rocks. For me, it implies that the author is a nature lover. He shares to the readers that when we are in love, the beauty of the things that surrounds us are all that we can see and appreciate and it gives a happy feeling. While, Nims uses metaphors where in the ce nter idea is about the things or toys that can cause noise and to the things that we usually use everyday like vases, glasses, bulls, burs, dime and toys.In here, he shows the poem as if it is in a pic or in a story telling type. He details what are the happenings and how he accepts the flaws of the one he loves. For me, this poem is so interesting because he directs the readers to the exact situation of the things that are happening to him. He never hides the flaws of his girl maybe because the true meaning of this poem is about acceptance. According to my evaluation, accepting the weaknesses of the one he loves will show the true meaning of love.We dont have to hide the imperfections of our loved ones because if we learn to love and accept them despite of the blemishes of the one we use to love, I think the power of love will strongly manifest and cant be broken or shaken easily. But for me, both poems are so interesting and appealing. In reality, there are two kinds of lovers. T he first one is the one who doesnt see the negative side of the person that he used to love because he is blinded by his love while the other one is that he sees first the weaknesses of his lover and then learn to love that person.Both kind of love is passionate and ideal. Learning how to love though in different ways depends upon the person but we must love unconditionally, fervently, without hesitation and reservation, with acceptance and forgiveness, and by showing it through actions and words.Works CitedBurns, Robert A Red, Red Rose http//www. poemhunter. com/poem/a-red-red-rose/ Nims, John Frederick Love Poem http//www. poemhunter. com/poem/love-poem/

Artificial Selection Essay Example for Free

Artificial Selection EssayMany different species have been altered through with(predicate) selective breeding. Selective breeding is a very common practice in the livestock breeding and has impacted the livestock industry greatly by using information obtain from seek of the myostatin protein. History of selective breeding of cattle In the 1800s the demand for a better quality as soundly as beat of beef was high. Cattle breeders begin to breed select breeds of cattle that appeared larger together in hopes of producing offspring with a larger quantity of meat. The selective breeding began with the Durham Shorthorns and Friesian cattle. (Lee, 2004) The result of the selective breeding produced 3 different strands of cattle breeds the Belgian Blue, Piedmontes and Parthenias. These breeds of cattle all have one similarity, that has turn out to be very valuable, the inactive Myostatin protein. Due to the inactive Myostatin protein these cattle produce roughly 20 % more meat than other cattle. The Belgian Blue cattle are a common breed of cattle in the beef and livestock industry representing the double muscle trait caused by the inactive Myostatin protein.Myostatin In 1997 a research aggroup from John Hopkins School of Medicine led by geneticists Dr. Se-Jin Lee and Alexandra McPherron released information from their research on how proteins regulate the growth of wind in mice. Through their research the team unintentionally discovered the growth differentiation part 8 (GDF-8) also known as Myostatin protein. With the discovery of the Myostatin protein the team decided to produce a mutant strain of mice that did not have the Myostatin protein.The results showed that the mutant mice had 3 times the muscle tissue than that of a regular mouse. The research showed that with the absence of the myostatin protein the muscle tissue did not have anything to regulate the size therefore muscle tissue was extremely larger. The Myostatin (GDF-8) protein is a member of the transforming growth factor ? superfamily of secreted growth and differentiation factor. (Lee, 2004) Myostatin is a secreted protein that acts as a negative regulator of cadaveric muscle mass.During embryogenesis, myostatin is expressed by cells in the myotome and in developing skeletal muscle and acts to regulate the final number of muscle fibers that are formed. (Lee, 2004) The research of Dr Se-Jin Lee and his colleagues brought the discovery of the Myostatin protein to the forefront of science. However they were not the only group of researcher. twain other research group have also reported finding on the Myostatin mutation. Micheal Georges of the University

Social Causes Gender Roles Depression Health And Social Care Essay

Social Causes Gender Roles Depression Health And Social Care EssayDepression, both as a single depressive episode or as a recurrent depressive disorder, is a common mood disorder which is characterised by low mood, resulting in loss of interest and enjoyment, reduced energy and diminished activity. With increasing severity other symptoms such as reduced c at match little timentration, attention, self esteem and self combine manifest, and physical symptoms may protrude, such as disturbed sleep and diminished appetite. These may accumulate in ideas or acts of self harm and suicide1. The grammatical sexual urge oddment in depressive illness, is one of the strongest patterns seen in psychiatric epidemiology 2,3,4,5. Similar, albeit less strong sex activity differences can be seen through a variety of mental health disorders, typically with internalising disorders (of mood and misgiving) which are much common in women, and externalising disorders such as schizophrenia and substan ce abuse which are more(prenominal) common in men.5. much(prenominal) a strong pattern, seen in many a(prenominal) cultures around the world can help in the comprehension of low, an illness that still evades human understanding 1.The pleasure ground game of this essay bequeath be to help identify any(prenominal) key aspects of the hearty causes of stamp and how they relate to sex personas within society. This will ascertain their grandness in mechanisms that drive someone into depressive illness the gender role hypothesis of depression 5. However the point of this essay is not to systematically review the scientific literature and identify the cause, further instead to explore the concept of how much gender roles in society contribute to this pattern. In the conclusion, it will allow us to see how changing gender roles, such as feminism, in modernising societies such as the UK, will impact on womens health. The essay will explore stake factors which relate to gender role where they submit demonstrate to cause depression. Such factors are emotional attention, interpersonal relationships, personality, stress response, the impact of co-morbid anxiety and what are termed artifact hypotheses, such as gender biased diagnostic techniques.Sex and gender are terms that have become divorced since Dr Robert Stollers observations of gender being a social construct and sex being biologically determined. It isnt necessary for someone of a certain sex to inherit the same gender and same gender role 6 although in western society it is the norm. While this essay will look at the epidemiological pattern of depression through a social lens, it should be kept in mind that in that location will be a biological background that cannot be excluded. It can be argued, such as by John Nicholson, that the gender role itself has its development in biology or socio-biology, or gender role as developed by ontogeny of human behaviour (as proposed by E.O Wilson and Davi d Barash). However, these ideas are not as widely accepted as the theories for socially determined gender roles6 as put front by Stoller and Ann Oakley. For the purpose of this essay, gender roles are a set of behaviours socially expected of someone conforming to a token gender.A key peculiarity of the female gender role is emotional behaviour, with women being caring and compassionate, and men being dominating and aggressive 6. This is of course an excessive generalization, but a recognise pattern, most credibly influenced by sex of the person. However, it is important to note that there is a large overlap in emotional behaviour between the genders 7 but more specific to gender are those behaviours used to cope with life events. More emotionally sore women may present to doctors sooner, although this has been disproved at least once 8. This is an artefact argument I shall come to later. Emotionally sensitive persons, who tend to dis tactics more depressive symptoms, may have impaired anti- reflectivity strategies 9. Rumination is a method acting of cope whereby the person focuses on the depressive symptoms and the sparking event, rather than trying to distract themselves, for example with thoughts of good things to come.Research has found that rumination by more emotionally sensitive persons leads to a negative emotion spiral. Focusing on the negative thoughts and emotions leads to further negative thoughts and emotions. , By controlling for emotional attention in their study results, there was a non-statistically significant difference for gender and symptoms of depression 8. This is further backed up by leaven that rumination exacerbates and prolongs depression and that women tend to ruminate more when sad or depressed, a trend seen from prepubertal childhood 2. Another personality trait, such as neuroticism, has likewise been associated with depression. Controlling for it has been suggested to eliminate the statistical substance of gender and d epression 10, and although there is suggestive evidence against this idea 2, it should not be dismissed entirely until more look for is done.It could be argued however, that the coping call may be diverse due to the type of stress observed by the individual. A more significant life event may be harder to distract oneself from, and so easier to ruminate. A womans role may determine her to be exposed to more significant stressors, for example through her role as the homemaker. on that point may be problems affecting children, housing, fertility, versus issues which will affect men more (for example, through their role as the breadwinner) but occur less often unemployment and finance problems. Although evidence suggests that while men and women are exposed to different stressors, it is insufficient by itself to explain the gender difference 11,12. thitherfore, I find that the evidence shows that rumination is an important risk factor for depression, and women ruminate more than m en, due to their socialisation making them more emotionally sensitive. It should be noted that males and females may receive different stressors for depression outside of their gender role. For example, sexual and physical abuse, as an adult or as a child, may play a role in explaining the gender difference. If women are more likely to be abused as adults or as children, (this might become a risk factor towards depression later on), then this might help explain some of the pattern seen. bear witness for this suggests it might play as much as 35% 2 of the gender difference in adult depression.Another way gender role and stress may interplay is through interpersonal relationships. The traditional female gender role will imply that a woman will put in more effort to attaining more friends. Therefore the loss of interpersonal relationships will have more of an impact on the female than it would on the male. Evidence shows that it is the lack of relationship, rather than the support the relationship provides 12, is the more significant stressor, and so further proves the point.This is of particular importance when looking at adolescent mental health, a key time when the gender difference in depression is first seen 2. It could be argued that the commencement of the gender difference is due to a restriction of the adolescent female into her expected role2. This only adds to, rather than offers an alternative view point, that if the adolescent female loses some of her important relationships, she might feel more like she has lost an important part of her identity. There is evidence that loss of interpersonal relationships is a significant stressor in adolescent females, because they have invested more emotion and are more likely to blame themselves 13.This can also help explain the link between automobile trunk Mass Index and mood disorders, where high BMI affects women more, possibly putting them at a social disadvantage 14. However, it is hard to identify whethe r social disadvantage has support the depression and hence higher BMI, or higher BMI has caused social disadvantage and so depression. I feel that it is probably the latter, as evidence on coping strategies provides little evidence that eating is a common coping strategy in depression 15. However the two studies examined different populations, American and Japanese, which casts doubt on their resultsAnother study looked at sleep disturbance rather than depression. It suggested that adolescent girls, being more sensitive to familial disruption and increased domestic and cookery expectations, had increased sleep disturbance 16. This is similar to an argument that I studied earlier increased expectation of fitting into the role of the female gender will increase sleep disturbance. This positively correlates with depression as either a cause or a symptom of sleep disturbance 16.Looking at other co-morbid conditions of depression may help to illuminate the role of gender difference in depression. Anxiety is frequently seen co-morbid with depression, curiously in primary care, such that it has its own classification in the ICD-101. It is therefore logical to think that any gender difference in anxiety (which can be seen17) could be colligate with the gender difference in depression. Similar risk factors already discussed, ruminative behaviours and social network crises, predispose women to anxiety more than men17. I think this adds to the evidence of suggesting a common aetiology between depression and anxiety. Using gender roles, anxiety does not fit into the male gender role of being confident and aggressive, and hence goes some way to explain the gender difference in anxiety, rather than in depression.It would seem that mothers discuss different coping strategies with their children for boys a more problem solving approach and for girls more emotional coping strategies to help deal with distress 17. These coping strategies and depression in women15, comply with my previous ideas and also help to explain the gender difference in depression. While evidence may suggest that anxiety and depression share a common aetiology, evidence also suggests that anxiety states are not part of the aetiology of depression 18,19 and so the gender difference in anxiety is just a reflection, rather than a cause of the gender difference in depression.Evidence suggests that in depression and its risk factors, that anxiety during adolescence, due to a difficult transition from the child to the adult, may make the woman more sensitive to depression after a triggering event20. A model suggested by Cyranowski et al, combining female gender socialization and the hormone oxytocin which intensify the need for interpersonal relationships, coupled with anxiety, might cause sensitivity to depressive events. There is a good fit of the evidence , bring biological as well as psychological and sociological theories together. However, more recent evidence has shown that men and women are equally sensitive to triggering events11,12. A interrupt idea is that anxiety and depression share a common aetiology. On the road to depression and anxiety, a fork in the road is approached, where the type of trigger or another risk factor not discussed, decides whether the person becomes depressed or anxious.However, some of the so termed artifact hypotheses may suggest that all the preceding(prenominal) research and studies are not finding any physical or real link between depression and gender, but rather that is a deformity in the techniques in the data collection. Some suggestions that fit this hypothesis are that women are more likely to seek treatment for any illness, more likely to discuss a potentially stigmatising condition such as a mental health disorder or are able to recall symptoms better, and so doctors are more able to make a diagnosis. Alternatively, women are being overdiagnosed or men being underdiagnosed, as either the fault of the doctor or biased diagnosis techniques. It is also argued that substance abuse masks depression and anxiety in men 21.Some quite surprising research suggests that there is no gender difference in the symptoms a male or female may present to indicate depression, and that men and women show no preference in stating that they feel emotionally down 22. I have little confidence with this unique result, as the accepted idea and other evidence suggests otherwise 23.. Evidence suggests that substance and alcohol abuse are not the male equivalent to anxiety. Therefore, controlling for alcohol and substance use still leaves a significant gender difference2. However, in depression, it has been suggested as a coping strategy15, and so it is not unconceivable to think that alcohol abuse, assumed to be an externalizing disorder, is in fact a coping mechanism for depression in men. If diagnosed as alcohol abuse rather than depression, this could make up some of the gender difference.However, what is more interesting, is the suggestion that diagnostic techniques are gender biased, especially Becks Depression Index. Two studies reached the same conclusion that items in the Becks Depression Index related to crying and loss of interest in sex gave an over-diagnosis and underestimation of recovery in women 21,24. Crying is considered more congruent with the female gender role, and loss of interest in sex can occur outside of depression, especially in women, again fitting their gender role 24. Therefore, to ensure correct diagnosis, the researchers suggest the use of the Goldberg Depression Scale rather than Becks Depression Index. This is troubling, as many of the research already referenced used either interviews by trained lay people or the Becks Depression Index, which casts doubt on the accuracy of the conclusions reached therefrom far.So to conclude, I have explored some of the risk factors for depression and their aspect as gender roles to help explain the gender difference in de pression. There is some doubt cast upon this research and any other research done into the epidemiology of depression because of doubts over the Beck Depression Index bias. I still feel the evidence is strong enough to hold some meaning. On the other hand, differing gender roles is not a sole explanation. The example of child abuse is one of many outside the gender role hypothesis. There is plenty of room for other social, psychological and biological causes of depression and its epidemiological patterns not explored in this essay.A simple and brief conclusion would be to say that gender role is a part of a large mechanism of a multi-factorial illness. More research is required to ascertain the full answer to the question proposed by the title. Ideal research would be to re-analyse the epidemiological patterns in 10, maybe 20 years time. thusly it could be assumed that gender roles would continue in their path to become more equal. Less of a difference between the genders and rang e of depression and anxiety might be expected. There may also be less of a difference between genders and other mental health disorders.However, additional prior evidence can already help draw some ideas. Studying couples with a shared life event for example, women have been shown to be at a greater risk of depression if there was a traditional division of roles in the family2. One of the findings of the WHO mental health surveys 5 is that younger people have less distinct gender difference for major depressive disorder than older people. A correlation was found between less traditional gender roles and decreased rates of depression with increased rates of substance abuse. This suggests changing, modernising gender roles are resulting in decreased rates of depression among women.However, the increase in substance abuse is a cause for concern. The trend is towards equal gender roles, with the female gender role becoming more masculine, so bringing new health concerns. While fair gen der roles within society as a whole, such as employment, may have a beneficial effect in protecting against depression 2, there is still an imbalance of roles within the home. This is reflected in how children are brought up and how they develop their coping strategies for stress.Therefore, gender roles have a large role to play in epidemiological patterns of depression, and in the aetiology of depression itself. As gender roles become more equal, it will result in better health for women in society, and while not the focus of the essay, it can be safely assumed a similar pattern can occur for men as well. equating it seems can go a long way in reducing risk to disease.

How Malaysia Has Benefit From The International Trade Economics Essay

How Malaysia Has Benefit From The International Trade Economics Essay2.0 approachRecent classs outside(a) softwood has played a important role to most of the countries . It has connected every country together provided a great profits to them . To the international trade , it contains two main parts import and export .Exporting is the selling of products or services supplied from ones experience country for expend in other countries . By contrast , import buying of products made in other countries for use in ones country . They atomic number 18 the basic element of the international trade .Among all the countries , Malaysia has benefit a make do from international trade in terms of life , work , house , health and so on . It has alterd the economic development totally and made Malaysia very much more beautiful .CHANGE IN CONSUMPTION PATTERNConsumption word form is the combination of qualities , quantities , acts and tendencies characterizing a community or human groups use of resources for survival , comfort and enjoyment .To Malaysia , it just has a very single and closed bow window at the cast downning before the international trade . They just sell themselves and grow food on their own . But some of the products are not as severe as they think of because of the insufficient technology and the poor quality of materials supplies . Though with the same(p) materials , they still can not produce meliorate sizables .However , the international has changed this . It absorbs the investment as well as the varieties of goods such as food including Japanese sushi , Korea cuisine and Chinese dumplings to Malaysia . People begin to try those food and this has changed their habits . meanwhile some goods which Malaysia is not good at producing are introduced for people to use them . So Malaysia take advantages of their peculiar(prenominal) goods which have good quality to export in order to achieve more profits by using the extra time . It means they j ust produce what they do well in and focus on producing some special and goo products . For employment , Malaysia has a good resources of rubber , so they focus on exportation this . Unlike the rubber , they dont have enough resources to grow the rice. Thus Malaysia just depends on the importing from Thailand ,India and China mainly . This has changed the consumption pattern of Malaysia and made it much easier for people to consume .In all , the total consumption pattern has been changed to the specialization by the international trade , which is really availful to Malaysia . In the succeeding(a) , the consumption bequeath be much perfect to Malaysia .Olympia College JBInternational trade 13IMPROVE PRODUCT QUALITY AND PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY timberland consists of the capacity to satisfy wants , quality is the degree to which a specific product satisfies the wants of a specific consumer.Efficiency is the extravagantly speed to produce the goods in restrain time .As we know , int ernational trade brings external competition to Malaysia which has affected the local market . Though the tax of importing is very high in result of the price of goods will be higher(prenominal) than the local ones , there are still many people purchasing the foreign goods imputable to the good quality . For example the shoes Adidas, Nike , Converse and Puma which has imbibeed many costumers in Malaysia .Though the price of them is very high , The quality has won the costumers . Therefore it reduces the chassis of local goods which should be sold . Meanwhile , the local market also face the internal competition . In order to sell more and fundament in the market , they have to improve the quality of goods .The local market take advantages of the international trade to import technology , good materials and funds to improve the quality . Of course , this method improve the production efficiency as well due to the advanced technology . In the same time and same condition , they can produce more products . This has made them become more confident and increase the economic growth of Malaysia . For example ,the statistics from the United States to a compute , Malaysia imported machine tools in about more than 400 million US dollars . Mainly from Japan , Germany , China Taiwan. In order to encourage importing , Malaysia has taken the current zero-tariff policy on imported machines . With these materials , Malaysia has acquired large profits and improved the quality and efficiency .Thus , international trade is really incumbent to improve the product quality and production efficiency .Olympia College JBInternational trade 14REDUCTION IN UNEMPLOYED RESOURCESReduction in sluggish people resources means the unemployment rate has reduced . There are not too many people who dont have jobs .In terms of employees in Malaysia , international trade has reduced a lot by two main methods . One is the investment and export , anther one is transfer the labors .Generally, i nvestment is the application of notes for earning more money. Investment also means savings or savings made through delayed consumption . Due to the international trade , a lot of firms have invested in Malaysia and build industry . It is not only a chance to increase the economic development , but also provides more jobs for employees . For example , a foreign company A want to invest and build a electric industry in Malaysia . Everything is prepared except the employees . As their own countrys employees $1500 are very experience compared to Malaysia$1000 , so they make use of the local workers so that they can save the principal and outcome . However , this indirectly help Malaysia to reduce the yield of unemployed resources. In addition , As Malaysia need to export goods to obtain exchanges , this also has offered a stable market and reduce the number of employees .Transfer the labors means the labors can go oversea to work and the foreign labors can come Malaysia to work . Mal aysia has a good surrounding , which is near to capital of Singapore , Thailand and so on. So every year a lot of people go to Singapore and Thailand to work in order to obtain more money . This has decreased the number of employees in Malaysia . To the work like agricultural and mining jobs , as the local people dont like to work , then the foreign labors will solve this problem. The migrant labor came mainly from southern China and southern India .In all , international trade is really efficient to reduce the unemployed rate , which improve the economic growth as well . Olympia College JBInternational trade 15WIDER CONSUMER CHOICE BRING HIGHER STANDARD OF vivificationInternational trade has brought different countries products and it provides people a wider choice to consume as well . Meanwhile the standard of living has also been improved .As you know , some people are attracted by the foreign products easily as they want to try the special things and the quality is also very go od . Thus , the external competition between foreign goods and local goods make the local firms improve their quality and beauty . Meanwhile the foreign firms has to improve themselves as well , it result the quality of goods will be updated every second . In addition , many firms import variety of goods in order to attract the consumers . They make the market more abundant .People can enjoy themselves and have better choices . Due to the abundant market , the standard of living has been improved higher and higher . Therefore peoples life is better and better .A good example which can show you how Malaysia standard of living has been changed . According to Ministry of Finance statistics , as of August 2003 , Malaysia accounted for bank deposits of individual deposit 58% of the total annual of 6% . According to Ma energy telecommunications and multimedia Department of statistics , as if June 2004, doctor phone users 454.7 million , mobile users 1,239.8 million in urban and rural fix ed-line telephone has a rate of 23% and 12% mobile phone monomania 53% and 2% . as of April 2006 , Malaysia has 420 million computer users , the number of internet users account for 40% .From this we know that the standard of living in Malaysia is increasing by the international trade fast .In all ,Malaysia has taken a big step in terms of the standard of living after the international trade . The life of Malaysia is better and better .Olympia College JBInternational trade 16GREATER MOBILITY OF RESOURCESMobility means can move . International trade has brought great mobility of resources such as labors , goods and capital . This makes people exchange their technology and improve themselves.The movement of students and highly skilled workers across borders is a real and complex phenomenon that poses challenges for ontogeny countries with no simple solution.Student mobility repre displaces by the most important source of international trade in higher education . Recent years Malays ia has sent 25-30 thousand students to go abroad . Of course basically all the students are supported by the government .In year 2005, there were 42 712 Malaysian studentswent abroad for study. 38 784of them chose to study in OECD countries while the rest went to non-OECD countries. Back here shows thebreakdown of destinations whereMalaysian students chose togo data 1 . After they return , they will bring radical technology and noesis to make contributions to their mother land . This has helped Malaysia in the economy a lot and learn from other countries to improve themselves .Highly skilled workers are one of the supreme arrogance of a person with great power . They are the one most countries want to have . So every year some highly skilled worker will be introduced and someone who has highly skilled in Malaysia take advantages of the skill to achieve exchange. For example , the contractors in Malaysia hands this year was 3.7 billion worth of overseas contracts . This has made a big difference to Malaysia economy .This has taken a big step by the mobility of resources to Malaysia .Olympia College JBInternational Trade 19Data 1Malaysia students go to / Percentage (%) Number (2005) Australia 36.41 ( 15552 )United Kingdom 26.86 ( 11474 )United States 15.02 ( 6415 )Japan 4.48 ( 1915 )New Zealand 2.79 ( 1190 )Ireland 2.25 ( 960 )Germany 1.33 ( 566 )France 0.81 ( 345 )Korea 0.50 ( 212 )Netherlands 0.09 ( 40 )Sweden 0.09 ( 40 )Finland 0.03 ( 14 )Denmark 0.03 ( 11 )Switzerland 0.02 ( 10 )Belgium 0.02 ( 9 )Norway 0.02 ( 9 )Spain 0.01 ( 6 )Austria 0.01 ( 5 )Czech Republic 0.01 ( 4 )Hungary 0.01 ( 4 )Turkey 0.00 ( 2 )Poland 0.00 ( 1 )Total OECD destinations 90.80 ( 38784 )Total Non-OECD destinations 9.20 ( 3928 )Source OECD Education at a Glance 2007 Indicator C3 Who studies abroad andOlympia College JBInternational trade 17CONCLUSION overall , international trade has really benefit Malaysia so much that basically every part of Malaysia has bee n improved . It made Malaysia consumption pattern more special and fit for Malaysia themselves . To the quality and efficiency , they have been improved a big step and this has provided Malaysia a good method to obtain more profits . Meanwhile their standard of living is becoming higher and higher . In addition , Malaysia has obtained so many mobility of resources , especially the students and highly skilled workers , who have taken advantages of their knowledge and skill to make more countries to their countries . All of them above made Malaysia economy increasing fast and stably .with the international trade , the future of Malaysia will be much beautiful and developed .Olympia College JBIntro to Business 20

Family Travel and Tours Company Analysis

Family Travel and Tours Company Analysis fragment ONEFamily Travel and Tours has specialised in affordable, inclusive spend and winter sun die packages for nearly forty years. The two animal of our travel offerings guard been cost and predictability. Our prices were highly competitive, although they atomic number 18 less so nowadays, and our customers sine qua non to know ahead of time exactly what they can expect from their travel experience. However, changes in the tourism marketplace have ca ingestiond our sales to stagnate, and we currently have zero(a) growth in our customer numbers and fewer repeat customers. Although according to the National Travel Survey, the number of tourists winning inclusive packages have change magnitude importantly in the past twenty years, so has the number of outlets through which customers can purchase their vacation travel (Shaw and Williams 2004). The primary reason for our lack of growth is this increased competition.In price, we hav e been adversely affected by a sharp increase in the number of discount travel companies available to price-conscious consumers, particularly everyplace the internet. Whereas we once had except competition from a limited number of local agencies, some of those who would have been our customer base argon beginning to experiment with online moderateings. This opens our market up non only to other UK competitors, entirely withal to agencies from other countries. For example, the American company Cheap Tickets offers international flights, tours and cruises at highly competitive rates. wiz and only(a) has only to run a simple search under discount travel packages to reveal literally hundreds of competitors where our customers could take their holiday spend. Many of these competitors also do non maintain brick-and-mortar branches, allowing them to offer even more competitive prices as they have lower overhead costs.Additionally, each year as a greater percentage of the populati on becomes comfortable purchasing over the computer and more and more people try out online spending, FTTs competitiveness on the basis of price is reduced. Customers are also finding they can create their own packages, as they can now research hotels, transport and activities online and make their own reservations for all of them.to a greater extent family-oriented travel destinations are also now providing inclusive packages on their own, and are able to offer these through online trade. Whereas once our affects with local travel companies allowed us to go forth all-inclusive packages available to the consumer only through a travel agency, now there are a number of places the typical traveler can book their relishd holiday. For example, Disneyland Paris has its own hotels, restaurants and transportation. As much(prenominal) it can market directly to the customer without withdraw of a middle-man travel agency. Many other democratic family tourist destinations have similar o fferings. Cruises are another all-inclusive alternative that can now be booked directly without use of a travel agency.We have not reacted quickly or substantially enough changes in the market and in customers themselves, leaving us in a vulnerable position. FTT thereof needs to make changes to its intersection points and marketing strategies quickly to retain its market position in the upcoming.SECTION TWOFTT has benefited from catering to two distinct customer groups, although some(prenominal)(prenominal) on the basis of predictability and price. During the winter period, FTTs customer base tends to be old people escaping the winter cold. The repeat business in this niche is substantial and breaks take down further into two groups. The first wants to return to the same repair each year, often even requesting the same inhabit. The second group prefers packaged tours, typically taking a tour of a different location each year. Both highly value predictability that is, they w ant to eat the foods they are used to and stay in spite of appearance their comfort zone even when traveling, rather than experience any kind of local culture. They also want to know when booking the details of their holiday, such as daily schedules, and want to spend their winter holiday in warm, sunny locations. This customer group has shown less stagnation, as the increase in competitors from online travel brokers has not penetrated this market group substantially as of yet. It is likely that it willing in the near future, however, particularly as the computer-friendly segment of the population expands and ages.Summer customers are typically middle-class families toneing for a convenient and affordable holiday experience. They also want to know ahead of time the details of their holiday, but more to get word activities and proper accommodations are available for their children than for any deep-seeded need for sameness. Destinations with child-friendly attractions such as bea ches and theme parks are foundational in sales to this group. This segment of our customer base has suffered the most from increased competition. Where we or agencies like FTT were once the only place families could go to have their entire travel needs satisfied, online travel agencies and the attractions themselves are now providing equally planned holidays at prices at or below ours.As we examine what changes need to be made, it is helpful to consider tourist motivation from some(prenominal) reductionist and structuralist perspectives regarding our stagnant customer base. Reductionism views tourist motivation as a tension between the search for the new or novel experience and the unavoidableness for some degree of familiarity (Shaw and Williams 2004, 140). This is true of some(prenominal) winter and summer customers. They wish to experience a holiday outside their current existence whilst maintaining a predictability that will allow them, whether older people or children, to be sure of a certain level of comfortability.It is unlikely that we will be able to compete stringently on price, as was the case many times in the past. Therefore expanding the balance of novelty and predictability in our current products is likely to be our strongest marketing addition for future growth. The question then becomes how to address these customer motivations in the changing and more competitive market.SECTION THREETodays postmodern society is now consumer led, with the consumer dictating the location and activities they expect rather than simply choosing from a limited assortment of package options (Sharpley 2003). Customers can now choose not only travel options we have available, but also those provided by remote travel operators and attractions themselves. Further, customers are more and more likely to create their own travel packages, as they now have entranceway to information on local attractions, lodging and transport for a given area. Their expectations are hi gher as far as flexibility and options are concerned, fashioning it more difficult for FTT to plan or provide all-inclusive packages, particularly at any significant reduction in price.In addition, as the depart between work and leisure has been reduced, and recreational avenues are more available throughout the year, the novelty of taking the family to the beach or theme park has diminished. Consumers are more likely to seek a holiday experience that allows them to escape from their day-to-day reality rather than simply play instead of work (Sharpley 2003). Todays band tourist desires to be in a place which is both real and yet fantastic at the same time, and to encounter people who are both authentically other yet also fun and fictional (Coleman and Crang 2002, 157). As such, our customers are beginning to demand travel packages that go beyond simply existence at the beach or a certain location, but also offer some face of fantasy or adventurous opportunity.The immediate hap piness and visually-based information preferences of the postmodern society also lend themselves strongly to the convenience of internet booking provided by our competitors (Sharpley 2003). Now customers can actually see the room where they will stay, satisfying their predictability needs, yet independently reserve it in an instant, with the simple click of a mouse. The entire transaction is charged effortlessly to their credit card, close making it seem as though the holiday was free.This signals a change in our customer, especially those in the summer/family group. Whilst they still have a need for predictability so they can plan for their children and the children feel comfortable, there is an increased desire for new experiences, visually-based marketing, and easy, quick booking.SECTION FOUROne difficulty we are currently experiencing is the change in customers perceptions of our services and their attributes, an event common over time in service-based sectors (Palmer 1994). Wh ilst they are still strongly motivated by predictability, they seek at the same time authenticity in their holiday experience. Authenticity can be viewed from the perspective of the place visited, or from the perspective of the tourist doing the visiting. According to private instructor and Saxton, the meaning of the term authenticity refers to experiences through which tourists feel themselves to be in touch with both the real world and their real selves (Shaw and Williams 2004). There are 3 kinds of authenticity in the tourist experience. Two, objective and constructive authenticity, are object-related. The third, activity-related authenticity, refers to a state of organism that is to be activated by tourist activities (Shaw and Williams 2004). It is that place where one is true to oneself (Shaw and Williams 2004). For example, beach holidays may be seen as providing a relaxed, playful environment where people can be their true selves like they were as children, without the some times-false pretenses maintain at work or in the community.As our world becomes increasingly more connected, a certain homogeneity is affecting the authenticity of place. McDonalds restaurants provide an example. Although there is some regional adaptation (one can order wine in France or get kosher sandwiches in Israel), the chains product mix of a hamburger, fries, and a coke is constant throughout its restaurants in over 100 countries (Vignali 2001). Every time a Tesco moves into a town, a number of the areas local merchants are likely to go out of business, reducing the regional differences of that area as opposed to the rest of the country. Shaw and Williams (2004) report Boorstin saw mass tourism producing a homogenisation and standardization of the tourist experience through the commodification of culture (135). The developing global culture of tourism accepts anything or any place being produced and reproduced, moved and recontextualised in any place whatsoever this process marks the proliferation and increased consumption of experiences that are depthless simulations, separated from tradition and history (Coleman and Crang 2002, 156). This makes it harder for FTT to provide unique travel packages.SECTION FIVEFTT needs to meet these changes in society and in the level of competition head on, addressing issues related to both our products and our target markets. First, we need to stop think the internet as our completion and begin to view it as a manner of increasing our customer base. Although we have a website, it is not as drug user friendly as it could be, and does not offer a wide range of holidays. We could expand our travel product available online. Instead of simply listing our preen packages with prices, as our current website offers, we could experiment with creating an a la carte method of creating packages. With the correct software, this would be possible to do completely online, and agents wanting to make a booking could even use the s ame online system when dealing with customers. In this scenario, a customer could access our website and choose the components of their holiday, appealing simultaneously to the postmodern desire for novelty and our established customer need for predictability. For example, one family may want to have a less expensive lodging but hire a larger car. They would be able to do this on the website, and after all their bookings would have created their own package, as inclusive as they desire. This would also provide a price incentive as customers could pay for only the level of or types of provision they really desire.In addition to increasing the number of customers purchasing holidays from us, such flexibility and convenience in booking is also likely to increase the spend of our existing customer base. Whereas once one of our established customers might use us only for holiday travel, a convenient website might also lead to other bookings by the same customer, such as business travel, expanding our product base. We would also be able to attract more customers from outside the UK, or from areas inside the country where we do not have strong branch presence.We also need to change the product mix of our fixed-package offerings to include more novelty and fantasy. For example, we might add adventure activities to a beach holiday in such a way that they meet the safety needs of parents. Including water-skiing lessons as part of a beach holiday provides some adventure, but because it includes instruction and a supervised environment it retains the safety and predictability our customers value. The entire family can together enter into an activity outside their normal circumstances.For our winter/older customer group, changing the type of tour or travel available would probably not be popular, but adding additional and more adventuresome locations where a level of comfort and predictability could be guaranteed would be advantageous. For example, as Turkey seeks entrance into the European Union, it has become a country more open to tourism, providing a wealth of new places for tours, and usually at competitive prices.Increased availability and reduced price of air travel also now allow us to offer tours farther abroad, and we need to look into areas of the world such as India and Mexico, which were typically too far and too costly to be considered by our customers for a holiday. We would need to work closely with local lodging, transport and other providers to ensure the level of comfort our customers require, but these locations provide an opportunity to introduce adventure and fantasy in an appealing way to our older customer group.FTT should also expand our marketing via the internet, particularly to repeat customers and voltage customers who have already initiated contact with us, such as those who stop by a branch to discuss travel options, but do not purchase right away. Email is a simple and extremely inexpensive way to contact customers wi th various offerings. This would also allow us to increase our target markets. For example, the UK Tourism Survey shows that an increasing number of young working-class families are taking holiday abroad. As younger people are more likely to have computer access and be knowledgeable in computer operation, it figures that this is a potential market where FTT may increase market share.Working class families without computers could still be included in the target market, but through other means of penetration. Over forty million loyalty cards were in circulation in the UK in 1999, and that number has undoubtedly increased substantially since (Evans 1999). Most cost-conscious Brits now have several such cards, and those motivated by price are particularly keen on using them. Partnering with several major cards could not only increase our visibility and presence, but attract customers that might not consider holiday travel.For example, we could offer a discounted package as a reward for points acquire by a major loyalty card scheme, such as Tesco. Alternatively, we could join the scheme itself and offer points for a customers spend with us. In any case, being included in a scheme with extensive emails, newspaper inserts, and other advertising would reach cost-conscious consumers, a characteristic of our traditional customer base, who might not have considered package holidays before. We may also attract those who had purchased their packages elsewhere, at least to the point that they might inquire about our offerings, either in person or online. Some in this market will be surprised at the affordability of many packages. It is also likely that since customers attracted from this target market have never had a holiday abroad before, they would be nervous about both planning and going. As such they would find our servcies as a travel agency both convenient and comforting. Once they went once on a holiday package from us, we could make them part of our database, and provide various marketing endeavors to encourage their repeat patronage.The marketing changes discussed above give FTT the opportunity to once again dominate the travel package sector of our industry, to attract and retain customers from a wider customer base, and to ensure future growth and profitability. Our society is changing, but if we change with it we can continue for another forty years of travel excellence.REFERENCESColeman, S. and Crang, M. (ed) (2002) Tourism Between Place and Performance. Oxford Berghahn.Evans, M. (1999) Loyalty schemes and the Orwellian Millennium. British Food Journal, 101(2) 132-147.Palmer, A. (1994) Principles of Service Marketing. London McGraw-Hill.Sharpley, R. (2003) Tourism, Tourists and Society. Elm Publishing.Shaw, G. and Williams, A.M. (2004) Tourism, Tourists and Tourist Spaces. London Sage.Vignali, C. (2001) McDonalds think global, act local the marketing mix. British Food Journal, 103(2) 97.WEBSITESwww.cheaptickets.comwww.cooptravelshop.c o.ukwww.expedia.co.ukwww.gate1travel.comwww.travelbag.co.uk

Mrs. Mallards Character in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay

Socrates, a Greek philosopher once said Each one must know himself. Unfortunately, most of us ar not aware of our true type. Social conventions are the main cause making us repress what we really think and feel. Only when unexpected events happen, we do have an opportunity to take a close look at our hidden self.The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin reflects the dramatic development process of Mrs.Mallards character through the death of her husband it demonstrates that the true identity cannot be sheltered forever. At the beginning of the story, the author describes Mrs.Mallard as a woman having the distinctive mark of self-assertion which is constrained by her marriage. She seems to be the victim of an overbearing but occasionally loving husband. Being told o...