Information vs Knowledge Essay

1. The community chosen is the community of economists. Some sources they rely on include academic journals, the news (on print, online, television, radio, and others), country reports, economic data, and financial market analyses. 2. One of the sources that could be taken as pure information is the economic data. Economic data sets of data that describe a single economy or the international economy. These data sets are gathered through quantitative information that are collected and computed statistically to give an accurate picture of the economy being studied. Economic data, in their raw form, is not analyzed, and even the analysis that accompany them are usually there to interpret the numbers to make them more understandable to the reader. This is information because it is the basis of knowledge that people create since they are considered facts from which knowledge can be gained. Economists use economic data to gather information about the topic that they are exploring and connect them with other data and past knowledge to form ideas, theories, recommendations, etc. hat would be helpful to their colleagues, policymakers, businesses, economics students, and even the common person. While some economic data agree with one another, there are those that don’t, depending on which organization does the statistic. The differences could confuse the readers as much as those that agree help them in gaining more knowledge about the particular economy they are studying. 3. Among these, the source that is actually knowledge is the academic journal.  Academic journals are works by experts on the field of focus of the journal (in this case, economics), and are peer reviewed by other experts on the field. These sources often become forums for academicians and experts since the authors of the articles in the journal introduce and present new research that critique existing research. Experts, then scrutinize the writings of authors who churn out their original research, review articles and even book reviews and it becomes a hub of theories, ideas, debate, etc. It then becomes easy to see why this is knowledge. Based on Lanier’s understanding of knowledge, that it is â€Å"created through a person’s interaction with her environment, her community, her social class, her history, her job, etc. Knowledge cannot be created in a neutral or objective way that exists outside of our real life situations. † Journals reflect a person’s ideas and experiences in relation to the information they have and are often opinions based on facts.vThe correlation between a person’s worldview and understanding in explaining and the information that they have printed in a journal makes the medium a hub of knowledge from different economists. 4. I believe that the community of economists, especially those in the upper echelons of the field, are already aware of the difference between knowledge and information in their field since information for them is usually hard quantitative data. But if they have not considered the difference, the problem that they can overcome in delineating one from the other is that they would be able to think more critically. Knowing that what they have is knowledge, they could accept it and draw their own conclusions. Upon the knowledge that the source that they have is knowledge, they could add such sources in their own minds and create their own conclusions based on different perspectives and could either accept one and reject the other and just not let what they read overwhelm them.

Corporate Identity: the Concept, Its Measurement and Management

â€Å"Corporate identity: the concept, its measurement and management† by van Riel, Cees B. M. and John M. T. Balmer (1997) tries to clarify the complex concept of corporate identity. The authors review three main developments in the topic that are graphic design paradigm, integrated communication paradigm and interdisciplinary paradigm. The article also describes corporate identity management and various methods that can be used to reveal the actual corporate identity such as laddering technique and the Rotterdam Organizational Identification Test. However, according to the authors, the problem in establishing the desired corporate identity is that available methods were developed for the positioning of product brands rather than the corporate brand. The authors conclude that a favorable corporate identity is one of an organization’s most important assets and for that reason is worthy of constant management attention. I think a great example of how important the corporate identity is for the overall organizational success is the Muzak case in Argenti’s book Chapter 4. In 1997 the company was so insecure about its own identity that its business cards and trucks often looked more like the vendors’ identities than its own. Feature article about  Production Management Also the brand looked different in every region and even between franchisees and sales offices. The company was losing cash, had horrible corporate culture and negative growth. Developing a unifying symbol for the company (that went on everything from business cards to trade shows and sales materials) and bringing Muzak’s brand message to a new level, helped the company to restore its confidence, to change public perception, to grow financially and to attract both new clients and new talented employees. I think that the case illustrates how an appropriate or outdated corporate identity can damage firm’s financial performance and company’s success. Thus, management should not overlook the importance of the corporate identity but rather learn how to shape and manage company’s identity and differentiate the company through it.

Analysis of ‘The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life’ Essay

Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life provides a detailed description and analysis of process and meaning in everyday interaction. Goffman writes from a symbolic interactionist perspective, emphasizing a qualitative analysis of the components of the interactive process. Through a sociological analysis he explores the details of individual identity, group relations, and the movement and interactive meaning of information. Goffman’s perspective provides insight into the nature of social interaction and the psychology of the individual. Goffman employs a â€Å"dramaturgical approach† in his study, concerning himself with the mode of presentation employed by the actor and its meaning in the broader social context (Goffman, 240). Interaction is viewed as a â€Å"performance,† shaped by environment and audience, constructed to provide others with â€Å"impressions† that are consonant with the desired goals of the actor (17). The performance exists regardless of the mental state of the individual, as persona is often imputed to the individual in spite of his or her lack of faith in the performance. Goffman uses the example of the doctor who is forced to give a placebo to a patient, aware of its impotence, as a result of the desire of the patient for more extensive treatment (18). In this way, the individual develops identity or persona as a function of interaction with others, through an exchange of information that allows for more specific definitions of identity and behavior. The process of establishing social identity becomes closely allied to the concept of the â€Å"front,† which is described as â€Å"that part of the individual’s performance which regularly functions in a general and fixed fashion to define the situation for those who observe the performance† (22). The front acts as a vehicle of standardization, allowing for others to understand the individual on the basis of projected character traits that have normative meanings. As a â€Å"collective representation,† the front establishes proper â€Å"setting,† â€Å"appearance,† and â€Å"manner† for the social role assumed by the actor, uniting interactive behavior with the personal front (27). The actor, in order to present a realistic front, is forced to fill the duties of the social role to communicate activities and the characteristics of the role to other people in a consistent manner. In constructing a front, information  about the actor is given off through a variety of communicative sources, all of which must be controlled to convince the audience of the appropriateness of behavior. Believability, as a result, is constructed in terms of verbal signification, which is used by the actor to establish intent, is used by the audience to verify the honesty of statements made by the individual. Attempts are made to present an â€Å"idealized† version of the front, more consistent with the norms and laws of society than the behavior of the actor when not before an audience (35). Information dealing with aberrant behavior and belief is concealed from the audience in a process of â€Å"mystification,† making prominent those characteristics that are socially approved. This legitimatizes both the social role of the individual and the framework to which the role belongs (67). Goffman also explores nature of group dynamics through a discussion of â€Å"teams† and the relationship between performance and audience. He uses the concept of the team to illustrate the work of a group of individuals who â€Å"co-operate† in performance, attempting to achieve goals sanctioned by the group (79). Co-operation may manifest in the assumption of differing roles for each individual, determined by the intent of the performance. Goffman refers to the â€Å"shill,† a member of the team who â€Å"provides a visible model for the audience of the kind of response the performers are seeking,† promoting excitement for the realization of a goal, as an example of a â€Å"discrepant role† in the team (146). In each circumstance, the individual assumes a front that is perceived to enhance the group’s performance. As a result, disagreement can be carried out in the absence of an audience, where the performance changes and may be made without the threat of damaging the goals of the team or individual. This creates a division between the team and audience. Goffman describes the division between team performance and audience in terms of â€Å"region,† describing the role of setting in the differentiation of actions taken by individuals (107). Goffman divides region into â€Å"front,† â€Å"back,† and â€Å"outside† the stage, based upon the relationship of the audience to the performance. While the â€Å"official stance† of the team is visible in their front stage presentation, in the backstage, â€Å"the impression fostered by the presentation is knowingly contradicted as a matter of course,† indicating a more â€Å"truthful† type of performance (112). To be outside the stage involves the inability to gain access to the performance of the team, de scribed as an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"audience segregation† in which specific performances are given to specific audiences. Thus allows the team to create the appropriate front for the demands of each audience (137). This routine allows the team, individual actor, and audience to preserve proper relationships in interaction and the establishments to which the interactions belong. Though detailed and very well portrayed, Goffman’s study does not provide a complete description of interactive processes. In exploring the construction of presentation among individual and teams, Goffman does not fully explore the nature of marginalized individuals. This is significant due to the notion that these individuals and the groups could assume somewhat different roles of interaction among members due to their placement outside of major groups. The methodological approach used by Goffman was also somewhat inconsistent and the approaches to testing to gather data seemed random at times. By limiting his work Goffman also eliminates the possibility of applying the activities of the everyday to the larger social world.Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life overall provides insight into the nature of interpersonal interaction and the institutions to which interaction applies. Despite methodology, Goffman’s work displays an analytical thoroughness in dealing with an interesting area of social thought. Through an inquiry into the everyday life of humanity, Goffman’s work provides an effective foundation for understanding the nature of social   interaction and the development of the individual.

Importance of SWOT Analysis to Newspaper Companies Coursework - 3

Importance of SWOT Analysis to Newspaper Companies - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that in this technological age and the competitive news media environment, newspaper companies need to use SWOT analysis to determine their market position and available opportunities that can help them make more profit. Use of SWOT analysis will help newspaper companies identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing them thus strategize to remain competitive in the market. SWOT analysis will help in making long-term decisions that will influence their competitiveness in the market. Another importance of SWOT analysis to newspaper companies is that it will help them understand competition and their market position. This will then help them in determining the best actions to take to remain competitive in the news media market. Understanding competition and market position will help them understand their competitors’ strengths and thus start borrowing their strategies and technology, which will help them remain competitive. SWOT analysis will also help a newspaper company in positive recognition. In this case, a newspaper company will understand their strengths and opportunities thus efficiently utilize them to remain viable in the market. It will help them discover their most important resources and use them more effectively to achieve their goals. In addition, SWOT analysis will also help them understand their weaknesses and threats thus come up with plans on how to eliminate or mitigate them. Lastly, SWOT analysis also helps Newspaper Companies determine if they are improving or diminishing thus take corrective action to restore their business operations.

Telecommuting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Telecommuting - Essay Example There are various benefits that have been attained by firms that have adopted this method as part of their human resources management strategy. While some have had success other firms have experienced a negative effect with their bid to try and adopt telecommuting policies. A recent incidence may have brought the issues that are raised by telecommuting to the fore and this was with the recently appointed chief executive (CEO) of Yahoo banning the telecommuting policy of the company. Discussions have been raised on whether this was a good move or not? What may have called for her action? How does this affect the future productivity of Yahoo as a company? There are a number of advantages that a company may stand to gain from adopting a telecommuting policy. The positives To begin with are the environmental advantages that are to be gained by this policy. The increase in the number of people who are telecommuting means that there are fewer people on the roads driving. This reduces the amount of emissions that are released into the atmosphere and that contribute to green house gases. The other advantage that is provided by telecommuting is that of a social nature and this is as concerns the family unit. Telecommuting is beneficial to parents especially mothers who are accorded the ability to juggle taking care of their young ones while still being able to attend to their office duties. This makes for a stronger family unit and also there is the provision of the needed amount of care given to the children. All this though point to the individual advantage of telecommuting. The idea though is to look at the whole picture from the perspective of the company and how beneficial or otherwise this will be to the company. Though it should be mentioned at the e arliest that there exists different schools of thought on whether telecommuting is beneficial to a company or not but the overall opinion infers to it being more of beneficial. Improving performance Various different studies have been conducted that have looked at the improvements that a firm may get from having a section of its workers telecommuting to work. Some of these studies have found that telecommuting helps boost the performance of the workers and this has been attributed to a number of factors. One of these factors is the amount of time that is saved by workers who do not have to commute to work every day. Each day there is an increasing number of hours that workers spend on the road on their way to and from work. These hours can be better spent working on their various tasks if they telecommute. This savings are also in the fact that a large percentage of the workers are now not forced to endure traffic jams that also consume a lot of the time which limits the workers pro ductivity. If this time is spent doing company related tasks and assignments they can help improve greatly on the output of the company (Johnson, 2001, 169). The other idea is in the fact that those who telecommute to work have been found to have an increased amount of productivity as compared to their colleagues who do not telecommute. One of these studies was done by Staples of which 93% of the surveyed employee agreed to the fact that telecommuting does a good job as far as improving productivity is concerned. This point was supported by over half of the decision makers in the company (Nina, 2013). This has been attributed to there being improved employee morale, lower employee absenteeism and reduced employee stress. All these factors worked to improve the performance o

Reasons of the speedy growing and futher problems of Indian Economic Research Paper - 1

Reasons of the speedy growing and futher problems of Indian Economic - Research Paper Example After these areas have briefly being looked at, I shall then delve closely into the major areas of discussion where I shall touch briefly on each of the following areas: i. Reasons of the speedy growing of Indian economic. ii. Further problems of India because of high speed economic growing iii. Can India exceed China economically? These two major groups of discussions shall pave way for major components of the essay to begin. Reasons for the speedy growing of Indian economy - 3 India is fast becoming a force to recon with in world economic terms. Not as before, India is more stable and growing rapidly in terms of economic growth. This of course has reasons as to every effect, there is a cause. This part of the essay shall therefore be dedicated to looking at the reasons for the speedy growing of Indian economy. To talk about the reasons, a brief background to India’s current economic status shall be given. Next, I shall dig deep into the history of Indian economy. This aspect will be very relevant because it will help readers to identify that indeed the economy of India has its own roots. The discussion of the historic background would also help in creating timelines for major achievements and events in the history of India’s economy. ... World history has it that there are nations who once had very graceful economies. Their gross domestic product grew at rapid rate, their inflationary rates where always down and the rate of their currencies were forces to recon with. However with time, due to poor economic management and because factors or reasons that led to their economic growth were not sustained. It is against this backdrop that this aspect of the essay shall not only consider the reasons for the speedy economic growth but also ways of sustaining the growth. Further problems of India because of high speed economic growing – 4 There is no denying the fact that there is an effect – positive and negative for that matter to every situation. Even though it is a good thing that India’s economy should develop at a very speedy rate, this comes not only with positive repercussions but negative ones as well. This part of the essay shall therefore be a progress of the previous aspect, which was on the r easons for the speedy growing of Indian economy. Three major problems that are likely to affect India’s economy as a result of its current economic growth shall be treated. The problems shall not just be stated but stated with possible solutions. The problems to be looked at would include: i. Unlawful migration to India – (The Indian Analyst, HVK ii. Taking advantage of booming economy to become the hub of counterfeit, low quality and fake products. – (The Lancet, Democratic Underground iii. Pressure from dependant nations – (The Economic Times, The Economic Times These problems have carefully being chosen because there are enough proofs that the problems have affected other countries that have attained economic growth and freedom. In worse cases,

Health Benefits of Yoga Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Benefits of Yoga - Essay Example Regular practice of Yoga helps cool the soul and is a way of relaxing the mind. People wonder how an exercise which is simple enough might help in modifying the breath of those who are under stress. The stress that a person accounts in his daily life makes him feel uneasy for the rest of the day or may be a few days. However Yoga can lessen feeling which is felt by a person when he is under stress. Thus it needs to be clarified at this point that Yoga is not a cure for stress, but is a way of lessening the feeling which makes a person feel uncomfortable. The basic exercise which is suitable for beginners as well as advanced students is called Nadi Shodhana, in other words sweet breath, which is a form of alternate nostril breathing. This exercise can be done before the start of Yoga or even when a person feels stressed out. This way of modified breathing is a useful way of relieving stress. The reduction of stress by diet, exercise and spiritual reorientation in life are achieved by doing Yoga. The main advice on the issue of diet given to a Yogic is that less intake of fat and spicy foods and high fiber is advised. The main benefits that can be ascertained are that due to a low fat diet there is a lesser chance of a heart disease. Further high fiber diets has its own benefits that is there is a lower chance of the development a diabetes mellitus and if a Yogic does have diabetes then a better sugar control would be present. As far as the spiritual reorientation in life is considered it has been said that a person who regularly does Yoga knows that it is more than exercise or in other words is a way of life and this recognition helps him in being compassionate to other human beings and it has been proved my modern research that such feelings are a key to achieve better health. It has also been proved that yoga decrease the muscle tone and allows a person to relax.Many surveys have pointed out to the fact that people who practice Yoga are less stressed and there fore has allowed them to live a life which is without breakdowns or anxiety. Therefore for quite a few people it has turned out to be a pleasant experience. Furthermore Yoga has proved to be beneficial in reducing the risk of many medical conditions which may occur otherwise. Some of the common problems are "hypertension, coronary atherosclerosis (heart disease), chronic neck and back pain, migraine, insomnia and depression"(Finger 14). The exercises done in Yoga help one to massage the internal organs so that they can function appropriately. The organs are developed after doing Yoga in such a way that they provide the body with such an environment that the person is able to relax. It not only develops the physique of a person but also makes the individuals possesses a stronger immune system. Not only this, research has also shown that diseases such chronic as diabetes mellitus can have a reduced effect because of doing the act of Yoga (Toth). The mental health of a person can also be stabilized after doing the practice of Yoga. Mental health through Yoga is stabilized by reducing the tension one has to go through and restoring the mental agility one possesses (Yoga-for-life). Meditation forms an important part of Yoga and this can be defined as "the process of attaining total awareness through the cessation of thought" (Budilovsky and Adamson 36). With the help

What is the constitutional democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is the constitutional democracy - Essay Example American democratic system or Constitutional Democracy has two essential components; one related to the constitution and the other related to democracy. The component related to constitution, limits, or controls the power of the government whereas the component related to democracy determines the political power of the government. In America, political authority is attained by a government through the elected representatives in the government. It should be noted that the members of the Congress in America is elected by the people and these congress men/women are responsible for controlling the actions of the government. American president cannot work against the will of the members of the Congress. In other words, the majority of the members of the Congress should vote in favour of a particular policy before it can be implemented by the president or the government. In a constitutional democracy like America, people hold supreme power. In other words, the government cannot work against the will of the people. All the policies or laws implemented in America based on the majority rule. Even though a constitutional democracy, is a government by majority rule, it does not mean that the minority rights can be violated by such a government. It is the duty of the government in constitutional democracy to protect the rights of both minorities as well as the majorities. Judiciary (Court), Parliament (Congress) and Executive (Government) are the three major pillars of any democratic system and the case of America is also not an exception. In America, Supreme Court has the highest authority to decide whether the government is functioning according to the norms of constitution or not. Supreme Court interprets the clauses and norms in the constitution and decides whether the government violated any existing constitutional laws in the country. The philosophy of American constitution lies on

E-MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E-MARKETING - Essay Example It now offers more effective and efficient ways for communicating the messages of the company to the consumers. The report will highlight on the difference between the traditional marketing communication and the E-marketing communication. The report will also highlight marketing tools which are presently being used in amazon.com. Apart from that the assignment will also try to explain on how amazon.com can utilize the diffusion adoption process in the context with its newly released Amazon kindle reader. And at the end the report will try to put some of the benefits of using viral email, interactive advertisement campaigns and E CRM. The key findings of the project are that amazon.com makes use of different kinds of marketing tools for its promotional purposes and increasing the customer experiences. Introduction Amazon.com Inc. is a global electronic commerce company which facilitates online buying of different kinds of products. The company was founded in the year 1994 and is headq uartered at Seattle, Washington, United States of America (Amazon, n.d.). Amazon.com is considered as the biggest online retailer of the planet. The company started its venture as an online book store but later diversified into other business lines. The company serves the customers via its retail websites and mainly focuses on the price and expediency. Apart from being a platform of online buying for the customers it also provides them with the opportunity to sell the product. One of the noticeable aspects is that the company has offered separate retail websites for countries like United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany and Italy among others. This course of action has been mainly undertaken to offer better customer experiences. Recently amazon.com has started developing Kindle e-reader which is gadget used for reading online e-books. The company also offers other services such as various promotional and marketing agreements like co-branded cash cards and different kind of on line advertisements (Yahoo finance, n.d.). E-Marketing vs. Traditional Communication Slowly and steadily many companies started to incorporate the use of modern marketing techniques in order to get the best out of it. One of the most significant ways of marketing communication came forward with E-marketing. Buzzwords such as digital marketing, online marketing and internet marketing are considered as synonymous with E-marketing (Pannu & Tomar, 2010, p.118). In simple words E-marketing or electronic marketing is the application of the principles of marketing and techniques of marketing within the electronic media and to be more specific by making use of internet. Internet marketing or E-marketing includes both direct as well as indirect marketing and a set of different technologies for making effective connection and communication to the customers. The growing importance of E marketing is the reason for its high return on investment from the traditional marketing. The benefits of E- marketing includes its reach to the mass customers, scope of offering a range of products and services, interactivity or interaction, provides immediate effect and targeting different group of customers across the national boundaries of the business. Amazon.com is a company which is based only on E- marketing, and makes use of different kinds of marketing tools to promote its product. The company also feels that their most

Week 3-Individual small Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Week 3-Individual small - Assignment Example nvolved in the creation of Affordable Care Act mainly include reviewing whether there lays the necessity of making any sort of change in the current health insurance plans and identifying the new subsidies that may help in providing any sort of financial assistance among others. In contrast, the steps followed in the generation of Clinton Healthcare Reforms generally included making healthcare coverage plans that are affordable to all, making quality improvements in treatment procedures and bringing simplicity in the procedure among others (Cannan, 2013). It can be affirmed that the step of communicating the Americans about the message about the affordability of effective healthcare insurance plans eventually contributed in making the failure of Clinton Healthcare Reforms. Conversely, the step i.e. modernizing as well as upgrading the existing healthcare system in the US eventually emerged as one of the success factors of Affordable Care Act (Cannan, 2013). The stakeholders of both Clinton Healthcare Reforms and Affordable Care Act can be ascertained as corporate leaders, industry shareholders along with centrist academics and most vitally the community members prevailing within varied societies in the US (Cannan, 2013). The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism. (2014). What is the difference between Obama and Clintons health care plans? Retrieved from

Motivating High School Students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Motivating High School Students - Essay Example Creating changes in the planning of courses whereby the teacher is forced to have many choices of materials use in motivating these students. The teacher can spend time on discussions in class activities imposes emotion, social and moral parts of education. This is normally an effective method of motivating students to act on difficult topics in their studies. These students should be encouraged to read more books to gain more knowledge for themselves in various aspects of their studies. Teachers are asked to focus on the students matter culturally, linguistically and socially and at the same time, they should encourage the students to choose subjects that are of interest to them. These high school students should be allowed choose a unit of their study whereby, the teacher can relate the student's preferences of the subjects by asking them questions on the subjects they like and those they dislike. 1 Motivation, in this case the high school teachers who are serious and are engaged in educating this category of students in high schools must apply the teaching techniques they have acquired in order to motivate these students to achieve their goals in school where by each child should be involved in every meaningful learning while at school. The first step that a teacher is recommended to take is to know what the students like or dislike about the school activities and what they would recommend the school to do to enable them have an environment that makes them to learn better. The teacher should also interview the other teachers including carrying out class observations whereby the teacher is enabled to know the strengths and weaknesses of each student who needs motivation under this, the teacher should include the activities and preferences of each student with their personal goals. The teacher should therefore learn to like all students despite their differences in school work performances. He should create an environment for every student in which they can be free to ask their own questions, under this, the teacher is recommended not to be too serious thus he should engage himself in creating funs during his lessons in order to break the boredom that some students may be facing which leads them to dislike the particular teacher which may lead to poor performance by the students in that particular subject that the teacher teaches. Teachers are encouraged to be caring and be able to give attention and assistance to each and every student in his class. This is said to be normally the major factor leading to improvement in the achievement of the students' school goals. The teacher who is engaged in motivating the students should therefore ensure that the students are given personal assistance using various teaching strategies which ensures that every student begin his study work with a success before proceeding to a more challenging work, therefore, the teacher should start by working on the strength of the student but not on his weakness. 2 The teacher is supposed to create an environment in which students are allowed to explain a difficult

E-Business Essay Example for Free

E-Business Essay Supply chain management is a battery of procedures that involve planning, executing and organizing the operations of a supply chain (Haag et al. , 2006). Such cluster of procedures covers all activities of a company, including management of raw materials, inventory and final products at both the point-of-origin and point-of-consumption. Supply chain management requires the modification of management from an individual-based level of performance to an integration of operations as key processes in the supply chain. One simple example involves the placement of purchase orders by the purchasing department of the company. This is then coupled by the communication of the marketing department with particular distributors and retailers. Such efforts in integrating several processes in order to maximize and speed up a general process may result in an extremely efficient company. The integration of the financing technology and supplier outreach services facilitates reduction in capital requirements and finance costs associated with the clients (Kemp, 2006). The reduction in requirements and costs is attained through the help of the supply chains, which permits retailers and suppliers to register with the website and interactive with the supply chain system. Such technological innovation of doing e-business helps them track down the payments of any transactions completed or still in progress (Timmers, 2000). In addition, suppliers and buyers are able to work in partnership to settle the final price and this is usually done through the receipt of credit memoranda. Such setting facilitates a faster process of trading. The integration of operations enhances the relationship between the supplier and the buyer, regardless of employment, gender and physical backgrounds.

Policies for Child Protection

Policies for Child Protection Introduction and Overview The concept of children having specific rights is of comparatively recent origin. Traditional perceptions of society towards children have for centuries held them to be emotionally, physically and intellectually immature, incapable of looking after their own selves and inadequately equipped to make their own decisions (Bronfrenbrenner, 1979). With children furthermore being regarded as little more than possessions of parents, (with no personal rights of their own), the law has historically also granted unquestionable rights for chastisement and corporal punishment to parents (Bronfrenbrenner, 1979). The subservient status of children in British society even a hundred years ago can be gauged from the fact that whilst the prevalence of child cruelty was common knowledge in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals came into being, in 1840, practically half a century earlier than the creation of the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (Bronfrenbrenner, 1979). Such was the widespread social and political agreement on the rights of parents to do as they willed with their children. Even in the days of the industrial revolution the penalty for seriously harming an animal was far more severe than for causing grievous injury to a defenceless child (Bronfrenbrenner, 1979). Although preliminary work on enhancement of children’s rights started haltingly in 19th century Victorian England, the perceived need to take better care of children grew and received concrete legislative backing only in the first half of the 20th century (Maier, 1979). Initial work in the area however focussed primarily on health, safety and education of children, and stopped well short of intruding upon the foundational rights of parents, or the patriarchal rights of fathers with regard to ownership and control (Maier, 1979). Legislative inroads into the all encompassing rights of parents, vis-à  -vis their children, grew rapidly only after the Second World War, and resulted in (a) the rising legal authority of social workers to protect children, and (b) the establishment of rights of children for primary and secondary education, as well as for comprehensive health facilities (Prout, 2000). Whilst the interventionist policy of the British welfare state reached its apex during the late 1970s, (and was based upon the idea that the state had every right to step in for the protection of children, if those caring for them failed to do so), this approach was toned down significantly in the wake of the dismantling of the welfare infrastructure in the mid 1980s (Prout, 2000). The enactment of the Children’s Act 1989, in the wake of the 1987 Cleveland Report, (Therapy with Children) brought about a sea change in the practice of service delivery, and the state and agency relationship for social work practice was subsequently recast by New Labour into today’s working partnership approach (Prout, 2000). Partnership working, a process that is at the heart of current initiatives of service delivery in community and social work, involves, as per the Audit Commission of 1998, a â€Å"joint working arrangements where parties, (which) are otherwise independent bodies, †¦ agree to co-operate to achieve common goals, create a new organisational structure on process to achieve these goals, plan and implement a joint programme and share relevant information, tasks and rewards† (Aldgate Statham, 2001, p 36). Whilst partnership working in social work is not a brand new concept and was in fact taken up during the years of the welfare state, (in various urban and community development partnerships in the 1970s, as also in the regeneration partnerships in the 1980s), its use in service delivery became widespread only after New Labour, which had previously announced its intention of shifting from a culture of contracting to one of partnership, came to power in 1997 (Aldgate Statham, 2 001). The working partnership model for service delivery can be considered to be significantly different, both from the bureaucratic functioning of Old Labour and the market orientation of conservatives; it is based on trust and communication, rather than on command or on price mechanisms (Aldgate Statham, 2001). Debate over the growing authority of social workers with regard to the protection of children, especially in the context of their staying with their parents or being entrusted to care, reached significant proportions for the first time in 1975, in the case of seven year old Maria Caldwell, where the social worker misrepresented the actual position of the case to the court and forced the child to return to her natural parents, despite the child having formed close bonds with her foster parents (Bullock Others, 1993). With little heed having been paid to the wishes of the child, (who used to repeatedly run back to her foster home), the decision of the court, on the recommendation of the social worker, led to the tragic death of Maria. The conviction of her father for manslaughter was followed by public outrage and debate that resulted in the enactment of the Children Act 1975, which in turn called (a) for taking the feelings of children into account in care decisions and (b) for their right for representation by a court appointed social worker, rather than by the social services department of the local authority (Bullock Others, 1993). Whilst media and public debate continued to focus on the need for interdisciplinary working between health, education, social services, and the police, in issues relating to child protection, the next watershed occurred only in 1987 when 121 children in Cleveland were taken into care by social service authorities on concerns of physical and sexual abuse at their natural homes. With opinion on the issue being sharply divided with the social workers and the medical fraternity on one side and the media and the police on the other, the Cleveland Report, (prepared by a committee set up to specifically investigate the matter), commented adversely on the breakdown of communication between agencies and the dominant tendencies of agencies to act without considering the feelings of children; it also discussed the possibility that parents might well act against the interests of their children and recommended the need to involve children in the decision making process (Prout, 2003). The Children Act 1989, which was influenced by the findings of the Cleveland Report, caused a major shift in child care policy; away from state intervention in family life; towards partnership with families and caregivers; and with an emphasis on child intervention in decision making (Prout, 2003). Despite the introduction of such legal and policy safeguards, the tragic affair of young Victoria Climbie, who was abused, tortured, and ultimately killed, in April 2000, by her aunt and the man with whom she lived, under the eye of social service agencies, revealed that true partnership in working, and consideration of the wishes of the child, was yet to take place (Prout, 2003). Commentary The report that followed the death of Victoria Climbie was accompanied with the publication of a green paper called Every Child Matters, which focussed on four key themes, (a) increasing the focus on supporting families and carers, the most critical influence on children’s lives (b) ensuring necessary intervention takes place before children reach crisis point and protecting children from falling through the net, (c) addressing the underlying problems identified in the report into the death of Victoria Climbie, namely weak accountability and poor integration, and (d) ensuring that the people working with children are valued, rewarded and trained (Background to †¦, 2008). The green paper was followed by intense debate and consultation with people working in children’s services, parents, children, young people and other members of society, and led to the publication of Every Child Matters: the Next Steps, and the enactment of the Children Act 2004 (Background to †¦, 2008), steps that provided legislative support for developing more effective and accessible services directed around the needs of children, young people and families, and the use of partnership working in child protection, the focus of this essay. The rights of children in present day Britain are legally protected by laws that deal especially with the protection and well being of children, as well as by laws on health care, education, and social security (Prout, 2003). Children’s rights are protected by family law, education law and employment law. The United Nations Convention on Human Rights, ratified by the UK in 1991, not only gives children over 40 specific social, economic, cultural/civil and political rights, but also provides guidance on how governments should enumerate and protect these rights (Prout, 2003). Whilst the British legal framework provides a robust support system for safeguarding children’s rights, New Labour has, over the last decade also worked at establishing the concept of working in partnership by all bodies, schools, local authorities, medical relief agencies, carers, and parents, for protecting children; it is a concept that calls for active involvement of parents and consultation with children as well as for their participation in the decision making process (Milligan Stevens, 2006). With participation with children also being a key tenet of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the practice of service delivery is shifting to include the views, opinions and experiences of children and young people in care, as well as in their natural homes (Milligan Stevens, 2006). This principle, that of enabling children to participate in the decision making process, however continues to be a topic of intense debate, with many individuals still remaining unconvinced of the ability of children to rise above their emotional predilections and take logical decisions. As the recent case of Baby P, the 17 year old infant who was tortured and murdered by her mother and her boyfriend in Haringey Council of North London shows, it clearly does not apply to children who are too young to express their feelings or to develop opinions. Whilst the benefits of allowing children to participate actively in decisions that concern their emotional and physical well being have been underlined time and again and indeed are integral to the modern partnership working model, it is difficult to apply the same yardstick, as is normal with adults, to all children (Milligan Stevens, 2006). The maturity and learning of children, child psychiatrists confirm, are strongly influenced by their life experiences, which include their natural home or care environments and their access to health services, as well as by care and learning programmes (Emond, 2003). A number of research studies reveal that the quality of early childhood life and programmes can significantly improve the ability of children to do well in education, work and in life; this being especially true of children who are experiencing disadvantage (Emond, 2003). Whilst such studies do point towards the existence of sharp differences in the abilities of children from diffe rent backgrounds to participate in decision making, such issues are accentuated for children in care or in disturbed domestic situations, because of the absence of the democratic process in their everyday lives (Emond, 2003). Extant research also points to the fact that notwithstanding governmental initiatives and instructions to social workers to involve children in decision making, the views of children or youth are seldom considered, not just by administrators but also by researchers. Two recent research exercises one by Berridge and Brodie, in 1998, and Thomas, in 2005, on children’s homes, whilst delving in depth on views of managers and social workers, give scant attention to the views of children (Stevens, 2006). Such attitudes, which are too ingrained to be removed by recent legislation, dampen cognitive evolution and the ability and confidence of children to participate in decision making. â€Å"Residential child care units may be seen as sites where these micro-political processes can be seen at work. Children in residential child care tend to be among the most powerless in social terms and reports of their opinions rarely contain their actual views† (Stevens, 2006). The extent to which children can participate, experts argue, can also be linked to the way they are perceived in society. Children in care are by and large perceived with ambivalence, either as possible victims who require to be taken care of, or as potential threats who need controlling; â€Å"one of the consequences of this ambivalence is that they are seen as passive recipients of services, and not as â€Å"active and creative actors, as a subject and citizen with potentials† (Stevens, 2006). Osborne and Bromfield (2007) concluded on the basis of an extensive study on children in care that the decision making facilities of such children can be affected in small and large ways by a multitude of developments. â€Å"Even small oversights can have a lasting and negative impact on the child or young person; for example, not being told why workers had moved on, or not being able to bring a pet to a new placement. Such occurrences can compound feelings of loss, grief, sadness and the feeling of being ‘different’ from other children and young people† (Osborne and Bromfield, 2007) A â€Å"CREATE† Foundation report (2004) found that children were also affected by negative care experiences that arose from systemic defects like the ones elaborated below: â€Å"(a) slow systemic procedures that prevented timely and adequate response, (b) court processes that did not adequately consult with children and young people, (c) lack of resources, support and training for carers and caseworkers, (d) inadequate early intervention strategies to support families to stay together and prevent entry into care (e) inadequate entry into care support, (f) inadequate support and preparation for young people preparing to leave car, and (g) inadequate post-care support.† (CREATE Foundation, 2004) Similar issues come up when children live in disturbed natural homes and feelings of insecurity and attachment could well make them cling on to oppressive natural parents or opt to remain in distressful conditions. Issues of culture and overall family environment also play a large part in shaping the response of children in disturbed homes, and partnership agencies and parents need to understand this phenomenon and respond accordingly. Children from ethnic backgrounds often face specific challenges on account of the different cultural environment of their homes, their inadequate English language skills, and the exclusion of their families from mainstream society. â€Å"There is apparent under-reporting of child sexual abuse in Britain’s Asian communities and a varied capacity amongst professionals to respond with cultural competence. Professional approaches originate in cultural contexts, which are often different from those of most British Asians. If the proportion of children and non-abusing carers from Asian communities who access relevant services is to increase, professionals need to develop better understandings of cultural imperatives which determine behaviour in those communities. Consultations with Asian women in Bradford reinforce the view that culturally competent practice and respectful dialogue are essential to the protection of children. They also highlight a number of recurring themes. Members of Asian communities are aware of child sexual abuse, they recognize that the issue needs to be addressed by all communities and they report that many of those affected within their own communities have found it difficult to acces s relevant services† (Gilligan, Akhtar, 2005). Decisions regarding removal of children from natural homes also need to take account of the influence of grandparents and fathers upon children and not be swayed totally by considerations of maternal ability and circumstance. With the role of grandparents in the lives of children reducing steadily, the role of fathers in child development, welfare and protection has never been more important. Fathers play critical roles in child development that often go much beyond that of providers of economic security, and incorporate nurturing, caring and supporting activities. Fathers play strong roles in (a) healthy child development in the home and school context, (b) creation of gender identity for both male and female children, (c) responsible sexuality and reduction of teen pregnancy, (d) emotional and social commitment, and (e) financial security. Whilst current service methodologies are women focussed, with social workers feeling more comfortable working with mothers, partnership working calls for much greater involvement of fathers, where possible, as well as consideration of the feelings of children about being separated from their fathers. â€Å"Mothers are the gate keepers to the father’s participation. Mothers have to believe that the family will benefit from the father’s participation. Furthermore, this discussion implies a systemic bias for excluding fathers. It is easier to manage the ongoing interactions over the course of a case by working only with one parent, the mother. In frontline practice, the potential for a compliant relationship with the mother takes precedence over a comprehensive working relationship with all the family.† (Father Involvement †¦, 2005) Mothers and social workers need to involve fathers as much as possible for partnership working to be more responsive towards child needs. Involvement of fathers by agencies could however lead to complications where relationships between parents are strained or in case of divorced and single mothers. Maternal grandparents can play significant roles in such conditions in creating conducive environments for protection and welfare of children and their involvement in partnership working could prove to be immensely beneficial. Conclusion The building of effective partnerships for protecting children is dependent upon involving all relevant agencies, namely the local authorities, social work agencies, schools, medical providers, police, community organisations, parents, and children. The recent episode, involving the horrific murder of the 17 month old child, known as Baby P, at the hands of her young mother and her boyfriend, despite the active engagement of social workers and medical practitioners, (Hyland, 2008) should not be seen as an aberration but as an indicator of the potential dangers faced by children in extremely different conditions and the individual and collective responsibilities that need to be exercised by all partnership members. The incident also reveals the vulnerability and limitations of methodologies that depend upon taking the opinion of children in cases where they are too young to express themselves. The extent of cooperation between social workers and parents also plays a critical role in the success of working partnerships. Whilst the barriers that come about because of cultural differences between social workers and members of Britain’s ethnic communities, especially from concepts of shame and honour, have already been elaborated earlier, barriers of class, income and education can also lead to lack of communication between social workers and parents and affect the appropriateness of decisions that concern child protection. In such cases, where unintended and invisible power differences work against the establishment of an equal working partnership, it is the paramount responsibility of social work agencies and social workers to build the foundation of a stable, democratic and equal working partnerships, take special pains to find out the wishes of affected children, and involve them as far as possible in the decision making process. The problems associated with knowing the wishes of children are complex; they differ from individual to individual, can be applied only to children over a certain age, and can even otherwise be solved only with patience, open mindedness, respect for children, and understanding. Working in partnership with parents for the protection of children, whilst a desirable objective, has numerous limitations and needs to be approached with care and caution. The adoption of a one shoe fits all approach in such cases is inherently fallible and can lead to horrific tragedy, as was evidenced by the Baby P tragedy, where the social workers kept the child with the mother despite numerous indicators of the dangers of doing so. Policy makers and social workers need to realise that all methodologies have their advantages and limitations. Social workers need to work with empathy; they need to scrutinise the working of all involved agencies, as well as parents, and refrain from being blinkered or authoritative in their approach, if they are to protect today’s beleaguered children from the fate that befell Maria Caldwell, Victoria Climbie, and Baby P. Words: 3290 References Ainsworth, F, (1997), Family-Centred Group Care: Model Building. Aldershot: Ashgate. Aldgate, J, Statham, J, (2001), The Children Act Now: Messages for Research. London: The Stationery Office. Background to Every Child Matters, (2008), Every Child Matters: Change for Children, Retrieved December 18, 2008 from www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/aims/background Badham, B, Wade, H, (2005), Hear by Right: Standards for the Active Involvement of Children and Young People. Swindon: NYA/LGA. Barber, J. G., Delfabbro, P. H., Cooper, L. (2001). The predictors of unsuccessful transition to foster care, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 42(6), 785–790. Bowes, J. M. and Hayes, A. (2004), Contexts and Consequences: Impacts on Children, Families and Communities, in J. M. Bowes (ed) Children, Families and Communities: Contexts and Consequences, Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Bowlby, J. 1951 Maternal Care and Mental Health, London: World Health Organization. Bronfrenbrenner, U, (1979) The Ecology of Human Development, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Bullock, R, Little, M, Millham, S, (1993), Going Home, Aldershot: Dartmouth. Berridge, D, Brodie, I, (1998), Children’s Homes Revisited, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Cashmore, J, (2004), Child Protection and Substitute Care: The Responsibility of Families, Community and State’, in J. M. Bowes (ed) Children, Families and Communities: Contexts and Consequences, Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Colton, M., Sanders, R. and Williams, M, (2001) An Introduction to Working with Children: a Guide for Social Workers, Houndmills: Palgrave. CREATE Foundation, (2004). In their own words: Experience of ACT children and young people in care. Canberra: Office of the Community Advocate, Delfabbro, P. H., Barber, J. G., Bentham, Y, (2002), Children’s satisfaction with out-of-home care in South Australia, Journal of Adolescence, 25, 523–533 DeLeon, P, (1997), Democracy and the Policy Sciences, New York: State University of New York Press. Dryzek, J. S, (1990), Discursive Democracy: Politics, Policy and Political Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Emond, R, (2003), Putting the Care into Residential Care: The Role of Young People, Journal of Social Work 3(3): 321-337. Father Involvement in Child Welfare, (2005), Jordan Institute for Families, 11, 1 Fulcher, L. C, (1985), Group Care Practice with Children, London: Tavistock. Gardner, H. (2004a). Perceptions of family: Complexities introduced by foster care. Part 1: Childhood perspectives. Journal of Family Studies, 10, 170–187. Gibbs, I, Sinclair, I, (1999), Treatment and Treatment Outcomes in Children’s Homes, Child and Family Social Work, 4: 1-8 Gilbertson, R., Barber, J. G, (2002), Obstacles to involving children and young people in foster care research, Child and Family Social Work, 7, 253–258. Gilligan, P Akhtar, S, (2005), Cultural Barriers to the Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse in Asian Communities: Listening to What Women Say, British Journal of Social Work, 36(8):1361-1377 Hyland, J, (2008), The tragic death of Baby P, WsWs, Retrieved December 18, 2008 from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/dec2008/baby-d04.shtml Maier, H, (1979), The Core of Care: Essential Ingredients for the Development of Children at Home or away from Home, Child Care Quarterly 8(4): 161-173. Milligan, I, Stevens, I, (2006) Residential Child Care: Collaborative Practice, London: Sage. Milner, J. (2001), Women and Social Work, Basingstoke: Palgrave. O’Neill, C, (2004), I remember the first time I went into Foster care—It’s a long story†¦ Children, permanent parents, and other supportive adults talk about the experience of moving from one family to another. Journal of Family Studies, 10, 205–219. Osborne, A Bromfield, L, (2007), Participation of children and young people in care in decisions affecting their lives, Australian Institute of Studies, 6 Prout, A, (2000), Children’s Participation: Control and Self-Realisation in British Late Modernity, Children and Society, 14(4): 304-315. Sinclair, R, (1998), Involving Children in the Planning of their Care, Child and Family Social Work 3: 137-142. Stevens, I, (2006), Consulting Youth about Residential Care Environments in Scotland, Children, Youth and Environments 16(2): 51-74. Retrieved December 18, 2008 from http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye Thomas, N, (2005), Has Anything Really Changed? Managers’ Views of Looked after Children’s Participation from 1997-2004, Adoption and Fostering, 29(1): 67-77. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, full text version. Retrieved on December 18, 2008 from www.unicef.at/kinderrechte/download/crceng.pdf Ward, H, Skuse, T Munro, E.R, (2005), The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: Young People’s Views of Care and Accommodation, Adoption and Fostering, 29(1): 8-17.

The Value Of Marriage English Literature Essay

The Value Of Marriage English Literature Essay Marriage has undergone a gradual transition from a custom to a legal state since 1800s. In 1800s, women were completely subordinated to their husbands. Their gender role was limited in their house, and they had to satisfy husbands needs. Their days were very tiring. Their life was very rough; they basically had no rights at this time in history. Jane Austen was a good novelist in that era. Austen lived in a time when marriage was the only way out for some women, or they would be forced to become a governess and lose their independence. Jane Austen was a major English novelist, whose brilliantly witty, elegantly structured satirical fiction marks the transition in English literature from 18th century neo-classicism to 20th century romanticism. Her novels, which were like complains about womens right, changed the idea and value of marriage forever. In 18th century, the value of marriage was limited to husband desires. Women were the property of men, and marriage was their only way of h aving a recognized position in society, but now, value of marriage is commitment between marriage partners in equal condition, and we have to protect it. In 1800s, women did not have independent life and Jane Austen revealed the bad condition of women and changed the vision of society. During this time in history, married women could not own property in their own right, and were, indeed, themselves the property of their husbands. Many of the womens job included raising children, prepare food, make clothing, and take care of things around the house. Their main duty was to satisfy their husbands needs. At that time, Jane Austen was one of the most famous authors who reflected the horrible condition of womens marriage in her novels. As Hannah Eberle mentioned in her article How Jane Austen Uses Marriage to Get What She Wants that Austen voices her concerns about 18th century gender roles throughout her novels (Eberle) Her novels center on the lives of young women in middle class Regency England. She looked at womens life, and revealed the slavery life of women in her novels. For example, when Barbara W. Swords confirms in her article Wom ans Place in Jane Austens England that In Jane Austens novels, as well, we may find that marriage is the only real choice to insure a womans place, her happiness, and her successful future,(W. Sword) it becomes clear that Jane Austen saw womens slavery life, and understood the hopes and fears of women who had to rely on marriage and family connections to provide them with a home and means to live. Moreover, Jane Austen was particularly interested in the changing attitudes towards marriage among these young people. As a result, she created different characters and different kind of romances and marriages in her novels to introduce the real value of marriage to young people; Austens model of marriage was reflected in her stories and characters; as Barbara W. Swords confirms that The happy marriages with which Jane Austens novels conclude correspond, indeed, to these new models of proper marriage: Catherine and Henry; Marianne and Colonel Brandon, Elinor and Edward; Elizabeth and Darcy ; Fanny and Edmund; Emma and Mr. Knightley; and Anne and Captain Wentworth. In each marriage, love, esteem, compatibility and mutuality, capability and respect and equality are essentials to be discovered during courtship and strengthened throughout life. (W. Sword) In my opinion, the literature and novels of Jane Austen built a foundation from which modern text and modern value of marriage were made. People studied Austens novels, and became familiar with the new values of a successful marriage. This is a very important event because at that time the value of marriage was only mens desire, but Austens novels changed the situation and became the main foundation of a transition toward a better life in 21th century. Now that were in 21th century, the gender role of women and the value of marriage have been changed. Married women can own property in their own right, and are not themselves the property of their husbands. Women may have independent life, and they have the right to choose their own husband. They have equal rights with men. Moreover, they are not limited in their house works and taking care of children at home. They can work outside of the house, and marriage in not their only way of having a recognized position in society any more. As a result, the value of marriage has been changed. If we look at Ted Olsons interview with CNN reporter, we may understand how much the value of marriage has been changed since 18th century, and what the value of marriage means in The United States of America. Ted Olson, Who is the former US solicitor general, confirms that Marriage is a conservative value. Equality is a conservative valueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.equality and independenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and peopl e that love one another that wish to form a stable bon a part of our economy, part of our community. That should be a conservative value. (Olson) As a result, equality and independence are two key factors of the value of marriage today. Women and men have equal rights. There is no obligation and stress at all, and husband and wife have kind relationship. Along with this new idea, there is one more issue. If we take a closer look at the value of marriage today, we may find that because of bad economy, the value of marriage has been changed by financial problems and economy has had profound impact on the value of marriage. As, Frey Bruno S. explains in his book Happinessa revolution in economics that In marriage, people engage in a long-term relationship with a strong commitment to a mutually rewarding exchange. The spouse expects some benefits from the partners expressed love, gratitude and recognition, as well as from security and material rewards. This is summarized in the protecti on perspective of marriage.(Bruno S. 1) In other word, along with equality and independence, the value of marriage is affected by financial and economic success in our life. Good job and good financial situation are essentials of a good marriage. In 21th century, equality, independence and financial success are three major elements which define the value of marriage. After this long effort, we have to protect our achievements. There is a dangerous concept called Arranged marriage which may destroys all our efforts today. Arranged marriages are marriages in which family members take a significant role in bringing a couple together. Relatives, particularly parents, often take the initiative to find, evaluate, and approve potential spouses for their children. In some cases, the couple may marry while still relative strangers under the expectation that they will develop a loving relationship over time. These marriages are in contrast to so-called love marriages, in which a couple is drawn together by mutual attraction and makes the decision to marry on their own. While often associated with cultures in the Middle East, Africa, and India, these arrangements are not unknown in Western countries, particularly among immigrant populations. I studied and found out that religious and cultural believes are two major reasons for an Arranged marriage For examp le, if we take a look at Jocelyn Voos article Arranged marriage gets high-tech twist, he confirms that When it was time for Sabiha Ansari to get married, her parents flew her to India. She met her husband-to-be for less than 20 minutes, with family, then was asked whether she liked him. (Voo) There are many countries like India that do not believe in modern value of marriage accepted in democratic countries, and an Arranged marriage, which is a traditional believe, is more important for them than modern value of marriage. In this report, Sabiha Ansaris father and mother ignored their daughters opinion and followed their own tradition. As we can see that Saviha explains that was really hard for her, and she kind of wanted to have some time alone with him to talk to him, or even on the phone. There is an important point. India is not the only country which does not believe in modern value of marriage. There are many more painful events happened in Islamic countries which ignores the v alue of marriage because of religion believe. For example, Samuel Burke explains in his article 11-year-old Girl Married to 40-year-old Man. that Before their wedding ceremony begins in rural Afghanistan, a 40-year-old man sits to be photographed with his 11-year-old bride. The girl tells the photographer that she is sad to be engaged because she had hoped to become a teacher.(Burke) forcing a 11 years old girls to marry with a 40 years old man when she wanted to become a teacher, is a very painful condition. I was born in Iran, which is an Islamic country, and I can feel her pain because the age of girls marriage in Iran was nigh years old. Jane Austen helped us to understand the womens condition in 18th century, but Arranged marriage is another form of womens slavery which is against the modern value of marriage at all. We have to be careful not to allow these counties and traditions to pain teenage girls to marry with old people and destroy the real value of marriage which has be en made after a long effort. In conclusion, in 18th century, the value of marriage was limited to husband desires. Women were as the property of men, they did not have any right to complain. Marriage was their only way of having a recognized position in society, the man was absolute power, but Jane Austen reflected that womens bad situation in her novels, and changed the rules. After that, people started to study Austens novels, and the value of marriage was changed. Today, men and women have equal rights, and the value of marriage is based on equality and independence of men and women, and we have to protect this achievement from those countries which does not believe in these concepts. In my opinion the value of marriage is commitment between marriage partners in equal condition, and the equal commitment is the only way which will protect our families in future life. .

Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich Essay -- Poetry Poets Dickinson Rich

Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich The modernist period, stretching from the late 19th century to approximately 1960, is a very distinct phase in the progression of American literature, employing the use of novel literary techniques which stray away from the traditional literary styles observed in the time preceding the period. Modernist writers explore new styles themes, and content in their compositions, encompassing issues ranging from race (Kate Chopin) to gender (H.D.) to sexuality (James Baldwin), as well as many others. The Modernist movement, however novel and unique, did not develop spontaneously. A few writers leading up to the movement exhibit obvious modernist views in their writing. These include male writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, both of which had literature widely published through out their lives, influencing modernist writers to come. There is also, however, another writer who, though lesser known to the earliest modern composers, was one of the first female writers to show an obv ious propensity towards modernist ideals; Emily Dickinson. Though chronologically placed in the Romantic period, Emily Dickinson’s poetry, most published after her death beginning in 1890, exemplifies many modernist tendencies. Her stylistic oddities, such as her interesting diction, capitalization, rhythms, and use of the dash, as well as her feminist views, detach Dickinson from the other poets of her time. Once finally published posthumously, Dickinson’s writings came to influence modernist writers through out the 20th century. One writer in particular who â€Å"was immensely influenced by Dickinson’s poetry and sought to probe the extreme reaches of consciousness and truth just as Dickinson had† (Langdell, 84)... ...History.† The Emily Dickinson Journal 13.1 (2004). 19-50. Project Muse. 23 Mar. 2005 /v013/13.1ladin.html>. Langdell, Cheri Colby. Adrienne Rich: The Moment of Change. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2004. Martin, Wendy. An American Typtych: Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984. Pollack, Vivian R., ed. A Historical Guide to Emily Dickinson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Porter, David. Dickinson, the Modern Idiom. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981. Rich, Adrienne. What is Found There: Notebooks on Poetry and Politics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. ---. â€Å"Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson (1975).† On Lies, Secrets, and Silence. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1979. Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich Essay -- Poetry Poets Dickinson Rich Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich The modernist period, stretching from the late 19th century to approximately 1960, is a very distinct phase in the progression of American literature, employing the use of novel literary techniques which stray away from the traditional literary styles observed in the time preceding the period. Modernist writers explore new styles themes, and content in their compositions, encompassing issues ranging from race (Kate Chopin) to gender (H.D.) to sexuality (James Baldwin), as well as many others. The Modernist movement, however novel and unique, did not develop spontaneously. A few writers leading up to the movement exhibit obvious modernist views in their writing. These include male writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, both of which had literature widely published through out their lives, influencing modernist writers to come. There is also, however, another writer who, though lesser known to the earliest modern composers, was one of the first female writers to show an obv ious propensity towards modernist ideals; Emily Dickinson. Though chronologically placed in the Romantic period, Emily Dickinson’s poetry, most published after her death beginning in 1890, exemplifies many modernist tendencies. Her stylistic oddities, such as her interesting diction, capitalization, rhythms, and use of the dash, as well as her feminist views, detach Dickinson from the other poets of her time. Once finally published posthumously, Dickinson’s writings came to influence modernist writers through out the 20th century. One writer in particular who â€Å"was immensely influenced by Dickinson’s poetry and sought to probe the extreme reaches of consciousness and truth just as Dickinson had† (Langdell, 84)... ...History.† The Emily Dickinson Journal 13.1 (2004). 19-50. Project Muse. 23 Mar. 2005 /v013/13.1ladin.html>. Langdell, Cheri Colby. Adrienne Rich: The Moment of Change. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2004. Martin, Wendy. An American Typtych: Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984. Pollack, Vivian R., ed. A Historical Guide to Emily Dickinson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Porter, David. Dickinson, the Modern Idiom. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981. Rich, Adrienne. What is Found There: Notebooks on Poetry and Politics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. ---. â€Å"Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson (1975).† On Lies, Secrets, and Silence. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1979.

Cropping Boxers :: essays research papers

Throw around words such as boxer and ear cropping and people will probably figure you’re referring to the sport know as boxing. Specifically to a notorious world championship bout in which one boxer did indeed crop the ear of another. Our discussion is here, though, it focuses on an entirely different species of boxers, and an entirely different style of ear cropping. The boxer, of course is the boxer dog. A breed that by custom and by standards typically undergoes a surgical procedure designed to turn it’s naturally floppy-style ear into ears that stand tall, stiff, and erect.(Abraham 8)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Meanwhile at the other end of the Boxer’s well muscled physique, we find it’s tail, or what’s left of it. The tail you see also undergoes a surgical procedure. The tail is docked, meaning, in layman’s terms, that it is cut short.(Abraham10) It leaves the Boxer with that characteristic stub that wiggles rather furiously when the Boxer is pleased, which for this rather friendly breed is much of the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consequently, the dog we see fitting the classic mold outline in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Boxer breed standard is a bit different from the portrait we would see if the pup were allowed to grow up without surgical intervention. These procedures lie at the heart of a rather heated debate, especially in the Boxer world. Unlike many other cropped and docked breeds, the Boxer’s breed standard offers no choice regarding whether the tail or, most significantly, the ears may be left natural and still satisfy the standard’s guide lines.(Vickers 4) This is a restriction that many enthusiasts hope to see changed in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the show ring, if a dog is found to have been cosmetically altered to mold it into the breed standard’s image, that dog is disqualified unless the surgeries in question are tail docking, or ear cropping. The reasons for cropping and docking are rooted in canine history, particularly in the history of fighting dogs, such as the Boxer, which once boasted â€Å"baiting† careers with bulls or bears.(Abraham 17) Cropped ears, while not only creating a fierce more threatening appearance, reduced the risk of damage and injury to the ear, and a docked tail removed a convenient handle for opponents to grab onto.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Folklore also holds that working dogs were not taxed, so the docked tail of a working dog marked it as a non taxable item. However, this theory is not universally accepted.

Adidas Is One of the Largest Companies in the Sporting

ADIDAS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS EFFECTIENESS ADIDAS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS EFFECTIVENESS TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Executive summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 2. Introduction 2. 1 Adidas Overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 2. 2 Europe sports equipment market overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4, 5, 6 3. Situtational Analysis 3. 1 PESTEL Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7, 8 3. 2 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 3. 3 SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10, 11 4. Consumer Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12, 13 5. Marketing Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 6. Communications Mix 6. 1 Sports sponsorship†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15, 16 . 2 Celebrity endorsement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16, 17 6. 3 Product placements†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 7. Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 8. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 9. Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦19 1. Executive summary| This report will measure the effectiveness of Adidas’s advertising campaign. To achieve this goal this report will go through the French market analyse and the target consumers. Moreover, SWOT, PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analysis demonstrate the different opportunities in future for Adidas and the multiple factors influencing the sports equipment industry.Adidas is one the leading company in the sports equipment industry (with Nike, Reebok†¦), recognizable with its three bands, and since few years he is launching very effective campaigns. This effectiveness it’s due to the celebrity endorsement. This report will be introduced by the introduction of the overview of Adidas’s market and secondly the sport equipment market in general. 2. Introduction| 2. 1 Adidas Overview Adidas is one of the largest companies in the sporting goods industry. The group has divided its operating activities by major brand into three divisions: Adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf.The group operates through more than 170 subsidiaries in Europe, the US and Asia, each focusing on a particular market or part of the manufacturing process. After the financial crisis of 2008 and economic difficulties of 2009, Adidas came back strongly in 2010 and can show an excellent year. The Group generated a record â‚ ¬ 12 billion in sales, a growth of 9%, clearly outpacing his major competitors. 2. 2 Europe sports equipment market overview Adidas offers sports equipment for all sports. It provides footwear and apparel for each sport (cricket, football, running etc)England cricket team, sponsor Adidas R. Madrid football team, sponsor Adidas As we can see in the table 1, in Europe the sports equipment market grew by 2. 1% in 2011 to reach a value of â‚ ¬13. 9 billion (Marketline 2012). And according to recent figures this growth will continue to increase, for more than 10% between 2011 and 2016 (Marketline, 2012). Table 1: EUROPE SPORT EQUIPMENT MARKET FIGURES| Year| â‚ ¬ Billion| % Growth| 2007| 12. 7| | 2008| 13. 1| 3. 1| 2009| 13. 3| 1. 9| 2010| 13. 6| 2. 0| 2012| 13. 9| 2. 1| Source: MarketlineThe graph above clearly demonstrates that the French market is the most important as far as the sport equipment market is concerned, with a total value of â‚ ¬3. 7 billion in 2011. The German and UK market, with respectively 18% (â‚ ¬3. 5 billion) and 18. 3% (â‚ ¬ 3. 5 billion) of the market share, follow it. And then comes the Italian and Spanish market (Marketline, 2012). These five markets cover more than 72% of the European sports equipment market. Source: Marketline The most valuable segment in this industry it’s clearly the ball sport equipment segment.Adidas is well presen t, as they make footballs for the World Cup, UEFA Euro and the Champions League. These three competitions are the most watched all around the world (715 millions people watched the 2006 World Cup Final). FIFA World Cup 2010 UEFA Euro 2012 Champions League 12/13 According to the graph the less valuables segments are racket sport equipment (9. 5%) and golf equipment (13. 6%). By adding both figures they are still inferior comparing to the ball sport equipment (25. 5%). 3. Situtational Analysis|As mentioned above this report will analyse the leading sports equipment market, in this case the French market. 3. 1 PESTEL Analysis Through this PESTEL analysis we will analyse which factors any company has to consider, while entering the French sports industry. POLITICAL: France is a highly centralized country; an elite group is dominating in the state and the corporation sectors. This situation persists despite attempts to decentralize power in last few years. Furthermore, according to the r ecent report â€Å"corruption is perceived to be widespread in French politics†. Datamonitor, 2011) ECONOMICAL: From 1999 to 2007 France’s exports share in eurozone felled by 16%, and French exports were of a value of $595 billion in 2010 (declined by 4. 6%). This will affect the prospects of the French economy in the near future. (Datamonitor, 2011) For a company like Adidas, which exports a lot to Asia with a total market of â‚ ¬2, 972 million in China and other Asian markets, it can effects their sales. (Marketline, 2012) SOCIAL: The French population is becoming aged. Indeed, more than 17% of the population have more than 65 years (Insee, 2012).The Government is expecting to allow 4% of the GDP to healthcare, pensions and dependency care related to the aged people. (Datamonitor, 2011) TECHNOLOGICAL: After the industrial age France is moving towards technological age. Indeed, we can see it by the number of patents deposited at the US Patent and Trademark Office ( USPTO), the figure reached 124,723 in 2010. (Datamonitor, 2011) In the other hand, the Government will withdraw the concept of Young Innovative Company, it will have is impact on the industrial growth and may reduce investments in the country. (Datamonitor, 2011) ENVIRONMENTAL:France was very active to prepare agreements on environmental protection and sustainable development and in the strengthening of international governance. In addition, with Norway, France initiated the Global Forest Partnership in 2010. (Datamonitor, 2011) But as the technological factors, the country is not encouraging and fulfilling his agreements. Indeed, last year France was assigned to the EU Court of Justice by the European Commission for its lack of attention in the industrial emissions regulations. The European Commission was telling that France has more than 60 factories that have not got environmental authorization of the EU. Datamonitor, 2011) LEGAL: Foreign investments increased by more than 20% co uple of years ago, 782 projects lead to nearly 32,000 job. Most of these projects were related to the renewable energy sector. In 2010, non-national companies based in France created two million jobs. Many of the government’s tax and labour reforms have been met with cynicism and public protests. The government may increase weekly working hours from 35 to 39 and abolish the wealth tax l'impot de solidarite sur la fortune. However, these moves will face public outrage and demonstration. 3. 2 Porter’s Five Forces AnalysisWe aim to measure an industry’s attractiveness and long-term profitability through Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Adidas and his competitor, as Nike, have reach to branch out in to retail after the industry of sports equipment has seen in recent years a great development of forward integration (as sportswear manufacturers). Despite the presence of major groups, in the French market of sports equipment, the market is still fragmented. Buyer power is becoming very strong, as there is a wide range of products available, and the existence of numbers of retailers and also the fact that some large firms have integrated forwards into retail.The expenses in sports equipment and apparel vary following the emergence of trends for particular sports. Another factor that influence purchases is the weather. It’s still possible to enter the French market by producing for example small quantities of custom-made golf and to have some economies of scales such as bulk buying. But, as seen in recent years the uninspiring revenue growth makes entry a less attractive for new entrants. The reliance on sales of sports equipment is reduced as many firms sell sports footwear and apparel in the French market. Rivalry is weakened as many large companies outsource their manufacturing. Marketline, 2012) Source: Marketline 3. 3 SWOT Analysis SWOT ANALYSIS| Strengths| Weaknesses| * Strong portfolio * Continuous research and development * Stro ng performance after 2010 FIFA World Cup * Worldwide presence | * Dependence on third party manufacturing * Unfunded postretirement obligations will impact cash flows adversely| Opportunities| Threats| * Reorganization to improve efficiency * Sponsoring major sports events * Global footwear market is growing| * Counterfeit products * Competition * Fluctuations of foreign currencies |Adidas has in his portfolio three brands, as follows: Adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Adidas is well present all around the world, Reebok is improving day by day (for instance Thierry Henry is sponsored by Reebok), and TaylorMade-adidas Golf is the less known brand of his portfolio. Because of their policy to encourage research and development allows Adidas to come out with new and better products to face competition of Nike. As mentioned above Adidas makes football for major football competition and it benefits of the success of these competitions.After the establishment in the European and A merican markets, Adidas is targeting Asian market (total market of â‚ ¬2, 972 million in China and other Asian markets). (Marketline, 2012) As Adidas outsource 95% of his production to Asian country (32% of his suppliers are Chinese) it cannot control the quality of his product. Indeed, several products made in China have been recall by many US companies after the publication of the Consumer Product Safety Commission report. The company cannot tolerate a lack of quality in front of Nike, in order to keep market shares.The company provides retirements benefits to most of their employees. According to a recent report, the company planned pensions of â‚ ¬67 million but they reached â‚ ¬74 million, so an unfunded status of â‚ ¬7 million. (Marketline, 2012) In order to enhance its efficiency Adidas undertook reorganization. Indeed, the company moved to a function-related structure from a vertically integrated brand structure. Adidas has many agreements for sports events: * Au stralia Olympic Committee until 2016 * Japan Football Association until 2015 * Spanish Football Federation until 2018 * Argentine Football Association until 2022 FIFA World Cup 2014 * UEFA EURO 2016 * UEFA Champions League * 11 year global agreements with the NBA (official sponsor NBA, Women’s NBA and the NBA Development League) These events will help the company to en enhance its brand image and awareness among customers and also to strength its profitability. The global footwear market, not only the European market, has shown a growth in recent years. According to Datamonitor, the global footwear market grew by 2. 6% in 2009 to reach a value of $196. 3 billion. Footwear, clothing, accessories and sportswear are the largest segments, accounting for 67. % of the market's total value. Market’s forecast will reach the value of $230. 8 billion by 2014, representing an increase of 17. 6% from 2009. (Marketline, 2012) With the development of Asian countries, and the outsour cing of manufacturing of western companies in these countries, the counterfeit has increased and it’s a reel threat for companies. Adidas his facing competition of big companies, we identify as Adidas main competitors Nike, Puma, Callaway Golf Company and New Balance. As last threat we see the fluctuations of foreign currencies.For instance, in India a brand like Adidas is for the high-class society otherwise they cannot afford a football shirt, which cost about 60?. (Marketline, 2012) 4. Consumer Analysis| CONSUMER SEGMENTATION BASES| Behavioural| Demographic| * User status * Usage rate * Usage occasion * Brand loyalty * Benefits sought | * Income * Age * Sex * Race * Family| Psychographic| Geographic | * Values * Opinions * Attitudes Activities * Lifestyle| * International * Regional| This table shows the consumer segmentation bases that any company can use.They are usually the same regardless of the sector. Companies use segmentation in order to divid into groups’ c onsumers that have some characteristics and needs in common (Doole et al. , 2005). Hence, the company can attract easily those groups with specifics products. As his main competitor, Nike, Adidas target particularly young and middle age that practice sport. Another category of Adidas’s consumers has made by teams’ supporters (Real Madrid sold 1. 4 million shirts, Goal. com). Furthermore, there is a turnover of â‚ ¬1. 2 billion in goods related to football (Reuters 2012).Because of is large portfolio the company attract different customer markets with each brand, for instance golf interested consumers with TaylorMade-adidas Golf. The following perceptual map shows the positioning of Adidas as a company offering high quality products for a High price. Foot Locker and K-Swiss try to attract people with a lower income, whereas Nike and Puma apply the same price-quality strategy than Adidas. The competitive advantage of Adidas in comparison to those two companies, howeve r, is its positive brand image. At least, in the decision-making units (D. M.U) we may be influence by friends, the press or by the company’s advertising. The person who buys, decides and uses is usually the same. 5. Marketing Objectives| As any company, which is not the leader in his sector, Adidas has as objective to try to extend his market shares and in long terms strategy to be the leader by a continuous research and development of innovation. Through these innovations steps Adidas can provide comprehensive solutions to his customers (Kotlet and Keller, 2009). One of the reasons of Adidas’s campaigns effectiveness is his brand awareness with his three bands logo.And also is slogan â€Å"Impossible is nothing†, outpace our limits; make the impossible possible. In a survey reported by SportsOne (2010), 98. 8% of the respondent pool aged 13 and up that purchased athletic footwear or apparel could associate at each one of the brand elements to the company name. And another key factor is the role of celebrity endorsement. Through this marketing tool fans can associate themselves to the celebrity and to the brand. 6. Communications Mix| In order to target a wide audience and to build its brand equity, Adidas uses several marketing communications tools.According to Duncan and Moriarty the brand delivers impressions, that can strengthen or weaken customers views of a company, on each contact it has with his customers. Kotler and Keller reinforce this as they said the shape and colour of the package, the product’s style and price, the store decor, the salesperson’s (dress and manner) communicates to buyers. 6. 1 Sports sponsorship Because they benefits of a large coverage, sports activities are more attractive to sponsors (Fill, 2011). Indeed, sport events are the most sponsored because: * They attract large audience * Simplistic measure of segmentation Events duration permits to be more visible As shown above Adidas’s mai n segment is football with a market share of 34% (Chazouilleres, 2010). Therefore, Adidas’s sponsorship with major football teams has been motivated because of â€Å"the attraction of large and specific target audiences with whom a degree of fit is considered to exist† (Fill, 2011). Amongst football teams we can mention clubs like Real Madrid (2nd largest fans group in world), Chelsea (6th); national teams as Argentina, Spain; and of course the sponsorships of major football competition for years (FIFA World Cup, Olympics†¦). |Sponsorship is one of the important parts of the communications mix because it allows companies to communicate without the clutter of advertising. Of all types of sponsorship sport has captioned most attention and money (Fill, 2011). 6. 2 Celebrity endorsement In particular, a celebrity endorser should have a high level of visibility and a rich set of potentially useful associations, judgements and feelings (McCracken, 1989). Therefore, cele brities can play a more strategic role for their brands, not only by endorsing a product but also helping to design, position and sell merchandise and services.In these last years Adidas has sponsored many famous football players as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham. Nowadays the main celebrity endorsed by Adidas is definitely Lionel Messi. They aim to attract football fans, and Adidas launched couple of weeks ago special football shoes for Lionel Messi (AdiZero F50, with a computer chip inside). 6. 3 Product placements Another tool of the communications mix is the product placement. This tool consists of putting his products, usually, in movies. Adidas uses this media because it’s a â€Å"billion dollar market† (Scevak, 2001).But since a decade product placement is not only made in movies but in all types of TV shows (Steinberg and Vranica, 2004). Since the release of â€Å"Blades of Glory†, we know that figure skating without Adidas is simply not the truth. The m ain characters guide you through the whole movie. In 2007 Adidas was already present in â€Å"Norbit,† â€Å"Stomp the Yard† and â€Å"The Messengers†. 7. Recommendations| For the future Adidas should be more aware about his brand image. Outsourcing 98% of his production in Asian country can affect his brand image because of the poor quality these manufacturers offer.By outsourcing his production can damage is research and development, which cost a lot. These two things, innovation and lack of quality, don’t match. Adidas should handle it as soon as possible in order to extend his market shares and face the competition. The company should continue to sign celebrities as they currently do. The celebrity endorsement is the main key of the marketing campaigns. But Adidas should not only focus on football market (even if is reliable market). It shows that company depends a lot on it. If in the future the market goes down, Adidas can be heavily affects by this .An ultimate recommendation can be to reinforce his presence on social networks as its use is growing amongst the youth market. 8. Conclusion| In this report we gave an overview of Adidas and the European sports equipment market. And we remarked that Adidas is the leading group in football industry, and the 2nd in sports equipment industry (after Nike). Then the report focused on the French sports equipment market. We analysed the market through two analyses, as follows: PESTEL, Porter’s five forces; and we made the SWOT analysis for Adidas. Targeted consumer are analysed nd marketing objectives are given to know how Adidas approach these consumers. We choose three different tools – sports sponsorship, celebrity endorsement and product placement – in order to explain the communication strategy used by Adidas. Finally, recommendations are done on how, in future, Adidas can maintain his leading position in the football industry and how to extend market shares and how face the competition. 9. Bibliography| Marketline (2012) Industry Profile – Europe Sports Equipment Marketline (2012) Industry Profile – France Sports Equipment Datamonitor (2011) Country Analysis Report FranceDatamonitor (2011) Company Profile adidas AG Institut national de la statistique et des etudes economiques –Insee (2012) Bilan demographique SportsOne (2010) Doole, I. , Lancaster, P. and Lowe, R. (2005) Understanding and managing customers, Essex: FT Prentice Hall Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2009) Marketing Management, 13th Edition, Pearson International Edition Duncan, T. and Moriarty, S. (2006) â€Å"How Integrated Marketing Communication’s ‘Touch Points’ can operationalize the service-dominant logic†, The Service-Dominant Logic of Marketing: Dialog, Debate, and DirectionsFill, C. (2011) Essentials of marketing communications, 1st Edition, Prentice Hall Steinberg, B. and Vranica, S. (2004) â€Å"Prime-Time TV’s N ew Guest Stars: Products†, Wall Street Journal, January 13, 2004 McCracken, G. (1989) â€Å"Who is the celebrity endorser? Cultural foundations of the endorsement process†, Journal of Consumer Research, December 1989, 16 Scevak, N. (2001) â€Å"The Evolution of Product Placement† Available URL: http://www. internetnews. com/bus-news/article. php/785431/The+Evolution+of +Product+Placement. htm