Marketing case study (analysis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing case study (analysis) - Essay Example Armed with his savings and determination, he ventured into business where there are only two players—Bullard, the market leader and another which is rumored to close because of bankruptcy. Before finally making up his mind to offer carpet cleaning services, he should have conducted a thorough environmental scanning in order to understand the risk associated with his decision. Looking at the situation of the industry, he should have noted that aside from the peak seasons where Bullard cannot accommodate all prospective customers (he actually knows that population triples in summer and doubles during winter) one firm might be enough to provide all the services for the entire Petoskey. Thus, he could have ventured in a more profitable industry or choose to offer services only in summer or winter. Secondly, he should have conducted a market research as to why customers are drawn to Bullard and why all his competitors fail to capture the customers. In order to compete efficiently, he should be able to pinpoint the success factors related to the business. Internally, Jim Services Inc lacks a comprehensive marketing strategy which will enable to differentiate it from Bullard. It should be noted that the firm launched is a copycat which did not strive to build its own image in order to snatch customers. What Jim did is to employ a â€Å"me-too† strategy by claiming to offer the same service as the market leader. In so doing, the company did not influence the customers to shift to its services but only becomes as a ready alternative when the market leader cannot accept other carpet cleaning services during summer and winter. Jim Services Inc could have differentiated itself through the provision of other value added or offering lower prices. After noting the factors which contribute to the failure of Jim, this paper recommends that his cleaning services be offered only during

HIstory questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HIstory questions - Assignment Example It had recruited Whig’s members in 1858, and had successfully guided the union to stop slave trade and to victory. 19. Van Buren chances of re-election were doomed by publication of his letter in which he openly differed with the instant seizure of Texas. Also, the management of foreign affairs and economic depression degraded his opportunity to be re-elected. 1. The white Virginians blamed Nat Turner a black slave who worked for Joseph Travis because he had organized an attempt to free the slaves. He was believed to an extraordinary individual because he trusted in the Bible for the freedom of the slave population. 4. The southern fear for the blacks they knew the government would not give them livestock and land. Since the blacks had grown arrogant and bold this would result into disappointment and anger hence rebellion as demonstrated by Nat turner rebellion. 7. Large plantations in the southern were supervised by white overseers which were mostly Africans because the blacks were considered naturally irresponsible and lazy thus needed to be guarded and punished in order to work diligently. 8. The term paternalism is used by historians to imply the ability to make decisions under the influence of strength as a sharpness of mind. Paternalism helps people influence others in course of their actions. 9. According to George Fitzhugh, women in the south were bestowed with the right to preserve the southern culture. They were responsible for enhancing the culture into the next generation. They were responsible for conserving the southern society of the antebellum. 10. Anguish to southern plantation mistresses was in regards to procreation. They risked bearing children because the first five years of the children highly dreaded. There was no discrimination on the farms in regards to sex. The pregnant women were sent to farms. Children received less parental care since they were supposed to work on the whites’ farms. 12. The slave lives

Comparative politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparative politics - Essay Example The focus of Green political theory â€Å"is usually on two themes: on the role of anthropocentric ethics in reducing the non-human world to merely being of instrumental value to humans; and on the question of limits to growth.† (Paterson, 2001:35). Eckersley (1992) suggests that the defining characteristic of Green politics is ecocentrism, or the rejection of an anthropocentric thought which places value only on humans in favor of one which also places value on ecosystems and all other living organisms. Ecocentrism recognizes the full range of human interests in the non-human world- and not merely the instrumental value of particular parts of nature-, the interests of the non-human world, as well as the interests of future generations of humans and non-humans. Finally, ecocentrism â€Å"adopts a holistic rather than an atomistic perspective†, valuing populations, species, ecosystems and the ecosphere as a whole as well as valuing them individually. Dobson (1990) specifies another defining characteristic of Green politics- the limits to growth argument about the nature of the environmental crisis. Paterson says that Greens suggest that â€Å"it is the exponential growth experienced during the last two centuries† which is the main reason behind the current environmental crisis. (2001:36) Dobson suggests that there are three arguments which are important in this context: first, that technological solutions will just postpone the crisis, but cannot prevent it from happening altogether; second, that the exponential nature of growth means that dangers which have been accumulating over a period of time may suddenly have a catastrophic effect; and third, that the problems associated with growth

HIstory questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HIstory questions - Assignment Example It had recruited Whig’s members in 1858, and had successfully guided the union to stop slave trade and to victory. 19. Van Buren chances of re-election were doomed by publication of his letter in which he openly differed with the instant seizure of Texas. Also, the management of foreign affairs and economic depression degraded his opportunity to be re-elected. 1. The white Virginians blamed Nat Turner a black slave who worked for Joseph Travis because he had organized an attempt to free the slaves. He was believed to an extraordinary individual because he trusted in the Bible for the freedom of the slave population. 4. The southern fear for the blacks they knew the government would not give them livestock and land. Since the blacks had grown arrogant and bold this would result into disappointment and anger hence rebellion as demonstrated by Nat turner rebellion. 7. Large plantations in the southern were supervised by white overseers which were mostly Africans because the blacks were considered naturally irresponsible and lazy thus needed to be guarded and punished in order to work diligently. 8. The term paternalism is used by historians to imply the ability to make decisions under the influence of strength as a sharpness of mind. Paternalism helps people influence others in course of their actions. 9. According to George Fitzhugh, women in the south were bestowed with the right to preserve the southern culture. They were responsible for enhancing the culture into the next generation. They were responsible for conserving the southern society of the antebellum. 10. Anguish to southern plantation mistresses was in regards to procreation. They risked bearing children because the first five years of the children highly dreaded. There was no discrimination on the farms in regards to sex. The pregnant women were sent to farms. Children received less parental care since they were supposed to work on the whites’ farms. 12. The slave lives

The Significance Of Cross-Cultural Negotiation Skills For The Success Essay

The Significance Of Cross-Cultural Negotiation Skills For The Success Of International Mergers And Alliances - Essay Example If we analyzed then we come to know that by definition, the two or extra parties concerned in a negotiation have conflicting interests and may come into disagreement over key points, whether it be a fair cost in buyer-seller relations, a fair licensing agreement, or an evenhanded workplace understanding. Furthermore, the conflict and agreement that takes place throughout negotiations has an intrinsic emotional component, and touching or emotional reactions such as suffering or annoyance are frequently experienced throughout the negotiation procedure. Certainly, the procedure of attitudinal structuring (Walton & McKersie, 2005) has a significant emotional component. Anecdotal proof, case studies, and educational writings point to an attractive occurrence that can take place in cross-cultural negotiations the appearance of negative spirals that cause ever more negative emotional or touching reactions in negotiators which rise ill-will, hurt the negotiation procedure, and frequently bri ng it to an end.

Website analysis Essay Example for Free

Website analysis Essay Blockbuster Inc. started to embark on online rental service in the Unites States last August 2004 (Press Release). This is in counteraction of Netflix’s leading online movie rental service. The company’s website is popularly called Blockbuster Online and is somehow independent with on-ground stores. Visiting the website, observations can be formulated regarding the effectiveness and creativity of the website to online customers. The welcome page of Blockbuster Online is simple but effective. It is simple in a sense that no pop-ups can be found; there are no visual animations or advertising videos; no sounds and background music to entice the customers. Nevertheless, it is quite effective for the very reason that it uses the familial connection occurring with its customers. This can be evident through the use of a family picture in front of a television, assumed to be watching movies. It gives the customers a sense of home and belongingness. On another visit of the website, the featured picture is a woman lying down on a sofa in front of the television. These also give an idea that although movie viewing is comfortable in a family setting, it can also be done alone and still enjoy the activity. In both pictures, the people involve are holding remote controls. This very small detail gives an impression that each are about to watch a movie although if one looks at the pictures alone, the television is not visible. Furthermore, the movie guides and popcorn on the table in the pictures give a new dimension to movie home viewing. The said details represent the idea that satisfying movie viewing is not only possible in the big screens but also possible in the home. One would even be made to conclude that it would be a lot feasible and safe to watch movies in the home rather than in theatres. The color scheme of the website, with its blue, light blue, yellow and white major colors, is also very appropriate for the services it offers. The colors used give an impression of brightness and lightness of the website. It gives a serene and calming touch to anyone who visits the website. In the simplicity of the welcome page of the website, the customers may also be persuaded to think that the services it offers are practical and cheap. It makes them feel that fees are inexpensive and affordable. On the other hand, the welcome page can be seen as a very uncreative effort in designing. As one lingers longer on the page, it can be noticed that the website looks like an ordinary advertisement box in a newspaper page. This is unfavorable since it will decrease the customers’ interest in exploring more of the website. Although the welcome page is uncomplicated, it contains many promotional materials like the company’s offer for a free trial. It also presents free shipping and a step-by-step menu to help customers who are new to the website. The three easy steps to enjoy the rental service include select movies, receive by mail and return by mail or in-store exchange (Blockbuster Online). The various different links from the welcome page to the other pages of the website makes up for the simplicity of the welcome page. Complex links can be found in the different parts and corners of the welcome page. Links to a variety of web pages regarding the company are located at the bottom of the welcome page. This is very uneasy for the customers since it is in very small font sizes that it becomes unnoticeable. This part of the website includes the terms and conditions policy of the company. Nonetheless, the rent and buy movie links on the page are easy to follow. One particular detail that has caught attention is the link opening default settings of the website. In the links related to rental services and other customer-related topics such as movie categories and new movie releases, the links open on the current page. On the other hand, if the link leads to the company’s information or financial and business issues such as investing and the company profile, the link opens on a new window. This is very interesting since it implicitly draws the line between customer-related issues and internal issues of the company. Further on, the different links to the secondary websites are too many and are hard to track which may lead to the customer getting lost in the whole website. This may also be the effect of the website’s moderate organization of the links. Nevertheless, upon familiarity of the website links, customers can get used to the incomprehensible first impression organization of the website. The sign-up page of the website is simply designed too. A step-by-step process of the whole transaction of the rental service is included in a graphical and a worded method. It looks like a comic strip which accounts for its easy-to-comprehend characteristic. The big sign-up button is also interesting enough due to its large size and appealing color and font type. These properties of the page may convince the customer to sign up for a membership plan. Features of the rental service are also in the web page in brief making it a summary of the whole service that the company provides. The rent movies page is quite colorful and interesting especially for movie fanatics. It includes different categories and featured movies. In all of these categories, the movies featured all have small movie posters with the relative size of a DVD front cover. It gives a very unique influence on the customer since the customer can somehow see a glimpse of the movie. The rental page also provides a link on the procedure on how to rent via the internet. Like the rental page, the buyers’ page is also filled with the DVD front cover posters of on-sale movies. The structure also consists of different movie categories wherein the customer can choose from. However, in the buyers’ page, the movies in feature incorporate a button which adds the movie to the list of movies the customer wants to buy. Together with this element is the price of the movie. The payment terms can be done through credit card and other online wiring financial services such as PayPal. This is very secure for online clients, thus contributing with the website’s ease of operation characteristic. Another amazing element of the website is its trailers and video clips page. In this part, the customer can take a glance of the movies and also watch the trailer of the movie. It is very appropriate and efficient since most customers would first want to see clips of the movie before they rent or buy it. This amazing feature adds up to the website’s effectiveness. Some of the web pages in the site require information upload from the customers and members. Such web pages include the store locator and the contact page (Blockbuster Online). In the store locator page, the client is asked to type in the address and then a button is clicked to reveal stores near the vicinity. This is very useful for online customers who wanted to avail of in-store exchanges that the company offers. Although the feature is very simple, it has its own link page to set it apart from the rest of the website. On the contact page, the client can contact the company on certain issues such as membership and DVD issues. However, the system used is not that of a presentation method but rather an e-mail type. In this method, instead of giving the company’s contact numbers, headquarters address and email-address, the company asks the customer to input the category issue, the client’s information and contact details as well as the messages or questions concerning the company’s services. It is much like an e-mail web page where one can submit the mail directly to the company. The system that the company uses is very reliable and easy to manage for their part since they can somehow sort the mails that they receive. This method also prevents prank callers and mailers from dumping junk on the company’s telephone lines and mailbox. Nevertheless, the negative part for this process is that the customers may feel reluctant to communicate with the company since the company requires personal information from the client which can be jeopardized unintentionally.

Motivation to study a Masters degree

Motivation to study a Masters degree I basically belong to India from where I received my secondary education, later on I went on pursue my graduation in the commerce field from Cambridge College, Commercial University, Mumbai. I have done my Masters in Marketing Management from the same University. I have had considerable amount of work experience at prominent organizations. I worked as the Sales Advisor for Marks Spencers for almost two years and moved on to work at Reebok as the Retail Sales Coordinator for an year. Honestly, I believe, studying abroad for an international MBA degree is a greatly satisfying rewarding as someone interested in business of Sales and Marketing. Choosing Bangor University was a choice made on the basis of lot of information and research. My educational advisors helped me choose Bangor as a truly international destination for study purposes, which provides an atmosphere conducive for studying and remarkable living place. As a resourceful, creative and solution-oriented individual I found travelling abroad for my MBA will serve my challenge taking nature. I have been working effectively as a team member with well-known companies and have also acted as team leader as and when opportunity arose. I believe my eight long years of experience in the field of Sales and Marketing with a brief exposure to working in US in the Macys apparel department as the Sales Executive. I have also travelled to Melbourne, Australia to work as a freelancer merchandiser. Coming to UK is not rocket science. After been to US and Australia, UK was an obvious choice to continue with my professional qualification. I strongly believe this venture will be a life-changing experience for I will get to learn the European ways of business and will get an opportunity to interact with local people and people from around the world. Motivation to study in UK is also associated with the reputational factors attached with UKs education system. Most of the countries like US and Australia offer mostly two years rigorous MBA curriculum, whereas UK allowed me with the one year MBA, which was obviously a better choice if I consider my professional experience and life. I could not commit to a two-year program, thus a one-year program was an added advantage for me and one of the strongest reasons to choose UK. While researching about the universities in UK, Bangor University was highly advised by my counsellors back home and I was told it to be one the best educational institutes with a rich history in education. After coming here, I can say they were quite right. With stimulating lectures and vibrant life I can call it a perfect place to live and study. I view the world with a whole new perspective and my thinking about business and culture has been affected profoundly. I am out of my educational comfort zone and am being continuously challenged every day to develop my views and think in new ways. While earlier also I have been in stimulating environments, studying for a postgraduate qualification in UK is an altogether different endeavour. At Bangor University, I will develop my self-reliance and independence and will leverage on my previous professional experience and will mature academically and brighten my career prospects. MBA at Bangor means enrichment on every level. According to a survey by the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), when asked about personal growth, 98% students agreed that education abroad increased their self-confidence and facilitated maturit y and 97% students revealed it had a lifelong impact on their world view (The London School of Economics and Political Science/LSE). I am here to seek friendship on a greater diversity level. Studying MBA will also enable me to build enduring friendships and developing relationships with people from various countries. I will remain in contact with them even after my education here is completed. Bangor University will provide me with academic benefits through excellent courses and lectures, unavailable at my home country. It will enhance the value of my degree by allowing me to study the subjects with more depth. Studying in UK will make me more aware culturally and I will be able to appreciate the differences in different cultures I have been in. I will be able to understand different people in better ways, thus becoming a part of world that is increasingly becoming more diverse. With this international exposure, I will be able to appraise the different points of view. MBA from Bangor University will definitely be advantageous to my future career as a manager in corporate world. In todays time more and more employ ers are placing great emphasis on the value of adaptability and flexibility. They also seek people who understand different cultures and can effectively communicate with people. It will prove to be of great help while the employers analyse my compatibility for a job as I will be able to demonstrate such skills to the employers. Interpersonal skills are the single most important attribute that the employers consider and I will gain on this front for having both academic and professional experience abroad. Undeniably I sought the international education and experience because they exhibit my own capability and confidence to carry on with it. Bangor University provides very challenging experience; academically, culturally, and socially and is naturally going to provide me an edge over others and help me stand out in the crowd. All the faculty members are internationally oriented and the academic quality is rich. Besides these reasons, the cost of tuition fee and cost of living are also important factors considered for choosing Bangor University. The place is rated extremely safe across the UK. Thus Bangor is my choice for both the teaching reasons and non-teaching reasons, bending towards the quality of faculty and cost of living as the most important reasons. Studying in an international setting at Bangor University with students from around the world will surely provide me with the opportunity to develop my communication skills with individuals from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds. The companies I have previously worked for are multinational companies with offices in various countries of world. This will prepare me for an international work. Considering my past ventures in US and Australia, I possess the experience of dealing with various cultures and this will only foster my value as an individual and an employee. Q. 2. What is your approach to learning? Q.3. What issues do you anticipate in the group work? In higher education, the inclusion of group work has become increasingly important, prominently due to greater significance assumed by skill development, lifelong learning and potential of students as future employees. Group work has wide reached consequences if not carried out with proper execution. It is a widely argued topic in the realm of higher education research literature by the likes of Webb, 1994 and Boud et al., 1999 (Mellor, A. 2009). There are three types of group works as identified by Davis (1993). They are formal learning groups, informal learning groups and study groups. Formal groups are created for accomplishing a particular task which is to be completed within a given period of time is given to them, such as preparing a report on the organizational behaviour and its elements in an MNC. Informal groups (random groups of individuals) are easily identifiable in a class where students discuss various academic (and non-academic) issues and the study groups are formed t o assist the group members during a projects progress. According to Webb, 1994; Gledhill and Smith, 1996, group work is extremely complex and has effects on the students learning mechanism. Before formation of a group, it is important to consider issues such as the right size of group, diversity in a group, balancing the load on different members of a group, preparing students to effectively participate in group work. Knight (2004) has argued that the students prefer being assessed individually rather than in groups. Group work can become more disliked by students in our groups if it involves peer assessment. As argued by Maguire and Edmonson (2001) it can lead to issues such as lack of rational judgement and prejudices. The most common issues that I can anticipate in the group work are trying to control the group or some members, coercing them to support them in every discussion. Mills (2003) also said that the thing students dislike most are poor group dynamics and personality cla shes. There can be an issue of some students who act as obligate parasites by deriving all the advantage without putting any efforts on their own. It discourages other members who actively contribute towards the success of group working. Such students have been called as passengers by Bourner et al. (2001) and Parsons (2002). Whereas, Hand (2001) coined the term freeloader for such students. An effective solution to this problem can be keeping the group size as minimum possible so that the scope of free riding can be minimized. Davis (1993) advised the perfect group size to be between 3 to 4 and no more than 6 to 7. Glebhill and Smith (1996) have discussed the issue of age, gender and qualification difference as the factors affecting the group dynamics, for example a more mature person will think quite differently than a young individual. There can also be a situation where a particular student is undermined by other members, this can seriously hamper his emotional confidence and th is sort of rejection can lead to bigger problems such as group conflict (Chang, 1999). In any group there can be some people who like to be followed and some who just follow without considering the bigger picture. While Thorley and Gregory (1994) believe that groups selected by teachers can be more effective answer to the task or situation, however there is a natural inclination among the students to form self-selected groups on basis such as friendship, ethnic or cultural proximity. This can become problematic in our case, as there are students from around the world. It is not necessary that every individual has made enough friends. Also, if some members are unable to form a group of their choice, they might feel hostile in a group of unknown people. It is not necessary that they will easily adjust in any group. It can not only hamper their participation but can also hurt their emotional well-being (Mellor and Entwistle, 2008). Q.4. How will you attempt to address these? Conclusion I, as an MBA student am looking forward to a rich academic and cultural exposure at Bangor University classrooms. Learning is certainly going to be an area of focus while also looking into the areas that need improvement. Developing personality to a better level will definitely be on top of the list. I am also looking forward to working in groups composed of diverse students. During the one year I have at Bangor, I will ensure I develop my transferrable skills and enhance my employability through the way of developing my leadership, negotiation abilities, decision making and increasing adaptability by fitting myself in different roles as the course progresses.