Thursday, December 26, 2019

Who Are the Brahmins in the Indian Caste System

A Brahmin is a member of the highest caste or varna in Hinduism. The Brahmins are the caste from which Hindu priests are drawn, and are responsible for teaching and maintaining sacred knowledge. The other major castes, from highest to lowest, are the Kshatriya (warriors and princes), Vaisya (farmers or merchants), and Shudra (servants and sharecroppers). History of the Brahmin Caste Interestingly, the Brahmins only show up in the historical record around the time of the Gupta Empire, which ruled from the 4th to the 6th century CE. This does not mean that they did not exist prior to that time, however. The early Vedic writings do not provide much by way of historical detail, even on such apparently important questions as who are the priests in this religious tradition? It seems likely that the caste and its priestly duties developed gradually over time, and probably were in place in some form long before the Gupta era. The caste system has evidently been more flexible, in terms of appropriate work for Brahmins, than one might expect.  Records from the classical and medieval periods in India mention men of the Brahmin class performing work other than carrying out priestly duties or teaching about religion. For example, some were warriors, merchants, architects, carpet-makers, and even farmers.   As late as the reign of the Maratha Dynasty, in the 1600s to 1800s CE, members of the Brahmin caste served as government administrators and military leaders, occupations more typically associated with the Kshatriya. Interestingly, the Muslim rulers of the Mughal Dynasty (1526 - 1857) also employed Brahmins as advisors and government officials, as did the British Raj in India (1857 - 1947). In fact, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of modern India, was also a member of the Brahmin caste. The Brahmin Caste Today Today, the Brahmins comprise about 5% of the total population of India.  Traditionally, male Brahmins performed priestly services, but they may also work in jobs associated with lower castes. Indeed, occupational surveys of Brahmin families in the 20th century found that less than 10% of adult male Brahmins actually worked as priests or Vedic teachers.   As in earlier times, most Brahmins actually made their living from work associated with the lower castes, including agriculture, stone-cutting, or working in the service industries. In some cases, such work precludes the Brahmin in question from carrying out priestly duties, however. For example, a Brahmin who begins farming (not only as an absentee land-owner, but actually tilling the land himself) may be considered ritually contaminated, and can be barred from later entering the priesthood. Nonetheless, the traditional association between the Brahmin caste and priestly duties remains strong. Brahmins study the religious texts, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, and teach members of other castes about the holy books. They also perform temple ceremonies and officiate at weddings and other important occasions. Traditionally, the Brahmins served as the spiritual guides and teachers of the Kshatriya princes and warriors, preaching to the political and military elites about the dharma, but today they perform ceremonies for Hindus from all of the lower castes. Activities that are forbidden to Brahmins according to the Manusmriti  include making weapons, butchering animals, making or selling poisons, trapping wildlife, and other jobs associated with death. Brahmins are vegetarian, in keeping with Hindu beliefs in reincarnation. However, some do consume milk products or fish, particularly in mountainous or desert areas where produce is scarce. The six proper activities, ranked from the highest to the lowest, are teaching, studying the Vedas, offering ritual sacrifices, officiating at rituals for others, giving gifts, and accepting gifts. Pronunciation: BRAH-mihn Alternate Spellings: Brahman, Brahmana Examples: Some people believe that the Buddha himself, Siddharta Gautama, was a member of a Brahmin family. This may be true; however, his father was a king, which usually aligns with the Kshatriya (warrior/prince) caste instead.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Child Needs A Single Parent - 1072 Words

The thought of being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many, yet over the last decade it has become more prevalent. Today, many children have grown to become emotionally mature and even victorious, whether they were guided through the mysteries of life with one parent or two. The dilemma is bestowed in between comprising one parent versus both as a single-family unit. Thoughts very from different specs, as one might argue a child needs a male role model while the other debates the governmental advantages of being a single parent. With much thought, this issue has developed into a very fascinating topic of discussion, from points of agreement and thorough disagreements. In my opinion, the community is unaware of valuable†¦show more content†¦Over sixty percent of today’s population is representing children in single parent families. That percentage is extremely difficult to comprehend as it basically illustrates what fraction is put into a relationship befo re declaring to have a child. Not all adults act in providing for their child with simple tasks. Parents whom ultimately did or do not seem to have the confidence and or ability to simply provide for their child, should have reutilized their options and prevented the occasion from happening. Un-expectancy is also very common, although such knowledge and awareness of becoming pregnant should already be imprinted on adults at such age, thus there is no excuse. By deciding to have a adolescent, and you unconditionally love that child, at that point the choice of abandonment is not present. There are many ways of enhancing your child s growth, as it potentially relates to applying yourself to that child with time and social interactions. From personal experience, my father passed away when I was young therefor I did not have him around while growing up. Coming from a huge background, I had an elder brother, uncles and even my grandfather there to support me in any way possible. My brother was always in my presence and allowed himself to guide me in life and ultimately developed my sense of blossoming into a young woman. In moments where my mother was unable to come home or be in our attendance, my family members allowedShow MoreRelatedSingle Parent Homes Essay1298 Words   |  6 Pages Single Parent Homes A single parent is one who is living without a spouse and/or partner. This individual takes on all of the daily responsibilities that comes with raising a child(ren). Furthermore, consider the single parent the one who provides solely for the child as they are the ones with them most of the time throughout the stint of their entire life. Even when discussing the separation of parents and/or divorce, children live with one parent who is also known as the custodial parent. 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The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versusRead MoreSingle Parent Struggle : Single Parents Struggle1265 Words   |  6 Pages2008 Single Parent Struggle For many years, children growing up in a single parent family have been viewed as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today’s society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versusRead MoreSingle-Parent Household Struggle769 Words   |  3 Pagescommon for a child to grow up in a one parent household. Studies show that â€Å"Almost one of every five families with children in the United States in 1979 was maintained by one parent.† (New York Times, 1980) Whether due to a divorce or one parent simply wanting nothing to do with the child, children being without both parents grow up in a different way than those with two parents. The majority of one parent households consist of the mother raising the children however, some single parent home consistsRead MoreThe Effects Of Single Parenting1181 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish 12 November 19, 2015 â€Å"The Effects of Single Parenting† A number of everyday struggles and disadvantages are experienced by single parent families today. Problems such as families have to face can range from expensive day care, economic hardship, even trouble in balancing both home and work, another problem is the ability to spend limited quality time with children. (Ambert, 2006). Single parent families can be defined as families that only have one parent taking care of the household. They areRead MoreSocial Problems Final1243 Words   |  5 Pagesof a single parent woman it would be difficult if not impossible for this parent to financially provide for herself and child on a minimum wages. The major components of their survival would be to meet the essential needs of providing shelter, food, clothing, and health insurance. If the parent is working a day job there would be the need for an afterschool program or the child staying with family. If the parent had a 2nd or 3rd shift she would also need to set up alternative care for the chil d. This

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Strategic Management for Countdown Plans Five New Stores

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Management for Countdown Plans Five New Stores. Answer: Introduction The report focuses on evaluating the strategic planning of Countdown Supermarkets based in New Zealand. It would focus on generating an overview of the company and the retail industry of New Zealand along with conducting of effective analysis based on the use of strategic tools like PESTEL and SWOT. Effective recommendations and strategies would be generated for enhancing the business potential of the retail institution in the future period. About Countdown Countdown operates as the market leader in the supermarket category in New Zealand that serves the needs of around 2.5 million customers on a weekly basis. Countdown focuses on providing wide assortment of value based products in a personalised fashion where customers can avail the same in a convenient manner. Countdown operates through a wide network of 183 different supermarkets that are run by a group of 18,000 people. The company focuses on encouraging customers select between 20,000 different products to satiate their diversified needs. Countdown operates based on a large number of distribution centres that contribute in reaching fresh vegetables, meat products and other merchandises to a larger number of consumers(Countdown, 2016). Retail Industry in New Zealand The retail industry is observed as the largest industry that operates in the New Zealand region. The retail industry of New Zealand during 2014 is observed to employ around 186,000 different full-time equivalent employees operating across varied kinds of stores both along organised and unorganised retail. The retail industry during 2014 generated total revenue of $12.7 billion that accounted for 5.5 percent of the nations GDP. New Zealands retail sector is observed to counter potential challenges based on development of an online platform by organised retail companies and potential emergence of low cost competitor firms that focus on squeezing the revenue and profit margins on a holistic scale(Westpac, 2015). Vision Statement of Countdown The vision statement of Countdown is to sustain its market leadership in the retail sector of New Zealand. It aims in developing the retail environment for generating needed customer satisfaction through the rendering of effective product and service offerings and also through helping customers gain access to customised and branded product offerings in a convenient fashion. Countdown also aims in continually enhancing its market share in the New Zealand retail market. Mission Statement of Countdown Countdown focuses on conducting its retail operations through rendering increased significance in understanding the needs of its retail customer base. It focuses on taking business decisions based on anticipation of consumer needs and expectations. The management of Countdown potentially encourages the growth of teamwork and also focuses on developing and building the retail brand to compete with other food, grocery and other retailers on both a regional and global scale. Further, the management of Countdown also encourages its staffs to work in a safe manner in the retail workplace to safeguard themselves from emergence of occupational hazards. The management of Countdown also focuses on development of the society and community as a whole through generation of both financial and non-financial support(Westpac, 2015). Statement of Values for Countdown The statement of values for Countdown is enumerated as follows. The staffs and management of Countdown focus on operating as a potential team that focuses on exploiting potential opportunities and also in countering needed threats. Further, the internal organisational culture of Countdown focuses on showing respect for the different stakeholders like customers, vendors, supplier groups and also the internal people operating across different departments and levels. Further, the management of Countdown also focuses on developing the needed expertise and potential of the internal staffs such that they can help in generation of greater productivity and business efficiency. Similarly, the organisation also works in generating process and operational innovation such that the same helps in enhancing the operational and business environment of the business institution. The management of the retail institution also focuses on enhancing on the parameter of accountability in that the same encourages in conducting the actions in a deontological fashion for g enerating needed results. Finally, Countdown also aims in encouraging customers avail the best type of shopping experience that helps in exceeding their expectations and anticipations. Recommendations for Statement of Values Countdowns statement of values can be further enhanced based on incorporation of tools that would help in understanding the feedbacks and views of customers, staffs and other stakeholder groups within specific periods. The gaining of needed feedback would help the company management in personalising and customising the product and service offerings thereby enabling greater sales and customer satisfaction. Objectives of Countdown The strategic objectives of Countdown are effectively identified as follows. The retail organisation focuses on extending its market share and retail leadership in product sectors like food and liquor. Further, the retail institution also focuses on enhancing its product and business portfolio for potentially increasing the existing value of stocks and shares for generating increased returns to the shareholders. The management of Countdown also focuses on sustaining an effective track record for developing and innovating on the business front. Countdown also focuses for incorporating needed enablers to encourage the development of needed growth along its food and non-food retail segment(Woolworths Limited, 2012). Applicability of the Objectives The strategic objectives of Countdown Supermarket earn applicability in that it encourages the retail institution for diversifying its product portfolio which in turn would help the company for penetrating the consumer market. Increased penetration of the consumer market in turn would help in generation of needed revenues thereby contributing to increased returns to shareholders. Further, use of online and mobile technology would also help Countdown Supermarket in evaluating consumer perceptions regarding its product development and diversification initiatives. Analysis of the Internal and External Environment Analysis of the Internal Environment SWOT Analysis of Countdown Strengths Countdown Supermarket reflects essential strengths based on its operation carried out through a large number of outlets, distribution centres and also through its supply chain units. The company also encourages the incorporation and growth of needed innovation based on the development of the online foodbank in Auckland and also of the iPhone application for generating needed convenience to customers. Further, Countdown focuses on conducting its retail operations in a customised fashion through the generation of customised product offerings and loyalty cards. The supermarket also focuses on sustaining the natural environment through reducing its impacts on the nature(Countdown, 2016). Weakness The operation of Countdown Supermarkets faced potential challenges related to the failure of operation of the EFTPOS machines that made the customers face problems in the checking counters and also regarding the billing of the merchandises. The unsatisfied customers also complained of the problem associated with the EFTPOS machines on social media networks both through written posts and videos that required the company for generation of new machines in the stores(Supermarket News, 2015). Opportunity Countdown is observed to gain needed impetus for expanding and diversifying its base in New Zealand based on generation of new divisions like insurance and pharmacy. The generation of new type of product offerings by Countdown helps the supermarket in both attracting and retaining potential customers(NZHerald , 2014). Threat Supermarkets like Countdown operating in New Zealand are observed to suffer from increasing threats regarding the poisoning of infant milk and food products. The poisoning of the baby food and milk products is taken to affect the sales of the same and thereby requires the retail institutions to focus on enhancing the security aspects of the stores and also the use of CCTV surveillance in an effective fashion(HUME, 2015). Analysis of the External Environment PESTEL Analysis of Countdown Political Impacts The Commerce Commission of New Zealand has alleged Countdown for its anti-competitive behaviour against Kiwi suppliers. The commerce authority in the region has identified the retail institution for largely blackmailing and extorting Kiwi suppliers. Countdowns relationship with its suppliers is alleged on two grounds firstly for lack of effective communication and also in discussing sensitive supplier related information with its competitor firms(MCNICOL, 2014). Economic Impacts Countdown, the leading supermarket company based in New Zealand has expanded its network in the region based on opening increased outlets along different regions of the economy. The retail institution focused on expanding its base to semi-rural areas of New Zealand through the opening of around five new supermarkets during 2014. The expansion strategy of Countdown counters effectiveness in that the same helps in countering the merger and acquisition activity of other competitor firms(Adams, 2013). Social Impacts A survey conducted on the retail consumers visiting the Countdown supermarkets of New Zealand reflect that the consumers expect changes regarding customisation and value enhancement of owned branded products. The consumers also stated that they require refreshed and new designs for the different own branded products. The new designs are required to be generated for the own branded products in that the same would help the customers for easily selecting and choosing the same from a wide assortment of other branded products(The Register , 2016). Technological Impacts Countdown has launched a new online shopping application especially meant for iPhones that would help the customers in viewing and comparing prices of products and also helps them in conveniently marketing for meeting their needs and expectations. The digital shopping application generated by the retail supermarket helps in easy scanning of bar codes and also in storing information in QR Codes to be scanned through the use of QR Scanners. The technological advance contributes in helping customers gain first hand information regarding product prices and promotions and also of their bonus points and loyalty card information(Progressive Enterprises Limited, 2016). Environmental Impacts The management of Countdown effectively focuses on reducing the impacts of the retail operations on the natural environment of New Zealand through the incorporation of energy efficient lighting, cooling, and refrigeration systems and also through aiming in the reduction of carbon emissions. Increasing environmental consciousness reflected by Countdown has helped the company in fetching the Green Ribbon Award from the New Zealand government during 2016(Countdown , 2016). Legal Impacts The New Zealand based supermarket, Countdown faces ethical charges regarding the use of colony cages for storing of poultry live stocks. It is argued on ethical grounds by the New Zealand government that live stocks are better kept in battery cages than in colony cages and further it also requires the management of the retail institution to carry out regular inspection regarding the periodic inspection of live stocks kept in cages and also the removal of dead birds. The government has further required the retail institution for adopting the best practices standards regarding the storing of live stocks failing which the retail companies would be required to face prosecution charges(NZHerald, 2016). Business Strategy for Countdown The business strategy that can be effectively incorporated by Countdown Supermarket in New Zealand is essentially two faceted in nature where the organisation can focus on the development and incorporation of the multichannel marketing and retailing network and also on the use of the agile supply chain strategy. The management of Countdown can effectively focus on the employment of the multichannel marketing strategy based on the incorporation of different types of retailing channels like existing brick-and-mortar outlets, mobile and online commerce platforms through the development of applications for Smartphones and also through the use of electronic and mobile commerce and other social media network sales platforms. Further, Countdown can also focus on the development of retail kiosks for reaching its own branded products to a larger number of customers(Dahmen, 2012). The employment of the agile supply chain system needs to be encouraged for Countdown through the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and bar codes and also through the use of Point-of-Sales (POS) scanners. Use of effective ERP Systems along with the above technologies would help Countdown in effectively tracking the movement of stocks and retail merchandises along the different units like supplier stations, distribution centres and finally to and from the stores. It would help the company make supply and demand forecasting and also in inventory management activities(Min, 2015). Critical Significance for Strategy Implementation The multichannel retail strategy can be effectively implemented by Countdown Supermarket based on development of effective synergies between the different retail fronts like brick-and-mortar, website and social media marketing, electronic and mobile commerce. Different contents are required to be planned and developed for marketing products through the use of company websites, social media network platforms like Facebook and Twitter and also through the use of electronic and mobile commerce media. The development of contents depending on the retailing media helps in attracting and retaining greater number of consumers visiting such sites or networks. Further, effective software and applications are required to be developed that essentially suit the mobile and electronic platforms. Development of effective applications would enable the customer for viewing and comparing different product assortments and also for procuring the same in a convenient fashion(Dahmen, 2012). The implementation of the agile supply chain strategy requires the management of Countdown Supermarket for incorporation of different technological systems like an effective ERP Software, RFID Bar Codes and Tags and also POS machines. The integration of the above systems would help Countdown for tracking the movement of merchandises along the different business units(Min, 2015). Execution and Evaluation of Strategies The evaluation of the success or failure of the multichannel retailing and agile supply chain strategies can be carried out through the conducting of effective interviews and surveys. Conducting of focused group interviews of the retail managers along with conducting of surveys of the customers and the sales and customer servicing staffs would help in understanding the effectiveness of the strategies in enhancing business revenues, market share, customer satisfaction and also in understanding the consumer perceptions regarding new product development and diversification initiatives of the company. Conclusions The strategic analysis of Countdown Supermarket reflects that the retail institution based in New Zealand has needed potential for developing its presence in the retail market of the region. The existence of effective retail and distribution outlets help the company in adequately meeting the needs of its customers. Further, the innovation and product development and diversification potential of the company is taken to help Countdown in strategising its product and service offerings to enhance customer satisfaction. The report also reflects on two strategic undertakings like development of the agile supply chain and multichannel retailing paradigms for enhancing the existing business potential of Countdown. References Adams, C., 2013. Countdown plans five new stores. [Online] Available at: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=11118947 [Accessed 22 July 2016]. Countdown , 2016. Environmental sustainability. [Online] Available at: https://www.countdown.co.nz/community-environment/environmental-sustainability [Accessed 24 July 2016]. Countdown, 2016. Our Company. [Online] Available at: https://www.countdown.co.nz/about-us/our-company [Accessed 21 July 2016]. Countdown, 2016. Our History. [Online] Available at: https://www.countdown.co.nz/about-us/our-history [Accessed 25 July 2016]. Dahmen, P., 2012. Multi-Channel Strategies for Retail Financial Services: A Management-Framework for Designing and Implementing Multi-Channel Strategies. United Kingdom: Springer Science Business Media. HUME, M., 2015. Milk poison threat affects supermarket security. [Online] Available at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/67256828/milk-poison-threat-affects-supermarket-security [Accessed 25 July 2016]. MCNICOL, H., 2014. Countdown cleared of anti-competitive behaviour. [Online] Available at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/63369023/Countdown-cleared-of-anti-competitive-behaviour [Accessed 22 July 2016]. Min, H., 2015. The Essentials of Supply Chain Management: New Business Concepts and Applications. United States : FT Press. NZHerald , 2014. Countdown adds insurance services to supermarket offering. [Online] Available at: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/personal-finance/news/article.cfm?c_id=12objectid=11352267 [Accessed 7 July 2016]. NZHerald, 2016. Countdown pulls eggs after shocking footage of dead hens. [Online] Available at: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=11618114 [Accessed 25 July 2016]. Progressive Enterprises Limited, 2016. COUNTDOWN LAUNCHES SUPERMARKET SHOPPING APP. [Online] Available at: https://www.progressive.co.nz/our-company/news--media-releases/countdown-launches-supermarket-shopping-app [Accessed 24 July 2016]. Supermarket News, 2015. EFTPOS PROBLEMS FOR COUNTDOWN. [Online] Available at: https://supermarketnews.co.nz/eftpos-problems-for-countdown/ [Accessed 25 July 2016]. The Register , 2016. Countdown undergoes major revamp of in-house products. [Online] Available at: https://theregister.co.nz/news/2016/04/countdown-undergoes-major-revamp-house-products?page=103 [Accessed 24 July 2016]. Westpac, 2015. Industry Insights. New Zealand : Westpac. Woolworths Limited, 2012. Countdown serves more than 2.5 million customers every week.. [Online] Available at: https://www.woolworthslimited.com.au/page/Who_We_Are/Our_Brands/Supermarkets/Countdown/ [Accessed 22 July 2016].

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Day Apple Booted Up free essay sample

According to the BBC news, Apple had more cash to spend than the United States (2011). Apple stores each sell an average of $93,150 worth of products every day, which is equivalent to $3,900 an hour or $65 a minute every day of the year. With the amount of cash they have now, they can go to McDonalds and buy everyone in the world two big mac meals, 1 vanilla cone ice-cream and 1 chocolate chip cookie. II. Relevance Statement: According to the CNBC survey, half of the US households have at least one apple product. Let’s take this room for instance; I am pretty sure most of us have at least one apple product. So I am going to tell you how this company had all started. III. Credibility Statement: As someone who is a big fan of the apple products and who would wait in lines to buy the latest apple product, I was interested in how this company was born and what makes it different from all the other companies. We will write a custom essay sample on The Day Apple Booted Up or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After my own research, I found out that this company has a very interesting history, as interesting as the products they sell. IV. Thesis Statement: The founding persons, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found the first apple computer, APPLE I, on April 1st 1976. This was the day when the apple company was formed and nobody, not even Jobs knew what was coming next: that Apple would create the look and feel of almost every desktop in the world and start our love affair with the personal computer including portable music players. Directional Transition: Now that you understand the focus of my presentation, let’s take a closer look at how it all started. Body I. On April 1st, 1976, Cupertino, California, the Apple computers booted up with their first computer APPLE 1. A. Steve Wozniak was the technical brains behind the company while Steve jobs was a person who dreams big and he always wanted others to dream along with him. 1. Jobs came up with the name of the company inspired by an orchard in Oregon where he and his friends used to do their work 2. Regarding the logo, it started with a picture of Isaac newton under an apple tree working and later changed to the picture of an apple with a small part of it bitten off. B. Most computers in 1976 were room sized with defense department sized price tags, but Wozniak had been tinkering with a new design, his computer was different. 1. It was small, easy and cheap to use. 2. Jobs had noticed the stir it caused when he took it to a local computer club. 3. Steve Wosniak thought that their small partnership would be fun even though they might not make much money(Grossman,2003). 4. They did not go and celebrate that day, they just ontinued with their daily work until months later. 5. To raise capital for their new company, Jobs sold his Volkswagen van. Directional Transition: Once the APPLE foundation was established, it started producing more and more products that took over the electronic world. II After APPLE 1, the apple company started producing unique products that were innovative and simple which grabbed the attention of every electronic user. A. On January 24,1984, Steve Jobs introduced the first commercially successful personal computer with a mouse and a graphic user interface. B. Later they came up with macbooks that are known for their fast processors and sleek simple design. C. On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, which took the portable music player industry by storm, selling 220 million units by 2009. D. The Apple industry also came up with the iPhone and the iPad. E. It grew up to be the most admired company in the world and also the largest technology company in the world by revenue and profit, more than Google and Microsoft combined. Directional Transition: With all this line of products, and more coming in, life has been much easier for students and the working class. Conclusion I. Restatement of Thesis: Specifically I have discussed the day the company APPLE was started by the two Steves and how the company brought up revolutionary products that affected the world. II.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

A report on tourisim destination marketing in Ballarat

A report on tourisim destination marketing in Ballarat Executive summary Ballarat is a region in Australia that has got a myriad of attractions ranging from the scenic views to the enchanting boutiques and galleries that it has. These features are tourist attractions to both the local and foreign tourists. Domestic visitors form the bulk of visitors who toured Ballart in the year 2009/2010. Foreign tourists on the other hand are the ones who spent the most money while on tour in Ballarat.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A report on tourisim destination marketing in Ballarat specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The tourism industry in Ballarat aided in the development of various tourism related businesses. According to statistics of 2009/2010 regarding Ballarat’s tourism industry, more than 2100 tourism related businesses were in operation. These businesses ended up creating more employment opportunities for the local residents and boosted the economy of the region as a result (Ekonde, 2011). In spite of the fact that the industry has grown over time, operations are underway in search of better practices that need to be adopted by various stakeholders in the industry to enhance their competitiveness and enable them to compete with other world class tourist destinations. The importance of marketing in the tourism industry cannot be overemphasized if one wants to remain relevant in the industry. Stakeholders in Ballarat’s tourism industry are no exception. They need to come up with marketing strategies that are effective, relevant and are line in with times. Introduction Ballarat is Victoria’s largest historic inland city situated 110 kilometers west of Melbourne. It has some of the best Victoria’s hidden tourism treasures. They include wide open spaces with a panoramic view, exquisite galleries that are enchanting and vintage boutiques that are pristine and elegant (Flanagan, 2000). The city also has engaging and exciting eve nts throughout the year that tourists can sample and enjoy. The region is rich in Australian history that tourists can immerse themselves in not to mention one of the most unique and exciting shopping experiences in the numerous shopping complexes and boutiques. The purpose of this report is to analyze the visitor situation in Ballarat and coming up with relevant, efficient and effective promotional activities that are going to portray the region as the ideal tourist destination for both the local and foreign tourists.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The development of effective marketing materials and marketing strategies is crucial for tourism activity in Ballarat to be more vibrant. Ballarat should consider incorporating promotional activities such as generic brochures, placing advertisements in local newspapers, informing the local residents about the passpo rt campaign, media releases and blog campaigns. These are some of the promotional activities that stakeholders within the Ballarat tourism industry should consider adopting in an effort of shoring up activity within their industry (Pike, 2004). The visitor situation in Ballarat According to the regional tourism profile of Ballarat, approximately $284 million dollars was spent by visitors in the region. 47% of this amount was spent by domestic visitors who spent the night in Ballarat. It is reported that a total of 1.9 million visitors toured the region of Ballarat, 75% of these visitors were domestic who had visited the region during the day. 1.1 million Nights were spent in Ballarat. Of these nights, 83% were domestic visitors who spent the night in Ballarat. In the month of June, there were approximately more than 2100 tourism related businesses in the region of Ballarat. 48% of these businesses were non- employing. 45% of these businesses were made up of micro or small businesses . The tables below give a summary of the expenditure by of tourists who visited Ballarat region and related business activities (Pike, 2008). Ballarat region summary 2009/2010 Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A report on tourisim destination marketing in Ballarat specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tourism businesses 2009/10 Employing businesses Non-employing businesses Total businesses Micro Small Medium Large Total employing (includes (1-4 employees) (5-19 employees) (20-199 employees) (200+ employees) owner/manager) Tourism Characteristic Industries 105 93 39 0 237 228 465 Tourism Connected Industries 498 270 129 0 897 804 1,701 Total Tourism Characteristic and Connected Industries 603 363 168 0 1,134 1,032 2,166 Analysis of Data on Ballarat’s visitor situation From the data above, it is apparent that residents of Australia form the bulk of visitors who visit Ballarat. Such a phenomenon is co mmendable since it implies that Ballarat’s tourism industry is largely self sufficient in that it does not depend on foreigners to thrive. The industry does not experience high or low seasons since the influx of tourists to the region are regular. As a result, employment opportunities that arise out of these tourist activities are available throughout the year. This means that the economy of the region is stable all year round (Kozak, et al. 2009). It is important for stakeholder in Ballarat’s tourism industry to promote Ballarat as an ideal tourist destination for foreigners. They should aggressively market Ballarat as an ideal tourist destination in foreign markets in an attempt of increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting Ballarat. This will go along way towards improving the economy of the region by providing additional employment to the local residents over and above that which the domestic tourists have helped to establish. This can be achieved by incorp orating additional exciting events to the regional tourism calendar. Activities that are interesting and enjoyable will definitely appeal to a wider audience both the local and foreign tourists. This will shore up the number of tourists who visit Ballarat (Wang, 2011). Ballarat’s marketing strategy Stakeholders in Ballarat’s tourism industry need to develop marketing materials that will showcase Ballarat as an ideal tourist destination with the intention of giving potential visitors a reason to visit the region.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are some destination specific factors that stakeholders should consider when coming with the marketing materials. One needs to consider whether the visitor has been to the destination before or not. The cost of living of living at the destination as well as prices of the tourism packages should be in the back of the minds of those charged with the responsibility of developing Ballarat’s marketing materials. The facilities at the destination, cost of transportation, time taken to travel, and the quality of services and political stability of the destination are key in the process of developing effective marketing materials (Lubbe, 2003). Information that has been collected about the visitor situation in Ballarat points to the fact that the majority of visitors who tour Ballarat are local residents. 75% of the 1.9 million visitors who toured Ballarat region during the day were domestic visitors and 83% of the 1.1 million visitors who spent the night in Ballarat were also domestic visitors. On the other hand, although foreign visitors are not as many as domestic visitors, they spent more money while touring the region than domestic visitors-53% of $284 million spent in Ballarat in 2009/2010. Therefore, Ballarat regional tourism should tailor their promotions in a way that it will give the domestic tourists a reason to spend more money when touring the region. The promotions should also showcase Ballarat region as an ideal tourist destination that will appeal to a larger audience of foreign tourists (Garrod, 2005). It is a fact that foreign tourists spend a lot more than domestic tourists who visit Ballarat. Stakeholders of Ballarat’s tourism industry should find out what exactly is the reason that makes foreign tourists to spend more and enhance it to increase the amount of money they spend while visiting the region. Tourism related businesses in Ballarat have gradually gone up over the years. It is reported that in the year 2009/2010 there we re more than 2100 tourism related businesses in Ballarat. 48% of these businesses were non-employing while 45% of these consisted of micro and small businesses. The Ballarat regional tourism should look for ways that will ensure that tourism related businesses participate fully in the tourist activities within the region. All tourism related business should be made to understand the importance adopting certain business practices that will alter their individual businesses and that of the region for the better. They should be impressed upon the importance developing competitive products, providing quality service, offering discounts on the products and services on sale and pricing their products and services fairly (Van der Veen, 2003). The measures mentioned above are just some of the few that would change the fortunes of tourism related businesses in Ballarat and the economy of the entire region if they are implemented. All the tourism related businesses should be given incentives by the local authorities in effort of encouraging them to keep running their businesses. Incentives such as tax breaks, creating an environment that is conducive for running a business and reducing the cost of running any tourism related industry in the region will go a long way towards ensuring that businesses actively participate in the tourism industry. All tourism related businesses should consider joint marketing when they want to promote their goods and services. The merits that come with this are that it is cost effective owing to the economies of scale. It is also bound to reach a much wider audience because it markets all the businesses as a whole. The businesses should have attractive packages complete with discounts that will serve to attract more customers. Stakeholders in Ballarat’s tourism industry are supposed to come up with various ways of that will effectively market Ballarat as an ideal tourist destination both at home and abroad. There are a variety of pro motional strategies and these strategies have to reach the target market. Small brochures and flyers are simple yet effective in getting the message to the intended domestic audience. These are easily distributed to the local residents and are not costly to produce (Scott, 2009). Placing of advertisements about a campaign in the local newspaper is another effective way of reaching a wider audience. This may cost more than other forms of advertising but the end results justify the relatively high costs. Media releases are much more sophisticated in terms of promoting a campaign like the passport campaign in an effort of attracting more visitors to Ballarat. Media releases will cost a lot more than other forms of advertising but they reach an equally wider audience compared to other forms of advertising. One is sure of reaching a wider audience if his mode of advertisement of choice is through media release. Media releases include placing advertisements about the campaign in either th e radio or the television. Technological advances and the advent of the internet have brought with them new ways of communication as well as advertisement. Nowadays, online advertising is all the rage by virtue of the fact that it is capable of reaching a much wider audience comparative to other forms of advertising. Online advertising can be placed on websites or blogs. Any visionary organization or institution uses online advertising together with other forms of advertising to popularize its products and services. Stakeholders of Ballarat’s tourism industry should also consider online advertising to popularize their campaign strategy. This is more so because of the nature of the industry they are in. Online advertising is very suitable for any tourism related business. This is because apart from reaching a wider audience, both local and foreign, it is cost effective and saves on time and workload. Ballarat’s tourism industry has no option but to go for online adverti sing if they are to remain competitive in their industry. Recommendation Ballarat is region that is historically rich. There are numerous unique features about the place and if it is marketed aggressively, tourists will flock the region in droves. There are a number of measures if adopted by the various stake holders in the region’s tourism industry, the tourism industry of the region will thrive. Stakeholders have to first of all identify the relevant target market both at home and abroad. Target market refers to the visitors who are highly likely to visit Ballarat by virtue of the features that appeal to them. The second step is creating a comprehensive perceived tourist image of Ballarat. The various different aspects about Ballarat that will make the region more appealing to visitors include natural resources. Under natural resources one should give a detailed description of the scenery, the variety and uniqueness of the flora and fauna. The general infrastructure of the place should also be described. The state of roads, airports and the general system of transport should be outlined. Tourist infrastructure such as hotels and restaurants should also be given. Aspects of cultural history and art such museums and historical buildings should be included as well. What follows thereafter is the development of a creative, relevant and effective promotional strategy for both the domestic and foreign visitors who had been previously identified as the target market. The different promotional strategies that they would have come up with are in turn advertised in the various media. The regions tourism stakeholders should team up with all the tourism related businesses in the region and market their products and services along with the region to achieve the desired maximum effect on the prospective visitors. Interesting and exciting packages offered by the various stakeholders will tremendously boost the influx of tourists in the region of Ballarat. Conclusion Ballarat’s tourism has come a long way. Every sector in the industry has experienced growth. This is as a result of increased flow of tourists into Ballarat. Tourism related businesses have also increased as a result creating employment to the local residents of Ballarat hence boosting its economy. There is a lot more though that can be done to grow the industry to higher levels. Integration of modern technology in all aspects of the business will do a great deal in terms of taking the industry to the next level. Using the internet to market the region the world over will give the industry a competitive edge. In summary, the industry should develop unique selling points that highlight key factors that are appealing to the visitors. This will ensure that the industry continues to grow from strength to strength. References Ekonde, C. (2011). Tourism Destination Marketing. Oxford: VDM Verlag. Flanagan, S. (2000). Tourism destination marketing: gaining the competitive edge. Dubl in:Tourism Research Centre. Garrod, B. (2005). Tourism marketing: a collaborative approach. London, UK: Channel View Publications. Kozak, M., et al. (2009). Advances in Tourism Destination Marketing: Managing Networks. New York, NY: Routledge. Lubbe, B., (2003). Tourism management in Southern Africa. Durban: Pearson South Africa. Pike, S. (2004). Destination marketing organizations. Duisburg: Elsevier. Pike, S. (2008) Destination marketing: an integrated marketing communication approach. New York, NY: Butterworth-Heinemann. Scott, D. (2009). The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons Van der Veen, R. (2003). Tourism Destination Marketing: Destination Europe. Breda, Netherlands: NHTV internationale hogeschool Breda Wang, Y. (2011) Destination Marketing and Management: Theories and Applications. Berkshire, United Kingdom: CABI.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Nascent and other Words for New

Nascent and other Words for New Nascent and other Words for New Nascent and other Words for New By Maeve Maddox When I heard a man on the NPR Business News refer to a â€Å"new nascent industry,† my redundancy meter clicked. The adjective nascent comes from a Latin verb meaning â€Å"to be born.† The English word means â€Å"about to be born or in the act of being born or brought forth.† In extended use it refers to something in the act or condition of coming into existence. The sense of â€Å"new† seems to be included in the word nascent: In the 1980s, Mr. McMahon formed relationships with cable networks, helping a nascent MTV gain popularity through its wrestling programming. This is the second post in a series on North Carolina’s nascent Medicaid reform What can the nascent legal pot industry learn from the Prohibition Era? Inside Detroit’s Nascent Start-Up Culture In chemistry, nascent describes the condition of an element at the instant it is set free from a combination in which it has previously existed. Ozone also tends to be unstable and break down into dioxygen and nascent oxygen and to react readily with other substances. A close synonym of nascent in some contexts is emergent: Germany, Britain Lead Europe’s Nascent Economic Recovery Spain’s emergent economic recovery brings renewed confidence to the rest of the eurozone Both nascent and emergent are popular as company and product names: Nascent Technologies Nascent Solutions Nascent Design Emergent BioSolutions Emergent Technologies Emergent Game Technologies Some more words to describe something in the process of just beginning: budding developing growing embryonic incipient young fledgling evolving dawning burgeoning Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Talking25 Russian Words Used in English (and 25 More That Should Be)While vs. Whilst

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Jew, Christian, Muslim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jew, Christian, Muslim - Essay Example The scriptures believed to be sacred have people in them whom adherents of these religions can relate to. In fact, the three can also be called Abrahamic religions because they center the origin of their faith in Abraham, a man believed to be holy and who made a covenant with God to follow Him. The story of Abraham is common among the three religions. Christianity somewhat evolved from Judaism, with Jesus being seen as the Son of God, and not coming with a new scripture but with deeds to be emulated. Works of early Christians are recorded in Acts of Apostles, a book found in the New Testament of the Christian scriptures, even though Christianity is highly based on deeds rather than words. In terms of traditions, Christian traditions can be traced to Judaism. The only difference comes in with and after the life of Jesus. Jews and Islam mostly have law codes that are strictly followed. They both have dietary restrictions, especially when eating meat. Some animals are considered unholy to consume. They also believe in living in bands or communities. Muslims invoke their God almost every time while Jews never mention His name. Education among the Muslims is mainly considered a thing for the males. The girls hardly go beyond primary school. Boys, on the other hand, go to Madras classes to improve their understanding of the scripture they memorized in primary school. All religions believe in charity for individual spiritual growth and benefit and also in purity before prayer. Jews wash their hands while Muslims smear water over parts of their bodies before engaging in prayer. In Islam, the mingling of the sexes is considered as something that threatens the social order and is extremely restricted, with strict regulations whenever it occurs. Some of these regulations include dressing, especially for the women. They must not show their faces,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Literary analysis of short story Research Paper

Literary analysis of short story - Research Paper Example Readers see through Sammy’s eyes as he describes the scene around him in details – from referring the workplace as a â€Å"pinball machine† to labeling an attractive customer as â€Å"chunky†. From Sammy’s narration, a typical analysis of the story would be that it only â€Å"contains nothing more significant than a checking clerk's interest in three girls in bathing suits† (Peden, 1964). Another more sensible take would be that the story presents â€Å"a sudden moment of insight when a young man rebels against a conservative society† (Hatcher, 1996). However, beyond the usual understanding of A & P being a â€Å"coming of age narrative† is the analysis that John Updike’s masterpiece tells more about an individual’s struggle in a consumerist society. According to Porter (1972), the story A & P can be aptly interpreted as "the character’s rebellion against a consumer-conditioned society." To understand this i dea, it is important to first devote our attention to the context of the story and then understand the symbolism behind the character’s language to reveal the author’s intention in creating an irony about the world around him. Since the story is published in the 1960’s, it gives us a picture of a conservative society where people adhere to traditional values and norms. In those days, conforming to the standard appearance and behavior was necessary, especially to middle class families who aspire for social equality through the American dream of typically owning a house, driving a car, and buying enough goods. Adding to this set-up is the industrial development which allowed grocery store chains like A & P to dominate and offer packaged consumer goods around the country. It is this typical middle-class setting in the 1960s which establishes the internal conflict of a young man against his society. In the story, the ultimate act of Sammy to quit his job represents non-conformity to a social structure that is based on commoditization of goods and perpetuation of conservative values. In Sammy’s words, the setting of the story points to an area â€Å"right in the middle of town† where â€Å"you can see two banks and the Congregational church and the newspaper store and three real-estate offices  ". This description tells us about the narrator’s location in the central part of a consumerist society where a grocery store lies in the middle of the financial, spiritual, informational, and property structures. In the story, A & P is the focal area where packaged goods are made available for the consumption of every Americans. In grocery stores, all products are homogenized in order to meet the material demands of every consumer. As such, Sammy becomes part of this materialistic environment which deals with people purchasing goods and individuals finding meaning on things. Because of this, it is no surprise that the narrator hi mself is inclined to also objectify the things and people around him. At first, he describes the empty store as a â€Å"pinball machine† and searches for the girls show up, as if to find the objects of his attraction. Meanwhile, he labels other customers as â€Å"sheep† and describes a girl’s rear as a â€Å"can† which means that he compares people to things and animals. In Sammy’s eyes, people lose their humanity once they enter the confines of A & P. He sees the girls inside as mere sex objects, viewing them in the same way as customers choose their products. He judges the girls

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Role of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Essay Example for Free

Role of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Essay They have employed existing means of production differently, more appropriately, more adventurously. They have â€Å"carried out new combinations†. They are entrepreneurs† – Joseph Schumpeter (Lumsdaine and Binks, 2007). Entrepreneurship is a procedure through which individuals identify opportunities (problems that need to be solved or unmet needs) in the market place, allocate resources, initiate change by being innovative and creative and create value through solutions. One of the Factors of Production to produce goods or services is Enterprise with Land, Labour and Capital; an entrepreneur combines all other factors of production by enterprise, which is actually problem solving, risk taking and creativity, to come up with innovative products or services. â€Å"Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity not a threat†. (Steve Jobs,2010). It is not necessary that Innovation is something completely new which is stated as ‘Discrete Change’ by Joseph Schumpeter, it can also be a ‘Gradual Change’, that is a product or service which is better than what was there before (Lumsdaine and Binks, 2007). It can be called a process by which an Idea or invention is translated into a product or service for which people will pay and perceive it as being new. Entrepreneurship is incomplete without Innovation as Steve Jobs said, â€Å"Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. The act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth. †. (Steve Jobs,2010). Economic Development can be defined as the development of economic wealth for the well being of a country’s inhabitants. It implies progressive changes in the socio-economic structure of an economy, change in the distribution pattern of income, adoption of new technologies, creation of jobs, transition from agro-based to industry-based economy and general improvements in living standards. According to Lumsdaine and Binks,â€Å"In the context of entrepreneurship, it is creativity that leads to Innovation, that is development of new products and processes which when innovated replace the traditional and previous versions. Creativity leads to a greater fulfillment on an individual basis as we use our imagination to create our new horizons for what we do in our lives. By imagining what we could be and achieve, we move beyond the boundaries we have previously set for ourselves. Innovation can be seen as practical application of creativity in an organization. † (Lumsdaine and Binks, 2007) So Innovation is actually the product of Creativity and Problem Solving with the help of Entrepreneurship. â€Å"Entrepreneurs are the catalysts that spur the economy with their innovations and technological change† – Joseph Schumpeter (Lumsdaine and Binks, 2007). Entrepreneurship leads to Economic Change and economic development through creative destruction. When the Entrepreneurs sell their Idea, the Idea is a solution to a problem and is a need that has not been met before which means there was a gap in the market for that product or service which he innovated, consumers buy it because there is a demand for it which the entrepreneur realized and innovated it and as more and more consumers buy it, more will be the improvement in Living Standards of the inhabitants of the Economy; in conclusion, entrepreneurs showing their creativity solve a problem and innovate a product or service which benefits the economic development of an economy directly and indirectly. Wal-Mart Stores is a relevant example for understanding the relationship between Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development, the company which is ranked no. 18 in the Forbes List of â€Å"Global 2000 Leading Companies 2011†. Samuel Moore Walton is one of the most successful entrepreneurs who made it possible in less than half a century. He founded the Company in 1962 when he opened the company’s first discount store in Rogers, Arkansas, USA after watching a market gap of Discount stores in his State of Arkansas. He just figured out a problem that people in the urban areas have to pay higher prices at stores in the city center since the country side is far away for the consumers to go there and the stores used to take an advantage of that and charge higher prices. Sam Walton imagined using his creativity, what if there is a discount store in the city which buys everything in bulk from the country side and uses its own transport for delivery of good to the store, would the consumers buy from there at lower prices rather than going to other stores in the city with higher prices. He just used his creativity to solve the problem and Innovated world’s first and most successful Discount Store, Wal-Mart. Sam Walton, in his autobiography, said, â€Å"If you think about it from the point of view of the customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; and a pleasant shopping experience. You love it when a store exceeds your expectations, and you hate it when a store inconveniences you, gives you a hard time, or pretends you’re invisible. (2011). When he opened his first Wal-Mart store, no one imagined he was introducing a retailing formula that within a generation would impact the lives of millions of people. Wal-Mart Stores grew gradually but at a good pace and then reached to the position it has achieved today. In 1975, it employed only 7500 employees, 125 stores with Sales of $340 billion. In 1983, The Forbes Magazine ranked it no. 1 General retailer for the eighth year straight. In 1991, Wal-mart became an international supermarket chain with more than 1200 stores and more than 200,000 employees. Wal-Mart launched Sam’s clubs which was also a success and reached 1995 stores, 239 supercentres, 433 Sam’s Clubs and 276 international stores with 675,000 employees by the end of 1995. By 1997, Wal-Mart Stores had entered into another part of the world, which is China and was taking Environmental friendly measures and also became the largest private employer in the US with 680,000 employees and additional 115,000 international employees serving 90 million customers per week worldwide. By the end of the 1990s, Wal-Mart had opened stores in Korea and Germany and had become the largest private employer of the World with total of 1,140,000 employees. By 2004, Wal-Mart had been declared as the third most admirable company in the US by Fortune Magazine, ranked among the companies with â€Å"Top 25 Diversity Recruitment Programs† and was awarded the â€Å"Corporate Patriotism Award†. In 2005, The Wal-Mart Foundation started working much actively and donated $18 million for US hurricane relief efforts and the Company employed more than 1. million employees and owned 3800 Stores in the US and 3800 International Stores with Annual Sales of $312. 4 billion and existed in 16 countries. Today, Wal-Mart Stores owns 9826 stores in 28 countries with 2. 1 million employees and serves more than 176 million customers annually. Walmart Foundation now is too active and donates largely in relief efforts and for causes; it has separate programs for different fields like Health, Disable people and Education (Wal-mart Stores, 2011). Sam Walton said it best, â€Å"If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone†¦we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life. † (2011). This was the innovation mainly in his Idea of Discount Stores to save people’s money, to help them live better was the goal that Sam Walton envisioned when he opened the doors to the first Walmart (2011). If his vision was to help people live better which means improving their living standards, then there is no doubt that how much Wal-Mart would have contributed towards positive economic development just because of Sam Walton’s entrepreneurship and Innovation. A company that employs 2. 1 million people cannot be questioned for its contribution towards economic development. Since it generated a lot of employment opportunities the economy was benefited in the form of expenditure on goods and services by the employees; moreover, all the employees working there earn a salary from Wal-Mart and then spend it on goods and services in their own economies. Expenditures like education and health increase the demand of goods and services in the economy leading to economic growth. This has lead to increase in the economy’s PPF outwards as A. D of the economy has increased. On the basis of the figures provided in the 2010’s Annual Report of Wal-Mart Stores and the World Bank’s statistics of the US’s GDP of the year 2010, Wal-Mart Stores had contributed approximately 2. 8 percent to the Annual GDP of the US in 2010. (Yahoo Finance and World Bank, 2011). This Calculation can be supported by the Statistics provided by the website of Wall-Mart Stores, that in 2010, Wal-Mart’s sales were $307. billion in U. S. retail sales as the  next five largest U. S. retailers combined  sales of $324. 5 billion: Kroger ($78. 3 billion), Target ($65. 8 billion), Walgreen ($61. 2 billion), Home Depot ($60. 1 billion) and Costco ($58. 9 billion). In 2005, almost half (46%) of Americans lived within 5 miles of a Walmart or Sams Club, and 88% lived within 15 miles of a Walmart of Sams Club which also shows the contribution of Wal-Mart towards U. S. ’s economy and in 2011, every $45 dollars spent in the U. S. economy, almost $1 was spent on a purchase at a Walmart. (Wal-mart Stores, 2011). Therefore, the presence of Wal-mart in the US economy generated income not only for the employees but for the economy as a whole. Among all of the great scholars of entrepreneurship, Joseph Schumpeter is the only one who has explained properly the relationship between Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development. According to Lumsdaine and Binks (2007), â€Å"The crucial contribution made by Joseph Schumpeter in The theory of Economic Development (ref. 2. 1) was to highlight the entrepreneur’s role as the catalyst for economic development. This contribution connects entrepreneurship, creativity and economic development. To understand the actual and potential impact of entrepreneurship, it is important to consider his analysis. Schumpeter portrayed any economy as a collection of enterprises and business where each represented a particular combination of production factors in the form of machines, people, land, premises, finance, and so on, in some sense every business relied for its market upon the successful activities of all others. This interdependence through customer demand meant that changes in the nature or level of economic activity would be caused only when a new combination of factors of production was introduced. The diverse operations of Walmart did not only benefit the US but has also contributed to economic development of under-developed and developed countries of Africa. According to Brown and Sander (2007), large multinational supermarket chains are rapidly expanding in developed and developing economies. These supermarket chains tend to import agriculture products from developing and under-developed economies; this is due to the advantage developing and under developed countries offer them in quality and prices. Which in a way is good for the development of the under developed and developing countries. According to Brown and Sander (2007), â€Å"In the continent of Africa, where small farmers account for both 90 per cent of agricultural production and 73 per cent of Africa’s rural poor, access to valuable international markets could play a crucial role in wider poverty reduction†, most Multinational Supermarket chains buy Fruits and Vegetables from small holder farmers of Sub-Saharan Africa which also increases exports of these poor countries resulting in higher economic development of their country by improvement in their living standards. According to Stokk (2007), â€Å"Supply chain development initiated by supermarkets can help farmers escape the low productivity trap. Supermarkets face a short run cost, but gradually benefit from the agricultural skill upgrading in terms of increased market share. Our result suggests that when farmers do not meet the required standards, supermarkets have an incentive to invest in farm assistance programs that improve the productivity of local suppliers. Supermarket expansion not only affects farmers in the supply chain, but also has consequences for the rest of the food retail sector. Traditional retailers face increased competition and potential loss of market share, but may benefit from foreign supermarkets through spillover effects of the latest retail techniques. † (2009). Higher productivity and latest retail techniques do affect the economic development to a great extent. In the same article Stokk said, â€Å"The value of local purchases made to operate the Wal-Mart stores and facilities such as tilities and business services. The value of goods sold by local manufacturers to Wal-Mart, The types of Wal-Mart facilities present within the MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), while the price effects from retail stores can be significant, other facilities such as distribution centers can also have positive economic impacts. † In conclusion, this essay has clearly analysed the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development and has also briefly explain the role Creativity and Problem Solving play in this relationship. In this relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development, Innovation is the base, since economic development is influenced by entrepreneurship through Innovation. However, it is not necessary that all entrepreneurs benefit the economic development; it can only have a positive implication on economic development if there is innovation. And for innovation to effect the economic development positively with entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur should be creative in problem solving. Creativity is a foundation of this relationship and problem solving is an essential tool for this relationship to come over difficulties and carry on with the flow from entrepreneurship to positive economic development through innovation. However, long term economic development cannot lack of innovation and entrepreneurship, simultaneously, as tools of innovation, creativity and problem solving play a vital role in the whole process. Word Count: 1651 words without referencing.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Consider The Theme Of Loneliness In The Novel Of Mice And Men. How :: English Literature

Consider The Theme Of Loneliness In The Novel Of Mice And Men. How Does It Affect The Characters? I will be looking at the theme of loneliness, how it effects the characters, how the scenes roll in with what's happening etc. When you read about George and Lennie you realise that they have a history. You think that they are a perfect pair. One is smart, aggressive, quick and looks out for the other (George) while the other one (Lennie) is slow, dumb, big, strong, kind, caring and needs to be looked out for. They fit together like a jigsaw. George and Lennie are the main characters and they are the only ones with the biggest dream - to get a big house with rabbits. That's what keeps them getting through the day. Their relationship together doesn't look close but it is. George once told Lennie to jump into a river. He did it and nearly drowned which I think showed George how much Lennie trusted him so Lennie thought that he would always be safe. Ever since then, George hasn't taken advantage of his power over Lennie. Two things drive their relationship. Their dreams, that keeps them going through the day and the fear of loneliness. Neither one of them wants to be alone nor so they fear it. Like when Lennie threatens to go into the cave alone and so therefore George fears and tries to keep him. George is a sharp man. His features are very precise and fixed. Each part of him is defined: small strong hands, slender arms and a thin bony nose. Steinbeck also says that he has restless eyes, which sometimes scares me because you get this picture in your head of tired open eyes. Steinbeck describes George like this so that he is the opposite of Lennie, which makes them opposite in every way. George's personality is a bit bad tempered. He's like Lennie's mother because he's always looking out for Lennie, which I guess makes him a caring person. He's also short tempered, as he gets agitated very easily, usually at Lennie. I think that the reason why George is so frustrated is because he has to put up with Lennie's stupidity all the time, which would make anyone frustrated. I guess you could call George friendly because he made friends with all of the people at the ranch except for Curley and his wife. He didn't make friends with them because being friends with them would cause trouble. That's a smart thing and being smart is another quality of George's personality. I think that by making George the opposite of Lennie, Steinbeck is

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Mother: American Films and Mom

I think the most important person in my life is my mother. The reason why I chose my mother is because she is really all I have, she is my motivation, and she helps me live through all my struggles. I wouldna t be able now to enjoy this minute of my life writing this essay without my mother. My mother has brought me to this wonderful world. For nine months she carried me, she felt very bad, but did not refuse, and gave birth to me. Looking back, my mom is the most positive and important influence on my life.Ia ve been mentioning my mom, in almost every essay I write. But I really cana t express how much I love her, in just words. My mom is a really big part of me, and shea s the person who influences and inspires me. I cana t imagine my life without her. What would I do I dona t know. Ia ve learned how to love her, since I met her for the first time. And I will always love her. She is everything for me. She always protects me and always supports me. She is always with me, when Ia hap py and when Ia m sad. She helps me with hard problems in my life, and she is glad for some good things I do. She helped me from the first, day I was born. She fed me; she didna t sleep for many nights, only to make me comfortable. She went for walks with me, and was always with me. From the first grade of my school, she helped me with my homework; she taught me how to behave. I am who I am, because of my mom. She always tries to make me a better person.From childhood, she hired a piano and chess teacher for me. She bought a lot of books for me to read. She bought some intellectual games and that kind of stuff. Sometimes I didna t like my piano lessons. But I still didna t tell that to my mom, because I didna t want her to be sad. I study hard to make her happy. I want her to be proud of me. I want her to feel, as I am the best child in the world, and as she is the best mom. I do everything for that. I behave myself very good in school, I dona fight and I obey the rules. She always s upports me for my goals and ambitions, and thata s the key in pursuing my dream. And what makes my mother the most important individual in my life aside from those that I have mentioned? It is the fact that even though how many times we fight, and even if I am not the best child she could ever have, she always makes me feel that I am the best gift she ever received from God. If I would have a chance to be born again, I would have chosen to be again her chi

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm Essay

Components of Healing Hospitals Faith and hope are the greatest assets for the patient. Listening is the greatest asset of the caregivers. Addressing spiritual issues can make a difference in the patients’ experience of illness, and may even affect the outcome. Ministering to the patients’ spiritual needs and providing appropriate interventions has been identified as a professional nursing role. († Philosophical Foundation for Integrative Medicine,† 2012) Healing hospitals need to contribute to the physical needs and spiritual needs as well. Holistic nursing is becoming more prominent of caring for patients’, paying attention to the mind, body, and spirit. These are components of a healing hospital. According to Diana Vance (Vance, 2004), Patients’ religious faith and prayers were significantly correlated and reduced post-op pain and complications and mortality rates. Additionally prayer, spiritual perspective, and religious influence were positively correlated with enhanced coping skills for dealing with the stress of surgery and illness and an overall feeling of well-being during terminal illness. Regardless of whether spiritually is described as prayer, religious faith, or spiritual perspective, numerous studies have demonstrated the positive affects spiritually plays on physical and psychosocial health. (Vance, 2004) Prayer and medicine have been shown to decrease blood pressure as a result decreases the effects of heart disease. Studies also show meditation lowers blood sugar as well. Healing hospitals need to provide patients’ with staff educated in spiritualty and more holistic medicine. Massage therapy increases the oxygen and blood flow to the areas being massaged, the only exception is areas over bony prominences where pressure ulcers may develop. Biofeedback can be used to promote relaxation, heart rate. Guided imagery focuses and directs imagination. This can decrease blood pressure, respiratory rate, and can decrease pain. Healing touch consist of balancing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Healing touch works with the body’s energy field to support its natural ability to heal. Healing Music therapy is being used to decrease stress, and can help patient manage  post-op pain. Healing gardens provide a place for patients can pray, meditate, and can use other therapies to aid in healing. Some hospital and nursing homes also participate in pet therapy. Florence Nightin gale promoted small pets as a companion for the sick. Pastoral care with representatives from the different faiths so that patients’ receive the pastoral care needed. Healing environments are not just for the patients. In order to effectively and therapeutically for other we must first know how to care for ourselves. Healing environments are an essentially prerequisites patients as well as staff members. Creating a Healing Environment Healing environments have had difficulties taking hold. Hospitals are known for cure and not healing. Until the past couple of years medical students were not instructed how spiritually can make a difference. One of the difficulties studies have found is that hospitals are noisy with overhead paging, bright lights and this increases patient stress, anxiety causing blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate elevated, while also increases muscle tension. This situation decreases the bodies’ ability to heal. Overall nurses believe that some spiritual connection does increase the bodies’ ability to heal, gives patients inner-peace and contributes to overall well-being. Nurses need to develop a strong therapeutic relationship with the patient this increases the patients ability to discuss these sensitive issues. Acute care nurses are less equipped to deal with spiritual needs of this patient population. Hospice nurses, oncology, and rehabilitation nurses apply spiritual comfort , and have more education to deal with these issues. In some studies nurses’ claim reasons that keep them from discussing spiritual matters is lack of time, lack of confidence, and knowledge regarding the particular religion the patients’ practice. Despite attempt to present nurses’ spiritual care in a more positive light. Studies show that nurses’ treatment is incomplete only participating in more traditional therapies like prayer. (Grant, 2004) With cutbacks in hospital funding, and short stays spiritual care is considered a low priority. Nurses need to be educated in more modern therapies. Interventions should be developed and evaluated that utilize the best mix of hospital staff physicians, nurses, chaplains, social workers. Questionaries’ need to be  developed that ask if their spiritual needs were met while hospitalized in the acute care setting. Hospitals need to make spiritual care a higher priority in the acute care settings. (Vance, 2004) According to one article I read our spirituality is the foundation of our being rather than an aspect our being. Attention to spirituality and spiritual values is an important yet most-often neglected components in organizations. (Thornton, 2005) Hospitals need to create educational programs for patients’ and visitors to incorporate the idea of mind, body, and soul to foster the idea that all of these concepts are tied together as one. Keeping mind, body, and spirit health has shown to actually lower over health care cost. The healing environment is not just important to the patients and visitors. The staff needs this environment as well; hospitals need to make changes for staff. Keeping the staff energized and able to provide the best care possible. In the book of Matthew 4:23-25 NIV Describes the story of Jesus making his way through the synagogues spreading the gospel, healing the sick, healing every disease and illness. News spread all over Syria people came to him with all kinds of various diseases, those suffering in pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures and the paralyzed. Christ healed them all. This best describes how healing hospitals should be. This scripture describes Christ healing physical issues it also describes Christ healing the spirit as well, by healing the demon possessed. Hospitals are in the business of healing, curing, and promoting over well-being. References Geimer-Flanders, J. (2014). Creating a healing environment: Rationale and research overview. Retrieved from http://www.ccjm.org/content/76/Suppl_2/S66.full Grant, D. (2004, Jan-Feb). Spiritual Interventions: How, When, and Why Nurses Use Them. Holistic Nursing Practice, 1(), 36-41. Retrieved from ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu Spirituality and Religion in Health Care. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.bravewell.org/integrative_medicine/philosophical_foundation/spirituality_and_healthcare/ The Power of Beliefs and the Importance of Culture. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.bravewell.org/integrative_medicine/philosophical_foundation/beliefs_and_culture/ Thornton, L. (2005). The Model of Whole-Person Caring Creating

Friday, November 8, 2019

How to Build and Organize the Best Marketing Team

How to Build and Organize the Best Marketing Team What does it take to build a modern marketing team? That’s a question every company should be asking itself right now. Even if you already have a fully-stocked marketing department. Why? Marketing hiring is set to increase by 10% overall by 2026  in the United States (the average growth rate across industries is 7%). Marketing hiring is set to increase by 10% overall by 2026  in the United States.Popular marketing channels are getting more saturated by the day, too. SEO and paid search are getting more competitive. Organic social media reach is on the decline, and as such, competition for social advertising is going up. Some companies are experimenting with direct mail, even if their product is all-digital. This means that success now and in the future requires top talent. The kind of talent that has creativity and foresight to see what’s coming next. But, finding those kinds of marketers has never been easy, and it’s only getting more difficult to recruit top talent. In order to build the team you need, you’ll need to have knowledge and a plan. Get Your Free Marketing Org Chart Template As you build your team, visualizing each role is important. With a clear org chart, everyone in the organization can know exactly where each team member fits, and how they impact the rest of the department. Grab this free template to map yours out easily.Introducing the  Team Management Dashboard in : Effectively Manage Your Marketing Team Once your marketing team is up and running, ensuring its success is key. However, keeping teams organized isn’t easy. That’s the problem our Team Management Dashboard in solves. Even if you don’t have a dedicated project manager on your team (and even if you do), it makes managing multiple team members (and all their projects and tasks) easy to do in one place. Here’s a look at how it works:Ready to try it yourself? Schedule a demo below: What is the Role of a Modern Marketing Team? You may expect a complex answer to this question. However, the real purpose of marketing can be boiled down into one simple statement: Marketing exists to drive profitable customer action. Sure, there are other broader business goals that marketing serves. Telling your story. Promoting your products. Converting customers into advocates (who tell your story and promote your products). But, in the end, building business and raising revenue is the ultimate purpose of marketing. Is your marketing team organized for success? Here's how to build a successful team.Which Positions Does a Marketing Team Need to Drive Profitable Action? The needs of your team will depend on: Your industry. Your company side. But, at a high level, here are some essential roles: VP of Marketing Team Leads Writers Designers Analysts Project Managers Content Strategists Specialists (SEO, Email, Social, Etc.) PR Digital Marketing Now, some of these roles are broad. But, what’s more important than job titles are the actual responsibilities and work you need to get done. Start with these: Writers. Content and copy are essential for practically every area of marketing. Competency with search engine optimization, email, content strategy, and social media marketing are all pluses as well. Designers. If your content and marketing collateral don’t look good, then everything else about it is bad, too. Analysts. Writers should know how to analyze data. Eventually, this may need to become a dedicated position. Project managers. Basic project management skills are useful for all marketers. Once your team reaches a mature level, adding this as a dedicated role may also be advisable. Needs for Advanced Marketing Teams What do marketing teams need when they mature past basic responsibilities and disciplines? Here are some areas to consider (including areas where the team at added and expanded after starting with just one marketer in 2013): Automation specialists. The ability to use platforms like Salesforce and Autopilot effectively is crucial. Demand generation. Beyond just doing content marketing, building demand for your product, or even product category as a whole, is powerful. Marketing operations. This area is becoming a hot buzz term for managing technology, data, and resources. At a high level, it’s a mix of project management and resource allocation. What Resources Do Marketing Teams Need to Succeed? Bureaucratic red tape, budget constraints, and insufficient tools are three common culprits behind why marketing teams struggle (or even outright fail). So, how do you avoid these traps? Give Teams Creative and Strategic Latitude Sometimes, it’s tough for the C-suite to let go of control over marketing. But, marketers get hired for a reason: they know what they’re doing. Companies should show that they understand this by letting marketers set the direction for their own teams. After all, you probably wouldn’t hire a firefighter to fix your drain, or a landscaper to work on your car. Let marketers do marketing, and let everyone else do what they do best, too. Permission to Forget 10% Projects It’s easy to get bogged down in projects that make a marginal impact. It’s also hard to make meaningful progress that way. Spending too much time focusing on low-value activities can often leave teams feeling overly busy and yet unproductive. That’s a toxic combination. Not only does that mean they aren’t delivering everything they could be, no one worth their salt will want to remain in such an environment when they could get hired somewhere else. So, don’t force marketers to waste their time on things that aren’t important. Instead, focus on projects that deliver 10X results. This means activities that can improve a metric tenfold. Stack up enough such projects, and you’ll start to see much more substantial success in less time than before. Don’t force marketers to waste their time on things that aren’t important.Give Marketers the Right Tools Companies often set up marketers with whatever tools and software other departments use. Sometimes, that’s okay. Other times, though, it’s a massive mistake. Marketers do a lot of specialized work that requires specific toolsets. They also have unique needs that generic communication and team management tools can’t adequately meet. What works for, say, software developers to manage tasks and projects, may not be ideal for marketers (even though they might grit their teeth and make it work). There’s also a heavy tendency toward using Excel for tasks that spreadsheets aren’t built to handle. What’s the solution? Invest in the right tools for the right jobs. Some essentials include: Marketing management platform. solves the issue of â€Å"makeshift marketing† (the act of stitching together a martech stack out of disparate tools) by being a single hub where every project starts. Social media management software. There are tons of options out there. integrates with top social networks and WordPress, making it easy to publish and promote content in one place. Email marketing platforms. MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor integrate with . Analytics tools. Data-driven marketers need more than just Google Analytics to make effective decisions. Collaborative editing suite. G Suite (integrates with ) and Microsoft Office 365 are both useful options. Recommended Reading: The 110 Best Marketing Tools to Consider When Building Your Marketing Toolstack Prioritizing Roles: Where Do You Even Start Building a Team? This is no small task (which is why you’re here). But, you’ve to start building somewhere. When every role is important, how do you choose roles for your starting points? Here are two strategies to consider: Starting with senior-level leadership. This person will know what kind of team they need. Finding someone looking to build from the ground up, in their own vision, could make this an enticing opportunity. Starting with a well-rounded generalist. Someone who can start executing effective work while figuring out what’s needed to take things to the next level. Either can be effective starting points. What Might a Complete Marketing Team Look Like? There’s no single way to structure a marketing team. And there isn’t really a specific point where a team might be considered â€Å"complete.† But, a small marketing team might look something like this: Which could grow into something more like this over time: Where to Find the Talent You Need A strong recruiting effort will leave no stone unturned to find the best talent possible to fit your team. Here are several places to consider starting your search. Networking Events Professional meetup groups, conferences, speaking events, and other public industry events fall into this category. Look for places where your company might be able to set up a booth, or just show up and talk to people. You never know who you might meet. Social Media Used strategically, social media can help you track down talented people looking for their next opportunity. LinkedIn. Twitter. Facebook. Now, it’s key here not to just reach out to strangers cold with no context. Try reaching out to qualified candidates with this messaging something like this: Hi, I’m [NAME], and I’m the [ROLE] at [COMPANY]. We’re looking to grow our marketing department, and I’m curious if you’re interested in opening up a conversation about what we have to offer? Let me know, it’d be great to grab a coffee when you have an opportunity. Thanks for your time. Feel free to edit this template. What’s most important is to offer a warm introduction and keep the focus on what you can do for the potential prospect’s career. Career Directories There are several sites where you can post job listings. Some popular ones include: Indeed. Monster. CareerBuilder. Glassdoor. But, there are some lesser known resources out there to consider, too. Some of those include: Craigslist. Local job boards. Newspaper ads. Cast a wide net. This author got their first job in the industry thanks to a late-night Craigslist search, and subsequent jobs through networking and cold outreach, so you never know which tactic might yield the best results. Internship Programs Successful interns can often make successful full-time employees. Have your interns shadow full-time staff, let them get some useful experience, and see if they have what it takes to deliver. Recommended Reading: How to Make Interns a Successful Part of Your Marketing Team Within Your Own Company You might be able to find great fits for marketing roles from other departments in your own company. Now, you don’t want to poach staff or cause tension between your team and others. But, there might be someone in a role where they don’t feel like they’re the best fit. Or, they might have some previous or otherwise relevant experience that would make marketing an ideal area for them to be in. Career Fairs You’ll have competition here, but you’ll also have face time with lots of potential candidates. There’s some investment involved in setting up a booth (printing collateral, developing talking points, and so forth) but the results can be worth the effort, particularly for finding intrepid interns and entry-level talent. Word of Mouth Sometimes the best opportunities come from people you know, who know other people. Take a colleague at another company out for coffee. Hit up an old mentor you haven’t heard from in a while. Just put yourself out there and talk to people. You might be surprised where those conversations lead. Recruiting Previous Co-Workers Some of the best hires you can make might currently be working at your (or your coworkers) former employers. If you like where you’re at (and you know your former coworkers, well, don’t enjoy their current positions so much), then they should be some of the first people you reach out to (so long as you’re not running the risk of burning bridges by poaching people). How To Structure Internal And External Marketing Teams (From CEO Garrett Moon) In order to build the world's best all-in-one  marketing management platform,   needs to understand how modern blogging teams work. So,  the team  called, emailed, and Googled its way to understanding. The results are valuable. Marketing teams are diverse, but 's research  concluded that there are really only two major types of team structures, and then two minor ones that branch off from there. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these teams makes a huge difference in how you  manage and organize your own writing team.