Book Review Essay Example Essay Example

Book Review Essay Example Paper Book Review Essay Introduction The book â€Å"The Foreigner’s Gift: the Americans, the Arabs and the Iraqis in Iraq† by Fouad Ajami provides detailed overview of the events taken place in the mentioned countries as well as the author offers his unique vision of those events. The author is rather persuasive, because he uses logical arguments, conclusions, facts and viewpoints of different critics to defend his position. It is necessary to outline that findings presented in the book significantly contribute the evidence that events in America, Iraq and Arab countries are rather contradictive and disputable.The issues raised in the book are a matter of concern of many other writers, historians and politicians. The author is rather concerned with war in Iraq defining it as â€Å"an orphan in the court of public opinion†. (Ajami 2006) The author thinks that such definition is precisely characterizes the fact that â€Å"these days even some of those who had campaigned in favor of the war now sound apologetic or even critical†. (Ajami 2006)According to Ajami, the war in Iraq ensured support of more than 70% of Americans and thus caused rather enthusiastic endorsement in the US Congress and media. Nevertheless, nowadays situation has dramatically changed and support decreased to 30%. The author argues that it is difficult to say whether the war may be considered just and necessary. Furthermore, Ajami asserts that to achieve the understanding one should use the help of â€Å"detailed arguments based on facts and backed by his deep understanding of the complex politics of the Middle East†. (Ajami 2006)Therefore, the book is surely a deconstruction and critique of cultural, political and military war in Iraq initiated by Sunni Arabs and the author strongly objects to political rise of Shia. He says: â€Å"An old order of dominion and primacy was shattered in Iraq. The rage against this American war, in Iraq itself and in the wider Arab world, was the anger of a cultu re that America had given power to the Shia stepchildren of the Arab world – and to the Kurds†. (Ajami 2006)The author assumes that the opposition of Arab countries to Shia has changed even the American policy meaning that Bush’s policy has been changed due to â€Å"bureaucratic infighting† in his administration: â€Å"There are reports, exaggerated by the telling, that Iranian charities and political-religious operatives from the larger Persian state next door are running away with Iraq, that they will recast it in their image, that they are training Shia activists in media and political work designed to impose an edifice of power akin to Iran’s†. (Ajami 2006)Despite the fact that the author is of Arab origin and at the same time he is an American academic, he takes into account both sides of the issues providing thus relevant comparison and contrasting of American and Arab actions. It is mentioned in the book that American population worrie s about the cruelty and violence initiated by Iraqis and American understand that it is exploited for partisan purposes in the country. Further, Ajami assumes that Iraqis are also displeased when seeing foreign troops in their country and even more displeased when hearing that liberation and democracy should be introduced without asking them. Therefore, the author admits that â€Å"it would take a long time for it to come to the surface†. (Ajami 2006)Ajami mentions in the book that he has been to Iraq many times during war and thus he has been provided with opportunity to interview key figures in political life of the country. According to the title of the book, it is apparent that the author considers fall of Iraqi’s leader Saddam Hussein as a gift for the rest of the world, especially for the USA and its allies. Ajami notices that â€Å"it would have been better had the Iraqis liberated themselves†. (Ajami 2006) Nevertheless, he realizes that it is hardly poss ible in the near future as the severe regime in the country destroyed the whole native population.After reading the book, two important points appear to be clearly set:1. The first point is that regime has changed in Baghdad meaning that the Iraq Project has achieved its ultimate objectives. Apparently, the first seeds of democratization process are planted in the country.2. The second point is that change of regime in Baghdad has initiated democratic ideas in many Arab countries. Therefore, the author asserts that â€Å"these genies will not return to the bottle and that, given time and American tenacity, will be able to reshape the Middle East†. (Ajami 2006)Speaking further, it is necessary to sum up that â€Å"The Foreigner’s Gift† isn’t a dry academic study due to its colorful expression, combination of poetic and prose style of narration and shrewd author’s eye of a reporter. For example, Ajami writes that â€Å"the type of carpets that furni sh Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s modest home in Najaf†. (Ajami 2006) Therefore, Ajami has true talent of story telling and the book appears to be easily readable and enjoyable for general interested reader. The book certainly contains original and new information about the Iraqi population. For example, the author admits that nowadays many of the Iraqis begin to realize that it is their duty to fight their newly won freedom and, thus, they are obliged to build new democratic system eliminating the old regime. Ajami notes that the desire for more freedom and liberty is spreading among other Arab countries initiating new struggles between, for example, Iraq and its Ba’athist and Islamist enemies. Therefore, Ajami hopes the democracy is the future of Arab nations. Proponents of new Iraq have the right to dream about the different future. (Ajami 2006)The next moment to mention is that the book is filled with lots of information that reveal the reality of Iraq involving c ar bombs, suicide attacks and other issues. The author writes, for example, about the increased number of pilgrims stating that they generated the real estate boom in many cities. The number of pilgrims is estimated at about four million people per year. The author also presents the role of translators and interpreters in misleading foreigners who come to Iraq. Surprisingly, it is found out in the book that both Nuri Said and General Abdul-Karim Kassem â€Å"have achieved a new measure of popularity among those Iraqis desperately seeking for a nostalgic wall against which to lean in these times of uncertainty†. (Ajami 2006)Ajami thoroughly examines the attitude of the Arab media towards the agenda of new Iraq. However, the author appears to be highly critical of Qatari Al Jazeera television and the Egyptian press, whereas he is rather satisfied with the releases of Asharq Alawsat and its former editor-in-chief and star columnist Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashed. Special attention in th e book is paid to the complexities of Shi’ism in Iraq. The author provides detailed description of late Muhammad Baqer Sadr stating that he is a real philosopher, though the definition is too exaggerated. The author also assumes that it was Saddam who ordered Sadr’s execution and it is Ruhollah Khomeini who should share the blame. (Ajami 2006)It is necessary t note that book deals with the policies â€Å"pursued by Arab governments vis-à  -vis recent changes in Iraq† as well. (Ajami 2006) For example, the author strongly criticizes both President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah II of Jordan assuming that they are going to undermine and to destroy the new regime in Iraq. That is the main reason why the media in Egypt and in Jordan is very hostile and too government-controlled. However, the author provides little supporting evidence to prove the fact that Amman or Cairo is willing to encourage the insurgency in Iraq.â€Å"The Foreigner’s Giftâ₠¬  provides position of Lebanese Shi’ite community towards the new regime in Iraq. Apparently, the majority of the population is really happy to realize that Saddam’s regime is over, because he has persecuting fellow Shi’ites for several decades. However, two leading organizations in Lebanese’s Shi’ite community’s claim that new regime in Iraq is just an American contraption. The author admits that both organizations are the proponents of former Ba’atists and pro- Al Qaeda groups. The author strongly objects to Muhammad Hussein Fadhlallah, because he is spiritual leader of the Lebanese Hezballah. Fadhlallah criticizes new regime in Iraq and, thus, the author opposes his ideas and thoughts. (Ajami 2006)Ajami provides positive feedback towards Wolfowitz and really admires his personality and his intellectual qualities; whereas a person received the most praise in â€Å"The Foreigner’s Gift† is Ahmad Chalabi. The author sa ys that Ahmad Chalabi is the natural successor to Saddam, because he has done a lot to ask the USA for help and intervention in Iraq. Nevertheless, after liberation has come to Iraq, Ahmad Chalabi is accused of selling secrets to Iran. However, in such a way the author denigrates other leading political figures of Iraq and he simply enhance Chalabi’s reputation. Ajami states that if to listen to the head of the largest Shiite party in Iraq, it is possible to reveal â€Å"a Persian cadence† in his intonations. Further, Ajami states that Iran’s influence on Iraq’s policy is exaggerated. (Ajami 2006)Despite many shortcomings and dark spots, the author claims that new leadership of Iraq is able to provide improvements compared with the Ba’athist ancient regime. Nowadays, according to the author, Iraq is â€Å"affected by the toxic fumes of partisan politics† and, thus, the book is a breath of fresh air. (Ajami 2006) â€Å"The Foreigner’s Gift† is a rich textured study of post-invasion Iraq providing morality of the American mission. However, the book appears highly romantic in portraying American soldiers, religious and political dynamics, Iraqi ethnic and the possibilities for ultimate success. The book is an attempt to persuade people that the occupation and war could not have been handled better. Book Review Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Salmonella Gastroenteritis essays

Salmonella Gastroenteritis essays There are many diseases that are caused by viruses, or bacteria. Diseases can be classified in many different ways. They could be very harmful, or acute. Salmonella Gastroenteritis is an illness that is caused by bacteria, which has three different types of shapes. Salmonella is an illness that is not deadly, or very harmful. In most cases the illness is acute, and is deadly, or extremely harmful in rare cases. Imagine being Salmonella bacteria, traveling through an individuals body. What kind of processes and obstacles would one go through? As a Salmonella bacteria, I am found in undercooked foods, such as; eggs, and turkey. In other cases I may originate from pet reptiles, like iguanas, turtles, lizards, and snakes. Bacteria like me could be found in many harsh conditions as well. They are found in both fresh and saltwater, in air, in soil, in water, and in plants, and animals. Individuals with impaired immune systems and people with very old, are young age be aware of bacteria like me. You are my favorite victims. The structure of bacteria that are related to me, are either prokaryotic, or eukaryotic. Prokaryotes do not contain a nucleus, but instead have structure called a nucleoid. The nucleoid carries the DNA in the cell. Furthermore, some bacteria may contain plasmids, which are smaller circular segments of DNA. The other bacterias are capable of movement as well. Some bacteria move with the aid of flagella, like in eukaryotes. On the other hand in Prokaryotes the flagella do not contain microtubules, and instea d have strands of protein twisted around one another like strands of rope. When I invade an individual's body, I attack their system quickly, and cause many unpleasant symptoms. I have entered the body of a thirty year old woman. She has just eaten eggs for breakfast, and forgot to cook the eggs well. Thus I was not killed, and I had the ability to enter her system. Being Salmonella bacteria, I wil...

Organization Design Structure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organization Design Structure - Assignment Example Naturally raised food is hard to come by on such large scale, so Chipotle leaves some of the procurement to regional or local levels in order to supply the best product to the local markets. This also allows Chipotle to leverage other markets when product demand cannot be met in a certain area. This allows the top management to offer leadership to the company to the right way while maintaining core competencies and allowing the operational levels to maintain daily quality standards. This structure is ideal for geographical focus where chipotle’s different geographical units can alter their products to suit the local market. Workplace policies can also be crafted to cater for the specific region only. Lack of competent and qualified managers in newly established units is a greater problem that Chipotle is experiencing. Chipotle can adopt a single tier multidivisional matrix level called New Restaurant Development whose main purpose would to open new stores and to train managers from different regions. This would mean that the new stores would be opened by trained professionals who know how to handle all the problems of opening a new store and how to lean on the local and regional managers for additional help and information. This also would be an excellent way to hold a high quality standard during the most essential part of a new restaurant, the

Quantitative Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantitative Decision Making - Essay Example Therefore, the expected value of producing the platforms commercially is 17,000. We have evaluated the option of conducting further research to make a more knowledgeable decision. Based on our previous experience we know that the research report could either predict high or low sales or could be inconclusive. There is previous data to prove that the research reports do not always accurately predict sales. After working out the probability of high and low sales based on the likely result of the market research and the probability of it being accurate, we realize that .. There are three routes that we can take. 1. Decide to produce platforms without market research 2. Conduct market research to decide way forward 3. Abandon commercialisation of the platform The viability of the project depends on the demand for the product post commercialisation. Given our past experience with launches of similar products, we know that the probability of high sales of such products is 30%. Our assessment of the profits from this project in case of high sales is 150,000. If the demand for the product is low, we stand to loose 40,000. Therefore, the expected value of producing the platforms commercially is 17,000. We have evaluated the option of conducting further research to make a more knowledgeable decision. Based on our previous experience we know that the research report could either predict high or low sales or could be inconclusive. There is previous data to prove that the research reports do not always accurately predict sales. After working out the probability of high and low sales based on the likely result of the market research and the probability of it being accurate, we realize that if we decide to go ahead and produce platforms based on market research, the expected value of the project will be 22,001. Therefore, the cost of the research can be valued at 5001. If the market research report predicts low sales and we do not produce the platforms, we would have incurred a cost of research The following factors need to be taken into account while deciding whether to produce or abandon the platforms project before or after conducting research : Expected value of producing the platforms without research - 17,000 Expected value of producing the platforms with research -

Problem Set Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problem Set - Essay Example This is also true in the case of couples. However, studies show that it is more likely for a woman to follow the partisanship of the husband as compared to the contrary scenario. Genetics can also play a vital role in partisanship. Genetics is vital in the political socialisation of an individual. This is sourced from the fact that there is a predisposition to incline towards certain issues in the society. The perception of peer groups can affect political socialisation. This then, in turn, affects partisanship of the individual. However, the effect of these groups is thought to be of lesser power as compared to parents. b. Bipartisanship has always characterised the agenda of presidential elections. Each one of them endeavours to increase bipartisan interactions with the opposition. However, this is rarely an easy undertaking. This stems from the presence of barriers within the political system. The political system, in place, has resulted in the presence of Congress members who hav e little institutional knowledge. As such, their reconvened notions are always to counter the arguments of the opposing party. Insider knowledge is vital in the performance of congress members. This is exemplified by the relative bipartisanship evident in a significant number of politically older Congress members. Aside from this source of partisanship, there exists a crucial element that is responsible for partisanship. The political system is responsible for instituting reforms that limit the amount of campaign donations from a single source. This necessitates the campaign to search for funding from several sources. These subsequent interactions by the donors results in political socialisation. As such, when in Congress, these ideologies are in most cases different from those propagated by the rival party. 2. a. In such a situation, the Democrats would be campaigning for the bill. This is probable since they operate under the premise that the benefit of the general public should b e of the core concern. All through the entirety of the House sessions and political stance of the current administration, this has always been their unspoken mantra. This is best exemplified by their stance on the AIG situation. The Democrats were against the hefty package payout to the giant insurance firm. The Republicans are most likely to be against the bill. In line with their stance on the bailout, it can be assumed that they will be catering the upper class citizens, especially the millionaires. As such, they will put up convincing arguments to justify their stance. Arguments might be in the form of the bill being in detriment to the country as it scares investors. At this juncture, the passage of the bill is a demanding affair. b. In a country with a parliamentary system, the complexities mentioned above are almost non-existent. This stems, in part, from the fact that partisanship is not significantly entrenched in the American system. In a parliamentary system, the oppositi on does not endeavour to solely reject the policies proposed by the government. As such, once an appropriate higher number of members accept the bill, it moves to the head of state (MAISEL, 2007). 3. A nation is defined as a group of people unified by their nationality or ethnic background. A distinguishing factor is that nations are not associated with any geography. On the other hand, a state is an independent country: sovereignty. It is geographical location that is governed by a sovereign government.

Customer Loyalty Schemes in Automotive Sector

Customer Loyalty Schemes in Automotive Sector The creation of customer loyalty in the automotive sector Marketers push for brand loyalty, across all product ranges, from toothpaste to larger purchases such as a new car. Within the automobile industry there is little product differences in each segment, as partnerships, coalitions and takeovers bind manufacturers together. Each manufacturer is striving to obtain brand loyalty, not only at the point of purchase, through servicing the vehicle, supply parts and encouraging repurchases. This adds value to the organisation, and increases profits. Loyalty schemes have been a success in supermarkets and other retail outlets, can this form of marketing be transferred to the automotive industry. This paper sets out to review the current literature of the subject, discuss what loyalty schemes the automotive industry offers its customers, and to focus on one Manufacturer Volvo. Volvo have in the last decade turned around flagging sales, this was achieved through placing a higher value on their customers, who responded by increased usage of their service departments. 3.0 Introduction The ultimate obtainment for marketers would be for complete brand loyalty, across all product ranges, from toothpaste to larger purchases such as a new car. Although without any brand loyalty, organisations could not survive. So is it possible to increase brand loyalty through schemes that target the consumer? One of the hardest areas to increase brand loyalty is the automotive industry. Manufacturers are constantly offering discounts, free insurance, sales and other packages to attract new customers and to resell to existing consumers. Consumers expect a good service and deal as it will be their second largest purchase (a house being the first). The result of partnerships, coalitions and takeovers in the automobile industry has bonded manufacturers together. This has left very little product differentiation, with more marketing on the brand than product. Manufacturers have to look for different methods to attract customers. Each manufacturer is motivated to obtain brand loyalty, not only at the point of purchase, through servicing the vehicle, supply parts and encouraging repurchases. This adds value to the organisation, and increases profits. The added value can be the emotional tie the customer has with the brand. Customer loyalty is not a new notion, although it is now the focus of many PR actioners, retaining existing customers is more important than attracted new. If you lose your core customers a higher level of resources is required to maintain the same level of sales. Therefore it’s vital to maintain loyal customers to utilise economies of scales. Loyalty schemes have been a success in supermarkets and other retail outlets. Some schemes involve several brands collaborating to give the consumer a choice of where to spend. The question is can this form of marketing be transferred to the automotive industry. This paper sets out to review the current literature of the subject, discuss in general what loyalty schemes the automotive industry offers its customers, and to focus then on one Manufacturer Volvo. Volvo was chosen for this research as an example of using customer loyalty as a change agent to turn the organisation around. Brand loyalty is very strong with Volvo, although this did not correlate with the dealerships. Volvo has introduced methods to increase loyalty with their dealerships. They have taken loyalty a step further and strengthen all supply chains Volvo traditionally had a strong brand recognition, but went sales went into decline the organisation had to re-focus on core values. The methods that Volvo used to build the brand and to increase customer loyalty will be discussed, comparing them to the literature. We are loyal to brands; our degree differs as to how we value the closeness of the product. Can this be influence by strong marketing tactics? With such a large purchase as a vehicle can the manufacturers sway our opinion, or do we remain loyal to what we know and trust? 4.0 Methodology This chapter discusses the research methods used for the project and the justification for the choice of methods. It discusses methods that were not used, with justification of why they were not included. Included is a critique of methods selected, and with hindsight identifies any changes that would have enhanced the research. This paper evaluates brand loyalty within the automobile industry. Selection of the topic was stimulated and formed out of all manufacturers offering loyalty schemes; therefore could they individual schemes succeed. The nature of the research was discussed with colleagues and fellow students this not only added practical ideas and suggestions, it opened new avenues of thought. This was the discussed with lecturers sounding out ideas, gauging opinions and clarifying the question. Focusing in on the question was obtained by employing relevance trees, narrowing the research area. This gave direction tithe research, although with reviewing the literature this changed several times (Buzan, J. 1995). Next, a research proposal was compiled, with the benefit of organising ideas and setting a time-scale for research. Theoretically, the proposal would highlight any difficulties with the research question and access to data. Creating a time-scale would focus on targets and meet deadlines in the completion of the paper. The literature review, discussing theories and ideas that exist on the topic formed the foundation of the paper. The findings from the research are then tested on theories for validity (Saunders, M. et al1997). The literature review was challenging, there is very little academic research specifically on the topic area, although is a lot of research in the wider markets for example Supermarket loyalty schemes. Journals and books were the back bone for the review, together with internet sites. Tertiary data sources, such as library catalogues and indexes were used to scan for secondary data. This produced journals and newspaper articles, books and Internet addresses. With the amount of literature, it took time to sort out relevant material to the research. Narrowing down the search Bell’s (1993) six point’s parameters was applied. Applying key words that were identified in the first search produced relevant and up-to-date material (Bell, J.1993). A limitation on the literature search was the amount of time to read all articles and books on the subject. Whilst reviewing the literature references to other publications were followed and reviewed. Bells checklist on identifying the relevance of literature found was a practical method to reduce the amount of reading (Bell, J. 1993). Ethical considerations in research fall into three categories, during design, collection, and reporting of the data. These areas were carefully considered at all stages of the research (Oppenheim,A.1996:84). The data sought throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders, M. et al 1997). Case studies of organisations that through varying factors have use customer loyalty schemes to improve market share have been reviewed and compared to the literature. The case studies discuss the organisations strategy in the use of the data they have collected. This information was gathered from secondary data and their web sites. To produce primary data on brand loyalty within the automobile industry proved to be a vast task, taking a lot of time to produce results. Internal and external operations of several organisations would have tube compared to reach any level of validity. Instead it was decide to review previously published case studies, interviews and surveys. This was then compared to the literature review. Other methods of data collection were considered and rejected. Focus groups would have offered free flowing information. This could have been facilitated with discussion led by the researcher. The idea was rejected due to the limited resources. The major limitation of the study lies in its relatively small sample size and the limited coverage. This was mainly attributable to the limited time and other resources available for the study. 5.0 Literature review This chapter will review and discuss all the relevant published material on brand loyalty. This starts of wide to gain insight into brands and the theory that has driven brand loyalty. 5.1 Brands Kotler (2000) described a brand as a â€Å"name, term, symbol, or design (oar combination of them) which is intended to signify the goods or services of the seller or groups of sellers and to differentiate them from those of the competitors† (Kotler (2000) cited in Groucutt, J etal 2004:275). The brand is part of the products tangible features, it’s the verbal and physical clues that help the consumer identify what they want and to influence choice (Groucutt, J et al 2004). The actual word â€Å"brand† is derived from a Norse word which means to â€Å"burn†. It is assumed that this means to imprint ideas or symbols on product. This then gives the product identification and leaves lasting mark on the consumer (Groucutt, J et al 2004). Because product features are easily imitated brands have been considered a marketers major tool for creating product differentiation. Even when differentiation based on product characteristics is possible, often consumers do not feel motivated oracle to analyse them in adequate depth. Therefore the combination of brand name and brand significance has become a core competitive asset in an ever-growing number of contexts. Brands incite beliefs, evoke emotions and prompt behaviours (Aaker, D. (1991) cited in Kotler, Pand Gertner, D. 2002:249). The brand in the automobile industry is of great importance, purchasing vehicle is a status indicator for the consumer. Manufactures brand their vehicles to attract the target audience; the next step is retaining the customer to the brand. This is not just for repurchase, there is great value in retaining the customer to the brand through out the life of their purchase (Kottler, P et al . 2005). 5.0 Global Brands There are very few car manufactures products that are not a global brand. Their appeal can span in a multitude of markets. Each manufactures portfolio is designed to attract a wide audience. The rapid development of telecommunication and strong consuming capability of youth have created common demands, tastes and values globally in last two or three decades, which thus has driven international marketers to increasingly focus on the importance of global brands. In recent years, global branding has not only taken root, its in full bloom. As Peter Doyle (1998:165) said: Brands area the heart of marketing and business strategy The purpose of marketing is to create a preference for the companys brand. The trend towards global branding, moreover, is accelerating rapidly. Successful global brands are powerful to obtain a number of benefits. Consumers are willing to pay a premium price for global brands; they imply credibility, high quality and up-to-date global trend. To the consumers, brand choice somewhat reflects a certain lifestyle, taste, image or even social status beyond the product. If they feel the brand fits into this category, theyll not only prefer it, but are also willing to a higher price for it. Consumers perceive added values, it’s the the subjective beliefs of the customers (Doyle 1998:168). Global branding can benefit the organisation by considerably cut costs, not only because of the significant scales of economy it achieved(Aaker 2000:306) in terms of new brand development, packaging and manufacturing, but also because with global reputations can enter new markets at lower cost than new national brands: if you move into a Newmarket with a brand that is already global in scope, it reduces the cost of introductory and follow-up marketing programs. Suppliers and distributors obtain a comparatively stable marketing environment and can obtain higher profit, with less risk by trading as business partners with global brands. Therefore companies that market global brands posses’ powerful trade leverage, in bargaining with for efficient service and lower costs, they have more options on choosing its suppliers and retailers. Although there are many advantages to a global brand, each area has tube considered as an individual market. Firstly, culture and custom difference can lead to market difference, which enhance the difficulty of growth of global brand. To meet the different preference of consumers in different countries, global brand may have to adjust its marketing strategy accordingly and customise products. Secondly, localisation and increase in nationalism to some extent may resist the marketing development of global brands. Thirdly, the political factories considered as another main barrier to global brand. Last but not least, along with the technology improvement and product innovation, the rise of local competitors is becoming an inevitable threat to global brand. 5.3 Brand Building Once a brand is established it requires nurturing, to bring out the full potential and add value to the organisation. Kashia (1999) believes that powerful brands are built over time through a conscious management effort. This is achieved through strategic decision making and appropriate actions. All brands â€Å"need tube based on values and attributes that are permanent and, purposeful and fundamental to its strategy† (Kashia (1999) cited in Groucutt, Jet al 2004:285). Therefore by creating such values in an organisation it will provide direction and a future for the brand. A brand with strong â€Å"brand equity† is a valuable asset to an organisation. This asset is difficult to measure; although it has emerged as key strategic asset. A powerful brand enjoys a high level of consumer awareness and loyalty, with the organisation benefiting from lower marketing costs relative to revenues. Consumers expect more outlets to carry strong brands; therefore the organisation has more leverage when bargaining with retailers. This all adds to the â€Å"brands equity†, which needs to be managed by the organisation (Kotler, P. etal 2005). This brand asset management is a concept that is closely related to positioning, since certain brands are central to a companys current and future performance. They need to be managed, enhanced and protected as assets. This allows brand names like Coca-Cola, Sony, Intel and Disney to extend into new product categories, and produce product variants and services (Kotler, P. 2004). Brand asset management is an area of increasing importance to marketers today, particularly as organisations move toward attempts to communicate ever complex and intangible messages, as part of brand management strategies (Davis, 2000; Goodchild and Callow, 2001). Brand managers are concerned with how to develop a better understanding of the appropriate relationship between brand equity and customer loyalty, particularly in relation to the multitude of known variables to customer loyalty (Davis, (2000) Goodchild and Callow (2001) cited in Taylor, S. et al 2004:219). It is vital that marketers position the brand correctly, and consider the fit with its attributes, values, culture, benefits, and personality. For example Mercedes suggests that it attributes are â€Å"well engineered and well built, it is durable, high prestige, fast and expensive†. These attributes tell the consumer the benefits and values that are placed in the product. These attributes represent the German philosophy and culture, which reassures the consumer the high value of the product. The personality of the product is wealthy, well-built and reliable (Kotler, P. 2005). Within the Motor Industry it is difficult to extend products without inexpensive development and launch of a new vehicle, although continual research and development are vital to maintaining market position. Many manufacturers have extended their brands by introducing for example clothing, toys, consumables and sporting equipment. These are retailed mainly through their network of dealerships, utilising economies of scale. These items are inclusive to them, adding value to the products(Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). The emerging literature suggests that customer brand loyalty is generally considered the ultimate desirable marketing-based outcome from strategic marketing activities (Chaudhuri, (1999) Gwinner et al.,(1998); Kumar, (1999) Mittal and Lassar (1998) Reichfeld and Schefter,(2000) Strauss and Friege, (1999) Kotler (1999) have all published article that point to loyalty as the ultimate attainment in marketing. This assertion is largely based on the growing influence of the relationship marketing orientation on marketing theory and practice (Taylor, S. et al 2004:219) 5.4 Brand Loyalty Brands have a personality and speak for the user. They enhance the perceived utility and desirability of a product. Brands have the ability to add to or subtract from the perceived value of a product. On one hand, consumers expect to pay lower prices for unbranded products or for those with low brand equities. On the other hand, they pay premiums for their treasured or socially valued brands. Brands have equity for both customers and investors. Brand equity translates into customer preference, loyalty and financial gains. Brands are appraised and traded in the marketplace. Brand equity has been pointed out to include many dimensions, such as performance, social image, value, trustworthiness and identification (Kotler, P and Gertner, D. 2002) The four types of brand loyalty are characterised as (1) No loyalty: No purchase at all, and a complete lack of attachment to the brand, no social influences to be even cognitively loyal to a brand. (2) Covetous loyalty: No purchase but, unlike the case of no loyalty, the individual exhibits a very high level of relative attachment to the brand as well as a strong positive predisposition towards the brand, which is developed from the social environment. (3) Inertia loyalty: An individual, although purchasing the brand, does so out of habit, convenience or for some other reason, but not as a consequence of emotional attachment to the brand or a real social motive. (4) Premium loyalty: An individual exhibits a high degree of relative attachment tithe brand, a high instance of repeat purchases, and appears to be highly influenced by social pressure. Premium loyalty is characterised by the greatest degree of consumer attachment to the brand, and in this case the consumer purposefully see ks to purchase the particular brand, while attempting to overcome obstacles (Gounaris, S. and Stathakopoulos, V. 2004). Chaudhuri and Holbrook (2001) proposed a model of brand loyalty that suggests that purchase loyalty tends to lead to greater market share, while attitudinal loyalty leads to higher relative brand pricing. Morgan (2000) suggests that the term loyal can be interpreted indifferent ways, ranging from affective loyalty (what I feel) to behavioural loyalty (what I do)†. Thus separating loyalty into emotional and actionable (Chaudhuri and Holbrook (2001) and Morgan(2000) cited in Taylor, S. et al 2004:221). There are different levels of trust that affect brand loyalty, they are(1) calculus-based trust, the consumer believes it is in the service provider interest are not to suffer the loss of reputation and profits(2) Knowledge-based trust, as the name suggests, is based on knowing the service firm well and being able to anticipate its actions. Effective two-way communication is important for knowledge-based trust to develop because it ensures that the parties exchange information about their preferences and approaches to problems. (3) Customers with identification-based trust have full confidence in the service company and believe that it will act in their best interests. The service provider has in-depth knowledge of customers needs and desires, and customers perceive that their desires are fulfilled, and they shared values (Liljander, V. and Roos, I. 2002) In terms of brand purchase expectations, the implicit assumption is that a satisfied customer will remain loyal to the brand (all other factors being equal). In the modern automotive marketing environment, this is indeed a fair assumption to make. The degree of price competition at the retail level is so intense that, when factoring in discounts, rebates and low interest finance rates, price parity inevitably results. Furthermore, the growing oligopolisation of the manufacturing industry (e.g. Ford owning/controlling Jaguar, Mazda,Volvo and Aston Martin) and co-operation between manufacturers (e.g.Ford/VW, Ford/Nissan, GM/Toyota) has resulted in few, if any, sustainable product differences (Liljander, V. and Roos, I. 2002) Is brand loyalty resistance to change? The literature accepts that commitment is central to relationship marketing. There is a link between commitment, trust and loyalty. Pritchard et al. (1999) define commitment as â€Å"the emotional or psychological attachment to a brand†. They argue that resistance to change is the root tendency of commitments well as the primary evidence of commitment, and that resistance to change is a key antecedent to loyalty (Pritchard et al. (1999) cited in Taylor, S. et al 2004:221). 5.5 Relationship Marketing Organisations should build a stronger relationship with their profitable customers. There are five different levels of relationship marketing that can be practiced. The basic level does not really involve building a relationship, for example it is when a car salesperson smiles and sells you a car and waves good-bye as you drive it off the lot. You never see him again; if you need service you talk to someone in the service department. Very few auto dealership systems succeed in building such a strong bond between the dealership and the client that the client keeps buying from the same dealership (Kotler,P. 1992:52). Reactive marketing is the next level of relating. At this level, as the salesperson wave’s good-bye to the customer, he says, By the way, if there’s any problem, please call me. You dont have to call the service department; I am responsible for your satisfaction The employee has taken on some of the responsibility of managing the customer’s needs(Kotler, P. 1992:52). A higher form of relationship is accountability. At this level, the salesperson calls the new car owner within two weeks of the sale and asks how he likes the car, and if there is any way the car could have been better. Those salespeople often get an earful. The customer might say, I wish the door had a pocket for maps. I wish there was a rear window wiper. At that point, the dealer should ask, How much would it have been worth to you if the car did have a map pocket in the door and rear window wiper? That type of information will help the automobile manufacturer continuously improve its product (Kotler, P. 1992:52). Still, a higher level is proactive, where the salesperson will call the customer from time to time and say The manufacturer has developed product that will help you save fuel, its something we can add to your engine and it will reduce your fuel costs. Customers get a sense that the company still is interested in their needs. Partnerships are the ultimate form of relationship marketing. They involve actually living with the customer and are mostly confined to business-to-business relationships (Kotler, P. 1992:52). Each level requires more cost, so it is important for organisations to determine when it is worth going to the next level. Two dimensions that are particularly critical are the margin that the firm makes on the business and the number of customers making purchases. For example, allow-margin business with many customers, for example selling toothpaste would operate at the basic level. The organisation has so many customers for that product and makes so little per unit that it would not be cost-effective to develop a high-level relationship (Kotler, P.1992:52). There are five levels of response for each customer service and retention tool. Those levels vary within companies; an organisation might be reactive with respect to technical assistance, accountable with respect to service and basic in terms of value-added. The important thing is to know where your competitors stand, what is their profile with respect to relationship investments, and what things should you do to be superior to the target market. 5.6 Service Quality The organisation has to decide and implement which level of value-added service it will offer its customers. This experience of the customer will reflect in brand loyalty. Relationship marketing strategy will decide the level of service customer will receive. For example on the basic level technical assistance might be a owner’s manual, yet on the reactive level perhaps help line, at the level of accountability, perhaps an occasional visit to the customer to see if the customer is using the product correctly and efficiently(Kotler, P. 1992:52). Training of employees would appropriate at the proactive level. This can offer the customer a higher level of service, making them feel valued by the organisation. Many manufacturers offer in house training to the employees within the dealerships. This not only trains employees to a similar level of customer service skills, it reinforces the brand. The customer’s experience of the brand is uniform across the manufacturer’s network (Kotler, P. 1992:52). Frequently organisations move from one strategic initiative to another with little consideration of their natural progression. This has been the case for many companies that have moved from an emphasis on quality in the 1980s, to customer satisfaction in the early 1990s, to customer loyalty and retention today. Managers proclaim that they have moved beyond quality and customer satisfaction to focus on what really matters, namely loyalty and profitability. Although it is argued that there is â€Å"no such thing as moving beyond quality and satisfaction. They are essential building blocks toward building loyalty and a valuable business organisation.† (Gustafsson, A. and Johnson, M. 2002:249). The service quality perceived by the customer varies across the spectrum. Relationship benefits are perceived advantages that the regular customer receives over and above the core service. These are rewards; the individual has gained over time by being a regular customer. The benefits tie him or her to the company by making it unattractive to switch providers. They may take the form of loyalty programmes, which are offered to all customers, or benefits that can be customised to individual consumers (Liljander, V. and Roos, I. 2002) . This then becomes a relationship benefit, but only when it is not offered to any customer who enters the dealership, regardless of relationship length. However, companies may believe that they are offering benefits, but only customers can tell if they are experiencing any. Therefore the level of service received is subjective (Liljander,V. and Roos, I. 2002) 5.7 Customer Value Customer value management (CVM) has become a major focus in current marketing, as value marketing has become a slogan among marketing practitioners. Sinha, I and DeSarbo, W. (1998) defined this as â€Å"in the marketplace, value often is defined as quality at the right price and is seen as more important to consumers than quality, because value is quality that the consumers can afford (Sinha, I and DeSarbo, W.1998:236). Zeithaml (1988) reports considerable heterogeneity among consumers in the integration of the underlying dimensions of perceived value. They define the perceived value as a trade-off of higher order abstractions, such as perceived benefits and sacrifice, which are formed from both intrinsic and extrinsic product attributes, including texture, quality, price, performance, service, and brand name (Zeithaml(1988) cited in Sinha, I and DeSarbo, W. 1998:236). Zeithaml 1988:236) There is a strong link between relationship marketing and customer value, the higher value placed on the customer will reflect in their purchasing choices. True and spurious relationships are the extreme points on a continuum. At the lower end, customers may be behaviourally committed to the service but satisfaction is only latent. At the higher end, customers are more manifestly satisfied and more affectively committed to the service (Liljander, V. and Roos, I. 2002) Berry (2000) proposed three relationship levels of customer perceived value. These are based on financial, social and structural bonds. Financial bonds, such as loyalty programmes, are considered the weakest form and may only lead to spurious relationships Social and structural bonds are more closely related to true customer relationships. According to Berry (2000), â€Å"structural bonds offer value-adding problem solutions that are not dependent on individual service representatives, and which are difficult for competitors to copy† (Berry (2000) cited inLiljander, V. and Roos, I. 2002:598) 5.8 Customer Loyalty Customer satisfaction can be considered the central determinant in all phases of the contact chain. Multi-dimensional recording of customer loyalty reveals clear differences in the interactions first with brand loyalty and, second, with dealer loyalty. In contrast to the opinion widely held in practice, customers in the automotive sector definitely do not perceive the brand and the dealer as one unit. The results obtained are so fundamental that they can be translated into implications even by internationally operating companies (Huber, F and Herrmann, A 2001) The relationship between the purchase intention and customer satisfaction has been widely investigated (for example, Oliver 1980;Bearden and Teel 1983). The evidence suggests that there is a strong positive relationship between the two. Several of these studies indicate that higher levels of satisfaction lead to greater customer loyalty (Yi (1991); Anderson and Sullivan (1993) Boulding, Staelin,Kalra, and Zeithaml (1993) all cited in Dervaraj, S. et al 2001:425) Consumers who purchase higher quality vehicles expect to receive higher quality service, therefore the assumption is made that poor service will lead to greater dissatisfaction among those that purchase the higher quality vehicles. Conlon, et al (1997) observed that â€Å"customers who purchase higher quality rated vehicles are more likely to use dealer facilities to maintain their vehicles† (Conlon, et al(1997) cited in Dervaraj, S. et al 2001:425) An explanation for such behaviour is that there is a correlation between the perception of vehicle quality and the perception of the quality of service at dealer facilities. Therefore, high customer expectations of service quality can lead to better service performance which, in turn, this positively influences customer satisfaction with service. Therefore in the higher end of the industry there is greater loyalty (Dervaraj, S. et al 2001:425) Oliver (1999) suggests that â€Å"ultimate customer loyalty is a function of perceived product superiority, personal fortitude, social bonding, and their synergistic effects. His arguments generally support the assertion that measures of loyalty that are constrained only to repurchase considerations fail to capture the richness of the loyalty construct â€Å" (Oliver (1999)cited in Taylor, S. et al 2004:219). If loyalty is essentially an irrational and emotional attachment to product, service or business, then marketers need to focus on elements that create this emotional attachment. In developing a strategy that draws on the irrational attitudes of consumers, brand equity plays an important role. All the elements that contribute to the development of brand equity are difficult to mea

My Family Heritage Essay -- Personal Narrative Relationships Papers

My Family Heritage Family Defined The word family has changed so much in the past century. A family back in the 1950’s was probably considered a husband, wife, and one or more children. Times have changed and families have become much different. The Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others book defines family as a, â€Å"Unit made up of any number of persons who live in relationship with one another over time in a common living space who are usually, but not always, united by marriage and kinship† (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 243). Families can be broken up into five different types. The first is the traditional family, which includes a mother, father, and their biological children. Next, is the blended family which includes two adults and children, but because of divorce they may have children of other parents. Unfortunately, single-parent families are being seen more often. Extended families include parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and any other close relatives. The extended families are commonly found in Asian and Hispanic cultures. The last category is the dual income parents without any kids. They are known as â€Å"dinks†. Families in the United States are very special because of the â€Å"melting pot† that took place in our country’s early history. Thousands of immigrants from other countries came to the United States bringing with them their culture and family traditions. Finding out our family history and becoming aware of the stories behind our names, culture, and traditions can be a very interesting and fun experience. The assignment of our paper was to talk to our parents and other relatives to discover our family history. Mother’s side My mother’s maiden name is Patricia ... ...s and stories. I heard stories of my parents dating and how they got together. I heard the funny stories about how my parents got engaged and married. I even learned I urinated on the doctor when I was born! The neat thing about my birth is my mom woke up at 4 in the morning when she was pregnant with me. The hospital in Austin is a 30 minute drive. I was born at 5 in the morning so I was a quick baby my mother said. This was time consuming assignment because of the large amount of communication required for all of the research. The value of the information gathered is priceless because I can now pass on all of the family stories and traditions to my kids someday. I have heard some of the stories before, but I always learn new information every time my parents talk about our family history. I will continue to keep the family tree growing in my family.

Effective Teaching

In the first place, teachers should get students involved in discussion and encourage them to exchange ideas in class because discussing can let the students be more knowledgeable. When discussing with people of different experiences, students can always know a large number of knowledge which they have not touched before because discussion is a reflection of one's knowledge. When discussing, different people hold different types of knowledge which is ready to exchange. Take myself for example, when I discuss with many adults and teachers, I know there are a lot of abilities I have to get, such as study abilities, communication abilities, the abilities to read people and etc. Secondly, teachers should get students involved in discussion and encourage them to exchange ideas in class because exchanging ideas with fellow classmates helps students develop critical thinking, presentation skills and other kind of soft skillsets. When discussing issues with peers, students tend to take a position on a certain issue. In this learning process, students will collect their thoughts, synthesize the concepts learned in textbook or in the lecture to support his or her points. Also, to respond to other's comments, students have to reflect on the rationale of their own arguments and come up with persuasive reasoning. It is obvious that such activities help students to learn more meaningful and extensively. Furthermore, students unconsciously learn how to express themselves affirmatively and make their points clear in front of a large audience. It takes the right amount of eye contacts, body languages and facial expression to convey one's idea in a convincing way. Additionally, teachers should get students involved in discussion and encourage them to exchange ideas in class because actively issues with peers can help students cope with different opinions. When discussing issues with peers, not only do students contribute to the class, but also they get a chance to be exposed to different ideas and perspectives. This is a very conducive experience since we are not living in a vacuum and learning how to appreciate, value and even embrace opinions that are unfamiliar to us can be very important. Further more, such experience can be useful in one's future career when one also has to confront with different business solutions provided by coworkers?

Dear Fellow Colleagues Essays

Dear Fellow Colleagues Essays Dear Fellow Colleagues Paper Dear Fellow Colleagues Paper Philadelphia is an utter pigsty. The town is almost deserted. The prices at the market are absurd. You are unable to go forth without seeing death and despair. I have stayed while most of the other doctor’s left for fear of contracting the sickness. I have stayed because I felt that it was my job to help the people of Philadelphia. Many of you believe or know of the medical practice vis medicatrax naturae. For those of you do not, it is the belief that the human body will heal itself, but it may need to be coaxed into healing quicker. An example of a more aggressive approach of this is bloodletting. A small portion of blood is taken out and put into a bowl. This would allow the blood still in the body to flow more freely. I have tried this treatment and I feel it has proven very successful.

Predicate Grammar Glossary for Spanish and English

Predicate Grammar Glossary for Spanish and English A predicate  is  the part of the sentence that complements the subject by indicating either a state of being or an action. Generally speaking, a complete sentence has a subject and a predicate. The subject typically is a noun or pronoun (in Spanish, the subject doesnt have to be explicitly stated) that either performs some action or is described after the verb. In a sentence such as The woman is reading the book (La mujer lee el libro), the subject of the sentence is the woman (la mujer) and the predicate is is reading the book (lee el libro). Predicates can be classified as either verbal or nominal. A verbal predicate indicates some sort of action. In the sample sentence, reads the book is a verbal predicate. A nominal predicate uses a copulative verb (most commonly a form of to be in English, ser or estar in Spanish) to identify or describe the subject. In the sentence The woman is happy, the nominal predicate is is happy (est feliz). Also Known As Predicado in Spanish. Examples In the sentence I would like a cup of coffee, (Yo quisiera una taza de cafà ©) the predicate is would like a cup of coffee (quisiera una taza de cafà ©). In the sentence Estn mas fuertes que nunca (They are stronger than ever), the entire sentence in Spanish is the predicate because the subject is not stated. (In the English translation, the predicate is are stronger than ever).

The Influence Of Hallyu To Image Of Korea As A Tourist Destination And Dissertation

The Influence Of Hallyu To Image Of Korea As A Tourist Destination And Asian Tourists' Decision-Making - Dissertation Example The Korean Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has been appreciably enhanced due in large part to the interest exhibited by other Asian countries of the region in the quality and content of Korean presentations. The bourgeoning industries (television, movie and tourism), have combined to create a groundswell of opportunities for business, and countless opportunities for employment in all sectors. The positive affects extend far beyond the monetary and quality lf life gains. It also opens up for public scrutiny and consumption, the entire Korean culture. Television viewers and tourist, who are in most instances one in the same, are becoming keenly familiar with Korean people. The Korean Ministry of Tourism has taken a lead role in promoting and improving its country’s image in the world market. Additionally the national government has aggressively taken on projects, involving physical development, and international promotion, which promote and showcase Korean culture; Hallyuwood is a giant bold step, which is planned to be a massive (1,000,000 square meter) project with a multi-theme economic approach. There are questions and some debate whether the hallyu wave warrants such a massive outlay of public funds. The debate calls to the prudent mind that hallyu has all the trimmings of a fad, which as they customarily do, if it is only a novel occurrence the public interest will dissipate before the investors can turn the corner. The only project in Asia, which will rival this undertaking, will be Disneyland â€Å"Japan.†Consequently, it will be the only host-nationally owned theme complex in Asia.

Major HR issues and International managers Essay

Major HR issues and International managers - Essay Example Thus, â€Å"globalization is mainly process driven by international trade and investment for the benefit of the investor as well as the host country, with particularly emphasis on the employees as well as employees on both sides† (Rothenberg 2002, p.1). While employing local employees in the host country as well as employees from the foreign countries or expatriate employees, organizations have to implement certain International Human Resource Management (IHRM) aspects to manage those employees optimally and effectively. This is where the role of international managers assumes importance. That is, the international managers by using IHRM concepts have to play a prominent role in the management of human resources or employees particularly foreign or expatriate employees. Human Resource Management (HRM) is concerned with the way in which organizations manage their people (Redman and Wilkinson 2001). So, this paper will discuss how the employee centric HRM aspects like appraisal and assessment techniques, rewarding system and importantly training has to be managed effectively by the International managers to enhance the manageability of the local employees working in an MNC under foreign management as well as the expatriate employees working in an MNC under foreign management, in total employees who are working under foreign or international management. Role of International Human Resources Management (IHRM) Organizations particularly MNCs, will not remain â€Å"static†. They will or have to break ‘boundaries’ both from geographical perspective as well as economical perspective to utilize the opportunities in the new markets or countries and emerge successful. Thus, internationalisation is a happening concept which is being used by many firms to expand their reach globally. â€Å"As the global economy expands, as more products and services compete on a global basis and as more and more firms operate outside their countries of origin, th e impact on various business functions becomes more pronounced† (Briscoe and Schuler 2004, p. 20). When the organizations enter new countries as part of their global expansion plans, they will recruit employees from the local population. They will do that as a feasible as well as a responsible thing. That is, feasible thing in the sense, as the MNC will be stationed in those host countries, recruiting from local places will be an easy process than bringing employees from their home country or other Third countries. (Scullion and Collings 2006). In addition, as they will be manufacturing and marketing product or service for the local population, local employees will be the best choice. Importantly, it is a responsible thing because through recruitment of local employees, MNCs will try to give a share of their benefits. Although it is an unwritten rule, organizations are duty bound to recruit the local employees. Apart from fulfilling their responsibility, this recruitment of lo cal employees importantly will provide the MNCs with cheap and surplus labour. Thus, with the recruitment of local employees being a key component of MNC’s operations, the recruited employees have to be managed optimally by the International managers on the basis of effective HR policies or IHRM policies. After the