Saturday, August 31, 2019
Lesson Plan for Social Studies Class Grades 9-12
UnitSocial Studies: The Civil War  Emancipation ExperienceObjectiveThrough this lesson, the students will be able to: 1. Given a particular situation, recognize the period of history portrayed following the inquiry period. 2. Given a particular scenario, distinguish groups after the inquiry period. 3. Study and come into contact with changeable emotions of every group. 4. Examine and differentiate the differences in the lifestyle of every group. 5. Assume/imagine and identify with what life was like for Americans during that period.RationaleHardly any event in mankind can measure up to the damage and destruction of war. However, nearly every generation of man cannot break away from its ongoing reality. Our country has also had its won share of experiences of war. Ever since our origin, with the American Revolutionary War, our country has already been at war. In addition, in our 200 plus years of survival there was one war that cannot be matched up to to any other war when measured in terms of devastation and American loss of lives  the American Civil War. Just like any civil war there is no winner- just a loser, as losses on both sides make up the entire loss of that nation. This lesson will try to look at the changes that occurred in the lives of Americans that were the outcome of this catastrophic war.Therefore, the rationale of this inquiry lesson is to provide students an affective encounter of the pre and post American Civil War incident on Americans- both Whites and Blacks (or northerners and southerners).ContentGroup activity using charts and internalizing the role of each groups involved in the Civil War.Procedures1. By means of random, divide class into three (3) groups- A, B, C according to size.Group A (Slaves)      1/4 of classGroup B (S. Whites) 1/4 of classGroup C (N. Whites) 1/2 of classNote: Don’t inform the class what every group stand f or.2. Then instruct every member to name themselves utilizing a marker and a piece of tape. It must be visible.3. Move desks apart from each other and split the classroom in half. Break up the room by means of putting tape on the floor. Area I will be shared by Groups A and B. Next, move desks so that 1/4 of area I is free of desks and chairs and then put newspapers on the floor. This area must be surrounded with tape. 4. Next, show Chart I to all the groups and inform them regarding each group's location, food allotment, and movement as shown below:Chart IGroup  Location                  Food Allotted                       MovementA   Sit on newspapers                   Plate of broken crackers        NoneB    Sit on chair in area I or II      Plate of whole crackers           Full (everywhere in the   classroomC    Sit on chair in area I or II      Plate of whole crackers           Full (everywhere in the classroom) 5. Start conducting Part I for a period of 5-10 minutes. Guide groups to their own location, their capability to move without restraint or none at all, and provide every group either whole or broken crackers on a plate to be shared with that group. Allow member of just groups B and C speak without restraint to one another. But let every group speak to each other. 6. End Part I. Show Chart II to the class, which contain as follows:Chart IIGroup  Location Food Allotted   MovementA    Chairs   Plate of broken crackers       Shaded areaB    Chairs   Plate of broken crackers       Area I onlyC    Chairs   Plate of whole crackers        Area II only7. After showing Chart II, direct the class to start conducting Part II for a period of five (5) minutes. At this time, movement or talking between groups B and C is prohibited since they should stay put in their particular areas (I or II). Then, take out 1/2 the members from group B and put them into a neutral corner where they would not be able to eat, speak, or move from their chairs.8. End Part II. After the Part II activity, show Chart III explain to the class as follows:Chart IIIGroup  Location    Food Allotted                      MovementA    Chairs       Plate of whole crackers        FullB    Chairs       None                                    FullC    Chairs       Plate of whole crackers        Full9. After showing chart III, you can start conducting Part III for a period of five (5) minutes. Guide students just like what was done in Part I and Part II consistent with what is instructed in Chart III. Remove the shaded area. Do away with all tape placed on the floor. The groups can now freely move. But, Group B merely receives broken crackers.10.  End Part III and the whole activity. Arrange the room to bring it back to its original order.MaterialsMasking tape, pen markers, chart paper/chalk board, newspapers, 5 packages saltines/crackers, and 3 paper plates.AssessmentAt the end of the activity, ask the students the following questions to assess their feelings and reactions about the act ivity:1.  What can you say about this activity? Did you like it? If yes, why? If no, why not?2. How did you feel about being in Group A, B, or C?3. In your opinion, how did the groups differ from each other?4. What do you think was the best group to be in? How about the worst group to be in?5. What primary event in American History did this simulation describe?Answer: The American Civil War. 6. Who do you think did each group stand for?Answer: Group A. represented the Black SlavesGroup B symbolized the White SouthernersGroup C stood for the White Northerners7. What do you think did the headings in the charts symbolized?Answer: Location (floor or chairs) represented social statusFood Alloted (either whole or broken crackers) symbolized economic statusMovement (either full or restrained) symbolized political status8. In your opinion, what did Parts I, II, III stood for?Answer: Part I stood for the Pre Civil War periodPart II. r epresented the Civil War era Part III represented the Post Civil War period9. Consistent with the headings of the charts and what they symbolized, what can you say or notice about every group?Example: Compared to Groups B & C, Group A was instructed to sit on the floor   symbolizing a lower social status, they also had to eat broken crackers representing a lower economic status, and were just limited to move in a particular area. Thus, Group A stood for the Black Slaves of the South. The, take note of the change in Group's A status from Part I to Part III depicting the changes from the Pre to the Post Civil War period.Meanwhile, for Group B, in Part I, they were instructed to sit on chairs and eat whole crackers and also to move freely. Hence, it can be said that these activities symbolized good, economic, social, and political status. Nevertheless, in Part II they had be restricted to move outside of Area I since battle lines were established between th e North and South. .Moreover, the South survived extreme devastation and destruction since most of the war happened there. This was represented when half of the group was pulled out and placed into a neutral area. Then, in Part III, social and political status were recovered as movement was not restricted and chairs were utilized. But their economic status turned negative, as symbolized by broken crackers because it experienced devastation and destruction of its factories and cities. Moreover, due to the closure of plantations and freedom of slaves, agriculture transformed and changed drastically.Then for Group C, all throughout the three parts (I, II, & III), they enjoyed good economic, political, and social status since the war happened on southern soil thus the northern property was not destroyed.Rubric:Group Learning ActivityRubric A: ProcessExceptional Admirable Acceptable Amateur Exceptional Admirable Acceptable Amateur Group Participation Every member activ ely participate At least  ¾ of the members enthusiastically participate At least half of the members share their ideas Only one or two members enthusiastically participate Shared Responsibility Responsibility for task is equally shared among members Most group members share the responsibility Only  ½ of the group members share the responsibility The members depend only one member Quality of Interaction Members display excellent leadership and listening skills; in their discussions, members display awareness and knowledge of other's ideas and opinions s During interaction, members exhibit adeptness; active discussion and interaction focuses on the task Members display some capability to interact; members listen attentively; there is some proof of discourse or alternativeThere is only little interaction; members converse briefly; some students show disinterest Roles within the Group every member was assigned a distinctly specified role; the group memb ers execute roles successfully and effectively every member was assigned a role, however, roles are not clearly specified or systematically followed.Members were given roles to perform, however, roles were not consistently followed. No effort was shown to assign roles to every group member ReferencesCommager, H. (1982). The Story of the Civil War as Told by Participants. Fairfax Press,    1982.Jasmine, J. (1993) Portfolios and Other Assessments. California: Teacher Created     Materials.Rubistar. Create Your Rubric. Retrieved April 29, 2006 from          http://rubistar.4teachers.orgSass, E. Social Studies Lesson Plans and Resources. Retrieved April 29, 2006 from            http://www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/edsoc.htm
Friday, August 30, 2019
EXPLORING CONSUMER PERCEPTION ABOUT PREMIUM WATCHES IN INDIAN CONTEXT Essay
He had formulated several aspects of marketing mix strategies in the past to face diverse kinds of challenges. For Chakravarti, any challenge in the watch industry, especially in an emerging market such as India, was something he looked forward to, as it gave him immense satisfaction when he was able to find some insights. Xylys was a premium watch brand launched by Titan a few years ago; the brand was aimed at creating a unique perception among consumers. The challenge was to create and shape a perception unique to the brand, since premium watches in India were associated with the Swiss brands Omega and Rolex, or Tag Heuer and other similar brands, which were more contemporary in nature. There were several interesting possibilities for Chakravarti to consider. Would a conventional-positioning approach be sufficient? Was it necessary to obtain some insights regarding the application of the uniqueness aspect to the self-perception of consumers? How were such aspects of uniqueness related to other established brands? How important was the â€Å"Swiss-made†label? Did the buyers and prospective buyers of premium watches hold any specific stereotypical images of such watches? The case delved into several aspects of the perceptual fields associated with consumer behavior with the objective of finding the most appropriate approach to further the prospects of the Xylys brand. No tC The liberalization of markets, the rising disposable income, exposure to western lifestyles, and the need for the new generation to establish an identity for itself were some of the reasons for the growth of the luxury watch category in India. Consumers were buying not only durable categories that were useful to them and satisfied functional aspects, but also categories and brands that reflected their personality. India had 28 states and seven union territories with a population of 77.42 million urban households. The income levels were categorized as follows: 62.7 million households earned up to INR 1,50,000 (Indian Rupees) per annum (1 USD was equivalent to about 45 INR), 11.6 million households earned between INR 1,50,000 to INR 3,00,000 per annum, and 3.1 million households earned 1 more than INR 3,00,000 per annum. With respect to the spending of households on top 10 necessities across all 2 classes of consumers, watches figured at the eighth position, on an average. The latest McKinsey report on India’s consumer market pegged spending on personal products and service necessities (watches were included as the eighth most required item, as described above) at 8% share-of-wallet (SOW) in 2005; this was expected to climb up to 9% 3 SOW by 2015, and to 11% SOW by 2020. THE WATCH INDUSTRY IN 2011 Global 1 â€Å"The Marketing White Book 2010–11: One Stop Guide for Marketers,†BusinessWorld, New Delhi, 2010, pp. 52–54. Ibid., p. 63. 3 â€Å"The ‘bird of gold’: The rise of India’s consumer market,†McKinsey Global Institute, May 2007, http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/india_consumer_market/images/India_Interactive1.swf, accessed on April 11, 2011. Do 2 S. Ramesh Kumar and Kasturi Baral prepared this case for class discussion. This case is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data, or to show effective or inefficient handling of decision or business processes. Copyright  © 2011 by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (including internet) – without the permission of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 2 of 15 rP os t A significant decline in the global production of watches was witnessed in 2005–2009, with the volumes in 2009 at a fifth of the expected numbers. 4 This was attributed to the plummeting demand in the recession-hit markets of the United States, Japan, and Europe, among others. The premium segment suffered the worst, with the exports of Swiss watches dropping by 22% in 2009, despite having risen to an unprecedented high the previous year. 5 However, what was inexplicable was that while the rest of the world found even regular watches unaffordable, the developing markets of China and India were experiencing growth in consumer demand for luxury and premium watch products. India In five years, the Indian watch market had grown at an average rate of 8% per annum. 6 The recession during 2008– 2009 hindered the sector’s growth, with a drop in the sales of luxury and premium watches, which was compensated by the growth of volume in the economy segment. 7 Thus, despite the global trends, the value and volume figures for 2009 stood at 40.6 billion units and INR 54.6 billion, with a growth of 8.5 and 15.4% in volume and value, respectively. 8 op yo In terms of category sales, the highest share, as per value, involved watches priced between INR 500 and 3,000. The premium segmentâ€â€retailed between INR 4,000 and 15,000â€â€had been growing at an exponential rate of 20% annually. 9 Low per capita consumption on the one hand and the growing demand for luxury watches on the other constituted the factors that forecast the compounded annual growth rates of 7.3% and 13.7% in volume and value, respectively, for the period 2009–2014. 10 INDIAN WATCH INDUSTRY Historical Perspective tC The Indian watch industry had its origins in the 1960s, with HMT’s Janata being launched in 1962. Before HMT, watches were sourced exclusively from imports, and could be afforded by only a small number of consumers. HMT was the first major watch manufacturer in India, and the sole indigenous player, until Titan Industries Limitedâ€â€a Tata and TIDCO joint ventureâ€â€was formed in 1984, and started retailing watches in 1987. Titan, with its focus on satisfying the customer’s unspoken needs, gradually wrested market power and shares from HMT and became the undisputed leader in the wristwatch segment over the last three decades. The only other major Indian player was P. A. Time, with its brand Maxima, which managed to survive despite fierce competition. Other indigenous brands such as Allwyn, Shivaki, and SITCO failed to keep up with Titan and languished, with marginal to negligible market shares. No In 1992, liberalization opened up the Indian market to foreign players, and Timex was the first on the scene. It was soon followed by Casio, Rolex, Citizen, Tissot, Omega, Rado, and TAG Heuer (the new export–import (EXIM) policy introduced in 1999 relaxed the hitherto stiff upper bar on imports of luxury wristwatch brands). After the foreign direct regulations were changed by the government to allow up to 51% of foreign direct investment in single-brand retail operations, global brands set up subsidiaries in India with apparel brands such as Esprit, Tommy Hilfiger, Benetton, and Levi’s, also launching brands of their own. Growth of Industry Do The Indian watch industry began in the 1960s with the public sector enterprise HMT, which was the government’s initiative to start the indigenous manufacture of watches. The import industry brought in the more fashionable watches, but the basic need for timekeeping was satisfied by the sturdy and reliable mechanical wristwatch models 4 â€Å"Watches in India,†Country report, http://www.euromonitor.com/watches-in-india/report, accessed on July 22, 2011. Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 5 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 3 of 15 rP os t manufactured by HMT. In the absence of other brands, HMT could afford to retain goodwill despite offering limited styling and choices to its customers. A few decades earlier (when HMT held a monopoly in the category), a watch was a product that anyone who had taken up a job aspired for. Traditionally, the penetration levels were quite low during this time; the notion of a â€Å"watch for the masses†was diffused in the psyche of consumers only after the late eighties, when the country witnessed major lifestyle changes. The nineties enhanced this perception as many brands entered the market following the liberalization of governmental policies. The Tata group introduced the quartz watch in the 1980s under the Titan brand, and differentiated themselves on the basis of accuracy, style, choice, presentation, and vigorous push-marketing. 11 Timex, in collaboration with Titan, launched its range in India in the nineties, with a mutual understanding that the former would keep to the low-price plastic segment, while the latter would manage the high-price metal segment. Timex positioned itself with the tagline â€Å"You don’t have to be rich to afford a Timex,†and was well accepted by the market. After a few years, Timex became an independent brand and set up its own distribution channels, and emerged as a brand associated with the sports and casual wear segment. op yo Early in the twentieth century, many multinational players entered the market, which was made possible by the EXIM policies that raised the bar on the import of luxury watches in India. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COMPETITION The single largest player was Titan, with a brand share of 20.6% in 2009. 12 The next player worth mentioning was Swatch, with a relatively small share of 5.9%. 13 Timex was a relatively strong multinational brand in the market. Rolex, PA Time, Citizen, and Casio had small significant shares, and HMT was also present in the Indian market. Despite the presence of many brands, the market was still primarily controlled by the unorganized sector (to the tune of 65%) even in 2009. The present competition arose from the increasing foray of multinational players into the lucrative luxury segment; however, the real challenge was to tackle the spurious imports being sold by the unorganized sector. tC Watches transformed from time keeping instruments to fashion accessories during the eighties and nineties owing to significant lifestyle changes; this was reflected in some of Titan’s advertisements. Watches as fashion accessories were in competition with a variety of other products such as apparel and fashion handbags; hence, watches had to have a clearly differentiated element of perceived utility apart from fashion. 14 SEGMENTATION OF THE WATCH MARKET The watch industry could be segmented according to various criteria: technology, benefit, and price. No Watches could be classified into three kinds based on technology: mechanical, quartz analog, and quartz digital. The first went out of vogue since the bulky mechanical format did not allow for elegant design; it dropped in volume shares from 7.2% in 2004 to 4.6% in 2009. The second kind was the largest in both value and volume, and was expected to remain the market driver for growth in 2009–2014. Digital watches suffered from the consumer perception of being low cost and lacking in style, and hence, the market for them had not yet picked up. The sales figures by value for these sub-sectors for 2009 were INR 3,000, 46,000, and 6,000 million, respectively. The major market players in these three sectors were HMT, Titan, and Casio, respectively. Do The second basis of classification was benefit, and the market could be divided based on use, namely, casual, formal, and sports. Many of the brands offered some options in all three segments, but most catered only to the first two segments; the sports segment remained a largely untapped segment. Nearly 35% of all watches retailed were casual, 60% were formal, and a mere 5% belonged to the sports segment. 11 â€Å"The Titan Story,†http://www.titanworld.com/titan_stories, accessed on November 29, 2010. â€Å"Watches in India,†Country report, http://www.euromonitor.com/watches-in-india/report, accessed on July 22, 2011. 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 12 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 4 of 15 rP os t The watch market could be classified into economy, standard, premium, and luxury segments. 15 The mass market (i.e., the economy segment) accounted for nearly 67% of volume and 50% of value shares, and was catered to almost entirely by the unorganized sector. Popular (standard), with prices ranging from INR 500 to 1,200, was the lowest range offered by the organized sector (Titan and Timex, primarily). The premium segment consisted of watches in the INR 1,500–5,000 range, offered by almost all the indigenous and multinational brands. The demand from the middle and upper income groups promised to be the growth driver for this segment in 2009–2014. op yo A better explanation in terms of consumer behavior was the third basis of segmentation as defined by Yankelovich (1964). 16 He presented a scheme for the non-demographic segmentation of various product categories, including watches. Segmentation by value was considered to be particularly apt for this market. Thus, the authors arrived at three distinct segments, each offering the customer a different benefit and value than the others. As was stated earlier, the watch had always been a product that appealed to people, but the nature of the appeal and the associations related to watches changed with the changing environment. A watch or a specific brand in particular became a symbol of several associations that were in tune with the changing environment. These associations were generally glamour, fashion, sports, and fun, and the intensity of these associations became pronounced depending on the respective segment toward which a brand was positioned. Lifecycle stages also matteredâ€â€a school student would celebrate his/her first watch with neighbors and friends, a college student would garner attention among his/her friends with a recently bought watch, and an young executive who had been successful in his job might reward himself with a premium watch after a few years of hard work, and also â€Å"announce his arrival into a world of success†to the outside world. †¢ †¢ Value for money: Low/regular-priced watches that were accurate and sturdy. Owners tended to replace these when they failed. Premium watches: High-priced watches, with assured longevity, excellent workmanship, and good styling. Owners were ready to pay a premium for the benefits that accompanied these brands. Special watches: Extra benefits such as fine styling, brand name, and accessories (such as gold casings) were desired by potential customers. The watch, apart from being a fashion accessory, was part of a ritual gifting ceremony, and needed to encapsulate the emotional benefits required to succeed. No †¢ tC Symbolic and lifestyle categories that were created in the last 20 years or so included apparel, watches, mobile phones, portable music players such as iPods, cars, televisions, two-wheelers, and spectacles, to name a few socially conspicuous product categories; brands made use of such psychological needs of consumers to position themselves, with one category often competing with another. For example, a typical middle class household in India that had bought a TV (it is a well-observed fact that a TV is generally high on the purchase agenda of a middle class family) on installment basis (the installment plan allows a consumer to pay for the purchased product over a period of time through monthly payments to the seller/retailer) might postpone buying a new watch for a student in the family who was entering college, owing to financial pressures. Such instances would be rare in a developed market, especially with regard to the purchase of a watch. It was interesting to note that the lower end offerings (relatively lower end to be precise, when compared to the price of luxury watch brands) from brands such as Titan also used glamour, romance, and celebrity orientation for the positioning strategies of several of its brands (such as Titan, Fastrack, Sonata, and Ragaa). Titan was a leader in the organized quartz analog watch segment, and millions of pieces had been sold over the years. It was interesting to note that regardless of the price range or the benefit, watches held a symbolic appeal in the Indian contextâ€â€an appeal that could be associated with the self-perception or the personality/style a consumer would like to project to the outside world. Luxury watches had a special appeal with regard to such an orientation among consumers. Do The watch market in India was divided into three broad segments: mass market (price below INR 1,000), midmarket (price between INR 1,000 and INR 10,000), and premium market (price starting at INR 10,000). Luxury watches in turn, were categorized into three sub-segments: 15 16 Ibid. Yankelovich, D., â€Å"New Criteria for Market Segmentation,†Harvard Business Review, March/April 1964. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context 2. 3. Premium watches: INR 10,000–50,000. This was the space where Xylys operated. The other prominent brands in this space were Tissot, Seiko, and Citizen, in addition to fashion brands such as Emporio Armani and Hugo Boss. Accessible Luxury: INR 50,000–3,00,000. The biggest Swiss brands such as Rolex, Omega, Longines, and Tag Heuer operated in this space. Exclusive Luxury: INR 3,00,000 and above. Very high-end brands such as Breguet, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Breitling, and Hublot populated this segment. rP os t 1. Page 5 of 15 From the point of view of look, there were four philosophies from which brands tended to choose and occupy, namely, dress, classical, fashion, and sport. For example, among sporty watches, Tissot, Tag Heuer, and Breitling were the brands in the premium, accessible, and exclusive luxury sub-segments, respectively. LUXURY BRANDS op yo The market for luxury watches was estimated to be 3% of watch retail, and was growing at almost 20% annually, which was more than twice the growth rate of the entire market. 17 Luxury brands were priced above INR 15,000, and primarily included imported brands offered by multinational players, such as Omega, Rado, Longines, Tag Heuer, and Tissot. Titan was the only Indian brand in this sector currently, with Xylys at the luxury end of its portfolio. Personal interviews with some managers at retail outlets suggested that the competition to the Xylys brand was from established brands such as Seiko and Tissot. 18 The main consumer of luxury brands was the new generation executive, who was set to move toward the prime of his/her career, and who had a keen sense of brand consciousness. These included an increasing number of young and middle-aged professionals in the upper strata of management in corporate houses, and also Indians who belonged to the higher socio-economic strata and had a penchant for luxury products. The major consumers of watches in the luxury segment included CEOs and senior professionals in their thirties and forties, new generation entrepreneurs, and young working professionals. tC Successful brands sold because they positioned themselves based on the benefits they offered to those who possessed them; such benefits could be functional, symbolic, or experiential. 19 Brand concept management 20 stated that for long-term success, the brand image needed to be based on a brand-specific abstract concept. The authors felt that such an orientation would help the long-term plans of luxury watch brands. No Functional brands provided tangible and practical benefits, and satisfied the real need for the product. Brands needed to necessarily satisfy functional needs, since these were the hygiene factors for acceptance in this category. Symbolic brands, on the other hand, catered to the consumers’ preference for brands that matched their own â€Å"selfconcept†21 and their symbolic needs for self-expression, prestige, and the enhancement of self-image and sense of belonging. Experiential brands satisfied the owner’s need to experience sensory pleasure, variety, or cognitive simulation. Luxury watches were bought for their symbolic and experiential benefits as opposed to their functional ones. The selling points were the status and sophistication that the brand denoted when worn by the owner; although aesthetic appeal and durability were important, precision and price were not. Do Hence, the positioning diagrams for luxury watches would need to be based on factors such as status, prestige, and ego gratification. The methodology was derived from earlier studies on the positioning of brands. 22 Three sets of questionnaires were used to record the respondents’ opinions on brands, adjectives and phrases related to brand symbolism, and more indepth queries regarding the characteristics of brands and their users. 17 â€Å"Watch industry in India to grow at 9%,†India Infoline News Service, February 5, 2010. Interviews with Viraj, Branch Manager, World of Titan at Brigade Road, Bangalore and Saumya, Branch In-charge, Titan (multi-brand outlet) outlet at Jayanagar 4th Block, Bangalore. 19 Park, C. W., Jaworski, B. J., & MacInnis, D. J., â€Å"Strategic Brand Concept Image Management,†Journal of Marketing, Vol. 50, October 1986, pp. 135–145. 20 Ibid. 21 Malhotra N. K., â€Å"Self Concept and Product Choice: An Integrated Perspective,†Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 9, 1988, pp. 1–28. 22 Bhat, S., & Reddy, S. K., â€Å"Symbolic and Functional Positioning of Brands,†Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1998, pp. 32–43. 18 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context rP os t METHODOLOGY Page 6 of 15 The objective of the study was to analyze and link several aspects of consumer behavior, and to compare users and non-users of premium watches. Three sets of questions were prepared. One set of questions dealt with the selfconcepts of consumers, another was about the brand personality aspects of their watches, and the last set of questions was related to the psychographics of individual respondents. Non-users were respondents who were potential buyers of premium watches in the near future. Scales were drawn from several resources available in the extant literature. 23 Forty current users of premium watches and forty potential users (prospective buyers) of premium watches were administered the questionnaire in April, 2011 in Bangalore, India. op yo Exhibits 1, 2, and 3 were associated with self-concept, brand preferences along with personality traits, and the activities, interests, and opinions (AIO) of potential users of premium watch brands. Exhibits 4, 5, and 6 dealt with the same factors of the present users of premium watch brands (self-concept, brand preferences along with personality traits, and AIO). The description of the positioning strategies of the various brands presented below is based on the authors’ perception of the advertisements of the respective brands. XYLYS Xylys was a premium Swiss-made watch brand from the house of Titan in India. Priced between INR 10,000 and INR 33,000, the Xylys range of watches was available in three collectionsâ€â€Contemporary, Classic, and Sportâ€â€and offered over 60 distinctive models. Xylys was available at select World of Titan showrooms, key multi-brand outlets, and at exclusive flagship boutiques in select cities. tC Xylys targeted the lower spectrum of the luxury watch segment. Titan, which was the market leader in the mid-price segment in India, felt that the upper end of their target customers was moving towards iconic global premium brands. The designs were created in collaboration with renowned Swiss designer Laurent Rufenacht, and Titan’s own design advisor, Michael Foley. It was manufactured in a state-of-the-art factory in Switzerland, which had a heritage of over 80 years in the art of watch-making. All Xylys watches were created with exquisite craftsmanship and impeccable detailing, were painstakingly made from carefully selected materials, and were crafted with a passion for detail. No While carefully analyzing the consumer behavior of customers of premium watch brands, Titan found that consumers were highly influenced by the â€Å"country of origin†association. Consumers loved the â€Å"Swiss-made†tag, and there was a huge association of quality, precision, premium, etc. with this tag. The insight was that it would be difficult for an â€Å"Indian-made†tag to impress the target segment. Do The name Xylys was designed to have only two syllables, a distinctive name in itself. The brand charter aimed to convey style, attitude, and power. Xylys was created for new generation achievers who went beyond the obvious. Xylys reflected their values, attitudes, and unique personal identities. The brand was targeted at today’s people, both men and women, who were supremely confident and conscious of the image they projected. These individuals actively sought new and unconventional experiences. Xylys, with its unique positioning of the â€Å"Power of X,†underlined the power of one’s attitude. This attitude stemmed from a person’s self-belief, which enabled one to achieve success through a passionate pursuit of one’s dreams. Xylys was launched as a contemporary brand targeting upwardly mobile, successful men and women. The brand segmented the market based on psychographic profiles. 23 Tian, K. T., Bearden, W. O., & Hunter, G. L., â€Å"Consumers’ Need for Uniqueness: Scale Development and Validation,†Journal of Consumer Research, June 28, 2001, pp. 50–66; Netemeyer R. G., Burton, S., & Lichtenstein, D. R., â€Å"Trait aspects of Vanity: Measurement and Relevance to Consumer Behavior,†Journal of Consumer Research, 21, March 1995; Schiffman, L. G., Kanuk, L. L., & Ramesh Kumar, S., Consumer Behavior, 10th Ed, Pearson Education, p. 143. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 7 of 15 rP os t Xylys defined its customers as contemporary, dynamic, successful people who had attitude and confidence. The brand wanted to celebrate their success with them. The customers of Xylys were highly individualistic persons who did what they loved. These people would love to express themselves and show their success to the world. The three brand ambassadors of Xylys came from varied fields and represented the attitude of the new generation achievers. Actor Rahul Bose (ad), international supermodel Saira Mohan (ad), and tennis star Carlos Moya embodied the attitude of living life fearlessly on their own terms, with a passion to pursue their dreams. Speaking at the launch, brand ambassador Rahul Bose said, â€Å"Like every movie I choose to be a part of, I have chosen to endorse this brand after careful thought. I can only support those products that I am fully convinced about. It is an exciting new brand from India’s leading watchmaker with an identity that reflects the attitude and values that I consider importantâ€â€bold, unconventional, and distinctive.†In 2010, the brand changed its positioning from â€Å"Symbol of Success†to â€Å"Feeling of Love.†The brand talked about falling in love with Xylys. Xylys ran a campaign reflecting the new positioning, which was a significant deviation from the core positioning of the brand. The entire brand personality of Xylys was changed in the current campaign. op yo The new identity reflected the attitude, lifestyle, and personality of the new generation consumer. â€Å"You don’t possess a Xylys, it possesses you†: this reflected irrational desirability of the brand. The new creative expression was carefully designed to reflect the effect Xylys watches had on their consumers. It was this aspect that created an â€Å"irrational†desire to own the watch, strongly backed by the â€Å"rational†reasons, namely, that Xylys came from the house of Titan and was Swiss-made. After the launch in 2006, the brand saw the volume of sales doubling between 2006–2007 and 2007–2008, and sales grew at about 33% since then. In terms of value, Xylys grew at a compound annual growth rate) of 54%. Exhibit 7 displays an Xylys’ advertisement. TISSOT tC Tissot, with its signature â€Å"Innovators by Tradition,†pioneered craftsmanship and innovation since its foundation in 1853. Tissot was a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor. For over 155 years, the company had its home in the Swiss watch-making town of Le Locle in the Jura Mountains, and in 2011 had a presence in over 150 countries. As official timekeeper and partner of the International Basketball Federation, the Australian Football League, the Chinese Basketball Association, and MotoGP, and the World Championships of cycling, fencing, and ice hockey; Tissot was committed to respecting tradition, underlining its core values of performance, precision, and setting new standards. No The different collections of Tissot included Touch, Sport, Trend, Classic, Gold, Pocket, and Heritage; and the price spectrum was much wider than that of Xylys, covering both the affordable luxury and the premium luxury segment with ease. The Indian brand ambassador for Tissot was movie star Deepika Padukone, daughter of a former badminton world champion. Her Tissot watch was projected as a symbol of luxury and glamour complementing her multi-faceted lifestyle. The similarities between her personality and the Tissot brand were captured in the brand’s advertisements: â€Å"We are both adventurous, sophisticated and classy, yet very approachable.†Do Tissot’s subsequent advertising campaign revolved around the theme â€Å"In Touch with Your Time.†In its revolutionary new global campaign based on this theme, Tissot used a series of executions featuring brand ambassadors who presented luxury as being accessible rather than exclusive. The brand attributed its success to the trust customers all over the world had in the quality and pleasure offered by Tissot timepieces. Millions of wearers evidently refused to compromise, and the campaign specifically congratulated them on their discerning selection of a stylish Swiss-made watch. The campaign’s approach focused on the idea of â€Å"substance†(the unquestionable quality attached to traditional Swiss craftsmanship) and â€Å"style†(a truly appealing watch design). This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 8 of 15 rP os t The new global Tissot campaign captured real moments in the lives of its ambassadors where reality seamlessly merged with glamour. A variety of locations that were local to the ambassadors (e.g., Deepika Padukone in Mumbai, India) were used for the shoots, which enhanced the campaign’s integral authenticity. SEIKO Do No tC op yo SEIKO Watch India Private Limited is a 100% subsidiary of SEIKO Watch Corporation, Japan set up in 2007; it is headquartered in Bangalore. Over the years, SEIKO has established its leadership position in a number of countries. Backed by such experiences and with India being one of the prioritized markets, the brand is expected to bring its â€Å"total SEIKO brand experience†through its â€Å"flagship stores†that will also provide good customer service. 24 The brand is available at several higher-end multi-branded watch outlets in the country. SEIKO’s technological development is focused on the creation of â€Å"emotional technologies†25. While the brand may be positioned below Tissot or Xylys (based on the observation of price points at retail outlets by one of the authors), the brand is likely to be perceived as a brand with strong value given its heritage of technology and innovation. 24 25 http://www.seiko.in/corporate/india.html accessed on October 26, 2011 http://www.seikowatches.com/story/index.html accessed on October 26, 2011 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 1 Page 9 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Self-concept (Potential users of premium watch brands) I would feel embarrassed if I was around people and did not look my best. 3.775 It is important that I always look good. 3.275 People notice how attractive I am. 3.675 My looks are very appealing to others. I want others to look up to me because of my accomplishments. 3.075 3.075 4.15 Achieving greater success than my peers is important to me. 3.475 op yo I am more concerned about professional success than most people I know. 3.575 In a professional sense, I am a very successful person. 3.825 My achievements are highly regarded by others. 3.4 Others wish they were as successful as me. 3.675 I am a good example of professional success. 3.25 I often look for unique products or brands so that I create a style that is all my own. 3.225 The products and brands that I like best are the ones that express my individuality. 3 tC I want my achievements to be recognized by others. 3.375 I enjoy challenging the prevailing taste of people I know by buying something radical. 2.95 I often think of the things I buy and do in terms of how I can use them to shape a more unusual personal image. 3.05 No I rarely act according to what others think are the right things to buy. When a product I own becomes popular among the general population, I use it less. 2.625 Concern for being out of place does not prevent me from wearing what I want to. 2.85 Source: The results were based on the questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree for each respondent, and the values were coded as Strongly Agree = 5, Agree = 4, Neither Agree nor Disagree = 3, Disagree = 2, and Strongly Disagree = 1. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 2 Page 10 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Brand and user personality (Potential users of premium watch brands) Brand Factors User Factors 3.525 Up-to-date 3.525 Reliable 4.075 Reliable 4.125 Down-to-earth 3.65 Down-to-earth 4 Honest 3.8 Honest 3.85 Daring 3.125 Daring Spirited 3.775 Exciting 3.625 Imaginative 3.7 Successful 3.825 Upper class 3.325 Tough 3.2 op yo Up-to-date 3.8 3.675 Exciting 4.05 Imaginative 3.975 Successful 3.625 Upper class 3.5 Tough 3.5 tC Spirited Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do No Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 11 of 15 rP os t Exhibit 3 Activities, interests, and opinions (Potential users of premium watch brands) When I must choose between the two, I usually dress for fashion, not for comfort. 3.25 I try to arrange my home for my children’s convenience. 2.975 I take a lot of time and effort to teach my children good habits. I like parties where there is lots of music and conversation. I would rather go to a sporting event than a movie. I like to work on community projects. 2.85 3.075 3.425 3.4 3.7 I think I have more self-confidence than most people. 2.55 I am more independent than most people. 3.725 I think I have a lot of personal ability. 3.8 I like to be considered a leader. 3.95 op yo I have personally worked in a political campaign, or for a candidate, or for an issue. 3.7 I sometimes influence what my friends buy. 3.85 People come to me more often than I go to them for information about brands. 3.5 tC My friends or neighbors often come to me for advice. 3.25 I spend a lot of time talking with my friends about products and brands. 3.575 I would like to spend a year in London or Paris. 3.175 I would like to take a trip around the world. 3.825 I will have more money to spend next year than I have now. 4.375 I spend more than an hour everyday reading the newspaper or watching the news. 4.025 I like to meticulously plan for future savings and expenditures. 3.175 No I often seek out the advice of my friends regarding which brand to buy. Do Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 4 Page 12 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Self-concept (Present users of premium watch brands) I would feel embarrassed if I was around people and did not look my best. It is important that I always look good. People notice how attractive I am. 3.325 3.75 3.45 My looks are very appealing to others. I want others to look up to me because of my accomplishments. I am more concerned about professional success than most people I know. op yo Achieving greater success than my peers is important to me. I want my achievements to be recognized by others. In a professional sense, I am a very successful person. 3.425 3.65 3.75 3.925 4.225 3.65 My achievements are highly regarded by others. 3.6 Others wish they were as successful as me. 3.4 I am a good example of professional success. 3.7 3.225 The products and brands that I like best are the ones that express my individuality. 3.325 tC I often look for unique products or brands so that I create a style that is all my own. I rarely act according to what others think are the right things to buy. 2.75 2.925 I often think of the things I buy and do in terms of how I can use them to shape a more unusual personal image. 3 No I enjoy challenging the prevailing taste of people I know by buying something radical. When a product I own becomes popular among the general population, I use it less. Concern for being out of place does not prevent me from wearing what I want to. 2.825 3.2 Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 5 Page 13 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Brand and user personality (Present users of premium watch brands) Brand Factors User Factors Up-to-date 3.775 Up-to-date Reliable 4.275 Reliable 3.8 4.025 3.35 Down-to-earth Honest 3.95 Honest 3.925 Daring 3.6 Daring 3.675 Spirited 3.75 Exciting 3.95 Imaginative 3.925 Successful 4.125 Upper class 3.975 Tough 3.975 3.65 op yo Down-to-earth Spirited 3.875 Exciting 3.9 Imaginative 3.6 Successful Upper class Tough 3.725 3.7 3.625 tC Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do No Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Page 14 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Exhibit 6 Attitudes, interests, and opinions (Present users of premium watch brands) When I must choose between the two, I usually dress for fashion, not for comfort. 2.775 I try to arrange my home for my children’s convenience. 3.725 I take a lot of time and effort to teach my children good habits. I like parties where there is lots of music and conversation. I would rather go to a sporting event than a movie. op yo I like to work on community projects. 3.95 3.075 3.225 3.325 I have personally worked in a political campaign, or for a candidate, or for an issue. 1.725 I think I have more self-confidence than most people. 3.625 I am more independent than most people. 3.975 I think I have a lot of personal ability. 3.775 I like to be considered a leader. 4.125 My friends or neighbors often come to me for advice. tC I sometimes influence what my friends buy. People come to me more often than I go to them for information about brands. 3.75 3.325 3.3 2.95 I spend a lot of time talking with my friends about products and brands. 2.875 I would like to spend a year in London or Paris. 3.175 No I often seek out the advice of my friends regarding which brand to buy. I would like to take a trip around the world. I will have more money to spend next year than I have now. 4.2 3.925 3.75 I like to meticulously plan for future savings and expenditures. 3.65 Do I spend more than an hour everyday reading the newspaper or watching the news. Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Page 15 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Exhibit 7 Do No tC op yo Advertisement for Xylys The authors would like to thank Mr. Manoj Chakravarti, Senior Advisor, Ms. Superna Mitra, Head, Global Marketing, Titan Industries Limited and Prof. Dinesh Kumar, Chairperson, Research & Publications, IIM, Bangalore for the support provided to this case study initiative. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860.
Hag Fishes
My name is Khari Spencer, and I am running for treasurer. I know all of you are probably tired and bored of hearing all these speeches of people telling you to vote for them, so I hope my speech stands out to you. I think the quote â€Å"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away,†is something we should all keep in our minds. If I am elected for treasurer, I will try to make school something that you wish you could go back to. Money moves the wheels of history, and this year I will move those wheels like never before n the history of this school. Friends, desks and chairs will tremble and shake with the triumphent roar of coins and cash flowing into the hands of our excellent student council. Things will get done and we shall acquire great things for all people of all ages and classses within this family that is Paradise. Things will be done, and they will be done for -you-. As Franklin Roosevelt once said, â€Å"Happi ness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. I feel that we can all embrace the joy of achieving something great this year, and I know that all of our efforts will bring a financial blessing upon the school if you elect me for student council treasurer. What would make me a good treasurer? What qualities could I possibly possess that could accord me the rights to be in any position of relative power? Behind this outer shell of awesomeness and an incredible personality lies someone who is more than capable of being meticulous.I've yet to overdraw my checking account (I'm saving that for college), and I actually do work out a personal budget (granted, that's something I'm made to do, but hey. It still counts. ). This ridiculous amount of person greed and over the top focus on personal finance would make me an excellent treasurer. As for the non-financial element of the position, while it's true I've never held an off ice, I'm a creative person, with many different ideas (even if a lot of them are ridiculous. I'm easy to talk to and I love working around and with people, so the suggestions of others would be more than welcomed. It would probably make my life a heck of a lot easier. I look forward to coming up with creative fundraising methods. I may not have a coin collection that could rival that of the US Federal Mint, nor do I have any skills at basketball. At all. Whatsoever. I do not have one thing that many of the greatest political candidates of our time all have in common: empty promises.I do not make promises that if elected, Led Zeppelin will play in the cafeteria . I do not make promises that if you vote for me, a poor African boy will be given food. I also do not make promises to embezzle only a small portion of our school funds for dubious personal use. Ultimately, one could say, this would not be something I could do alone. Whether I'm elected or not, it isn't just the responsibilit y of the student government to make a fantastic school day.It comes down to all of you, even the people sitting in this room, bored out of your minds, to make this a possibility. While I'm sure that I could deal with the funds for a field trip, I certainly don't want to pay $100 for two tickets. That's insane. And four people can't keep costs down while still maintaining all of the fun that is our learning time. While I'm looking to get involved in running our class's finances and helping to organize class related events, I certainly don't want to make all about me (only a little bit).If elected, I would ask for and regularly enlist the help of all of you. While I could attempt to commandeer this position in a bloody coop, I have chosen to take the legal route into student office. In order to win, succeed, and actually do a good job, I'll need all of your help. I'm asking you to vote for me, and when/if I'm elected, I'm asking for you to help me and give me your input. This is, afte r all, about you, and not me. I'm running to work for you to make your 7th grade year as good as it can possibly
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Summary of an article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Summary of an article - Essay Example Therefore it is no more a rare occasion for the hospitals to encounter the patients whose money is tight. In facts, according to the survey conducted by the American Hospital Association as early as in November 2008, 50 per cent of their members are facing the considerable increase of the number of patients who are willing to save money and switch onto cheaper health insurance schemes. Certainly the situation must be aggravated even more now that the national unemployment rate has increased 8 per cent. However, doctors – and this is a no surprise – have humane feelings, and are willing to help their patients in need. During this turbulent times, they are concerned not only about the state of their patients’ bodies and minds but also about the wellbeing of their purse or banking account. Some doctors, like, for example, Dr. Moritz whose advice to the patients has been quoted in the article, ask their long-term patients whether they are still employed first thing during the appointment. If the answer is no, then doctors assure them that their medical bills can be negotiated. How? First thing to remember is – doctors and hospitals are used to negotiating, as they have to do it themselves with the insuring companies. The cost of every single medical procedure may differ depending on which insurer the hospital does it for. Therefore, a patient’s wanting a discount will hardly get hospital’s accounting department shocked. What are the pieces of advice to those struggling to reduce their medical bills? When talking to doctors, take into account the following: speak up if you need help – as doctors will always help on this occasion. It is better to say blatantly about your financial difficulties, and you are most likely to get a good price break. As there is a very widespread problem with unpaid bills that causes hospitals to lose thousands of dollars annually, your offer to pay them cash upfront will make them happy,
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Philosophy of Education - Essay Example It should also teach to students general knowledge and skills that they will be able to broaden later in their higher education as well as apply in everyday life. School should also develop problem-solving and decision-making skills, and educate physical, emotional and social needs. The Purpose of Education Herbert Spencer once said: â€Å"Education has for its object the formation of the character†and â€Å"The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action†. These two quotes reflect my beliefs about education. The purpose of education is to prepare young generations to be able to fully function in the society, to teach them morals and skills to be able to make right decisions that will benefit them and society overall. Another purpose of education is to teach young generations to act upon those decisions and contribute to personal growth and society overall. I believe that education starts with family, in particular parents. They are responsible for raising a ch ild into a rightful citizen. They are the ones who help the child make first steps, say first words, and make first decisions. They provide the direction that determines the lives of their children. The saying goes â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child†. That is where the school community comes in. They help children grow academically, socially, and morally. The education should help reveal the potential of the child. As Jean Piaget believed, intellectual ability is not something that is taught to children, it is something that children develop naturally as they grow. So schools have to provide the framework for that growth. I think schools should provide basic education that is consistent across the country, but at the same time take an individual approach to adjust or add to the curriculum to meet the needs of children of various racial, ethnical, socioeconomic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. For example, children should be able to learn history and geography of t he world to be well-rounded individuals, but at the same time they should have an opportunity to study their cultural and ethnical heritage in more detail. This would help them appreciate their roots as well as respect people of other cultures and backgrounds. I think that currently the system of education is lacking the ability to provide a solid education for children and young people of various backgrounds. Unfortunately, the quality of education youngsters receive is still determined by the amount of money parents have. Even though President George Bush has made an attempt to give the equal opportunities to children of less privileged backgrounds through his landmark legislation â€Å"No Child Left Behind†, still this legislation has failed to achieve its goals in full. President Obama has recently raised the issue of quality of education and the very questions whether the education should be the same for everyone. He advocated for better schools and better education, esp ecially considering the fact that American schools lose to schools in most developed countries in the world. Educational Philosophers: The Power of Logic I believe in logic. I think people who think logically
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Paper on changes on the land Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Paper on changes on the land - Essay Example This is where Cronon starts to heavily contrast Indians and settlers. The Indians made it a point to move from location to location as a form of survival. Cronon says, â€Å"To take advantage of their land’s diversity, Indian villages had to be mobile†(54). Colonists disagreed with this practice because it constituted change, one that they were unfamiliar with and it led to criticism. They wished to mirror their settlements from the old world in New England by remaining in one place and only traveling village-to-village if need-be. Although, the Indians did not suffer from hunger, the settlers disapproved of their lifestyle as it reminded them of the poor people in England: â€Å"To those who compared Massachusetts Indians to English beggars, Morton replied, ‘If our beggars of England should, with so much easy as they, furnish themselves with foode at all seasons, there would not be so many starved in the streets’†(55). They saw Indians as starving people despite the truth. Cronon describes settlers as saying, â€Å"Indian poverty was the result of Indian waste: underused land, underused natural abundance, underused human labor†(56). Since the Indians â€Å"failed†to utilize all of the land, the colonists considered it to be wasteful. This is ironic because the settlers’ practice of hoarding every thing affected the ecological system most negatively because once they took it all, they did not give back; or at least not in the proper way. The settler’s political agenda in remaining bound to the land imposed an imbalance of nature and the land. Instead of taking just a little here and there, moving on, then returning later once the land has been replenished like the Indians, the colonists robbed the land of its resources. They cut down trees, uprooted plant-life and later, introduced agriculture without the means to accurately replenish the soil. It also brought up the question of property lines. T his was a concept that the Indian’s did not enforce because they did not need to when moving as often as they did. Land boundaries reinforced the need for property rights given to individuals in a New England colony. This also affected social wealth and trade. The act of taking a forest and what that meant in relation to the settlers and the land was important because it characterized the difference between ownership and items free-for-the-taking. For example, trees as they are rooted in the forest, untouched by man, are considered lacking ownership. The actual act of ownership came into play when the trees were sawed down and made to form ships and homes. Property as defined as â€Å"†¦to represent boundaries between people; equally, it is to articulate at least one set of conscious ecological boundaries between people and things†(58). English settlers believed in possession rather than a community pool of property. Where the Indians differ is how they attribute d ownership. Cronon says, â€Å"What the Indians owned - or, more precisely, what their villages gave them claim to - was not the land but the things that were on the land during the various seasons of the year†(65). The Indians had to abide by this over what the settlers believed because they frequently moved across the land as an act of continued existence. The colonists, on the other hand, prone to mimic British society, desired to remain in one spot on the land: â€Å"
Monday, August 26, 2019
Systems and Operations Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Systems and Operations Management - Assignment Example After deciding to go into retirement, Lachlan Atokowa handed over the reins of the business to his eldest son Jonathan Atokowa, who, like his father, was very passionate about the business. Both of them shared the passion to try out the latest technology: Lachlan Atokowa decided to test Xerox 914, Jonathan Atokowa decided to added Commodore 64 and the IBM PC 5100 into the business’s product portfolio. Today, a business that started in a garage has escalated into complex network business processes. Too many parties are now associated with the business, bring along different set of variables into the business environment. Organizational Structure: The company has four different departments which are governing the operations of the business. These four departments are: Retail Operations, Purchasing and Supply chain, Marketing and Human Resource Management and last but not the least the Finance Departments. Each of these departments is headed by a company director who reports dire ctly to the chief executive officer. Under each director are his personnel which are responsible for the functioning of the department. The following table describes the titles which come under each function: Retail Operations Purchasing and Supply chain Marketing and Human Resource Management Finance Director Director Director Director Area Manager Category Manager HRM Manager Company Accountant - Import Manager Training Manager Management Accountant - Warehouse Manager Marketing campaign coordinator Financial Planning Manager - General Manager In-store promotion coordinator. Purchasing and Payment Manager All the company directors are very enthusiastic about the growth of the company. They work along with their individual teams very diligently to resolve problems that are arising in their departments. However, the organisation’s directors have been unable to develop a boding force between the departments. The biggest evidence of this fact is that each department is having i ts own management systems, which are not linked with other systems. It this age of globalisation, the importance which is placed on information sharing by experts is immense. According to the experts, this single aspect of doing business is so important that it can decide the fate of today’s firms. In a fast paced globalised world, information sharing with key stake holders is vital for organisational success and survival (Krajewski, Ritzman, & Malhorta, 2007). And in this case the organisational departments are failing to share vital operational information with one another. This, obviously, is leading to duplication of effort, greater cost, declining productivity, redundancy and frustration in the organisation (Schemenner, 1984). Employees have to do cumbersome paperwork every day, accurate forecasting has become impossible, inventory holding cost is being incurred, wrong inventory is being maintained and above all, customers are feeling dejected. Rather than adopting an or ganisational model which allows the company to become nimble and flexible, so that it can compete effectively in the market place, the company has taken a structure which has made it inflexible and less than competitive (Loader, 2006). Absence of an integrated organisation wide enterprise management system is creating havoc for the company. The company is not doing accurate forecasting of demand, it has failed to satisfy customers’ needs and most importantly, it is not operating efficiently and effectively.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Santeria - African Spirits in America Research Paper - 1
Santeria - African Spirits in America - Research Paper Example When African slaves escaped their bondage from Brazil and reached Cuba, they were given the ability to marry, have property and to live in such a way to be trained and conduct free, contributing lives to society. The only stipulation was that they become baptized into the Roman Catholic religion (Murphy 28). The relationship that was formed between the religious beliefs of the West African form of spiritual life and the tenets of Catholicism formed the beginnings of the way in which it the beliefs are currently practiced, similar reformations creating the many influences that have combined to form the current forms of Santeria practice. Because of this mixture of religions from which the practices in the Americas were created, there is no individual who can be named for being the founder of the religion. The beliefs of Americanized Santeria still hold the worship of the orisha. The orisha is associated with the saints of the Catholic religion. Each of the saints is represented as an orisha with a principle, a color, a number, a food, a dance posture, and an emblem. The orisha is honored through sacrifice, often a ritualized taking of the life of an animal. The blood is used as an offering to the orisha to please the saints in order to bring good luck, purification and the forgiveness of sins. Other aspects of evoking spirits and creating possession by ancestors are accomplished through rhythmic dances that are freely expressed through fervent dances.           Santeria is a cultural religion that began in Africa among the Yoruba people who lived in the region now considered Nigeria. Among the many developments of the Yoruba people was the development of a complex understanding of their spiritual life that reached into a subtle envelopment of their way of life. God was called ‘Olodumare’ and was considered the â€Å"owner of all destinies†. He was also considered the ‘almighty’ and ‘the ground of life’ (7). The power that is the force of Olodumare has a name that identifies its association within the culture. Ashe is an incarnate life force that is the ‘blood of cosmic life’ which is the power through which Olodumare imbues life, strength, and righteousness.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Training and Development Relate to Human Resource Essay
Training and Development Relate to Human Resource - Essay Example Formal mentoring can also be subject to monitoring by Human Resource managers and others within an organization to make sure objectives are met. Informal mentoring is more of a natural relationship that develops between two individuals with mutual respect, who become involved in the relationship on a purely voluntary basis. Such mentoring is more common and usually more flexible in nature. There is a lack of outside influence and structure, with participants defining the skills and behaviors taught, within their own time frame. There has been much information gathered from mentored involved in such relationships, though not as much from mentors. Manda Rosser (2005) identifies characteristics of mentoring relationships in her study of CEOs a mentors who have been previously mentored. First, most of them recognize the value of such relationships, as many described such relationships as helpful to their current positions and professional skills. Second, most identify mentoring relations hips as long-lasting, often over periods of several decades. Even when the mentoring has negative results, those studied admit that the mentoring relationships Mentoring and Apprenticeship Training HRM420 Term Paper 2 are valuable learning tools. One executive talks about his own mentoring relationship as one in which he was hurt and taken advantage of. Because of the experience, he mentors with an attitude of fairness and giving. Another executive describes mentoring as â€Å"perhaps even one of the most important things that can occur in developing others. Mentoring is giving of yourself. There is no expectation of return†(Rosser, 2005, p.547).
Friday, August 23, 2019
EMBA 550 MArketing initial post week 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
EMBA 550 MArketing initial post week 6 - Essay Example arious markets that current or traditional channels do not fully explore, supply chain strategy often necessitates the establishment of new and multiple channels. â€Å"The use of multiple channels may arise out of necessity in order to meet customer needs or by design. Multiple channels enable a manufacturer to offer two or more lines of the same merchandise through two or more means.†(Ferrel & Hartline, 2010, p. 283). The use of two or more distribution channels for essentially the same product is what constitutes dual distribution. There are some disadvantages that are attendant to dual or multiple distribution. One is that extra time, effort and money are required in running two or more distribution channels. Another is the risk of disintermediation, meaning that when the corporation deals directly with the customer, they compete against their traditional intermediaries who are members of its supply chain, thereby creating a potential source of conflict (Ferrel & Hartline, 2011). Sometimes, customers who go to brick-and-mortar distributors to view the products and ask questions, but end up purchasing the product online. This is unfair for the distributors. Dual distribution is not new. The U.S. Congress cited the New York Times (2/16/92, Section F, p. 5) which reported that 20% of McDonald’s stores are company operated, and for Taco Bell it is 60% (US Congress, 1992, p. 273). Hallmark uses dual distribution extensively. Hallmark cards primarily sell greeting cards through Hallmark stores, using selective distribution. At the same time, they also sell their Ambassador and Greetings card lines widely through supermarkets, drugstores, and discount retailers. Aside from these, Hallmark offers both cards and e-cards online, which constitutes a third channel (Ferrel & Hartline, 2011) Small businesses benefit immensely from dual distribution. Chagrin Shoe Leather & Luggage Repair, a family business located in Woodmere, Ohio, experienced a 20% increase in
Thursday, August 22, 2019
For one more day by Mitch Albom Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
For one more day by Mitch Albom - Research Paper Example Charley’s mother Posey had died some years ago though he wished to spend additional time with his mother. According to the book, the love between a child and his mother is strong because it can save a child. The major theme of the story is family because it reflects occurrences in many families today as evident in themes, viewpoints, and characters. Character The main characters of the book are Charley’s family members. Charley is the storyteller and the major character of the story. The story reveals pertinent concerns focusing on the relationships between children and their parents in the current society (Albon 2). Most male children like to be associated with their fathers though they have difficult relationships with them. Charley always sided with his father. He always wanted his father’s approval though he was always hard on him. He made Charley believe that he was never good enough. This made him try hard with the intent of affirming his worth. This happen ed in his childhood and adulthood when he was at the Old Timers baseball team. Charley’s father in the novel represents the fathers who live their dreams through their children. It is true that parents like to achieve their targets through their children by forcing them to do what they do not like. Charlie’s father wanted him to realize his vision of playing baseball. He bullied his son though he was growing up. This is shown when the father ordered him to leave his mother’s birthday party for a baseball game. He told Charley that he should choose either his mother or him. The father told him that he could not choose both. Charley discovered later that his father was a hypocrite who led a double life. This is because his father has a second alcohol store, a second wife, and another child (Albom 17). Charley’s relationship with his mother in the novel shows that mothers support their children though they tend to make serious mistakes. His mother always mad e him realize that he should return to his life. Charlie discovered that his mother was considerate compared to his father. This was evident when Charlie told his mother that he made a wrong mistake when they visited the Italian wife. He told his mother that he loved and admired her. Charlie thought that he should have chosen his mother over his father. However, his mother opposed by indicating that it was not his culpable because he never had a chance to choose. She knew that his son was confused throughout his life because he failed to acknowledge whether to support his mother or to please his father. She also knew that his son was pressured by his father to choose him as his role model (Albom 43). Charlie’s relationship with his daughter was also poor because he felt guilty for neglecting his mother making him an alcoholic. His wife left him because of this habit. This shows that a child’s life is immensely affected by his parents’ behaviors. Charlie had prob lems with his wife and daughter because of the effects of his relationship with his parents. He never saw his daughter after his wife left him. His daughter got married but he was not invited to the wedding. This made Charlie to feel so lonely that he wanted to kill himself. During their meeting, Charlie’s mother helped him realize that he should reclaim his relationship with his daughter (O’Hara 1). Setting The novel is set in a fictitious village where Charlie had created good and bad
Assignment topic Mentoring Essay Example for Free
Assignment topic Mentoring Essay A brief outline of the plan for the assignment including why it is an issue and you likely conclusions. (If you like an abstract) An analysis of the Delivering Great Service strategy that is currently being applied by Sainsburys Supermarkets in relation to mentoring. And how the objectives of the strategy are being achieved. A list of material and people you intend to consult (give proper details) * Torrington,D and Hall,L and Taylor,S (2002), Human Resource Management, Prentice Hall Europe, UK * Marchington,M, Managing the Team * Megginson, D. and D. Clutterbuck, (1999), Mentoring in Action, Kogan Page Limited, UK. * Parsloe, E. (1999), The Manager as Coach and Mentor, (2nd Ed), The Guernsey Press, Channel Islands. * Norton, B. and J. Tivey. (1995), Management Directions, The Institute of Management, UK. * Delivering Great Service, Colleague Briefing Leaflet, 2001 * Business Update, Sainsburys Intranet, 28th January 2002 * The Importance of Service, Delivering Great Service Store Managers Tool Kit 2001 Approved by Date HAYLEY SCARFE (00957807) BAIB II HRM ASSIGNMENT WITH REFERENCE TO SAINSBURYS SUPERMARKETS LTD, ANALYSE THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND EXPLAIN HOW MENTORING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THESE OBJECTIVES (WITH DIRECT REFERENCE TO DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE FULLY DISCUSS THE IMPLEMENTATION AND RECOMMEND STRATEGIES PRIORITIES AND TIME SCALES FOR IMPLEMENTING YOUR CHOSEN TOPIC. NOTE: 1. BEFORE I COMMENCE THIS ESSAY IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS THAT ITS CONTENTS IN RESPECT TO SAINSBURYS SUPERMARKETS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND ONLY MEANT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANSWERING THE ESSAY QUESTION 2. THE CONTENTS ARE ONLY TO BE READ BY THE ASSESOR FOR THIS PIECE OF WORK Contents Page 1. Introduction 2. Introduction and Development of Delivering Great Service 3. The Service Promise 3.1 Sainsburys Mission Statement 3.2 Easy, Enjoyable and Inspiring 4. Impact on Company Employees 4.1 Store Structures 4.2 Departmental Management 4.2.1 Departmental Management Role 4.3 Mentoring 4.4 Store and Duty Managers 4.5 The relationship between Duty Managers and Departmental Managers 4.6 How the Service Promise is developed through mentoring 5. Implementation of Timescales 5.1 Store implementation Timescales 6. Conclusion 1. INTRODUCTION Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd like any other business have a number of strategies in place in order to compete against its main competitors in the supermarket industry. Throughout this assignment I am going to concentrate on the companies most recent strategy called Delivering Great Service and how the topic of mentoring will contribute to the achievement of the Delivering Great Service objectives. 2. THE INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE Over a period of years Sainsburys lost the dominant market share of the food retail sector to its main competitors. To try and rectify this situation and attempt to once again become the U.Ks top supermarket chain Sainsburys has commissioned research into what their problems were and how to overcome them. The research concentrated on the identification of the wants of Sainsburys customers and how Sainsburys can deliver these wants. With the results collated Sainsburys head office Human Resources staff developed the Delivering Great Service package. The idea behind strategy is to regain the once strong market share Sainsburys enjoyed over Tesco, Asda, Safeway, Waitrose and Morrisons, the companys main competitors through the strategy objective, Service Promise. The commissioned research uncovered Sainsburys customers want Great Service, outstanding quality and competitive prices, all of which are contained within the objectives of Delivering Great Service known as Service Promise. (THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE, STORE MANAGERS TOOLKIT 2001) 3. THE SERVICE PROMISE The Service Promise is used as a tool within the Sainsburys Management Team, this is company wide, to improve colleague skills, store knowledge and confidence within the company name. It is through these improved skills that the Sainsburys Management Team and colleagues can work together to improve the customers shopping experience with Sainsburys and successfully deliver great service. 3.1 SAINSBURYS MISSION STATEMENT To clearly demonstrate the aspects of the Service Promise the following diagram is applied: (DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE, COLLEAGUE BRIEFING LEAFLET, 2001) I have devised the following diagram to demonstrate how the aspects of the Service Promise relate to Delivering Great Service 3.2 EASY, ENJOYABLE AND INSPIRING The three categories contained within the Service Promise (outstanding quality, great service and competitive prices) contain guidelines for Sainsburys employees to adopt collectively, thus enabling the delivery of great service. The guidelines are as follows: 1. Easy Make shopping easier by; * Speeding up customer transactions * Acknowledging their problems and accepting responsibility * Actively seeking out customers who need extra help 2. Enjoyable Make shopping more enjoyable by; * Increasing personal efficiency, politeness and friendliness * Treating customers as individuals 3. Inspiring Present inspiring products and ideas to meet customer needs by; * Presenting quality ranges of products that meet and succeed customer needs and expectations * Interacting with customers to advise them of new products, encouraging them to try before they buy (THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE, DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE STORE MANAGERS TOOL KIT 2001) 4. IMPACT ON COMPANY EMPLOYEES The company strategy, Delivering Great Service has massive implications on all Sainsburys employees; it requires everyone to take on new responsibilities and new daily working practices if it is to be successful. Im going to focus specifically on the implications Delivering Great Service has on Sainsburys Departmental Managers and how the topic of mentoring can help achieve the strategy (Delivering Great Service) objectives (service promise). 4.1 STORE STRUCTURES Before I do this I have designed and included a very basic store structure diagram to illustrate the structure of a typical Sainsburys Stores. As you can see from the diagram the Store Manager is responsible for the entire store with a team of Duty Mangers and Department Managers on hand to share responsibilities and the running of the store filtering down to the Store Colleagues. 4.2 DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT I have already discussed the implications Delivering Great Service has on all colleagues in respect of what its objectives require from everyone to be successful (making shopping easier, making shopping more enjoyable and presenting inspiring products), but I havent discussed the implications the Department Manager faces. 4.2.1 DEPARTMENT MANAGERS ROLE The Department Managers role within the company is to communicate the importance and relevance of all business decisions and strategies to his or her Department Store Colleagues. Thus the Department Manager is responsible when explaining the Delivering Great Service strategy to his or her Department Store Colleagues and ensuring that they all have a full understanding and appreciation of the importance and the implementation of the Service Promise targets (previously outlined) and what they have to do. Not only does the Department Managers have to do this, they have to achieve it with the support and co-operation of Department Store Colleagues. In essence the Department Manager has: TO MOTIVATE COLLEAGUES TO WANT TO DELIVER THE SERVICE PROMISE TO OUR CUSTOMERS, EQUIPPING THEM WITH SOME OF THE SKILLS TO DO THISi (DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE THROUGH CUSTOMER OBSESSION, MISSION STATEMENT, 2001) But how are they supposed to do this? The Department Manager would need great leadership and motivation skills combined with skilful use of communication to initiate Department team spirit to enable Service Promise targets to be met. They would need a keen eye to identify those within the Department that need extra help or indeed those who arent willing to work towards Delivering Great Service objectives. Necessary skills would include the capacity to deal with targets being missed and the individuals ability to quickly set more achievable targets. But with no formal training how could Department Managers achieve these skills and successfully achieve Delivering Great Service objectives with the full support of their Department? I believe that Department Managers could achieve these skills by turning to mentoring. The mission statement below accurately sums up what Department Managers are expected to achieve in respect to Delivering Great Service: TO INSPIRE OUR PEOPLE TO CONTINUALLY EXCEED OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECTATIONS, TO DELIVER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT (DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE THROUGH CUSTOMER OBSESSION, MISSION STATEMENT, 2001) 4.3 MENTORING How could mentoring assist Department Managers to achieve the requirements expected? To begin with the definition of mentoring needs to be identified and questions need to be asked as to how Sainsburys can fulfil the Service Promise by achieving the strategic objectives of Delivering Great Service The Little Oxford Dictionary defines Mentor as Mentor advisor, counsellor (THE LITTLE OXFORD DICTIONARY, 1971, 4THED) A separate textbook definition of Mentor is to help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking (MENTORING IN ACTION MEGGINSON, D. AND D. CLUTTERBUCK, (KOGAN PAGE LIMITED, UK (1999))) 4.4 STORE AND DUTY MANAGERS Store Managers and Duty Managers within Sainsburys receive a wide array of continual training sessions and personal development ran by both internal and external bodies. They are constantly assessed by their Manager who is the Regional Business Manager with regards to their Stores performance and satisfaction of their staff, a survey is conducted every six months talkback to check on staff satisfaction levels in all stores. As Managers they are required to posses leadership, motivational and coaching skills and the ability and confidence to use them as well as the privilege of constant feedback from the Regional Business Manager and constant people skill training. Store Managers and Duty Managers are massively invested in within the company resulting in a large value added resource offering an indispensable skill base, the senior store management team is essential to the companys success. Through such investment they hold the essential, crucial skills that Department Managers need to develop if they are to successfully motivate Department Store Colleagues to implement the Delivering Great Service strategy and Service Promise objectives in their daily working practise. To mentor someone is to advise and council a person whilst developing the learners skills to meet business objectives. The mentor is there to listen and suggest ways in which to tackle a situation promoting a culture where the learner isnt being spoon-fed but independently identifying ways in which to personally improve upon current skill base and achieve targets. 4.5 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DUTY MANAGERS AND DEPARTMENT MANAGERS But how will Sainsburys Duty Managers by mentoring Department Managers enable them to contribute to the achievement of Delivering Great Service through Service Promise? Sainsburys Duty Managers are high performers able to implement business objectives and strategies into the daily running of a store in a responsible fashion whilst observing the companys values (which are as follows): 1) We will be HONEST 2) We will demonstrate INTEGRITY 3) We will show our COMMITMENT to each other 4) We will be LOYAL 5) We will take PRIDE in everything we do (REGION 35 BUSINESS PLAN JUNE 2001) Point 3 and 5 are important. When mentoring a Department Manager the companys values would easily ensure the mentor and learner success, by committing to the learner and taking pride in the learners achievement The leadership and motivational skills along with strong communication and a focused approach that are necessary to implement the Delivering Great Service strategy, through mentoring an individual Department Manager could be successfully developed as the Duty Manager already possess and uses the skills the Department Manager needs. Through a series of on the job observations and one on one coaching sessions the Duty Manager can exchange ways of better practice to reflect better results (in Service Promise targets) and encourage the Department Manager to have confidence when communicating with their staff. 4.6 HOW SERVICE PROMISE IS DEVELOPED THROUGH MENTORING. Through the improved skill base the Department Manager will have developed through mentoring and will be able through the Service Promise (objectives if the Delivering Great Service strategy) to achieve stated objectives through actions completed, as seen below: 1) 2) 3) 5.IMPLAMENTATION OF TIMESCALES But what time scale are we looking at? Delivering Great Service is a strategy that is in Stores NOW and Department Managers fully understands its implications NOW, its not planned to reach a Store in 6 months, results are expected to show in 6 months. With such a constraint on time I propose the following timescale strategy: 5.1 STORE IMPLEMENTATION TIME SCALES 6. CONCLUSION In conclusion it can be seen that the implementation of Delivering Great Service has allowed Duty and Departmental Managers to grow in their roles. The mentoring skills of the store management are developed therefore allowing them to implement the strategy outlined and provide the highest level of customer service on the shop floor. As this is what 70% of customers require in order to have a satisfied shopping experience that is easy, enjoyable and inspiring. This will allow them to compete with their market competitors to the highest advantage and regain the market share, which they have lost. BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS * Torrington,D and Hall,L and Taylor,S (2002), Human Resource Management, Prentice Hall Europe, UK * Marchington,M, Managing the Team * Megginson, D. and D. Clutterbuck, (1999), Mentoring in Action, Kogan Page Limited, UK. * Parsloe, E. (1999), The Manager as Coach and Mentor, (2nd Ed), The Guernsey Press, Channel Islands. * Norton, B. and J. Tivey. (1995), Management Directions, The Institute of Management, UK. * Parsloe, E. and M. Wray, (2000), Coaching and Mentoring, Kogan Page Limited, UK. * Pegg, M. (1999), The Art of Mentoring, Biddles, UK. * Murrell, A, J. Crosby, F, J. and E, J, Robin, (1999), Mentoring Dilemmas, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, UK * Clarke, D, (1996), Mentoring, Fenman Limited, UK * Ried, M, A. and H, Barrington, (2000), Training Interventions, (6th Ed), The Cromwell Press, UK. * Harrison, H, (2000), Employee Development, (2nd Ed) The Cromwell Press, UK. * Marchington, M. and A, Wilkinson, (2000), Core Personnel and Development, (2nd Ed), The Cromwell Press, UK. * Foot, M. and C, Hook, (1999), Introducing Human Resource Management, (2nd Ed), Longman, Malaysia. SAINSBURYS SOURCES * Annual Report, 2001 * Delivering Great Service, Colleague Briefing Leaflet, 2001 * Business Update, Sainsburys Intranet, 28th January 2002 * The Importance of Service, Delivering Great Service Store Managers Tool Kit 2001
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Good Governance Principles
Good Governance Principles Governance is the deliberate and conscious management of regime structures for enhancing the public realm.Governance can be viewed from social, political and economic perspectives. Indeed, good governance is pivotal to the development process.Development linked governance has been an issue much debated in the contemporary world. The term governance has taken a much wider meaning and is no longer restricted to rule or administration but is used in a broader sense to imply the manner in which power is exercised. Since power can be exercised in any manner as desired, certain principles would be required in order to judge whether the discourse of the power has been made as per certain standards and norms. Such judgment can be based on several criteria participation of citizens, upholding the rule of law, transparency of the system, responsiveness of the authority, consensus oriented policy, equity and inclusiveness of the policy, accountability of the system, strategic vision of the aut hority, etc. At the end of the Cold War era, the term good governance came into circulation which signified the prescriptions by donor agencies for carrying out economic and political reforms by the recipient countries. These prescriptions were presented by international donor agencies as conditionalities and were expected to be met with compliance. [4] The World Bank defines good governance as ..the one epitomized by predictable, open, and enlightened policy-making, a bureaucracy imbued with a professional ethos acting in furtherance of the public good, the rule of law, transparent processes, and a strong civil society participating in public affairs. Poor governance (on the other hand) is characterized by arbitrary policy making, unaccountable bureaucracies, un-enforced or unjust legal systems, the abuse of executive power, a civil society unengaged in public life and widespread corruption. [5] The Government of Maharashtra Report on Good Governance sought to elucidate on the concept of good governance. [6] At the outset in the Mission Statement of the report, it clarified that the concept of good governance was much larger than mere administrative reforms as understood in the conventional sense of the term as it covered more ground and substance. Good governance has much to do with the ethical grounding of governance and therefore must be evaluated with reference to specific norms and objectives as may be laid down. Apart from looking at the functioning of the given segment of the society from the point of view of its acknowledged stakeholders and beneficiaries and customers and incorporating these perspectives in the course of its actions, it must have firm moorings to certain moral values and principles. As a concept, good governance applies to various and distinct sections of the society; the government, legislature, judiciary, the media, the private sector, the corporate sector, the co-operatives, societies, trusts, organizations and even non-governmental organizations. [7] After all, public accountability and transparency are equally relevant for each one of these institutions on which the society derives pillar-strength. Furthermore, only when all these and various other sections of the society conduct their affairs in a socially responsible manner can the objective of achieving larger good for the largest number of people in the society be realized. It must also be mentioned that the foremost test of good governance is the respect for the rule of law. As the often quoted saying goes, the law is supreme and above all its subjects. Governance must always be based on rule of law. Every lawfully established government must govern according to the laws of the land and all its actions must uphold the rule of law and any effort to take the law in ones own hand or to undermine the law by anyone, howsoever high and mighty he may be, must be dealt with speedily, decisively and in an exemplary manner. The Report goes on to observe that it is a matter of great concern that despite over five decades of Independence, it cannot be said with conviction that our governance is based on the rule of law. CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE 2.1 Principles of Good Governance The pillars of governance include accountability, transparency, predictability and participation these are universally applicable regardless of economic orientation, strategic priorities, or policy choices of the government in question. However, there application must be country-specific and purely based on the economic, social and administrative capacity of the country. The universally accepted characteristics of good governance include participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, equity, inclusiveness, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability. [8] The following text shall cover the principles which may be considered as the key principles of good governance in the opinion of the researcher. These key elements have been listed out by the researcher based on their relevance and contribution towards establishing an efficient and objective driven governing authority, covering socio-political and economic considerations. The determinative role that these principles play are supported by the various texts of international governing authorities, like the United Nations, as well as the emphasis laid upon them by the Constitutions of various countries including India. Therefore, these principles are covered not only by hard-law provisions, i.e. legislations, treaties, etc. which make the compliance to such principles mandatory, but also soft-law provisions, i.e. declarations, policies outlining desirable targets, etc. which reflect the consensus of countries and their convergence in thought process vis-à -vis these principles. (1) Free and Fair Elections Since good governance emphasizes on the significance attached to the right people being involved in the decision making process, a democratic setup where the representatives of the people are in control of the power, ensured by free and fair elections, holds importance towards ensuring good governance. Free and fair elections ensure that the citizens are able to exercise their right to elect their leaders and hence participate in voicing their interests through these leaders. However, such an election process must be free and fair, where the voters have a choice amongst the candidates and the right to the relevant information concerning the candidates in order to elect the leader who according to them could best serve the government. Such elections are open to all persons without discriminating on sex, race or ethnicity and are without interference or coercion by the government.. The right to vote is a constitutionally safeguarded right and is the cornerstone of a democratic society. However, other factors which discussed below are essential to ensure that elections are a means to a democratic society, and not an end by themselves. [9] (2) Independent Judiciary The Rule of Law A crucial aspect of the constitutional mechanism is a system of checks and balances that is imposed upon the different organs of the State. While power is granted to the government, its use is overlooked and kept within acceptable limits by the constitutional limits like periodic elections, guarantees of rights, and an independent judiciary which permits the citizens to seek protection of their rights and redress against government actions. In this way, one branch of the government is able to provide accountability for the actions of another. The value attached to an independent judiciary cannot be neglected due to its role in preserving the rule of law. [10] The rule of law binds the branches of the government together. It also lays the foundation for the sound establishment of the healthy economic, social and political life. The Courts must uphold the rule of law in the State, fairly and without discrimination, providing equal protection for women and minorities and allow open and fair access to judicial and administrative systems. Political or civil rights must not be denied by reasons of sex, race or ethnicity. Justice should be available for all sections of the society. Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of the minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force. [11] (3) Freedom of Speech Press To function efficiently, a democratic society based on justice must not restrict the free exchange of ideas and information. To achieve this, free and open press and the freedoms of speech and expression are constitutionally safeguarded rights as well to cultivate effective governance. We live in an information driven society, and the access to information provides a vital tool to the public to make informed choices regarding their day to day lives and enables them to participate in the governance process. Such freedoms also serve as a check on the accountability for the government and lets the citizens redress the government for its actions. It facilitates the exchange of political discourse, creating a marketplace of ideas where no view is stifled and the best are chosen. [12] (4) Elimination of Corruption Good governance also translates into the elimination of corruption to preserve the integrity of democracy. Governments must strive to rid themselves of bribery as corruption damages economic development and reform, and is an obstacle as far as the ability of developing countries to attract foreign investment is concerned while also hindering the growth of democratic institutions, and concentrating power in the hands of a few. The best way to combat corruption is for governments to be open and transparent. While in certain cases governments have a responsibility to retain secrecy and confidentiality, democratic governments must be sensitive to the citizens right to know. Strong laws against corruption and the presence of law enforcement agencies that work against corruption demonstrate a governments commitment to this principle. [13] (5) Investment in People Reaping maximum benefit and managing the limited resources before the country is a task which must be performed by the administration. While following good governance practices, the government must invest in the people to cultivate a human resource base. This means that ample resources must be devoted to preserve the welfare of the citizens, without discrimination, and provide health care, education, etc., and an environment where political, economic and social well being, peace and justice can be achieved. [14] (6) Legitimacy Voice All citizens, men and women, must have a voice in the decision making process in good governance compliant State. This may be direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions. Such broad participation is made possible by the freedom of association and expression. Of the principles enumerated thus far, the principle of legitimacy and voice has the strongest claim to universal recognition based on over a half century of United Nations accomplishments in the field of human rights. [15] Another facet of good governance is the intention to act on consensus and not on the will of a few, whether strong or weak. This mediates the differing interests to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the entire society. A long term perspective giving due regard to the holistic effect on the society must be undertaken before the governing authority envisages on a path and focus on sustainable human development. This may include better understanding the historical, cultur al and social contexts of the given society. [16] (7) Direction The leaders in particular and the public in general should have a broad and long term perspective on good governance and human development, accompanied with a strong sense of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which that perspective is grounded. [17] The leaders and the public should have a broad and long-term perspective on good governance and human development, along with a sense of what is needed for such development. There is also an understanding of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which that perspective is grounded. Governance is thus a checklist of criteria of managing public affairs. As Lewis T. Preston, the World Bank president, categorically stated in hi foreword to Governance and Development, Good governance is an essential complement to sound economic policies. Efficient and accountable management by the public sector and a predictable and transparent policy framework are critical to the efficiency of markets and governments, and hence to economic development. [18] (8) Performance Orientation While good governance necessitates the consideration of several other factors, achieving the targets set forth by the government cannot be overlooked. These institutions and processes must attempt to serve all the stakeholders, and produce results that meet the needs while making the best use of the resources. [19] The work should always be oriented towards achieving optimal performance. Performance can be divided into two categories responsiveness of the government, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the government. Good governance calls for serving of the stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe which would ensure trust and acceptance of the public. Responsiveness of the government can only be tested if there exists meaningful and serious civil society engagement in the public affairs of the State. [20] The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protections of the environment. (9) Accountability Information is also associated with the power government exercises. By restricting information, people within government become more powerful that those who are without it. Thus, demand for transparency and information is also about sharing of power. It is possible to misuse power when it is concentrated rather than when it is shared among a broader stream of people. As information grows, the arbitrariness of government tends to reduce. [21] Good governance entails the accountability of those who have been entrusted with certain duties and powers. Since the public participates in the decision making through the elected representatives and through the appointed decision makers, these decision makers are accountable to the public for the use of their powers. The level of this accountability may however differ in accordance with the organization in question and the nature of the decision. The private sector and civil society organizations must also be held accountable to the public and their institutional stakeholders. In general, an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. [22] Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law. Transparency refers to the taking decisions and enforcing them in accordance with rules and regulations and making the information with regard to such actions accessible for scrutiny by those the decisions affect. In simplistic terms, it means also that sufficient information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and mediums. [23] Transparency depends on the building of a free flow of information. Processes, institutions and information are directly made accessible to those concerned with them and enough information is provided to understand and monitor them. [24] (10) Fairness There must prevail a sense of fairness emanating from the decisions of the governing body. The members of the society should feel as equal participants in the society. All persons should be regarded as equals, and certain rights which are considered inalienable to humans must be respected. Discrimination of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, etc. must not be condoned. Equal opportunity must be given to everyone to improve or maintain their well being. At the same time, certain protected sections of the society must be given special attention if there exists a need for the government to help alleviate their economic, social or political standing. CHAPTER 3 Good Governance in the Indian Context Life of the law is not logic, but experience. [25] 2.1 Good Governance: Recent Initiatives The pre dominant theme in contemporary debate over administrative reforms in India has been the target of achieving objectives under a regime of good governance. This implies a broader outlook towards management of such matters without exclusively restricting it to public administration. It is suggested that this idea stems from the concept of liberalization which places the individual over collective preferences, and the State shrinks to give place to the market that demands economic efficiency. [26] The contemporary efforts towards administrative reforms are not directed against an autonomous State, but instead a bureaucracy that is coming to grips with the changing role of the State. The bureaucracy is itself under an attack; on account of its inefficiency and also because of its association with a political system which has failed to perform, a system which deprived the citizens of their legitimate rights in decision making for far too long. [27] Another striking feature of these reforms is their tendency to be more ideologically oriented than before. This context must therefore be kept in mind while debating over the reform initiatives in recent times. The change in the context is primarily seen as an induced effect of the demand generated by the peoples struggle to make the government accountable. It is a change spearheaded by the efforts of the people. It is not a deliberate attempt by a benevolent government to come clean. Kuldeep Mathur makes an interesting observation that the government while reacting to this demand raised by the people has in fact met with resistance from within its own members. [28] The Conference of Chief Secretaries on effective and responsive administration in November 1996 gave birth to certain recommendations which were later converted into an Action Plan by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, which also included brainstorming by the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Chief Ministers and the Chief Secretaries. The Action Plan intends to introduce accountable administration which is effective and speedy in redressing public grievances, empowerment of local bodies, decentralized delivery system, review of laws, transparency and the right to information, code of ethics for civil servants, anti-corruption policies, etc. The central idea behind the action plan seems to be efficiency. [29] The Central Government had setup the Working Group on Right to Information and Promotion of Open and Transparent Government in 1997, which observed democracy means choice and a sound and informed choice is possible only on the basis of knowledge. It went on to argue that transparency and openness in the functioning of the government shall have a cleansing effect on the operations of public agencies and approvingly quoted the saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant. [30] In May 1997, at the Conference of Chief Ministers, transparency in the government was discussed and a statement issues which provided for an Action Plan for Effective and Responsive government at the Central and State levels, while conceding that the secrecy and lack of openness in transactions had led to widespread corruption. The statement attracted much praise also because it set upon the government 3 months time to ensure easy access to information for the people vis-à -vis information relating to government activities and decisions, except information which was sensitive in nature. Soon thereafter, political events took over and no progress was made for nearly a decade, much over the 3 month deadline that had been set. [31] While the Right to Information Act was introduced in 2005, continuous efforts are underway to introduce more accountability and transparency in the system. While most of the principles of good governance are found in the Indian legal framework in the form of constitutionally guaranteed safeguards, the governance needs to involve the civil society more actively in the decision making and establish the norms of redressal. The lack of transparency, prevalence of corruption, inefficient working and lack of responsiveness continue to be the grey areas. 2.2 Conclusion As a developing country emerging as an economic superpower, India needs to get its act right. Without certain optimum standards of efficiency, the principles of good governance cannot be attained. The peoples movement demanding good governance in India co-relates to the growing unrest in the civil society frustrated with the inefficiency and the opaqueness in the system. The only solution was to re-invent the government, and thus started a chain of events which included the passing of the Right to Information Act as recently as 2005. With the Indian economys growth story making headlines, the country has awakened to the need of the hour on its path to development. The insistence of international institutions like the World Bank that developing countries comply with the principles of good governance has only worked to Indias advantage. While some progress has been made, a lot more still needs to be done. Imbibing the principles of good governance shall ensure that India continues to march towards development, while effectively managing its resources and providing the socio-politico-economic rights that the citizens of this country are entitled to. However, just how effective this approach proves to be shall be determined by the response of the civil society which started this reform movement. CHAPTER 3 CONCLUSION The study of governance opens up new avenues it enables us to wander into intellectual space where we can search for solutions to the problems that have haunted us for far too long. The primary objective of governance is to discuss the role of the government in coping with the public issues and to tackle the myriad predicaments and difficulties that arise from these transactions. It teaches us that means must not be the ends, and both the means and the ends must be duly understood. The study of governance also enables us to effectively factor in the role that must be played by the other players in the arena of governance the role that must be played by the civil society groups and institutions. Governance is an exercise of economic, political and administrative authority for efficiently managing a countrys affairs, at both micro and macro levels, which includes the mechanisms, processes and institutions through which the citizens and civil society groups are able to communicate their interests, make use of their constitutional and legal rights besides meeting their obligations and mediating their differences. [32] It is not only desirable, but imperative that governance for development be accountable, participatory, responsive, effective and efficient for promoting the rule of law, safeguarding the interests of citizens and marching towards a holistic development. The principles of good governance are a set of principles which have gained popularity in an almost dogmatic sense. The universal applicability and acceptance of these principles have seen their application reach a new height and there is now a global pressure to conform to these common minimum standards of governance. These principles envisage a model of governance on which the developing countries, which are fast realizing the link between development and efficient governance, seek to fashion their governance on. The driving force behind this changing scenario have been the international institutions pressing for compliance, and the rising peoples movements demanding their legitimate rights to competent governance in an accountable manner. There is a growing sentiment that the convergence over these principles will result in the governments rising above the challenges before them. At the same time, there is caution in the wind. These principles must not be followed as diktats. Their application must be tailored to the specific needs of governance, sensitizing them to the local conditions. This is on account of the socio-politico-economic values that are affected by these principles. Their introduction as a localized experience prevents the alienation of the very people who must reap benefits. Practicing these principles of good and just governance results in a free and open society where people can pursue their hopes and dreams in a healthy and conducive environment. Moreover, robust and open economies would follow which can be trusted by the investors and financial institutions alike, and development shall flourish. It is a matter of strengthening what our Constitution endeavored to provide us. Respecting the human rights; a fruitful partnership between the government and the civil society; efficiency, accountability and transparency in the machinery; performance orientation with strategic vision; useful use of the human resource base and a strong and independent judiciary together they shall prove to be the desired shot in the arm for a re-invented and rejuvenated system of governance. The governance needs to be carried out in a manner that invokes trust and confidence, a manner which convinces the citizens the countrys biggest resources to come forward and fully par ticipate in an enterprise to secure the objectives of development and progress. In the light of what has been discussed above, with special focus on the realization to introduce changed governance practices and the increased restlessness amongst the people in India, it is almost as if a new governance philosophy has emerged. Unlike the traditional public administration systems that focused on bureaucracy and the delivery of public services, the governance model envisages public managers as entrepreneurs of a new, leaner and increasingly privatized government adapting to the practices and values of private businesses. [33] The mantra to be followed by the new governance model would be to transform civil services, underlining the reforms as means to (a) reorganize and downsize the government, (b) set-up a performance based organization, (c) adopt private sector management practices and (d) promote customer-orientation of administration. [34] For the developing world which is in the grip of serious debt crisis, the World Banks good governance solution with its accompanying micro and macro-accountability formula hold much promise. Institutional capacity building has been the central point of discussion and promotion of sound development management by removing, as far as possible, the possibilities of capture of benefits by the socially powerful is underway. [35] There is today an increasing pressure on our political system and the administrative apparatus generated by civil society organizations to share information and make the process of decision-making transparent. There is a shift towards responsive governance. This can be made practically feasible only if the mindset of the politicians and the bureaucrats undergoes a change, and they are receptive to the initiative of sharing information as well as power with the people. [36]Â
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