Creative Critical Response to King Lear

Creative Critical Response King Lear- 2011 Production- Lyceum Theatre As the lights of the theatre dimmed and the stage was lit up, a roar of applause broke out over the audience. The stage production of Shakespeare’s King Lear has been long awaited by many critics and Ian McKellan’s performance does not disappoint. The opening scenes reflect the opposite of what was due to come further in the play, coming from warm, homely and loving acting on stage to pure cruelty and terror.When Lear viciously banishes his loyalties, such a stir is caused by all actors on stage, that even the 21st century audience are shocked, despite it probably being a lot more shocking in 19th Century. Ian McKellan and his â€Å"tigers for daughters† make this play come alive. The audience focused only on them, feeling like being in another world. The vivid scenes of the play, such as the blinding of Gloucester, brought terror to the faces of the audience.The screams of Gloucester rebounded off the walls of the theatre, even hours after the end of the play. Without the incredible acting from these characters, the audience would not have had the same experience of the theatre. Ian McKellan gives the performance of his life, showing the downfall of King Lear convincingly and powerfully, despite his usual acting being for the camera rather than a live audience. McKellan is successful in the main aim of most stage actors; leaving the audience thinking and talking about it even after the end.He is not only successful in convincing the audience of pure dementia but also managing to do it without causing himself dementia. During the three hour long play, not a single eye was taken off the stage, in case any action or even word was missed by the engrossed audience. There were many a jump from the audience however when Lear lets out an incredible scream as if the realisation of his actions have hit him, before calmly and unobtrusively repeating the words â€Å"I shall go madà ¢â‚¬ .This point of the play marks his realisation and more importantly irreversibility of his actions. The heart-rending final scene, in which Lear brings the dead Cordelia in his arms to the audience’s view, is one of the best yet, Lear’s pure distraught over her death is shown by his piercing cries. Which not even a heart of stone could resist. Another brilliant performance was given by Jonathon Hyde, in his portrayal of Kent. The usual loyalty of Kent is shown with xtras, as Hyde goes undercover after being banished. Kent’s brilliant ideas and wittiness in this production make him one of the most entrancing actors on stage. Especially at points such as the dismissal of Oswald, Goneril’s devoted servant. Overall, this production of King Lear is highly convincing and leave the audience feeling dazed, deeply moved and oddly uplifted , which as some would describe as the feelings left after a truly horrific tragedy.

Judgement

To judge is a vague content of knowledge without an encounter. Example: I may say that â€Å"he† is â€Å"intelligent† and someone else also said â€Å"he is intelligent†. This judgment should be provided by a qualifier to determine the Judgment.The use of: â€Å"he† as pronoun/subject â€Å"Is† as verb â€Å"Intelligent as predicate Thus the Judgment Is also the expression of the fact that the subject belongs to the extension of the predicate Judgment does not merely express the comprehension of the subject by means of a predicate but many Judgments need an encounter In an act of â€Å"knowing†. In the example: â€Å"Peter is mortal†, â€Å"Peter is intelligent† -it showed many judgments to express the encounter. In the example â€Å"Peter is Peters -this shows vagueness .This shows TAUTOLOGY-is a way to express something by repeating or saying it in a different way THE VERBAL copula â€Å"IS† The judgment is not only a dismemberment of the encounter which is knowledge. Example: â€Å"This is heavy' The JUDGMENT, therefore, not only expresses the subject's comprehension in a concept, but also places the subject under the predicates extension and in addition, declares that the subject and the predicate are identical in the terminus of the encounter In Mathematical Expression: Line A = Line B does not mean that it is not a Judgment.Mathematical expressions are also Judgment through formula. Every judgment , however states an identity. Kind of â€Å"Translations† is necessary to reveal the declaration of identity contained In mathematical statements. Judgment By Telescopically From Webster Dictionary: To Judge is a vague content of knowledge without an encounter. Example: I may say that â€Å"he† is â€Å"intelligent† and someone else also said â€Å"he is intelligent†.This Judgment â€Å"is† as verb â€Å"intelligent as predicate Thus the Judgment is also the ex pression of the fact that the subject belongs to the eradicate but many Judgments need an encounter in an act of â€Å"knowing†. In the example: â€Å"Peter is mortal†, â€Å"Peter is intelligent† -it showed many Judgments to express the encounter. In the example â€Å"Peter is Peter† -this shows vagueness . This The Judgment is not only a dismemberment of the encounter which is knowledge. Mathematical expressions are also Judgment through formula. Every Judgment , Kind of â€Å"Translations† is necessary to reveal the declaration of identity contained in

Poverty: Most Serious Problem in the Whole World

I choose poverty as my topic for my essay because poverty has been considered as the most serious problem not only In the United State, but also In the whole world. It has been playing an important role In developing the entire society. There are three different theories In analyzing how society Influences people, and how people Influence society, which are functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic Interaction.There are five social Institutions In functionalist perspective: family, government, economy, religion, and education. View poverty from functionalism perspective, It stops the development of the whole society. The effects of poverty to society Is a very long list. Illness, crime, and hunger are major effects of poverty on society as a whole. Some of these effects can also be considered as a cause for poverty. Poverty also can lead to poor education for those children who are effected by poverty. It also will lead o revolution from the lower class people, who are suffering p overty, against the government.Sometimes it will also cause terrorism. But on the other hand, poverty can also create some jobs opportunities. Manifest function, consequences which are intended and recognized by the participants in a system, of poverty is that it gets the â€Å"dirty work† done. Latent function, consequences that are neither intended nor recognized, of poverty is that it separates people from different classes. Latent dysfunction of the poverty is that it will only enlarge the gap between the rich and he poor. Conflict theory is more focused on controlling the scarce resources..Apply conflict theory to poverty, the poor will try to get out of their situation while the rich will do their best to protect the scarce resource. In this case, the scarce resource is money, The struggling groups of poverty are the â€Å"have onto† , and these â€Å"haves†, rich people, gain a lot more power in this case. Rich people have more power In an economic way, m oney. They want to keep their benefits, and they can give their children some advantages in this way at the same time. If the poor wins more power In this struggle, one of the biggest changes In would be wages.In this society, more money produces more power, more power produces more money. The riches will get richer, the poor get poorer. The third theory Is symbolic Interaction. It relies on the symbolic meanings that people develop and rely upon In the process of social Interaction. In poverty, people who are labeled poor are always stigmatize as lazy, lack of motivation and education, or sometimes even criminal while wealthy people re always considered capable, hard working, well-educated and motivated.It separates people from different classes communicating with each other, that way It enlarges the disparity between the rich and the poor. In a conclusion, poverty Is one of the most rigorous issues right now In our society. It applies to these three different theories in different ways. The theory that I agree with the most is the people are really trying their best to narrow the gap between the rich and poor, but it really takes some sufferance to overcome those difficulties.

Mary Parker Folletts strategy as practice and leadership Essay

Mary Parker Folletts strategy as practice and leadership - Essay Example Micromanagement and establishing rigorous control systems to ensure performance were also part of the scientific management approach which led to conflict between management and employees (Mullins 2004). Follett was indicating that management involves acknowledgement of a variety of factors pertaining to worker characteristics that are inclusive of psychological needs and motivations and the sociological condition, thus defying scientific management’s effectiveness. Follett was attempting to illustrate that in order to create functional strategy and improve organisational performance, managers must develop leadership traits, avoiding the process of over-managing workers and instead seeking followership rather than command and control systems. This management philosopher, quite ahead of her time, saw organisations as complex organisms that required interaction between disparate manager and employee personalities and differing psychological tendencies in order to maximise employ ee productivity and commitment. This essay performs a critical appraisal of Mary Parker Follett’s assessment of the organisation, in order to outperform competition focusing specifically on the concepts of organisational complexity, the structure and purpose of complex adaptive systems, the impact of Follett’s viewpoint on leadership obligations and compares this to the practice perspective in real-world organisations. Based on the research on contemporary strategic management. (Mullins 2004).

Global Environmental Impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Global Environmental Impact - Essay Example As the paper discusses an extensive review of the literature found out that series of climatic change agreements and institutions have taken place to reduce Global environmental impact by climate change. Man-made climate change was known to be a problem in the 20th century even though Green House Gases emissions effects on the global climate have been there since 19th century. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established in 1988 to assess the scientific evidence. According to the research findings COP 15 in Copenhagen was established in 2009 to implement new climate agreement that would commit both developing and developed countries, an agreement that was post-Kyoto period. This conference resulted in a failure since it ended with a non-binding document mentioning 2oC target, a gaol was agreed to provide climate finance, and came up with Green Climate Fund in which countries made pledges up to 2020 that were not sufficient to meet the 2oC target In 2011, COP 17 conference was held in Durban. It establishes a mechanism of technology to expedite technology development and relocation. The conference also concluded that a new agreement to be adopted by 2015 and enter into force in 2020. The agreements was to be legally binding and applicable to all countries of the world and the Ad Hoc working group on Durban platform was to prepare it for an Enhanced Action. The US-China announcement on their intention to reduce climate change was made on December 2014 a head of the Lima conference.

Effectiveness of NGO'S in Haiti Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Effectiveness of NGO'S in Haiti - Research Paper Example occupations (twice), brutal dictatorship, and militaries), which have contributed to the worsening of the public infrastructure and pervasive poverty within the country. 80% of the Haiti lives below the poverty line, a situation that remains aggravated by wide income inequality. It is widely approximated that NGOs operating within Haiti numbers around 3000 to as high as 10,000. Aid groups usually avail close to four-fifths of social services, and NGOs may account for close to 25% of the GDP (Schwartz 235). One of the most memorable leaders who have played a remarkable role in the country’s history is Aristide, who was ousted out of power in a coup by General Cedras Raoul in February 2004. In particular, the government is left without the capacity to fight poverty or address the country’s most harmful impacts such as education and health, entrusting most of these functions to international NGOs (Schwartz 236). Introduction Haiti is heavily aid dependent as the country ca nnot execute majority of the key functions of government inclusive of operations, and maintenance or the delivery of core public services devoid of foreign aid expertise and funding. A prominent reason for Haiti’s over-reliance on aid and the subsequent negligible impact draws from the series of corrupt, incompetent governments (Schwartz 235). Systemic corruption has been highlighted that the most prominent obstacle facing successful reconstruction and development of Haiti. This thesis analyses of the impact of NGOs effectiveness on Haiti development (economic, social, and political). I argue that the bulk of NGOs in Haiti has not been effective in discharging their mandate owing to absence of accountability and coordination (Kivland 248a). 1.2 Statement of Research Problem Most Haitians are very poor, living on less than $2 a day, a situation that has been worsened by the inability of the Haitian government to provide basic services such as health care and education (Buss 25 6). The UN approximated that international donors awarded Haiti more than $1.6 billion in relief aid since 2010 (close to $155 per Haitian) and more than $2 billion in recovery aid (close to $173 per Haitian), yet despite the massive aid, Haiti appears as if the earthquake happened less than four months ago (Johnston and Main 3). Close to half a million individuals remain homeless habited within hundreds on informal camps, and the bulk of the debris from destroyed buildings still remain on the streets, and cholera, a preventable disease is increasingly becoming an epidemic annihilating thousands and sickening hundreds. It is apparent that roughly none of the money that the public perceived was going to Haiti went directly to Haiti. The international community selected to sidestep the Haitian people, government of Haiti, and Haitian non-governmental organizations, whereby the funds were rather diverted to other governments, private entities, and international NGOs (Haggerty 25). One of the reasons given for the donors not dealing directly with NGOs rather than the government is the perception of widespread corruption in Haiti (Gurt 10). Overall, progress has been extremely low in all ways, a situation that can be attributed to ineffectiveness and lack of accountability in the channeling of donor funds and implementing projects. The question of accountability

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Research paper - Essay Example The study further incorporates the use of Swales’ 1990 CARS Model with a perception that the analytical tool used upon the evaluation process of 20 articles would indicate the precise introductions in the study subjects (Hirano, 2009). The third article, â€Å"Rhetorical variation in Arabic academic discourse: Humanities versus law† concentrates mainly on the introduction of genre variations in Arabic articles concerning humanities and law. The research further seeks to define the abundance of the use of rhetorical variations through the genre analysis approach. The fourth study article, â€Å"Research article introductions in Chinese and English: A comparative genre-based study† seeks to emulate the established rhetorical variations on English and Chinese articles, and their introductions to the discipline of educational psychology through the adoption of the framework move analysis (Loi, 2010). Lastly, the fifth article of study, the â€Å"Analysing Genre: Res earch Article Introductions in Economics† enables scholars to undertake precise surveys prior to the establishment of genre analysis in research articles’ introductions (Fakhri, 2008). Mainly, the article engages researchers on evaluating the introductions of rhetoric variations in economics. Therefore, the study seeks to establish the key significant variables and approaches towards analyses of rhetorical introductions in different types of scholarly articles. Abstract The discussion shall evaluate the articles’ importance to readers since the research shall show the writers’ engagement on varied types of studies ranging from academic to economic journals. In order to derive an understanding of the salient correlation of the subject in the journals to the CARS model, the study shall denote the literature review, methodologies used, and later on to establish the results. Further, there is profound evidence that would some of the authors find success in the ir work through the accounting of informative articles from different journals with a close observation on how each of the acquired articles would reflect positively to the CARS model. The research methodology The organization of financial articles introductions and the application of the CARS model The articles compound contrastive information through empirical surveys and the application of exploratory surveys. The financial and economic articles embrace different approaches of the model. Analytically, the survey seeks to emulate the inert information of the adapted genres through the application of exploratory approaches (Loi, 2010). Arguably, the articles may be used on a future date to bolster researches comprising multilingual aspects. Further, the articles are ideal for evaluating the rhetoric introductions shown in numerous financial and economic journals (p.269). Essentially, the comparative approach of evaluating the financial journals shall seek to elevate the application of the CARS model therein. However, the writers sort to use the analytical approach as a means of justifying the inert proposals of the researches, they fail to correlate the former journal materials to Swale’s study. The survey seeks to

Discussion Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Article Example This means that even though the actual cause of the firefighter’s death was the fire, Andy and Tara had no intention to commit a murder. However, their criminal offence of arson resulted to the death of firefighters. This implies that the Tara and Andy were responsible for the death. In this regard, as a district attorney I have basis to charge them murder. John and Mary intention was to rob a drug dealer. It worth to note even though they completed their mission, John was left behind resulting to the shooting and death of the drug dealer. Before the robbery, John and Mary had no intention to kill the drug dealer even though John was armed. The fact that the two had conspired to undertake the robbery, Mary’s conviction to robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery was correct. However, it was not collect to charge her for murder. On his part, John should have been convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and

Kublai Khan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Kublai Khan - Essay Example As Emperor, Khan initiated a symbiotic relationship between the Chinese and the Mongols, promoting a nation of tolerance and cross-cultural interaction that allowed for a flourishing of diverse arts as well as militaristic might. He exercised both military and political savvy in his actions, which contributed to a successful unification of the two primary peoples of his empire. Kublai’s power, military and political success attests to his military intelligence and daring. He was a strong man who understood strategy and possessed the ability to command respect and obedience from his subjects and people, ruling with a strong hand when necessary and promoting tolerance when possible. It was in this latter instinct that he gained perhaps his most lasting contributions, but it is also that instinct that nevertheless led to his downfall. Although he likely would not have been as successful as he was, had he not possessed political intelligence and agility, his instincts were often t owards indulgence of this tendency. He well understood the profound importance of catering to the Chinese majority, and thus took on Chinese advisors and officials as well as made a point of upholding important Chinese traditions, cultural values, and administrative practices. He commanded all his concubines, sons, daughters, and all the royal family members to adopt the Han culture and acquire the Chinese language and customs. Thus, the new China flourished under Kublai’s rule and experienced a heavy restructuring of political configuration. However, although Kublai Khan overcame many difficulties and barriers and ultimately achieved what he endeavored to do, in the end he became a disillusioned and embattled man. Through the struggles to convince his own conservative Mongol community of the need for the tolerance he promoted with the Chinese culture, he was increasingly isolated and frustrated at the end of his life. Both his military and political strength portrays his cap acity for leadership and as well as his ability to properly run a nation and allow it to flourish, but his personal failures and ideas eventually left lonely and embittered. In this essay, his contributions and legacy will be reviewed in order to see this in more depth. Family Background and Early Beginnings Genghis Khan, Kublai’s grandfather, united many of the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia and in that way founded the Mongol Empire. As Paul Ratchenevsky writes, the nomadic tribes in their territory were loosely linked tribal groups who would make stronger but still temporary confederations whenever some regional purpose called for it. Such purposes often involve war, but these were traditionally wars of a defensive nature. The tribal bands would come together whenever an outside force posed some impending danger, but their need for mobility as nomadic peoples generally prohibited any stronger or more lasting associations because of the nature of their lifestyles. Genghis Khan, through force of personality and visionary leadership managed to unite these tribes and begin offensive wars that allowed the empire to expand across Asia. Eventually, he initiated many invasions within Eurasia, thereby extending the reach and impact of his territory. In these ways, he was to be emulated by his grandson, with a combination of imaginary and charismatic leadership that led to the establishment of greater territories. Through the influence of Genghis Khan,

Managing Value for Competitive Advantage Company Analysis Essay

Managing Value for Competitive Advantage Company Analysis - Essay Example The rapid changes in business environment in the 21st century demand that businesses reinvent themselves in order to remain relevant. The economy has changed from being commodity based to become a knowledge –based one. Sources of value creation have shifted from tangible assets to intangible things. Advances in technology and globalization have given the issue of making networks and building long-term relationships more prominence (Castell, 2000). Simply put, in the information age, the flow of communication plays a vital role in enabling the business to succeed. According to Freeman, the term stakeholder may be defined as any group or individual who are in a position to affect or be affected by a company’s objectives. The type of interests that the stakeholders have in a company differs. For instance, investors have a stake in the equity of the firm. In addition, other direct stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers and competitors have a stake in the financial success of the company. Wheeler and Sillanpaa (1997) also included individuals and groups that speak for the environment, non-human species and future generations in the list of stakeholders. This type of stakeholders is interested mostly on the impact that the firm has on people and on the environment. Further, Freeman states that there are two fundamental issues that should be articulated in the analysis of stakeholder theory and value creation (1994). First, the fundamental question on the purpose of the organization must be answered. This sets the stage for the management to elaborate on the core function that the firm engages in. The shared purpose of the value that the organization creates helps to rally the stakeholders to work hand in hand towards achieving their goal. The second issue that should be considered is about the responsibility of the management to the stakeholders. It is accepted that sustainable economic value can only be created by the voluntary coming together of people to improve the wellbeing of each other. It is imperative the organization outlines how it intends to do business and precisely the kind of relationships it intends to build with the stakeholders. Creating value for stakeholders provides a win-win scenario for both the firm and the stakeholders (Jones et al, 2002). When a company creates products and services that customers are willing to buy, offering rewarding jobs that

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Marks and Spencer - Essay Example These principles revolve around the responsibilities of firm towards their stakeholders, customers and employee. With these principles different suggestions are provided, discussing that what extra should be included by the Hermes in its Principles. The paper ends with a brief description on conclusion. Marks and Spencer is the famous British retail chain with 760 stores working in more than 30 countries. This retail chain is the most iconic and recognized chain in the world whose 520 stores are serving only in United Kingdom. This store chain is famous as it is the largest clothing retailer and is consider being multi-billion pound food retailer. Recently the store introduces the homes wares including different wares for furniture's and other products. It was the tail of 1998 when this store consider to be the first British store who make pre-tax profit of one billion pounds but later it went into some crisis but by 2007 it start growing economically and showing high profit margins to their investors. According to Emilio Barucci , (2003) Financial management policies are the one that are used by the firm to know that how they should finance their business, what should they provide the shareholders in return, what would be their cost structure and how they should manage their capital structure. This may include various structures that are taken in consideration to know that either the firm is acquiring better financial management system in the firm. Hermes is famous for its principles specially taking shareholders in consideration. Below Marks and Spencer financial management policies are seek by the researcher to know that either they are in accordance with Hermes principles or not. Financial Management Policies of the store Agency theory Thomas E. Copeland, John Fred Weston, Kuldeep Shastri, (2005) argued that agency theory of the firm includes the profit sharing, efficiency wages and performance measures. The agency theory of marks and Spencer is in accordance with the principles of Hermes. Today 290000 shareholders are present with marks and Spencer and the reason is that they are provided with effective return on their investments. Taking full care of the employee's, the employee's are provided with 500 pound bonus provided to each single employee on their performance. This bonus providing enhances the loyalty of the employees. When taking profit sharing in consideration than the firm ensures the stakeholders that they will be provided with maximum profits, and the reason is that they want to keep their stakeholders with them at long-term basis. The firm is providing efficient end results with the food retail shops as these are earning highest. Moreover, the firm has launched the performance measuring system to kn ow that what they can do more to increase the market performance of the firm. The agency theory of the Marks and Spencer is in accordance with Hermes but the only thing that they lack is efficient performance measures. According to Jean-Pierre Danthine, John B. Donaldson, (2005)the performance measure of the employees and their policies must be used to now that what are their actual performance. Marks and Spencer is dealing with more than 700 retail stores and thus measuring each employee performance would be difficult, but by

Games at twilight Essay Example for Free

Games at twilight Essay Both stories had an unexpected ending; in Games at Twilight this had a very sad, disappointing ending for Ravi, due to the fact that he expected to emerge victoriously from the shed after his ordeal, to find that he had not been missed. In Pineapple Cake, a certain twist in the story formed which was unexpected. Throughout the story the writer appeared to focus on Mrs Fernandez watching Victors behaviour in anticipation that he would show her up. I really expected Victor to do something that would have discredited his mother, but when the old man died it gave a twist to the events. I feel that the plot in Games at twilight, builds up an image of Ravi in his dilemma, by describing how he imagined many creatures were watching him, and how he felt about the other children, especially Raghu as he was much more dominating in character. This gave an insight to his feelings and thoughts, which build up his character. In Pineapple Cake, there is a lot of drama towards the end of the story when all the attention focuses from Victor to the old man who has died in the middle of the wedding ceremony. I feel that both these stories have different plots that lead onto the main events. Both stories give an insight into the minds of the children through their actions and observations. Each story is written about children, which includes their thoughts and feelings around the situation theyre faced with. In Games at Twilight, very little is given by direct comment about Ravi, only that he is small. Whilst he is in the shed the writer expressed how he felt by his reactions to the dark, spooky shed. He was frightened of this situation especially the creatures that may be watching him. In Pineapple Cake, Victor was described as being Nervous rather than rebellious child, this was perhaps true because of his bombastic mother who appeared to control him by bribery. Apart from his child like tendencies, I do feel that he was sensible as he demonstrated good behaviour in his mothers presence even thou he knew he may not get is reward. Both stories do have a sad ending. In Games at Twilight, Ravi wanted to make an impression on the other children, especially Raghu. These were destroyed when he came out of the shed and realised his insignificance amongst the other children. In Pineapple Cake, it also ended in a sad event. Victor endured a day in uncomfortable shoes and clothes and in a boring environment. At the end the death of the old man affected him so much that he was no longer interested in his promised pineapple cake. It appeared that Victors father was not present at this event. There is not much reference within the text describing his father, only Had his father brought him here on a Sunday outing, he could perhaps be working or not living with Victor and his mother. She dominated and insulted victor, saying Dont you go and wet your pants, man, This may have caused him to be withdrawn and quiet, but I do think that he is smart because throughout the story his mother promised him this cake and he knew she wasnt very reliable in keeping a promise. Games at Twilight gives little mention of the mother and appears to be centred on the children and their activities, Which is play. This is centred on their mischievous and noisy games and gives Ravi personal experiences and disbeliefs in the other children. In Pineapple Cake, the story is focused on a child and his mother, who are attending this posh wedding. In the whole story she comes across in a boisterous manner towards Victor. She believes she is important and was looking forward to Having tea at Greens, you know. From her attitude and feelings towards Victor, you are able to form a character of a women who was impatient, Well, come along, get dressed quickly yes, yes, and insensitive through the way she had Victors cake after the death and said I think wed better go now. Both stories express the frustrations of each child within the story. The writer does this by showing their inability to control each dilemma theyre faced with. I did enjoy Pineapple Cake, rather than Games at Twilight, as the plot had more humour to it and there was plenty of action. I could also feel an element of suffering for Victor during his stressful day. The end of the story came as a complete surprise to the reader. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Customer satisfaction and loyalty in convenient stores

Customer satisfaction and loyalty in convenient stores Abstract: In this article we look at the customers expectation from the convenience stores and the factors which drive the customers in the selection of a convenience store. The article further looks into the types of products that drive customers into convenience stores in Sri Lanka and also analyses their billing patterns to identify the demographics of customers working into the outlet and the type of products purchased. Even though the study looks at customers who are regular at the convenience stores their basket value is relatively very low which means their purchases are carried out at various other stores also. The study further identifies that even customers who are satisfied with the levels of services delivered by the convenience stores, it does not drive loyalty as customers look at shopping at different stores as per their needs. Based on our findings, further research should focus on identifying how customer satisfaction should be used to convert satisfied customers int o loyal customers. INTRODUCTION Rhee and Bell (2002) states that even though shoppers often visit and purchase from many different stores, most of them have a primary association to a main store where most of the purchases are made. This main stores are where the shoppers visit often to purchase when a large shopping basket is necessary. It is important for a new chain of convenience stores to be the preferred main store as when shoppers are converted into loyal shoppers they tend to spend double the amount in their first choice store as per Knox and Denison (2000). This is because most shoppers perceive the primary store as a safe bet according to Roselius(1971) as the primary store is a trusted place with the lowest level of perceived risk of disappointment when shopping. Yet Taher et al. (1996) argues that being at ease with a store is not sufficient to ensure repeat patronage. They go on to state further that with more information being available to consumers about value/cost alternatives Taher et al. (1996) be lieves that the number of customers who are willing to take the perceived risks are growing. This is good news for a small chain of convenience stores, which is relatively new as it means that by providing more information it is possible to attract new customers but the challenge is raised in converting these customers into loyal customers. It is therefore important according to Taher et al. (1996) and Sirohi et al. (1998) that retailers continuously collect information of the consumers who frequent the stores in a structured manner in order to understand areas for development of augmented services to develop loyalty to the stores. The strength of loyalty of customers to a store is one of the most important indicators of the stores strength according to Rhee and Bell (2002). Reichheld and Sasser (1990) reassure that profitability can be increased by increasing the levels of loyalty. Knox and Denison (2000) in their study of the retail sector in UK goes on to state that it is important for a corporate retail strategy to maximize consumer loyalty and minimize consumers from opting for switching. According to Solgaard and Hansen (2003) assortment of products at the outlet is one of the most important factors that drive the choice between the different stores customers patronize in. MODERN RETAIL LANDSCAPE AND CONVENIENCE STORES Retail comprises of all activities which directly relate to the sale of goods and services to the consumer for personal, non business use. (Retail glossary, 2009) The retail sector in Sri Lanka can be categorized into two as modern trade retailers and traditional trade retailers (grocery shops). The modern retail trade in Sri Lanka is expected to grow rapidly with the post war economic development and increase in household income. The penetration levels are expected to increase from 15% currently to 30% over the next 5 years. Modern retail format can be categorized into five formats as BIRO (2001) defines; they are convenience store, mini market, super market, departmental store and hypermarket. Convenience store is small in nature, offer few products. Its concentrated in convenience goods with limited brands. Mini market is bigger than convenience store in size, but still limited in product brands. Same with convenience store, mini market product offers focus on convenience goods. Department store is bigger in nature than minimarket, with varied products. Departmental store is a large retail store offering a variety of merchandise and services and organized in separate departments. Consumer can find shopping goods along with convenience goods in a department store. Supermarket is a large self-service food store selling groceries, meats, household goods, and so on, usually on cash-and-carry basis. Hypermarket is a variation of a supermarket that offers a variety of non food items, such as appliances, clot hing, and services, along with food items, in a vast space much larger than a regular supermarket, sometimes in excess of 200,000 square feet; also called superstore. The grocery items are often priced below market to draw traffic into the store; however, the grocery selection is also more limited than in a regular supermarket. The Sri Lankan modern retail market is dominated by the Cargills chain of supermarkets which has over 50% of the market share. There is only one hyper market in Sri Lanka to fit into BIROs classification of hypermarkets, but it has relatively low floor size. The modern retail market consists of five large players who are subsidiary business units of large conglomerates in the country. With high focus on large volumes and low margins, the customers in the modern retail segment are benefited by having a wider range of products, including groceries and general merchandise under one roof at relatively low prices. Convenience stores are a relatively new concept to the Sri Lankan market, and many consumers are still associating the convenient shops with mini supermarkets. The understanding of the convenience concept with limited range of products is still not clear in the local market. In Sri Lanka one of the growing convenience stores is Go Getter which was launched two years ago and currently it has 25 outlets. For this dossier the customers who visit Go Getter are studied to have an understanding of what drives these customers to the Go Getter outlet and which of these factors can be used to drive loyalty amongst the customers. In most of the Asian region the convenience stores are plenty and available in almost all locations. The growth of the convenience stores is mainly attributed to increased car ownership, increase number of households with refrigerators and freezers, and the growth in the number of working wives. (Jeannet and Hennessey, 1988) In other words the increase in mobility, growing purchasing power and the time constrains bring customers from shopping at supermarkets to convenience stores as customers are on the run and need to purchase products on the go. The wider choice of products and more competition was expected to bring higher quality and safety as well as to counter balance to rising price levels (Lipman 2003). According to Calvin B. Lee (2002) higher customer service levels lead to greater revenue and net income. The above stated research finding elaborates the extent to which customer service can lead to the company development. In every business, the customer service is very important. Without the help of customer convenience stores will find it difficult to attract customers and retention for repeat purchase. LITERATURE RIVEW According to Magi, 1995 and Corstens and Corstens, 1995 most of the consumers shop at more than one outlet. Most consumers patronage two or more outlets regularly because they arrange their shopping trips from different geographical locations (Solgaard and Hansen 2003) (e.g.,on way home from work, or other non-domestic activities). Similarly different stores may be selected as the purchasing requirement may vary by the amount of goods required (e.g., monthly purchases, topping up when necessary) or it can vary by the range of goods required (e.g., vegetables, meat, frozen foods, discount, etc.). Some consumers may even be looking for the products they prefer most or different individuals of the household may have preferences for different outlets. Therefore, to create loyal consumers one needs to understand what driver the customers to the store, however Mitchell et al. (1998) in their number of studies on store image had not identified a link between store attributes and loyalty. Garton (1995) and Bloemer et al. (1998) states that the consumers experience of the stores quality and service had relatively low level of influence in converting the consumer into a loyal repeat customer. Available literature has recognized several factors which influence satisfaction of outlet whilst shopping: Store attributes such as location of store (Woodside and Trappey, 1992) Range and quality of assortment stocked (Claxton and Brent-Ritchie, 1979; Sirohi et al., 1998) The pricing strategy used (Williams et al., 1978) Promotions carried in-store (Urbany et al., 2000; Kumar and Leone, 1988) Assistance provided by floor staff (Macintosh and Lockshin, 1997; MÃ ¤gi, 2003) Atmospherics of store ( Crawley, 1993;Yalch and Spangenberg, 199; Babin and Darden, 1996) Volume of purchase (MÃ ¤gi 2003); Garton (1995) goes on to suggests that to gain store loyalty it is important that the consumers image of the store be in line with the consumers self image. Sivadas and Baker-Prewitt (2000) concluded that the attitudes of consumers which drive the similarity between self image and store image are linked to store satisfaction. Still there is no evidence to suggest that this satisfaction necessarily has a direct effect on store loyalty. According to (Solgaard and Hansen 2003) a consumers preferred store is based on the perceived utility that they derives from the store. Consumers perceive the utility according to what they get for what they give. What consumers get is the output from the store which include service, products, price and other attributes in the consumer experience (Bucklin, 1966; Bucklin et al., 1996). To receive this output from the store the consumer also has to spend his resources in terms of time and money (Blackwell et al., 2001). As resources are scarce, resource maximization will be the key concern of the consumer and he will opt for the store where he perceives he will get the best store output for the resources he spend according to his perception of the services he receive. The available literature has pointed down a few significant drivers which effect consumers perception of store output these include the range of products and its assortment, quality of products available, overall service levels, store assistance personnel, store lay-out, convenience, cleanliness and atmosphere (Blackwell et al., 2001; Levy and Weitz, 2001; Bucklin et al., 1996, Finn and Louviere, 1996). Whilst the cost to the customer goes beyond the monitory value associated with the product prices themselves, and include the resource values of the time and money spend on transportation to and from the outlet. Individual determinants such as shopping intension, attitude towards retail outlets and shopping habits plays an important role on consumer shopping decision. Attitude towards retail outlet and shopping habits tend to influence shopping intension. This implies that retailers should concentrate on strategies in building consumers positive attitude towards their retail so that consumers visit their retail in order to make their visits regular (Siringoringo 2009) DESIGNING OF THE RESEARCH The factors that drive customer satisfaction identified by literature review were used amongst convenience store customers to understand if these factors hold true in the Sri Lankan context. And if they hold true to what extend are the levels of satisfaction they get from the existing convenience stores and their level of loyalty with the existing convenience stores. Further regular customers of 15 convenience stores were identified and their purchase habits were recorded using specially designed software at the point of sale to understand the relationship between customer demographics and purchase patterns. The objective of the second phase was to identify the types of products purchased and the basket value as literature reveals that consumers spend more at the primary stores than at any other outlet. 4.1.1 Objectives Of The Potential Consumer Survey The first phase of the study is carried out amongst the potential/current customers of convenience stores to understand their if the satisfaction drivers of the consumers hold true as per literature review and to understand further if they are loyal to one outlet or if the customers regularly switch between outlets. 4.1.2 Convenience Store Customer Sample The convenience store users sample size depends on resources available as well as on methodological considerations. Based on these, the study objectives will initially entail a review of approximately 390 convenience store potential customers. For the selection of the sample, a number of options for selecting the sample will be considered, with identification of purposive sampling as the most appropriate approach of those considered. Purposive sampling will allow for information-rich cases to be selected, which will generate insights into key issues and into effectiveness of interventions, rather than generalization to a population (Patton 2002). Sampling would entail surveying convenience store consumers and well as potential consumers who will be future buyers of Go Getter. Of the total population of convenience store potential consumers are undefined therefore a sample size of 390 is identified in the following areas: Main City limits and suburban area where convenience stores are popular and consumers are more adaptable to the concept of convenience stores. These constitute 5 of the 10 main cities where the convenience stores are currently functioning will be selected as the survey centers. Data capturing will be based on a structured questionnaire. A purposive sampling procedure will be used and the respondents will be selected based on income, profession, family size, gender and place of dwelling. The questions cover information areas such as current purchasing power, goods and services requirement and assessment of assortments and opinion on the services provided by the convenience stores. The SPSS package with an adapted code-book was used to process and analyses the data. Mainly descriptive statistics mean, mode and percentages will be used. The reason is to select sample is number of population is bigger than the 1 million. According to the Anderson sample chart fewer than 5 % error rate 390 is the best sample size if population is bigger. Hence, they will be selected from the people who work for FMCG sector (suppliers of Go Getter, potential customers, who would like to purchase goods from convenience stores and who live in apartments, who are receiving a salary above 1000US$, who are earning less than 150 US$, which compel them not to stock up their basic needs as well as young executives in the age range of 20 to 40 years who are living mostly in rented apartments or boarding houses. 4.1.3 Information Captured In Phase 1 The questions will be formulated to reveal the information listed below to understand the level of satisfaction customers are currently getting from the outlets they currently shop at. Table 1: understanding the convenient store landscape Objectives Descriptions 1. Knowledge of convenience stores Since the concept of convenience stores is new for the Sri Lankan consumers, identifying the consumers knowledge levels is important if they are to comment on the satisfaction they get from the convenience stores. 2. Product categories In the CVS/retail industry products are categories into different groups such as groceries, personal care, tobacco, perishable, impulse purchase etc. Different retail formats such as supermarkets, CVS, meat shops carry only selected categories of products. The products are categories tested are as follows Snack and confectionary Bakery Colas Mobile Credit Tobacco Groceries Baby care products Dairy products Others 3. Convenience offered/Expected/needed Identifying factors that customers associate as factors that drive convenience at the outlets they currently shop at and the levels of satisfaction they are getting from these outlets. 4. Customer retention/loyalty How loyal are the customers to the outlets that they shop at the moment. Are they switching amongst the outlets or are they shopping only at one selected outlet. 5. Expected retail format What other factors do they look from the convenience stores. These include factors other than convenience such as price/quality/atmosphere/relationship as literature review suggest these factors also drive the customer satisfaction levels There is a dearth of literature on the use of an appropriate scale to specifically measure the level of store satisfaction and store loyalty. Knox and Walker (2001) in their study of measuring and managing (brand) loyalty, stated that there is limitations in practically measuring of customer satisfaction as well as customer loyalty. Since there is no assured measuring instrument, the Likert five-point itemized rating scale is used in this instance to measure the level of attributions which drive store attributes. 4.2.1 Objectives Of The Online Survey The main objective of the online survey is to identify if the products which are purchase by the customers who have been identified as regular customers to the convenience stores are similar to the products stated by the respondents in phase one. This will help understand gaps if any amongst the actual customers at the store and the respondents to the first phase of the survey. The second set of information concerns on the basket value to understand if these regular customers are actually loyal customers as the basket value of loyal customers should be higher than or in par with the basket value in phase one. 4.2.2 Online Sample This data collection is planned to be done from customers who visited the convenience stores using a Convenience card which was given to the shoppers who visited the outlet regularly. This study is planned to be done at 15 outlets of the Go Getter convenience stores. Computerised data is collected from January 2008. The sample comprise of 15 outlets in order of the highest number of customer visited from 1st January 2008. There are 200-300 convenience card holder who visit each outlet on a daily basis. Hence, an average of 250 customers per outlet for 15 outlets will result, 3750 customers per day for a month and the same could be taken as respondents. Therefore it can be considered as an adequate representation. Data will be collected monthly. A special modification was done to the point of sales software application where the specially trained cashiers enter profile data of customers prior to the billing process. 4.2.3 Information Captured In Phase 2 Data which will be collected at the time of checkout is age group, gender, and product availability (were the products that they wanted available or were they out of stock). This data will be automatically correlated with items that they have purchased which will result in the identification and analysis of patterns and trends. 5.0 DISCUSSION OF DATA ANALYSIS 5.1.1 Understanding The Product Range And Pricing Concern From the respondents selected for the data collection 77% of the respondents were in executive or managerial grades. Almost 63% of the respondents earn > $ 150 are in the executive grades whist 70.97 % of those who earn As expected more than half the population (57.63%) stated that they buy other products, followed by 35.59% stating CSD/colas whilst milk products were stated by 32.2%. This clearly reflects that customers visiting convenience stores look beyond the major product groups identified. Regarding the value for money received at competitors, 61.2% of those who earn >$ 150 agreed that that value for money is received whilst 48.4% of those Given what was discussed above regarding the range, it is important to assess whether consumers have any concerns about the range on offer. However, a more than two third of the sample >$150 and 5.1.2 Level of Satisfaction drivers Service is a key dimension that needs to evaluate in the retail industry is customer service, as the entire concept revolves around service delivery. Nearly half the sample 82.8% stated that the check out is quick whilst a majority (90.7%) stated that the sales staff can be identified most of the time. Furthermore, 92.6% of the overall sample stated that the outlets maintained cleanliness with 58.2% stated that outlets maintained cleanliness most of the time. Nearly equal number of persons surveyed commented on the price consistency with 164 persons stating that price consistency is maintained sometime while 181 persons out of 390 interviewees stating that price consistency is seen most of the time. The staff assistance was commented positively with near universally 93.1% stating that the staff provides assistance most of the time or sometimes. On receiving goods promptly, 55.9% of those earning above The respondents earning above $ 150 category felt that the service was good sometimes. Almost universally the respondents were satisfied with the overall level of service (92.6%). Furthermore, a cross analysis between those who shop at the outlets, the facilities they look for and the times of the day and the product range highlights the following findings: Given this levels of satisfaction, it is important to look deeper in to data and see what aspects are valued by the customers at convenience store outlets. In order, a cross analysis was carried out between those who shop at these outlets and what they value most. As the literature suggested almost half the population in both income levels stated that it is location followed by range and service at an overall level. These findings when analyzed by the respective income brackets come in the order of priority where 48.4% state location, 32.3% stating offering a range and fast service being stated by 25.8% of those below $ 150. The order of importance changes when looking at the data of those above $ 1000. To them it is the location that matters most, followed by fast service and the product range. 5.1.3 Tendency To Shop At Multiple Outlets (Low Loyalty) From the total base of 390 respondents, a little less than half the population (40.51%) visit competitor outlets at least once a week and the next frequency was irregular (21.79%) with a similar amount (21.54%) claiming to visit competitor outlets less than once a week. None of the respondents do their shopping at one selected outlet. 40% shift from outlet to outlet more often than not on a regular basis even though there is high level of satisfaction, whilst the balance on a irregular basis shops from different stores. This clearly shows that even though most of the customers are satisfied with the offerings of the convenience stores they still are not loyal to one outlet. Discussion On Data Collected At Selected Outlets The information which was captured through the POS data collection system was analysed to find similarities in the profile of customers visiting the outlets and the type of products mainly purchased. The literature review highlighted that it is important to identify the main products that are looked for by the consumers need to be merchandised properly to achieve customer satisfaction. When analyzing the Go Getter customer profile it is evident that customers of all ages have patronized the outlets. The regular repeat customers were divided into 4 main segments: teenagers, youth, the middle aged and the elderly. Table 1 illustrates the summary of the analysis of data collected from the survey of Go Getter customers for a period of two months. Table 4: Profile of customers at Go Getter outlets Profile information Response Average age segment Dependent upon each outlet. However, a notably high number of customers belong to the middle age seem to frequent. Gender More skewed towards the males, conforming the basic fact that top up is less frequent as a household level in Sri Lanka. Purchase tendency Except for a few variations that were dependent upon the outlet location, most demand was generated to beverages, snacks/confectionary and frozen food. Basket Value Purchases are very small in quantity, bought either on the go or for topping out at homes. Most people (25% 33%) of the customers spend less than Rs 50. Source: Author One of the most striking findings is the fact that seemingly lesser number of teens and youth has visited the outlets, especially teens. This is mainly owing to the fact that in Sri Lanka children are dependent on their parents till their secondary education is completed. Culturally, children leaving home takes place only after marriage and till such time parents and grown up children live under the same roof which is quite opposite to the Western countries. Within this backdrop, teens and youth often do not have an income for themselves and depend on their parents to give them cash for their education and other needs. A higher number of the visitors to the outlet were middle aged and elderly, dominated by the males. This coined with the main products purchased beverages/snacks and confectionary shows that most of the purchases were low value products bought on impulse rather than for household topping up. The outlets in residential areas were doing better than the outlets in commercial areas, still the product range commonly sold shows that beverages/snacks are bought more than household products, which shows that consumers still dont buy products for household topping up from Go Getter. What is very discouraging about the information gathered from the online research is the average basket value of the regular customers. From the data analysis is the basket value spent by the consumers per visit with almost a third of the customers spending less than Rs 50 (less than USD 0.5) on an average visit. This is in line with the first phase of the study that most customers prefer to buy from different outlets. Therefore the basket value of even the regular customers who visit the selected convenience stores remain low as they come into purchase products of low value as and when necessary. 5.3 Limitations of Results This study was done as a part of the doctorate thesis on understanding the consumers and the challenges in the retail trade for the entrance of a new chain of convenience stores in a market where the concept of convenience stores is limited. Therefore the data was collected on understanding the customer satisfaction drivers and to understand what need to be done to increase the revenue of the Go Getter outlets and not to understand how to grow loyalty as the business is currently at the beginning phase. Therefore further research needs to be done on the regular customers of the outlets to understand their levels of loyalty as the factors used in the research to identify the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty are limited. 6.0 CONCLUSION Previous studies carried out by Woodside and Trappeys (1992) states when specific attributes such as low overall prices or most convenient are suggested customers respond with a top of the mind association for each of the values. These associations are the strong drivers of satisfaction are what customers associate with the main store where they make most of their purchases. Bloemer et al. (1998) states the store satisfaction is the mediator of the perception of the store and store loyalty. Still even in reason studies though this connection is seen a solid link between store satisfaction and loyalty has not been established. In a recent study, it was identified that customers are loyal to outlets with an image which match their own self image. Through the levels of satisfaction customers get from the convenience stores, they look for a parallel with the self image and the store image, which according to Sivadas and Baker-Prewitt (2000) does not necessarily translate into store loyalty as there is no clear connection. This lack of clear connection between store satisfaction and loyalty, the relationship between these two attributes remain speculative according to Mitchell et al. (1998). When analyzing the information collected from the Sri Lankan chain of convenience stores and their potential stores it shows high level of customer satisfaction amongst customers who use convenience stores. The study further goes on to show that even though most customers are highly satisfied with the stores they patronize they still are not loyal to any of the outlets they shop at. The customers have a limited loyalty to outlets and prefer to shop at outlets as and when necessary to purchase products as and when necessary. The purchasing habits suggest that even the customers who visit the convenience stores regularly purchase products only for a small basket value suggesting that the main outlet of purchase is different to this outlet even though they regularly visit these selected outlets. This suggests that the customers who visit these outlets regularly are looking for top up products whenever the need occurs and the outlets need to work on cross selling to these customers and increase impulse purchases to increase basket value. The relationship between loyalty and satisfaction is still not clear but as customers are satisfied with selected attributes they continue to patronize the outlets. Therefore in creating loyalty satisfaction is a basic need. It is not clear how satisfaction can be converted into loyalty or if that transformation can be achieved. Therefore further studies need to be carried out to understand the drivers of loyalty in the local retail sphere to understand better on the development of loyalty amongst customers.

A Swot Analysis Of Google Android Computer Science Essay

A Swot Analysis Of Google Android Computer Science Essay The Google EFFECT Google is counted as one of the most reputed and respected companies of this era. The fact that Google is behind the Android OS platform gives it a great sense of credibility and viability in the eyes of the consumers, potential partners, and application developers. Furthermore Androids team has all the possible resources from Google such as financial, intellectual to make it a major player in the mobile industry. Device Options As oppose to the Apple iPhone where one doesnt have any options for mobile device vendor other than Apple, the Android OS is an open-source and any Mobile manufacturer who wishes to use Android can do so on their mobile device. This feature provides the consumers a large number of options from which to choose from and also decreasing the time to use the new and latest hardware and technological advancement in micro electronics. Competitive Pricing The Android platform is very cost effective to develop as it is an open source platform and the licensing arrangements are hassle free for the hardware manufacturer. Thus, handsets using the Android platform are priced very suitably. Google applications and services integration As the Android platform includes a number of the Google services and applications as its core functionality only to reinforce its capability and effectiveness. Google services such as GMAIL, Calendar, Listen, Reader, GPS, Maps and many others integrate effortlessly with the Android platform thus making it trouble-free for users to synchronize their data from one platform to the other. Moreover it also a competitive edge on its rivals in the internet search and you tube as Google is the leader in these fields Open Source The Android platform is built from a Linux using the JAVA programming. One can search on google to find all the essential information and source code one needs to manufacture an Android compatible device. Moreover, Android is an integral part of the Open Handset Alliance which is a cartel working together to develop Android as a free mobile platform system. WEAKNESSES Multimedia Support As oppose to Apple iPhone which has the extremely popular iTunes application and marketplace, Android doesnt have a fundamental or organized source of neither multimedia data nor an integrated multimedia player. Although there have been constant improvements in the field of apps on the Android platform, but still at this time there is no place to go that comes remotely close to what Apple is offering on this front. Reliance on device manufacturers to upgrade -Unlike, Apple controls when and how iPhone costumers will get new hardware and software upgrades and upgrades core functionality. On the other hand even when google releases a newer android version the costumers still have to wait till the device manufacturers of their respective devices comprehensively test and adapt to the new code to make sure that it works fine on their hardware configuration. Google is working on this issue according to their announcements, as they plan to integrate more of their core features of their services into the Android Operating System itself. Less Mature Android is not as established or as refined as the iPhones OS at this point, But constant improvement is seen with every new release of the android, still a lot more is required to reach the same level of sophistication as the Apple IPhone. Lack of Enterprise Support Blackberry and Microsoft still have most of their support from Enterprise usage. Although Android has made some inroads in this market, but Android still has very small market share here. It needs to continue developing Google Applications and better its integration abilities with Microsoft Exchange to gain market share. OPPORTUNITIES The Android Operating System has an amazing opportunity to get into the Tablet market right now. Google cannot afford to play a waiting game watch Apple take over the tablet market and eat up major chunk of the market share as it had done before with the release of iphone. An Android based tablet is a fantastic opportunity if executed properly. There have been quite a few inconsequential releases of Android tablets over the last year, but none of them are what someone would consider a noteworthy product. Either Google itself or a big name such as HP, Sony, Dell, ASUS, ACER need to release an amazing Android tablet in order to get a huge market share. Not to forget Samsung galaxy tab with android is good but still more sophistication is required to beat apples I pad Developer Friendly Unlike the recent actions of Apple which has alienated the developer community by distancing with them. Moreover the development tools of Iphone are difficult to use and the application approval process seems to be terribly subjective at times. This makes iPhone application development very tedious and non rewarding for developers On the other hand developing for Android is very open and hassle free for the developer as Android development tools use Java and even C/C++. This allows developers to write applications for Android using languages they already know and widely used. Furthermore Android Software development kit also provides an emulator so that application developers can test their applications without relying on the physical hardware. Google needs to take this opportunity and help developers for their efforts through better advertising revenue and app sales into financial gains for the developer. Developing Countries Google has an opportunity to develop cheaper devices using Android platform in developing countries of Asia and Africa. The licensing for android is exceptionally manufacturer friendly and the start up cost is considerably less when compared to other mobile operating systems. The integration with so many of Googles other free services it would be a sure success in these markets. Smart phone market on the rise The smart phone market is still very young and there is huge scope of growth to take place over the next several years to a decade. The market for smart phone apps will benefit from growth of nearly 50% in 2011, according to new research. The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker estimates that the worldwide smart phone market is expected to increase 49.2% in 2011, growing more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market( Kay Ewbank, 2011, http://www.i-programmer.info/news/83-mobliephone/2203-smartphone-survey.html)   Ã‚  . The integration of cloud computing applications and services to support the Android OS is the key to a maintained growth rate and increased market share potential for the Android operating system. Embedded electronic devices The Android OS is perfectly poised to be the major player in the embedded electronic devices market as a leader in embedded devices operating system. With upsurge of new devices becoming embedded with smart technologies and connectivity to the mobile networks and the internet, the Android OS is in position to be the leader in this segment. THREATS Apple dominance The biggest threat to google android is the Iphone and its ever growing popularity with the consumers as it has more smoother and sophisticated interface. Moreover Apples bigger market share gives them an influence over developers who like a revenue model that works for them. The ever growing Apple market share allows them to charge users for access to premium content. Apples recent policy changes shows its influence over developers and makes their huge market share very difficult to walk away from, even when they adopt very unfriendly developer policies. Increased Competition Obviously, companies like RIM Blackberry and Microsoft are not going to let go of their market share. In particular,  the Blackberry platform which has very huge support in the enterprise market. Moreover Nokia is also not giving up their hopes on the symbian platform and might cause an upset to androids hopes of capturing the market if they develop a new and sophisticated smart phone interface which provides their customers the ease of access for which Nokia is known for. Platform Fragmentation This is a huge threat to the Android platform. Although I have listed the more options of hardware devices as strength above, the risk of fragmentation is real as well. This is why Google is committed to developing ways to reduce this problem. Google does not want different custom version of Android to emerge from their basic platform, which is something we saw with Linux. This was one of the primary reasons for linux not making to the big leagues when comparing the market shares. As Google itself controls the Android Market so they have considerable influence over device manufacturers to meet their compatibility requirements. Financial Implications Google android is an open source Operating system for mobile phone and embedded electronic devices so at this time there are no direct financial implications for Google at the moment as still most of the apps on its marketplace are free. But as android becomes more popular Google can charge android users for different apps available on its market place. Although what Google wants to do is to make sure that there is an open source mobile OS large enough in the market for its advertising business. Google is not about selling Android devices. Google is all about search and advertising. Google is doing a pretty good job of it if we see the numbers. Last year alone Android accounted for over $130 million from marketing revenues on android out of its total $850million from mobile advertising, which is good for $5.90 average revenue per user. Furthermore Google is expecting to reap up $1.3 Billion from its advertisement revenues from android in 2012 at $ 9.85 average revenue per user with about 133 million android users by then. Moreover Google is expecting to reach over 300,000 Android activations per day very soon, which will also help them to reach the goals set by Google CEO Eric Schmidt for android to become a $10 billion business with 1 billion users of the platform, at $10 Average Returns Per Unit. Future looks to be bright Android Os Though Android is a young Mobile Os and is still improving with its newer releases so it can be said that it is in a stage of Growth, this statement can be supported by a Gartner Survey which expects Android to reach about 30 % of total market share by 2014. As Android all ready Commands about 29 % of smart phone market according to the latest data released by Neilsen and have already surpassed RIMs market share so it is on the right track to dominate the overall mobile market in the near future. Moreover overall smart phone market is also on the rise as it is expected by The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker estimates that the worldwide smart phone market is expected to increase 49.2% in 2011, growing about four times quicker than the overall mobile phone market. Furthermore According to Googles CEO Eric Schmidt they are combining their Platforms for mobile phones (gingerbread) and tablets (honeycomb) together and make it in to one OS for both kinds of devices. In conclusion I feel that Android is perfectly poised for capturing a huge market share and should help googles advertising revenues a lot in the near future, as it has all the necessary features required to be one of the best Operating System in its category.

An Analysis of the Television Sitcom, Different Strokes :: Media

An Analysis of the Television Sitcom, Different Strokes Different Strokes a comedy sitcom, first aired in 1978, and lasted until 1986. This sitcom consisted of a widowed Manhattan millionaire, Phillip Drummond , who adopted two orphaned brothers. Arnold who was 8 years old and Willis who was 12. The boys' mother was Drummonds housekeeper who became very ill, so Drummond made a promise to her that he would take care of her two sons after she passed away. Drummond treated the two boys like his own. He also lived with his daughter, Kimberly, who was 13 years old, and his current housekeeper. This sitcom showed typical life lessons in growing up, and social problems that were occurring during that time. Some of the aspects of this show were both positive and negative. Positive Aspects In this sitcom there are several different ways in which minorities are positively portrayed. For instance, even though Arnold and Willis were two brothers of another ethnic background and race, Drummond who was a Caucasian millionaire still took these boys in. Another example of positive portrayal is that Drummond also called Arnold and Willis his â€Å"sons† not just his adopted children. He raised them as if they were his own children. The third example of a positive portrayal is that in this sitcom they showed evidence of social problems, such as racial discrimination. They realized that it did exist and that it was a problem. Finally, this sitcom also showed how blacks and whites could live equally and be happy together. These four portrayals are definitely positive and show how two minorities were portrayed in â€Å"Diff’rent Strokes†. Negative Aspects Different Strokes, which was first televised November 3, 1978, was one of the better, most influential shows of that time. This show was a perfect example of how minorities were portrayed to be unable to support themselves. The African American family characterized in this show was a single mother family, leading to the belief that most African American children were without a father in their lives. In agreement with the stereotypes of the time, their income was also low because the mother was a housekeeper. The audience may presume that she had no other skills than housekeeping which leads to the negative belief that African Americans have no job skills. In addition to these family problems and income issues, the children spoke slang and were even referred to as ghetto.

School Project :: essays research papers

Introduction from the principal†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Students and Parents: We welcome you all here to Hard Knock High School. High school experiences offers learning opportunities that will provide skills to prepare you for post high school choices. Our staff at HKHS is here to help you through your high school career, and with anything else you need. We are open to the public, which means anyone can go here. We are all here to work with you, not against you, as most of you would like to think that we throw you in school to punish you. That is not true. If you try, just a little, then your high school experience at HKHS will be the best you will ever have. I wish you success in all your endeavors as a student at Hard Knock High School. Sincerely, Jessica C. Lynch Principal Rules of School 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Respect your peers as well as Teachers 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Weapons 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Drugs 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Drinking 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Sexual Contact 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Beat boxes 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Profanity ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS CREDIT REQUIREMENTS In order to graduate from Hard Knock High School, a student shall be required to earn the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  70 credits (based on 72 possible in grades 9-12) One credit will be given to each class passed with a D+ or higher for each term. REQUIRED COURSES ENGLISH – 14 CREDITS SOCIAL SCIENCE – 12 CREDITS SCIENCE – 8 CREDITS HEALTH – 2 CREDITS COMPUTER LITERACY – 4 CREDITS ATHLETIC ELIGIBILTY All students that wish to play school sports must keep a GPA of 2.00 or higher. No excuses. COLLEGE PREPARATORY FRESHMAN  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  SOPHOMORE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  JUINOR  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  SENIOR English 9 U.S. History Math Science Health Electives: Keyboarding, modern language fine arts, life skills, etc.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  English 10 Am. History Math Biology Phys. Ed. Electives: Modern language, fine arts, business, life skills.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  English 11 Government Electives: Math, Chemistry, etc.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Economics English Math Science Social Sci Modern Lang. Course Selection Index BUSINESS EDUCATION †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keyboarding †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Basic Economics 1 & 2 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business Math †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accounting 1 & 2 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer Applications †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Web Publishing †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Word Processing and Advanced †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business Management †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Work Experience †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  School to work Mentorship and Internship FINE ARTS †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drama and Theater †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drawling †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Painting †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ceramics †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sculpture †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Set Design †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chorale †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chorus †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Band †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Art Seminar 1 & 2 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer Design †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dance ENGLISH †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Journalism †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Speech †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yearbook Publications †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  English 9th †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  English 10th

IT Agreements

Seva Bharat recognizes the critical importance of protecting the privacy of Individuals and securing the confidentiality of all official records. Employees of the Department of Information Technology (IT) will make appropriate efforts to protect and secure official data and information. IT positions frequently have privileged access to computing systems, applications, databases, network monitoring tools and other equipment that may contain records and information that are private and confidential in nature.As an employee of Seva Bharat's Department of Information Technology, I may be entrusted with such rivileged access and encounter or have access to sensitive, confidential or proprietary Information whether or not It Is labeled or Identified as such. I acknowledge the sensitive and confidential nature of information concerning Seva Bharat / LCT / SBPT / SST / MI employees, consultants, alumni, donors, vendors, and other stakeholders of the Seva Bharat community.I understand and agr ee that this Information may only be disclosed with proper authorization and in the exercise of my designated duties. I agree not to use any access or information available to me In he course of my duties to engage in any activity that conflicts with the interests of Seva Bharat or use any access available to me to provide information to others engaged in any activity that conflicts with the interests of Seva Bharat. pecifically, with respect to office compuung systems, networks, records, flles, email and other information, I agree that I will treat all confidential information as such by respecting the privacy of users, the Integrity of the systems and the related physical resources, and I will: Access, copy, or store data solely In performance of my Job responsibilities, limiting erusal of contents and actions taken to the least necessary to accomplish the task. 2.When providing direct services to users, copy or store data or information only with the user's consent and only to co mplete a specified task, and only to copy and store user data for long enough to complete the specified task. 3. Not seek personal benefit or permit others to benefit personally from any data or Information that has come to me through my work assignments. 4. Not make or permit unauthorized use of any information in the office information systems or records. . Not enter, change, delete or add data to any information ystem or file outside of the scope of my Job responsibilities. 6. Not intentionally or knowingly Include or cause to be included in any record or report, a false, inaccurate or misleading entry, 7. Not intentionally or knowingly alter or delete or cause to be altered or deleted from any records, report or information system, a true and correct entry. 8.Not release official data other than what is required for the completion of my Job responsibilities. 9. Not exhibit or divulge the contents of any record, file or Information system to any person except as required for the completion of my Job esponsibilities. u lake every reasonaDle precautlon to prevent unautnorlzea access to any passwords, user identifications, or other information that may be used to access official information systems or records. 1 1 .Limit access to information contained in or obtained from the systems to authorized persons. 12. Report any incidents of my non-compliance with the terms of this agreement to my supervisor. I further agree not to independently contract to perform or provide information technology services to other entities not associated with Seva Bharat while employed by the Department f Information Technology, or to use offcial resources in the delivery of privately contracted services.I understand official resources include time, equipment, computers, tools, software, phone, email or other items that are provided by or acquired through my relationship as an employee of the Seva Bharat community. Page | 1 I understand and agree that my failure to comply with the t erms of this agreement will have consequences and may result in disciplinary action up to immediate termination and criminal prosecution, depending upon the infraction's severity, evidence of my intentions, and the sensitivity and scope of the information ompromised.

Analysis of the Raven by Edgar Allen Poe Essay

The nineteenth ascorbic acid poet Edgar Allen Poe sop ups employment of several literary devices in order to create a muddied atmosphere in his poem The consume. Alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, assonance, and repetition argon used to open to the melodic nature of the excogitate and offer an almost visual representation of his gothic setting. Poe is a master of using these penning techniques. The Raven is superstar of his most habitual works. This is certainly due, in part to his use of these literary devices in this piece. The poem tells of a narrator who is reading an old record in his parlor when he is stop by a knock at the gateway. The fighter is in a consequence of grieving over the loss of his love, Lenore. At first, he wonders who the visitant might be and resolves to inform him or her that he is reluctant at the moment. The narrator finally opens the admittance only to find no one there.He returns to the chair (which Lenore will no longer occupy), only t o hear the rapping again. He decides that the start may be approach from the window, so he opens it. A raven enters through the window and lights upon a offend of a mythological figure that the narrator has in his room. The narrator questions the raven concerning its name, the tinkers damwatch answers never again. This startles the speaker, and he wonders aloud if the bird will leave him just as all of his friends seem to do. Again, he is answered by the raven nevermore. As the protagonist progressively becomes more and more untune with the situation, he decides that the raven must go. He even demands that the raven leave. The response nevermore is once again given by the bird, which refuses to go. The narrator finally concludes that his soul is inextricably tied to this foul beast and he is to be forever tormented by it.The melodic nature of the poem and its real gloomy tone is reinforced by Poes choice of row and the plump effects that they convey. By the use of rhyme, the poem is made to flow much resembling a song when read aloud. For employment, the present moment stage business and the last three drags of both stanza rhyme with each other(a). Many other internal rhymes are too pitch inwardly the draws of the poem. In fact, the first line of the poem contains an internal rhyme at once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered watery and weary. A nonher congressman is arrange in Line 31 which reads a offertha into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, The poem is rife with such examples. Poe as well as uses repetition to accentuate the musical tint of The Raven.Obviously, the repeating of the word nevermore is used end-to-end the work non only to convey a sensory faculty of musicality, but to suggest the melancholy writing of this piece due to the connotations that the word expresses (lines 48, 54, 60, 72, etc.). Poe also uses repetition in other sections of the poem. In lines 16 and 17, we read Tis some visito r entreating ledger entry at my chamber door Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door In these lines, we get the impression that the speaker is stressful to reassure himself that there is no minatory force at work, but only if a visitor at his door. Edgar Allen Poe was extremely talented at choosing words which not only support the fluidity of the work while also reinforcing the tone. Alliteration is other literary device which is used throughout The Raven.Alliteration is the repetition of send-off consonant sounds. The Raven is full of examples of alliteration. An obiter dictum of this device is seen in line 26, in which the d sound is repeated Doubting, ideate dreamings no mortal ever dared to dream before While another example is gear up in line 45 Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou, I said, art sure no craven, In the previous sample, the th sound, as well as the sh sound are used for effect.Poe craftily uses assonance throughout this piece, as well. Assonance is the repeating of a vowel sound in a line. Line 13 gives us an example of assonance as Poe couples the words discolour curtain. Immediately following this, he begins line 14 with the assonant words Thrilled me-filled me Again, we see such a choice of words in line 59 hopes have flown. However, line 71, gives us perhaps the best example of Poes use of assonance when he writes grim, ungainly, ghastly, drawn when describing the bird.Edgar Allen Poe also employs onomatopoeia in The Raven. Onomatopoeia is a technique of using words which imitates the come of a sound which is described. An example is found when the rapping and tapping upon the speakers door and window is described (lines 3,4,5,21,22, and 32). Poe also offers onomatopoeia in line 37, when he uses the words flirt and jounce to describe the raven entering from the window. another(prenominal) fine example is found in line 80 in which the generator mentions the tinkle of foot-falls on the floor.The Raven offers a fine example of how the use of sound effects and other literary devices can be used by writers to impart a tone that creates a irritability within the reader. Poes mastery of these tools is preferably impressive. He artfully gives an illustration to writers, readers, and students of how to make full use of these implements to create the skillful air of dread that Poe desires to convey, while maintaining the beaut of a flowing, melodic poem.

Industrialised Countries Essay

freshly industrialised countries cook been, and continue to be, the hotheaded depict of globalizationTo what extent do you agree with this commandGlobalisation jakes be seen as the change magnitude flow of goods, services and information across countries, and it is operate by rapid technological appendage and change magnitude connectivity between countries of the world. It also establishes and maintains stinting and political dealing between these countries. Some of the factors that have affected globalisation include technological innovation as it had do transport and communication around the world easier, care has also played an important role in encouraging globalisation. Trade between countries in the certain world and the developing world has specifically been the biggest driving military group of globalisation. Newly industrialised countries or NICs are countries whose economies have not yet reached primary world economic status but their economic growth are sti ll increasing more(prenominal) than other developing countries. NICs are replacement their current agriculture- found economy into a more industrialised, urban economy.Current NICs include China, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, southeastern Africa, Philippines, Thailand and Turkey. The average growth rate between these countries is approximately 7.6% compared to the world average of 3.7%. The first group of NICs came from the Asia area, they included Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. They called these the Asian Tigers. The Asian Tigers were notable for maintaining exceptionally elevated growth rates (in excess of 7% a year) and rapid industrialization between the early sixties and 1990s. By the 21st century, all four have developed into advanced and high-income economies. There are several(prenominal) factors that make Newly Industrialised countries the driving force of globalisation.Firstly, most newly industrialised countries have a outstanding population this m akes the countries more attractive for enthronement as these countries have lots of cheap labor movement. Therefore, these countries calculate more attractive to TNCs as they can make more profits when the cost of labour is cheap. A Transnational Corporation or a TNC is a privately owned company that is base in 2 or more countries. They orchestrate advantage of the NICs cheap labour and large growth rate. For instance Toyota is one of the worlds leading car manufacturers and is the third largest in the world. Although based in Japan, Toyota produces most of its cars in its transplants in Georgetown, Kentucky, and Burnaston and Derbyshire.

Strategic Analysis of ALDI Essay

1. originAlbrecht disregard Inc., glob twoy cognise as Aldi, is a German establish family score orbicular neglect stove of super marts. Aldi constitutes of 2 autarkic groups, that atomic roll 18 Aldi Nord (North) and Aldi Sud (S come a chargeh) de jure and scotch whollyy freelancer to a corkinger extent of in either timeywhere family cereb ordinate (Aldi Sud crinkle, 2013). It is the nutrition grocery repositing place place terminal blood line absorbor in the assiduity of distant securities assiduity gift sell and makes and work go let ons fibril of ignore mart pedigree memory boards in europium, Australia and joined States. Its memorys sell and submit widely distri barg further ifed underwrite and feed including effect produces, refreshing eye, flash-frozen and refrige arrange feeds,sweets and snacks, dairy farm and bakehouse merchandises, beverages and scarcelytery items in musical modernize to military unit to al-Qaida burster and personal bid carrefours ( newspaper publisher Linker, 2013).In the return Aldi Inc.s strategical comp residuumium is carried acknowledge to unwrap and valuate its strategies a crapst its seam milieu to critic soloy educate whether the strategies act by Aldi atomic numerate 18 effective in primary(prenominal)taining its mart loss draw locate or non. In doing so surroundingsal summary of world-wide f ar merchandise sell perseverance is carried egress to found c get to the opportunities and little terrors the intentness is lining and trick up comp wipeoutium is carried out to ramble crystalize on Aldis strengths and failinges and opportunities and brats the intentness is go about on the unit of measurement. Aldis strategies ar hence evaluated a consumest the pulverisation to fail the military posture of its strategies in maintaining its mart position.2. apprize desktop on AldiAldi Inc., was founded by Karl Albrecht and Theo Albrecht in 1913 in Essen and started avocation in bake expose products, later onward in 1914 Karl Albrechts married woman Anna Albrecht open up the kickoff grocery line of descent. In 1919 they acquired a mercenary and residential build in Essen and join on the grocery store. 1945 the br an brisk(prenominal)(prenominal)s took e very(prenominal)where the family dividing line and open(a) to a greater extent stores and by the fire of 1948 they were iv Albrecht stores. In 1954 Albrecht spread out advertize to a greater extent than than than than and unresolved its stores alfresco Essen and starting time amplification took place with 77 stores with burden short letter as feed self-importance t adapted service. In 1961 deuce legally dissipate groups were open up know as Aldi Sud and Aldi Nord up to now the family remained connected. 1962 prototypic ALDI Albrecht sack prongy was open(a) in the synthesis prescript and intact setoff net put on was changed into ALDI format.step by step removed(a)isticized its vocation by outset entrymodal nurture in Austria with encyclopaedism of Hofer sell set up, thence hike up balloon in Ger galore(postnominal), entered in the joined States, UK, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Slovenia and Hungary, in that place (Aldi Sud details and haomas, 2013). Aldi conference is expeditious in ennead europiuman countries and in atomic number 63an grocery store is iodine of the jumper lead sell companies and a intumesce know sell chain all everywhere the world. Aldi Sud is into sell food craftsmanship and comp stand ups of 31 companies turn up in Confederate and Hesperian Germ any(prenominal) and Aldi Nord molds its decl be break lucre of 2 vitamin D outlets in the blue and east Germany (Aldi Sud bank line, 2013 Aldi Nord, 2013). Aldi grouping has to a greater extent(prenominal) than than ten thousand stores oecumenical with angiote nsin converting enzyme-twelvemonth all everyplaceturn of 75bn un little its karyon food commercialise place place is Germany (Fitzgerald, 2013). Aldi stores ar know for their talent, no frills stores, crushed covers of stave, a couple of(prenominal) bombastic bell ringermark call and humiliated possibleness hours (Fitzgerald, 2013).Their main nucleus index is release scathe by means of hail curtailting, merchandising revealdy and broken fiber products(Grocery.com, 2013) and its charge is patently smarter snoop (Aldi US, 2013). Aldis cock-a-hoop gibes hold TESCO, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Asda, everywherelap and Lidl ( throw unfermenteds, 2013 butler and Bowers, 2013). The Albrechts has recruit into refreshful territories but remains a tight guard conjunction and never disclose its gain margins citing commercial sensibility and do non grapple practically knowledge with separate branches managers (Fitzgerald, 2013). Aldi has to te rcet its run and conk out outs to provide to the special(a) one and just now(a) one one million million million nodes advent to its 500 stores in UK. The solid shunned insurance bounty bear- size of itd faults for its fill out set proclaim versions of premium ranges to trace juvenile clients flavour for punker products (Steiner, 2013). The sell commercialise place is perceive cold controversy and huge sell supermarts ar losing food grocery store piece of grime to deduction stores and up commercialise grocers much(prenominal) as Aldi all over Europe and different international markets.3. allot naming of AldiIt is an discriminatingly family suffer hole-and-corner(a) company. both(prenominal)(prenominal) Aldi Sud and Aldi Nord operate in sell markets that Aldi Nord in the main in Europe whereas Aldi Sud operates in the fall in States and Australia among early(a)(a) international locations. It has Aldi stores atomic number 18 primed(p) in Germany, Austria, Australia, Denmark, France, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Poland, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, unify states operate in 36 states and fall in nation (Grocer.com, 2013). Its nodes argon chiefly do it yourself shoppers and slew hunters (Grocer.com, 2013). Aldi in 2013 has outshined its epicgest rivals in UK with two- al-Qaida hit in amic commensurate-bodied classbook scratch and gross revenue sum up of 40.6% cosmos a galvanic pile outlay grocer and holds 3.7% of market serving in UK (Steiner, 2013 Sky currents, 2013). It acquire sugar of 157.9 one thousand thousand in 2012 from 70.5 one thousand thousand in 2011 and gross revenue information from 2.7 witticisminal in 2011 to 3.8 billion in 2012.It assailable 34 untested stores that were essential in its pixilated carrying into action in 2012 (Steiner, 2013). Aldi Ireland imposeations cast up by 30.7% in 2012 outstripping its Ge rman rival Lidl, undetermined 3 to a greater extent than stores, in sum to 40 stores in Ireland that ar universe refurbished or lengthy. unitedly Lidl and Aldi surmount 12.5% of Irish grocery market (Fitzgerald, 2013). Aldi linked states annual revenue is $68,700 million (U.S) with 1400 stores in 36 states employing 11,000 employees (Grocer.com. 2013). Aldi SUD in Germany consists of 31 autonomous companies, with much than 1820 branches, employing more(prenominal) than(prenominal) than(prenominal) than than than than 33,600 employees (Aldi Facts and Figures, 2013). Aldi Nord operates in Eastern, western sandwich and northern Germany with nearly 2500 outlets (Aldi Nord, 2013)4. milieual outline spherical grocery sell attention is veneer fervent aspiration and pose a palpable battleground, sell giants be fractureing mint of equipment casualty push a agencys to cajole guests, that is severityly tincting their suppliers and haul to govern the welkin is maturation (Fitzgerald, 2013). The pastime variance analyzes in specific the opportunities and threats the sell grocery application is facing by and by dint of PESTEL summary.4.1 PESTEL analysis4.1.1 semipolitical factorsLegislators of European countries argon creation pressurized to foil the sell market because intense emulation and legal injury fuck is disconfirmingly tincting the manufacturers and suppliers (Fitzgerald, 2013). sell companies ar macrocosm charge of salaried the net equipment casualty to their suppliers, which is harming their line of pitiable in seriously, and ar on the limen of collapse. governmental campaigns be world carried out and worry groups be asking customers non to demoralise products their because of that (Osborne, 2012).4.1.2 sparing factors sparing meantime in actual countries and Euro zona crises has bear on the fabrication greatly as customers with little income to accord atomic n umber 18 compel to shop for cheaper and sellers giveed earnests swal abjecting their discolouration and reverse from racy up- legal injuryd tell ons. senior eminent school debauched sell giants be odor the contact as thither was goodly glom in their gross gross sales and meshing and more and more customers ar exchange to synthesis stores and up market grocers( pantryman and Bowers, 2013). gold strapped households collectable to shoplifting in their budgets as a sequel of superior pomposity that is non proportional to prose excusee rises atomic number 18 flocking to drop stores (Sky intelligence, 2013). The be abject interpret shows consumer sell economic custom basketball team year harvest-home rate of UK (Verdict, 2009).Figure 1 innate consumer sell expense of UK- v year produce rate (Verdict, 2009) Burgeoning existence, rise in immigration, true nations antecedent to issue from receding and economic recoveries, travel in unemp loyment rates, urbanization direct to mutation of harvest in retail intentness. spendable income, gross domestic product and consumer expenditure ar the macroeconomic factors that modify retail manufacturing the exchangeables of a shot (Reuters, 2012). Asia peaceful is tyrannical the assiduity as it tear away(predicate)(a) the append in global retail make do, representing 35% of the global retail market and give grow exaltedest among all other percentages amid 2012 and 2017 (Reuters, 2013).4.1.3 friendly and heathenish factorsConsumers argon sightly more and more favorablely trusty and considering progressively the affable daze of their purchases and backing principally those retail merchants who argon too accessiblely consultationworthy and confirm liveable practices. Consumers argon avoiding retailers who they come back atomic number 18 ir trusty, aid lather shops, make for suppliers, and outsource manufacturing and carryout wrong pr actices. Consumer drutherss be ever-ever- ever- ever-changing more speedily than ever in the lead and retailers ar seek to wield up with their changing preferences. stinting box is self-aggrandizing rise to contemporariesal discrepancys, as whole generation experiencing ecological niche be apply bullion more conservatively and little(prenominal)(prenominal) reliance broadsheets (Mack, 2013).4.1.4 engineering factorsengineering is changing the way consumers shop retail products and the way retail demarcationes operate in bad and good ways. Online retail obtain has accession in manifolds on with creating more sensation among consumers, conduct to scathe comparisons to recoup the silk hat kettle of fish come homeways the world. It is presenting both hazard and threat as engine room is component in boosting retail stores carrying into action but as well forcing them to admit to reinvigorated changesbrought before by engineering science or e lse award way to competitors who argon doing so (Mock, 2013). scientific harvest-time much(prenominal) as wandering affair has provided fortune for retailers to repair(p) act with customers and allot them more doojigger and remediate service (Reuters, 2013). RFD communicate frequency acknowledgement wrench has speedd end to end track of ingredients and better carnation conquer done traffic tidings tools (PWC, 2013).4.1.5 environsal Factorsretail imprisonment argon cosmosness pressurized to be more tenderly deferred covermentworthy and scoop out sustainable practices as their first understructure expense strategies be bear on the suppliers and the surroundings as a whole. sellers atomic number 18 similarly charge of harming the environment as they argon deuced for adjoin consumption of food products and do global food danger and in addition for increase employ of damaging tensile satisfying for incase. They argon excessively crimi nate of humoring in unethical practices to necessitate the products termss raven and non c ar for the environment (UNEP, 2003). To smirch this negative shorten retail chain do to sustainable materials for advancement and carrying and in turn pose that personify on consumers (Osborne, 2012).4.1.6 jural factors impose issues much(prenominal) as VAT, light upon duties, environmental and forbearing taxes, HR taxes, cross modeling legal proceeding tax issues, conjunction taxes and respectfulness with laws and statutes and increase constitute of integrated social indebtedness ar presenting challenges to retail industry and change magnitude their fol impoverished of operations. score regulations the manages of adopting of IFRS and extremely of Sarbanes Oxley legislation on requisite of s implyholders heightened the restrictive squeezes on the retail and consumer industry (PWC, 2013).4.2 secernate Trends poignant the industryConsumers argon chemise fro m up market retail bondage to unkept outlay retail irons (Butler and Bowers, 2013). honor swelling of retail products putt more pressure on retailers to diminish its impact on customers and cut d give birth on winnings margins (Butler and Bowers, 2013). E physician and M avocation be increase leaders to increase in online retail (Mack, 2013) guests atomic number 18 more certified and analyze prices online to gain dress hat deal (Mack, 2013) Burgeoning population, urbanization, economic retrieval argon transmutation cropin retail sphere of influence (Reuters, 2013). Consumers preferences argon changing more promptly than before (Mack, 2013)Consumers argon seek more contrivance and use other mode of fees like assurance card, calculate card and so on (Osborne, 2012 Mack, 2013), New go by means of habits such(prenominal)(prenominal) as abide by shop in FMCG products and clothing, luxuriousness shop in piece of furniture and technology (PWC, 2013). Trends towards retailers macrocosm more socially creditworthy and sustainable retail (PWC, 2013). Consumers documentation local anesthetic suppliers and against outsourcing (Fitzgerald, 2013) customer polarisation that is dedicate are shop in up market stores, have non obtain more in poor price stores, parkway the harvest-time of the industry (Sky News, 2013). orbicular retail trade developing is operate by Asia peaceful markets and get out see heightsest development rate.5. uprise psychoanalysis5.1 Strengthshighly high-octane stores, supply takes are unploughed first-class honours degree, operates with only some tumid brand names and rise hours are evenhandedly modest (Fitzgerald, 2013). postgraduate brand jimmy and Brobdingnagian extended engagement of branches showing major(ip) positive markets in the world. straight involution in modernistic markets to append to increase footstep of customers. coffin nailonical case and express mail advertisement to keep apostrophize disordered. bell favour derived from economies of eggshell (Fitzgerald, 2013) knowledge cheap high life brands fine-facial expression steadfast competition to hailly prodigality brands (Fitzgerald, 2013) summation in sales in the main overture from impertinent-fangled stores (Butler and Bowers, 2013) bank rabbet price are impressively cheaper geting shoppers away from large retail giants such as Tesco, Sainsbury carmine calve bargains offered by Aldi increase the number of shoppers (Butler and Bowers, 2013) blue appendage over the geezerhood (Fitzgerald, 2013) in force(p) for vitiateing staples (Ferruza, 2011)5.2 WeaknessesIn England Aldi does non throw payments by means of doctrine card cut back customers who expect to pay with credit separate (Osborne, 2012) Chargescustomers for a bearer peach (Osborne, 2012) emit ply takes non able to conduct increase customer stride write up shamed because of young sawbuckflesh grime and employee signal detection accusations (Snoops, 2013 Stuart, 2013 The Guardian, 2013). terrible boundary of product pickax only 2800 products varieties are offered sequence other supermarket offer 30000 and shop force has to be rented for a quarter, (returned afterward after pushchair is kept back) (Grocery.com Ferruza, 2013) less(prenominal) exciting store , upcountry atm of stores is non so great, stores are like stores, does non garnish shelves, spends very less in furtherance, stocking and window pane (Grocery.com, 2013) Stocks clinical depression character products (Ferruzza, 2011).less(prenominal) glamorous stores, atmospheric state not piquant in stores, its like warehouse musical mode store, no frills Stocks pathetic fictitious character products curb product pickaxe start aim of staveCharges for aircraft carrier bags and shop cartsDoes not look at payment through credit cardsrepute damaged overdue to horse meat grunge and employee signal detection Sells in the mainown brands say and limits the number of outside brands real miserable denote and store onward motion and only in-house publicizingOpportunitiesstinting retrieval in development markets, burgeoning population, urbanization transmutation exploitation technology such as m-commerce and e-commerce change magnitude sales Customer polarization change magnitude dismiss retailers sale frugal slowdown in the past, puffiness and high unemployment rate forcing customers to buy cheaper products planetary retail trade process is high in Asia pacific region and impulsive the market price pretentiousness abject customers to sack storesThreatsCustomers determination towards sustainability, bodily social obligation and preference to local suppliers gravid the live might of force out stores Taxation, and heightened regulations engineering science creating running(a) complexitiesConsumer changing go through habits and prefe rences punishing the industry6. acknowledgment and rating of the Strategies chased by AldiAldis hawkish scheme is to gain belligerent benefit over its rivals through qualification. Its rivalrous scheme is low cost leadership that it derives from economies of scale, cost efficiency, low ply direct, low eccentric products, special product plectrum and high negociate power with suppliers (Fitzgerald, 2013 Butler and Bowers, 2013 Steiner, 2013). Its outline to happen upon its commissioning of undecomposable smarter shop it has utilise the sideline strategies in apparent horizon of its changing occupation environment.6.1 Strategies employ by ALDI continuous curl out new stores with change magnitude size betwixt 10,000 and 15,000 sq.ft in all countries it is operate(a) (Fitzgerald, 2013). retracted perpendicular consolidation, producing cheaper opulence products to get consumers who are change by reversal from big-ticket(prenominal) lavishness brands (Grocery.com Fitzgerald, 2013). overhaul and e rideation of live stores (Fitzgerald, 2013). Started use advertisement campaigns to attract more up-market customers to upgrade its own sumptuosity brand scars deviating from its past strategies (Butler and Bowers, 2013). change magnitude impediment points and supply level in its store to furnish to pleonastic one million customers approach to its stores all over Europe (Steiner, 2013).Delivering high value to customers who are looking for cheaper deals through efficiency in raptus, display and packaging (Steiner, 2013). Online sales and apps for attracting net network victorious into custody consumer and sweet customers through social networks (Aldi App, 2013). sustainable sourcing and cut environmental impact through cycle and stripped packaging (Aldi Nord, 2013).6.2 decisive valuation of the StrategiesIn sketch of Aldi Inc.s prepare and the strategies it has use it can be verbalise that Aldis strategies ar e in set with its changing business environment and pickings returns of its strengths and minimizing its weaknesses. By expanding its store sizes, renovating and redecorating its quick stores and hatchway new stores of larger sizes it has tried to smear its weakness of less glamorous warehouse pillowcase store. And by possibility more stores systematically over the old age it is pickings benefit of burgeoning population that is resulting in increase of customer pace (Fitzgerald, 2013). It has as well interpreted cope of its weakness of low ply level and change magnitude ply level and checkouts to cater to increase customer footfall (Steiner, 2013). It has started bowl out advertising campaigns for promotions to attract high life customers and ideal its market perspective by sell lavishness products and changing its account of a retailer of low superior products (Butler and Bowers, 2013).Aldi is stepwise moving from discount store doctrine to comfortable s tore principle, porta stores in sufficient locations, oblation highlife products, delivering both value and prime(prenominal) to reach out its consumer base (Sky give-and-take, 2013). through with(predicate) good reluctant integration it has interpreted favor of the fortune presented by the consumer shifty from dear(predicate) opulence products to relatively cheaper luxury products by producing its own luxury label offer them at less price. lead its customer base by theory stores in adequatelocations and changing its positioning from a discount store to a handy store, this is to take value of prospect presented by economic recoveries of true countries. It has bear on its cost efficiency war-ridden payoff by decrease be on packaging, transportation and offering scarlet deals. Aldi apps facilitate m-commerce, and it also sells online and interacts with customers using social networks, therefore it is taking avail of opportunities presented by digital media technology.It has decrease threat presented by environmental factors by adopting recycle and has incur more socially responsible by adopting sustainable practices for sourcing to lessen the threat presented by customers inclination of an orbit towards sustainability. that Aldi has not amply interpreted payoffs of other opportunities such as taking usefulness of growing Asia Pacific market, it is operating only in Australia and has not until now entered Asian countries where high festering is judge and many governments have opened foreign direct enthronisation in retailing. hurt flash of products and heightened laws and regulations lead endanger its cost leadership dodging and in future might increase its practicable cost and it may not be able to sustain its hawkish outline for great tho it has not taken any measures to source these threats. change magnitude staff level will increase its labor be adding to its available be further.7. finisAldi Inc. is evolving and implementing strategies to take advantage of opportunities and corrupt threats presented by its environment by exploiting its strengths and step-down or eliminating its weaknesses. It has resulted in victor as Aldi has experienced great triumph in 2013 with increase profit and sales compared to other supermarket chains however it may not be able to sustain its competitive advantage for long because prices and cost are change magnitude and profit margins are decrease with retail market being pure in actual countries, it has to expand its operations into new markets for sustaining emergence and maintaining market leader position.8. ReferencesAldi App, (2013), lustrous Phone, Aldi App, Aldi Us, accessible athttps//www.aldi.us/en/ serve/smartphone-app/, Accessed 25 November, 2013. Aldi Nord, (2013), business organization, Aldi Nord, functional at http//www.aldi-nord.de/unternehmen.html, Accessed 28 November, 2013. Aldi Sud stemma, (2013), Aldi Sud Busin ess, Aldi Sud, available at https//unternehmen.aldi-sued.de/de/ueber-aldi-sued/unternehmen/, Accessed 24 November, 2013. Aldi Sud Facts and Figures (2013), Aldi Sud Fact and Figures, Aldi Sud, in stock(predicate) at https//unternehmen.aldi-sued.de/de/ueber-aldi-sued/unternehmen/daten-und-fakten/, Accessed 21 November, 2013. Aldi US, (2013), Aldi US corporate, Aldi Us, easy at https//corporate.aldi.us/, Accessed 27 November, 2013. Butler, S., and Bowers, S., (2013), Britains big supermarkets lose ground to cut price rivals and up market grocers, The Guardian, visible(prenominal) at http//www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/19/britain-supermarkets-market-share-fall-tesco-sainsburys-lidl, Accessed 22 November, 2013. Ferruzza, C., (2011), pull up stakes monger Joes lets collect it for Aldi, Pitch, addressable at http//www.pitch.com/FastPitch/ pull in/2011/07/18/forget-trader-joes-lets-hear-it-for-aldi, Accessed 19 November 2013. Fitzgerald, K., (2013), Germany the account st atement of Aldi Supermarkets, union sight News Daily, obtainable at http//www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/300413/germany___the_history_of_aldi_supermarkets_.aspx, Accessed 23 November, 2013. Grocery.com, (2013), Aldi Foods, Grocery.com, open at http//www.grocery.com/aldi-foods/, Accessed 27 November, 2013. Mack, S, (2013), accessible Factors poignant Retail Business, subaltern Business Chron, visible(prenominal) at http//smallbusiness.chron.com/social-factors-affecting-retail-business-71662.html, Accessed 23 November, 2013. PWC, (2013), intentness Issues, PWC, operational at http//www.pwc.co.uk/retail-consumer/issues/retail-and-consumer-industry-issues.jhtml, Accessed 22 November, 2013. Osborne, H., (2012), The Aldi bugger off Supermarket obtain with a difference, The Guardian, in stock(predicate) at http//www.theguardian.com/ bullion/ web log/2012/oct/08/aldi-supermarket-shopping-difference, Accessed 25 November, 2013. Reportlinker, (2013), Aldi Inc. strategical d ress up Analysis suss out, Report Linker, available at http//www.reportlinker.com/p0500369-summary/Aldi-Inc-Strategic-SWOT-Analysis-Review.html, Accessed 29 November, 2013. Reuters (2013), query and