Importance Of The Internet Essay

The Internet is very helpful for businesses all over the world. It helps speed up many processes in a cost-effective way. Yet the usefulness of the Internet depends on what types of services and products each business. And how they take advantage of what is available. Many businesses may benefit a great deal more than others may. And there are many different benefits depending upon the types of the business, whether it is a supplier, a distributor, or a retailer. Some of the benefits could be; creating a new client base, product analysis, market analysis, expert advice and help, recruiting new employees, fast information access, wide scale information dissemination, fast communications, cost-effective document transfer, peer communications, and new business opportunities. Finding new clients is not as easy as most may think. This process involves an in depth market analysis, product marketing and consumer base testing. Where if a business where to use the Internet it would be much easier because the Internet has several million people from all over the world looking for businesses to invest or subscribe to. It is very easily recruit new clients or customers if your presence on the Internet is known. If your business was on the Internet you will be able to do product analyses and comparisons and report your findings on the net. You may also be able to find at least one other person who will be familiar with a product that you Thompson, 2 are testing or about to purchase or invest in. You can get first hand reports on each product before you purchase it. The Internet has many surveys for an analysis of the market for a new product or idea. These surveys are easy to reach many people so you are able to determine the satisfaction of the users of each product. This will enable you to be able to satisfy your customers easily because most of these are anonymous you will be able to get accurate information to help you understand what is preferred by your customers. The Internet has many experts on it who make it very easy for you to find them. You may even be able to get free advice and help with problems you might have come across from the same people who are paid very highly for  their consulting services to large organizations. There are many web sites that have job listings online for employers. Qualified employees always post new resumes to the site. This may inform the employers of the skills hopeful employees will have to offer. So the employee will not have much trouble looking for prospective employers. Getting information over the Internet is much faster on most occasions than doing it via fax or postal courier services. Countries around the world are available to interact with. You can lessen the possibility of the receiver not getting the information needed. You can place documents on the Internet and make them instantly accessible to millions of users. This provides an effective method to present information to the public. This also will improve the availability Thompson, 3 of the documents to a client base larger than the circulation of many major newspapers. Electronic mail, also known as email has provided to be an effective solution to the problem of telephone tag. This still has the speed of telephone conversations and still provides the semi-permanence of postal mail. This can be sent from just about anywhere where there is an Internet service. This takes a very short period of time and saves a lot of money over postal or courier services, which can also suffer late deliveries, loss or damage. So as you can see the Internet is very valuable to many businesses all around the world. It allows things to be processed faster and for the most part much safer. I think that it would be in the best interest of most businesses to participate actively in the Internet.

Just in Time Approach in Inventory Management

2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd JUST IN TIME APPROACH IN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT Abdul Talib Bon (Corresponding author) Faculty of Technology Management, Business and Entrepreneurship Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia Tel: +60127665756 E-mail: [email  protected] com Anny Garai Faculty of Technology Management, Business and Entrepreneurship Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia Tel: +60137016298 E-mail: [email  protected] com. y Abstract Quality improvement and costs control are vital to organizations for work performance enhancement and fulfilling customers’ requirement. Inventories that are stored in large amount of quantities will result in waste and space usage. One effective solution is using Just in Time (JIT) concept as a method to reduce costs, improve quality and meet the ever-changing customer needs. The adoption of Just in Time (JIT) con cepts seems to be the most effective way to overcome these circumstances. JIT is management philosophy that emphasizes on eliminating waste and increase productivity.The main purpose of this research is to find out whether the implementation of JIT would reduce the inventories at Electronics component industry especially at the parts producing stamping of FCM. This research is done by case study. Therefore the data collection would be using secondary data which is the documentation from FCM itself and also via observation. The data were analyzed by doing the comparison before and after the implementation of JIT using Microsoft words excel. From the analysis that had been done, the implementation of JIT had increased the inventories management at the stamping parts production.As the conclusion, the implementation of JIT in the inventory management at the parts production stamping at Electronics component industry had successfully reduce the inventories level while improving the inven tory level. Keywords: Stamping Production, Just in Time, inventory management, electronics component industry. 1. Introduction Globalisation phenomena had created the business without boundaries. Most of the organisation nowadays only focuses in two main elements that can influence the global market, which is customer satisfaction and also the product and services quality.Organisation all around the world need to take the initiative to increase the product quality to satisfy the needs and customer demand that always change besides minimizing the production cost. This initiative is needed to keep the challenge at the market (Canel, et al. , 2000). One of the most effective solutions is with the application of Just in Time (JIT). Application of JIT could involve few important elements at organisation such as production level, marketing level, engineering level and purchasing level. The application of JIT more focuses on management process.Therefore, JIT can be applied at varying proce ss. (Canel, et al. , 2000). JIT is the concept of management that invented specially to avoid waste. This is in order to minimize the waste and increase the productivity (Zhu and Meredith, 1995). JIT is one type of Lean Manufacturing (Yen, 2003). Lean manufacturing is the process to control the production which depends on the demand by the customers. It is also act to reduce waste. The application of Lean Manufacturing can reduce the stock, work space and the production of raw materials. This philosophy can maximize the production (Forza, 1996).At Malaysia context, application of JIT is not popular. According to Simpson, et al. , (1998), JIT had been applied by national automotive firm as a transitory JIT. Transitory of JIT is one of the ad hoc inventory models. This is can give half of the inventory in order to reduce the production 2562 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd cost beside can make the technology transfer at the i nternational level. This research is made to study the application of Just in Time (JIT) in inventory management at stamping production at Electronics component industry. 1. Background of Study At FCM there is lot type of inventories and this requires a huge space to restore it. Therefore FCM need to prepare an enough space. How ever, this situation requires FCM to overcome the cost of restore. But this is not the really big issues to FCM. What really worries FCM management is the huge batch of inventories. The batch of inventories had caused FCM loss in profit because there is no moving out of the output to customer. Therefore the cases are also not only arises due to this problem. Besides that, in Japanese firm, the concept of keeping the inventory is a big waste in industry.Based on this problem, Heizer J. & Render B. (2006), Just in Time (JIT) is the best strategy to increase the operation especially at the inventory management. However, if the raw material cannot be delivered d uring the production, there would be a big problem. 1. 2 Problem Statement This study is to elaborate the JIT application in inventory management at the stamping production at FCM. The problems that occur in this study are what is the importance of application of JIT in order to influence the inventory management at the stamping production at FCM? 1. Objective In this research, researcher has the stand to achieve the objective so that it could be archived. The objective is to study the application of Just in Time (JIT) in inventory management at Stamping Production at Electronics component industry. 1. 4 Scope Of Study The scope of study is focused at the stamping production at Electronics component industry. The main products of FCM are keyboard and relays. Respondents that involved are top management and the staff at stamping production of FCM. Data would be collected through qualitative method and be analysed quantitatively.From this study, the researcher hopes that can help Elec tronics component industry on the applications of JIT in their operation. The researcher hopes that with this study, it can help Electronics component industry and academician which is up to the upcoming researchers. 2. Literature Review JIT is not the new concept in production sector (Stevenson, 2001). It started during 1920 and being used by Henry Ford at the automation industrial. JIT is one of the Lean Manufacturing that had been introduced by Toyota Motor Corporation to increase the work quality and production.The application of JIT in Lean Production will give good return in production process. These philosophies would make the production even faster and to reduce the inventories stock. 2. 1 Lean Production and Lean Manufacturing Lean Manufacturing first introduced as systematic ways to reduce or terminate the waste. It is the management philosophy that require commitment from responsible person that relate with reduced waste, make the work procedure become smooth and optimize the production (Chase, et al. , 2001). Lean Manufacturing firstly introduced by the Toyota Motor Corporation.Which is involved the inventory management, quality control, industrial relationship, 2563 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd employee management and relationship between factory and the suppliers (Bowen and Youngdahl, 1998). JIT is one of the elements in Lean Manufacturing meanwhile Lean Production is known as Big JIT. It is the philosophy of management operation that act to terminate the waste in every aspect in production such as industrial relationship, vendor relationship, technology, raw material management and inventories (Chase, et al. 2001). Lean Production can use to reduce time, inventories, space, employees and production cost. 2. 2 Just In Time (JIT) Usually, JIT process being implemented in the organisation that reached the highest application of JIT. Wagner M. S and Silveira- Camargos V , 2009). This is because organisation and the supplier should have a good relationship and believe because when there is demand from factory, the suppliers can supply them on time. The first way to implement JIT is build a good relationship with the suppliers, customers and also sub-contractor to reduce inventory â€Å"buffer† to few hours.According to Canel, et al. , (2000), JIT aims is to reduce time waiting during production process. Therefore, the cost of inventories not only can be minimized but also the time for the production also shortens. JIT concept is not saying about the standardisation or the way of managing but it really focusing on the zero inventories 2. 3 Benefits of Application of Just In Time in Lean Production The application of JIT would give a lot of benefits such as to the producer to increase the quality to fulfil the customer demands and reduce the inventories and built a good relationship with the supplier (Salaheldin, 2005).Positive of JIT application can successfu lly give benefit to three communities, which is supplier only, purchased only or both. The benefits are, reducing in inventories and time waiting for the inventories, increase the quality and technical support, increase productivity, reduce waste and machine maintenance (Wafa, et al. , 1996). JIT actually help to reduce machine maintenance and at the same time, to make sure the suppliers can produce the inventories on time (Yasin, et al. , 2001). According to Yasin, et al. 2002), the big problem of JIT application is employer issues and the suppliers. Employer issue is about the objection of JIT concept, less supportive of JIT and less of employees. 3. Methodology This study is using action research that is descriptive and makes the research by quantitative. In this study, researcher would use observation and data collection from the result of the observation. 4. Data Analysis 4. 1 Introduction This chapter would discuss and analysis the data that had been collected from FCM.There a re four different data that had been provided by the researcher according to the case. For the first case, the researcher would get the standard time during the raw material collected from the rack and the replace at the turn table using forklift. The second case is the machine die setup. Meanwhile the third case is standard time for winding process. The time is counted during the winding process and the material place at the stand before and after the winding process. For the last case, is during packing and deliver the part to the warehouse.This chapter also would discuss about type of test and analysis to the case to make sure that the data is valid and researcher can get a clear vision about the elements of Just in Time (JIT) being implemented by the FCM. 2564 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd 4. 2 Results of Study In this study, researcher would discuss the results that researcher gets from the study. All the data that had been collected by the researcher would be divided according to the case and according to the flow chart of stamping production refer to Figure 1.Figure 1 shows Standard Time (ST) and Cycle Time (CT) according to the cases that had been studied. ST = 10. 8 min CT = 10 times ST = 480 min ST = 5. 37 min ST = 17 min KES 1 KES 2 KES 3 KES 4 Raw Material Stamping Process Winding Packing Warehouse Figure 1: Stamping Flow Chart 4. 2. 1 Analysis of Case 1 This section would show the data collected from case 1 for the application before and after the part production stamping. In this case 1 (refer Figure 2) the standard time would be the counting from the raw materials from the racks to the turntable using forklift and then the return back of the forklift to the place.Refer from Figure 3 as shown the graphs for before and after the applications of JIT for case 1. ST/CT Raw Material Stamping Process Figure 2: Case 1 2565 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd Figure 3: Graph Before and After Application of JIT (Case 1) 4. 2. 2 Analysis of Case 2 For case 2, (refer Figure 4) is to reduce the standard time that is using for die setup. Figure 5 showed the graph before and after application of JIT. . ST Stamping Process Figure 4: Case 2 Winding 2566 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING d nd Figure 5: Graph Before and After Application of JIT (Case 2) 4. 2. 3 Analysis Case 3 For case 3, (refer Figure 6) is to reduce standard time for winding process. Figure 7show before and after application of JIT for Case 3. ST Winding Figure 6: Case 3 Packing 2567 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd Figure 7: Graph Before and After Application of JIT (Case 3) 4. 2. 4 Analysis Case 4 For case 4, (refer Figure 8) is to reduce standard time during packing and deliver to warehouse. Figure 9 show the application of JIT before and af ter. ST PackingFigure 8: Case 4 Warehouse 2568 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd Figure 9: Graph Before and After Application JIT (Case 4) 5. Conclusion The purpose of this study is to make sure the application of concept Just In Time (JIT) at Electronics component industry especially at the stamping production. This chapter would discuss about the results of the analysis according to the objective and problem statement. The discussion would focus in certain case at stamping production depend of the results that analyze from before and after the application of JIT.Besides that, this chapter also would discuss the suggestion. After the analysis, application JIT in inventory management at stamping production is depend on the activities below: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) (ix) Raw material always in enough quantities. Work in process always at the minimum quantities. Finished good would directly deliver to buyers. Wasting work in process seldom occur. Buffer stocks always at the minimum quantity. Delivering raw material depends on demand only. Space for inventories is small. Time table scheduling is made by the suppliers.Delivering materials is more often and only at small size. 2569 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING nd nd (x) (xi) (xii) Long term relationship is built between suppliers. Suppliers is advised to use the application of Just in Time (JIT) , and The employers should give the commitment on inventories and quality. Besides that, researcher has little suggestion to the upcoming interested researchers with the concept of Just in Time. The suggestions are: (i) this research only limited at one factory which is Electronics component industry.The next researcher should broaden their scope of study; (ii) Future study on the application of JIT concept especially in the purchasing and engineering level; and further study about the elemen ts associated with JIT. References Bowen, D. E. & Youngdahl, W. E. (1998). Lean Service: In Defence of A Production-Line Approach. International Journal of Service Industry Management. 9(3). 207-225. Canel, C. , et al. (2000). Just-in-time Is Not Just for Manufacturing: A Service Perspective. Industrial Management and Data System. 100(2). 51-60 Chase R. B. , et al. (2001). Operations Management for Competitive Advantage. th ed. N. Y. : McGraw-Hill. 394-417. Forza, C. (1996). Work Organization in Lean Production and Traditional Plants: What Are the differences?. International Journal of Operation and Production Management. 16(2). 42-62. Salaheldin, S. I. (2005). JIT Implementation in Egptian Manufacturing Firms: Some Emperical Evidence. International Journal of Operation and Production Management. 25(4). 354-370. Simpson, M. , et al. (1998). Case Study: Transitory JIT as Proton Cars, Distribution and Logistics Management. 28(2). 121-142. Malaysia. International Journal of Physical St evenson, G. (2001).Just-in-time: The Reincarnation of Past Theory and Practice. Management Decision. 39(10). 866-879. Wafa, M. A. , et al. (1996). The Impact of Supplier Proximity on JIT Success: An Information Perspective. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management. 26(4). 23-34. Yasin, M. Y. , et al. (2001). Just-in-time Implementation in the Public Sector. International Journal of Operation and Production Management. 21(9). 1195-1204 Zhu, Z. & Meredith, P. H. (1995). Defining Critical Elements in JIT Implementation: A Survey. Industrial Management and Data System. 95(8). 21-28. 2570

An Analysis of Martin Fishbeins Theory of Reasoned Action

Later on behavior appeared not to be 100% voluntary and under control, this resulted in the addition of perceived behavioral control. † Gordon Allport formulated a definition that â€Å"attitudes are learned predispositions to respond to an object or class of objects in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way. † In other words, an attitude is a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. The theory of reasoned action, stated by Ajzen and Fishbein, suggests that if a person intends to carry out a behavior, it is likely that they will do so. Attitudes are always weighted by evaluations of a person’s beliefs. Another example, which highlights peoples beliefs, relates to sports; Sports may be good for one’s health, Sports may be time consuming, Sports may be a strain and uncomfortable. All of these beliefs are weighted. Henry Assael (1983) agreed with the theories and stated how these ‘attitudes’ can be used to predict consumer behavior. The marketing strategy looks at predicting consumer behavior, and attitudes are key in order for a firm to help predict consumer’s behavior. This therefore gives the firm a competitive advantage over their rivals. Thus, Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory is very feasible and can be applied to everyday life. The idea however, was rejected by Sheppard et al. (1988), who made several limiting conditions that proved the idea was false. The distinction was made between a goal intention and a behavioral intention. Goal intentions would look into the long term, for example, getting into the rugby team. A behavior would be attending training. Sheppard also looked at the availability of alternatives and opportunity cost. Choice had an impact on the TRA theory, as it may alter the performance of a certain behavior. Finally he stated that there are times when there is a significant different between what a person intends to do, and what he/she is expected to do. Subjective norm does not account for individual differences. Some people may choose not to consult parents or friends about their decision to carry out a behavior. There are numerous individuals who will feel more comfortable making decisions without their family or peer group, and there are also people who may find it impossible to make a decision about ‘giving up alcohol’ without discussing it with others. Subjective norm therefore may not be as feasible as evaluation of outcome. This process requires the individual to make his/her own assumptions and attitudes about the behavior, and this process is nearly almost carried about by everyone. Not all parts of the theory are essential in the process one makes to carry out a behavior. The ‘Belief in strength of outcome’ and ‘evaluation of outcome’ are the two most important aspects. In the conscious mind, these are the two significant processes that usually occur. People, who are considering drinking alcohol on a night out, will only usually consider the pros and cons of that decision. It is rare for individuals to take matters even further and consult friends or parents about the matter. Subjective norm therefore is usually canceled out in low involving decisions like drinking alcohol. ‘Intention’ may also play a limiting role in the decision to drink alcohol. Behavioral upbringing may have a contributing effect, however the decision usually relates to the situation in which that person is, for example, on a night out, or having dinner at home. The person may be more inclined to drink alcohol on a night out, and may choose to have a soft drink with dinner. Individuals usually take into consideration the time and place, and don’t depend as much on the norms of their upbringing. Hale et al. (2003), backs up this idea, that the TRA excludes a wide range of behaviors such as spontaneity, cravings and habits, and states that â€Å"engaging in these behaviors might not involve a conscious decision on the part of the actor. † To conclude, the theory lacks external reliability, as some behaviors are not used to produce an outcome. However Fishbein and Ajzen created a theory, which can be applied to purchasing behavior of consumers, and thus can be applied to everyday life. 2. Do you think that consumers approach the purchase of products in the seemingly reasoned way outlined above? Give examples to illustrate your thoughts. Many consumers will use the processes outline by Fishbein and Ajzen when purchasing a high involvement product that takes careful thought. However consumers will sometimes use impulse buying for the purchase of products. â€Å"Impulse buying: Spur of the moment, unplanned decision to buy, made just before a purchase. Research findings suggest that emotions and feelings play a decisive role in purchasing, triggered by seeing the product or upon exposure to a well-crafted promotional message. † Impulse buying therefore cancels out behaviors such as evaluation of outcome and subjective norm. A second reason why this theory does not account for all consumer purchases, relates to operant conditioning. This method of learning occurs through rewards and punishments for a certain behavior. Through this process, an association is created between the behavior and a consequence of it. For example; if a chocolate bar goes on offer and has a discount of 50%, a consumer is more than likely to purchase this item. Once a positive association is created with the chocolate, the consumer will more than likely purchase it again. Skinner used the term operant to refer to any active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences (1953). Classical conditioning, which was discovered by Ivan Pavlov, suggested that it’s a learning process, which occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus, is something, which triggers a response. In Pavlov’s experiments, his dogs smelt food and the result was salivation. This then produced an unconditioned response, which is an unlearnt response to the unconditioned stimulus. The smell of food would either produce salivation or the feeling of being hungry.

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Marcus Buckingham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Paper on Arabidopsis cold responses - Essay Example It is widely speculated that the products of these genes have roles in freezing tolerance. The aim of this experiment was to provide direct evidence that supports this hypothesis. It shows that expression of COR15a, which is a cold-regulated gene of Arabidopsis thaliana that encodes a chloroplast-targeted polypeptide, enhances the freezing tolerance of chloroplasts in nonacclimated plants. The Effects of Cold Stress on the Cor15a Promoter of Arabidopsis thaliana In 1985, Guy et al. established that transformations in gene expression occurred in plants during cold acclimation, which is a developmental mechanism that leads to increase in freezing tolerance. Since then, it has continuously been speculated that some COR (cold-regulated) genes might play roles in freezing tolerance. To investigate this notion, scientists have isolated and characterized genes expressed as a response to low temperature. This has led to the identification of a number of genes such as the cor15a, KIN1, and LT I78 genes of Arabidopsis thaliana; and the pt59 and pao86 genes of barley (â€Å"Genome research†, 1995). Arabidopsis thaliana is widely used in botany as the model organism for studying plant genetics and growth responses. This plant is a member of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family, which includes cultivated species such as cabbage and radish. Although Arabidopsis thaliana does not have any major agronomic importance, it has advantages that make it ideal for use in research in the fields of genetics and molecular biology. The first advantage of Arabidopsis thaliana that make it favorable for research  is its small physical size, its fast growth rate, its capability in seed production, its genetic amenability to mutagenesis and transgenic approaches, and the widely available information on its genome. Secondly, Arabidopsis thaliana is well-suited for analysis with light microscopy. Its seedlings and their roots are translucent and smaller, thus they facilitate live cell ima ging with fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Lastly, Arabidopsis thaliana is the first plant genome to ever be sequenced. This was completed in 2000 by the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative (Stewart, 2008). Most plants react to low temperatures by altering their intracellular concentrations of free amino acids and carbohydrates, isozyme patterns, and the composition of their membranes. Moreover, in response to low temperatures, there is an alteration in the activity of many genes. Dr. Michael Thomashow of Michigan State University conducted studies on how plants respond to cold temperatures. He examined cold-induced genes in the plant Arabidopsis and cloned cor (cold related) genes. One of these genes, cor15a, is induced by cold temperatures, drought, and the hormone abscisic acid. Cor15a is a nuclear gene that encodes a 15 kDa protein. The function of this protein is unknown. This 15 kDa protein is translated to chloroplasts and it may have a function in plant protect ion from cold. (Baker et al., 1994) isolated a DNA fragment that contained a promoter region and a few amino acids from the cor15a gene. They then joined it to the gusA gene, thereby producing a cor15a-gusAtranslational fusion which was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana using Agrobacterium. This reporter gene is used in monitoring the response of the cor15agene in varied plant tissues. In this laboratory investigation, transgenic

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Human Resource Management - Essay Example This essay stresses that HRM is the advanced form of the HR. It is considered as the backbone of any organisation or firm. The relationship among the employees should be cordial and there should be a jovial environment. Gender equality is gaining importance in present market. Women are being considered as potential threat (competitors) to their male counterparts. With an able leader organisational goals can be achieved through proper planning. Corporate social responsibility also plays an important role in the development of an organisation. CSR agenda is to inspire, challenge and empower employees, to positively contribute to local communities and environment; to help create a substantial business future for all of us. CSR is viewed as part of the way in which business is done and an active approach brings tangible benefits to business. In recognising wider responsibilities to a broad range of stakeholders – including partners, employees, clients, suppliers, community groups and opinion formers – CSR aims to permeate many levels of business activity – affecting corporate governance, employee relations, client relationships, environmental management, community involvement as well as many business operations, including Graduate Recruitment, Diversity and Facilities. This paper makes a conclusion that CSR takes a number of forms; committed to developing sustainable and mutually beneficial working relationships with community and voluntary organisations working in a variety of fields – including education, regeneration, employment, homelessness and environmental conservation.

Public sphere in Australia today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Public sphere in Australia today - Essay Example Lower secondary starts at the 7th or 8th year and continue throughout the 10th year of education. The 7th during 9th years of education are known as "preparatory years." Towards the end of the 9th year, students may choose to abandon school or to continue to the 10th year. During the 10th year of education, students may abandon school with a School Leaving Certificate (SLC), in many situations provided by the individual school. Upper secondary consists of the 11th and 12th years of education. Instead of leaving school upon conclusion of the 10th grade, students may carry on for two extra years of education, upon conclusion of which students also get a SLC, provided by the school or by an external examining authority. Once attended almost exclusively by students going to university study, an increasing number of Australian students, irrespective of their plans for advanced study, are attaining the whole 12-year term. While some time ago, professional and scholastic secondary schools were mostly distinct institutes, the majority public secondary schools in Australia at present are "comprehensive high schools" Such schools offer programs both for university-bound students and for students who intend to do different jobs after leaving school or who will take up postsecondary technical or professional education. A number of public schools, on the other hand, maintain to offer only educational, college-introductory programs for students who are registered to the optional programs. Some advanced secondary schools offer agricultural or other education. Nearly all the students in Australia accomplish the 10th year of schooling and get a SLC. The number of students who carry on to the 12th year of education is about 71 % of all students all over the country in 1991. The majority of young students in Australia are registered in some kind of kindergarten program, although attendance is not obligatory. Nearly all states offer a "pre-Year 1" program, and both the government and private agencies offer other pre-school activities for the two years before the commencement of Year 1. School Governance & Finance In each Australian state, the education system is extremely centralized. The Education Ministry and a Director-General of Education administer the educational system. Of late, nevertheless, there has been a growing tendency to decentralize several organizational functions from the state level towards the local level. Governance The ministry of education exercises extensive power over schools all over the state. The states develop policies in the fields of schooling and teacher enrollment, teacher service, student registration, program content, course authorization and student appraisal. The education ministry hires and employs the teachers in government schools, construct buildings, equipment and materials, and grant subsidy for utilization by schools. Hence almost all

Explain why it is important for marketers to understand the concepts Essay

Explain why it is important for marketers to understand the concepts of market segmentation and target marketing - Essay Example Market segmentation has over time been regarded as one of the fundamental concepts in modern marketing. The segments formed are thus constituted by consumer groups who have similar requirements, as well as groups of services and goods that exhibit similar attributes. Ideally, market segmentation concept has been largely associated with Wendell R. Smith, in the paper he first he first published in the year 1956 (Kim, Park, Lee & Lee, 2006). According to him, "Segmentation is based upon developments on the demand side of the market and represents a rational and more precise adjustment of product and marketing effort to consumer or user requirements† (Flint, Woodruff, and Gardial, 2002). In this respect, therefore, segmentation is viewed as being disaggregative in regard to its trends and effects in bringing about recognition of various demand schedules where only one was initially recognized. The concept of market segmentation is dependent on the recognition of differentiated product demands, whereas its application as a tool for marketing is dependent on the effectiveness in identifying the most befitting variables which can be used to divide total demand into segments that are economically viable (Freytag and Clarke, 2001). The segments that are economically viable could be seen as having the sufficient size that enables the marketers to attain sufficient level of profit through catering to certain needs of the members therein. According to Yankelovich and Meer (2006), "the idea that all markets can profitably be segmented has now received almost as widespread acceptance as the marketing concept itself". This notion is shared by Kim, Lee and Koh (2004), who note that market segmentation relies on the idea that there is need for the company to divide or segment the market in a manner that enables the achievement of certain sets of buyers. The sets of buyers, or the resu ltant

A Report on Customer Satisfaction and Motivation at Brown Smith Essay

A Report on Customer Satisfaction and Motivation at Brown Smith Company - Essay Example Preliminary studies conducted had indicated that the decline was attributed to client discontent and de-motivation caused by long procurement procedures and poor handling of customers by company employees. Having been mandated to conduct this study, a proper procedure had to be selected, a selection of 40 percent of all regular clientele was interviewed between October 15th and November 10th 2011 on issues such as; The overall customer satisfaction on the services offered by Brown Smith Company, Common problems encountered that are linked to procurement procedure in the company, Suggestions for improvements of procurement policies and Problems associated with conduct of employees in the company. The report seeks to draw attention on the factors causing the sharp drop in company’s profit margins. It further seeks to suggest remedies to curb problems causing the company the current financial condition. Body The report draws hypothesis from the fact that in the last two years, Br own Smith Company had been a dominant share holder in the market. The profits generated over years had always doubled annually until last year when the huge profits and volume of sales started declining drastically. A case study conducted earlier showed that Brown Smith Company was worth $17 million. ... Investigations onto this move indicated that the clients were generally discontented with the services offered by the company. Moreover, customers were mostly dissatisfied with the long procurement process they go through before purchases are made. The long procurement process was much discouraging as it was characterized by other problems such as damage to goods. In addition, there are a number of mushrooming companies that are producing similar goods as Brown Smith Company and as a result competition in the market has gone high. This has split the profits and prevented market domination causing low volume of sales and less profits. It was also quite notable that since its inception, the company has not established away of motivating its clients. Furthermore, procurement procedures have not been reviewed for the last ten years. It was also noted that the company still uses the traditional system of purchasing and selling goods which is proofing to be much expensive, cumbersome and t ime consuming. Finally, clients encountered some problems especially when dealing with some company employees creating an almost impossible environment for reasonable business activity. Conclusion Owing to above facts and or claims, there is a need to put in place the following measures; Motivate customers by improving the quality of goods produced and offer after sale services. Review the current policies on procurement with a view of simplifying the whole process to meet the needs and expectations of the clients. There is a need for the staff of Brown Smith Company to have courtesy with the customers. This is possible through training and giving clients a chance to give views on how they think they should best be handled. There a need for the company to offer

Sample and population Essay Example for Free

Sample and population Essay Three samples were used for this study. Sample one consisted of two schools serving grades K-2; each school was from a different district. Sample two consisted of two schools which served K-3 and were from two separate districts. Finally, the third sample consisted of four K-5 schools, from two different districts. Overall, seven districts and eight schools of different sizes in the state of Mississippi were compared. The study specifically seeks to identify variables in low performing schools that could hinder them from improving performance. In order to provide an accurate study, the researcher took samples from different sized schools with different student demographics. Implementation Research was conducted by recording data for each school for a side-by-side comparison of different factors (see Appendix). All factors were found through greatschools. com, which summarizes each school’s characteristics for easy research. All school samples were then analyzed for the reading achievement average. Based on the average, the researcher then examined the achievement factors; determining whether there was a trend between any of the achievement factors and the MCT results of the chosen school samples. Factors compared during analysis were; socioeconomic status (SES), student-per-teacher ratios (FTE), and the percentage of nonwhite students. The MCT scores for 2005 were used as an indicator of overall reading proficiency of the chosen school. In order to determine whether a variable was a consistent influence on the MCT scores, three consecutive years of MCT scores from 2003-2005 were analyzed. The overall study aimed to discover a consistent pattern between a variable, such as SES or FTE, and the level of reading proficiency. Data Analysis Two of the three samples were consistent with the researcher’s hypothesis that SES is a strong influence on reading proficiency. Sample 1 however was uncharacteristic of the other two. In Sample 1, both schools demonstrated above the state average in MCT reading scores, however, the school with the highest SES percentage actually did better. This is uncharacteristic since Sample 2 and Sample 3 demonstrated a trend in high SES and low MCT scores for three consecutive years. As discussed in chapter two, the literature review, the influence of class size on student achievement has been an on going debate among researchers. For this reason, the researcher included student-per-teacher ratios as a sample variable. The researcher had expected to see some evidence of FTE influence reflected in the MCT scores; however, that was not the case. According to the data collected, the FTE of all three samples ranged between fifteen and seventeen, with the state average being fifteen. The results demonstrated no reoccurring trend between FTE and MCT scores. Sample 1 schools demonstrated varying above average MCT scores and the same FTE of seventeen. In Sample 2, School 1A demonstrated a below average MCT score with a FTE of fifteen; however, 2B had higher test scores and a higher FTE. In Sample 3, all but one of the schools had a FTE of Seventeen, 3B demonstrated a FTE of fifteen and a below average MCT score. School 4B had below average MCT scores but a FTE of seventeen, like the remaining two schools with higher MCT scores. Between all three samples, there was no reoccurring trend between MCT scores and FTE. The researcher had expected student ethnicity to play a large role in student achievement levels, however based on this studies samples, there was little proof that such a trend existed. As demonstrated in Appendix A through C, schools demonstrating low achievement scores varied in the percentage of nonwhite students. The same variations were found in schools with high achievement scores. Overall, the only achievement factor that demonstrated a trend was the socioeconomic status factor. SES as a factor of achievement was present in Samples 2 and 3, but seemed irrelevant in Sample 1. Based on the results and the uncharacteristic trends found in Sample 1, the researcher feels that the quality of the curriculum and teaching strategies had an influence of the high achievement levels found in Sample 1. The researcher feels strongly that SES is an influential factor on the reading achievement of elementary students in Mississippi. It must be noted however, the influence of SES can be minimized with the proper curriculum and learning strategies. MCT scores give educators insight into the overall achievement levels of students, and should be used as an indicator of what type of teaching strategy should be used. There are numerous ways to improve student achievement. Educators and school administrators must be aware of the learning abilities and potentials of students and gear curriculum and teaching strategies towards the needs of the students. References Achieve (2001). Standards: How high is enough? Achieve Policy Brief, 3. Washington, DC: Author. Allen, J. (2001).Eliminating a â€Å"Yes, But† Curriculum. Principal Leadership, 2, 2, 10-15. Balfanz, R. Legters, N. (2001, January). How Severe is the Problem? What do we know about intervention and prevention? Report presented at Dropouts in America, Conference of the Harvard Civil Rights Project and Achieve, Inc. : Cambridge, MA. Balfanz, R. , McPartland, J. , Shaw, A. (2002, April). Re-conceptualizing extra help for high school students in a high standards era. Preparing America’s Future: High School Symposium, Washington, DC. Campbell, J. R. , Hombo, C. M., Mazzeo, J. (2000). NAEP 1999 Trends in academic progress: Three decades of student performance (NCES2000-469). U. S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Cronnell, B. (1984). Black-English Influences in the Writing of Third- and Sixth-Grade Black Students. Journal of Educational Research, 77(4), 233-236. Retrieved October 27, 2006, from Questia database: http://questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=95818457 Chubb, J. E. , Moe, T. M. (1990). Politics, Markets and America’s schools. The Brookings Institution. Washington D. C: Codding, J. (2001). An Up Ramp for Struggling Readers. Principal Leadership, 2, 2. 22-25. Committee for Economic Development (2000). Measuring what matters: Using assessment and accountability to improve student learning. New York: Author. Coleman, J. S. , Campbell, E. Q. , et al,.. (1966). Equality of educational opportunity. : U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Washington D. C Commonwealth of Australia, (2005). Executive Summary. Retrieved December 1, 2006 from: http://www. dest. gov. au/nitl/documents/executive_summary. pdf. Deutsch, F. M. (2003). How small schools benefit high school students. NASSP Bulletin, 87. 35-44. Education Digest. (2002). Still Stumped Over School Size. pp. 31-3. Everson, H. T. , Dunham, M. D. (1996). Signs of success: Equity 2000—Preliminary evidence of effectiveness. The College Board. ERIC Document Reproduction Service, No. ED 455, 109. Fields, C. F. (1997). An equation for equity: Maryland’s Prince George’s County puts Equity 2000 to the test. Black Issues in Higher Education 13, 26. 24-27, 28-29, 30. Finn, J. , Achilles, C M. (1999). Tennessee’s class size study: Findings, implications, misconceptions. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 21, 97-109. Fischer, C. (1999). An Effective (and Affordable) Intervention Model for At-risk High School Readers. Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy, 43, 326-35. Folger, J. , Breda, C. , Beach, S. A. , Badarak, G. (1989). Evidence from Project Star About Class Size and Student Achievement. PJE. Peabody Journal of Education, 67(1), 17-74. Retrieved October 27, 2006, from Questia database: http://questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=95763060.

Investigating and Analyzing Opportunities and challenges of implementing ERP solution projects in SMBs Essay Example for Free

Investigating and Analyzing Opportunities and challenges of implementing ERP solution projects in SMBs Essay To accomplish research objectives, the mixed method approach to research will be used. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be instrumental in investigating and analyzing the opportunities and challenges of implementing ERP solution projects in SMBs. Data will be obtained from primary and secondary data, such as books and scholarly articles about theories and models in ERP planning and implementation, and the findings or outcomes of integrating ERP in SMBs in actual situations from other studies. Key individuals from performing, including ERP solutions integrators, and receiving organizations, such as CEOs in receiving organizations, will also be interviewed to gain qualitative data that will address the research goals. The field study approach will be applied to obtain qualitative and quantitative data. The analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data that will follow the contrastive approach. The number of studies that look into the actual outcomes of ERP solutions is limited and the contrastive approach to analyzing data and perceived outcomes of the study will contribute to empirical knowledge regarding the actual or practical situations that take place when implementing ERP solution projects in running and managing SMBs. The succeeding discussions will provide details on the methods and approaches that will be applied to fulfill the objectives of the research. Research Design Field Study ApproachThe field study approach of qualitative and quantitative research will be used at different stages in the study to gather data and determine the opportunities and challenges of implementing ERP solution projects in SMBs. Scholars emphasized the value of a field study design in a theory-oriented research. Schwab (2005, p. 85) noted that the field study approach is instrumental in testing theories or models. â€Å"Field studies â€Å"are frequently used to test conceptual models with a number of independent variables† (Schwab, 2005, p. 85). One primary objective of the study is to compare and contrast theories in ERP and its integration to SMB business functions and processes to actual practices and outcomes experienced by performing and receiving organizations. The field study approach will be utilized gain qualitative and quantitative data from independent variables that will consist of participants from performing and receiving organizations. The data obtained from the field study will be tested against theories and models discussed in the Literature Review. The field study approach enables the researcher to understand a phenomenon within the actual context or environment in which it occurs through direct observation or interaction with the target population. The purpose of the field study approach is aligned with the objectives of the research. The lack of existing literature is one reason that prompted the study. Gaining practical data from performing and receiving organizations through the field study approach will validate and evaluate the reliability of existing literature about the process and outcomes of ERP implementation in SMBs. Qualitative data will be obtained by conducting interviews with receiving and performing organizations. The number of participants from receiving and performing organizations will be equally divided. Five participants from receiving organizations (CEOs, CIOs, and IT managers) and five participants from performing organizations (project managers or ERP solutions integrators) will be selected as the sample population based on the availability of the participants. The formal interviews will be guided by specific themes that are aligned with the objectives of the study to address research questions. The formal interview with participants from performing organizations, including ERP solutions integrators or project managers will focus on three key areas: project controlling, project monitoring, and risk management. The interview questions will be designed to draw the practices or strategies implemented by the participants in order to control or monitor ERP projects in SMBs and techniques in risk management to prevent or address potential risks accordingly. The perceived outcomes of project managers and ERP solutions integrators will also be determined and evaluated based on the actual outcomes of ERP projects in SMBs. The quantitative data will also be obtained from performing organizations. The success of project planning, management and implementation of ERP project integrators may be determined by evaluating the various areas in ERP implementation. The project plans that were completed will be the primary source for quantitative data. The project plans and the actual outcomes of implementation will be evaluated to determine how successful ERP integrators were in accomplishing project plans for client SMBs. Information from receiving organizations will also be instrumental in validating the success of ERP project solutions and in determining the opportunities and challenges that commonly occur during the implementation process. The formal interviews with participants from the receiving organizations will focus on four areas: change management opportunities upon implementation of ERP projects, the challenges that arise during ERP implementation, the quality of the implemented solution or its alignment to the goals of the receiving organization, and the satisfaction of the receiving organization throughout the project life span. The responses from the receiving organizations will determine whether ERP project solutions implemented by performing organizations opened up opportunities for growth and development in the former and identify accompanying challenges in ERP implementation that other SMBs should be prepared for when adopting ERP in business operations. The primary data will be obtained through the field study approach. The secondary data that will primarily be used in writing the Literature Review will be obtained from the Body of Knowledge PMI, Prince2 Body of Knowledge, and professional journal works. The various theories and models in ERP implementation and how the process is integrated to SMB business practices will be the focus of research to obtained secondary data. The PMI and Prince2 will serve as the basis or standard of evaluating the efficiency and success of ERP project plans implemented in receiving organizations.

Skills to Become an Architect

Skills to Become an Architect   Garrett Leman It takes a lot of work to be accomplished in any field of work. If you want to be an architect you need to graduate high school and get a bachelors degree. A Bachelor of Architecture usually takes about 5 years to get. You need to pass all your classes and do your best work. If you get a pre-professional bachelors degree in architecture studies that usually takes about 4 years. Design classes would be good to take, or building classes. If you were trying to train to become an architect some on-the-job experience from another architect would be very helpful. In all you need Bachelors Degree (5 years) and 3 years of internship, accumulating 8 years of education and training. An architect needs to be creative, analytical, good at communicating, have good visualization skills, and be organized. You would need to be aware of common building/construction knowledge, and know what best works. Architects work in the designing aspect of construction, and may also be involved in every step of the process even construction. You need to know how to make a structure appealing to the eye and also be safe and functional. Each day you might be looking for new projects to do. In addition to designing buildings you would also help to restore old buildings. Once you get a project you work on designing and mapping out blue-prints with the exact specifications needed. Architects may work hand-in-hand with the customer, or may just be given guidelines and work from there. Throughout the building process, the architects job is checking prints against construction and managing time.They need to make sure the construction crew isnt making any mistakes. When creating the prints needed an architect needs to be able to make logical drawings that can easily be measured and converted. They need to go over all the specifications and be very precise. Being knowledgeable of real world buildings and how to make a building safe and functional is a very big part of your work. Qualities attributed to an architect are: an eye for details, drawing skills and be able to work with 3D art, inventive and imaginative, be passionate about buildings and the environment, and care about the people you are designing for. A certificate that is not necessarily required but is a sign that you have met the highest standards is the NCARB certificate. If you are becoming an architect you must register for and get a license to even call yourself an architect. You need to be certified in safety and the license is required if you want to legally design a structure for someone or something. You must have 3 years of experience before seeking licensing. You can serve as an intern for a more senior architect for more experience. All architects must past the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) to become certified. There is a projected 14.76% increase in architecture. This is statewide, while nationwide there is only a 6.9% increase. The average wages of an indiana architect is around $64,970. They can make up to about $114,000 dollars. That is a good paying job. I am interested in this job because I think it sounds intriguing, and also matches my skill set. The fact that it interests me while giving me good money is a huge bonus. Not many people get both, or are not able to. Since my job is engaging to me, I would do my best work, and be able to excel farther. Benefits of this occupation are numerous. The people I would work with would show the same kind of passion that i do, and also have the same interests. Architecture is a fast-paced career. It can be very fascinating, and is beautiful work. The work that you do is shown off to the world, and everyone gets to see it. One personal benefit is the fact that you would get to travel. I love traveling. The best architects need to know their envi ronment and the styles they are working with. Most architects travel to see the other cultures and types of architecture. They need to see how other buildings and countries work and flow and how all their things are structured different than ours. After working in architecture for a while you will learn new aspects of design. You pick up new skills and ways of going about. You will appreciate other buildings and structures more than you previously did. As I said before, a thing you could achieve after being an architect would be to earn your NCARB certificate. This shows that you really know what you are doing and have been doing that for a while. Some negative things associated with being an architect is that you have to spend a long time getting an education. It can take 8 years! Another downfall of being an architect is the pay and hours. The pay isnt awful, but comparing all the education you have to get the median pay of an architect is not that good. Also, as deadlines surface you may be working long hours trying to finish a project, or seal a deal. One major downfall is that architecture is based on how the economy is running. If everything is going good, the economy is running smoothly, people have lots of money buildings will be put up and money will be made. This is a good time to be an architect. On the other hand, if the market is running low, and people dont have as much money, no more buildings will be built. This is bad for architects and funds will be cut, and people will be laid off. This career may affect my home life in many ways. On regular day, when work is running smoothly it would be good. The money would be good for the family. When work is bad, this would negatively affect my familys morale. Nobody would be happy. My pay would affect how and where I lived. I would try to live in an urban city or some place where the work would be active. I would try to be considerate with the house and car due to the fluctuations of money that may occur. Being able to afford nice things would be a luxury once in awhile. Being an architect may affect my friends by determining the time Im able to spend with them. Architecture takes time and long hours. I may not be able to go out with them all the times they wanted. My family would be the same way. Trying to spend as much time as I could with them would be a big priority. The affect on my social life may be huge. I would get to meet many new people through work. An architect travels a lot in order to see new cultures, new buildings, and clients. Sometimes I may be able to bring the family along on my trips. Traveling the world would be a huge bonus of this occupation. I would be able to interact with many new people and see many new places, though that time would be cut short because they are business trips. If I choose to pursue this career from this day forward, in about 10 years I would be attending college getting my education to become an architect. I would spend a lot of time in college and getting degrees for architecture. It takes a lot of time and experience to become an architect. After college I would work as an intern for an architect. Hopefully in 20 years I would be working for a big architecture company or have my own. That would be a big goal for this. Being an architect isnt for everyone, but I think this may be a job to pursue.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk :: Biographies Bio Biography

FOUNDER AND THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC Atatà ¼rk was born in 1881 at the KocakasÄ ±m ward of Salonika, in a three story pink house located on Islahhane Street. His father is Ali RÄ ±za Efendi and his mother Zà ¼beyde HanÄ ±m. His paternal grandfather, HafÄ ±z Ahmed Efendi belonged to the KocacÄ ±k nomads who were settled in Macedonia during the XIV - XV th centuries. His mother Zà ¼beyde HanÄ ±m was the daughter of an Old Turkish family who had settled in the town of Langasa near Salonika. Ali RÄ ±za Efendi, who worked as militia officer, title deed clerk and lumber trader, married Zà ¼beyde HanÄ ±m in 1871. Four of the 5 siblings of Atatà ¼rk died at early ages and only one sister, Makbule (Atadan) survived, and lived until 1956. Upon reaching school age, little Mustafa started school at the neighborhood classes of HafÄ ±z Mehmet Efendi and later, with his father's choice, was transferred to Åžemsi Efendi School. He lost his father in 1888 where upon he stayed at the farm of his maternal uncle for a while and returned to Salonika to complete his studies. He registered at the Salonika Mà ¼lkiye Rà ¼Ã…Ÿtiye (secondary school) and soon transferred to the military Rà ¼Ã…Ÿtiye. While at this school, his math teacher, also named Mustafa, added "Kemal" to his name. He attended the ManastÄ ±r Military School between 1896 - 1899 and later the Military School in Ä °stanbul from which he graduated in 1902 with the rank of lieutenant. He later entered the Military Academy and graduated on January 11, 1905 with the rank of major. Between 1905 - 1907 he was stationed in Damascus with the 5th. Army. In 1907 he was promoted to the rank of "KolaÄŸasÄ ±" (senior major) and was posted with the III rd Army , which w as stationed in ManastÄ ±r. He was the Staff Officer of the "Special Troops" (Hareket Ordusu) which entered Ä °stanbul on April 19, 1909. He was sent to Paris in 1910 where he attended the Picardie manuevers. In 1911 he started to work at the General Staff Office in Ä °stanbul. Mustafa Kemal was stationed at Tobruk and Derne regions with a group of his friends during the war which started with the Italian attack on Tripoli. He won the Tobruk battle in 22 December 1911 against the Italians. On March 6, 1912 he was made the Commander of Derne. When the Balkan War started in October 1912, Mustafa Kemal joined the battle with units from Gallipoli and BolayÄ ±r.

Pitiful Human Condition Exposed in Endgame, Dumbwaiter, and The Horse D

The Pitiful Human Condition Exposed in Endgame, Dumbwaiter, and The Horse Dealer's Daughter      Ã‚   The three stories, The Endgame (Beckett), The Dumbwaiter (Pinter), and The Horse Dealer's Daughter (Lawrence) all deal with the themes of repression, repetition, and breakdowns in communication. The stories show us the subjectivity of language and exemplify the complexities of the human condition.    Samuel Beckett arrived on earth in Ireland on Good Friday, April 13, 1906. He then spent the rest of his life wanting to be somewhere else. Beckett's life was one of silence, solitude, and depression. He felt he did not belong in this world and he was disenchanted with societal convention and the hum-drum existence that was everyday life. He lived in Paris for awhile and became good friends with James Joyce, another Irish writer disenchanted with conventional ways of life.    Becketts works reflect his complex views of language, silence, and the ineffectual capacity of both to convey human thought. In Beckett's ideology, "Language is useless" and "he creates a mythical universe peopled by lonely creatures who struggle vainly to express the inexpressible. His characters exist in a terrible dreamlike vacuum, overcome by an overwhelming sense of bewilderment and grief, grotesquely attempting some form of communication, then crawling on, endlessly."    Beckett's short story, The Endgame, is about four people in an underground room waiting for death. The end of the world has apparently happened and they have survived in what is presumed to be a bomb shelter. Two of the characters live in trash cans. These two characters are the parents of our main character, Hamm, who is himself confined to a whe... ...he unconscious is the soul and all action should be from instinct. That is a scary thought!    Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. "The Endgame", (online) http://samuel-beckett.net Pinter, Harold. "The Dumb Waiter", The Caretaker and The Dumb Waiter, Grove Press, Inc., New York, 1965 Lawrence, D.H. "The Horse Dealer's Daughter", (online) "Samuel Beckett", (online) http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc7.htm "Harold Pinter", (online) http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc28.html Cliff Notes. "Harold Pinter - The Dumb Waiter"(online) Prentice Hall, (online) http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_guth_disclit_3/0,5308,342140-,00.html Nigel Harrison, Eastwood and D H Lawrence, (online) http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/nigel_h/dhl.htm Randall Albright, "The Horse Dealer's Daughter", (online) http://clik.to/rananim/   

The Name “Estella” in Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

The Name â€Å"Estella† in Great Expectations    The name of the characters in a Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations, is very important. In the case of Estella, the name indicates her personality, her relation with other characters and even the way in which she moves along the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Spanish, the word for star is â€Å"estrella†.   Since Spanish is a â€Å"romance† language, estrella is undoubtedly derived from the Latin word for star.   Stars are cold but beautiful to see. The same is true for Estella: she has a cold personality but she is very pretty. Estella was given to Miss Havisham at night - which is when stars appear. The first time Estella appears is in chapter 8, in the Pip’s first visit to Miss Havisham's house. The first impression Pip has about Estella is also characterized by ambiguity: he thinks she is pretty but she is proud. Miss Havisham obliges Estella to play cards with Pip. The first time that the card game appears the battle of sexes occurs since, after her frustrated marriage, Miss Havisham educates Estella to scorn men and in the card game Miss Havisham wants to see a victory of a woman over a man. Estella wins but the most important thing here is that Estella does no t want to play with Pip because she thinks he is common. This shows the pride and the superiority in which Estella is presented in her relation to Pip, and it's also important because, from this moment, Pip wants to be educated to be at the same level that Estella – he hopes that he can reach out and touch a star. Stella (without the first 'e') is the name of Sydney's beloved. Probably he gave his beloved this name because she was married in the real life and so, he could not reach her. Stars are far away and they cannot be reached. In the novel, Estella is presented as an impossible dream for Pip. In the same way Pip has expectations in a material level, Estella would be Pip's love expectation. In Christianity, the star is related to the Virgin Mary. Stars are also used for orientation, to guide us at night. In the novel, Estella appears as a light, it is Pip's orientation and he always has her in his mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we look at the sky we can see different kinds of stars.

Outline and Evaluate the Psychodynamic Model of Abnormality

Outline and evaluate the psychodynamic model of abnormality. (12 Marks) The psychodynamic model (which is based on Freud’s theories) states that abnormalities are results of a conflict which has gone wrong in the â€Å"psyche† (in the mind). Freud’s idea states that the psyche – which is made up of the (id, ego and superego), should all work in perfect harmony with each other to avoid being an abnormal person.It is the idea that conscious thoughts and feelings are determined by the unconscious mind, and essentially being mentally healthy requires a good balance between: the id (which controls the desires for which we live for in order to satisfy ourselves), the superego (which takes into consideration morals and the difference between right and wrong) and the ego (which balances the superego and id to keep our behaviour in check).From these 3 components in the psyche, you can quickly see that the id and superego are constantly in conflict. This ultimately means that for a person to not develop a psychological disorder – a strong ego is necessary as it will â€Å"get the best of both worlds† and create a balance, while allowing the superego and id to express themselves (when suitable), without dominating the personality and hence, causing a psychological disorder.An example of an abnormality which could occur from the id being too strong in kids (is developing conduct disorders). In adults (they become psychopaths), all because of the personality being taken over by the id. If the superego is too strong socially acceptable pleasures will be hard to come by as neurotic behaviours such as phobias and obsessions will be apparent, as they will be constantly fixated with things that they want to do but â€Å"cant† because their too scared.Freud thought that the childhood of an individual was essential in the development of personality and that all abnormal behaviours are linked to childhood. There are different ages as sociated with different stages. An example of this is the oral stage which usually happens between (0-18 months) – the focus of pleasure is the mouth (feeding or dummy) and if this is fixated upon, this could lead to overeating or smoking in order to comfort themselves and their mouth. Another example is the anal stage (2-4 years).A conflict may arise when potty training as if the child receives either excessive punishment or the parents are too lenient during this stage it can lead to a fixation which will be taken to adult life. The end result could either be a person who has an anal retentive personality (stubborn perfectionist obsessed with tidiness) or an anal repulsive personality (messy person with no self-control), according to Freud. The evaluation of Freud’s model is that many detailed pieces of data were obtained as it was a case study.The findings did support Freud’s hypotheses and theories. However Freud’s ideas were very subjective as not mu ch – if any scientific data was produced to back his work up. This therefore raises question marks over the reliability of his findings and theories. Also the evidence from the case study came from his own patients who could compel us to think that his results are unreliable, as his patients may have been biased and essentially gave the answers Freud wanted, because they were his patients.

International Marketing Essay

Executive Summary The main purpose of the report will be to analyze Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation’s (HSBC) Premier proposition (PP). The author will be analyzing the product proposition using a SWOT analysis frame work on HSBC Premier. Based on the result of the analysis the author will highlight as to why HSBC has chosen to cater the high end society. The report also showcase as to why the PP is focused on this particular market segment. Followed by the author conducting a study on the requirements and expectations of Premier Customer (PC). Based on the identified factors the author will illustrate how the PP has being designed to address the client’s requirements by using the concept of relationship banking through their specialized employees. The report will also emphasis on the importance of HSBC being customer centric. Supported through changes done to the marketing mix in order to achieve the goal of customer care. In conclusion the author has conducted a research to track the total customer experience. Introduction HSBC is a leading multi-national organization which has been operating in the financial industry in Sri Lanka for over 120 years (Refer Appendix A.1). Being an organization which has both local and international expertize, HSBC has a competitive advantage in positioning their products and services in the market. HSBC caters both corporate and Retail Banking segments with a wide range of product propositions. As the newly appointed marketing consultant for HSBC Premier (Refer Appendix A.3), the author will be conducting a market research to find out the factors as to how HSBC PP can be improved. During the market study the author will be conducting a research on areas like working business culture and marketing concept, segmentation of the product in line with its customers, analyzing the customer’s needs wants and  value expectations of the proposition, creation of customer-based value propositions for each of the segments, developments through relationship marketing and customer care, the organizations branding strategies, research studies related to customer experience and the outcome of been an organization which is more customer centric. The working business culture and marketing concept Considering the business culture, HSBC is an organization exposed to many international trends and working environments. From retaining years of experiences in the financial industry HSBC has identified how the organization should adopt itself according to the local culture and trends. In order to localize the organization has invested in the areas such as product development, pricing, branding, market research and relationship marketing. Which eventually covers the marketing concepts of HSBC. These concepts are used by the top level management as strategic concepts in order to make decisions and processes to cater to customer requirements and expectations. Through these concepts HSBC has being able to align the Premier Proposition (PP) according to the current market conditions. Product development and Pricing In order to sustain their market share HSBC PP is been reviewed and developed annually by the marketing department. Product development has being focused based on the following market conditions. The emergence of local and international competition: In the recent past there have being many number of financial institutes starting to introduce similar product propositions as HSBC Premier. Eg :Nations Trust Bank : Private Banking Standard Chartered Bank: Priority Banking Fragmented markets and sophisticated customer needs, wants and demands: The emergence of sophisticated customers such as investors, directors of multinational companies, businessmen who each have diverse needs wants and demand expectations from the bank. Technological advances in the financial sector: HSBC has being successfully  been able to achieve this by offering the best consumer internet. The organization has being offered the award by Global Finance. HSBC uses a price premium strategy in the PP which has made the product to be exclusive and appealing to the high end society of Sri Lanka. By using this strategy HSBC has been able to acquire over 6000 Premier Customers (PCs) who each maintain over Rs 7,500,000 in a portfolio. This in return has given them to generate Rs 45 Billion in deposits. Branding Every product requires a strong branding technique. HSBC uses the following branding methods to showcase the benefits of PP. Online marketing Billboards Electronic Direct Mails New paper and magazine advertising Corporate sponsorships Consumer sales promotions As per the methods mentioned above HSBC has focus in showcasing the lifestyle of a PC and the benefits that could be achieved by being part of the growing PP. The next goal by branding would be to acquire potential customers through displaying benefits compared to the competitors. Market Research and Relationship Marketing HSBC invests a large proportion of resources on market research and development. Which eventually result HSBC a cutting edge among competitors. This market research and development is conducted through HSBC head office in Hong Kong at regular intervals. By doing so HSBC has being able to identify new global trends and investment opportunities which they have being able to include within the PP. In order to customize and align the global trends and investments according to the Sri Lankan market, the local marketing department conduct research. These researches are conducted through client survey calls, mystery shopper programs and customer feedback forms. This has provided the opportunity for the management to gain a descriptive insight of the service pros and cons offered to the PC. Customer being treated as king in today’s business world HSBC believes customer centric relationship marketing is the critical selling factor of the PP. In  order to complement this factor Relationship Managers (RMs) have being groomed to be customer oriented, which will enable to provide a personalized service package. Based on the study carried on HSBC Premier the author will explain the current position of the organization and explain the desired position to be in through his suggestions. Understanding customers and segmentation A PC is an individual who banks at HSBC for the purpose of receiving exclusive customized service, global recognition, safety of their funds and investment advice. By performing a SWOT analysis on HSBC Premier the author has being able to highlight why HSBC has selected the particular segment of high income earner both locally and internationally. Strengths HSBC is a brand which provides their clients a global recognition through HSBC Premier. Expertise in the financial industry both locally and internationally. Including modern technology into their services. Priority services for all international banking services through Global Premier Centre’s. Customizing the products and services according to the local culture. Dedicated RMs who would manage the clients financial requirements 24 hour Premier Call Centre (PCC) Emergency credit facilities. Exclusive promotions for PCs both locally and internationally. Weaknesses Limited bank branches around Sri Lanka. Offering low interest rates on fixed deposits and savings accounts. Being an International brand the organization is vulnerable for strict government rules policies. Having only 2 Premier Centre’s in Sri Lanka to cater to over 6000 PCs. Unavailability in developing new wealth management products for clients with high investment appetites. Having a low workforce to attend to each PC’s requests. Limiting the eligibility criteria for HSBC Premier. Having only one PCC to attend to over 6000 PC calls. Opportunities By growing the premier portfolio the organization will be able grow the HSBC brand Value. Developing newer technological advances in line with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka would assist in making the product more attractive. HSBCs Global recognition which would attract clients. Constant R&D provides new dimensions to a growth. Individuals who aspire to become a PC. Global international support through the HSBC group. Threats Competitor banks starting to offer similar propositions. Central Bank regulations which limits cross border transactions. Losing customers who are rate sensitive Reputational risks from miss selling HSBC Premier. Vulnerability to attract money launderers who would tarnish the HSBC Premier brand name. Global recession impacts on HSBC High priorities given to local banks. Table -SWOT Analysis Different PC individuals have diverse expectations from HSBC. In order to meet these high client expectation levels HSBC conduct thorough staff trainings, workshops and knowledge sharing sessions. Based on the product exclusivity it shows that HSBC has segmented in clients who seek global recognition and quality service even though they do not offer competitive return on investments. Further the client base can also be segment according to the below listed eligibility PC criteria. 1. Clients maintaining a portfolio balance of Rs7,500,000 In Sri Lanka 2. Overseas PCs maintaining the required balance in their home country All though this protects the products exclusivity it has limited the organization expanding their market share. In order to overcome this limitation the author suggests that HSBC to introduce new entry criteria to become a PC. Market research shows competitors also offering similar products under the following entry criteria. Nations Trust Bank (Private Banking eligibility) -Rs 5 million or  equivalent in foreign currency, in deposits Total relationship of Rs 10 million in both deposits and loans Repurchase Agreements (REPO’s) and/or investments of Rs 20 million. Standard Chartered Bank (Priority banking eligibility)-Total relationship in Fixed deposits Rs5, 000,000/- Commercial Bank (Elite Banking eligibility)-Total deposit relationship in excess of Rs 7.5 Million in a savings or fixed deposit account. In order to gain the completive advantage and grow the profit margins for the business sustainability the author’s suggestion is to remake entry criteria’s to become a PC. This will also open doors for potential customer segments and new business opportunities where competitors have still not approached on. Authors entry criteria suggestions: Maintaining Rs5,000,000/- in a non-interest bearing current account and granting of an interest free overdraft facility of Rs2,500,000/- which would attract Islamic Banking clients. Maintaining Rs5, 000,000/- in a fixed deposit and granting an overdraft facility against in which will attract clients who like to invest in the Stock market and other instruments. Offering Premier for top Directors of Companies such as MAS, Nestles, Fonterra, MIT so that they would be brand ambassadors for the Product. Introducing Premier for clients with large credit facilities which are more than Rs10, 000,000/- these clients would give a high income to grow the premier portfolio. Analyzing needs, wants, values and Expectations of Customers As indicated above a HSBC PC contains diverse set of expectations and requirement through this package. This requirements and expectations vary from individual to individual. HSBC has being able to identify these client expectations based on the research performed by their research and development team. Analyzing needs and wants The success of HSBC PP is based on how the organization meets the customers’ expectations. Based on the market studies performed on the client base the author has being able to identify what are the needs and wants of the clients. Needs Wants Easy access to their funds. Ability to withdraw funds at any given time. Reliability on the invested money at HSBC. To have the assurance that the invested money is secured at HSBC. Return on investment. Preferential interest rate for savings accounts and fixed deposits. 24 hour assistance in financial needs. 24X7 customer support. Commendable customer relationship. To receive a tailor made service from HSBC. Ability to obtain credit facilities. Ability to request for credit cards, loan facilities and overdraft facilities on demand. Priority services in transferring funds globally and assistance in opening accounts overseas. Global assistance. Hassle free money transfers with global accounts Table – Analyzing needs and wants Values and Expectations of a HSBC Premier customer The relationship between a HSBC PC and the bank is built around the values presented by the organization. In order to achieve clients expectations HSBC works hard along with their set values. The below list contains the relationship between the PC’s values and expectations. Values Expectations Fairness Offering a fair Interest rate on the Fixed deposits within the bank. Honesty and integrity. To create transparency on the fees and rates of the bank. Ability to understand and address the client’s requirements. Excellent two way communication with the RM and client for a better service. Assurance Assurance for the client’s financial safety. Service. Customized clients service package. Dependability High dependability on their personal and official financial matters. Recognition. To be recognized as a valued Premier client. Table -Value and Expectations of a HSBC Premier Customer Creating Customer-based Value Propositions for Customer segments Creating customer-based value propositions is a widely used strategy to create awareness on different customer segments. Having looked at the researchers conducted from inception of HSBC Premier the author believes the most significant factor is to address PCs expectations. Also the author believes, through catering these requirements will influence the client’s decision making ability. This will result to grow the market share and generate business incomes. Relationship Marketing & Customer Care Relationship marketing has become one of the current important concepts of today’s business environment. Relationship marketing is mainly dependent on organization policies employee skill and capabilities. Each employee plays a vital role in the process of delivering an exceptional customer service. Starting from the front level customer support to the back office support the same service level should be maintained. Factors that influence Relationship Marketing for HSBC Premier: Convenience in accessing the Premier Centre’s. Efficiency of the RMs. Strong bond between the client and the RMs. Consistent service delivery. The luxurious Premier Centre facilities. Extensive Friendly support provided by the employees. Understanding the customer requirements. Playing honestly and winning customer trust. Assurance of investments. Management of customer care Knowledge : The employees should always maintain high knowledge level regarding customer portfolios, requirements and up to date with organizations processes. Service Level : All staff engaged directly or indirectly with clients should always provide same service standards. Operations : Maintaining consistent operations according to the set guidelines in order avoid any service lapses. Customer Care : Providing the best customer experience through exceptional customer care. At HSBC the management believes in building strong relationships between the business and its clients is vital. In order to full fill the above influences HSBC has built the PP around customer relationship marketing and exceptional customer care. A PC of HSBC is entitled to a RM who caters to their every financial requirement. The RMs are often closely engaged with their clients, this allows them to win the trust and understand the client. It enables the RMs to provide a better service to their clients. A satisfied customer will always improve their portfolios and recommend the product and service to others. However during the research conducted it is evident the concept of relationship banking is blossomed from the point a client becomes a PC. Although the author strongly believes regardless weather the customer is Premier or not the bank should provide customer relationship banking. HSBC should extend their focus towards all segments and expand their exceptional customer relationship. Through conducting the above mentioned new concept the organization will be able to identify the potential clients and grow them to become aspiring qualitative PCs. Reinforcing the organization’s Identity through changes to the Marketing Mix Variables What is a Marketing Mix? A marketing mix is traditionally referred to as the 4P’s, which consists of Product, Price, Place and Promotion. With market evolution 4Ps has grown itself towards adding 3 more concepts like People, Process, and Physical Environment. The combination of these elements will contribute towards providing successful of the products and services. Figure -7 P’s Concept The Product It can be a tangible good or an intangible service. The successfulness of a  product or service is based on how it is developed and how it will cater the customer needs. HSBC has developed HSBC Premier to cater to the high end niche market. The product offers exclusivity, recognition and a wide range of benefits to its clients. Although the PP appeals to the specific pricing category it restricts HSBC in acquiring new clients. The author belief is to create a sub category under HSBC Premier to grab the clients who cannot meet the HSBC Premier requirement and not allowing them to move towards other competitors. Price The price is the amount a customer is willing to pay for the product or service. It will also determine the organizations profit or loss as a product or service is only worth for the price that the chosen segment of customers is willing to pay. The price should be competitive when compared with competitors. In the end customers would choose the service which offers the best value for their money. HSBC uses a price premium strategy for the eligibility of becoming a PC. The product offers exclusivity for clients who seek global recognition and quality service. The eligibility in becoming a PC has being set at Rs7, 500,000.00. This will restrict majority of new clients in enrolling for HSBC Premier. The reason being for the author to state that HSBC uses a price premium strategy is because HSBC historically has not offered high return on interest rates on their fixed deposits or investments, but compensates it with a superior service which retains the client from moving to competitors. However in order to grow the Premier portfolio held at HSBC the author suggests that HSBC increases the interest rates paid on the fixed deposits in order to retain the existing client base and also be able to attract the rate conscious clients from competitors. Place Place is the physical location where a product or service will be offered or distributed to the customer. It should be easily accessible by the customers. HSBC Premier is offered to the clients through the HSBC Premier Centre’s, HSBC PCC’s, the HSBC retail branch network and also through HSBC Internet Banking. Since HSBC has only 2 Premier Centre’s and 15 retail branches it has limited the accessibility to the public. The authors suggestion is introduce new retail branches in new locations where HSBC will  be able acquire new PCs and grow their market share. Promotion Promotion is the method used by marketers to communicate information on products or services. It includes elements such as advertising, sales campaigns and awareness programs. HSBC uses the following modes to do their promotions. Branding Advertising Special Offers Electronic direct mailers Brochures Most of the promotional methods used at HSBC are prepared based on the market studies performed by research teams. However at times the in accuracy of the market study and poor promotional communication methods would fail to meet the customer needs. Based on the authors experience he advises that HSBC use a two way communication method when setting up their promotions. This will enable to get the clients feedback on the promotion as well as to answer any of the queries that the client has regarding the promotion. People People play a vital role in the service industry. They create a positive or negative impression toward the client which will eventually impact the organization. It is always important that the staffs are well groomed and motivated when they deliver their service to client. HSBC Premier is built around addressing the client’s requirements through relationship banking. Therefore it is important that HSBC recruits the right people with right skills and attitude to carry out their processes. The level of support and service granted by the RMs will determine whether the clients will retain at HSBC or weather the will move to other financial institutes. Process The processes set within the organization contribute to the end result of customer satisfaction. A PC is not interested on how the set systems work at HSBC, but what they are interested is only to get their job done. It is important that HSBC evolves their system up to date with high efficiency and  productivity. This will lead toward satisfied customers. This is the ultimate goal of HSBC Premier. Physical Evidence The physical evidence is what a Premier client would experience from the moment they step in to a Premier Centre. During the stay at the Premier centre the customers would experience luxurious facilities. These comforts and benefits will capture potential customers through branding and through word mouth. The combination of each of the above elements will contribute to the success of the HSBC PP. Research Requirements for the organization to track the total customer experience What is Marketing Research? It is a systematic module which is used to collect data for analysis and reporting purpose on a specific marketing situation faced in an organization. Companies use these research results in various situations. This helps the organization to measure the customer experience. The research results will enable the marketers to improve their products or services. Commonly organizations have their own in house R&D team and however some companies tend to conduct this market research through 3rd party specialized organizations. Importance of Marketing Research for HSBC As the time past banks have gradually evolved themselves to introduce new products and services. This has increased the competition amongst financial institutes who are striving to be the best. While each bank offers similar products and service packages. The differentiation is dependent on the services and after sales. While HSBC understands the importance of marketing research they have sub contracted high level research studies for specialist such as AC Nielsen Corporation. At the inception of HSBC Premier the organization used research studies from the Primary data acquired through Surveys, data collections, focus groups and interview. Based on these research studies carried out HSBC was able to develop the global proposition. For further development and changes to HSBC Premier the organization carries out secondary data research studies by purchasing research studies done by specialists, collecting data of customer courtesy calls, mystery shopper programs, branch observations, suggestion boxes and  testimonials left by other PCs. Once the information is collected HSBC uses it to understand the lapses that they have in terms of service, competitor interest rates, product features and benefits which affect the total customer experience. Based on the experience at HSBC the author suggests that the research should be carried out by using the Primary research studies in order to track the total customer experience. Although collecting of data can be costly through primary research methods it is accurate and easy to understand the customer as listed below. Primary research can be obtained by research performed on existing PCs. The research can be tailored according to the requirement of the organization. It helps you understand the type of client which does business with you. Since it is an in-depth research done the data would not be available for competitors. The organization has the freedom the set the parameters of the areas they wish to perform the research studies on. Collected data would be qualitative and quantitative. Figure – Research frame work Defining Objectives: The objective of the research is to identify the total customer experience that a HSBC PC under go. Research Design: At the research design stage, the marketer or the organization would follow a set of guidelines carried out the research. The different stages of a research are as followed. Figure -Research Design Data Collection: Data collection to be done according to the above research design using the existing client based and the potential client base. Data Analysis: Data analysis is a process of transforming acquired data in to qualitative and quantitative information for the use of the marketers. Research Report: The research report will be the end result of the research process. The report would highlight the areas which require development and the areas which have service lapses. This will enable HSBC to develop them self as an organization. The author believes it is vital that HSBC continues and  improves their research methods in order to be on top of the financial industry. Through performing and tracking the total customer experience which a PC goes through HSBC will be able to adjust and make changes to the processes which are in use. The outcomes of becoming more customer centric In every organization the customer is treated as the king or queen. Therefore each organization wishes to be customer centric. They build their businesses around the expectations of the targeted customer segments. At HSBC the working business culture and marketing concepts are aimed and designed according to its target market. The process of choosing the segment of high end customer and to cater them with the product HSBC Premier was done under the customer segmentation process. Once the segmentation was done HSBC choose to analyze the needs, wants, values and expectations of a PC. This enable the organization to tailor make the benefits for a PC at HSBC. This in return creates a global value proposition for each PC. A key area in being a customer centric organization is the capability of building strong relationships with the clients. At HSBC Premier the concept of using a RM has enable the organization to identify in-depth information regarding their base of PCs. It has also enabled HSBC to discover the clients hidden needs and also create needs within them in order to grow the Premier portfolio. By addressing these requirements HSBC has being able to enhance the customer experience derived through HSBC Premier. The author suggests that HSBC continues to conduct primary research which gives the organization in-depth information regarding how and where the organization is heading towards. The conducted research would stand as an indicator to identify on the changes that the organization could do to its marketing mix variables to achieve customer satisfaction. Becoming an organization which is customer centric would contribute to the sustainability of the company. It will act as a guide in the company’s long term vision to enable them to align the business and its processes accordingly. By doing so the organization would be able to increase the customer experience levels and values. Conclusion The overall report is a critical analysis on HSBC’s PP. The author has identified the working business culture and marketing concepts used at HSBC.  Based on the study the report illustrates the importance of designing HSBC’s PP in line with the chosen customer segments expectations. Having being a customer centric organization, HSBC has being able to identify its customer requirements through market researches and adaptation of relationship banking. Having identifying a PC’s necessities the organization has being able to make changes to its marketing mix variables in order to increase the total customer experience. The PP in general, can be measured as one of the most consistent propositions which offer exclusive financial services. In order to sustain HSBC’s PP the author recommends that the organization develops its strategies and reduces the service lapses based on the suggestions made. References Acrwebsite.org. 2013. Applications of Marketing Concepts to Candidate Marketing by Avraham Shama. [online] Available at: http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=5803 [Accessed: 11 Nov 2013]. Antarcticglaciers.org. 2013. Untitled. [online] Available at: http://www.antarcticglaciers.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/10-steps-to-research-design.png [Accessed: 15 Nov 2013]. Chennaiconsultants.in. 2013. Chennai Consulting Group. [online] Available at: http://www.chennaiconsultants.in/marketing_research.html [Accessed: 14 Nov 2013]. Combank.net. 2013. Savings Sri Lanka | Internet Banking | Commercial Bank Sri Lanka. [online] Available at: http://www.combank.net/newweb/info?id=196&menu_type=mainmenu&selected=About%20Us&subitem=Social%20Responsibility&oid=230 [Accessed: 17 Nov 2013]. Google Books. 2013. Product Development Performance. [online] Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7cCAASTW6IQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=product+development+concept&ots=vuYX2 TiVnH&sig=ARVFe8GFf7- [Accessed: 11 Nov 2013]. Jstor.org. 2013. JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie. [online] Available at: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1248740?uid=3738456&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21102819894071 [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013]. Kotler, P. 2005. Principles of marketing. Lbr.lk. 2013. Lanka Business Report. [online] Available at: http://www.lbr.lk/fullstory.php?nid=201101052013018515 [Accessed: 12 Nov 2013]. Nationstrust.com. 2013. Nations Trust Bank, Sri Lanka – Personal Banking, Corporate Banking, American Express, SME Banking. [online] Available at: http://www.nationstrust.com/personal_banking/private_banking [Accessed: 13 Nov 2013]. Unknown. 2013. [online] Available at: http://www.amsreview.org/articles/wiedmann07-2007.pdf?q=are-consumer-perceptions-of-brand-affected-by-materialism [Accessed: 13 Nov 2013]. Unknown. 2013. [online] Available at: http://www.cim.co.uk/files/7ps.pdf [Accessed: 15 Nov 2013]. APPENDICES A.1 About HSBC HSBC is a financial organization which opened in Sri Lanka on the 1st of July in 1892. The bank initially opened for business under the name of â€Å"Hongkongbank† thereafter was named as the â€Å"The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation† and in the more recent years operates under the name â€Å"HSBC†. HSBC currently has over 6,600 offices in over 80 countries and territories and assets of US$2,692 billion as at 30 June 2012 according to (HSBC, 2013) This Makes HSBC one of the largest Financial Organizations in the world. Since 1892 HSBC has supported and contributed to the Sri Lankan Economy and is currently one of the most Profitable Banks in Sri Lanka. A.2 Products and Services offered by HSBC HSBC uses the influences of their international expertise, their local knowledge and experience in order to build the Products and Services they offer. This puts HSBC in a good position to compete with the local financial organizations. HSBC offers propositions to its clients. They have come up with 2 main propositions which are called â€Å"HSBC Premier† and â€Å"HSBC Advance†. A.3 About HSBC Premier This product is offered to HSBCs top end clients who are the high income earning segment of society. It would be clients who are well established in life and lives a lavish lifestyle. HSBC Premier comes with a bundle of value additions and exceptional service standards. Such as a Relationship Manager who will look in to the clients every financial need, preferential rates,  fee waivers and preferential promotions positioned only for Premier Clients. HSBC has set the minimum eligibility of becoming a Premier Client at maintaining Rs7, 500,000/- in a client’s portfolio.