Morrison essays

Morrison essays Toni Morrisons, Beloved, is a complex narrative about the love between mothers and daughters, and the agony of guilt.It is the ultimate gesture of a loving mother. It is the outrageous claim of a slave.? These are the words, of Toni Morrison, used to describe the actions of Sethe, the central character in the novel. She, a former slave, chooses to kill her baby girl rather then let her live a life in slavery. In preventing her from the physical and emotional horrors of slavery, Sethe has put herself in to a realm of physical and emotional pain: guilt. And in understanding her guilt we can start to conceive her motivations for killing her third nameless child. Did Beloveds death come out of love or selfish pride? In preventing her child from going into slavery, Sethe, too, protected herself, she prevented herself from re-entering captivity. In examining Sethes character we can see that her motivations derive from her deep love towards her children, and from the lack of love for herself. Sethes children are her only good quality. Her children are a part of her and in killing one she kills a part of herself. What hinders over Sethe is her refusal to accept responsibility for her babys death. Does she do this because she is selfishness or because it need not be justified? Sethes love is clearly displayed by sparing her daughter from a horrific life, yet, Sethe refuses to acknowledge that her show of compassion is also Throughout the work, seems to have two separate identities, which affect her actions. When reunited with Paul D., Sethe recalls her reactions to School Teachers arrival with no mention to her daughters death. Oh, no. I wasnt going back there [Sweet Home]. I went to jail instead?(42) Sethe believes she made a moral stand in not letting herself be taken into custody. In her statement she has done two things, she has disa...

Are You About To Get Fired, Or Are You Just Paranoid 8 Ways to Tell

Are You About To Get Fired, Or Are You Just Paranoid 8 Ways to Tell It’s easy to think you might be on the chopping block, but sometimes you’re just jumping at shadows. How can you tell if you’re just being paranoid or if you really should be worried? Here are a few signs that your worry is justified. 1. You recently screwed up.A screw-up isn’t necessarily the harbinger of doom. But if you did have a big mistake in your recent past, that’s probably one thing to consider.2. You’ve been iced out.You suddenly find yourself no longer in the loop. You’re hearing about company news from people well below your pay grade. Not a great sign. And if your supervisor or mentor recently left the department? Even worse.3. No one will look at you.None of your colleagues are making eye contact. You’re being ignored. People go out of their way not to cross you in the halls or meet you in the break room. And you find people seem to be whispering when they’re in your ear shot. You could just be a pariah, but it’s more likely that they know something you don’t know.4. There have been mergers and acquisitions.Your company just merged or got bought out. Layoffs are probably to be on the table at some point in the future. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be fired, but if it’s one of many of these symptoms, then you should probably start looking for another job.5. You’re being set up to fail.The last task you got assigned was actually impossible. Or maybe your responsibility has been completely curtailed. Either way, you can perceive that you’ve been fully written off.6. You’ve been downsized.Has your office just been moved somewhere pretty subpar? Or your cubicle split in half to accommodate another employee? They don’t value your space, they probably don’t value you all that much either. Or maybe your pay has just taken a cut- or been frozen.7. They’re hiring your replacement.You found a posting that matches your job description on a job search site or the company boards. That is†¦ well†¦ not a good sign.8. There’s a clear paper trail.Your boss doesn’t have any conversations with you now in either passing or about work. There’s always an email chain. As if they’re trying to cover their bases. Or perhaps your relationship is just getting weird. Either way, weird boss behavior is never a good sign.

Managing Organizational Change Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Organizational Change - Case Study Example The residents of Honk Kong strongly believe that the way to drink water is to use the bottled variety, as they believe the health benefits and convenience is preferred compared to boiling existing tap water. The debate surrounds the problems associated with these views, however. Hence the purpose we must now address is to radically change the way people in Honk Kong regard their water supply. The current thinking is problematic on a number of fronts. However, it can be seen from history that there was a time when everyone in Hong Kong drank water from the tap. So what has changed Bottled water is now the preferred choice, despite the fact that tap water is for all intents and purposes, free. Hong Kong residents try to justify this by assuming the following: There is a counter-argument to this, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. In the end convenience seems to be a major factor, as with all consumer products. Here are some of the counter arguments: (South China Morning Post, 2007) In addition to the above plus point and minus points, other factors need to be considered by the consumer. For instance buyers need to be aware that tax is being charged on the cost of a bottle of water. The long term solution of course is to improve the general water supply quality. Re-education needs to take place as too many people feel that bottled water is the only option. In the end a restriction policy may have to be put in place to make the production cost higher. Eventually this will make it more difficult for the end consumer to purchaser. The only problem with this approach is that it is not guaranteed to have the desired effect. Chapter 2 The Change Process So, how do we change the habits of approximately "6.92 million" (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2008), Hong Kong residents Well, if we follow Kurt Lewin's model there are a few things we can do. We will take this one aspect at a time, and see where we can fit in an appropriate solution or scenario fitted for the stage in question. Unfreeze. The objective here is to establish a good relationship with the people involved, and enable others to realize that the present behaviours are not effective. As with all change of a radical or not-so-radical nature, we would need to minimize the resistance to change. Easier said than done perhaps In some films and books you often read about masses of people who have had their perception of a situation changed just because of a single appealing speech. Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King,

Drama paper- August Wilson's Fences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drama paper- August Wilson's Fences - Essay Example For instance, the Big Bang Theory that was developed by theoretical physicists, and which is still studied up until today, argues that the Earth came about as a result of a gigantic collision of two monumental celestial bodies. There have been rather convincing evidences to this claim. In fact, science has successfully documented many proofs of the theory’s parallel notion to the basic principles of physics. So, in considering spirituality, faith or religion, as against science, evolution, and the old-Earth creation, which way should you go? Personally, I have been through a lot of stern confrontations in the past in so far as my faith, my spirituality is concerned. Due to the fact that religion and Christianity have been made known to man for so many years, there is a sense of inevitability in the way people conceive God. For me, I would not say that I do not personally believe in God, but in the same manner, I have my own questions about life, my existence, and the Creation. The doubts could come from various facets. Firstly, the question about whether the Bible is indeed written by God, or by the prophet who He [God] has provided vision to. Logically, there could be no answer to these questions because before the Bible has been introduced to humanity, there was no pre-existing concept about God. Everything was purely a sight of nature, and even if we go back to the times of the prophets, we could not discern whether these prophets really did exist because the only account we have that tells of their pre-historical existence is the Bible. Hence, the Bible indeed requires faith, a strong faith. Following this argument, sometimes I tried to reconcile science and faith by transporting the findings of science to the accounts found in the Bible. But this is just entirely futile in that science and faith are two contradictory entities: Faith is in the light of faith; science is in the light of evidence. But I believe in both; hence, it places me in a crossro ad where a very difficult decision should be made. If only I intended to be partial at my discernment over this particular matter, it would have been a stumbling upshot for me. No belief needs to be discarded; both can co-exist but they, faith and science, should not be related in all essence. ` Sometimes, since I somehow consider myself a believer, God is rather real to me. In my walk with God, I would not say that everything was a walk-in-the-park or a bed of roses; there were also some stumbling encounters that really shook my little faith and question God’s promises mentioned in the Bible. For instance, God said in John 3:16, â€Å"For God so loved the word that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.† (New International Version, John 3:16). At times, this verse could be very doubtful. Problem has been and will always be part of a person’s life. So, normally for a believer such as I, there is a insti nctive resort to God; but despite all of the confessions and sacrifices that you do, still you do not receive what you asked for. But it is not all sadness and confusion though. I have been through a lot of joyous moments in my walk with God. I know I am not the perfect believer but through time, I have learned to value God’s love to humanity and His unending provision to His people. Sometimes, I also reach lofty heights of faith. In those instances, I have realized that belief in God and His promises are not merely determined by how much logic you have in your

19th Century Philippines Essay Example for Free

19th Century Philippines Essay The Philippines was governed by Spain through a viceroy from Mexico. The highest office was that of the Governor-General, the chief executive of the Spanish colonial government, appointed by the Spanish king. The town is managed by a gobernadorcillo. The barangay is the smallest political unit under a cabeza de barangay. The social hierarchy was in this order: at the top were the peninsulares or the Spaniards from Spain, next were the insulares, Spaniards born in the Philippines and also called Filipinos, the mestizos, born of Spanish and Chinese descent, at the bottom were the indios, the local inhabitants. A total of 300 insurections and rebellions by the Filipinos all over the achipelago were recorded in the more than 3000 years of Spanish colonialization. 19th century was defined by liberal thinking for the following reasons: 1)Mexico rebelled against Spain and this brought revolutionary thinking to Manila; 2) the opening of the Suez Canal made the trip to Manila from Europe faster thereby bringing liberal ideas to the Philippines; and 3) rise of the middle class ? Liberalism is a set of political beliefs which puts primary consideration on the freedom and rights of the individual which includes the freedom of speck, of expression and of the press. In 1869, Carlos Maria de la Torre became the first liberal governor-general of the Philippines. For two year, until 1871, he instituted liberal reforms that benefited the Filipino middle class. ?Padre Jose Burgos campaigned for the Filipinization of the parochial churches in the Philippines and asked for the expulsion of friars back to Spain. ?The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was used to condemn Frs. Burgos, Zamora, and Gomez to death by garrote or musketry. ?The martyrdom of Gomburza was winessed by Paciano Rizal, Jose’s brother. Rizal’s first novel Noli Me Tangere was dedicated to the martyred priests. Economic Conditions ?The economic policies of Gov. Gen. Jose Basco y Vargas opened the Philippines to the world market. ?These economic policies were the galleon trade and the monopolies of tobacco, wine and gambling. ?The galleon trade made Mexico Philippines’ trade partner. The route of the trade was from manila to Acapulco and back. ?From Acapulco, Mexico the Philippines got its silver and gold coins while the Philippines exported tobacco, wine, sugar and goods from China. The Philippines was the bridge of Asia to Europe and this trade allowed the emergence of the Filipino middle class composed mainly by insulares and mestizos. The encomienda system was transformed into Hacienda system wherein the vast tracks of land were devoted for the planting of single crops for export. (e. g. Ilocos for tobacco, Negros for sugar cane, etc. The first banks in the Philippines were managed by Spanish friars knows as Obras Pias. This banks lent money to the members of middle class which were used by them as capital for their export business. The first rural bank established was the Rodriguez Bank. The Mercado family was a typical middle class family of the 19th century who rented land from the Dominican friars. Social Conditions ?Schools and universities were opened and managed by Spanish friars. The most popular among them were the Ateneo de Municipal under the Jesuit fathers and Universidad de Santo Tomas under the Dominican friars. ?There were schools for boys and girls. For boys, schools teach history, languages, humanities, medicine, theology and law. While for girls, shools offer courses for dress making, home making, cooking and gardening.

Erectyle Dysfunction :: essays research papers fc

Will we ever be able to produce something capable of making us reach the optimum of one of humankind's most basic needs? Will there always be a side effect?Since the beginnings of civilization, people have been obsessed about their sexuality. Men and women have always tried to achieve a maximum amount of pleasure in any possible way. For human beings this is obtained through the orgasm. Humans usually attain this is goal through sexual intercourse or masturbation. However, sometimes the psychological and physical conditions of a person can deprive him or her from reaching that goal. Thankfully, science and anatomy have also always interested mankind. This has helped to find solutions for problems dealing with our sexuality, which, as a matter of fact are very common. The most recurrent and drastic of all these dilemmas is that of impotence.The term "impotence" has traditionally been used to signify the inability of the male to attain and maintain erection of the penis sufficient to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse. However, this use has often led to confusing and uninterpretable results in both clinical and basic science investigations. This, together with its pejorative implications, suggests that the more precise term "erectile dysfunction" be used instead to signify an inability of the male to achieve an erect penis as part of the overall multifaceted process of male sexual function. Erectile dysfunction affects millions of men. Although for some men erectile function may not be the best or most important measure of sexual satisfaction, for many men erectile dysfunction creates mental stress that affects their interactions with family and associates. All these things might be very interesting, but to fully understand erectile dysfunction we must first take a look into the physiology of the male erection.In its most common form, the male erectile response is initiated by a central nervous system event that integrates psychogenic stimuli (perception, desire, etc.) and controls the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the penis. Parasympathetic input allows an erection by relaxation of trabecular smooth muscle and dilation of the helicine arteries of the penis. This fills the spongy tissue that forms the penis with blood; a process referred to as the corporal veno occlusive mechanism. The erectile tissues must have sufficient stiffness to compress the blood vessels penetrating it so that venous outflow is blocked and sufficient tumescence and rigidity can occur. Constriction of the trabecular smooth muscle and helicine arteries induced by sympathetic innervation makes the penis flaccid, with blood pressure in the cavernosal sinuses of the penis near venous pressure.

The Rural Non-Farm Economy

The Rural Non-farm Economy The nonfat economy includes all economic activities other than production of primary agricultural commodities. Nonfat, thus, includes mining, manufacturing, utilities, construction, commerce, transport and a full gamut of financial, personal and government services. Corresponding – the transformation of raw agricultural products by milling, packaging, bulking or transporting – forms a key component of the rural nonfat economy.A broad definition of rural regions as encompassing both dispersed rural settlements as well as the functionally linked rural towns where any corresponding and ancillary nonfat service and commercial activities congregate to service surrounding agricultural settlements. Size: Policy interest in the rural nonfat economy arises in large part because of its increasing importance as a source of income and employment across the developing world. Evidence from a wide array of rural household surveys suggests that nonfat income accounts for about 35 percent of rural income in Africa and roughly 50 percent in Asia and Latin America.Standing roughly 20 percent higher than rural nonfat employment shares, hose income shares confirm the economic importance of part-time and seasonal nonfat activities. Rural residents across the developing world earn a large share of their income?35-50 percent?from nonfat activities. Agricultural households count on nonfat earnings to diversify risk, moderate seasonal income swings, and finance agricultural input purchases, whereas landless and near-landless households everywhere depend heavily on nonfat income for their survival.Over time, the rural nonfat economy has grown rapidly, contributing significantly to both employment and rural income growth. Income data, which include earnings from seasonal and part-time activity, offer a more complete picture of the scale of the ERNE. Rural nonfat employment holds special importance for women. Women account for about one-quarter of t he total full time ERNE workforce in most parts of the developing world. Given their frequently heavy household obligations and more limited mobility, women also participate in part-time ERNE activity, particularly in household-based manufacturing and service activities.Composition: The rural nonfat economy includes a highly heterogeneous collection of trading, crisscrossing, manufacturing, commercial and service activities. Even within the same country, strong differences emerge regionally, as a result of differing natural resource endowments, labor supply, location, infrastructural investments and culture. The scale of individual rural nonfat businesses varies enormously, from part-time self-employment in household-based cottage industries to large-scale corresponding and warehousing facilities operated by large multinational firms.Often highly seasonal, rural nonfat activity fluctuates with the availability of agricultural raw materials and in rhythm with household labor and fina ncial flows twine farm and nonfat activities Remittances account for a large share of rural income in some locations. In the mining economies of Southern Africa, remittances may account for as much as half of all rural household income. They likewise form an important part of household income diversification and risk reduction strategies.In of nonfat earnings, while remittances and transfers typically account for to 20% of non-agricultural rural income and 5% to 10% of total rural income. Equity Implications: The extreme heterogeneity of rural nonfat activity results in widely varying productivity and profitability. Returns vary substantially, normally as a function of differing physical and human capital requirements. Women dominate many of the low-return cottage industries, while the poor dominate other low-return activities, such as small-scale trading and unskilled wage labor used in construction, powering, and many personal services.Wage labor, in both agriculture and nonfat bu siness, also accrues primarily to the poor. The low capital requirements and small scale of many rural nonfat businesses, poor households dominate large segments of the rural nonfat economy. For this reason, many policy makers view the rural inform economy (ERNE) as a potentially important contributor to poverty reduction. Pull Scenario: Where new agricultural technologies and modern farm inputs become available, they lead to agricultural surpluses in some commodities and increased opportunities for trade.In these settings, a growing agriculture stimulates growth of the ERNE through a number of key linkages. Rising labor productivity on the farm increases per capita food supplies and releases farm family workers to undertake nonfat activities. For this reason, green revolution India has seen agricultural labor all from 75% to 65% of rural labor force in the first 25 years following the release of green revolution rice and wheat varieties. Equally important, increases in farm incomes , together with high rural savings rates, make capital available for investment in nonfat activities.These savings rates have reached up to 25-35% in many areas of green revolution Asia Farm households, as their incomes grow, increase their expenditure share on non-food items, thereby accelerating demand for nonfat goods and services. To meet this growing demand, rural households increasingly versify into production of rural nonfat goods and services. The composition of rural nonfat activity changes perceptibly over time in these buoyant agricultural settings. Increases in real wages raise the opportunity cost of labor, thereby making low-return nonfat activities uneconomic.This leads to the demise of many low- return craft and household manufacturing activities and to the growth of higher- return nonfat activities such as mechanical milling, transport, commerce, personal, health and educational services. Growing agricultural incomes attract labor into more productive, higher return rural nonfat services. Push Scenario: In regions without a dynamic economic base, patterns of growth in the rural nonfat economy unfold very differently. Sluggish income growth in agriculture leads to anemic consumer demand, limited corresponding and agricultural input requirements and stagnant wages.Taken together, these tendencies stymie both entrepreneurial and wage-earning opportunities in the rural nonfat economy. Without technological advance in agriculture, labor productivity and per capita farm production fall. In such settings, growing landlines pushes labor force increments into nonfat activity by default. Falling agricultural labor productivity, low opportunity cost of labor and declining household purchasing power induce diversification into low-return, labor- intensive nonfat activities such as basket making, gathering, pottery, weaving, embroidery and mat making.Specialized nonfat enterprises and households opportunities in agriculture and a shortage of both rural sav ings and invertible capital. Arbitration and Migration: Although the prosperity of rural regions and their rural nonfat economies typically depends on agricultural performance during the early stages of economic growth, this link gradually weakens over time as agriculture's share in national economies declines.Rapid arbitration and globalization have opened up new market opportunities for rural nonfat producers of treatable goods and services and for rural workers to migrate and remit. Where conditions permit, these opportunities can stimulate regional economic growth, in some instances benefiting backward regions with poor agricultural potential and in others enhancing opportunities in already rapidly growing rural economies.Rising arbitration and national economic growth, together with improved transport and communication networks, provide important economic linkages between urban and rural areas, opening up new opportunities for rural households Evidence from India, for example, suggests that rapid rural nonfat growth is occurring along transport corridors linked to major urban centers, largely independent of their agricultural base Similarly, in Southeast Asia and in China high population density and low transport costs have led to rapid growth in urban-to-rural subcontracting for labor- intensive manufactures destined for international export markets.The importance of migration and remittance income proves highly context-specific, varying both locations and over time. Empirical evidence suggests that migrant remittances may serve to increase rural investment, finance schooling, house construction and agricultural inputs in some locations. Less beneficial are the impacts on migrant worker health and on family social cohesion. Liberalizing and Globalization: Beginning in the sass, widespread economic liberalizing has opened up the rural nonfat economy as never before – to new opportunities and to new threats.Liberalizing, by reducing direct governmen t involvement in production and marketing, has opened up new market opportunities for the private sector, articulacy in agricultural processing, input supply and trade. Relaxed controls on foreign exchange and investment have unleashed a flood of foreign direct investment into Latin America, Asia and Africa. As a result, large exporters, agribusiness firms and supermarket chains increasingly penetrate rural economies of the developing world, altering the scale and structure of rural supply chains as they do.This rapidly changing environment opens up opportunities for some rural suppliers to access new markets. But liberalizing and globalization expose other rural genuineness to new threats, as quantity requirements and quality standards impose new ways of doing business that risk excluding intellectualized rural enterprises on which the rural poor often rely. Available evidence suggests that rapid concentration has triggered the bankruptcy of thousands of small firms in recent decad es.Although many of these bankruptcies affected urban traders, emerging evidence suggests that small rural traders and the wholesale markets they serve likewise risk being displaced by larger, specialized wholesalers. Some categories of rural nonfat activity have thrived in the past because of protection from outside intention by high transport costs, restrictive production policies subsidized inputs and credit, and preferential access to key markets Globalization and market transition may prove brutally abrupt for many traditional small-scale manufacturing activities whose products cannot compete with higher quality, mass-produced goods.For this reason, the initial stages of depreciation can lead to significant Job losses in the ERNE, even though many of these may later be recovered as new types of rural nonfat activity sprout up, as in India during the sass. Since poor households and male-dominated activities predominate among the low-investment, low-productivity rural nonfat acti vities, they tend to face the most difficult adjustment during this transition. Agriculture has historically played an important role in expanding the economic base of rural regions in the developing world.In regions where agriculture has grown robustly, the ERNE has also typically enjoyed rapid growth. Regions with poor agricultural potential have seen more limited prospects for rural nonfat growth, except in places where the availability of other important rural treatable such as mining, logging, and entree ¶t trade offer an alternative economic platform for sustaining regional growth. In recent years, globalization, arbitration and improved infrastructure have opened up new opportunities in many rural areas, thereby reducing their dependence on agriculture.These developments seemingly offer new prospects for stimulating rural economic growth and, perhaps, new pathways out of poverty. Policymakers hold high hopes that rural nonfat growth can offer a pathway out of poverty for a large segment of the rural poor. Given the enormous diversity observed across rural regions and within the rural nonfat economy itself, opportunities, constraints, and appropriate policies will clearly differ across settings. Although general guidelines cannot substitute for detailed understanding of a specific rural nonfat setting, several broad policy guidelines do emerge from this review.Available evidence suggests the rural nonfat economy can significantly expand economic opportunities for the rural poor if two conditions hold. First, the rural nonfat economy must itself be growing robustly. Both rural nonfat employment and income per worker must be growing if nonfat growth is to contribute effectively to poverty reduction. Typically, this growth in the rural nonfat economy requires investments in the productive capacity and productivity of activities related to rural treatable, such as agriculture, tourism, or natural resource-based activities, in order to ensure their competit iveness in external markets.Alternatively, where low-cost rural labor and low transportation costs coincide, rural households can sometimes compete in urban or export markets through commuting, short-term migration, or urban-to-rural subcontracting arrangements. From a policy perspective, accelerating output and productivity Roth in the rural economic base will require investing in agricultural technology, rural education, communications, transportation, and electrification.Together with a favorable policy environment, these investments encourage rural nonfat business development as well as short-term commuting and migration strategies, both of which serve to increase rural nonfat incomes and investment. But a growing rural nonfat economy does not guarantee access by the poor. Wealthy households, well- endowed with financial, human, and political capital, often prove better equipped to sake advantage of growth in the high-productivity segments of the rural nonfat economy, both as en trepreneurs and as wage employees.Meanwhile, poor backwaters of the rural nonfat economy. Migration opportunities likewise remain bifurcated, with highly educated households more apt to land lucrative positions in towns. Thus, policymakers cannot assume that an expanding rural nonfat economy will translate automatically into pro-poor growth. This bifurcation leads to the second requirement for pro-poor rural nonfat growth: access by the poor to growing nonfat market niches.For nonfat earnings to offer a pathway out of poverty, rural households and policymakers may need to invest in rural education and health in order to improve the human capital stock of the poor. At the same time, policymakers will need to remove economic and social barriers that limit poor people's entry into lucrative nonfat professions. Fluid labor markets, with good transportation and communication systems connecting rural households to regional and urban labor markets, will provide a key bridge linking the rur al poor to growing opportunities in the nonfat economy.

Marketing Strategies of Colgate Palmolive Ltd

Project Report A STUDY ON MARKETING STRATEGIES OF COLGATE PALMOLIVE LTD. Submitted to: Dr. D. K. Agarwal Submitted by: DINESH CHAUHAN[62014] VIVEK DHAR [62066] FORE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT NEW DELHI Contents ? Introduction1 ? Objective2 ? Methodology3 ? Company Profile4 ? Company Strategy6 ? Marketing Mix15 ? SWOT Analysis26 ? Survey Findings28 ? Retailers Survey34 ? Conclusion37 ? Suggestions39 ? Consumer Questionnaire ? Retailer Questionnaire ? Bibliography INTRODUCTION As early as 3000 B. C. Egyptians used toothbrushes fashioned from twigs. In the 20th century a major design advance occurred in 1938 with the launch of Dr. West’s Miracle Tuft toothbrush, the first nylon bristle brush. Until the late 1970’s toothbrushes were widely viewed by consumer as a commodity and were primarily purchases on price. The involvement remained low and the companies also treated their toothbrushes as an extension, to get their consumers to use their toothpastes. Typically in the Indian market the percentage of toothbrush users has slowly inched upwards. As it has always been associated by the non-users as a non-essential item more so because of their fierce loyalty to the margosa twigg(Datun) and the index finger. The market of late has been the entry of several foreign players and the marketing game has assumed a totally new dimension. Companies are trying to shift to â€Å"PULL† strategy of long term returns and the inclination of consumers to shell out a few rupees extra to ensure a more wholesome care of their teeth and gum. This has resulted in rapid growth in value terms. Added to this is the initiative of the companies to focus on expanding the market by bringing the over 65% non-users in their consumer fold. With such vast potential to be exploited, the entry of several new players with their innovative ideas and experience in similar developing markets, the industry is likely to see a lot of action in the immediate future. OBJECTIVE The above of the project was manifold. ? First of all a general idea of the toothbrush industry – its competitiveness, volume and potential was to be adjudged. Next was to go on to analysis of the attitudes of a typical consumer and his/her idea/perception of this low involvement category product. ? This was to be followed up with the study of Colgate Plus toothbrush, as a typical product of the company, Colgate Palmolive and its standing in the market vis-a-vis other players, especially new entrants. ? To amalgamate all above to conclude as to what was to be the future/probable course of the toothbrush industry and Colgate Plus tooth brush in particular. METHODOLOGY 1. To get an idea of the industry, I went through all the relevant literature we could lay my hands upon. This included A & M’s, Business Today’s. 2. For consumer attitudes, I prepared a questionnaire that was circulated among 70 odd people, well spread out across the whole of Delhi. The same was done with the retailers to try and see the conformity in findings in some specific attributes. 3. The questionnaire was to structured that an idea of brand image and relative studying of various brand could also be elicited. 4. The findings were synthesized, and keeping in mind the new entrants, their potential and the potential of the market, projections were made and conclusions were drawn. COMPANY PROFILE A household name for paste and tooth powder, Colgate Palmolive (India) was established on 23rd September 1937 as a private limited company in Bombay, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Colgate Palmolive Co. Of USA Initially it started with trading activity and later set up manufacturing operations in 1949 at Sewry (Bombay). The company became a public limited company on 5th October 1978. In 1990-91 the company commissioned facilities for fatty acid and toilet soap at Waluj (Aurangabad). The plants at Sewri and Waluj manufacture oral care products like dental creams, tooth powder tooth brushes and personal care products like toilet soaps, shampoo, which are marketed under various brand names such as Colgate, Palmolive, Halo, Protex and Charmis. The company’s distribution network covers 1700 stockists and 4,50,000 retailers with ware house facilities in Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Madras ( and a new addition at Faridabad). The company has its own Research and development facilities and had also been getting the R&D benefits of the parent company. It has a well established quality Control Department at Sewri & Waluj. For 40 years, since inception till 1978, Colgate was carrying on its business in India with a paid up capital of Rs. 1. 5 lakh made up of 1500 equity shares of Rs. 100 each, when it was increases to Rs. 1. 96 crore, by a bonus issue in the ratio of 130:1. To comply with the FERA regulations, Colgate Palmolive, USA diluted its share holding to 40% in the Indian company, through an offer of sale to the Indian public in October 1978. Following FERA relaxation, the foreign shareholding was increased from 40% to 51% in September 1993. Colgate Palmolive (CP) is a global leader in household and personal care products. In 1991, it had sales of $ 6. 06 billion and a gross profit of $ 2. 76 billion, its world wide R&D expenditures were $ 114 million and media advertising expenditure totalled $ 428 million. Colgate Palmolive’s five year plan for 1991 to 1995 emphasized new product launches and entry into new Geographic markets, along with improved efficiencies in manufacturing and distribution and a continuing focus on core consumer products. In 1921 $ 243 million was spend to upgrade 25 of Colgate Palmolive’s 91 manufacturing plants, 275 new products were introduced world-wide; several strategic acquisitions (e. g. of the Mennen men’s toiletries company) were completed and manufacturing began in China and Eastern Europe. Since 1985, gross margins had climbed from 39% to 45% while annual volume growth since 1986 had averaged 5% International sales Colgate Palmolive’s strong unit, accounted for 64% of sales and 6% of profits in 1991. COMPANY STRATEGY – ORAL CARE AND TOOTHBRUSH INDUSTRY IN PARTICULAR Volume is the key† says Richard Usuquen, VP Marketing Colgate Palmolive (India) Ltd. To expand the market in all ranges, CP has an ongoing RURAL VAN PROGRAMME and SCHOOL PROGRAMME covering 14 million villages and 80 million consumers, teaching people brush or even clean their teeth with the fingers. CP’s action centring around finely balancing the urban market – (59. 5%) and rural markets (68% share) . So while the company has introduced such premium packaging as stand up toothpaste tubes with flip-up caps in the urban market, it is also selling sachets of Colgate dental cream at low prices. This focus on volumes is also evident in the toothbrush market, estimated at 400 million units per annum. C-P is the toothbrush leader in India with an approximately 60% market share, but since ‘95 it is facing challenges from HLL which has already garnered 8% market share. Usuquen says â€Å"The penetration of brushes in India is very low, so more than market share, it is important to grow the market†. To that end CP has actively introduced line extensions across all three segments – economy, middle and premium since last year. At the entry level it has adopted the sleeve packaging, with no individual cases. The focus is on driving volumes through the price-sensitive segment. The mid-price market has been the introduction of the HIGH KLEEN range, while the upper end has seen the zig – zag and Double – Action launches. For the economy segment, a price focus has been adopted. On offer are five toothbrushes each from the CP and Cibacca stables to rural consumers, at prices low enough to generate trial. For the urban market, the focus is on maintaining novelty value by introducing new variants and added features. Whatever is new, people buy. So the idea is to accelerate choice through a variety of product features†. CP’s perception of the Indian market is of one where people welcome change but clamour for high end products at cheaply prices. The answer to this conundrum as per the company’s strategy is to â€Å"†¦.. Optimise cost and formulation and the proceses and come up with efficient manufacturing to answer this â€Å". CP’s strategy is to pour in a lot of investment in the Indian market in terms of capital expenditure and organizational support and each out to the deepest interiors. SEGMENTATION The toothbrush industry can be regarded as a component of the Oral Care industry which broadly comprises tooth paste, mouth wash and floss, besides tooth brushes and a large unorganized naturally available cleaning mediums viz. Index Finger, Neem twigs etc. But Colgate Plus need not to bothered about latter as it operates in a different category. The tooth brush industry can be segmented in the basis of social class & income group (Demographic Segmentation ), price (Product segmentation), benefit (behavioural segmentation), the last being the most important. DEMOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION ACCORDING TO PRICE |Segment |Category |Brands |Characteristic | |Low income rural class |Economy |Promise, Cibaca |Looking for low price | |Middle income group semi urban |Standard |Colgate Classic Pepsodent popular | Value for money | |consumer | | | |Upper middle income urban |Premium |Colgate Plus, Classic, Ajay, Royal |High quality cleaning efficiency | |consumers | | | | |Upper class urban sophisticate |Super Premium |Oral B, Aquafresh, Jordan, Close Up|Unique, attribute, dentists | | | | |recommendation | The last two categories merge, since Colgate Plus is intelligently positioned in between the two to maintain a high quality in age as well as encourage switches from standard category to up grade PSYCHOGRAPHICS |Variations in Product |Jazzy looks, Transparent handle|Simpleton looks, Modest |Mix of the two : transparent | | |Flashy colours Superior Packing|packaging, Solid colours |handle but not very flash | | | | |packaging. |Urban sophisticate |Chooses with care, sports it as|Abhors |Abhors | | |a status symbol while | | | | |interacting in group travels | | | |Semi urban Non Chalant User |Aspires for it, but finds it |Very often goes for this as it |Some times this | | |difficult to afford; tries it |serves is purpose without much | | | |seldom |expenditure | | |Rural User |Does not have access/can’t | Is the only option Datun |Generally can’t afford this | | |think of | |either | |Tooth brushes brands |Oral B, Jordan, Aqua fresh etc. |Promise, Forhans etc. |Cibaca, Ajanta, Ajay etc. | The overall response reflects a gradual move in the direction of the premium to super premium segment as it is once in three months/four months purchase, thus being successful in luring all customers (except the rural user who are a small minority of the Market) to try out the ones that are places at a higher price on account of their trendy looks and overall appeal of style and splendor. BENEFIT SEGMENTATION |User Characteristic |Invalid oral health consumer |Involved oral health Consumer |Uninvolved Oral Health Consumer| | |Therapeutic Brushers |Cosmetic Brushers |Non-chalant Brushers | |Product Differentiater |Search functionally superior |Search for product that |Views products as same Lack of | | |product with many attributes. effectively delivers cosmetic |interest | | | |benefits | | |Advertising appeal |Put off by hardsell Prefers |Influenced by promotion, |Relatively unaware of ads can | | |dentist recommendation or |hammering on a USP |at most be influenced by price | | |in formed opinion | |offs, package deals | |Buying behaviour |Buys for himself, will go to a |Buys and uses for himself. |Buys for family. , will pick up| | |specialised store |Will not go beyond a large |any brand available. | | | |shop, supermarket | | |Regularity of usage |Brushes after every meal |Brushes mostly once, sometimes |At most once a day | | | |twice | | |Brand loyalty High |Low |Nil | |Price (Willing to pay) |>20 |15-20 | Rs. 20 |3. 0 |25. 0 |7. 5 | |ASCRIBED TO | | | | |No specific reason |59. 4 |33. 3 |50. 0 | |word of mouth |15. 6 |16. 7 |19. 1 | |impressed with advt. |9. 3 |20. |11. 9 | |shopkeeper insisted |15. 6 |20. 8 |14. 3 | |dentists advice |6. 3 |8. 3 |4. 8 | |REPLACEMENT FREQUENCY | | | | |0-1 MONTHS |23. 5 |12. 5 |17. 4 | |1-2 MONTHS |26. 5 |29. |28. 3 | |2-3 MONTHS |23. 5 |29. 2 |30. 4 | |3-4 MONTHS |23. 5 |16. 7 |19. 6 | |> 4 MONTHS |2. 9 |16. 7 |4. 3 | |FREQ. OF BRUSHING | | | | |Once (per day) |50. 0 |28. |46. 7 | |Twice |44. 2 |68. 0 |46. 8 | |after eve ry meal |2. 9 |4. 0 |2. 2 | |Not very particular |2. 9 |0. 0 |2. 2 | |pressed with Advertisement | | | | |YES |11. 1 |22. 2 |12. | |NO |88. 9 |78. 0 |87. 1 | RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF ATTRIBUTES | |MALES |FEMALES |TOTAL |RANK | |PRICE |62. 7 |57. 3 |61. 2 |5 | |PACKAGING |40. 2 |49. 3 |44. 6 |8 | |DURABILITY |74. 5 |74. 7 |75. |2 | |LONG HANDLE |51. 9 |60. 0 |57. 0 |6 | |FLEXIBLE NECK |52. 9 |60. 0 |57. 1 |6 | |COMFY. ANGLE |68. 6 |78. 7 |73. 7 |3 | |SOFT BRISTLES |78. 4 |86. 7 |82. 9 |1 | |LOOKS |46. 1 |40. 0 |44. 9 | |DIAMOND HEAD |36. 3 |41. 3 |38. 9 |10 | |GRIP |58. 8 |68. 0 |63. 4 |4 | |INDICATOR |28. 4 |41. 3 |34. 3 |11 | COLGATE PLUS USERS RESPONSE | |Males |Females |Total | | |v. Good | |COLGATE PLUS |30. 96 | |CIBACA |14. 28 | |ORAL-B |16. 66 | |CLOSE-UP |9. 52 | |PEPSODENT POPULAR |7. 14 | |JORDAN |9. 2 | |OTHERS |11. 90 | BRAND RECALL |BRANDS |PERCENTAGE | |COLGATE PLUS |20. 47 | |PEPSODENT POPULAR |11. 02 | |CIBACA |10. 4 | |ORAL-B |9. 54 | |AQUA-FRESH |7. 59 | |AJANTA |7. 09 | |OTHERS |28. 35 | Only about 5% of the respondents could not remember which toothbrush they were presently using which were excluded from the above computing. RETAILER’S SURVEY FEATURES |No. f Respondents |: |20 | |Areas covered |: |Defence Colony, South Avenue, Khan Market, North Campus, Sarojini| | | |Nagar | |Nature of survey |: |Structured Questionnaire | |Objective |: |a) To gather the respond to new entrants vis-a-vis Colgate Plus | | | |as perceived by retailers. | | | |B) Retailers favorite brand(s) | | | |Margins offered | |Limitations |: |Given the areas covered, the response was bound to be asked in | | | |favour of the upper class users. | F INDINGS |A. Availability | | | |Easy |: |Classic, Aqua-Fresh, Oral-B, Pepsodent, Colgate Plus | |Not Easy |: |Royal, Forhans, Cibaca, Jordan, Prudent. | |B. Sales | | | |High |: |Colgate Plus, Cibaca, Classic, Pepsodent, Oral-B | |Satisfactory |: |Close-up, Ajanta, Ajay, Jordan, Aqua-Fresh | |C. Profit Margins | | | |Highest |: |Classic, Royal | |High |: |Jordan | |Medium |: |Oral-B, Aqua-Fresh, Reach, Cibaca | |Low |: |Colgate Plus, Pepsodent, Close-up | * Highest Margin : 35-40%Lowest Margin – 10-15% N. B. Colgate Plus features in the lowest level of margin and yet commands the highest market share. The low margin was however denied by the Sales Office of Colgate-Palmolive at Delhi, who claimed to offer equal to that of the industry standards. Colgate Plus was not backed up by any appraisal system whatsoever. Supply is kept regular on weekly basis. D. Retailer’s Perception Of Preferences |BY BRAND NAME |36. % | |CHEAP BRUSH |9. 3% | |SPECIFY PRICE RANGE |15. 9% | |EXPENSIVE |21. 5% | |TRY NEW ONESE |16. 8 | E. Retails insisted on â€Å"Pushing† Classic as it was moderately priced and yet offered a very good margin. * The â€Å"D† above was also substantiated by our consumer survey. CONCLUSION The present day brushing habits of the Indian society as a whole leaves a lot to be desired – 41 toothbrushes are sold for every 100 persons per year! Total units sold add u to a little over 400 million, growing at the rate of 10% p. a in volume terms and 25% in value terms (difference explained by the shift to upper end of the market). This implies not much inroad has been made into the rural and semi-urban market. Non-users constitute about 65% of total population. While the global brands try to create new markets and add new dimensions, there is much greater latent demand. Out of their stable of marketing strategies, advertising till now had been low priority for the players (this was confirmed in our survey as 88. % of respondents don’t recall the ads). This indicates companies find it formidable to change the low involvement level psyche of consumers and the route of aggressive sales promotion by way of price offs, POP displays, tied sales and generous trade margin s still hold the key to increasing off take of toothbrushes. No one has made a serious attempt in the virgin territory of 65% non-users (CP’s Rural Van Programme is a recent drive). The thought of doing a Nirma to the toothbrush market has escaped everyone. Despite packaging constituting a substantial (upto 40%) of the cost of a toothbrush it has found to have influenced the purchasing decisions of the buyers. In our survey consumers corroborated to this effect (refer to the survey findings). Companies could rethink their strategy of increasing differentiability by packaging and instead invest in product development for the same. SUGGESTIONS Some possible product improvisations Attached straight tongue cleaner cased in the toothbrush handle. Cartoons character printed on the handle to attract kids. Padding on the handle end to massage the gums. Casing the toothbrush (for kids) in a toy form. Neck with adjustable handle. Get a certificate by the Indian Dental Association (IDA) for the toothbrush, like the Colgate Calciguard Toothpaste. Segregate the toothbrush types for different age groups, e. g. , Children – Thicker handle for better grip, bright colours and cartoons printed on the handle. Young People of Teenager – more trendy colours and designs, like stripes or polka dotted, more vibrant colours. Adults – Simple designs and sober and decent colours. For the new entrant Introduce the product with the offer of one free toothbrush with the purchase of a brush which will help in blocking and prepointing the purchase of the buyer. As the target segment is the premium segment therefore, premium pricing of the product is necessary. Price the product at Rs. 251 -* or at Rs. 301- and not at Rs. 361 or Rs. 221- because the shopkeepers face a problem in returning small changes of Rs. 31 or Rs. 31- and Rs. 1 so they sometimes avoid the product as confessed by the shopkeeper. Add value to the product by giving tips on taking good oral care, in the back side of the package or a free pamphlet with the purchase of a brush, like brushing twice a day, flossing, polishing , regular dental check-up by your dentist, this shows a caring and concerned attitude by the company. With the purchase of a toothbrush, give a free coupons which is to be filled in by the consumer and can be used by him or her for getting a free dental check-up as when and where specified in the advertisement in the newspaper. This kind of scheme can be implemented by the company once in two three months. However, these suggestions can be used by the big players in the market or the new entrant, who has to be a big player because a large investment is needed for such heavy sales promotion and also an attempt should be made to convert this low involvement product into a high involvement as it is concerned with personal card and hygiene and a product of daily use. CONSUMER QUESTIONNAIRE 1. AGE : ( 15-30 Years ( 30-40 Years ( 40-50 years (Above 50 years 2. SEX : ( Male ( Female 3. OCCUPATION : ( Govt. Service( Self-employed ( Corporate Executive ( Student ( Others (specify __________________) 4. MARITAL STATUS 🙠 Single ( Married with children ( Married without children 5. AVERAGE MONTHLY INCOME/ALLOWANCE ( Rs. 20000 6. Which toothbrush do you generally use? 7. Name any other five toothbrushes that you can recall 12345 8. Who purchases your toothbrush? ( Myself( A family member( A Subordinate 9. Do you ask for a toothbrush by name? ( Yes ( No 10. How much are you ready to spend on a toothbrush? ( Rs. 5-10( Rs. 10-15( Rs. 15-20( > Rs. 20 11. What prompted you to purchase your current toothbrush? ( Dentist’s advice ( Impressed with the advertisement ( Shopkeeper gave it to me ( A well-wisher recommended it to me ( Just bought it no specific reason. 12. How often do you replace your toothbrush? (0-1 month( 1-2 months( 2-3 months( 3-4 months ( > 4 months 13. How often do you brush your teeth a day? ( Once ( Twice ( After every meal( Not particular 14. What according to you are the relative importances of the following? | |V. Imp |Imp. |Not so Imp. Doesn’t matter | |PRICE | | | | | |PACKAGING | | | | | |DURABILITY | | | | | |FLEXIBLE NECK | | | | | |COMFORTABLE ANGLE | | | | | |SOFTNESS OF BRISTLES | | | | | |LOOKS (TRANSPARENT HANDLE ETC. ) | | | | | |DIAMOND HEAD | | | | | |GRIP | | | | | |INDICATOR | | | | | 15. Has any toothbrush ad (seen on TV/in a magazine) made an impact on you? |YES |NO |IF YES, THEN WHY | |ORAL-B | | | | |AQUA FRESH | | | | |ROYAL | | | | |COLGATE PLUS | | | | 16. Kindly answer the following in case you have used Colgate Plus/Aqua Fresh toothbrushes: | |AQUA FRESH |COLGATE PLUS | |QUALITY |*V. GOOD * GOOD |* V. GOOD * GOOD | | |* MODERATE |* MODERATE | | |* NO GOOD |* NO GOOD | |AVAILABILITY |* EASY * NOT SO EASY * DIFFICULT |* EASY * NOT SO EASY * DIFFICULT | |IF IT WORTH THE PRICE |* YES *NO |* YES * NO | | |* CAN’T SAY |*CAN’T SAY | |IF THE BRAND IS NOT AVAILABLE, THEN I |* WILL WAIT |* WILL WAIT | | |* WILL NOT WAIT |* WILL NOT WAIT | THANK YOU FOR SPARING YOUR VALUABLE TIME!! RETAILER QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Location of the store : 2. Selling toothbrushes since 3. Brands stocked ( Colgate Plus( Cibaca Supreme( Aqua Fresh ( Jordan( Oral-B( Royal ( Pepsodent( Promise( Ajay ( Ajanta( Classic 4. Which are the top three toothbrushes in terms of exist sales? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In case not covered above. What is the status of: 1. Aquafresh( Good( Picking up Moderate( Poor 2. Colgate Plus( Good( Picking up Moderate( Poor 6. How do consumers ask for a tooth brush? (Rank them) (a) Ask by brand name(b) Ask for a cheap brush (c) Specify a price range(d) Go for an expensive brush (e) Keep trying newer ones 7. Which of these two companies make it a point to: (a) Get a regular feedback Aquafresh( Yes( No Colgate Plus( Yes( No (b) Maintain regular supply Aquafresh( Yes( No Colgate Plus( Yes( No 8. Rank your profit margin for the following brands: 1. Cibaca Supreme2. Colgate Plus 3. Oral-B4. Aqua Fresh 5. Classic 6. Ajanta 7. Pepsodent 8. Jordan 9. What is your a) Highest Margin b) Lowest Margin 10. If the consumer does not ask for a specific toothbrush then which one would you offer him? Why? BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Business Today Library 2. A&M Issues of June ‘05, June ‘05, April ‘2006 3. CII Library 4. FORE Library 5. Kotler Philip (Principles of Marketing) 6. Kotler, Philip (Marketing Management). ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my sincere thanks to Prof. N. S. Uppal for entrusting me with a challenging project and along with it, his help and encouragement has been exemplary. I wish to place my sincere gratitude to the officials of concerned organization and libraries who in spite of their busy schedule always spared their time whenever needed. ———————– [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Essay Example

Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Essay Example Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Paper Commentary on Lorna Sage, Bad Blood Paper This passage revolves around a young girls life, how it has changed and what it has become. It is ironically, how a friendship has evolved into something that the two girls who are exposed in this passage have never thought it would become. Sage introduces us to what we can conclude to be herself in the first paragraph of this passage, whilst introducing us to her dear friend (or shall we say greatest enemy?) in the second paragraph. The relationship between Gail and the narrator is one of typical young girls relationships with another girl. Sage develops the relationship between these two young girls from two very contradicting ways; Hate to Love. As the narrator mentions; now she was my sworn enemy. This quote makes it quite obvious how the narrator felt about Gail. When you use the word sworn enemy, it emphasizes the amount of hatred you have towards that person, which makes it crystal clear to us how the relationship between Gail and the narrator was. Yet, ironically, this all changes, within no more than 2 words from that quote, when the narrator opens up the relationship between her and Gail when she says; (she even had a funny name, like me) In this quote, the narrator starts to open up to Gail, accepting her, as she starts to compare her to herself. That is where the relationship actually began. Although they started off bullying each other and beating each other up, as shown when Sage says; Once shed thoroughly trounced me in public this quote, also, is pretty much right to the point, very straight forward, the narrator speaks openly and sort of what proud of being trounced, of being whitewashed by Gail, because it let to something they both treasure now a days, a relationship that could never go astray, a relationship and friendship that they dont want to let go ofbut, does that mean anything? holding hands painfully, giggling together hysterically If this was read about a guy and a girl, the reader would quite quickly come to the conclusion of a special kind of relationship being introduced, but this one friendship isnt like this. This friendship is consistent of the truth and of the honestly and loyalty towards the other. That is what the holding hands painfully can be referring to. The girls do not want to let go of this friendship, theyve been through a lot and they are not willing to let something come in and take that away from thembut, also, does that imply on anything? days of our adolescent intimacy In which point of view can we take this quote? Doesnt this usually imply on a strong relationship between two people? One that consists of love, warmth and of for sure intimacy? You cant go around now and hear a girl saying that she has had days of adolescent intimacy with another girl without thinking that something isnt rightright? And, adolescences is a period of time when two people should come together and figure out the feelings they have towards each otherto figure out why it is really classified as intimate and not something different, something filled with a little bit less of love. The word hell, what does that imply to? Pain? Ache? Struggle? Or all three? The first passage, or to be more specific, the first line, the first phrase even, emphasizes what hell is in perspective of the narrator. The use of the ; means that there is a list after that word that will make it clear what the narrator meant to say, or what the narrator meant when he/she put the word into the passage itself. small peoples purgatory. The word purgatory is linking itself to hell, because it means that this person is being pulled into a world that is painful for no reason. The description techniques of this passage are very straight forward, no awkward words are being used or tongue-tied phrases being put into place. The way the narrator describes Gail is indeed straight to the point, and that makes it much easier for the reader to become acquainted with the character, with Gail. Although, if taken into deep consideration, the way the narrator actually goes through Gail, can seem like there is a sense of jealousy towards her, because maybe she is better in some things that the narrator is; Was she already going to dancing lessons? Straight forward rhetorical question, we, the readers wouldnt know the answer to because we havent had the full life of Gail, but what we can conclude is that she is asking this out of jealousy, not out of interest. If she was going to dancing lessons, the narrator would want to be just like her and start going to dancing lessons as well, which leads to the respect felt towards Gail from the narrator, although they were once sworn enemies. admire the ringlets and the dresses with smocking on the yokes it does mention somewhere before this quote that Gail lives with her grandmother, we havent come to know the reason for this yet, but what we can tell is that Gail is being treated like a doll by her grandmother, maybe because the grandmother doesnt have anything better to do. She does these beautiful embroideries that are referred to as smocking on the yokes on Gails dresses and makes it look like she is very high class, maybe even if she really isnt. The fact that this passage is written by the real point of view of the narrator, we get to actually feel what Sage felt through those horrible days at school during those first few days and what she felt when her and Gail actually got to know each other and carry their friendship forward well into the future. I guess this plays a really important part on the way we can understand this passage, for example, would you enjoy a passage that was all about two girls (or even two guys, let us not be sexist!) that was all about bullying and all about racism and socialism and so on? This passage, with the emphasis of the narrators feelings into it, shows us exactly how real friendships turn out to be, and it is true, this passage does reflect on the real way strong relationships are actually made! (I would know, its happened to me!) but for me, this passage was really a play back to my old life. Ive gone through exactly what Sage, or the narrator has gone through, and turned out with a friendship stronger than ever! When youre young, without a doubt you ought to feel jealousy towards a certain person in your grade/year, for some reason or another, which will, believe it or not, lead to a really strong friendship.

Using the Spanish Verb Pensar

Using the Spanish Verb Pensar Pensar typically means to think, but it is not always used in the same way as the English verb. Most significantly, the words that follow pensar might not be the ones you would expect. Keep in mind that pensar is conjugated irregularly. When the stem pens- is stressed, it becomes piens-. Thus, the present indicative forms are pienso (I think), piensas (you think), piensa (he/she/you think), pensamos (we think), pensis (you think), piensan (they/you think). Here are the main uses of pensar: Using Pensar by Itself Most frequently, pensar, when used by itself, is the equivalent of to think. Pienso, luego existo. (I think, therefore I am.)No pienso mal de ellos. (I dont think bad of them.)El que piensa demasiado siente poco. (The one who thinks too much feels little.) Using Pensar Que Pensar que is a very common way of indicating opinions or beliefs. It often is translated appropriately as to believe rather than to think. In the positive form, it is followed by a verb in the indicative mood. Note that while que in this usage usually can be translated to English as that, it often can be left untranslated, as in third and fourth examples. Pienso que vivo como un cerdo. (I think that I live like a pig.)Mi madre piensa que el doctor es culpable. (My mother believes that the doctor is at fault.)No quiero pensar que me equivoquà ©. (I dont want to believe I made a mistake.)Tambià ©n pensbamos que la recuperacià ³n econà ³mica iba a ser ms rpida. (We also used to believe the economic recovery was going to be quicker.) When used negatively, no pensar que is followed in standard Spanish by a verb in the subjunctive mood. It is not unusual, however, to heard the indicative mood used in casual Spanish. No pienso que seamos diferentes. (I dont believe we are different.)No pensbamos que fueran a darnos problemas. (We didnt think they were going to give us any problems.)Mis amigos no piensan que yo tenga ms de 21 aà ±os. (My friends dont believe Im more than 21 years old.) Using Pensar De Pensar de is another way to say to have an opinion about. Esto es lo que pienso de tu regalo. (This is what I think about your gift.)Tenemos que cambiar de lo que pensamos de nosotros mismos. (We need to change what we think about ourselves.)Ya he indicado antes lo que pienso de la clase. (I have already indicated what I think about the class.)No es bueno preocuparse por lo que los otros piensan de usted. (It isnt good to worry yourself about what others think about about you.) Pensar sobre can also mean to have an opinion about, especially when used in a question. Pensar de is more common.  ¿Quà © piensas sobre la nueva web? (What do you think about the new web site?) ¿Quà © piensan sobre los ataques suicidas como instrumento tctico para ser utilizado en una guerra? (What do they think about suicide attacks as a tactical instrument to be used in a war?) Using Pensar En When followed by en, pensar typically means to think about in the sense of having ones thoughts focus on something. Note that this isnt the same as using to think about in the sense of having an opinion. Estoy pensando en ti. (Im thinking about you.)Pablo no piensa en los riesgos. (Paul doesnt think about the risks.)Las chicas sà ³lo piensan en divertirse. (The girls think only about having fun.)Nadie piensa en cambiar las baterà ­as. (Nobody thinks about changing the batteries.) Pensar sobre can mean basically the same thing as pensar en but is much less common and is probably overused by English speakers speaking Spanish as a second language or when translating from English to Spanish. Pienso sobre eso dà ­a y noche. (I think about it day and night.)Primero hacen y luego piensan sobre ello. (First they acted, and then they thought about it.) Following Pensar With an Infinitive When followed by an infinitive, pensar is used to indicate plans or intentions. Pensamos salir maà ±ana. (Were intending to leave tomorrow.)Yo pienso estudiar medicina de veterinaria en la universidad. (Im planning on studying veterinary medicine at the university.)Pensaron salir de Venezuela, pero decidieron permanecer. (The were planning to leave Venezuela, but they stayed.)

Supply Chain Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supply Chain Management - Case Study Example Sonnie’s Gourmet Sandwich Cafà © is the newest cafà © in the local and the most frequented by working clients with limited time to wait especially now that the cafà © is experiencing an out of door line for customers during the two hours lunch break. In light of this, Sonnie should increase the number of workers in the cafà ©. Apparently, the order fulfillment process seems to take more time as compared to the order placement process. As such, there should be a professional worker who comes around in the line and collects the orders. In a general sense, the prerequisite towards improvement and maintenance of a good supply chain is that Sonnie must be time conscious on her potential clients (Shah 8). The mentioned phone is perceived to be among the busiest in the region with a high number of customers calling in for assistance. However, the staff present have experienced 11- hours working period with two-hours staggering lunch period. Essentially, this company requires an increase in the number of workers who should work in shifts for 24 hours in order to cover for the distinct places such as Nevada, Oregon and California and Washington which have different time zones. Once this is achieved, then the supply chain will automatically increase leading to a wider market for the company (Shah

Business Communication - Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Communication - Research Report - Essay Example Skilled migrants are those with work experience and/or formal education. Unskilled workers, in contrast, are those workers with little or no work experience and/or formal education. This report will discuss, firstly, the demographic transition that is taking place in the world today. Secondly, the issue of the future patterns of population growth will be examined. Then, immigration pressures in developed countries will be covered. The changing attitudes towards growth and technological change will also be discussed. Finally, how all of this tied together impacts business communication practices in the world will be discussed. According to RAND (2000, pg. 1), "The dynamics of global population growth differ dramatically across the major regions of the world. In the developed countries, the current annual rate of growth is less than 0.3 percent, while in the rest of the world the population is increasing almost six times as fast. These demographic differences, combined with widening economic disparities, are increasing the pressures of migration from the less-developed to the developed world. How the developed countries respond to the growth of immigration pressures will have a major impact on their demographic and economic futures." One way in which to see this is to analyse the demographic transition model that is presented by RAND. ... Another is to take a look at how attitudes in the world are changing with regard to technology and economic growth (RAND, 2000). The demographic transition model appears as follows: Figure 1: Demographic Transition Stage 1, the situation that has characterized the world throughout most of history, is marked by high death and birth rates. In Stage 2, which began in the West around 1800, birth rates remain steady but mortality rates begin to decline because of improvements that reduce the toll of infectious diseases--the big killer in countries with high death rates. In Stage 3, a continuing decrease in death rates is accompanied by a decline in birth rates. In Stage 4, the situation in the developed world today, there is a rough parity between births and deaths. (RAND, 2000, pg. 1) When Stage 4 occurs, one can see behavioural changes in the population as well. Whereas previous stages mark death more as fate, Stage 4 sees it more as an outcome of one's personal choices. As such, attitudes revolving around childbearing begin to take place. Families cease basing their family size around survival (bearing a large number of children so that the family may survive on) and instead choose to bear a small number of well-education children. This, in turn, marks the family in question's lifestyle and choices regarding where to live (Briggs, 2001; Bogen, 1987; Buenker and Burckel, 1977; and Booth, Crouter, and Landale, 1997). The aforementioned model is based on the Western European experience. However, it holds implications for the rest of the world. Both developed and developing countries can use it as a benchmark from which to base what types of implications can occur