APA citation Activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

APA citation Activity - Assignment Example The citation requires surname of the author, followed by date, both within brackets. The works-cited page shall have full details of this particular source, starting with the surname of author. In case, there is no author then the title of the source publication must be mentioned in brackets. If there is no date available on the publication, then â€Å"nd† must me mentioned, along with the author surname, with a space after the coma. An example of such citation is given here. (In-Text Citations: The Basics, nd) â€Å"Current trends have shown an increase in volunteer work throughout the nation. According to the organization ‘Americas Promise’ (2011), current volunteering numbers are the highest they have been in 30 years. The Organization also claims that compared to the preceding generation, middle-aged Baby Boomers have been volunteering at higher rates than ever before. Survey from this organization revealed that the proportion of senior volunteers, aged 65 and over, has risen to 64 percent, since 1974. (Americas Promise, 2011)† â€Å"In order to achieve and maintain career success, potential employees must possess basic knowledge and applied skills for the workplace. According to The Conference Board (2010), half of surveyed employers say workforce readiness is also the responsibility of potential employees (para. 3). New entrants should not rely solely on what they have been taught in college, but rather try and learn on their own as well. In recent years, it has become apparent that most college graduates do not write at a proficient level. According to the Conference Board nine out of ten employers say writing is very important for four-year college graduates (Conference Board, 2010, para. 3).† â€Å"New entrants should not rely solely on what they have been taught in college, but rather try and learn on their own as well. In recent years, it has become

Customer Attitudes Toward Bmw Motorcycles Essay Example for Free

Customer Attitudes Toward Bmw Motorcycles Essay This final report is the finish summary version of overall information, knowledge, and data of the marketing research under the area of BMW R1200 GS/GSA motorcycles in UK. The BMW Motorrad under the BMW group has been producing motorcycles since 1923 and has providing a variety range of motorcycle styles (bmwgroup, 2012). In addition, the model of BMW R1200 GS/GSA motorcycles is a major consideration motorcycle in adventure sport style for all bikers in UK as it was named in the top ten model of new motorcycles registration (MCIA, 2011). However, The Motorcycle Industry Association defines Adventure motorcycle as â€Å"These bikes encompass trials which similar in style to Enduro motorcycles but are predominantly designed and capable for on-road use (MCIA, 2012)†. The objective of this research paper is to discover attitudes of UK customers towards the model. To be more specific, the research paper will look into the association between brand images, quality and price perception of the current riders towards this BMW motorcycle model. Moreover, the research paper will explore customer satisfaction and the loyalty of the brand. Additionally, this research paper will determine the outstanding in product value of BMW R1200 GS/GSA that it has over its rivals in the adventure motorcycle segmentation. The paper will first provide background information of conceptual model in brand equity which would provide a basic understanding of how to measure and manage brand equity. Furthermore, the explanation in the model of satisfaction towards loyalty will be discussed. Besides, the hypothesis of the study model will be illustrated. In the next section, the method of conducting online surveys and the utilization of this technique will be discussed. Thirdly, the interpretation from the obtained data will be shown in the finding and analysis section. Finally, the conclusion of the paper will be discussed to sum up the entire research paper including limitations and ethics issues. Literature review In the book, Managing Brand Value (Aaker, 1991) has defined the term of brand equity as the connection of the name and emblems to a set of assets that would increase the value of the company’s products or services. In addition, during the customers buying decision process (McKinsey 1996) has found in his research that brands affect 18 percent of total purchase decisions. Therefore, these can be indicated that branding act as one of the significant factors towards customers purchasing. However, the suggestion from (Keller, 2003) stated that the power of a brand would remain in customers ‘mind together with their perceived experiences and they will learn about the brand over time. Hence, there is the development process of strengthen the brand of a company. The figure (2) illustrates the framework of brand equity from (Keller, 2003). Figure 2 Brand Equity Framework Source: Keller, K (2003). Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall The framework provides 4 steps that involved in building a strong brand however, the hierarchy of brand equity determine that in order to move up in each level, there is a requirement from the successful of the previous one. The first level, companies have to set up a brand identity which will imply brand silence and would lead customers to aware the brand (Keller, 2003). The next step is to create an appropriated brand meaning involve either performance or imagery that related to the brand (Keller, 2003). Thirdly, it is a significant to response the judgments and feelings (opinion, evaluation and emotional) from the customers to gain brand attitudes in customers point of view (Keller, 2003). Lastly, the companies need to create a brand resonance by trying to minimize the gap between what companies think and what customers think via communication tools that would permeate put the brand into consumers’ mind, resulting in a good relationship with them (Keller, 2003). However, after building the strong brand equity, (Keller, 2003) has claimed that brand loyalty would appear to be one of the benefits to the brand. On the other hand, most companies consider the customers to be one of the significant keys to make the company successful. Therefore, (Erdem Swait, 2004) propose that the determination of successful business in long-term is to deliver the value to customers which related to (Marconi, 2000) suggestion that one of the factors which would make customers to remain loyal over brand is customer satisfaction. However, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (figure 3) will be used to explain the model of customer satisfaction. Figure 3 the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Source: (Johnson, Gustafsson, Andreassen, Cha, 2001): The evolution and future of national customer satisfaction index models. (theacsi.org, 2001) explained that customer satisfaction occurs from two driven factors which can affect the satisfaction either directly or going through the perceived value factor (quality relative to the expense). From those two driven factors, the first factor is customer expectation, which is the customer’s anticipation of the quality of the products in both prior consumption experience from consumer and the expectation from company’s product quality deliver. In addition, the second factor is perceived quality which determine by the evaluation of the product’s quality from customer toward the organization. However, the figure shows that there is a negative relationship between customer complaint once they disconfirm with the expectation and customer loyalty. This can be explained as the more satisfied from the customers, there is less chance in the resulted of getting complain from the customers. However, (theacsi.org, 2001) suggests that there is a chance of turning unsatisfied customers to loyalty customers after the compensations have been introduced to them. To conclude, in order to gain customer loyalty, the companies have to deliver the value of the products to meet or exceed customers ‘expectation as loyalty customers are more likely to create repurchase activity. The another related support to the important in loyalty of customers provided by (Reichheld.F.F, 1996) in his book, The Loyalty Effect, in which he stated that in order to bring in a new customer to the company is five times more costly than it is to retain an existing customer. Research Design The early discussion was about satisfying the customers who act as a main player of building the successful businesses as they are involve in many organization’s process. Hence, it is clear that the framework of this research paper is to focus on the importance of satisfying customers as it will create the benefit toward the company in term of brand loyalty. (Gobe, 2001) states that, there is several area of supporting customers into customers’ satisfaction such as price-quality-relation. Furthermore, (Keller, 2003) consider brand attitude in brand equity process to be a drive towards loyalty as well. This research design will be classified as causal research to obtain evidence of cause-and-effect relationships (Malhotra, Birks, Wills, 2012). These ideas made the hypothesis of the study as: H1a: There is a relationship between brand image perception and the level of customer satisfaction for BMW R1200 GS/GSA H1a: There is a relationship between quality perception and the level of customer satisfaction for BMW R1200 GS/GSA H1a: There is a relationship between price perception and the level of customer satisfaction for BMW R1200 GS/GSA H2: There is a relationship of BMW R1200 GS/GSA customers toward purchase loyalty The Figure 4 illustrates the study model involving the relationship between brand attitudes towards customer satisfaction in BMW R1200 GS/GSA and customer satisfaction in BMW R1200 GS/GSA towards brand loyalty. Methodology This research has been utilized quantitative in order to gather data under one particular model of BMW motorcycles, which is R1200GS/GSA. The objective of quantitative is to collect customer’s attitude influence factors relate to each participant perceptions. However, this survey method has introduced a set of questionnaire with 25 closed questions. The period of survey collection was between 10th November and 10th December 2012 through online survey technique under the survey site named Wufoo. The format of online survey included structure scales in a range from 1 to 5 and yes or no questions. The questionnaires have been distributed and upload onto BMW Motorrad Parklane Facebook and UKGSer page. The total respondent is 11 people which specific that have to be BMW R1200 GS/GSA riders. The questionnaires have been mainly divided into 6 sections. The first 3 questions were designed to seek for the top three requirements of participants that they consider before purchasing any adventure motorcycles. In the next section, 3 questions were designed to find the competitive advantage factors and the relative of price-to-quality in perspectives’ view. In the third section, 5 questions were used to determine the customers’ judgment toward the product quality. Moreover, there are a set of 5 questions used in search for customer feeling toward BMW R1200 GS/GSA. In addition, the others 5 questions were used to indicate customer resonance and their potential of creating benefit toward the brand. Finally, 5 questions were used to gain demographic information of respondents. Limitations The limitation of time was the major restrictive as the data collection periods is within 1 week. Furthermore, the difficultly of realizing the actual target population as some of respondents may not own the actual motorcycle in BMW R1200GS/GSA. Additionally, there are no female respondents in all of the returned forms. The scope down of the research topic into a specific model of motorcycle created an obstacle to find the right target of respondents. The post on facebook page has bias of gained non-geographic target group information as there are respondents which are not in UK. Moreover, some of the forums and websites are not currently frequently activated making the posts being used ineffectively. Finally, with the limited number of 10 respondents, resulted in low resources are being used in the evaluation. Ethical considerations The purpose of doing this research paper has been announced and posted on every websites and forums before the actual online-survey. There is a statement state clearly in term of confidentiality that respondents’ information is treated with highly confidentiality. In addition, the questions in the questionnaire under the demographic section have provided an alternative of ‘prefer not to answer’ option to allow the refusing of answering for respondents as they may have an uncomfortable condition. The collected data and information will be used in an education area only; there is no hidden purpose in either businesses or individual organization. Findings The process of gathering data took 4 weeks and there are 72 perspectives viewed of the survey in total. However, there are only 11 entries out of 72 viewed which can be transfer into 15.3% as the conversion rate. The average time per respondent to finish the survey is 3.16 minutes each. However, there is 1 out of 11 responded that is a fault data due to the location of the respondent is outside UK. In the first section, 50% of total responded consider exterior design to be considered the most when they buy an adventure motorcycle, while seat comfort is their second consideration with 40% of total. In addition, they consider bag and storage to be the third choice with 40% of the total. In the next section, 60% of total respondents have agreed that BMW R1200 GS/GSA is worth its price. In addition, 90% of them perceived that this model is more superior to other brands within the same price category. Moreover, the data explained that 70% of respondents perceived the superior fact as this model is the best in handling, while another 30% expressed the fact as the endure motorcycle. The third section is finding of the customers’ judgment toward the product quality with the full score of 5 marks. The best perceived value in quality of the model is safe follow by status symbol, quality product, trustworthy, and lowest is high performance product with the scores of 4.5, 4.2, 4.1, 3.9, and 3.6 points respectively. The data shows the customers’ feeling toward BMW R1200 GS/GSA in the fourth section. It is freedom that customer feel the most with 4.2 while fun is their second perceived with the score of 4 out of 5. The respondents share the third feeling that come in to their mind of excitement and self-respect with 3.9 point, while social approval is the last place in their feeling of 3.8 point. In the Fourth section, the data is used to analyze the customers’ resonance toward the model. However, out of 5, respondents show 4.1 point as they are happy with the model the most, while the fact that they satisfied and willing to refer the model to others share the same scores of 4 point each. Lastly, perspective expressed their love to BMW R1200 GS/GSA only 3.7 point. Finally, the data from the survey shows that all of 10 entries were male which translated into 100%. The average group is between 46-55 years old with the percentage of 80 out of total. Moreover, 50% of the total earns their income more than  £50,001 yearly while 40% of them earn the average between  £25,001-  £50,000 yearly. Moreover, 70% of respondents married and which left remaining 30% of them as single. Finally, the education fact shows that 50% of the total respondents graduated their highest education in high school while other 40% and 10% are undergraduates and master level respectively. Conclusion According to the study, exterior design consider to be the most important to customers when they buy as it’s related to social approval most customers agree that BMW R1200 GS/GSA give them that feeling. However, BMW is considering this factor as one of the main development processes make the company continuously improve a better look in designing along with new technologies attached to their bikes. Moreover, the seat comfort and storage is considered to be significant to all adventure riders. Due to a long distance in riding their motorbikes, they require a suitable seat to support their physical body and space to storage their goods. Results also show that BMW R1200 GS/GSA has the competitive advantage over the rival in the same category as customers perceived that the model has the best balance in control. On the other hand, only 60% of customers perceived this model is worth a premium price due to the less agreement that this model is a high performance product. However, customers still satisfied with the product even though, the customers have standard perceived that this motorcycle model is worth to spend money on. Therefore, it can be analyzed that there is less relationship between price and satisfaction. The relationship between product quality and satisfaction can be interpreted as there is a positive relationship between these two factors. The research shows that customers are highly consider BMW R1200 GS/GSA as a safe motorcycle and high quality product. The company has captured the most important need in every rider which is safety, and delivers the value to them clearly which resulted in gaining the satisfactions from value deliver. However, by looking at specifically to individuals that has less satisfaction, it is only the fact that BMW R1200 GS/GSA is not high performance enough for them. In term of brand image, the customers is highly involved with status symbol as the high score of 4.2 point can determine that the company has created brand association and meaning towards customers. Moreover, the company has well delivered the feeling of freedom in this product make a fulfillment in the want of adventure travelers. Therefore, brand image has positive relationship toward satisfaction. Finally, with the high number in people who are happy and satisfied with BMW R1200 GS/GSA related to their willingness to refer this motorcycle model to others. This is can be explained that there is a positive relationship between satisfaction and customers loyalty as loyalty customers would most likely to be influencers in bringing new customers to purchase the product. References Aaker, D (1991). Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the Value of a Brand Name, Free Press, New York, NY Aggarwal, P. (2004). The Effects of Brand Relationship Norms on Comsumer Attitudes and Behaviour. Journal of consumer research, June Court, D., Freeling, A., Leiter, M., Parsons, J. A. (1996). Mckinsey Quarterly: Uncovering the value of brands. Retrieved from http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Uncovering_the_value_of_brands_201 Erdem, Tulin, and Swait, Joffre. (2004). Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration and Choices. Journal of consumer research,June Gobe, M. (2001). Emotional Branding. New York, NY: Allworth Press. Keller, K. (2003). Buliding, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Kiley, D. (2004). Driven: Inside BMW, the most admired car company in the world. Malhotra, K. N., Birks, F. D., Wills, P. (2012). Marketing Research (4th ed.): An Applied Approach. The Motor Cycle Industry Association (2011). Motorcycle Registration Statistics. Press statistic. Retrieved from http://www.mcia.co.uk/Press-and-Statistics/NewReg_Statistics.aspx We iler, M. (2004). BMW : Exploring Customer Attitudes.

Components and functions of the complement system

Components and functions of the complement system The complement system found in the blood of mammals is composed of heat labile substances (proteins) that combine with antibodies or cell surfaces. This complex, multicomponent system is composed of about 26 proteins. The complement cascade is constitutive and non-specific but it must be activated in order to function. The functions of complement include: making bacteria more susceptible to phagocytosis directly lysing some bacteria and foreign cells producing chemotactic substances increasing vascular permeability causing smooth muscle contraction promoting mast cell degranulation The complement system can be activated via two distinct pathways; the classical pathway and the alternate pathway. Once initiated, a cascade of events (the complement cascade) ensues, providing the functions listed above. Most of the complement components are numbered (e.g. C1, C2, C3, etc.) but some are simply referred to as Factors. Some of the components must be enzymatically cleaved to activate their function; others simply combine to form complexes that are active. The following table lists these components and their functions. Components of the Classical Pathway Native component Active component(s) Function(s) C1(q,r,s) C1q Binds to antibody that has bound antigen, activates C1r. C1r Cleaves C1s to activate protease function. C1s Cleaves C2 and C4. C2 C2a Unknown. C2b Active enzyme of classical pathway; cleaves C3 and C5. C3 C3a Mediates inflammation; anaphylatoxin. C3b Binds C5 for cleavage by C2b. Binds cell surfaces for opsonization and activation of alternate pathway. C4 C4a Mediates inflammation. C4b Binds C2 for cleavage by C1s. Binds cell surfaces for opsonization. Components of the Alternate Pathway Native component Active component(s) Function(s) C3 C3a Mediates inflammation; anaphylatoxin. C3b Binds cell surfaces for opsonization and activation of alternate pathway. Factor B B Binds membrane bound C3b. Cleaved by Factor D. Ba Unknown. Bb Cleaved form stabilized by P produces C3 convertase. Factor D D Cleaves Factor B when bound to C3b. Properdin P Binds and stabilizes membrane bound C3bBb. Components of the Membrane-Attack Complex Native component Active component(s) Function(s) C5 C5a Mediates inflammation; anaphylatoxin, chemotaxin. C5b Initiates assembly of the membrane-attack complex (MAC). C6 C6 Binds C5b, forms acceptor for C7. C7 C7 Binds C5b6, inserts into membrane, forms acceptor for C8. C8 C8 Binds C5b67, initiates C9 polymerization. C9 C9n Polymerizes around C5b678 to form channel that causes cell lysis. ACTIVATION OF THE COMPLEMENT CASCADE Classical Pathway The classical pathway starts with C1; C1 binds to immunoglobulin Fc (primarily IgM and IgG); C1 is recognition complex composed of 22 polypeptide chains in 3 subunits; C1q, C1r, C1s. C1q is the actual recognition portion, a glycoprotein containing hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine that looks like a tulip flower. Upon binding via C1q, C1r is activated to become a protease that cleaves C1s to a form that activates (cleaves) both C2 and C4 to C2a/b and C4a/b. C2b and C4b combine to produce C3 convertase (C3 activating enzyme). C4a has anaphylactic activity (inflammatory response). C3 is central to both the classical and alternative pathways. In classical, C4b2b convertase cleaves C3 into C3a/b. C3a is a potent anaphylatoxin. C3b combines with C4b2b to form C4b2b3b complex that is a C5 convertase. C3b can also bind directly to cells making them susceptible to phagocytosis. C5 is converted by C5 convertase (i.e. C4b2b3b) to C5a/b. C5a has potent anaphylatoxic and chemotaxic activities. C5b functions as an anchor on the target cell surface to which the lytic membrane-attack complex (MAC) forms. MAC includes C5b, C6, C7, C8 and C9. Once C9 polymerizes to form a hole in the cell wall, lysis ensues. Classical Pathway Component cleavage Enzymatic activity Component assembly Alternate Pathway The alternate pathway may be initiated by immunologic (e.g. IgA or IgE) or non-immunologic (e.g. LPS) means. The cascade begins with C3. A small amount of C3b is always found in circulation as a result of spontaneous cleavage of C3 but the concentrations are generally kept very low (see below). However, when C3b binds covalently to sugars on a cell surface, it can become protected. Then Factor B binds to C3b. In the presence of Factor D, bound Factor B is cleaved to Ba and Bb; Bb contains the active site for a C3 convertase. Next. properdin binds to C3bBb to stabilize the C3bBb convertase on cell surface leading to cleavage of C3. Finally, a C3bBb3b complex forms and this is a C5 convertase, cleaving C5 to C5a/b. Once formed, C5b initiates formation of the membrane attack complex as described above. Generally, only Gram-negative cells can be directly lysed by antibody plus complement; Gram-positive cells are mostly resistant. However, phagocytosis is greatly enhanced by C3b binding (phagocytes have C3b receptors on their surface) and antibody is not always required. In addition, complement can neutralize virus particles either by direct lysis or by preventing viral penetration of host cells. Alternate Pathway Component cleavage Enzymatic activity Component assembly REGULATION OF THE COMPLEMENT CASCADE Because both the classical and alternate pathways depend upon C3b, regulation of the complement cascade is mediated via 3 proteins that affect the levels and activities of this component. C1 Inhibitor inhibits the production of C3b by combining with and inactivating C1r and C1s. This prevents formation of the C3 convertase, C4b2b. Protein H inhibits the production of C3b by inhibiting the binding of Factor B to membrane-bound C3b, thereby preventing cleavage of B to Bb and production of the C3 convertase, C3bBb. Factor I inhibits the production of C3b by cleaving C3b into C3c and C3d, which are inactive. Factor I only works on cell membrane bound C3b, mostly on red blood cells (i.e. non-activator surfaces).

Dynamic Characters In A Tale O :: essays research papers

Dynamic Characters in A Tale of Two Cities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The English novelist, Charles Dickens, is one of the most popular writers in the history of literature. During his life, he wrote many books, one of them being A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens uses many dynamic characters in this novel. Dynamic characters or, characters that drastically change, play a very important role in the novel A Tale of Two Cities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towards the beginning of the novel, Jerry Cruncher’s actions are rather disturbing. Mrs. Cruncher is very religious and is always praying. Jerry constantly refers to her praying as flopping and unnatural, even though she says her prayers â€Å"only come from the heart. . . . they are worth no more than that †(49). He does not put up with her flopping and even abuses and criticizes her when she chooses to pray. â€Å"I won’t be prayed agin, I tell you. I can’t afford it. I’m not a going to be made unlucky by your sneaking. If you must go flopping yourself down, flop in favour of your husband and child, and not in opposition to ’em† (49). Jerry Cruncher has a secret second occupation that no one knows about. He is a body snatcher and hides this from his family and everyone else. When Mr. Lorry finds out about this, he is very disappointed and says, â€Å"My mind misgives me much, that you have used the respectable an d great house of Tellson’s as a blind, and that you have had an unlawful occupation of an infamous description† (286). At the end of the story, Jerry Cruncher makes two vows to Miss Pross. One of them is that he will never interfere with his wife’s praying. He says, â€Å"and let my words be [taken] down and [taken] to Mrs. Cruncher through yourself—that wot my opinions respectin’ flopping have undergone a change, and that wot I only hope with all my heart as Mrs. Cruncher may be a flopping at the present time† (340). The other promise he made to Miss Pross is that he will give up body snatching. Another dynamic character in A Tale of Two Cities is Dr. Alexander Manette. Before Dr. Manette went to the Bastille, he is a â€Å"young physician, originally an expert surgeon, who within the last year or two has made a rising reputation in Paris† (298). When the reader met Dr. Manette for the first time, much of is memory is forgotten and he is very weak.

American-Cuban Relations: A critical analysis

The American Cruise Line is a United States small ship company. Its operations are around Eastern Seaboard in the US. Its operations commencement is dated back in early 1970’s. However, the business stopped sometimes in 1980s due to a decreasing level of customers. Its operations either went in business again in 2000, by launching some three ship fleet with the American Eagle (49 – passenger capacity) being the first ship. Others launched in 2002 and 2005 where the American Glory (49 – passengers) and the American Sprit (98 – passengers) respectively. In 2007, the company is to launch the American Star.The owner had sold the company in late 1980’s before it went under due to operational inefficiencies. Since it’s rebirth in 2002, the company continues to embrace a big growth, with its operation expanding highly. The same rebirth followed an acquisition by the owner of the then former company which was operational in 1980’s. The company is a US based small ship company registered in Maine. Its operations are along the US coastal line form the Maine to Florida. Operational profile. The company owns a much larger fleet with a capacity of 220 square fleets.Its cabins are of a larger size than any other small ship company. In its fleet Profile, its currently operates with three cruise ships such as the American Eagle, American Glory and the American Spirit. Its current decision to launch the fourth ship (America Star) within the year is perhaps its greatest achievement. Its ships are profound in three characteristics which make it to adequately compete with its competitors at the market place. They are highly roomy, and of the most modern nature. (http://www. cruisecritic. com/reviews/cruiseline. cfm? CruiseLineID=57)Their ships have adequate privacy due to the large capacity, intimate relations for their relatively small size as well as allowing its passengers to be able to frequently meet within a week. Their dining room are located at the deck which primarily lowest at the stem point, where it has some windows on its three sides it has other two cabin sized lounges, with the tip deck making open cut facility for the remaining part of the ship. The four decks will then be linked together by an elevator. Many of the cabins have balconies which provide an attractive environment for the passengers on the coastal scenery while traveling.Those without balconies will have their windows painted large pictures which are then opened for free circulation of air and also the different sounds emanating form the sea. They also offer cabin facilities for persons who are single or disabled. Generally, the vessels will have identical features in regard to the facilities, decor and also layout. The passengers are free in their choice of cruise in terms of date or even itinerary without been forced to use a cruise without their choice. (Morgan, 2004) The decors are attractive and exciting, with both muted and a range of simple colors.Their close array is like that of a hotels generic lobby. Its main lounge has a specific location. This is underneath their bridges at a directly forward position. It has a set of tail windows in one of the three sides which are used for providing a way of viewing the attractive scenery while passing. However, the stringent maritime laws have worked to lower the company’s activities. These laws prescribe an attractive package in the certain conditions relating to capacity, modern, operating diameters, and other legal conditions on the cruise business.At one point, we can talk of the advantage into the nature of the business customers. However, the same laws may be argued as stumbling blocks into the cruise business where stringent legacies ought to be followed. Consequently, cruise businesses are required to have a layout of specific modalities in the operational system and the physical nature of their ships. Such conditions have been voted as been hig hly expensive leading to conditions of high operating costs. The company has the launch of the American Star in progress which is to be later in this year.Either, its development of Pearl Seas Cruises within the course of 2008, will find the company at the most competitive edge in the international waters. This would have the same similarities to the other ship models, though it’s highly sophisticated. With a regard to the environmental laws about water pollution, the company has been in the fore front to ensure Low rates of environmental pollution. The construction system of its ships follows a highly conventional manner in which high standards ships manufactured with lower cases of oil spill-over in the water.Either, it has various facilities for ensuring safe custodies for any emergency cases and accidents that would lead to oil spillages in the water. Above these parameters, its high advocacy to the travelers of frontiers that provides conditions for lower environmental p ollution has been ensured by the management. The company has continued to recognize and put in place various campaigns on environmental conservations, and reduction in water pollution. Through such a campaign, it has ensured high operational statuses which provide a hallmark in the conservation of the water environment through reduced pollution.(Sagers, 2006) Organizational structure and current operating environment. The company has provided a layout in terms of its organizations structure. A compliment of various stakeholders to be same structure is therefore available. It has the CEO as the highest rank in the structure. A panel of board of directors also accompanies the same structure. Elsewhere, various managerial staff positions provide management services to the different management offices. The current operating structure may be summarized under the aspect of ship board organizational structure.The shipboard organizational structure is comprised of system of controls into th e various activities and operations at the time of boarding a ship. Like any other organizational activity, the ship boarding activity is comprised of various activities that help an adequate environment for the operations. Different personnel have various delegated responsibilities, which help the smooth process of activities during the boarding time. (Hazell, Fitzpatrick, 2006) Various control persons are therefore delegated with various duties.These include; operations control who is capable of the communication process within the shipping process. The engineering control, who provide various engineering services for the shipboard process incase of mechanical breakdowns; the damage controller, who provide repairs and maintenance to any materials breakdown in the shipping process. The shipboard directors(s), who provides a package of directorship in the control layout systems of the ship board process. Above these profiles, the shipboard organizational structure is compounded by o ther systems of control / control officials.These are medical controls, finance officials, supervisors, safety officers, security control and quality assurance controls. All the controls play their relevant authorities and displiness in correspondence to the requirements of the shipboard process. Summarily therefore, shipboard organizational structure is comprised of a system of control that ensure adequacy in the company’s organization at the shipboard process. The shipboard operating structure is comprised of a system of control available at the process of its operations.While the ship is on its traveling process, there are various operating controls and processes that accompany it for adequate and safe traveling and services. At one level, the demographic population of the company can be echoed in a close perspective between the ships and the passenger volume they operate in. The demographic structure of the company depicts diversity in its clients in terms of geographical parameters. Clients are from the whole region. Generally, the number of children clients has been voted to be low.However, a higher volume of children is available during the summer within the Maine and the New England. Currently the company has its three ships with the American Star at the verge of been launched within this year. (Talley, 2000) The major nationalities working in the onboard process are Americans. The company has had dominance in the employment of Americans for its onboard activities. This is in attribute and understanding that fellow Americans can provide good customers relation in the onboard process during the ship traveling.However, the onboard process is accompanied by a number of activities on process where different personnel perform different roles. Firstly, the role and position of show excursions controller should not be overlooked. This is the controller person in charge of excursions in every port in which passengers are taken through to know the differ ent environments they are driving in. This is taken as a refresher course to the passengers in the long journey processes. Food and drinking personals (waiter) who are allied to the different schedules of the passenger feeding.With the long journey process, passengers are ideally provided with food, this is taken care of by the food controller. Like the shipboard organization structure, the on process is also accompanied by a system of control which includes quality assurance, finance, medical, security, administration, above others. At the onboard process, the persons are responsible for these controls. At the shore side either, a comprehensive, package of management structure, controls and human resources issues is highly pronounced to provide a higher and better environment of the shipping process.Majority of the characteristics of activities found at the shore side is a combination those at the shipboard organizational and operating structures above those of the onboard structur e. A combination of the relevant system of control relating to the various systems of control is therefore attributable to the shore side organizational structure. Marketing positioning The small ship industry in America is highly competitive. The company continue to get a high and stiff competition form its competitors around the world.The success to the company has however been through a package of providing relatively high quality products and services above other strategies which helps it to even pursue well in such a competitive market. It has however a highly developed and established system of itineraries which are found placed in the whole Eastern Seaboard covering the Penobscot Bay at the Maine up to the Florida. (Haigh, Nomikos, Bessler, 2004) The traveling system changes considerably during the various seasons of the year. The cruises allied to England Island have the Block Island as their stopping areas at the summer periods.They can also stop at Nantucket or Martha†™s Vineyard. Trips also change in the course of the year depending on the environmental conditions allied to the navigation process. There is the June offer of itineraries from the Chesapeake Bay which are allied to the Baltimore case. However, these are all short trip cases. The great passageway which is form the Baltimore to the peak of Florida is among its long paths. Elsewhere, the ships will sail via the Antebellum Itineraries, which is form the Jacksonville and the Charleston.This occurs at the periods form November throughout April. The Okeechobee trip is offered as an occasional trip. As the 2008 approaches, other cruises will be introduced by the Pearl Seas Cruises. There destinations are proposed to been Canadian Marmites, St. Lawrence Seaway Caribbean American itineraries and also the Central American itineraries. This 2008 activity plan is a clear indication of the high level of expansion by the company in their itineraries. (Still, 2001) The target market of the compa ny is to include the whole of the US costal line.However, this is only its immediate (short run goals) with the intensity into its expanding phenomena, the company is perhaps to embrace its final attribute of expanding to reach the various water ways and ports in the US coastal strip. Elsewhere, its greatest achievement would be expanding to the broad foreign market. Foreign market is seen as an attribute in which the company will develop in capacity to even reach the global market, through mergers, acquisitions, starting or even through Franchises. Miscellaneous details The American Cruise company has continued to embrace the sovereignty as one the largest small ship company in US.Over the last three years, it has had an average of reported profit amounting to $ 694 per annum. The price of it share in the American stock market has considerable been improving. Since is rebirth in 2002, it has continued to show an increasing level of profit. . References Cruise Review and News (2007) American Cruise Lines. Retrieved on 7th Nov. 2007 from http://www. cruisecritic. com/reviews/cruiseline. cfm? CruiseLineID=57 Haigh, M. S. , Nomikos, N. K. , & Bessler, D. A. (2004). Integration and Causality in International Freight Markets: Modeling with Error Correction and Directed Acyclic Graphs.Southern Economic Journal, 71(1), 145+. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5006987575 Hazell, L. C. , & Fitzpatrick, S. M. (2006). The Maritime Transport of Prehistoric Megaliths in Micronesia. Archaeology in Oceania, 41(1), 12+. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5015172724 Morgan, C. (2004). The Public Nature of Private Industry in Confederate Georgia. Civil War History, 50(1), 27+. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5006500885Sagers, C. (2006). The Demise of Regulation in Ocean Shipping: A Study in the Evolution of Co mpetition Policy and the Predictive Power of Microeconomics. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 39(3), 779+. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5019554251 Still, C. (2001). Thinking outside the Box: The Application of COGSA's $500 Per-Package Limitation to Shipping Containers. Houston Journal of International Law, 24(1), 81+. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5000945085 Talley, W.K. (2000). Ocean Container Shipping: Impacts of a Technological Improvement. Journal of Economic Issues, 34(4), 933. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5001180959 The state of conflict that has come to define the relationship between the United Sates of America and the tiny island nation of Cuba is, unknown to many, as old as the history of Cuba as a nation state. The first signals of conflict came early in the life of Cuba as a Spanis h colony when in 1795 Negro slaves and whites came together to revolt against the Spanish overlords.That momentous occasion caused a great disquiet amongst slave owners in the American south, and thus attracted the keen attention of the American establishment, who did not desire such an example to be set too close to home. The first overt reaction of the American rulers at that time was to make overtures to Spain for the purchase of Cuba. In this respect, Thomas Jefferson, the American President, was reported to have said in 1809 that, â€Å"I candidly confess that I have ever looked upon Cuba as the most interesting addition that can be made to our system of States. †Though Spain persistently rejected the American request, the Americans never dropped their desire to annex Cuba by any possible means. This ardent American desire and policy on Cuba was summed up by the then American Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, â€Å"These islands (Cuba and Puerto Rico) are natural a ppendages of the North American continent, and one of them (Cuba) almost within sight of our shores, from a multitude of considerations has become an object of transcendent importance to the commercial and political interests of our Union†¦ These are laws of political as well as physical gravitation.† It was therefore only a matter of time before the first real conflict over Cuba erupted. When it did, it did so in two fronts, one involved America and Spain while the other involved Cubans themselves, who desired independence from Spain. In 1823, US President Moore declared the Western Hemisphere, including Cuba, as an exclusive sphere of influence of the United States, warning European powers to take heed and steer clear of any interference in the affairs of any nations within the so declared ‘sphere of influence’.Subsequently, in 1898, Cuba became a theatre of war between the Americans and Spain, the Spanish American War. This was coincidentally at a period C uban revolutionaries claimed they were on the threshold of liberating Cuba from Spanish rule. The Americans won in the ensuing war and subsequently took control of the governance of Cuba as protectorate. What was to follow was a despoliation of the Cuban state by successive American appointed administrators, land speculators, profiteers, the Mafia and their local Cuban collaborators.Attendant to these was the economic emasculation of the Cuban nation as American colonists swooped on the island and acquired large swats of fertile farm land, marginalizing the local people, and in so doing sowed the seeds of the many conflicts that were later to help shape American-Cuban relations for almost the past half century. 2. 7. 1. The Actors General Fulgencio Batista Formerly a Sergeant in the Cuban Army, Batista came into limelight when he led a group of sergeants, ‘The Revolt of the Sergeants’ to overthrow a sitting government in 1933.Though he relinquished power shortly afterwa rds to become the army chief, he made himself the elector of the next president and subsequent five others until 1940 when he contested and won the presidency for himself. Successive American administrations found him a willing ally and were in tacit support of his conducts and rule over Cuba. Under Batista, the Miami mafia mob became the co-rulers of Cuba. Batista was to retire from presidency in 1944 only to make a quick come-back in 1948 when he was elected into the Cuban senate. Later in 1952 he sidestepped the elections and took over power in a coup.With the support of U. S administration of Harry Truman, Batista cancelled the elections all together and became the maximum leader. Fidel Castro was one of the contestants in that botched election. Fidel Alejandro Castro. The son of a wealthy Creole farmer, Castro was educated in Jesuit schools, and finally graduated from the Havana University with a law degree. Disillusioned with the poverty he saw around him and the display of we alth by the American colonists, Fidel joined the political movement with intent to stand for an election into the Cuban congress.When this desire of his was scuttled by the cancellation of the elections and the usurping of power by General Batista in 1952, he took up arms with other rebels, ‘The July 26 Movement’, including his brother Raul to wrest power out of Batista forcefully. Their attempt at rebellion in 1953 ended in disaster and the killing of most of the rebels. Fidel, his brother and a few others were arrested, tried and jailed, but later released. Castro was to strike again, and eventually defeated Batista’s soldiers to take over power in 1959.On assumption of power, Castro took several populist actions, which endeared hum to the down trodden Cuban masses. But his later actions of nationalizing all American run and owned businesses in Cuba, closing down all casinos, whore houses and sending the mafia on the run, as well as his switch to communism earn ed him powerful enemies in the American establishment. Ever since, American Cuban relations can be effectively summed up in two this short term- mutual hostility. Dwight D.Eisenhower. Two-term president of the U. S, 1953-1961, Eisenhower was in power at the height of the Castro rebellion, which ousted General Batista from power. Eisenhower was the architect of initial American policy response to the Castro challenge. Hostility was the initial and consistent response to the Castro regime. This response was later to be institutionalized, thus setting the mood for subsequent US-Cuban relations. Eisenhower took far-reaching steps to checkmate Castro.Some of these steps were the authorization of the CIA to train Cuban exiles to form a force that could overthrow Castro and install a more acceptable regime in Cuba, cancellation of American orders for Cuban sugar, prohibition of American exports to Cuba, putting pressure on European banks to cancel loans meant for Cuba, blacklisting of nava l vessels carrying cargo to or from Cuba, massive propaganda offensive to discredit the Cuban regime, liaisons with and use of mafia links to try to assassinate Castro or destabilize Cuba. J. F.Kennedy. He succeeded Eisenhower as American President, and true to his election campaign pledge to ‘do something about Castro’, Kennedy went a step further by authorizing and sponsoring the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 by Cuban dissidents. This was in addition to other US sponsored covert and overt terrorist attacks against Cuban interests and attempts on Castro’s life. Kennedy followed up late with the termination of diplomatic relation with Cuba in 1961. Some other attempts by Kennedy to deal with Castro included:Operation Mongoose, whose aim was to overthrow Castro through acts of terrorism and subversion; The invoking of US military intervention to â€Å"overthrow the Castro regime; Operation Peter Pan, (1960-62) in which the US colluded with the Catho lic Church transport 14,048 unaccompanied children between 6 and 18 years old out of Cuba for the US; Institution of a full trade embargo against Cuba; Punishment and denial of US aid for third countries which allowed assistance or commerce with Cuba; Imposition of travel to Cuba on US citizens;Though President Kennedy was assassinated in circumstances which some speculations have linked to the Castro issue, the US policy direction on Cuba did not change, but had rather intensified with successive US regimes. 2. 7. 2. Issues Basically the Issues at stake in American-Cuban relations could be described as both ideological and territorial.The United States on the one hand had a long standing interest to annex or control Cuba and to have the island nation come under its capitalist mode of operation, whereas Cuba had traditionally resisted any such designs by the Americans and had under Fidel Castro towed the communist line of production and ideology. 2. 7. 3. The Underlying factors Many recent commentators on the unending face-off between Cuba and the United States have wondered why the US has found it difficult to accommodate the Cubans and their communist form of government at a time that they have normalized relations with such other communist regimes as China and Vietnam.`It is quite obvious that such commentators have failed to take into account the full weight of the underlying factors that have helped shape and instruct American policy direction on Cuba. Some of these factors can be discussed below: 1. The ideological war: Capitalism vs Communism. It is an established fact that the United States is as rabidly capitalist as the former Soviet Union was Communist. So when Castro concluded his revolution by tilting towards communism he inadvertently touched America at it sorest point.It was a declaration that an enemy was at its back door. Thus Cuban American relations were ab initio anchored on diametrically opposing posts the moment Castro took over power. 2. Proximity. Cuba’s proximity to the US which put it within the so-called American sphere of influence in the Western Hemisphere precluded that the US must, as a matter of national security, have interest in what happens in its back waters. And what the American administrations loathed most was for Cuba to become an example which other Western hemisphere counties could look up to and copy.3. Interest groups. Most of the American business interests that were nationalized by Castro are today part of the dominant group ruling the United States, and dictating state policy. They have not forgiven Castro and will never forgive him for disrupting their lucrative business operations in Cuba. The same is true of the mafia elements within the Cuban exile groups. 4. Resistance from ordinary Cubans. Having witnessed firsthand what unbridled capitalism and corrupt did to them the first time they came under U.S rule, ordinary Cubans are loathe to again welcome any American hegemony over the m. 2. 7. 4. Scope The scope and ramifications of US-Cuban relations crossed national and continental boundaries in the 70’s and 80’s when Cuba embarked on shoring up leftist regimes or groups in South America and Africa. These attempts brought them into direct conflict with the US; with disastrous effects in Nicaragua, Grenada, Angola, Ethiopia and Congo democratic republic.Consequently, local conflicts were internationalized, protracted and resulted in tremendous human tolls. The effect of almost fifty years of American economic embargoes on Cuba has also been horrendous on Cubans. 2. 7. 5. Previous Attempts at Settlements The first known attempt at settling the disputes between the US and Cuba was in 1964 when Cuba offered to desist from exporting revolutionary ideals to South America if the US would halt its hostile actions against Cuba. The US refused, urging Cuba to first stop close relations with the USSR.It was also speculated that Kennedy had intended to engage Castro in negotiations shortly before he was assassinated in 1965. Another secret attempt was made at reconciliation in 1974, but was supposedly cancelled after Cuba got involved in Angola. President Ford at that time linked normalization of relations with Cuba with its voluntary pull out from Angola. It was under Jimmy Carter that the most real attempts at the normalization of relations with Cuba were initiated when he lifted the travel embargo on Cuba.A maritime boundary and fishing accord was signed by both countries during this period, while diplomatic interest sections were opened by both countries in Havana and Washington, respectively. Other bilateral negotiations were started; the American Congress also repealed the provision of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 banning aid to countries permitting their vessels to trade with Cuba. The National Security Council also rescinded the ship blacklist. 2. 7. 6. Phases and IntensityThe Kennedy era was perhaps marked zenith of Ameri can-Cuban hostility. It was then that the botched Pay of Pigs invasion of Cuba was carried out in 1961, same as the Cuban missile crisis, which involved the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962. Though the missile crisis was eventually resolved, when the Soviets willingly dismantled the missiles, the crisis almost precipitated a nuclear war between the US and the Kruschev-led Soviet Union. Several U.S instigated attempts were also made during that same era to assassinate Fidel Castro, but the climax was the assassination of President Kennedy himself. The other high intensity points in American-Cuban relations were in the 70’s and 80’s when Cuba actively supported leftist insurrections against American backed dictatorships in Africa and South America. The most notable of these countries where Cuban forces played direct combat role were Angola, Ethiopia, Grenada, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The U. S countered these Cuban moves by pouring in massive supp ort to the opposing groups.However, the relations between the have traditionally been known to experience upward and down swings in response to the parties in power in Washington- much more favorable under the Democrats and less so under the Republicans. 2. 7. 7. Balance of Power In territorial size and resources, Cuba is no match to the United States, but the active support of the Soviet Union at the start of the Castro revolution and until the collapse of the Soviet Union brought a semblance of balance of powers between the two feuding neighbors- U. S and Cuba.However, at the collapse of the Soviet Union, there were expectations that Cuba would falter and collapse, but world public opinion and the support of Canada, the European Union, China and of late Venezuela have helped stabilize Cuba ideologically and materially. 2. 7. 8. Capacity and Resource There is no room for comparison of the resources and capacities of both countries, the U. S is way ahead of Cuba in all respects, but as explained earlier what Cuba has going for it are favorable world opinion and the resilience of its leadership and people. 2. 7. 9.State of the Relationship The support for the continuing US embargo of the island nation have been completely eroded, as many of the nations of Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa have since normalized relations with Cuba. Even fellow North American countries of Canada and Mexico have consistently opposed US embargoes on Cuba, especially as it affected US subsidiary companies within these two nations. Even many Americans have come to question the wisdom of continuing with the hostilities when it is obvious that Cuba, at present, poses no threat to U.S national security. Visits have been made of late by sitting congressmen and other influential Americans in efforts to settle the disputes between the two neighbors that are so close but yet so far apart. Works Consulted Chadwick Ian. History of Cuban American relations. Retrieved March 30, 2007 from h ttp://www. ianchadwick. com/essays/cubahistory. html Siera J. A. Compilations of History of Cuba. Retrieved March 30, 2007 from http://www. historyofcuba. com/history/batista. htm

Peaceful Protest Essays

Peaceful Protest Essays Peaceful Protest Essay Peaceful Protest Essay Dear Squealer, I am writing to you to ask for your help, I consider you as someone who I can trust and confide with. At the moment I cannot reveal my whereabouts in case this document falls into the wrong hands, Napoleon! I will get straight to the point; our current situation is looking very bleak, I fear for both your life and mine. Napoleon has been abusing our new society on Animal farm and he will do astonishing things to achieve what he wants. He is slowly gaining power over us and our comrades; he has changed Animalism into a dictatorship led by him! Our lives will be his and only for his wishes, we have and will be turned into personal slaves for Napoleon to have at his disposal. He will change issues that we use to believe in; he will brain wash us into believing what he wants us to. I need your help to stop this tyrant. What I propose is that we join together to from a new equal society, run by ourselves. This new society will stand for every animal that accepts the societys beliefs; it will be a society that lives in peace and harmony. I want to make a enthuses on being equal, after all that was what Animalism stood for, no animals have any higher right than another animal. You and myself will not have a leadership or any sort of control over the other animals; we will just keep peace and order. I seriously think that my idea and theory would be a great success if you were appeared to join me and overthrow this tyrant from his reign of terror. I have took much time and effort over thinking how we are going to overthrow Napoleon, I have come up with a cunning plan! It does not involve fighting or any sort of physical campaign against Napoleon. It is the idea of Peaceful Protest; we will organise marches and demonstrations through Animal Farm. Also, if the animals boycott Napoleons slave labour and any sort of activities, which would help Napoleons empire. One of the main areas, which I think would be good to boycott, is Napoleons food supply, without food his empire will slowly melt down. I say slowly because we may not achieve our aim of a peaceful society quickly. It could be a slow and tedious task but the results at the end will be very satisfying. I have been reading up on Peaceful Protest and I came to a conclusion yesterday that it would be the best way of going about overthrowing Napoleon. By making peaceful protests it would also represent what our new society believes in, animals being equal and peaceful! By all means if you have an idea or theory which you think would be much more practical than mine I am open to suggestions.

ARAMARKs Database Marketing Project

ARAMARKs Database Marketing Project Introduction Marketing is a vital tool for attracting and maintaining new customers. Technically, it refers to â€Å"the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 23). Alternatively, it may be argued as encompassing the process through which organizations promote their products and services. These processes may be approached from either direct or indirect marketing.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on ARAMARK’s Database Marketing Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Database marketing is one of the direct marketing techniques. It is â€Å"†¦a systematic approach of gathering, consolidating, and processing of consumer data (both for customers and potential customers) that is maintained in a companys database† (Baesens et al, 2002, p.191). The process is aimed at generating communication to customers who are personalized in the attemp t to promote a company’s products (marketing). In database marketing, an enormous emphasis is placed on the significance of data analysis. Often, this step entails deployment of statistical methods to aid in coming up with models for describing behaviors of consumers. From these behaviors, specific promotional techniques are derived to address specific customers’ segments. For accuracy in deriving the model, is it crucial for an organization deploying database marketing to have large data warehouse because â€Å"having a greater amount of data about customers increases the likelihood that a more accurate model can be built† (Baesens et al., 2002, p.195). Essentially, there are two main types of databases for marketing. These are business and customer databases. The focus of this proposal is on customer databases. Therefore, the aim of this proposal is to come up with a database marketing solution for ARAMARK to help the company attract new customers to achieve a higher retention rate of the existing clients. Project Objectives ARAMARK sells its food products to varying markets, which are dominated by consumers with varying buying capabilities. Based on this difference of consumers of the products of ARAMARK, the primary objective of this project is to deploy the data warehouse of the company especially pertaining to the past purchases of consumers in the varying markets. The attempt seeks to derive a marketing model that would result to increasing consumption on these markets by 10 percent besides retaining the existing customers. This framework is ideally a behavioral segmentation model of database marketing. Therefore, in the model, the consumers will be segmented based on â€Å"recency, frequency, and monetary value of the past purchases† (Hughes, 2000, p.63).Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By increasing the consumption of the ARAMARK’s products by 10 percent, it implies that the project proposal has an objective of increasing the profitability of the company. To do this, database house will also be used to provide information on the area where consumers are not satisfied with either the products or the means through which the products are delivered to them (customer service). When this information is analyzed, products can be modified to meet the concerns of the customers. Service delivery can be altered to suit the needs of consumers who are required to attain the 10 percent increase in consumption. Project Description including Database Information This project depends principally on customer databases since they contain the information of people to whom the ARAMARK’s products were sold, when, and how often the persons buy. To acquire information on how often a given customer buys, it is significant to maintain the name and the email contact of the customer. The inform ation is utilized in designing marketing strategies and advertising techniques to capture these particular customer segments. This idea is inspired by the perception, â€Å"selling to an existing customer is far easier and cheaper in comparison to new customers† (Shepard, 1999, p.47). This means that, for the case of ARAMARK, it is easier to target selling again to a customer who has prior experience with ARAMARK’s products in relation to a new customer seeking new food preferences. Once an analysis is conducted on why different customers purchase ARAMARK’s products, the product’s attribute associated with the cited reason for purchasing the food products can be improved. The project capitalizes on this idea in the attempt to deploy the information contained in the customer databases to build a sustained customer loyalty to the ARAMARK’s food products. The database information particularly on the market segments that buy a given food product of ARA MARK together with the respective amounts is significant in helping to attain the target of 10 percent increase in the consumption of ARAMARK’s products in all the market segments.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on ARAMARK’s Database Marketing Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The claim holds because, with this information, it is possible to target specific segments with the most precise offers that will accurately hike consumption levels within the segments. Background and Significance ARAMARK has an immense number of consumers. In particular, according to ARAMARK (2012), â€Å"it provides services in nearly every industry including businesses, colleges and universities, healthcare, sports and entertainment, parks and resorts, conference centers, conference centers, cultural attractions, and senior living† (Para 3). Garnering information on the markets produces a mega database, which, w hile well utilized might serve to enormously boost the organization’s marketing efforts. Developing a database marketing strategy based on customer databases is particularly likely to be successful since â€Å"having a greater amount of data about customers increases the likelihood that a more accurate model for database marketing can be built† (Drake Rhonda, 2006, p.317). ARAMARK happens to have a huge number of customers. When ARAMARK implements this project, it will produce a myriad of benefits to the company. Firstly, ARAMARK will develop the capacity to retain its existing customers since the future decisions on diversification of products and strategies for improvement of service delivery will be laid squarely on the needs of a particular group of customers occupying specific market segments. Therefore, in the re-designing of products to meet the emerging needs of the customers, only those things that drive consumption in particular markets will be incorporated. This leads to cutting costs associated with attempts to re-design products in a manner that will not produce any impacts in terms of hiking future demands.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When products are redesigned to match particular priory known needs of consumers, it also becomes easier to place them in the market because the products are consumer-need oriented. Consequently, ARAMARK would benefit through hiked values generated from the existing pool of customers, as well as in the reduction of costs for serving the customers. Designing of products to meet the needs of the customers based on the analysis of the information contained in customer databases aids incredibly in enhancing customer satisfaction (Rouse, 2007, Para.3). Arguably, customer satisfaction amounts to customer retention and hence maintained profitability of an organization. Additionally, database marketing has the benefit of producing â€Å"effective marketing communications through a more personal approach following the development of new improved products or services† (Shepard, 1999, p.72). Overall, database marketing will benefit ARAMARK through increasing sale levels to both new and old consumers due to reasons attributed to the development of the capacity to identify the concerns of consumers. It will improve timing through the development of cute mechanisms of identification of the consumer needs coupled with a means of placing and positioning the products and or services to yield optimal sales. Sample Database Files The building block of the consumer data files is the general information of the consumers. This information is arranged in the following order: name of the customer, email address, location of the customer, age, preferred ARAMARK’s food products, reason for preference, preferred products of another company that may substitute ARAMARK’s preferred product, reason for the preference of the product, and the number of times that customer consumes the selected ARAMARK’s product in a week. Additionally, a field is also created to garner information on how the customer came to know about the ARAMARK’s product. An example of cu stomer’s general information files is shown below. General customer information file (As many files as the number of consumers of the Company’s products are necessary) From the above generic files, information on the specific elements contained in the file of the general information is developed for all the customers. These files also record the number of customers citing, for instance, the particular substitute product, preferred ARAMARK’s product, and the reason for the preference among other things cited above in the generic file information example. An example of such a file is shown below. File quantifying customers’ preferences The aim of developing the files such as the one exemplified above is to provide a means of quantifying the concerns of the customers about ARAMARK’s products so that effort to market the products can be focused on the specific products, which face the most adverse disadvantages of placement and positioning. Action Pl an: How to accomplish Goals and overcome anticipated Obstacles In any project, goals act as the guide to the desired output of the project under consideration. This means that, without goals, a project lacks direction. The goal of the project discussed here is to deploy database marketing to ensure retention and attraction of new clients for ARAMARK’s food products in the effort to boost the company’s profitability. To achieve this goal, an action plan is necessary coupled with provision of a means of countering the expected obstacles to the accomplishment of the goals (Drake Rhonda, 2006, p.319). The goal of the database marketing in ARAMARK is achieved through a number of ways. Firstly, customer communication channels are created to address personalized customer concerns. These communications are based on information regarding the customers contained in ARAMARK’s customer database. This makes it possible to realize the goal of the project since the communicat ion to customer about the products of the company is based on the customer’s perception about the products. Therefore, customers develop a feeling that what the company is offering in its menus is just what they want. This stands out as the idea of producing to meet market demands as opposed to producing to sale. Apparently, organizations build customer databases to help them enhance customer communications (Rouse, 2007, Para. 1). Another action plans is to create an appended data for the information existing in the ARAMARK customer databases. According to Edward, Leung, and Jonson (2004), it is possible today to append data to any name and address file to learn about the age, income, home value, home ownership, presence of children, length of residence, and about forty other valuable pieces of information about any household† (p.158). This information is utilized to guide strategies for customers’ communication within market segments and sub segments. The append ed consumption behavior and demographic data are then deployed to develop a predictive model, which helps to â€Å"predict accurately, which customers are most likely to defect, as well as those who are most likely to respond to new initiatives† (Edward, Leung, Jonson, 2004, p.159). Coupled with customer communications, appended data is pivotal in hiking customer response rates to advertising and reduction of attrition rates. Implementation of the marketing strategies faces major obstacles especially in matters of determining the right ways to penetrate markets. To overcome this obstacle in this project proposal, penetration analysis is conducted using database analytical software. The attempt is aimed at coming up with precise data on the percentages of sales that ARAMARK has on each market, which is segmented on income level basis and other demographic factors. This way, it is possible to locate the characteristics of the customers who frequently visit particular stores, a reas where a group of stores is located, and the characteristics that unify the entire pool of ARAMARK’s consumers. Consequently, it becomes possible to derive advertising campaigns that target all the consumers of ARAMARK, consumers of a specific regional area, and or consumers of a specific store. In the case of ARAMARK, this can be consumers of the healthcare industry, colleges, and universities amongst others. Cost and Benefit Assessment In the current project, cost benefit analysis is conducted to estimate various monetary values associated with the project. However, in a cost benefit analysis, a major challenge is encountered in that there is a need to express all the costs into a common denominator, for instance, monetary values for this case. A further challenge also comes up since it is necessary to express benefits and costs of the project with particular consideration of the inflation rates of the dollar. In this perspective, arguably, upon successful implementatio n of the database marketing strategy, an increment in sales may be produced. However, in the real sense, when factoring the inflation rates, no gain is realized in terms of profitability. However, it is critical to quantify the anticipated gains in revenues, market gains, and gains associated with customer retention. According to Russell and Labe (1994), an organization may â€Å"build the world’s best and cleanest database, but with no plan in place or proper team in place to maximize the use of the database, it will be good for nothing† (p.7). The concern raised here means that it is necessary to consider labor costs for the implementation of the project. Money is required to hire people who will compile and analyze the data available within the ARAMARK’s databases. Additional costs are encountered, which are associated with the needs to put in place some web communication systems to link the database marketing strategies to the vast pool of ARAMARK’s c ustomers. However, it is expected that these costs will be recovered within a period of two years by the increased sales. Hence, revenues also increase. The 10% increment in the profitability of the company will be achieved from customer retention efficiencies within all markets having sale opportunities, acquisition efficiencies, and convergence of various offline and online marketing initiatives arrived at after an analysis of the customer databases of ARAMARK. These aspects are given a thorough treatment in the section of how to create or improve ARAMARKs customer database to support its marketing efforts. Addressing large number of customers with standardized marketing techniques often leads to a reduction in the profitability of organizations since ineffectiveness of the marketing strategies to win the customers truncates to dwindled sale volumes. Therefore, this project reduces the costs since the innovated marketing techniques have specific areas of concern through the deploy ment of the customer databases depending on the needs of consumers. Such strategies are effective for the specific market segments. The benefit of increased sales through attracting of new customers implies that the company improves its market share in relation to the company competing in the food service sector targeting the market segments that are also targeted by ARAMARK. The following table shows a template that is utilized in conduction a costs benefit analysis for the proposed project. Template for cost Benefit Analysis Cost and benefit analysis for database marketing at ARAMARK No. Item Cost Estimated savings in U.S dollars (benefits) 1. Increase response rate to cross sales by 10% Under the old models Under the database marketing model a-b (when the answer is positive, then the database model is effective) 2. †¦ †¦ †¦ How to create or improve ARAMARK’s customer database to support its marketing efforts In the above section, it has been discussed that the 10 percent increment in the profitability of the ARAMARK is akin to the enhancement of various efficiencies of activities associated with efforts to win new, as well as retaining the existing pool of consumers of food products sold by ARAMARK. In this section, it is found imperative to discuss how the developed ARAMARK’s customer databases will be deployed to support the marketing efforts of the company. In the first place, when the customer data warehouses are ready, they will be deployed to determine acquisition efficiencies. It is imperative that the company negates focusing certain advertising efforts within the areas where they are ineffective. For non-online advertising modes such as consumers’ magazines, leaflets, and others, the data warehouse may provide ample basis for their elimination and or their redesign to meet the needs of the targeted audience. Data for promotion history is critical in helping to build responses in the market segment s, which are identified as having a positive response to the marketing efforts of ARAMARK. This makes it possible to build â€Å"models that utilize promotion history data to help in increasing the response rate after the merge or purge process† (Prinzie Dirk, 2005, p.31). Once the acquisition efficiencies are determined from the data warehouse, the second endeavor is to work on retention efficiency models, which is accomplished by developing and building the myriads of communication models likely to win the loyalty of the consumers of ARAMARK food products. The approach used here is to â€Å"efficiently convert subscribers and improve renewals at each contract to produce a compounding effect in the growth of a subscriber file† (Drake Rhonda, 2006, p.321). In the background section, it is argued that ARAMARK supplies foods products to widen the number of industries whose incomes are valid. Consequently, in deriving the retention efficiencies, price differentiation is significant. Hence, an effort is made to develop a model that explains the price sensitivities of the various consumers per industry basis in the effort to derive the appropriate pricing strategy for each market segment from the ARAMARK’s data warehouses. Other ways of creating and or improving ARAMARKs customer database to support its marketing efforts include developing models for pricing processes, cross-selling opportunities, and staffing efficiencies. The particular model adopted is inspired by the characteristics of consumers in each industry to which ARAMARK offers foods products. From the paradigms of staffing efficiencies, the developed ARAMARK’s database marketing strategies are enhanced by ensuring the staff is able to consolidate data from the vast number of consumers both fast and effectively. Apart from the staff making it possible to have a quick access of data utilized in making the decision on the appropriate marketing strategy for each segment, enhan cement of staffing efficiencies is aimed at ensuring that thorough reports of the success of the database-informed marketing strategies are also available. This step acts as the future inputs of new mechanisms of improving the ways of targeting consumers with changing preferences. Process efficiencies involve data standardization to enhance the efficiency of the data consolidation. The aim is to make sure the available data is appropriate and reflective of the actual concerns of consumers on the ground. With regard to Drake and Rhonda (2006), cross selling opportunities are also critical in the identification of the optimal product stream to maximize the lifetime value of customers in a bid to utilize segmentation and regression models to identify best prospects for the next offer† (p.323). The models serve the purpose of aiding to identify the people who are likely to substitute ARAMARK’s products, with which product, and why. The goal is to utilize the data to enginee r a means of improving the products of the company to meet the emerging needs of the consumers so that the customer communication strategy developed pays attention to the concerns, which are then backed up by actual reflection of the concerns in the products themselves. Conclusion Marketing is a critical component of facilitating and boosting the volumes of sales for companies’ products. This goal is often accomplished either directly or indirectly. In this paper, a project deploying database marketing strategies is proposed. The paper strongly holds that such a project will substantially aid in increasing the profitability levels of the company by an approximated increase of 10%. Additionally, the paper maintains that employing customers’ databases to effect marketing strategies is critical in an organization that has large numbers of consumers. ARAMARK serves a large number of industries. Therefore, it has a large pool of consumers. As a result, as discussed in the p aper, there is a need to have a data store for customers that, once analyzed, can help any organization in its strategizing in terms of which product or service it needs to maintain, discard, and or improve to maintain or rather attract a bigger pool of customers. Reference List ARAMARK. (2012) About ARAMARK. Retrieved from https://www.aramark.com/about-us Baesens, B., Viaene S., Poel, D., Guido, D. (2002). Bayesian Neutral Learning For Repeat Purchase Modeling In Direct Marketing. European Journal of Operational Research, 138(1), 191-211. Drake, P., Rhonda, D. (2006). Demystifying Databases Why and How to Build a Profit Producing Data Warehouse. International Journal of Marketing, 5(3), 317-325. Edward, H., Leung, P., Jonson J. (2004). Web-Based Statistical Application in Visualizing Educational and Marketing Databases. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 29(2), 157-175. Hughes, A. (2000). Strategic Database Marketing: The Master plan for Starting and Managing a Pr ofitable Customer-Based Marketing Program. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Kotler, P., Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management. New Jersey, NJ: Pearson Education Limited. Prinzie, A., Dirk, V. (2005). Constrained Optimization Of Data-Mining Problems To Improve Performance: A Direct Marketing Application. Expert Systems with Applications, 29(3), 630-640. Rouse, M. (2007). Database Marketing. Retrieved from https://searchcustomerexperience.techtarget.com/definition/database-marketing Russell, P., Labe, J. (1994). Database marketing increases prospecting effectiveness at Merrill Lynch. Interfaces, 24(5), 1-12. Shepard, D. (1999).The New Direct Marketing: How to Implement a Profit-Driven Database Marketing Strategy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Locke And The Rights Of Children Essays - Rights, Empiricists

Locke And The Rights Of Children Essays - Rights, Empiricists Locke and the Rights of Children Locke firmly denies Filmer's theory that it is morally permissible for parents to treat their children however they please: "They who allege the Practice of Mankind, for exposing or selling their Children, as a Proof of their Power over them, are with Sir Rob. happy Arguers, and cannot but recommend their Opinion by founding it on the most shameful Action, and most unnatural Murder, humane Nature is capable of." (First Treatise, sec.56) Rather, Locke argues that children have the same moral rights as any other person, though the child's inadequate mental faculties make it permissible for his parents to rule over him to a limited degree. "Thus we are born Free, as we are born Rational; not that we have actually the Exercise of either: Age that brings one, brings with it the other too." (Second Treatise, sec.61) On top of this, he affirms a postive, non-contractual duty of parents to provide for their offspring: "But to supply the Defects of this imperfect State, till the Improvement of Growth and Age hath removed them, Adam and Eve, and after them all Parents were, by the Law of Nature, under an obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate the Children, they had begotten." (Second Treatise, sec.56) Apparently, then, Locke believes that parents may overrule bad choices that their children might make, including self-regarding actions. Leaving aside Locke's duty of self- preservation, his theory permits adults to do as they wish with their own bodies. But this is not the case for children, because their lack of reason prevents them from making sensible choices. To permit a willful child from taking serious risks to his health or safety even if he wants to is permissible on this theory. Parents (and other adults as well) also seem to have a duty to refrain from taking advantage of the child's weak rational faculties to exploit or abuse him. On top of this, Locke affirms that parents have enforceable obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate their children; not because they consented to do so, but because they have a natural duty to do so. 2. The Problem of Positive Parental Duties The first difficulty with Locke's theory of childrens' rights is that the positive duty of parents to raise their children seems inconsistent with his overall approach. If, as Locke tells us, "Reason teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions." (Second Treatise, sec.6), it is difficult to see why it is permissible to coerce parents to provide for their offspring. In general, in Locke's scheme one acquires additional obligations only by consent. Even marriage he assimilates into a contract model: "Conjugal Society is made by a voluntary Compact between Man and Woman " (Second Treatise, sec.78) We should note that in section 42 of the First Treatise, Locke affirms that the radically destitute have a positive right to charity. "As Justice gives every Man a Title to the product of his honest industry so Charity gives every Man a Title to so much out of another's Plenty, as will keep him from extream want, where he has no means to subsist otherwise." But this hardly rules out relying on voluntary charity if it is sufficient to care for all those in "extream want." Quite possibly, this right would never have a chance to be exercised in a reasonably prosperous society, since need would be minimal and voluntary help abundant. Moreover, it is hardly clear that the duty to provide for the extremely needy rests only on some sub- group of the population. This passage seems to make it a universal duty of all of society's better-off members. For these two reasons, then, it would seem hard to ground positive parental duties on the child's right to charity. For if the number of children with unwilling parents is sufficiently tiny, and the society in which they are born sufficiently rich, the preconditions for exercising the right do not exist. Moreover, there is no reason for parents, much less the parents of a particular child, to have a duty to that child; more plausibly, all

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The Clown by Heinrich Boell - Essay Example â€Å"The Clown† is a brilliant social mockery, an impassioned, tragic, highlighting love, spirituality, religion and politicis.The book also reflects criticism against catholic church. It is a grim post-war novel abounding in fatalism, doubt, sarcasm, melancholy, loss and survival. This novel is a biting critique not only of postwar German society, but of hypocrisy in general (religious, romantic, and otherwise). Boll captures magnificently the feeling of being down and out and rootless. It is set specifically in post World War II Germany and describes well what surely the feelings of many were. But the sense of loss, alienation, lack of love, religious doubt set forth in the book go much deeper than that. "I am a clown," says Hans. "I collect moments."2 Ostensibly intended by Boll as a simple definition of character, the statement offers considerable insight into Bolls philosophical perspective. Hans Schnier is the "Clown" of the novels title and invariably the spokesperson for Boll as the author. The Clown is a hugely life-like figure; his pain bleeds through the paper, his tears smear the words. He is an artist, destroyed by loss and betrayal, an artist who has reached the lowest point of his existence and now despairs in the knowledge of his own pathetic tragedy. The book is told first person by its hero, a clown, Hans Schneir. The "hero", a bedraggled clown, has lost everything - his job, his love Marie but not his honor. A moment of time is expanded by Boll to a whole evening of tragic and of memories of his childhood and his one-and-only love Marie. The life of Hans Schneir, a down-on-his-luck, melancholy, incisive clown could represent any human life after surviving and living the day-to-day economic and emotional traumas hatched by war and the idiocy of policy that brings it about. His thought center on his own spiritual and emotional poverty, on the loss of Marie, his ambivalence towards religion, and the attempted change among Germans

Inventing a Product Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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