Sony Strategy Analysis

SONY Strategy Case Analysis Executive Summary Sony is currently faced with the problem of low operating margin and stagnant market share in the videogame console industry. PlayStation3 of Sony is competing with Xbox360 of Microsoft and Wii of Nintendo. Despite the high technology, Wii outsells PlayStation in the market. This shows that the traditional strategy of Sony based on hardware should be reviewed according to the new trend. Considering gradually increasing market size and harsh competition, Sony should invest more on creating new customers and software. AnalysisAfter experiencing the five or six cycles defined by advancement of underlying technology, there are currently three main competitors in the videogame industry: Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. The PlayStation of Sony and the Xbox360 of Microsoft can be characterized by high technology and interoperability with other electronic products. Meanwhile, the Wii of Nintendo emphasizes innovative and user-friendly capabilities such as wireless motion-sensing controllers. Therefore, the Wii could appeal to more widespread customers such as senior people including traditional gamers.Based on enthusiastic reactions to Wii, the leading market share of PlayStation in the prior generation is replaced by the Wii of Nintendo. As of 2008, the Wii substantially outsells the two rivals. According to Five Forces Analysis, Sony has been faced with the following characteristics in the game industry. Suppliers: The bargaining power is relatively high since videogame console makers outsource the manufacturing of console. Also, they need the support of game developers. In this respect, the one of the main reasons why the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 could succeed as a new entrant would be the supplier-friendly strategy of Sony.Sony took the policy to license any PlayStation software as far as it does not clash with hardware. Also, Sony provided third-party developers with various development tools and soft libraries. Buy ers: Compared with past customers who could enjoy the limited game console suppliers, current customers could enjoy the various types of game platforms. Also, based on the high technologies, the games for every age or demographic are coming out to the market. Therefore, game console makers should ensure as many customers as possible to enjoy the economy of scale in the increasing market size.This gamer-friendly environment results in the high bargaining power of customers. Regarding customer-based viewpoint, Sony failed to captivate the people from all levels. Even though PlayStation software is targeted at a more mature audience, PlayStation of Sony has been usually used by the traditional gamers of young age. Threat of new entrants: In the game industry, the possibility of new entrants to succeed is very slim because new platform based on high technologies requires high cost and risk.Therefore, small or medium sized companies are very difficult to finance R&D and marketing. Also, it is very difficult for new entrants to find game developers. Three giant companies (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) overwhelmingly dominate the market of videogame console and there exists a big entrance barrier. It is the reality that a small company cannot help being pushed out by three major companies. Since Sony got into the game industry, the biggest threat of new entrants would be the appearance of new contender, Microsoft, in 2001.Threat of substitute products: There exists the high possibility of substitutes from other industries. Personal computers or mobile handheld devices could be the potential substitute of videogame consoles. The reality is that many people are enjoying games using other devices such as I-Phone or I-Pad over time. In addition, consumers don’t have to bear the additional cost when they change from game consoles to other substitutes. Considering the high diffusion rate of personal computers or mobile devices, potential substitute products could be hi gh threat to selling game consoles.Positioning among current competitors: Definitely, Sony is the major entity in the game console market. However, the market situation is not so bright as the past over time. As a new entrant in 2001, Sony could get a huge success through giant money, high technology, stylish design and support of game developers. However, Sony is now suffering from negative operating profit and turned over the status of top maker to the Wii of Nintendo. So, Sony needs to set up new strategies in the videogame industry. RecommendationFirst of all, Sony should broaden customer scope from traditional gamers to the general public. Game industry is still growing although the attractiveness is waning over time. Sony is trying to position the PlayStation as the ultimate hub for digital living room. However, the people are still not familiar with PlayStation and consider it just game machine. Therefore, Sony needs to enforce the marketing for family-friendly game console m aker. The one of the main reasons for Wii’s success is that Nintendo targeted the niche market that other competitors have ignored.Nintendo focused on the general public with the easy and simple game consoles instead of expensive and complicated ones. Wii contributed to letting the public general realize the fun of game. Now, Sony needs to leverage the opponent’s assets as a Judo Strategy as Sega did in the past. If the family-friendly image is added to the high technology of Sony, the PlayStation could appeal much more to the general public. Lastly, Sony needs to more invest on its software. Sony has been focused on the product itself based on high technology and attractive design.As Nintendo makes high margin based on the customer-friendly software forgoing high price of console, Sony needs to broaden available games for PlayStation. A wide range of Adult users could bring new Blue Ocean of profits. Utilizing the advantages of PlayStation, the high technology and int eroperability with other electronic devices, Sony could set up the new digital hub replacing TV and Computer at home. To do this, above all, Sony should establish the affluent in-house software associated with developers as Apple make additional profits through various apps.

Managing Own Performance in a Business Environment Essay

1.1) 1.2) The purpose of planning work and being accountable to others for own work is being organised. 1.3) The purpose and benefits of agreeing realistic targets for work is making sure you have enough time to accomplish the targets in order for the targets to become obtainable in all areas. 1.4) Agreeing to realistic targets is setting goals and pushing towards accomplishing the goals with a time limit, in order for you to have something to work towards and meet the deadlines. 1.5) The way you plan work to meet the deadlines is being realistic and allowing yourself a few hours out of the day to focus on work. 1.6) Keeping other people informed about your progress can be very useful because they could encourage and help your work performance with useful advice and also motivate you towards reaching your deadline. 1.7) The purpose and benefits of letting other people know work plans need to be changed are being open minded to new concepts and acknowledging room for improvement to better work performances. 1.8) The types of problems that may occur during work are not so polite candidates coming into the branch regarding no job offers or not being paid; also disagreements with colleagues. People coming in to registration with false eligibility. 1.9) The ways of seeking assistance with getting help to resolve problems is speaking to someone understanding e.g. Supervisor/Manager and explaining the situation to them in a polite and calm manor and finding a solution to the problem. 1.10) The purpose and benefits of recognising and learning from mistakes is realising in order not to make the same mistake again, taking the advice given as a learning curve and developing knowledge about something new and different. 2.1) The benefits of setting high standards for my work is aiming high and then eventually achieving it with hard work and staying focused. 2.2) Ways of setting high standards for your work, is setting obtainable targets and goals for yourself and going above and beyond to meet deadlines. 2.3) The benefits of taking on new challenges if they arise is having the ability and mindset to learn something new and different and furthering your career aspects. 2.4) The purpose of adapting to change is having the will power to take in and learn something completely new and different and gaining more experience and knowledge, in a different area in order to help you progress development even further. In order to remain profitable, you have to be flexible enough to change. 2.5) The benefits of treating others with honesty, respect and consideration are being able to handle yourself well in a professional environment, honesty gains trust and then respect is earned both ways. Employee’s etc must work as a team, although you are not always going to agree, it is important to be considerate and stay positive. 2.6) The benefits of own behaviour in a working environment, is being able to handle yourself in a correct manor in a professional environment. 2.7) The types of behaviour that shows honesty, respect and consideration at a workplace is although you’re not always going to have the same opinions, respecting each others opinion and if for whatever reason there is something you don’t like, address the issue privately and calmly amongst each other instead of being confrontational and allowing the situation to escalate and cause unnecessary problems that could of easily been avoided. 3.2) Planning and preparing work tasks enables you to make best use of your time because then everything will be prioritised and you will become more accountable for your work. 3.3) Confirming my work methods with others is supporting me to transform my potential and talent into measurable results. This method would be great because I want to succeed in everything I do and it will be great for personal development. 3.5) Keeping other people informed of my progress will allow them to motivate and encourage me towards my achievements. 3.6) Completing work tasks to agreed deadlines or re-negotiate timescales and plans in good time allows me to concentrate, prioritise and focus on what it is I am trying to achieve. Being realistic with timescales and keeping to the deadline without over committing will allow me to achieve my goal first time round. 3.7) Taking and accepting responsibility for my own work and accepting responsibility for any mistakes made is being accountable for my own actions. I know what I have to do, so I have to make sure everything is done to the best of my ability. If mistakes are made then I must fix them, learn from them and make sure it does not occur again. 3.8) Following agreed work guidelines procedures and where needed, codes or practise is being sure of my role and responsibilities and knowing what is mandatory. 4.1) Setting high standards for own work and showing commitment to achieving these standards is showing care and dedication in my work and achieving what I know I can with determination and self motivation. 4.2) Agreeing to take new challenges if they arise would widen my knowledge and open a lot of opportunities for my future, in order for myself and the business to grow and thrive. 4.3) Adapting to new ways of working is using my skills, experience, talent and knowledge to be willing and ready to help the organisation grow. 4.4) Treating other people with honesty, respect and consideration will allow them to treat me the same. 4.5) Helping and supporting other people in work tasks is showing that I am a team player and will allow things to get accomplished much quicker. Improve Own Performance in A Business Environment Unit 2 1.1) Continuously improving performance at work shows that I am dedicated and desire to learn more. It also secures my job and proves to myself and everyone around me that I am more than capable of more responsibilities. 1.2) It is always good to encourage and accept feedback from others because constructive criticism allows you learn, understand, realise and recognise what you need to do to better your performance. 1.3) Learning and development can improve my work, benefit organisations and identify my career options because then I can learn about the different types of roles my colleague’s do and support them. It will also be useful because that’ll be a great experience for me to develop more knowledge in a different area. 1.4) 1.5) 2.1) Encouraging and accepting feedback is always great to improve performance and help career progression. 2.2) 2.3) Completing work tasks using feedback given is good because it will help me improve and let me know what I need to work on more to do even better because there is always room for improvement. 3.1) I need to develop more knowledge about the sales side of the company in order to improve my career aspirations and develop my knowledge on knowing how to match what our clients are looking. 3.2) I plan to sit with a few of my colleagues during sales, take notes and listen to the key skills of how they facilitate our business in growing and progressing. 3.3) Following a learning plan will allow me prioritise my work load and purposefully stick with schedule with good time keeping and be even more organised. 3.4) Work in A Business Environment Unit 3 1.1) Diversity provides options and allows flexibility; it can be along the dimensions of anything and everything. Diversity should be valued, embraced and accepted because nothing and no-one is the same. 1.2) Respecting people’s sensitive needs is showing consideration to circumstances. 1.3) Treating people in a way that respects their abilities, is treating others how you would like to be treated. Being fair. Treating people with respect and dignity; being polite; patient; tolerant; positive; understanding and supportive. 1.4) Ways that are possible to learn from people at work, is asking someone to educate you in something that may not necessarily be your strength. 2.1) Maintaining security and confidentiality at work is respecting other people’s personal business and respecting the company legislations. 2.2) The legal requirements for security and confidentiality in an organisation are under the data protection act. 2.3) The legal requirements for security and confidentiality as required gives rights to individuals regarding confidentiality and accuracy on information such as personal data obtained, or processed whether it is manually or automatically. 2.4) The procedures for dealing with concerns about security and confidentiality in an organisation are addressing the issue with your manager and finding a solution to the problem. 3.1) Keeping waste to a minimum decreases the amount of contribution to the environment. 3.2) The usage of paper is one of the main causes of waste that occurs in a business environment because instead of storing information electronically, most things are kept on paper. 3.3) One way of keeping waste to a minimum, is ordering a reasonable amount of supplies for a short period so there is not a feeling of over supply. 3.4) One way of using technology to reduce waste is recycling the paper in the shredding machine. 3.5) The benefit of recycling 4.1) The benefits and procedures for the recycling and disposal of hazardous materials are protection of human health and the environment. 4.2) Organisational procedures for the recycling and disposal of hazardous materials are anything from paper to plastic, furniture etc. 5.1) The purpose of improving efficiency and minimising waste is because it will increase efficiency in business and lower costs.

How to Write the Brown University Essays 2015-2016

Brown University is often called the happiest school in the country, mostly due to its peaceful student body and reportedly less competitive environment. The university is located in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island, a mid-sized but extremely safe and friendly city in the Northeast. However, Brown’s top-notch academics, social environment, and location have made it an extremely desirable school to apply and thus an extremely competitive one. Like many schools, Brown’s core supplement consists of three short essay prompts, however because they have a word limit of just 150 words (200 in the case of Why Brown), it is almost impossible to write a well fleshed out and multi-faceted essay. This doesn’t mean that our standard advice about using short essay prompts in concert with each other to create a portfolio of essays doesn’t apply. Rather it means that each essay must be highly specific, and that using vehicles and unconventional formats (like detailed anecdotes) is more difficult, though certainly not impossible. Why are you drawn to the area(s) of study you indicated in our Member Section, earlier in this application? If you are â€Å"undecided† or not sure which Brown concentrations match your interests, consider describing more generally the academic topics or modes of thought that engage you currently. (150 word limit) While a â€Å"Why Major† essay would normally require you to specifically address the reasons you chose the major, the qualifications you possess for that major, and the reasons you like Brown’s program of study for that major, because you only have 150 words, you should pick just one of these aspects to highlight. Specific details about Brown are only required if you plan on addressing why Brown’s (for example Mathematics) program appeals to you. Otherwise, you should focus on more intrinsic factors such as why you want to study math (ideally more than just for career reasons), why you enjoy doing math, or why you’re qualified to study math at Brown. For example, you could point to your favorite type of math, and briefly analyze why it appeals to you. Alternatively, you could discuss an extracurricular activity (such as Math League) that introduced you to the joys of competitive math. If by some chance you can’t come up with a specific major to dis cuss, then your essay should focus on the opportunities that Brown offers you. In particular, you should look to highlight Brown’s liberal arts curriculum, as well as the academic flexibility it offers to students.   â€Å"Why Brown† is a similar prompt to most other â€Å"Why School† essays, however with just 100 words to work with, the essay is in the awkward position of being too short to develop a fully fleshed out essay with some sort of vehicle, but too long to be a short consideration of one specific characteristic of the school. Things that you definitely want to highlight in your essay include Brown’s emphasis on learning (versus output, i.e. grades), the collaborative spirit of the student body, and the school’s academic flexibility. However, if you highlight these factors during a general response to the major prompt, then you should do some research on the school to find other things to highlight. Tell us where you have lived – and for how long – since you were born; whether you’ve always lived in the same place, or perhaps in a variety of places. (100 word limit) Regardless of whether  you’ve moved around a lot or stayed in the same town your entire life, this question allows you to reveal some key  insights  about yourself. If your family moves often,  you can use take this prompt  as an opportunity to explain  your adaptive personality and how you deal with  unfamiliar situations.  Or, instead of  focusing on the experience of  changing between  locations, you can  also discuss the  impact of each individual place on  you — how has each location contributed to who you are today? For example, maybe your disparate experiences with living in rural China and then metropolitan New York have played a large role in shaping your unique outlook on life. If you’ve always lived in the same place, then fear not — there’s an opportunity to shine here as well. You can discuss the impact on your life of the location that you currently reside in. People are often products of their environments — how has your environment made you who you are today?  Be careful not to overlap  your  answer with the next essay’s, though. Since the  next question asks about a community that you come from,  if you are not careful you might end up discussing similar concepts, resulting in a â€Å"waste† of an  answer  opportunity. One unique  angle to  approach this question is to  interpret the phrase  Ã¢â‚¬Å"where you have lived† in a different way. Most students will assume that Brown is asking about the times that your family has moved to a new location, a la moving trucks and new apartments/houses; however, you can also interpret it to mean the different spaces that you have occupied. For example, maybe  you’ve shared a bedroom with your older brother for as long as you can remember, but one day you moved into a  new room by yourself  Ã¢â‚¬â€ you could potentially use this situation  as a launching pad for discussing the importance you place on  independence. Or maybe you’ve always considered yourself to have multiple homes away from home. Especially if  you possess  a very strong extracurricular passion to back this  interpretation up, you might want to talk about how you considered yourself to â€Å"live† in the local community center, the museum,  o r the art studio. Again, if you find yourself writing answers  unable to write answers that don’t  overlap with the next prompt, then thinking outside of the box  might help here. We all exist within communities or groups of various sizes, origins, and purposes; pick one and tell us why it is important to you, and how it has shaped you. (150 word limit) This prompt is very similar to the background one for the Common App, and you should highlight a different community/group that you belong to if you chose that prompt for the Common App. While you may be tempted to discuss your ethnicity or nationality in response to this prompt, it is difficult to do so without drawing on clichà ©d themes because of the 150 word limit. Instead, you should probably draw on an extracurricular activity, friend group, or family. When you consider this group, the focus should be primarily on explaining the group’s impact on you. You should only spend one or two sentences explaining the group – the remainder of the essay should talk about interactions with the group and analyze them. In choosing to apply for the Brown-RISD A.B./B.F.A. dual degree program, your interests and future plans will be influenced and enhanced by the courses offered by both colleges. We are curious as to why you have chosen to apply for this specific dual degree program; please tell us your reasons for selecting it, and what you envision as its impact on your education and career. (500 word limit) The Brown – RISD program is designed to give students an opportunity to blend a Brown undergraduate education with the artistic majors and options available at the Rhode Island School of Design. You should have a very clear interdisciplinary artistic academic or career goal in mind with this essay—just describing a general interest in art and another subject is not specific enough for the program. Since one of the short essay prompts asks you about your choice of major already, your primary focus should be on the artistic field you plan to study at RISD and the interdisciplinary application therein. While the prompt simply asks for your reasons for selection, the admissions committees also want to know about your qualifications for the program, and with that in mind, you should include some reference to relevant experience (whether extracurricular or in school) that will simultaneously serve as a reason and qualification for your application. The Program in Liberal Medical Education (Both questions are required; please limit your response to each question to 500 words.) Most high school seniors are unsure about eventual career choices. What experiences have led you to consider medicine as your future profession? Please describe specifically why you have chosen to apply to the Program in Liberal Medical Education in pursuit of your career in medicine. Also, be sure to indicate your rationale on how the PLME is a â€Å"good fit† for your personal, academic, and future professional goals. (Please limit your response to this question to 500 words.) This is a pretty standard â€Å"why medicine† prompt which means that you should use many of the same tactics as you would for that type of essay (see our guide to 7-year med programs here ). But to provide a brief rehash, in order to convey why a guaranteed admissions program is a good â€Å"fit† for your goals, there are few different things you need to discuss. First, you need to discuss why you are qualified for medicine; namely what sort of extracurricular activities did you do in high school that were related to medicine, whether tangentially or directly. More specifically, you want to convey your abilities in two key areas: the scientific side of medicine (i.e. the ability to understand and cure diseases), and the humanistic side of medicine (the ability to connect with patients and care for them). Patient care experience is a big plus for this part of the essay, and experiences such as volunteering at a nursing home or shadowing a physician are great enhancers. In the process of outlining your qualifications, be sure to discuss why you enjoy each of those two facets of medicine. The final thing you want to address is why specifically an accelerated program. Simply saying that you want to save time (the real reason for many applicants) can backfire. Instead, if you have an application with lots of medical and science extracurricular activities, you can speak about why those activities solidified your desire to do medicine. Otherwise, if your resume is more balanced, you can resort to saying that you are committed to medicine because you already spent high school exploring other fields. Since the Program in Liberal Medical Education espouses a broad-based liberal education, please describe your fields of interest in both the sciences and the liberal arts. Be specific about what courses and aspects of the program will be woven into a potential educational plan. (Please limit your response to this question to 500 words.) Brown’s PLME is unique in that it is one of few guaranteed admission medical programs that offers students the opportunity to blend liberal arts with the science heavy curriculum of most medical programs. Accordingly, they want to see that you have some significant connection with and interest in liberal arts fields while applying to the program. You should definitely do some research on the specifics of Brown’s PLME. Be sure to highlight specific research or academic opportunities in your essay, and even drill down into specific courses if you can find ones that meet your needs. Beyond the academics of the program, you should also highlight some sort of humanistic question or skill you are trying to develop. In particular, given the complexity of modern medicine, outlining a desire to learn about fields like medical economics or medical ethics could be extremely beneficial.

The Issues of Left-Wing or Right-Wing Politics Essay

The Issues of Left-Wing or Right-Wing Politics - Essay Example Further, history has observed a considerable number of conceptual overlaps and cross-laps resulting in an abstract blurriness regarding the exact political and implications these terms bear (Foldvary, 1998). According to Giddens (2001), ‘left’ refers to radical or progressive political groups while the term ‘right’ is used to imply more conservative groups. The left favours intentional political, economic and social change, while the right stands against it (Tansey, 2000). The purpose of this paper is to explore into whether fathomable differences exist within the left and right wings in terms of differential significance placed upon the individual and the group which requires developing a comparative understanding of the central themes these two concepts bear. The practice of using the left-right demarcation to imply particular distinct political inclinations originated in 18th century France during the revolutionary era when ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ were used to refer to the way seating was arranged in legislative bodies of France. Representatives of the third estate, a term collectively used to denote the working class, sat to the left of the president's chair in the Estates General of 1789 while the representatives of the nobility, known as the Second Estate, sat to the right. Again in the French Legislative Assembly of 1791, the Feuillants who were moderate royalists, took seats at the right side of the chamber, while the more radical Montagnards sat on the left (Goodsell, 1988). In subsequent periods the "right" wing assumed meaning based on tradition and was taken to represent and upheld traditional moral values and traditional institutions and power relationships. Through the course of history in Europe and Ameri ca, power had come to be based on not only the institutions of church and state, but also on the race, gender, and ownership of property, particularly land. Left-wing ideology, which arose to counter the right-wing dominance, was based on reason, and the liberal philosophers pointed out at the lack of natural reason for the existence of relations centred around any form of dominance and concluded that all human beings have the same moral worth and thus should have equal rights and all religious practices should be equally treated by law.  Ã‚  

Promotional media ecologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Promotional media ecologies - Essay Example Having its root in the agricultural economics, marketing management was developed to cope with mass production that triggered mass consumption in the 20th century. Additionally, the establishment of market research was a major step that was undertaken by early marketers in order to fully understand the needs of their customers. In this way, organization would produce quality brands based on the requirement of their consumers. Another key strategy that local and international companies have adopted is the storage of consumer’s information in order to contact them in future. This paper critically discusses the implications of digital panopticism and profiling for consumers. As stipulated by Foucault (2004), profiling for consumers is imperative for organizations that are focused at in identifying and responding to the changing consumer needs. In the same way, Tredinnick (2008) indicates that the growth of modern technology is vital in undertaking consumer surveillance. In this r egard, one of the major implications of digital panopticism is effective market research that is vital in identifying what the consumers want. During the 2oth century, companies market segments were significantly big a situation that affected effective management of markets thus making it difficult to provide personalized products and services. However, due to the digitization and development of new information technologies, smaller consumer clusters and smaller market segments have emerged. Likewise, the establishment of consumer database is a key transition that has led to effective management of customer segments. As argued by Jason and Detlev (2010) the development of a system of consumer segment that was referred to as A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods ACORN that was focused at proper storage of consumer information was essential. One of the notable icons who significantly contributed in market segmentation through information technology is Jonathan Robbin. Based o n his contributions and development of software in the marketing field, social clusters emerged. Another implication of digital Panopticism was improved market intelligence. Through storing of information that related to various market segments, marketers are now able to clearly understand socio-economic factors, consumer’s preferences and tastes that are fundamental in the production and delivery of products. Through collection of adequate market information that relates to the needs of consumers, firms are in a position to emulate effective marketing mix that matches the needs of their customers. Emergence of socio-demographic surveillance and real development in consumer surveillance is another major result of the digitalization. This was based on the extensive marketing studies that include algorithmic analysis and data mining (Jason and Detlev, 2010). As a result of the extensive use of information technologies, companies can now identify behavioural relationship and con sumption patterns that could not be recognized before the use of modern technologies. For example, through the use of internet, consumers can now give feedback that is used by companies such as Coca-Cola to produce brands that are needed by their consumers. Based on the use of current technologies by market researchers and economic analysts it is now possible to make meaningful and accurate predictions of future consumption patte

HNC Counselling. Graded Unit F1M 34 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HNC Counselling. Graded Unit F1M 34 - Coursework Example (150) The main problem is Fritz seems to be somewhat of an underachiever. He is giving up because his business is not going well, and now it is threatening to break up his whole family. Additionally, he has communication issues with his wife, not really knowing how to express himself well or share his feelings about what he wants to do with the business, when he should ideally let her know what he is thinking—especially wanting to make such a big life decision about selling the business and moving out of the city. Anna is right to want to have a divorce, as Fritz is being unreasonable. Further, he is not taking his parenting responsibilities seriously, and this is also a concern. Fritz, therefore, has three main problems: communicating with Anna, decision-making, and taking an active role in the development of his childrens’ upbringing. He needs work on these issues. Explanation of the theory. (250 words) The theories introduced here are humanistic theory and psychodyna mic theory, with Egan’s three-stage model as a way of understanding the theory. Humanistic theory is a very common theory which helps people understand one way to counsel others. â€Å"Many models of group work and organizational development have drawn heavily on humanistic theory† (Strawbridge, Woolfe, & Dryden, 2009, 142). Humanistic theory also has another name. ... There are â€Å"†¦verbal and nonverbal behaviours that enhance effective listening and communication† (Rennie, 1998, pp. 32). Psychodynamic counsellors notice behaviours and try to adapt these behaviours into more socially acceptable reactions. In the course of psychodynamic counselling, â€Å"†¦some behavioural patterns, and some feelings are unconscious [and the client may not be made aware of these until they are mentioned]† (Jacobs, 2004, pp. 101). Gerard Egan of Loyola University in Chicago developed a three-stage model, where the counselled individual must realize the present (â€Å"Where am I?†), the preferred (â€Å"Where do I want to be?†) and strategies for the future (â€Å"How do I get where I want to be?†). â€Å"Egan’s three-stage model can serve as a useful and practical map in counselling and a means of bringing structure to the process of counselling† (Burnard, 2005, pp. 127). Completion date and milestones. (65 words) The completion date for Fritz should be based on what he can do in how much time. Perhaps he should be given a finite date, a few months, in which to fix at least two of his problems—the communication issue with Ann and his inability to express himself well. The problem with Harry should be resolved sooner; Fritz should be encouraged to discipline him. Ethical principles in counselling. (100 words) In counselling, it’s important that the client’s boundaries are respected and that, obviously, one would not call Anna in order to let her know details of the counselling sessions unless Fritz allowed it. It would also be uncouth to offer parenting advice, tips, or admonitions, or otherwise tell Fritz outright how to run his life or manage his marriage. Those actions would be outside the

The Impact of the Nursing Shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Impact of the Nursing Shortage - Essay Example The long-term impact of the nursing shortage will become increasingly more significant in several areas. The primary concern will be the impact it has on the ability of nurses to provide quality health care. With fewer staff, nurses are required to work longer hours and assume additional responsibilities. Overworked nurses, burdened with fatigue and job stress, are more prone to accidental errors and a reduction in timely medical attention. A survey of registered nurses indicated that 79 percent of hospital employed RNs believed that short staffing contributed to a reduction in the quality of patient care. A long-term and escalating nursing shortage could contribute to the 98,000 deaths per year due to medical errors as reported by the Institute of Medicine in 2000. Aside from the important issue of the quality of patient care is the factor of rising health care costs. As the labor supply of qualified nurse's shrinks, the competition for nurses increases. A wage war may result from the shortage and will contribute to the rising costs as hospitals increase the wages and compensatory packages for their staff. Costs associated with temporary hiring practices have also increased due to the shortage. While an increase in wages may seem to benefit the nurses, increased demands may not be worth the cost. Nurses working extended shifts and longer hours may come under increased scrutiny from administrators and government regulators struggling to eliminate the human errors and the increased cost of malpractice insurance.

BIOTECHNOLOGY & GENETIC ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BIOTECHNOLOGY & GENETIC ANALYSIS - Essay Example This is mainly attributed to accumulation of pollutant along the path of river and hence bacterial population need to evolved catabolic capability to survive and hence more plasmid bearing bacterial population were found in second sample. Similarly most of the plasmid was found to be in size range more than 35 KB clearly indicates most of them are Conjugative plasmids as this group of plasmid has more number of genes compared to non-conjugative plasmid to carryout conjugation process and hence larger the size. Here re-suspension solution constitutes of glucose, EDTA and Tris each have its own role. Glucose provides osmotic stress and EDTA as chelating agents which binds to heavy metals and helps in disintegration of cell wall, Tris act as buffering agent and maintains pH of over all reactions to avoid any pH dependent side reaction. In this stage cell become highly fragile and some are break open. This solution is mixture of SDS and NaOH. Here NaOH provides alkaline condition which helps in cell lyses and denaturation of DNA while SDS dissolves cell wall constituents and induces extensive cell lyses. It also helps in proteins denaturation and precipitation. In this stage most of cell constituents get denatured including genomic DNA, But as plasmid is in its CCC (covalently closed circular) forms will not denatured completely and most of them remains in its native configuration. Step 4: Neutralisation Solution Here potassium acetate and acetic acid act as neutralizing agent to bring back the pH to normal. Similarly it induces the renaturation of DNA. Because of larger size most of the Genomic DNA remains denatured and mingled with proteins remains with cell debris while plasmid being smaller molecule except out to supernatant . Step 5: centrifugation at high speed; During this stage all cell derbies along with genomic DNA settled at the bottom of tube and being smaller in size plasmid remains in supernatant. Which subsequently used for further purification and transformation. Ans 3 protocol 6: Here we have two different observation 1) colonies from tube 2 grown as blue colored colonies 2) while from tube 3 there is mixture of blue and white. This can be explained as follows. In case of tube 2 there is only vector pGEM3Z used for transformation. The plasmid pGEM3Z have lacZ gene as marker which code for enzyme called beta glycosidase. After transformation cells where plated on LA supplemented with X-gal and IPTG. Now in presence of IPTG expression of lac Z induces and leads to synthesis of beta-glycosidase which subsequently acts on X-gal and cleaved it to chromogenic intermediate give rise to blue color. While in case of tube 3 there was plasmid vector along with insert gene (ligation mixture) and plated on similar plate after transformation. As vector pGEM3Z having MCS (multiple cloning sites) in side the lacZ gene any insertion or recombination leads to inactivation of lacZ (insertional inactivation). Inactive lacZ will not code for functional beta glycosidase and hence colonies having insertion give rise to white colors. In another scenario where cut plasmid re-ligated without any insertion during

Ethical and Social Responsible Business Practices Essay

Ethical and Social Responsible Business Practices - Essay Example Corporate social responsibility may not have a direct influence on the profitability of an organization, but no solid evidence exists to highlight any conflict between profitability and ethical practices. The natural system of competitive edge focuses on values fairness and truth in our operations. Application of ethical business practices adds strength to the organization is three important ways. The first impact concerns the productivity of the organization. The impacts of management practices affect the employees. If an organization observes business ethics while dealing with issues of employees, the result is a positive effect on the side of the employee, which includes increase in productivity. Business ethics practices that concern employees include equal employment opportunity for qualified applicants, a safe and healthy working environment, respect for employees’ diversity, and in-depth disclosure information on the quality of the products and services of the organizat ion. Secondly, corporate social responsibility illustrates an organization positively to the public image. The impact on the image of the organization attracts customers from the public, and this may increase business transactions resulting to increase in profits. A good example is manufacturers of baby diapers who protects their public image as an organization that places the well being and health of customers before its profit making objectives through its codes of ethics. Lastly, a show of social responsibility from organizations may minimize regulations by government agencies. Companies with a bad image of corporate social responsibility may face are likely result in the public pressurizing the government on imposing strict regulations or observing those that exists. Besides losing customers, a company considered unethical is prone to legal battles with its employees and customers. In the quest for transparency of a company as part of its corporate social responsibility strategy, companies are required to report their social responsibilities and impact on regular basis. The biggest challenge to the company is what to report. Decisions to prepare reports that include strikes and poor industrial relationships are hard to reach. The boundaries of social responsibility of a company extends are also a common debate in the business world. Another major challenge that faces organization in their definition of socially responsible practices is the decision t o constitute what ethical behavior concerns. Most business actions do not have a clear-cut association with expected business ethics. Different people in different parts of the world view ethics in different perspectives. While in America it might be right to offer women employment in important position in a business, some

Market and Social Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Market and Social Research - Essay Example The Company has also revamped its advertising campaigns in other ways to contribute to enhanced productivity. The conversion to the M&S logo spelt the dawn of a new era in marketing for the company. The Marketing Director, Steve Sharp, initiated several innovative advertising campaigns, such as using Twiggy to sell chocolate pudding; a campaign which was so successful that it increased sales of the pudding by 3500%.(www.guardian.co.uk). Another successful campaign was M&S’s advertising campaign to sell white granny knickers. Additionally, many M&S stores have been completely refurnished as a part of the new look of the retail outlet; the internal walls have been stripped down and glass barriers have been out up, black floors, chrome cabinets and skilful lighting have further refined the atmosphere of the stores so that the customer experience is enhanced and sales have improved. Sales have risen from $16,896.2 million to $17,990.8 million in 2008, although the recent recession has meant a sharp drop in sales revenues to $12,876.3 million (http://proxy.library.upenn.edu:2112). The latest developments in the advertising campaign of the Company are a focus on ethics. This is part of a five year plan titled Plan A, budgeted at 200 million pounds and is based on ethical trading initiatives.(Sweeney, 2009). This campaign is intended to highlight eco and green issues and the Company takes pride in its adherence to ethical initiatives even during a time of recession. As a part of this integrity focus, M&S has become one of the first Companies to clearly spell out the exact source for its entire diary and other produce on its labels (Mendick, 2009). This is an era where outsourcing has been increasingly favoured by most Companies as a means to cope with the rising costs of employing British workers and where globalization has produced an intensely competitive atmosphere in which cost effectiveness is vital. Marks and Spencer is however,

Implementing Change Paper Essay Example for Free

Implementing Change Paper Essay Managers A manager is a person who is responsible for being in charge of all or a piece of a company or organization. A manager is very important and can make or break a company. According to DuBrin (2008), desirable personal characteristics make a manager somebody that the employees can look up to, and sense content following them. Some of those characteristics are motivation, integrity, optimism, dependability, and confidence. Some level of business insight is essential for a manager. Being knowledgeable about fundamental business values and practices can be helpful, such as having knowledge of the company, being organized, money management, and legal implications. It is necessary for a good manager to be able to communicate thoroughly and effectively. Managers should make sure to develop the skill to converse as part of his or her efforts. Some characteristics that should be acquired to be an affective conversationalist and execute management duties are verbal and written communication, constructive feedback, active listening, and organized presentations. Managers should also know how to build professional relationships with employees with qualities such as respect, values, collaboration, and being a team player. The contents of this paper will define the roles and responsibilities of a manager when change is implemented and how he or she should handle the change using assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Roles and responsibilities in implementing change Change is very popular in any company or organization. Change management deals with how changes to the company or department are managed so they dont degrade performance. Once an organization commit to planned change, the manager needs to construct a reasonable step by step approach in order to achieve the goals of change. According to Gilley (2001), a planned change entails managers to follow a seven step method for successful implementations. The first step is to recognize that change is needed. The change may be due to either internal or external forces but it needs to be addressed. The second step is to develop the goals of the change. It is required to establish the reason why the change is necessary then identify the needed changes in terms of products, technology, structure, and culture. The third step is to select a change agent, who will be the person that takes control and is responsible to execute the planned change. The change agent must be attentive to things that need revamping, open to new and good ideas, and supportive of the implementation of those ideas into actual practice. The fourth step is to diagnose the current climate, in which the change agent sets about assembling data about the climate of the company in order to assist employees in preparation for change. Preparing employees for change involves direct and influential feedback about the negatives of the current situation. The fifth step is to choose an implementation technique. Managers can make themselves more receptive to pressures for change by using networks of organizations with diverse perceptions and views, being exposed to new ideas by visiting other organizations, and using outside standards of performance, such as competitors development. The sixth step is to develop a plan that determines the when, where, and how of the change. The seventh and last step is to finally implement the plan. After all the questions have been answered, the plan should be put into operation. Once a change has started, initial excitement can scatter in the facade of everyday issues. Managers can retain the momentum for change by providing resources, developing new capabilities and skills, emphasizing new behaviors, and building a support system for those initiating the change. Handling staff resistance to change During a change, employees often act negatively towards that change. The staff is usually resistant to change for a number of different reasons such as fear of loss of job, fear of the unknown, loss of control, lack of competence, poor timing, peer pressure, lack of trust and support, and many more reasons. There are a number of ways managers can help employees overcome resistance to change. According to Sharma (2006), one proven technique is education and communication. Employees can be educated about the nature of the change and the reason behind it before it takes place using reports, memos, and presentations. Another important factor of overcoming resistance is inviting employee contribution and involvement in the plan and implementation stages of the change. Another possible approach is through facilitation and support. Managers should be sure to supply employees with the resources they need to make the change, be supportive of their efforts, listen to their problem, and understand that performance level may go down initially. Some companies deal with resistance to change through compromise and rewards by offering employees incentives to guarantee their cooperation. Other companies choose to manipulate, such as giving a resistance leader an important position in the change process. Whatever approaches that a manager uses to handle employees resistance to change, it is important that they acknowledge the resistance and do something about it.

Literary Devices Essay Example for Free

Literary Devices Essay While attending my course on â€Å"War and Literature†, and listening to the conversation, I found myself struck by an intellectual question presented by another student. This student asked, â€Å"When does paradox become hypocrisy?† Immediately afterwards I wrote the response, â€Å"A good war is a war that teaches it’s mistakes without one having to live with them.† At first I didn’t know if I had truly responded to the question. I analyzed both the question and response carefully through the literary devices and found myself satisfied with the responses standing. When analyzing the response I first had to return to the question. â€Å"When does paradox become hypocrisy?† Referring to this question I had to ask if my response held a paradox. â€Å"A good war is a war that teaches it’s mistakes without one having to live with them.† Considering that a paradox is a statement that seems self-contradictory, and that â€Å"a good war† is the introduction to the response, suggested that â€Å"a good war† is a paradox. However, why is it that â€Å"a good war† is a paradox? War can best be defined as active hostility. Good can also be best defined as being well behaved. Considering these definitions and the response, â€Å"a good war† would certainly be a paradox because active hostility is contradictory to being well behaved. However, most would assume that â€Å"a good war† was the responses paradox, and to assume otherwise would be insulting to someone’s intellect. So then one has to ask how it is so commonly understood that â€Å"a good war† is a paradox? To conclude this question, one must consider that most of everyone was raised with the developmental understanding of good and bad. Most of everyone also would commonly agree that war is not good. So why do people still go, and why do we not learn from â€Å"it’s mistakes without someone having to live with them†? From statistics taken in the year two thousand fourteen, seven percent of America’s society is a veteran, and in that year there were near three hundred eighteen million citizens. That means that over twenty two million American citizens are veterans of foreign war. So how is it that we can convince over seven percent of our citizens to go risk their livelihood? We determined that war is wrong so how do we replace the ideas of good and bad? To better answer that question, it is better to replace the employment of a soldier with a painter. In order to make someone who is not a painter become a painter, one would have to go through a series  of tasks. First, cut off access to other mediums. Do not allow that person to work with anything other then painting. If they want to write a letter home, they paint it. If they want to create something three dimensional, they paint it. If they want to tell a story, they again, will paint it. Now there is no difference between the painter with their paintbrush, and the recruit with their rifle. Second, apply influences to praise the ideals. The same recruited painter now needs to be surrounded with people who share the same ideals. The painter cannot have the influences of sculptors, graphic designers, or any other ambassador of other art form. The painter needs the overall support of peers with the subject matter. This again, is no different from the soldier and their peers. Third, discourage all other ideals. The facilitator, who is regulating the transition between non-painters to painters, needs to openly degrade the ideals of all other art forms. The facilitator needs to make sure that th e recruits hear their passionate opinions about how other art forms are â€Å"wrong†. This will guide the recruits to also share the same ideals. This relationship resembles the relationship between Drill Instructors and their recruits. Fourthly, revival the title has a distinguished history of renowned individuals. For a painter, there are many distinguished individuals that made a dramatically difference within the realm of art. For some examples, there is Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso, and Leonardo De Vinci. It is up to the facilitator to idolize these individuals in front of the forth-coming painters. This will give the recruited painters the expectations they need to become idolized into their new profession. This will also make the recruited painters strive to achieve the same honor. For the recruited soldier, they hear about the selfless actions of the Medal of Honor, Prisoners of War, and Purple Heart recipients. For them, they also strive to achieve that honor. Lastly, provide the graduate with a quote that brands them with honor. For instance, EARTH, Semper Fi, or Army of One. This will give the graduate something to display as pride and unite them forever with the other individuals who also have endured the same training. Now returning back to the question, â€Å"when does a paradox become a hypocrisy†, the response needed to be evaluated for the literary device of hypocrisy. Is â€Å"a good war is a war that teaches it’s mistakes without one having to live with them†, a response of hypocrisy. Through the development of good and bad, we have concluded that war is  wrong. To suggest otherwise would propose a state of insanity. Insanity is a derangement of the mind or not conforming. Since we have conclude that the popular choice is to say that war is wrong suggests that people who desire to go to war, miss war, or idolize war are insane. So are they insane? If the response, â€Å"war teaches it’s mistakes without one having to live with them† is true, than yes. However, the statement is hypocrisy and hypocrisy is the pretense of having. So reverting back to the practice of transitioning from non-painter to painter, the recruit became a painter. Now what if, during t he transition, the recruit never got the opportunity to paint. The entire time the recruit was given black ink to practice the techniques of painting, but never received oil or acrylic paints. The recruit sat through sessions where they viewed images of others painters and their colorful paintings, only to never receive color to paint with. After the transitions period, after the recruit was given the title of painter and hope to finally paint with color. However, the restriction continues and they again were never given oil or acrylic paints. They had practiced the trade for years without actual execution. The outcome is apparent. They will forever long to paint. This is the situation with the soldier. The soldier practices with blank ammunition for years, views images of warfare, practices the techniques of warfare, and never gets to execute their practices in war. The outcome is apparent. They will forever long for warfare. So in regards to the response, from the soldiers perspective, they would disagree because war cannot â€Å"teach itâ₠¬â„¢s mistakes without one having to live with them.† They themselves desire warfare. However, for sanities sake, they would suggest the response to be true in the company of other American citizens. This is the pretense of having and concludes the statement to be hypocrisy; at least from the soldiers perspective. So does the statement apply to other citizens of America? Again, the response to the initial question suggests that war is wrong and a sane response is to agree with the statement. This implies that American citizens do not see the statement as hypocrisy. However, how much money is accumulated over the showing of one Hollywood movie about warfare? How much money and time is spent reading through the stories about warfare? How often do people find excitement when sharing a conversation with a veteran where they can ask personal questions about their experiences? As peaceful people who agree with the statement,  American citizens curiously find something compelling about war. It is not my position to accuse the masses of being warmongers. However, to defend the integrity of my response, the response is hypocrisy. It cannot â€Å"teach it’s mistakes† if people live vicariously through the experiences of war. Without war that satisfaction is taken away and the entertainment lost, suggesting that the mistakes aren’t learned; they’re idolized. To propose other wise is the pretense of having or also known as hypocrisy. So can war teach â€Å"it’s mistakes†? Can the statement ever become true? Lets again look at the question, â€Å"when does paradox become hypocrisy?† and compare it to the response, â€Å"a good war is a war that teaches it’s mistakes without one having to live with them.† In order to make the response true we would have to rephrase the question. This time we will ask, when does paradox become integrity? We have concluded that the response to the initial question is both a paradox a nd hypocrisy, but we have overlooked one literary device. Personification. Personification is the representation of an abstraction in the form of a person. In the response we suggested that â€Å"a good war† is a paradox, and if â€Å"war teaches it’s mistakes without one having to live with them† is hypocrisy. However, the response also suggests that we have personified war. So in order to make the statement, â€Å"a good war is a war that teaches it’s mistakes without one having to live with them† true, we have to remove the personification and rephrase the response to â€Å"a good person is a person that teaches their mistakes without one having to live with them†. By removing the literary device of personification we have successful removed the other literary devices of paradox and hypocrisy, and gave the response integrity. If a good person were to teach others about their life’s mistakes, maybe others could learn from them. It is the gift from the veteran of foreign wars to express to others the mistakes of warfare. From that point forward, it is up to the recipient of the gift to learn from the veteran’s mistakes. War cannot teach it’s mistakes because war as a whole removes the personal aspect of warfare. It gives the individual a number instead of a valued story. However, the individual’s personal story, the veteran, includes the emotional toll of warfare. From that personal story, the audience can now begin to understand the dysfunction of warfare and that personal story can be identified as the gift.

History of perodua analysis

History of perodua analysis Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (PERODUA), established in 1993. In Malaysia Perodua is second automobile manufacturer which after Proton. It is a joint venture company between Malaysian and Japanese. The shareholders of Perodua are UMW Corporation Sdn Bhd 38%, MBM Resources Berhad 20%, Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd 20%, PNB Equity Resource Corporation Sdn Berhad 10%, Daihatsu (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 5%, Mitsui Co. Ltd 4.2% and Mitsui Co, (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd 2.8% (Corporate Information n.d). Perodua does not contend with Proton for the similar market niche because Perodua mostly produce small-compact cars. Since end of 2009, Perodua has sold some 1.67 million units of vehicle of a variety of models. Perodua also sell overseas their cars to UK, Singapore, Brunei, Fiji, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 1.2 Background of Perodua Perodua is located on a 138-hectare site in Sungai Choh, Rawang, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Besides, in the year of 2001, Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd (PCSB) was established in the final quarter year. Furthermore, there are also another two joint venture partners of PCBS from Japan which are Daihatsu Motor.Co.Ldt. and Mitsui Co. Ltd. The PCBS are being managed the manufacturing operations of the Perodua Group (Corporate Information, 2010). 1.3 Mission and Vision 1.3.1 Mission Perodua mission is to Professionalism in all our operations Efficiency in utilizing technologies and available resources Resilience in meeting our challenges Optimizing benefits to customers and stakeholders Dedication towards social responsibility to community, the environment and development of competent workforce Uniqueness in our products Aspiration to glorify the name of PERODUA 1.3.2 Vision The vision of Perodua is to be the most preferred automotive brand renowned for products and services of excellent quality which contributes to the development of the nation. 1.4 Product Milestone Below is the list of the vehicle that Perodua produce: The Perodua Kancil-August 1994 The Perodua Rusa March 1996 The Perodua Kembara August 1998 The Perodua Kenari   June 2000 The Perodua Kelisa August 2001 The Perodua Myvi May 2005 The Perodua Viva   May 2007 The Perodua Nautica 4WD May 2008 The Perodua Alza November 2009 (Corporate Information, 2010) 2.0 Analysis of Market Environment Factors that Affect this Company For a company it is very necessary to have updated date and to have a close watch and to assess the ever changing environment around them. There are 2 types of environment and there are Micro Environment and Macro Environment (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1 The Micro Environment The close forces to the company that have effect on its capability to get the goods successfully to the customer. While for the micro environment consists of 6 factors (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.1 Customer Customer can be divided into 5 types of markets to get a better idea on them which are: 2.1.1 (a) Consumer Market The person who buys the product for consumption is called the consumer market (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua Company comes with varies vehicles that can attract buyers especially these who want an affordable yet efficient vehicle. The company mostly targets on individuals or families who want to buy quality car at a premium as Perodua Company sets up the prices that are reasonable and affordable by most consumers. Perodua Myvi is product on May 2005 by Perodua Company which is one of the examples for individual or family use. 2.1.1 (b) Business Market The companies which buy goods and services are to be used in the production id other goods (Pride.et.al, 2007). For instance, Perodua Company buys the parts from other countries but the assembling is done in Malaysia. 2.1.1(c) Reseller Market The companies that purchases the goods or services and resell the product without making any changes to it (Pride.et.al, 2007). For examples, Perodua dealers get the product from the main company and finally distribute to them without making any changes of the cars. 2.1.1 (d) Government Market For government market they may purchase it to be used it in the production of goods and services (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, the model of Perodua Myvi, Perodua Kancil, Perodua Viva are provided to the government for the use of National Parade Day. 2.1.1 (e) International Market The products used for the use of the government to carry on with the government duties (Pride.et.al, 2007). For international market, Perodua Myvi purchases for the overseas market such as United Kingdom, Singapore, Brunei, Fiji, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 2.1.2 Company This segment is about the togetherness which should be there among all departments so that the product will be delivered to the customer in the desired time. This process will be an incomplete process if there are disagreements between departments, which will result in a delay of not delivering the product to the customer on time (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.3 Competitors There are two types of competitors that will affect the sales of Perodua Company which are direct and in direct competitors. 2.1.3 (a) Direct Competitors The companies which manufacture the same products within the same industry (Pride.et.al, 2007). For instance, Suzuki, Toyota and Proton are Perodua Companys direct competitors as the companies sell similar types of vehicles within the same industry. 2.1.3(b) Indirect Competitors Indirect competitors mean that when any company which competes for the same customer dollar (Pride.et.al, 2007). The indirect competitors for Perodua will be Toyota, Proton, Naza, Honda, BMW, and Mercedes. This is because they are also produce cars and they are also competing for the consumer dollars (Corporate Information, 2009). 2.1.4 Suppliers Suppliers could be defined as those who supply the necessary parts to build the product. The supplier influences the quality and delivery of the ended product. Suppliers should be from a reliable source and should be consistent at an arms reach (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.5 Marketing Intermediaries Marketing Intermediaries is also known as the middle man. The mediating is usually done by a company in order to distribute or promote goods to the customer (Pride.et.al, 2007). The sales Manager stated that Giga Shipping Company transports all the Perodua Products worldwide. There is also a trailer company which provides trailer service to transport products around Malaysia (Personal Development Leadership, n.d). Besides marketing intermediaries, mediating can also be financially. As an example, EON bank, RHB Bank, Islam Bank act as a mediator in order to promote Peroduas cars. These companies provide a loan system so that the customers could have a minimum payment monthly and enjoy the same benefits of a comfortable car. 2.1.6 Publics Publics could be defined as a crowd of people who have an interest in a company and also who make an impact to an organization to achieve its objectives. Moreover, a company will take this consideration and try building up relationships and also offer helpfulness to these groups. There are the 7 types of publics such as local, media, citizen action, government, general, internal and financial (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.6 (a) Local A community relations officer is appointed by the company to be present at meetings with the local publics (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua Myvi customer are eligible to join the club via (http://www.myviclub.com/). There is a public relations officer is appointed from Perodua Company regarding this club. On the other hand, the officer also can meet with the customer and makes interaction with the customer. 2.1.6 (b) Financial The company issues an annual publication which is the annual report which also includes the financial statements in the company. The shareholders were given by the company (Pride.et.al, 2007). All the Perodua Company share holders receive the annual report of the company in order to keep the shareholders informed about the financial status of the company (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.1.6 (c) Media Media can be described as a company would promote their product more with a positively media coverage (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, Perodua Company promotes Perodua Myvi on television advertisements. The official advertisement is telecasted on television. Also, they also advertise the product on the World Wide Web (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.1.6 (d) General The general publics view in the company is called general (Pride.et.al, 2007). Through our research, most of the customer would like to view on the Perodua Company. Hence, positive or negative, it is basically what the customer thinks about the company. 2.2 Macro Environment The societal forces that influence the organizations ability to provide the customers are called macro environment factors which are 6 factors. 2.2.1 Political Legal The legislation and laws which influences the industry, marketers should be on watch out of the laws which can involve the company in the future (Pride.et.al, 2007). Since Perodua Company is fully owned by the government of Malaysia, the tax is already included in the price of the vehicle. Therefore, the government gets a sum of charges (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.2.2 Economic Environment The Economic environment investigates the disposable income levels. In addition, the economic conditions include the business cycle, inflation, interest rate and inflations rates (Pride.et.at, 2007). 2.2.2(a) Inflation Rate 2.2.3 Technological Environment 2.2.4 Demographic 2.2.5 Cultural 2.3 How the Company faces Threats and how they convert them to Opportunity The SWOT analysis is known as the tool to asses a companys Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats. Strength and Weakness are known as internal factors while Opportunity and Threats are known as the positive conditions which could bring plunder to the company if acted in the necessary way. For Threats, it can be defined as the barriers which prevent the Company from reaching the companys objectives. When a company puts out a new product, there could be threats which come the companys way. Then the company should be ready with a defensive strategy to stand up against the threat and that strategy is known as Opportunity (Pride.et.at, 2007). After the release of Perodua Myvi, the company has faced several threats. So, to get rid of these threats of Perodua Company, Perodua Company came made that threats into opportunity by making up a strategic plan (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.3.1 The Entry to the Domestic Market The entrance of Perodua to the market was in the year of 1993 and it also result a massive change in the industry. Nissan and Toyota were dominating the market which result Perodua getting a small slice in the market. And Perodua got a boost because Indonesia. This is because they tend to sell about 500 Perodua Myvi cars in a month (paultan.org, 2010). 2.3.2 The Support Since Perodua was quite new to the domestic market, as mentioned previously there was also because of Indonesia. As a result of this undertaking of Indonesia, the workforce of Perodua was sent to Japan for a special training to learn more about engineering skills and assembling skills. This opportunity could be known as a Human Resource 2.3.3 The Competitors Perodua is known as the second National Car producer in Malaysia which is after Proton Company. But, the competitors to Perodua are from the domestic Market as well as the International Market. The Domestic competitors are named as Proton and Naza while the competitors from the international market are Toyota, BMW and Mercedes. Through these competitors are threats to the company, Peroduas strategic plan has kept them as the best car in the Malaysia up-to-date. Besides, Perodua Company is always on the watch out of product life cycle. So, if any company comes out with any new model, Perodua will try to modify the existing model or trying to put out a new model. All in all, company will always want to produce products according to customer trends and not company trends. If the company produces according to the company trends then the sales can go down. But, if the company acts according to the customer trends there can be good sales. 3.0 Target Market 3.1 Target Customer Characteristics Target market involves dividing a market into segments and then concentrating on marketing products on one or a few key segments (Pride.et.al, 2007). The target market of Perodua Myvi is segmented by demographic consumer such as the businessman who likes to work and it is convenient to them. Therefore, the comfort of the passenger is the main target. Also, the vehicle price of Perodua Myvi is affordable and reasonable for the customers which fulfill their demands too. Furthermore, the first target market strategy used is differentiated marketing. Differentiated market is the organization selects several market segments and designs different marketing mixes for each segment (Pride.et.al, 2007). The Perodua Company has used different strategy to attract different customers. Therefore, the Perodua Company offered the other vehicles for its different target segments to meet the customer demands. Some of the customers are looking for more convenient cars such as Perodua Viva while customers with big family would like to choose Perodua Alza. Another target market strategy used is undifferentiated marketing. The marketing mix, which are the 4Ps are the organization at the whole market. Besides, the organizations also used to avoid other segments from existing, the organization chooses to mass market (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, 30 September of 2009, Citibank credit card deals have organized Perodua Myvi 10X rewards points Easy Pay Campaign. This is use to the customer can make a down payment by using the Citibank credit card and enjoy 0% interest on the customer down payment and 10X rewards point (Citibank Perodua Myvi 10X Rewards Points Easy Pay Campaign, 2009). While for the last target market strategy used is concentrated marketing. There are one or two segments will be selected by the company and a marketing mix for these few segments will be proposed (Pride.et.al, 2007). Therefore, the aim of Perodua Company use concentrated marketing strategy is not to maximize sales; it is efficiency, attracting a large portion of once section while controlling costs. 4.0 Product 4.1 Product Lines that are offered A product line is viewed as a unit because of marketing, technical or for end-use considerations, by groups of closely related product items (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua have released many models of Myvi to suit the different taste of the customers. Firstly, there is the original Myvi and now comes with another two different versions which is the Myvi SE and the Myvi EE (Exclusive Edition). Each of these models comes with a different pricing and specifications. 4.2 Core, Actual and Augmented When purchasing tangible product, the buyer will not only obtain the product itself, but also all the extra things that come together with the product. This is also known as total product. The total product of the item can be separated into three categories which are the core product, actual product and augmented product. 4.2.1 Core Product Core products are the essential benefits that the buyer want when purchasing the product. The actual benefit that the buyers get when purchasing a Perodua Myvi is transportation. Buying a Perodua Myvi allows the buyer can move around in a vehicle without depending on public transport. This allows the buyer to be able to travel to any destination at any time without relying on the rigid time frame of a public transport. 4.2.2 Actual Product Actual products are the fundamental expectation of the buyer of the product (Pride.et.al, 2007). The consumers most basic expectations from buying a Perodua Myvi are the style and design of the car. In the Perodua official website it is stated that the design of Perodua Myvi is a mix of classy and sporty characteristic (Perodua 2009). Besides that, there are many colours for the buyer to customize the Perodua Myvi to suit the their taste. The engine of Perodua is also manufactured in Japan by Daihatsu. The Perodua Myvi is also known to be more fuel efficient as compared to other cars sold in the market. It is said that Perodua Myvi Auto uses around 13.5 km per litre and the Perodua Myvi manual is clocked at approximately 17.1km per litre of petrol (Tan, P 2009). The Perodua Myvi is readily built with air-conditioner and entertainment system with the latest audio technology like mp3 and a USB reader (Perodua 2009). The consumer can have the option of the transmission of the car to be automatic or manual. To prevent the car from being stolen, Perodua Myvi is equipped with a security system which includes an engine immobiliser. The only way to unlock the immobilizer to start the car is by using the owners car keys. As a result, if somebody breaks into the car, they wont be able start the car by using duplicated keys or by tampering with the wires. 4.2.3 Augmented Product The augmented products are the additional services the consumer will receive when buying the product. The augmented product of buying a Perodua Myvi is that it easier to apply for a loan compared to other imported cars because it is a national car. Besides that, Perodua provide services like parts replacement and repair at their service centre. The spare parts of Perodua Myvi are also easily available compared to imported cars. Other than that, Perodua also provide an extended warranty service for free (Perodua, 2009). 4.3 Branding, Packaging, Labeling, Warranty, Customer Service 4.3.1 Branding (Shenron, 2009) Branding is a blend of a term, sign, name, symbol or design which is used to recognize and distinguish products and companies (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua has a small car like Myvi with a big future. Hence, Malaysias leading compact carmaker is always taken by Perodua. Besides, their management team still not really satisfied with their position at the top and their research and development facilities have given the most critical activity, innovation in design and creative engineering methods. Nowadays, Perodua is now able to deliver more stylish, unique, and cars with an attractive price to their consumers. This new brand statement, Building Cars, People First, is Peroduas new visual identity (Interbrand, 2010). Perodua expects to manage all their customers in harmony with their guiding vision. Besides, Perodua was at the position of seventh most valuable Malaysia brand in Interbrands 2007 survey and it looks set to continue get build up and enhance. This shows that Perodua try their very best to respond their customer satisfactory. 4.3.2 Warranties and Customer Services Perodua Company consists of customer service which is known as smart assist. In the even of a breakdown, members can call the toll free number: 1-800-88-5555. The call centre will dispatch a rescue team to the location of the vehicle. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Besides, all the customer service agents practice a friendly, thoughtful, humble and committed routine to give their customers very best service. Furthermore, 1-hour Superservis also provided and this service is a speedy service package that comes with a money-back guarantee once the customers car is not serviced in one hour. While for the warranty period, Perodua Company has given 3-year/100,000km manufacturers warranty. For the extended warranty is plus 3-year/75,000km. ETP is stand for Extended Warranty Programme which is an extension of the Basic Warranty Coverage that comes with your Perodua by giving the customer an additional coverage period (Perodua, 2010). 4.3.3 Product life Cycle Product life cycle can be defined as progression of a product through development, introduction, growth, maturity and decline stage. 4.3.3 (a) Development Product development is the incubation stage of the product life cycle. There are no sales and the firm prepares to introduce the product. 4.3.3 (b) Introduction In introduction stage, the product has just appeared in the market with the company having little profit or the negative profit as there is only little consumer awareness on the product. In this stage, the company increases the awareness of the public about the product through promotion or advertising. The Perodua Myvi is marketed to the public through local mediums such as newspapers, radio and television. 4.3.3 (c) Growth During the growth stage, sales start to increase rapidly but the promotion costs are still high due to increasing consumer awareness thru advertising and etc. The growth stage is critical to a products survival because competitive reactions to the products success during this period will influence the products life expectancy. The profits begin to decline late in this stage as other car competitors enter the market with their own cars to compete with the Perodua Myvi. 4.3.3 (d) Maturity During maturity stage, the sale curve peaks as there are maximum sales and production efficiencies lead to maximum profits occurring in this stage. In this stage, the company will want to maintain the sales on the product. In keeping the maturity stage going for as long as possible, the company reintroduces the Perodua Myvi with versions and will also have a facelift. Example of this is the introduction of the Perodua Myvi SE to the market. 4.3.3 (e) Decline In the final stage, which is the decline stage, the sales will fall rapidly. This is because the sales and profits of the product decline. Therefore, the company needs to determine whether to retain or drop the product. The current Perodua Myvi is in a decline stage but is still doing well in the market as it is ranked the top selling car in the country in the compact segment for the third year running in the assessment conducted by J.D. Power Asia Pacific, therefore leading the Perodua Company to continue the production of the car. The graph above illustrates how the product life cycle of Perodua Myvi has reached the maturity stage where the company is making maximum profit from the sales of its product that is the Perodua Myvi. (Managing Products and Brand, n.d). 5.0 Pricing Price is the value exchanged for product in a marketing transaction but price is not always money (Pride.et.al, 2007). There are some pricing strategies that use in Perodua Myvi product. For example, optional product-pricing, psychological pricing and geographical pricing. The optional product-pricing is the pricing the accessory sold with the main product. For instance, car sells with the air-conditioning. While for the psychological pricing is the price set reflects the psychology of pricing and not just the costs. For example, $45900 instead of $46000. Lastly the Perodua company also use the geographical pricing strategies in the Perodua Myvi product. The geographical pricing is pricing products to customers in different parts of the country such as FOB (free on board) and Zone pricing. FOB means that the customers need to pay the freighter fee from the carrier to the final destination and zone pricing is the company set up one zones, the customer in the more distant zones (Pride. et.al, 2007). 5.1 Optional Product Pricing Type of carsThe Perodua Company uses the optional pricing in the Perodua Myvi product, which is the pricing the accessory sold with the main product. The Perodua Myvi is divided into eight type, Myvi 1.0L SR, Myvi 1.3L SX, Myvi 1.3L EZ, Myvi 1.3L SXi, Myvi 1.3L EZi, Myvi SE GHS, Myvi SE ZHS and Myvi 1.3 ZHL. The different accessory of Myvi contains different prices. The different prices are as shown in the table below: (Based on the price listed given in the catalogue) Colour Solid Metallic SMET Myvi 1.0L SR RM 40,721.80 RM41,240.20 Myvi 1.3L SX RM 45,450.20 RM 45,925.20 RM 46,325.20 Myvi 1.3L EZ RM 48,425.50 RM 48,900.20 RM 49300.20 Myvi 1.3L SXi RM48,225.50 RM48,700.20 RM49,100.20 Myvi 1.3L EZi RM 51,240.30 RM 51,700.20 RM52,100.20 Myvi SE GHS RM 51,926.00 RM52,401.00 RM52818.20 Myvi SE ZHS RM 54,940.00 RM 55,426.00 RM 55,826.00 Myvi 1.3 ZHL RM 51,000.00 RM 53,500.20 5.2 Psychological Pricing The psychological pricing is the price set reflects the psychology of pricing and not just the cost. It is also apply in the Perodua Myvi product. Example: (Based on the price list given the catalogue) Myvi 1.3L EZ (solid) RM 48,425.50 Myvi 1.3L EZ (Metallic) RM 48,900.20 Myvi 1.3L EZ (SMET) RM 49300.20 5.3 Geographical Pricing The geographical pricing is the pricing products to customers in different parts of the country. The Perodua Myvi contains different prices according at the different country or different zone. Example (Based on the price list given in the catalogue) The Perodua Myvis Price in Malaysia (1.3L EZi) The Perodua Myvis price in UK (1.3 EZi) RM 52,240.30  £7,499 In the table above shown that the Perodua price in United Kingdom is cheaper once the price convert to Malaysia dollars. The reason Perodua Myvis price in UK is more expensive than Malaysia is because of the sales tax in under vehicle pricing and special interest rate is included (Perodua-uk.com, n.d) 6.0 Distribution According to Perodua Company, there are many branches in Kuching such as at Satok Parade, Jalan Matang and others. The location of Perodua Company can be easily found in Kuching. On the other hand, the Perodua Company also has branches at the overseas country such as in United Kingdom. The Channel organization that is used by the Perodua Company is shown below: 6.1 Conventional Channels The Conventional channels consist of independent producers, wholesalers and retailers. They are all self business which are trying to maximize own profit (Pride.et.al, 2007). 6.2 Vertical Marketing Channels For the vertical marketing channels, the channel members work in a group rather than individually. It is either one who owns the others or they are in contract with each other or has so much power that they all corporate (Pride.et.al, 2007). 6.3 Horizontal Marketing System It is an arrangement with two or more companies at the same level linked together to follow a marketing chance (Pride.et.al, 2007). 7.0 Promotion 7.1 Promotion Goals Promotion is communication by marketers that informs, persuades and reminds potential buyers of a product in order to influence an opinion or to get a response. While inform is a communication used to increase understanding of new brand, or a new product. The company explain how the products function, and recommend the new application for product. The other goals of promotion, persuade the customer to buy now. Finally, remind is a task of retaining the customer knowledge and to call attention to the customers about the importance of the products for they might be used in the future (Pride.et.al, 2007). The promotion goal of Perodua Company in the Perodua Myvi product is inform. Perodua Myvi is still the good selling product in the market. It is convenient and suitable for businessman but also good for small family. In addition, Perodua Company gave information about the Perodua Myvi to society by using several methods, such as brochures, internet advertising through Perodua official websites, road show and many more (Pride.et.al, 2007). 7.2 Promotion Tools To communicate with individuals, groups and organisations, various promotional tactics have been used by Perodua. When Perodua merges specific plans used to manage the integrated marketing communications for Perodua Myvi, that combinations form the promotion mix for Perodua Myvi. Advertisement, personal selling and sales promotion some of the elements of promotion mix. The elements of the marketing communications mix Sources from: (Dolak,D 2009) The main promotion mix used by Perodua in promoting Perodua Myvi is advertisement. Advertisement is the activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media (advertising, 2010). Advertisements used by Perodua are television, the internet, newspapers and prints. The benefit of using advertisement is that it can cover a wide range of audience but is very costly. Personal selling is defined as oral communication with potential buyers of a product with the intention of making a sale (promotion-personal selling, n.d). The advantage of this that it can influence the customer more compare to advertisement. The disadvantage is that it depends on the attitude and the skilfulness of the salesperson to convince the customer. Perodua Myvi is sold through direct selling which is face-to-face by using a sales person. The sales person who does not directly work for the company mostly can lower the price of Perodua Myvi to attract customers. This is because they can deduct the price using their commission. While buying from salesperson at the showroom is more convenient as everything is handled by them and also the quality of the service is much better. Sales promotion refers to many kinds of incentives and techniques directed towards consumers and traders with the intention to produce immediate or short-term sales effects (Definition of Sales Promotion, 2010). Perodua have created many sales promotions to aid in the sales of Perodua Myvi such as the scrapping programme which was scheduled on 1 April 2009. This promotion allows customers to trade-in their old car for a reduction of RM5000 off any Perodua cars (Perodua 2009). Another sales promotion is customers can buy a Perodua Myvi on loan for RM347 a month for the first 5 years. If they booked and registered a Myvi from 13 June to 31 July 2009, the customer is entitled to join their contest. 7.3 Communication Process The communication process is a process whereby the sender is marketing their product to the receiver who is the public and except some feedback from them. Interference in this process which prevents the message being conveyed to the receiver is called noise. One of the noises that can affect Perodua promotion is competitors message. Other automobile companies will also have their own promotions to attract customers. They will always try to convince the customers in believing that their product is better than the rest. When P

The Colonization Of Stevens :: essays research papers

The Colonization of Stevens In the year 1954, two years prior to the setting of Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, the Suez canal was returned once again to the government of Egypt putting an abrupt end to the English imperialism and colonialism that had extended throughout centuries. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro serves as a conceit for the rejection of the British Empire by its colonized subjects. Much like the narrator of the novel, Stevens, personifies the dynasty of the British Empire, his realization of the extensive price his â€Å"dignity† has cost him symbolizes the colonial subjects’ realization that their freedom was bought at a price as well. By succumbing to his â€Å"dignity†, Stevens, the ‘great’ English butler also loses much of his self-rule, as did the colonies of the Empire. The subjects of these colonies were led to believe that their voices were heard and valued, as in a democracy, but once acquired the English Parliament paid little attention to the citizens other than as means to a profit. Just as the colonies realized the extent of their dependency on the British Empire, Stevens too realizes the impact of placing his whole existence into the misguided hands of Lord Darlington. Stevens finally admits the foolishness of his devotion to Darlington, a devotion that cost him much of his life. â€Å"Lord Darlington wasn’t a bad man. He wasn’t a bad man at all. And at least he had the priviledge of being able to say at the end of his life that he made his own mistakes. His lordship was a courageous man. He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at least. As for myself, I cannot even claim that. You see, I trusted. I trusted in his lordship’s wisdom. All those years I served him, I trusted I was doing something worthwhile. I can’t even say I made my own mistakes. Really- one has to ask oneself- what dignity is there in that?† (p. 201) Stevens believed in the end that he had made his life a waste by placing it in the hands of his social betters.

Hobbit: From Childrens Story to Mythic Creation Essay -- Literature F

Hobbit: From Children's Story to Mythic Creation "Mr. Baggins began as a comic tale among conventional and inconsistent fairy-tale dwarves, and got drawn into the edge of it - so that even Sauron the terrible peeped over the edge." -J.R.R Tolkien, letter to his publisher (quoted in Carpenter 1977, 182). The Hobbit started as little more than a bedtime story for Tolkien's children. Like most of his fellow academics, Tolkien viewed fantasy as limited to childhood. The result was a book written in a chatty, informal style that contrasts sharply with that of its serious successors. The narrator makes frequent patronising and intrusive asides, such as "And what would you do, if an uninvited dwarf came and hung his things up in your hall without a word of explanation?" (H, 18). The language approximates baby-talk at times (nasty, dirty wet hole oozy smell"), and modifiers ("terribly", "lots and lots") abound. Many critics, including Tolkien himself, have viewed this as the chief weakness of the book. Although the tone does evoke the oral tradition through which myths were originally created, it detracts from the power of the book. It renders villains are more comic than truly threatening, its heroes more endearing than awe-inspiring. One commentator feels that The Hobbit "lacks a certain intellectual weight" and "deserves little serious, purely literary criticism" (Helms 1974: 53). The important words here are "purely literary". The novel cannot be studied in isolation, but must be seen against the broader backdrop of Tolkien's literary philosophy and the entire mythic tradition. For the writing of The Hobbit both influenced and was influenced by the profound intellectual change its author was undergoing, namely t... ...teaching its author the immense possibilities of fantasy. It itself does not exhaust these possibilities, but merely begins to explore them. It starts unambitiously, but in drawing from the rich store of world folklore and the author's imagination, soon develops into a myth that, like all good fantasy, speaks as clearly to the mythopoetic imagination today as it did in Tolkien's time. Bibliography: Carpenter, H. 1977. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography. London: George Allen & Unwin. Helms, R. 1974. Myth, Magic and Meaning in Tolkien's World. London: Granada Publishing. Nitshe, J.C. 1979. Tolkien's Art: A Mythology for England. New York: St. Martin's. O'Neill, T.R. 1979. The Individuated Hobbit. Boston: Hougton Mifflin. Rogers, D. & Rogers, I.A. 1980. J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Twayne. Tolkien, J.R.R. 1937. The Hobbit. London: George Allen & Unwin.

Advocates for a New Social Order: Dickens, Marx, and the Trade Union i

Advocates for a New Social Order: Dickens, Marx, and the Trade Union in Hard Times For over a century, Charles Dickens has been praised as being the working man's advocate, and the lower classes have played a major role in peopling his vast world of characters. Always, the reader is left with a sense of sympathy and pity for these characters as Dickens' journalistic descriptions of their plight are often dramatic, stirring, and pathetic. Although he renders the living conditions of the poor in such a way that no reader can escape feeling sympathy for such characters, Dickens never once offers a solution to such distress. In Hard Times we find a man who suffers not only the degradations of the industrial city, but also the ostracism of his own kind when he refuses to join the ranks of a budding trade union. Dickens has often been deemed a reformer by many modern critics. However, if he truly sought reform for the treatment of the lower classes in Victorian England, why, then, does he refuse Stephen Blackpool a chance to take a part in that reform? Like Karl Marx an d Friedrich Engels, Dickens realized and reported upon the conditions of the working classes, but he chose to offer a more spiritual form of aid rather than to suggest a complete political reformation. Dickens published his views on labor issues in several of his journals, and he spoke on the subject frequently as well. Although he was moved by the plight of the workers, he could not understand why they would become violent at times. Peter Ackroyd cites a letter to Angela Burdett-Coutts, describing Dickens’ views on trade union violence. The reason for such violence, Dickens contends in the letter, is that the lower classes were being brainwashed and swindle... ... both a charitable and noble soul. He could not have joined the union as he did not believe it would help matters any, and he maintains his dignity even though he pays the ultimate penalty for it in the end. Works Consulted The Oxford History of Britain. Ed. Kenneth O. Morgan. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1984. Ackroyd, Peter. Dickens. New York: HarperCollins, 1990. Bowditch, John and Clement Ramsland. Voices of the Industrial Revolution. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1961. Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. Ed. George Ford and Sylvere Monod. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1990. ---. "Locked Out.† Household Words 8 (1854): 345-8. Faber, Richard. Proper Stations. London: Faber and Faber, 1971. Marx, Karl. The Grundrisse. Ed. and trans. David McLellan. New York: Harper, 1971. Williams, Raymond. Culture and Society: 1780-1950. New York: Harper, 1958.