A key issue for the courts when deciding on the legal status of a Essay

A key issue for the courts when deciding on the legal status of a comfort letter is whether or not the party proffering the comfort letter intended to create legal relations - Essay Example Comfort letters are common in loan agreements, as an alternative from asking the lender to obtain a guarantor for the loan. In order for a claimant to be able to rely on the letter of comfort as a guarantee of payment, the claimant has to prove that the person issuing the letter intended to create legal relations between themselves and the claimant. According to Ellinger (1989) comfort letters can be identified into 3 specific types, and can include undertakings from a parent company to meet the financial commitments of the subsidiary company. Less stringent comfort letters identify that the parent company knows of the intention of the subsidiary company to enter into a contract with the other party, but makes no express guarantee to honour the agreement of the subsidiary or to actively intervene to ensure that the subsidiary company fulfils the contract. These letters can have legal effect despite the fact that they cannot be relied upon as a guarantee that the party will fulfil their part of the contract. One of the first cases to consider the effect of comfort letters was Banque Brussels Lambert S A v Australian National Industries Ltd1 in which the defendant averred that the letter should not be regarded as a binding contract. In this case, the bank insisted on a letter of comfort as a condition of the loan agreement between the parties. The bank had originally tried to force the defendant to guarantee the payments on the loan, which the defendant had refused to do. The claimant attempted to aver that the letter of comfort contained promissory paragraphs with regard to the conduct of the defendant and that the defendant had breached these promises. One such paragraph stated We take this opportunity to confirm that it is our practice to ensure that our affiliate [the borrower] will at all times be in a position to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. These

Islamic Extremists Essay Example for Free

Islamic Extremists Essay Nearly everyone has heard about Islam and the Arab world. In addition, many countries have already faced issues with the Muslim believers. Islam has caused problems, terrorist attacks, anti-democracy all over the world. They were also very successful in sending a message of who they truly are. People who are literally obedient to the Islamic faith are called Islamic Extremists. People, who are of the Islamic faith however desire to survive in peace without tribulations are not considered obedient or dutiful to the Islamic faith, these people are called moderate Muslims. Therefore, the Islamic religious extremists are the major group in Islam who follow the Qur’an word for word and create extreme violence that moderate Muslims do not. Islamic extremism started in Egypt in the late 1920s. During the inter-war years, the country was occupied by the British military. The Nationalist Wafd movement, led by Saad Zaghloul, opposed the presence of the British, as would anyone whose country is being occupied by a foreign military power. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) In 1928, Hassan al-Banna established the term â€Å"The Muslim Brotherhood† which was the first Islamist movement. The British government supported the nascent movement in an attempt to counterbalance the Nationalists. In modern Egyptian politics, the Muslim Brotherhood is the largest opposition party to Hosni Mubaraks National Democratic Party. Mubarak has been in power since the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981. The Muslim Brotherhood has always been illegal, and, over the years, thousands of its members have been imprisoned by the Egyptian government. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) The ideology of the early Brotherhood is very similar to that of Islamist groups today they denounced the Egyptian government as secular and regarded Egyptian society in terms of â€Å"jahaliya† or a barbaric, pre-Islamic society not based on Islamic sharia law. Sayyed Qutb, an Egyptian intellectual associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, wrote a book called Maalim fil Tariq ( Signposts on the Road), which proved to be highly influential on the thinking of modern Islamists. Qutb wrote the book in 1964 while in prison; 2 years later he was executed by hanging. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) In the late 1970s, the CIA financed and trained the mujahideen (Holy Warriors) in order to fight a proxy war with the Soviet army, which had invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Training, funding and the provision of arms to the mujahideen was carried out covertly via Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; one of the so-called Afghan Arabs who was trained by the U.S. was a young man called Osama bin Laden. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) In the recent years, Bangladesh was suspected of becoming a haven and breeding ground for Islamic terrorist groups with links to Al-Qaida. Domestic Islamic extremist groups are said to funnel Al-Qaida money, arms, and fighters through the country. In March 1999, IOJ chairman Amini told a public meeting: â€Å"We are for Osama [bin Ladin], we are for the Taliban, and we will be in government in 2000 through an Islamic revolution.† (Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, B.) Bangladeshi support for Osama bin Ladin and Al-Qaida rose following the September 11 attacks and the subsequent American assault on the Taliban in Afghanistan. The U.S. conveyed its displeasure with Dhaka’s failure to quell anti-American, pro-Osama bin Ladin rallies in the wake of the American attack on Afghanistan. In November 2001, IOJ’s Amini said: â€Å"Osama bin Ladin is loved by the Bangladeshi people. Everyone respects him and considers him to be a leader of Muslims.† (Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, B.) The political characteristics of Islam are derived from the Quran, the Sunna (the sayings and living habits of Muhammad), Muslim history, and sometimes elements of political movements outside Islam. Out of the Muslim Brotherhood, recently derived a group called The Muslim Salafeyeen. The Salafeyeen act ridiculously much worse than the Muslim Brotherhood. They have the same mentality as the Muslim Brotherhood; however, they go even beyond the expectations of the Quran’s teachings. For example the Muslim Brotherhood has the word politics in their dictionary, which means they can have political relationships with the westerners but that is to use their help for their own good, such as Saudi Arabia. They also base and enforce the law of the Qur’an on the people. On the flipside, the Salafeyeen do not have the word politics in their dictionary and the way they communicate is through severe violence even on their own people. For example their rule goes as follows: thieves must have their hands cut off, a curser’s tongue must be cut off, an adulterous must be killed with the edge of the sword, and so on with all the sinners. Their judgments are pretty extreme. They currently have a small group in Egypt. There is no research found about them yet, however information has been spread through word of mouth and people’s experiences in the recent days in Egypt. The Salafeyeen have been around and they are very few still. It is not long until the cancer is spread everywhere. Numerous terrorist tribes have eventually been spread all over the world. The Muslim Brotherhood has created a private group in each country who follow their plan. Therefore, every so often, the nation receives news about occurring devastations they have caused. Since the Muslim Brotherhood considers violence is the only method to spread or impose their religion on many countries, they had specifically chosen the United States of America to perform their violence attacks. The United States is currently considered the most powerful country in the world. If they had specifically chosen the United States, their goal is then revealed. The Muslim Brotherhood’s ambition is to attain the power of the United States and rule it. If they conquer this power, they most likely conquered the world. It is not difficult for anyone to figure this exposition. The terrorist attack that occurred in September eleventh of two thousand and one was mainly the first attack the caught the world’ s awareness. Prior to that, the nation was familiar about Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood; however they did not have enough knowledge in regards of whom they truly are. Throughout the years, the Muslim Brotherhood has determined that terrorism would be the only method used to communicate with the world. They have successfully sent out messages about their goals, which are to limit the world in education, political views, democratic views, etc. For example, the Islamic beliefs strain a woman of her basic rights. A woman is not allowed to go to school for education. According to the Shahih Bukhari 1.6.301, Volume 1, Book 6, Number 301: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: Once Allahs Apostle went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) o Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women). They asked, Why is it so, O Allahs Apostle? He replied, I have not seen anyone more deficient in intell igence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you. The women asked, O Allahs Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion? He said, Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man? They replied in the affirmative. He said, This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isnt it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses? The women replied in the affirmative. He said, This is the deficiency in her religion. Their mentality is very limited in arguments as well. Their beliefs are against freedom of speech, religion, expression, even the Internet because it allows arguments, knowledge, and education and mostly everything that has to do with the human rights. All of their arguments must go back to the Shari’a (law) of Islam, which prevents all these rights. The Shari’a of Islam calls for men to beat their wives. According to 004.034 YUSUFALI: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husbands) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them; but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance). This type of mentality creates a violence animalistic society. People develop these violent skills through the enforcement of such laws which leads to terrorism. Imagine there is lack of education, freedom of arguments, speech, expression, religion, anti-democracy etc. how will anyone be able to learn, be fair, balanced in thoughts, unprejudiced or even survive in peace? It is certainly impractical. Therefore, to overcome the mentality of terrorism, the nation must understand what Islam and the Qur’an truly teaches Islamists. Some of the Qur’an’s teachings are mostly about the infidels (unbelievers) and how all of them will end up in Hell. According to the teachings of the Qur’an verses freely and blithely mentions: Do not take unbeli evers as friends; caution is necessary to befriend the unbelievers3:28. It is not honourable to take unbelievers as friends4:139. Do not take unbelievers as friends4:144. Believers are not to take the Jews and Christians as friends and protectors; if any believer (i.e. Muslim) turns to them then he also becomes a Jew or a Christian5:51. Real friends are God, His apostle (Muhammad) and the fellowship of pious and charitable believers5:55. Gods wrath and torments is for befriending the unbelievers5:80. Whoever seeks the friendship of evil people will be lead to the penalty of fire22:3. Cannot be on terms of secret intimacy or be friendly with the enemies of faith 60:1. This is the very own words of Qur’an that Islamists follow. Some Islamists who live in the west will even criticize their folks for buying a tiny Christmas tree just for the little children or even for attending Christmas parties. They will even go a step further in declaring that the westerners must learn from them (the Muslim migrants) and not the other way around. At this time, since the Qur’an never called for peace, it is underst andable why those Islamists act the way they do. The supreme rage of the Islamists is reserved for the way the western women dress, work and lives. Many Muslim women are deviously forced to wear hijab just to demonstrate to the infidel women the superior chastity of Muslim women. Ten years ago, it was rare to find a hijabi woman in any streets of Europe or the U.S. The situation is quite different now. Any rail-station, shopping center, eating stall, college, university, etc., will regularly notice a hijabi woman standing nearby. Many Islamists openly declare that all Muslim women must cover themselves in (ugly) hijab and cloak no matter what others may think of them. This is because these Muslim women will become the shining examples or beacon of femininity, chastity, and Islamic beauty to the infidel women and they (the infidel women) will eventually follow the Muslim women and happily wear the Muslim garb. These Islamists are absolutely certain that these infidel women will one day, surely be covered by Islamic hijab. Why? Because, Allah has ordained it-one day the entire world will become an Ummah (Islamic community) of some sort. They have no doubt on this. At this point, it is understandable why Islamic extremists commit their terrorism attacks. Their goal is to spread and enforce Islam in the whole world. Research has proved through the very own words of Qur’an and Hadith, action has proved it through terrorism attacks of the infidels (unbelievers), and their day-to-day routine dressing up in the Muslim garb. Many will argue it is not a problem if their religion inquires their women to dress and look that way. They are partially right, only if their purpose is to dress that way and nothing more. However based on research, even modern Islamists are called Islamists because they believe in Islamic Shari’a and law. They have an idea of what Islam is about and if they still call themselves Muslims, they are considered under the same category of religion. They have partially the same thoughts; they may not be interested in murdering, however they will never take a westerner as a friend, unless the westerner becomes a Muslim. This type of thinking is not in any way beneficial for a modern society. In a modern society, it encourages one to look, act, and think in a certain way. This way is not to enforce negative thoughts, beliefs on anyone. It is to encourage education, positive thoughts, and the acting of professionalism with one another. The best method in reaching a solution for the world is to understand that Islam is now spread in many places. Islam has become a whole mentality that people follow not fairly a religion. Islam currently starts in early stages of humans’ lives. A child is raised up receiving hate and all types of negative thoughts, which later develops in his/her core. Therefore, terrorism is never ending; in fact it improves by the days. At this time, there is no way around to end terrorism, but there are ways to make it less occurring in the world. Educating people, and youth on how terrorism started, and how the world perceives it as a negative act will help them understand the concept of terrorism. Also through education, people will have the need to protect their country and defend it. No one is willing to live in a country that is controlled by terrorists. Neither will anyone be willing to limit their thoughts, expression, education, freedom of worship, or personal decisions. In conclusion, Islamic extremists have attempted to impose their religious beliefs on the world. This happens through their violent attacks almost in every western country. The only method to stop this violence is to allow people to understand the true meaning of Islam. This is to educate people about Islam and Muslim extremists in the early stages of life. It is also essential to help the nation learn how the modern Muslims differ from those extremists. Through education, a solution can come into view on how we can end these bloody violent tribes. Even if it takes time, months and years, it can still take a major affect on the long run. References Bas, N. J. (2004). Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA. BukhaÌ„riÌ„, M. i. (1981). Shahih Bukhari. Jakarta: Penerbit Widjaya. Darwish, N. (2006). Now they call me infidel: why I renounced jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror. New York, N.Y.: Sentinel. Jonas, G. (2007). Reflections on Islam: ideas, opinions, arguments. Toronto: Key Porter Books. Katel, P. (2010). Homegrown jihadists: can Muslim terrorists in the U.S. mount serious attacks?. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly. The Big Think Tank: A brief history of Islamic extremism. (2006, April 25). The Big Think Tank. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from http://thebigthinktank.blogspot.com/2006/04/brief-history-of-islamic-extremism.html Quran Shariff. (1978). S.l.: [s.n.]. Yuan, M. (2005). Women in Islam. Detroit: Greenhaven Press/Thomson-Gale. YouTube 2 year old Muslim Girl answers Questions on Islam. (n.d.). YouTube Broadcast Yourself. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tfh2PnvTnYfeature=related Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, B. (2007, January 10). Islamic Extremism and Terrorism in Bangladesh-American Jewish Committee. Home-American Jewish Committee. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoGb=3133321ct=

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and Takin it to the Streets as Drug-in

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and Takin' it to the Streets as Drug-influenced Literature Art influenced by drugs faces a unique challenge from the mainstream: prove its legitimacy despite its "tainted" origins. The established judges of culture tend to look down upon drug-related art and artists, as though it is the drug and not the artist that is doing the creating. This conflict, less intense but still with us today, has its foundations in the 1960s. As the Beatnik, Hippie, and psychedelic movements grew increasing amounts of national attention, the influence of drugs on culture could no longer be ignored by the mainstream. In an age where once-prolific drugs like marijuana and cocaine had become prohibited and sensationalized, the renewed influence of drugs both old and new sent shockwaves through the culture base. The instinctual response of the non-drug-using majority was to simply write drug-influenced art off as little more than the ramblings of madmen. Some drug-influenced artists tried to ignore this preconception, and others tried to downplay their drug use in the face of negative public scrutiny. For some drug-influenced artists, however, it was imperative to gain popular acceptance by publicly challenging the perception and preconceptions of mainstream America. An article in Newsweek from 1965 included in the anthology Takin' it to the Streets provides a useful indicator of mainstream society's distrust of youth culture in general and drug culture in particular. Citing federal and FCC regulations banning the broadcast of "obscene, indecent, or profane material," the writer of this article appears to be absolutely scandalized by the increasing presence of double entendres in popular music. Here, amid mutterin... ...hanged dramatically since the dawn of the 1960s, granting a sort of semi-legitimacy to drug-influenced art that grows stronger and less self-conscious every year. This pervasiveness of drug imagery in our culture today is no accident-it represents the outgrowth of these artists' introduction of drugs into the popular consciousness. The lingering effects of their efforts to publicize and poetize their altered states of mind can be readily seen in the mainstream culture of America today, which possesses both an awareness of and begrudging respect for the drug experience. Works and Sources Cited Allen, Donald. The New American Poetry. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960. Bloom, Alexander and Wini Breines. Takin' it to the Streets. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Wolfe, Tom. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. New York: Bantam Books, 1968.

Hot Wet Equatorial Climate

THE HOT, WET EQUATORIAL CLIMATE Distribution -Is found between 5 ° and 10 °N and S of the equator. Its greatest extent is found in the lowlands of the Amazon, Congo D. R, Malaysia and the East Indies. -Further away from the equator, the influence on the on-shore Trade Winds gives rise to a modified type of equatorial climate with the Monsoon influences. -Within the tropics, the equatorial highlands have a distinctively cooler climate, modified by altitude such as the Cameron highlands, northern Andes and Kenyan highlands in East AfricaMap CLIMATE 1. Temperature – The most outstanding feature of an equatorial climate is its great uniformity of temperature through out the year – The mean annual temperatures are always around 27 °C with very little variation. -there is no winter. -cloudiness and precipitation help to moderate the daily temperature so that even at the equator itself the climate is bearable. -regular land and sea breezes also assist in maintaining a tr uly equable climate. -the diurnal range is small and so is the annual range.Figures below illustrate the rhythm of climate experienced in two different equatorial regions, one on lowland (Kuala Lumpur) and the other on the highland (Bogota). Kuala Lumpur Month JFMAMJJASOND Temp( °C)262627272727262626262627 Rainfall (mm)170170236279216127104157185274257231 Annual precipitation 2 413mm Annual temperature range 1 °C (27 °C – 26 °C) Bogota Month JFMAMJJASOND Temp( °C)141415151414141414141414 Rainfall (mm)948912424416581668474213224142 Annual precipitation 1 610mm Annual temperature range 1 °C (15 °C – 14 °C) 2. Rainfall – Rainfall is heavy, between 1 524mm and 2 540mm and well distributed throughout the year. There is no month without rain. There are two periods of maximum rainfall, April and October which occur shortly after the equinoxes. The double rainfall peaks coinciding with the equinoxes are a characteristic feature of equatorial climates not found in any other type of climate. -Due to great heat in the equatorial belt mornings are bright and sunny. There is much evaporation and convection air currents are set up, followed by heavy downpours of convectional rains in the afternoon from the towering cumulonimbus clouds. -Besides the convectional rainfall, mountainous regions also experience much Orographic or relief rainfall.In addition, there are some intermittent showers from cyclonic atmospheric disturbances caused by the convergence of air currents in the doldrums. -The relative humidity is constantly high (over80%) making one feel sticky and uncomfortable. NATURAL VEGETATION -Equatorial region support a luxuriant type of dense vegetation –the tropical rain forest- because of heavy rainfall and uniform temperature. -In the Amazon lowlands, the forest is so dense and so complete that a special term ‘Selvas’ is used. 1. A great variety of vegetation -The equatorial vegetation comprises a multitude of evergreen trees that yield tropical hardwood e. . mahogany, ebony, greenheart, cabinet woods and dyewoods. -There are smaller palm trees, climbing plants like lianas or rattan which may be hundred of metres long and epiphytic and parasitic plants that live on other plants. -Under the trees grow a wide variety of creepers, ferns, orchids and lalang 2. A distinct layer arrangement .-From the air, the tropical rain forest appears like a thick canopy of foliage. All plants struggle upwards for sunlight resulting in a peculiar later arrangement. -The tallest trees attain a height of 45m with dense undergrowth that can tolerate shade. 3. Multiple species Trees of equatorial rainforest are not found in pure stands of a single species like in the temperate where forests where only a few species occur in a particular area. This has made timber exploitation to be difficult. 4. Forest clearings -Many parts of the virgin tropical rainforests have been cleared either for lumbering or shifting c ultivation. When these clearings are abandoned, less luxuriant secondary forests, called belukar in Malaysia, spring up. -These are characterised by short trees and very dense undergrowth. Mangrove forests thrive in the coastal areas and brackish swamps. LIFE AND DEVELOPMENTThe equatorial regions are generally sparsely populated. In the forests most primitive people live as hunters and collectors and the more advanced ones practice shifting cultivation. Food is so abundant in such a habitat that many people worry very little the life of the next day. There are numerous animals, birds and reptiles and can be hunted to serve the needs of the community. Crops grown include manioc (tapioca), yams, maize, bananas and groundnuts. Plantation agriculture is also practised widely with the outstanding crop, rubber. Malaysia and Indonesia are the leading producers of rubber.Another tropical crop is cocoa, which is more extensively cultivated in West Africa in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Other crops include oil palm, cocoanuts, coffee, tea, tobacco, spices, bananas, pineapples, etc. FACTORS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT †¢Equatorial climate and health: excessive heat and humidity expose human beings to sunstroke and to such diseases as malaria and yellow fever. †¢Prevalence of bacteria and insect pests. †¢Jungle hinders development and maintenance. †¢Rapid deterioration of tropical soil. †¢Difficulties in lumbering and live stock farming. †¢Poor pasture.

Marketing Plan Phase III Essay

Marketing Plan Phase III MKT 421 Marketing Plan Phase III In-N-Out Burgers basic values and philosophy is simple: make the highest quality product, prepare the product in a clean environment, and serve the product in a warm and friendly manner. Introducing a new product to In-N-Out Burgers traditional menu will challenge the products success with both existing customers as well as new customers. The introduction of the salad with a desirable zest to In-N-Out Burgers menu will bring a healthier choice to improve the menu and escalate customer satisfaction. The new product will be entering the market during the very competitive and less profitable maturity stage of the product life cycle. The target market for the new product will be families that want a choice in the fast food restaurant industry. The new salads with their flavorful attributes will give In-N-Out Burgers a competitive advantage because of their positioning and differentiation strategies at the right price. Product Attributes Maintaining the tradition of quality, In-N-Out will only use quality salad dressings on their salads. In-N-Out’s competition uses Newman’s popular brand name salad dressing that has an established fan base, and another competitor uses Ken’s salad dressing that are ranked the most popular salad dressing brands. They tend to be higher in calorie count so In-N-Out will be challenging the competition to provide a healthier salad option by using Annie’s Organic Salad dressings. Cost will be low because only three dressings will be needed to launch the salads; Caesar, ranch, and vinaigrette. This will allow for the growth of the salad line in the future. Mixed greens in the salads will allow for aesthetics’ as well as added nutrition, especially with an array of dark green leafy lettuce such as romaine. Cherry tomatoes will be added for color and fresh shredded carrots for variety. A colorful description of the salads has been added to demonstrate the qua lity of each. Side Salad. In N Out’s side salad is a fresh garden salad with a blend of premium lettuces. The generous salad serving is accented with blended cheeses, shredded carrots, and cherry tomatoes fresh from local farmers. This salad comes with three choices of  dressings; organic ranch or vinaigrette and In-N-Out’s signature special sauce. Caesar Salad. In addition to the variety of greens and cherry tomatoes the Caesar salad is topped with parmesan cheese. The salad is then tossed in a light, flavorful Caesar dressing. Avocado Chicken Salad. In- N- Out’s Avocado salad appeals to the Californian in us all. This salad is a hearty salad meant to satisfy. The mixed greens are combined with cherry tomatoes, blended cheese, red onion, ripe avocado, and grilled chicken. This salad will also come with the choice of ranch, vinaigrette, or special sauce. Product Life Cycle In-N-Out will be entering the salad foray behind the eight-ball in terms of the fast food salad product life cycle. Other fast food restaurants have had salads as an option on their menus for years prior to In-N-Out; they may already have a hold on much of the salad eating market. In-N-Out is entering the salad fast food market during its maturity stage. This means that In-N-Out may not be able to enjoy the large profit margins that early salad pioneers experienced, however, In-N-Out is confident that those smaller margins will be helped by regular increases in salad sales volume in addition to increased sales of the core menu items. In order to maximize salad sales volume, In-N-Out must recognize the maturity of the salad market and promote accordingly. Doing this will require In-N-Out to differentiate its salad offering from the competition and reposition its standing in the minds of consumers who do not feel that In-N-Out has an adequate assortment of food options. Customers who seek out salad offerings no doubt are interested in health benefits, freshness, availability, and price. In-N-Out is already known for their freshness and taste; their competition, on the other hand, many times, is not. In-N-Out must emphasize through their marketing mix that the same crisp freshness that customers expect from ingredients on their burgers is the same crisp freshness they can expect in their salads. The simple, low calorie nature of In-N-Out salads should be made clear because competitor salads often are not very in calories or sodium content. The simple and fresh nature of In-N-Out products will be an advantage of health conscious consumers. In-N-Out has an opportunity to win with quality but also due to the nature of competitor pricing, In-N-Out has an opportunity to match or beat their competitors in that arena as well. In-N-Out would do well to indicate the price advantage of their fresh options compared to the competitions heavier and pricier salad menus. Finally, In-N-Out must make it a priority to reposition its lack of choice perception in the fast food market. They must make it clear to customers that they now have an option beyond burgers and fries at In-N-Out. Couples and groups of people can eat at our restaurants even if one or more of the individuals is vegetarian or seeking a healthier options. Positioning and Differentiation Strategies Product differentiation strategy is part of the marketing strategy of a company that will establish a strong identity within a specific target market for that product. The goal is to have the intended consumer perceive the product desirable and different. With the introduction of salads to the In-N-Out Burgers menu, the company will need to establish a product differentiation strategy as other competitors also have salads on their menu. The difference that In-N-Out Burgers brings with their salads is the quality of the food. No pre-packaged, frozen or over processed vegetables will be used. Product positioning strategy is also part of the marketing strategy of a company, but the goal is focused on the consumer instead of the product and where that product fits in relationship to their competitors. ‘Positioning refers to how customers think about proposed or present brands in a market. Without a realistic view of how customers think about offerings in the market, it is hard for the marketing manager to differentiate.’ (Perreault, Cannon, McCarthy, 2011) In-N-Out Burgers has already positioned itself in the market regarding their burgers and has established a loyal base on customers. In-N-Out Burgers has ‘a famously devoted customer base that inspires envy throughout the industry—and brand recognition well beyond its geographic reach.’(Pearman, 2009) The product positioning strategy currently used for their burgers should be extended to their new salad products. Pricing Strategy The price strategy that In-n-Out will be using for their new salads is to target those price-conscious customers looking for healthy options along with the current menu options being offered. As a company In-N-Out is aware that there is a need in consumers who want to keep a healthy lifestyle while  still being able to have selections with reasonable pricing. In addition to appealing to those consumers wanting a healthier choice when ordering, In-N-Out is conscious that the competition will have similar selections with similar pricing as well. In this instance because the company doesn’t use intermediaries to promote or sell products, they will add to the marketing strategies by increasing the advertising on radio and TV commercials with the new salad options that have been added to the traditional menu that has been around since the company began. The advertising efforts will also add to the value that In-N-Out has had from day one, and that is freshness of their products. In-N-Out is confident that by using previous marketing strategies to offer the menu to consumers and offering the salads to the traditional menu with similar pricing will not only continue to keep existing customers but will also bring in new customers. Conclusion The new salad with its flavorful attributes will give In-N-Out Burgers a competitive advantage because of their positioning and differentiation strategies at the right price. The attributes of the three new salads being introduced to the menu are healthier, colorful, great tasting choices. The product is entering the market in the maturity stage of the product life cycle but In-N-Out Burgers can maintain this stage with its commitment to quality, and freshness, which gives it a competitive advantage. The success of the product will come from the firms positioning and differentiation strategies of quality while focusing on customer interests. In-N-Out Burgers price strategy will be competitive in the industry so as to draw new customers as well as satisfy the needs of the existing customers. In-N-Out Burgers is about quality, competitiveness, customer satisfaction, and a healthy diet. References Pearman, S. (2009). In-N-Out Burger’s Marketing Magic. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2009/sb20090424_877655.htm Perreault, W., Cannon, J., & McCarthy, E. (2011). Basic Marketing: A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill/Irwin.

What Is the ACT Out Of

What Is the ACT Out Of SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may have heard of this standardized test calledthe ACT. What's this test out of? What's the highest and lowest ACT score? And what score should you try to get? I'll answer allof these questions below. What Is the ACT Out Of? When you get your ACT score report, you'll see several numbers including your composite ACT score and your individual section scores (there are four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science). The composite ACT score is the primary number that colleges look at.The composite ACT score is out of 36.Scores range from 1 to 36. Each section is also out of 36, with scores ranging from 1 to 36 in the individual sections. To give you a sense of the range of ACT scores in the US, I've assembled this chart with approximate national ACT percentiles: Percentile ACT Score 25th 16 50th 20 75th 24 Your final ACT composite score is calculated by average the 4 section scores and rounding to the nearest whole number. For further explanation, read How Do You Calculate ACT Score? What Score Should You Aim for in theRange? You don't necessarily need to aim for a perfect 36.You should choose your target score for the ACT based on what score will get you into your target schools. Find out what the average ACT score is for accepted students to your target schools by search â€Å"[College Name] ACT† in Google. You'll likely find the school’s 25th/75th percentile scores. What are these numbers? The 25th percentile ACT score means that 25% of admitted freshmen received a score at or below that number (75% of admitted students scored higher). The 75th percentile score means that 75% of admitted freshmen received a score at or below that number (25% of admitted students scored higher). Well, what should you aim for in the 25th/75th percentile range? You should aim for a score at or above the 75th percentile score to have the best chance of being admitted. For a more in-depth explanation of what your target ACT score should be, read What is a good ACT score? A bad ACT score? An excellent ACT score? What’s Next? Learn more about the ACT test format and prepare to rock the ACT: What is the ACT? A Complete Explanation of the Test The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT Science: Tips, Practice, and Strategies The Ultimate Prep Guide to ACT Reading: Strategies, Tips, and Practice The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT English: Tips, Rules, Practice, and Strategies Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Engineering Personal Statement †Critical Pointers Essays

Engineering Personal Statement – Critical Pointers Essays Engineering Personal Statement – Critical Pointers Essay Engineering Personal Statement – Critical Pointers Essay When an individual applies for a graduate program in the field of engineering, he/she has to first write an engineering personal statement. A personal statement is a motivational statement that basically discusses the personality, qualities, strengths and weaknesses of the applicant. It also explains to the committee of the admission faculty why the applicant desires to seek admission in the engineering graduate course and why he/she prefers this college. A personal statement allows the committee to get acquaint with the applicant in a more effective way. Since these statements are taken very seriously by the admission board, it is necessary that you must learn how to write it proficiently. Attention Grabber It is necessary that you should grab the attention of the board members with a fascinating or motivating opening. You may start the statement by discussing one of your unique qualities that links with your interest in engineering. This will also act as evidence that shows your in-depth interest in this field. You can also start the statement with a quote from a famous engineer to hook your readers. The members of the committee are all experience people who read several applications during the admission process. By having a glance at the introduction of the statement they can easily identify whether the statement is an everyday essay or an interesting motivational statement. Come Up With a Thesis Statement Create an interesting thesis for your personal engineering statement. The thesis will act as the main element and it will explain the main purpose why you want to pursue engineering field. Given that engineering is a very complicated field so you have to prove that you are devoted to this field and you have ample knowledge and experience to seek a higher degree in engineering. Prove You Are Up For This Challenging Path Give some specific details about your academic qualifications and achievements. Relate those details with your interest in engineering and demonstrate them that you are prepared to walk on this challenging path. Discuss Professional Goals Tell them what your professional goals are and how you want to accomplish those goals. Discuss what you are planning to once you complete your graduation in the engineering field such as do you want to study it even further. Discuss the Reason to Seek Acceptance in Their College It is also very important to discuss the reasons why you seek acceptance in their college since there are other many engineering colleges available. It may be because of their affordable semester fees or it may be because they have the best engineering professors. Revise the Statement In the end revise the engineering personal statement to amend any mistakes in it.

3 Types of Sentence Errors Resulting from Missing Articles

3 Types of Sentence Errors Resulting from Missing Articles 3 Types of Sentence Errors Resulting from Missing Articles 3 Types of Sentence Errors Resulting from Missing Articles By Mark Nichol In each of the following sentences, lack of an article (a, and, or the) results in a grammatically flawed sentence. Discussion after each example, followed by a revision, identifies the problem. 1. In 2006, The Simpsons television show paid tribute to the 1974 Oakland A’s in an episode. The first instance of the article the, as an element of a composition title, cannot do double duty as an article that performs a grammatical function in the sentence, and the statement must be revised so that it includes such an article: â€Å"In 2006, an episode of the television show The Simpsons paid tribute to the 1974 Oakland A’s.† (However, if â€Å"television show† were omitted from the original sentence, no further revision would be necessary.) 2. During our discussion, we’ll hear insights from a chief financial officer, investment banker, and others. â€Å"Chief financial officer† requires the article that precedes it, while the plural pronoun others does not need one. But â€Å"investment banker† is left in the lurch; it cannot share the article that precedes the first item in the list: â€Å"During our discussion, we’ll hear insights from a chief financial officer, an investment banker, and others.† (Even if a specific designation were to replace others, an article would have to precede each item: â€Å"During our discussion, we’ll hear insights from a chief financial officer, investment banker, and chief risk officer† implies that one person with three roles, rather than three people who each have one role, is being identified.) 3. Live Nation bought a majority stake in Austin City Limits Music Festival, Bonnaroo, BottleRock, Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, and Electric Daisy Carnival. Here, some of the listed event names do not require an article, but those that end with a word describing a type of event do: â€Å"Live Nation bought a majority stake in the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Bonnaroo, BottleRock, Lollapalooza, the Governors Ball, and the Electric Daisy Carnival.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Cost-Effective vs. Cost-EfficientHow to spell "in lieu of"Types of Plots

The impact of modern technology ( mobile phone and the internet) on Essay

The impact of modern technology ( mobile phone and the internet) on young people - Essay Example This paper provides a critical analysis of the impact of modern technology on young people. The proliferation of the Internet and online growth has facilitated novel societal trends and business opportunities through the piecemeal evolution of electronic commerce, thereby creating a new social and business model accommodating the contemporary market and thereby redefining youth culture. The creation of multi-faceted digital space has seen a significant uptake by youth on a global scale, thereby perpetuating a domino effect on culture, sub-cultures and social behaviour through the â€Å"commercialisation of youth† on the one side to changing communication trends with social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo on the other (Cross, 2004: 3). Moreover, this directly correlates with the fact that 70-90% of teenagers have access to the Internet at home and the commercialisation of youth has led to market segmentation and a changing consumer market, forcing retailers to adopt a multi-retailer strategy geared towards the youth market (Levy & Weitz, 2008: 27). This has in turn created polarity in debate relating to the wider impact on youth of modern technology, which is the focus of this paper. For example, the diversity of social spaces through networks such as Facebook, internet chat rooms and MySpace for example not only changes the way in which teenagers interact, it provides a backdrop for a multitude of complex interrelated factors, which are difficult to monitor (Barabasi, 2003: 10). On the one side of the spectrum is the issue regarding commercialisation of youth through modern technology with its concurrent impact on multi-retail strategy. This is further highlighted by the increasing influence of media on youth through the deregulation of the media. The Communications Act 2003 deregulates the media in the UK to permit more cross ownership models and integration and under the Act the Office of Communication

International Marketing (report 3) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Marketing (report 3) - Essay Example The population of Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Canberra comes to about 10.1 million people. The expected market will be 374,535/10.1 million, which is about 3.74 percent of the total population. The density rate of population in developed areas is 1.2% yearly. Data as of 2010 posted the 89% urban population with 1.2% rate of urbanization. The expected sale in five years will be calculated by taking the target market which is male’s surfers and multiplying with the price of one surf board. Assuming one surfboard is $300. The expected sales will be $300 *374,535 =$112,360,500 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012). Currently there are over 4000 stores selling competitive surfboards in Australia. Since the product is innovative, no other products have been introduced to the Australian market with such advanced technology and extremely limited direct competition. The target market with regard to income of the intelligent surfboard will be part of the 78% of Australians employed and more specifically, the 58% of households earning over $41,000 per year (Yellow Social Media Report 2012). The production costs of competitors vary from $400-$1500. The marketing budget was determined based on the average disposable household income. It was calculated by the income that a single person household would require maintaining the same standard of living was $848 per week (Wilson & Bell 2004). The average amount that an Australian household spends on all sporting goods a year is at $123.24. It will be obtained by adding all the marginal costs plus net contribution. From estimation we obtain; The figure obtained is equivalent to the average amount an Australian surfer spends in surfing. The contribution is adjusted to satisfy the average customer. Average number of units produced per year becomes 10,700 i.e. 112,360,500/ (5*2100). Advertising and publicity costs of Internet and social media will meet 79% of large businesses

Article Synopsis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Synopsis - Essay Example The study offers the conclusion that Asian businesses cannot be generalized on the basis of cultural factors since many of them cater to mainstream markets. However, the second generation of Asian entrepreneurs faces a different set of challenges when compared to its elders. Having had the benefits of upbringing in the UK, the younger generation of entrepreneurs has a different mindset and opportunity when compared to its elders’ cultural experiences and practices. The success of Asian business community in the UK has turned it into an entrepreneurial role model for other immigrant communities. This is based on the fact that this ethnic group makes a significant contribution to the UK economy, arguably, even more than the mainstream community. The paper attempts to find out if cultural experiences and practices can be used to classify the success of Asian businesses. Previous studies state that it is their cultural background and practices, which give them the edge when it comes to successful businesses. Their competitiveness arises from the fact that they can use family resources in terms of labour and specialist knowledge and use ethnic network effectively for business development. The study attempts to find out if these factors can be used to determine the reason for their successful ventures. The researchers employed a semi structured qualitative approach for data analysis. Data was collected in the form of interviews with ten leading Asian entrepreneurs in the UK. Questions were framed after referring to previous literature and academic advisors. Data was also collected through e-mails and reports for a greater understanding of the subject. Moreover, interviews were recorded and transcribed to facilitate independent interpretation for the two researchers. Secondly, since one researcher represented the Asian community and other, the host community they were able to provide varied cultural perspectives to the data analysis. The researchers concluded that

Lean management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lean management - Essay Example Five principles of lean management includes specify value and identifying the customers, finding the value stream, make value flow, respond to customer pull and seek perfection (Hines, 2010). Increase in consumer demand for quality and fierce competition has created a significant impact on fast food markets. Toyota Motor Company was the first business corporation to extensively develop the concept of lean management in the late 1970s. The occurrence of global recession has created a detrimental effect on organization to reduce costs. McDonald’s have set their sights on nullifying the issue by implementation of lean management. A set of key practices have been utilized by McDonalds to deliver effective service to the customers. Overproduction, inventory, motion, wasting time, defectives and transport are the seven sources of waste that are required to be eliminated. Overproduction is one of the sources that are eliminated by McDonalds by introduction of new system to prepare limited stocks of sides, salad, ingredients and patties to combine them in to finished product. The lessening of duration of the process to 3 minutes has reduced the risk of overproduction. The organization succeeded to maintain the overall production cycle time between 1 and 15 minutes, which enhances customer satisfaction and waste reduction (Muller, 2012). One of the vital elements that company should focus on is continuous improvement by sharing best practice and regular audits. This links with the principle of pursuing perfection. The set of ideas of lean philosophy are no waste and perfect quality can be achieved by application of this process. An opportunity of wastage and cost is incurred by holding stock. McDonaldscan eliminate all inventories by implementation of sophisticated stock control system. The excess handling of goods has resulted in to occurrence of

Assignment 6 - Create an Research Paper, Resume, Cover Letter Paper

Assignment 6 - Create an , Resume, Cover Letter - Research Paper Example In this discussion, therefore, anecdotes are discussed. These anecdotes have been empowered with anticipates and doubts out of all fraction to their actual effect. The thousand minute scale experiments that are occurring now and the transformational methods must be distinguished. It is particularly vital to talk about the hopes that people invest in distributed information technology (Unraveling the Effects of the Internet on Political Participation 175). Technology will bring utopian vision. Nevertheless professional disclosure about the internet gives a standard story about the way in which the internet is supposed to transform things, that is through â€Å"disintermediation†. An example case of disintermediation is Wal-Mart. Sam Walton comprehend that people will to force further to save money and the information technology can track and forecast inventories frequently and in details (Norris 34). The concept of disintermediation is essential to the social thoughts of many computer natives: it gives their theory of transforms in markets, business firms, political institutions, higher learning, and so on. The most significant example of disintermediation is the â€Å"delivering† of organizations that are said to have occurred at around 1990; this incident by directing to the communicative purpose of middle managers. They convey message up to the information upward and downward the ladder that computer networks are well outfitted to replace. The internet has a role in mobilization and coalition work. For instance in broadcasting a message to one’s coalition partners about an activity taking place in congress. Electronic mail makes it easier to agree on a unified message or draft a collective letter. 1Political mobilization is a basic element for understanding why some associates of the public contribute while others do no (Unraveling the

Enhancment of professional development and safe practice Essay

Enhancment of professional development and safe practice - Essay Example as an individual and a professional but the wider implications of having a mission in life, are much more meaningful and have widespread influence on his life. Reflection practices therefore, become important tool of self improvement. To facilitate personal and professional growth, it is not only essential to have identified goals but acquiring new knowledge and skills to improve professional expertise has also become a pre-requisite of the changing times. Reflective practices and exercise are important tools that are designed to add value to the over all personality of the so that they would be better able to meet the challenges of the time with equanimity and confidence. The art of effective communication is one of the most important ingredients of leadership. Reflective practices help to identify our shortcoming and promote wider understanding of the various methodologies to become more articulate and become familiar with the emerging new paradigms in the social dynamics. The reflective practices encourage confidence building so that they are better prepared to tackle critical situations and meet the challenges with more conviction and composure. It entails six steps of self evaluation practice for teaching and learning process that promotes personal and professional growth (Gibbs, 1988). The different steps are designed to provide an in-depth reflection on our actions that encourages us to look at our actions from the perspective of third person so that they (actions) could be evaluated and analyzed. The self analysis thus persuades one to improve and improvise our actions so that our performance outcome is improved, leading to professional growth with safe practice for oneself and others. This is the first step on Gibbs cycle and takes a look into one’s actions within the predefined situation. What happened? The whole episode that needs reflection is sequentially focused and all the facts as they happened are taken into account or recollected. This step

Assignment 6 - Create an Research Paper, Resume, Cover Letter Paper

Assignment 6 - Create an , Resume, Cover Letter - Research Paper Example In this discussion, therefore, anecdotes are discussed. These anecdotes have been empowered with anticipates and doubts out of all fraction to their actual effect. The thousand minute scale experiments that are occurring now and the transformational methods must be distinguished. It is particularly vital to talk about the hopes that people invest in distributed information technology (Unraveling the Effects of the Internet on Political Participation 175). Technology will bring utopian vision. Nevertheless professional disclosure about the internet gives a standard story about the way in which the internet is supposed to transform things, that is through â€Å"disintermediation†. An example case of disintermediation is Wal-Mart. Sam Walton comprehend that people will to force further to save money and the information technology can track and forecast inventories frequently and in details (Norris 34). The concept of disintermediation is essential to the social thoughts of many computer natives: it gives their theory of transforms in markets, business firms, political institutions, higher learning, and so on. The most significant example of disintermediation is the â€Å"delivering† of organizations that are said to have occurred at around 1990; this incident by directing to the communicative purpose of middle managers. They convey message up to the information upward and downward the ladder that computer networks are well outfitted to replace. The internet has a role in mobilization and coalition work. For instance in broadcasting a message to one’s coalition partners about an activity taking place in congress. Electronic mail makes it easier to agree on a unified message or draft a collective letter. 1Political mobilization is a basic element for understanding why some associates of the public contribute while others do no (Unraveling the

Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Memo - Essay Example The challenge has been brought forth due to the over consumption of oil by the nation and the recent developments in global warming and its connection to some energy sources. The Government and supporting organization have continued to develop energy sources, which are cleaner, and efficient. This has mostly been experienced in the domestic energy sector. More households have taken up renewable energy sources in the form of wind, geothermal, hydro, marine and solar energy to provide for their needs. Renewable energy comprises of just over 6 percent of the total energy used in the United States, but this figure is set to grow given the technology advancement within the energy field (Worldwatch Institute, 2006, p.6). On the other hand, fossil fuels which are non renewable (Miller & Spoolman, 2012, p.370) still account for the majority share of the national energy consumption with a figure of 85% (Worldwatch Institute, 2006, p.6) Energy and Pollution A study in 2002 by the Journal of th e American Medical Association states â€Å"exposure to air pollution poses the same risks of dying from lung cancer and heart disease as does living with a smoker.† (Worldwatch Institute, 2006, p.18). ... Lead, mercury and arsenic are some of the toxic metals that are released during combustion at source and during consumption. Coal is said to emit approximately 48 tons of mercury in the air annually combined with oil they produce 42 percent of such emissions (Worldwatch Institute, 2006, p.18). Studies have shown that these emissions are directly affecting American women of childbearing age because their blood mercury concentration is high enough to kill a growing fetus (Worldwatch Institute, 2006, p.18). Water pollution is a resultant effect during energy production from fossil fuels. Water is needed for cooling in power plants and the discharge contains heat and chemicals which pollute land and water where it is released (Miller & Spoolman, 2012, p.383). Energy Sources There are numerous sources of energy that can be used in combinations to provide for all kinds of energy needs such as heating, transportation and electricity. These sources can be divided into two for renewable and n on renewable sources such as fossil fuels. America needs to improve on its renewable energy sources to cut on costs of purchasing fossil fuels from other countries, instead focus on becoming self sustaining by use of renewable sources (CSIS, 2011, p.5). The growing tensions, change in political ideologies and security concerns with oil producing countries have over the years increased risk of over reliance on oil imports (CSIS, 2011, p.14). This has seen the threat of war and fuel import restrictions between the countries grow. This has led America to seek other sustainable alternatives within its borders. Nuclear, it is used mostly in the production of electricity by boiling water to

Principles of Marketing Essay Example for Free

Principles of Marketing Essay The course content includes a study of the relationship between marketing and society, nature and functions of marketing, marketing management processes, marketing tools, the markets, and the consumers. Course Objectives The main goal of the course is to provide an overview of the basic principles underlying modern marketing theory and practice. It will provide participants with an understanding of the analysis that is necessary for taking marketing decisions, and the wide range of factors (and interactions of those factors) that need to be considered in the design of a marketing program. Students should come away with this course with an understanding of the marketing system and its role within the Malaysian economy and within an individual firm by studying how products and services are planned, priced, promoted, and distributed in order to satisfy consumers wants. Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: ? define and apply knowledge of the key marketing concepts. ? explain how marketing decisions are influenced by environment, trends and developments. ? discuss the factors influencing consumer behavior. Please dress decently and appropriately (according to university’s dress codes) when attending classes. ? Group projects ; Assignments There will be group projects and assignments. For group project, work together with your group members and at the end of the project your group members will assess your contribution to the project. You are expected to do a group presentation before submission of written copy during the semester. Assignments will be uploaded in UNIEC. In class assignments must be submitted on the specified date otherwise you may be penalized for late submission. If you encounter any problem to submit assignments on the specific date, you are required to inform the lecturer within 2 days of the specified date. For any type written assignments given, the format of the paper should be as follows: ? A cover page with your details – Name, Student ID and Sections ( as registered in CMS) ? Font: Time New Roman , size 12 with 1. 5 spacing ? Include a reference page for every assignment that you submitted. ? Forums Students are required to participate in ALL 3 forums posted by the Course Leader and marks will be assigned based on the quality of the discussion. ? Accessing/ Checking UNIEC Virtual It is utmost important for students to access and check their UNIEC Virtual for any updates and information pertaining to the course regularly throughout the semester. Ignorance is NO EXCUSE. Examination Format Final examination will be a three hours-examination. The exam will evaluate your level of understanding and knowledge acquired in this course. The question formats may consist of multiple choice, true-false, short essays, and case-based problems. Week Topics Covered Overview 1 2 3 4 Topic 1: Marketing: Managing Profitable Customer Relationship Topic 2: The Marketing Environment and the Marketing Information Topic 3: Consumer Markets and Consumer Buyer Behavior Topics/Activities Remarks/ Deadlines Introduction. Class activities: Getting to know. Overview of course plan. Marketing: Managing Profitable Customer Relationship ? Definitions of marketing ? Basic concepts of marketing ? Evolutions of marketing ? Relationship marketing ? Marketing strategy and the marketing mix ? Marketing Challenges in the future Read. The Marketing Environment and Marketing Information ? Company’s Microenvironments ? Company’s Macroenvironments ? Marketing research process Read: Forum 1 ? Kotler: Chapter 3 ; 4 ? Real Marketing 4. 2 ‘Tracking consumers on the Web: Smart targeting or a little creepy’. p 151 Class activities: ? Discuss reading materials Topic 2 ? Discuss ‘Prius: Leading a Wave of Hybrids’ case Consumer Markets and Business Market ? Consumer Buying Behavior ? Consumer Decision-making Process ? Factors Affecting Consumer Buying Behavior ? The Organizational Market ? The Organizational Buying Process.

Maritime Shipping Industry in Mozambique Digital Marketing

Maritime Shipping Industry in Mozambique Digital Marketing Research question: how does digital marketing can attract and retain customer for the maritime shipping industry in Mozambique? This era of digitalization have been proven to bring more opportunities to companies, especially nowadays where companies are running to a race to the data and the information and in the same time new ways to attract customers and retain them. One might think that Shipping companies are not able to get those opportunities since the area seems close to this technology. However, our data revealed that Even Mozambican shipping companies can indeed profit of the digital marketing in order to attract and retain customer this is in line with the finding reported by (Efthimios Poulisaà ¢Ã‹â€ -, Konstantinos Poulisb and Lawrence Dooleyc 2013) they stated that Information communication technology (ICT) and Internet technologies not only have the potential to facilitate inter-organisational collaboration and communication but also offer organisations the potential to disrupt how their industry delivers value across its supply chain. Despite the lack of infrastructure and the decision maker reported by Mr Issa Baluch who stated that Evangelista, P., Sweeney, E. (2006). Technology usage in the supply chain Shipping companies in Mozambique has the possibilities to gain profit from digital marketing because a company should challenge itself to be creative and stay more competitive especially in the shipping industry , being innovative lead a company to face competition and gain from any economic growth , this is in line with the finding reported by (Jenssen Randoy, 2006) who stated Theory suggests that the ability to innovate is one of the most important factors for survival, competitiveness, economic growth and profit in individual shipping companies. With the impact of digital marketing, now companies can perform well with the use of selected social media, indeed platforms such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram, are well known for their freedom to accessing and engaging with customers, because there is not intermediaries between the customers and the company, this is also in the line with the findings reported by Zsolt, K, Miklos, S (2014) claiming that Maersk Line garnered over 1 million fans on Facebook, 40,000 followers on Twitter, and 22,000 on Instagram. They also launched and became active on other social media networks such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+ and created a social media home base for Maersk Line called Maersk Line Social that published articles and stories about the company in a less formal manner The example about Maersk can lead shipping companies in mozambique that any kind of companies has his chance when it comes to digital marketing, and the abilities of reaching ,engaging with customer and make profits of it depends on the faculty of a company to invest themselves in the digital marketing and get to master in order to get more profits and stay competitive in a higly competitive sector. the benefit of the use of digital marketing for the maritime shipping companies The data and information we have gathered from our interviewed and the respondents of our survey questionnaires all agreed about the fact that shipping companies can really benefit from the digital because firstly because its a company in the first place and secondly digital marketing is a tool that can allow companies to get more attention from customers. This coincide with the findings of loredana (2015) , he stated that many companies are interested to increase the use of the content marketing tool in their marketing policy, as they notice the limitations of the traditional marketing communication strategy, as well as the huge opportunities brought by digital marketing Many companies are indeed interested by the digital marketing as a an alternative tool from the traditional marketing but in order to run perfectly in the shipping industry, digital marketing must be used in a certain environment, Mr Issa Baluch stated that In a holistic environment, when I say holistic, I am incorporating the part of digital marketing in all the scheme of digitalization then its very important to attract and retain customer in the industry. In isolation, just doing this without digitalizing the rest of the supply chain in the company, I think its a problem and the problem is they must be a link between marketing, operations, finance. In our research weve discovered that most companies are afraid of digital marketing, this fear comes from two reasons, the first one is a generation , most shipping companies , the biggest one are in the area for a long time and for those who managed to survive without digital marketing, is hard to think that tool can bring so much opportunities. The second reason is some companies have a passive attitude toward digital media and they do the least effort just to be in the trend of digitalization and not actually invest themselves more in the process, companies are either not aware of what happens in the digital world or they just dont want to influence or redirect their current strategy, this is in line with the finding from (Jenssen, J.I., Randoy 2006) it stated that companies know that they can enhance their performance with the digital marketing but dont want to and dont wish to. In the same time, it can show that companies are afraid of the competition when it comes to digital marketing, they prefer adopting a passive attitude toward technology and also make less profit , because they dont want the competition to benchmark their strategy and do the same thing. There is a conflict here between being innovative technologically and attracts more customer and in the same being productive and competitive , and dont allows another companies to grasp their way to communicate and make profit , the best way is to say at a minimum level and keep his objectives too at the minimum. However regarding this matter, Mr Issa Baluch stated that as the history as taught us, those who have embarked on digitalization in other countries, they have been able to particularly retain customers because you have customer data bank, you have them hook at you, you can service them and its easy to gage the plus and the minus because they are with you We can say that digital marketing should be considered as a mean to gain visibility and attraction, it allows companies to be more efficient in his desire to attract more people in his whole vision and retain them with his philosophy and service. So we can say that the tool itself digital marketing can be beneficial to shipping companies in order to reach customers, after that step companies should capitalize on that attraction by using promotion of his services and advertising , in order to those opportunities to be well managed especially in the maritime area , digital marketing must be used into all the departments of a company in order to create a whole ecosystem, allowing customers to be followed on each step they pursued while reaching a company for his services, we are talking here from the marketing perspective, the finance perspective and the actual service. Now regarding the Mozambique, Digital marketing can be beneficial for the maritime shipping companies in Mozambique however before managing to capitalize on this attraction and retention, Mozambican companies must know how to use it, in order to get full advantages of what he can offer as opportunities. When we talk about opportunities, we refer to adjective, such as competitiveness, brand awareness etc. that allow companies to be on the edge of the technology and be more competitive with others companies. Regarding Africa and especially Mozambique, digital marketing can indeed be beneficial for the maritime shipping companies especially for the main reason that it can be handled online dont fully required a premium infrastructure at least in the beginning to perform, especially for platform such as ecommerce which is well spread around the country adding to that features related to online application such as online payment. However the limits can come quite rapid and the need of a required infrastructure in order to perform in a higher level. This kind of issue could be fixed by the willing of the Mozambique on the edge of technology and stay competitive. Mr Issa Baluch stated that Ecommerce in general is taking off, and its very big in other countries but in Africa it is wanted, it is still crippling, the reasons are the laws are not yet in part of the development We can considered that factor as a lack of taking advantage of an actual online potential for maritime companies and for the country as well. Shipping companies can benefit from the digital marketing in Mozambique, since digital is still considered a new tool, it requires investment, learning and mastering in order to perform well and get results wanted by companies. Weve discovered through our research that social media is one of the features of digital marketing that are the most used , communication through platform such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram Digital marketing profit of the technological advantage on being able to use data to specify and targeted a customer need thanks to the data collection provided by those platform using complicated algorithm in order to be specific on what a customer really want to be satisfy in terms of product and services. The digital marketing can enhance and be profitable for the shipping company and industry if its implemented Through our research , weve discovered that companies have some reluctance to implement digital marketing in their marketing strategy , weve also discovered that these factors are from two origins : a generational issue, long time companies are afraid to reveal informations of their company because of the competition or simply because of the easy access of the information nowadays, sensible information can be leaked or competitors can take advantages of a flaw discovered online , finally they dont think its worthy. The second origin is due to a passive way to not get fully advantage of the digital marketing and in the same time , they dont have the requirements in order to master the knowhow, indeed digital marketing even though it seems to have simple features, it requires learning and mastering to perform well. Our main finding is that customers are the backbones of maritime companies, because it allowed them to be more creative and renew themselves regularly this is in line with the finding stating To understand a company and its products, consumers need to know what type of company they have to do with, as well as what values are associated with it and how its employees come to meet the customers needs (Denning 2011, 47) The customer orientation is a highly a discussed issue in the logic that shipping companies are not different from others companies from others sectors in the fact that they need customers to survive and their efforts should be directed customers of the maritime shipping companies. Customer orientation for the shipping company is an important matter because it defines their strategy and in term of digital marketing that can be also seen as a limit due to the fact that some companies are so eager to please their customer that it can influence their strategy in the end. However since customer orientation is different from the complexity of each customer, betting on please customers that way, can jeopardize the image of a company and sometimes there is no turning back to this kind of situation. Our finding reveal that companies that have a digital marketing face tend to attract more customers than the others companies which dont. Internet technologies are indeed an effective tool to engage with customers and in the same time to reduce cost, it shows that companies with a functional and regularly updated website attracts more customers and also provide more customer service, this is in line with the finding stated by Mr Issa Baluch saying that companies that are succeeding must have their hand on their website because this is the face of the company and then build on it This suggest that shipping companies which takes the step of digital have better responses to his customer , if they have an updated website in order to answer in the best way the need of the customer. Through our research, weve noticed that regarding the shipping maritime industry in Mozambique or in general, we have two types of company The one with an open minded philosophy and vision that embraces new technology such as digital marketing, learn how to use, and mastering it in order to perform well and make the most from it, make profits, have more visibility and brand awareness The second type which is a shipping company that think that invest in such strategies is worthless for the reasons quoted earlier ( fear, passive attitude etc) and would still survive the year despite the technological loss and potential that they can use in order to be so much more efficient and face the competition with more accuracy and efficiency. Propositions Companies can benefit from digital marketing in general however our research is focused on the shipping industry , and that complicates thing because according to our finding companies can survive without having to use and implement digital marketing in their strategy. The environment of the maritime industry allows companies with a portfolio of customer to be able to succeed without relying on other technology thats the reason why maritime industry is considered as a low technology sector compared to other sectors such as automotive. Thats why the subject was interesting to pursue, as reported by Efthimios P, Konstantinos P Lawrence D (2011) they stated that they explore the impact that the digital networked environment is having on the traditional service-based industry of freight shipping within global supply chains Although our data seems to fit to this particular subject however we have some propositions regarding the matter , we think that digital marketing would be beneficial for maritime shipping companies, especially to small one that need visibility in this volatile environment dominated by the big firms. I would be profitable for a company to implement digital marketing in his strategy, in order to profit to the digital tools that lead companies to communicate at all levels, because of the nature of his environment, shipping industry is highly competitive so digital marketing could be an alternative to grasp some markets parts especially in Mozambique where the big firms have the most of the market share and the small one have to share the remaining left. Social media should be better considered by maritime companies in Mozambique because when its mastered as the example of Maersk, it can bring several opportunities, however when misused or when a company doesnt know to used it, it could jeopardize the image of a brand or a company, that could fatal for a sector so competitive; thats why it should not be taken for granted otherwise the consequences could be bad and in the same time, a company could miss several opportunities to be more competitive. Countries such as Mozambique shows an increase level of technology use, via the spreading of smartphones and the development of online structure such as ecommerce and online payment, digital marketing would be a huge help to capitalize on those factors and could open the road to the use of other tools of the digital marketing such as the search engine media. According to our findings It would advantageous for maritime shipping industry to considered the use of email marketing as a way to communicate and engage with customer , they could add this tool to the social media to reach a bigger audience while staying professional. Limitations To give out a robust work on this domain, it would be useful to carry out a large study scale with more Mozambican companies, the real issue was since everything (survey and questionnaires) was made online , people tend to not answer to surveys , we could use more of people answering directly of survey questionnaire allowing us to gather more data We could also added to that, a case study related to the subject in order to compare between two different time, the time where the case study was published against a new recollection of data for the same area and the same subject We could also regret the lack of studies or essays regarding the digital marketing for the maritime shipping in Mozambique or Africa in general, most Africans countries can encounters the same issue and face the same challenges, so it could be an interesting way to improve thing for future generations. Given the importance of maritime shipping industry and also as the backbone of the commerce of some countries especially in Africa, the main implication from a research point of view is that further and more advanced investigations could be done in this field for Africa or a specific country in order to show that shipping companies can benefit from the use of digital marketing and can improve his visibility , and also can attract and retain customer even for this field , those facts can be applied to other fields as well.

Estrangement in Joseph Conrads Amy Foster and in Rebecca Wests The Re

Estrangement in Joseph Conrad's Amy Foster and in Rebecca West's The Return of the Soldier The concept of male estrangement in an alien environment is portrayed in both Joseph Conrad’s short story, Amy Foster, as well as in Rebecca West’s book, The Return of the Soldier. First, there are adverse reactions to the male protagonists’ placement in their environments. The reactions vary between the protagonists and the people they come into contact with. Second, there are similarities and differences between the way the two authors chose to explore the situations presented. Third, both protagonists handle their estrangement differently. It is hard to behave appropriately when you are among peculiar customs. It seems ironic that in both instances, the protagonist has reached the alien environment from violent circumstances. In Amy Foster, the main character, Yanko Goorall, falls victim to a shipwreck, leaving him stranded in a mysterious land. For instance, Conrad writes: â€Å"†¦he was a castaway†¦washed ashore here in a storm. And for him†¦England was an undiscovered country† (Conrad 140). Upon arrival, he was desperate and in need of shelter and sustenance, causing him to appear as though he was behaving erratically. â€Å"The driver of Mr. Bradley’s milk-cart made no secret of it that he had lashed with his whip at a hairy sort of gipsy fellow who, jumping at a turn of the road†¦made a snatch at the pony’s bridle† (Conrad 145). This is justified by the narrator who claims: â€Å"Maybe that in his desperate endeavours to get help, and in his need to get in touch with some one, the poor devil had tried to stop the cart† (Con rad 145). Although Yanko had appeared to be behaving oddly, his behaviors were also responded to in a rather harsh f... ... from his present life, back to a time when he was safe and happy. In conclusion, the idea of male estrangement in an alien environment is examined in both Joseph Conrad’s fabulous short story, Amy Foster, as well as in Rebecca West’s sad tale, The Return of the Soldier. First, various reactions occur. There are the reactions to the protagonists as well as the reactions of the protagonists. Second, the authors chose to explore different situations. Despite this fact, there are a few similarities in both situations. Third, each protagonist explores his situation differently. One runs from his past, his eyes gleaming with a brighter future. The other openly embraces his past, while rejecting his present life and hoping for a second chance. There is no easy way of going about it, and it is interesting how similar yet different both of these adventures are.

Gender Roles Today Essay

1. What subtle messages about sex, gender, gender identity and roles, and sexuality were evident in these images? There were many subtle messages when it came to the ads shown in the video. When it came to sexuality, women were shown to be vulnerable and weak; an example is the gang bang shown in the D&G ad with men surrounding the woman. Men are shown as dominant and having control over the woman in many images. Gender identity is similar when it comes to sex; women are shown to be soft, flawless and unrealistically thin; also, I noticed no lesbians in the ads as if gay women don’t exist. Also, men are shown in an unrealistic light and identity; for example, the old rich man who can have any woman because he is rich. As mentioned in the video, this gives many men anxiety and pressure to be ‘rich’. I think all together sex, sexuality and gender roles are shown in a very negative and mostly unrealistic light. 2. What was your response to seeing these images discussed in this way? Was it new to you? Had you noticed different messages being sent to men and women as you flipped through magazines before? Will you look at images in the media in a different way after watching this video? I was really shocked by the images shown in the video. I can’t say I’ve never seen the images shown but I’ve definitely never thought of the subtle messages behind them. I have to say it definitely provided an explanation to me as to why people struggle with things like weight and even depression. I realized media does put an immense amount of pressure on women to be thin but i never noticed the prejudice when it came to gender identity roles. I never noticed the vulnerability of women portrayed and the role of weakness that they place in these ads. All of it is surprising to me especially because I feel like women’s roles have changed over time. Right now they are considered head ho nchos of many companies and as mentioned in the beginning of the video, many companies who have women managing these corporations make more money. 3. How does Jackson Katz show that men’s behaviors are socially constructed and socially learned?  Jackson Katz demonstrates that men’s behavior is socially constructed and learned through the interviews in the beginning of the video. It is clear that men all have the same definition of what it means to be a ‘man’. On top of the one-on-one interviews, he also shows statistics that prove as evidence of men feeling the need to live up to this tough exterior. It showed that between men and women, men were often the violent offenders. He also shows examples of how media and companies put on peer pressure on to men to be a certain way. 4. How does a key social institution, the Media, shape how we perceive men in American society?  In the video, Katz uses the media and the men of large corporations like Disney who cause gender stereotypes. In general, I think the media has portrayed the male gender as dominant, tough, and ‘strong’. The media uses magazines, ads, TV commercials, and any other outlet exposed to the public. I believe even when it comes to the news, men who violate the law are more in the mainstream than women.

M&S Case Study

BRUNEL UNIVERSITY? SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN LOGISTICS AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT M&S Case study Assignment Mark&Spencer As it is well known, the retailer M&S had been a giant in the UK market, offering several products and services that have had a big participation in the daily life of the population that in some way had been influenced by any branch of this company in any place where they stay selling its goods, whether in the UK or on overseas places.Marks & Spencer owns no factories and does not make the goods, which are sold in its stores, which represent a different approach to the retailer business and gives some advantages that M&S enjoy. The key element in furthering its competitive advantage has been the development of strong supplier relationships which although have had suffer several changes in the past few years because of strategies in the market and distinct factors, they maintain as an essential part of the business. Marks and Spencer’s mission statement is broken into 3 parts which include:Vision – To be the standard against which others are measured Mission – To make aspirational quality accessible to all and Values – Quality value, service, innovation and trust. Representation on M&S general operations * Given that M&S had an image problem in the past, what change did it make and is making to its clothing business to enhance its competitiveness? The serious problems of image that M&S had in the pass were consequence of several decisions and assessments made by its board and especially very often by the chairman and the chief executive.There is one factor that shaped for long time all the decisions made in the company; â€Å"the culture of Marks&Spencer†, this way of thinking was the method to use for manage the firm for many years from its beginning until the changes in the market and in the customers did not fit with that culture anymore. In lights of these events and in the increasing probl ems, severe changes has to be made, changes that were enough to return the plot to the company in their market that was falling as consequence of this.The quality of the clothes was not the same and the customers get realised of that as they begun to claim about it. Moreover, the bad winter season in 1999 coinciding with the retail sales downturn put a starting point in the definitive necessity of changes in M&S. 1999 was a year to forget in the UK clothing sector. Can be said that the beginning of the first change made was the incorporation as chief executive of Peter Salsbury to succeed eventually to Sir Richard Greenbury.The first approach to changes was a series of radical culling in the board of the company, which meant a change from the top-down in the structure of the organization and the incorporation of the technology in the communicational way among the board members which it have to be stress, they were not familiarised with new technologies, these initial changes made by Salsbury were aimed to vanish the old fashion way of manage the company and dismantling symbols of the old regime; many people were removed from the administration work to go to dealing with costumers’ needs.A general reorganization that split the company into UK retail, overseas and financial services was made as well. As another remarkable change, was the approach to the renewed focus on the client itself and the fulfilment of its necessities, part of the image problems was because of the treatment to the customer from the staff of M&S, as part of the change process, a new department of marketing was created in order to enhance the advertisement and to gain customers over from the dynamical market they deal with, new thinking and new minds were ired, and the marketing department would take over many decisions of the buying departments to support in the decision of what the customers wanted. Within this period the board of the firm had realised that some of the overseas bus iness and UK suppliers had become a millstone for M&S rather than a support, and were put up for sale and dismissed respectively.The period of changes that M&S was going trough with the severe culling and reorganization processes, brought a new image problems to the company, as consequence the entire personnel was demoralized and downright, the spirit of the company to its staff and the trust of its suppliers was totally destroyed. Being clear that these methods and managing was not working anymore as a part of a past of revolution in the company, new changes have to come. Although, Peter Salsbury had accomplished the evolution and change of the culture of M&S.After this Luc Vandevelde as a chairman contributed with several changes in the clothes line of M&S, as was the entry of George Davis to the firm to develop and deliver to the public a new brand called â€Å"Per Una†, in aims to revitalize the women’s clothing sales as a strategy from the board. New changes are b eing made in order to enhance the competitiveness in the clothing business, changing the look to the stores with lighter colours, new tills, better lighting.M&S has turn itself in a company that owns a staff full of youth and freshness, consequently, the company has give back the quality to its goods, quality that was a flag in the â€Å"golden years of M&S†, with several new clothing brands fitted to both gender and to every stage in the life of people, this wide range of goods cleverly design on age and occasions are the product of selected designers and their teems pushing to deliver nothing but the very best to all the M&S’s customers, this fact is a sample of a great change that the company has made managing to recover the trust of the customers and the treatment of excellence to the clients that the current business and the market require.As part of the new times and challenges, the board of the company nowadays effectively had set clear points in the taking-deci sion process as is to debate and agree the best strategy for the Company and hold the executive team accountable for its execution, this permit a very dynamic way to involve anyone to the final decision in order to guarantee a wise decision that push to the continue enhancement and development of the current business plan and finally, to set the tone of ‘doing the right thing', supported by the right governance structures and their effective implementation. * Specifically and in detail, what changes were made to the M&S supply chain strategy in the light of these changes?Evidently as the culture of M&S was created and leaded by several men with the same way of thinking, the most remarkable characteristics of this culture was the relationship with the suppliers of M&S, that was based on an close and unique relationship that have been prevailed by several decades in some cases. This supply chain based on trust from the firm to its suppliers gave shape to the UK retail market for many years. The board planned the new strategy implemented to the supply chain by the end of the year 2000; this strategy consisted on the change of suppliers from the UK to other overseas instead. Amid the changes on reorganization of M&S in general, the board had realised that the hearty link with the traditional suppliers in the UK was no longer affordable enough and represent a millstone for the company.The first place to be pointed as an overseas supply branch was in Portugal owing to the mix positive factors of cheaper manufacturing costs and the short distance to the UK that would not affect the supplement of goods in the stores for time reasons as start happening with others overseas supplier that because they were so far from UK the time of delivery influenced in the schedules and logistics of M&S. Nevertheless, some UK suppliers that closed their factories repositioned themselves in North Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and China; Looking for cheap workhand and opening in thi s way an overseas market of suppliers for the company and at the same time a beneficial reduction of cost for M&S despite the exportation activities involve in this operations, demonstrating this way that the strategy implemented in lights of the changes has just paid off.Another important change was specially related to the clothing range â€Å"Per Una† leaded by the designer George Davis which consist in the direct delivery of the clothe and accessories from nothing more but his organisation to M&S, as part of a agreement maid at the beginning of his business relationship whit the company, this represent a self-sufficient branch in the supply chain of the firm. Some other changes were made on M&S regarding to its branches in Europe, specifically to the supply chain that maintain the European branch of the company in countries as Spain, Holland, France and Germany. They have to concentrate the efforts in the UK market so they decided to finish the overseas branches, represen ting a culling on the supply chain to those countries and leaving the supply chain operations directly to UK. * What are the different supply chain performance objectives for the different product groups? Classic| Autograph| Per Una| Indigo| Blue Harbour| Product Range| Short – Mature Customers| Long – Wide Range Customers| Short – Fashion Woman 25-35 years old| Short – women with busy lives| Long – Men’s casual clothes for weekends| Design Changes| No frequent| Trend| Frequent| Seasonal| Seasonal| Price| Expensive – ‘value-for-money' prices| Competitive ‘High Street Pricing'| Good Value| Average | Expensive – ‘value-for-money' prices| Quality| High| Aspirational Quality| High| Aspirational Quality| High| Sales Volume| High| Low – Limited| Low – Limited| High – seasonal| High – seasonal| Order Winners| Smart, Elegant & quality clothes| Fashion ability| Exclusivity| Fashionable for e veryday use| Casually smart clothes| Order Qualifiers| Quality and value on the clothes| Clothing wide range and high street prices| Affordable price| Everyday-workday casualwear| Smart casual menswear for weekends occasion| Operation Priorities| Reliability – aimed to mature costumers | Cost – Sharpen pricing – great value| Flexibility – Very fast response| Speed – high fluency on the selling of this clothes| Quality – unique menswear brand| References â€Å"The rise & fall of Marks & Spencer †¦ And how it rose again† by Judi Bevan, edition revised and updated in 2007. Bookmarque, Croydon, Surrey. ISBN-10: 1 86197 898 7. * â€Å"Logistics and supply chain management† by Martin Christopher, Fourth Edition, FT Prentice Hall – Financial times. * â€Å"Operation Management† by Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston, Sixth Edition, FT Prentice Hall – Financial times. * Marks & Spencer Annual Repo rt and Financial Statements 2000 * Marks & Spencer Annual Report and Financial Statements 2006 * â€Å"Issues of Marks & Spencer† by OxbridgeWriters. com * â€Å"Marks & Spencer† by Nardine Collier and Gerry Johnson, Case Teaching Notes, Pearson Education Limited 2005.