Siemenss knowledge management strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Siemenss knowledge management strategy - Essay Example This essay discusses that the ability of the government to protect and make effective use of the intellectual capital of the workforce declines with an increase of the retirement rate among the federal workforce. The agency loses its timely decision making ability with the lack of critical knowledge. Where there is lack of knowledge management, agencies are neither able to execute their projects in a timely manner nor they able to complete the project within the estimated cost. Having assessed this dilemma, a representative of the Aberdeen Group said, â€Å"Knowledge workers today are losing productivity in an endless search for information they know resides in the organization but is not easily accessible†. One way for an agency to spread the critical knowledge of program to a wide range of stakeholders is by implementing an effective knowledge framework along with an enterprise-wide strategy of knowledge management. Teams benefit from this flexibility by gaining a way to com prehend the effects as well as interdependencies of the constantly changing environments along the project’s life. The data an agency has at a certain point in time is nothing more than mere representation of the temporal circumstances. There needs to be an appropriate knowledge management strategy in place to understand the relation of the data with different variables and to use it in the decision making process. The knowledge management strategy enables the workers to use the knowledge in the decision making process as they are able to completely understand different aspects of the knowledge. This paper looks into the knowledge management strategies implemented by the Siemens Company. Literature Review The Frid’s Knowledge Management Model Various strategies and models have been conventionally proposed for knowledge management. One of such models is the Frid’s Knowledge Management Model. The Frid’s Knowledge Management Model divides the assessment leve ls of knowledge management maturity into five levels. These five levels are â€Å"knowledge chaotic, knowledge aware, knowledge focused, knowledge managed, and knowledge centric† (Haslinda and Sarinah, 2009, p. 195). The first level proposes that organizations tend to comprehend and implement the Frid framework of knowledge management by working upon the vision, objectives, and indices of knowledge management. In order to optimize on their potential of knowledge management, organizations tend to advocate and adapt the departmental vision of knowledge management. The second level of knowledge awareness considers organizations to be at a higher step than the ones at knowledge chaotic. At this point, organizations need to focus on the development on a road map of knowledge management and a collaborative working with the office of knowledge management. The third level requires organizations to cover the aspects of implantation just like in the lower two levels. At this level, org anizations need to integrate the knowledge management into the process engineering, develop initial infrastructure of service, training and knowledge management, and make the budgets inclusive of knowledge management. â€Å"[T]he fourth level termed as knowledge managed adopt the fundamental activities suggested in level one, two and three other than organizations should attempt to embed knowledge management in performance reviews and also in business plans apart† (Haslinda and Sarinah, 2009, p. 193). Knowledge centric is the highest level of the implementation maturity of knowledge mana

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Essay Example for Free

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Essay The research gives the patient as well as the doctors and other healthcare professionals the education to be able to make the best decisions possible with treatments for each different individual as well as the support of the Government in this research. â€Å"The economics of medical product development determines how pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies establish their funding priorities. According to industry estimates, it takes an average of $800 million and 10-15 years to develop a new drug, medical device, or biologic and bring it to the market† [ (Resnick, 2003) ] Scope The overall scope of PhRMA is to do research in improving the quality of healthcare and how to do this. With the ultimate goal being patients receiving health care that is most efficient. Making sure that the research that is done is prioritized by the needs of the patients as well as society as a whole, having the research cover not only specific treatments costs and savings, but the costs of all healthcare treatments as a whole. As well as making sure that all technologies are used appropriately in all of healthcare. Design The design of PhRMA is to make sure that the research that is done is quality research. The data needs to be sufficient in nature as well as having the studies that are done show both the opportunities to improve as well as the strengths to improve upon. Making sure that the research that is done is up to date in this ever changing field so that it is providing the best results possible. The research needs to be both of a broad nature as well as a specifically direct nature, covering aspects that are important to society and the patients. Considering both economic issues and how well patients can be productive members of society, doing additional research to get patients to that point if they are not. Application PhRMA needs to make sure that the research that they are doing shows that not all patients are equal in the needs that they have medically and that if the research is not done on a personal level and done instead on a population level then the results will not show the individuals needs. In short, research that is done on a broader spectrum is only one way that can help people and the doctors to make an informed decision on care. With all of the technology that is out in the world of healthcare people needs to be informed on the other options that they may have for treatment. The government research should consider a balance in communicating the findings of its research. Giving access to peer reviewed results so that treatment decisions are well rounded before a decision is made. â€Å"Government decisions related to the funding and conduct of health outcomes research should be made through open, transparent procedures that ensure appropriate and timely involvement of stakeholders such as patients, health care professionals and medical researchers on issues such as proposed research goals, study designs and communication of study results. † [ (Resnick, 2003) ] In this communication, keeping in mind that all people can react differently to different treatments making sure to keep the needs of the patients as well as the value in mind. Discussion The article that I read was very interesting. I did not realize with the complication of research, especially with in the healthcare industry exactly how much of it really does affect the economy. Giving patients the variety in the different treatments that they receive can have a positive effect on the economy. It can over time change pricing (costs inputs), and with additional research that is constantly done on the variety of the treatments over time will help to create medical advances over time.  In the mission statement of PhRMA it states â€Å"To conduct effective advocacy for public policies that encourage discovery of important new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical and biotechnology research companies.

William Faulkner Essay -- essays research papers

Faulkner grew up in Mississippi in the beginning of the twentieth century ('William Faulkner'; 699). He was the son to Murray C. and Maud Butler Faulkner (Hoffman 13). Growing up in the South in the early 1900's meant being exposed to harsh racism. He watched the blacks endure unbelievable amounts of cruelty and was amazed at how the blacks conducted themselves with such dignity. He witnessed, first hand, what discrimination is and could not comprehend why this goes on. In many of Faulkner's works I found that he portrayed blacks as quite,easy-going, well-tempered people. He attempted to show them as heroes. It is my belief that Faulkner writes about the south because that is the subject that has affected his life most. Faulkner's 'Barn Burning'; takes place in the late nineteenth century South. Primarily a story about the relationship between father and son, the story presents itself through the use of symbolism. The most vital sign being fire. The fire is much like the main character in the story, Abner. Both Abner and the fire are uncontrollable and destroy anything in its way, having respect for nothing. Sarty, Abner's son, dislikes what his father does out of acts of hate and tries to stop it (Faulkner 'Barn'; 23). He attempts to put out the 'fire'; inside his father. He is sick of his family's way of life and is ready for a change no matter what it takes, even if it means going against his own blood. No matter what is done, they can not stop Abner from lashing out and burning buildings. Through his sheer enjoyment of the negative sides of his anger and power, Abner rips his family apart. He does so by forcing his family to put up with the consequences of his actions. In a way, Faulkner wr ites as a moralist. He demonstrates, through his character Abner, why a reasonable approach to adversity and letdowns is necessary, to avoid allowing one's problems to get so bad that they can engulf the subject like an inferno. In this story Mrs. DeSpain's 'nigger'; acts loyally and tries to save his owner's animals from the fire that were in the barn. Faulkner's book 'Intruder in the Dusk,'; is the story of a Negro, Lucas Beauchamp, who is wrongfully accused of murder by many whites in the town of Jefferson Mississippi. Instead of telling everyone that he not the murderer, he actually pretends to be the killer and wishes to be innocent... ...and half-Negro (Faulkner 'Bear'; 65). The theme of this particular story is Ike maturing and following his southern traditions. He grew up to become an excellent hunter that showed respect for his fellow hunters as well as the wilderness. As John Lyndenberg wrote, 'The hunters from Jefferson are gentlemen and sportsmen, representing the ideals of the old order at its best, the honor,dignity, and courage of the South'; (Lyndenberg 385). As hard as it may be at times to read Faulkner's writings, I believe that it is well worth the effort. I found some of his writings, particularly his early ones, difficult to understand because he sometimes changes tense in the middle of a sentence and he also seems to enjoy writing with a Southern accent which does not make his writings any easier to read. For example in 'The Bear'; and in "Barn Burning,'; Faulkner consistently uses 'hit'; instead of 'it.'; He has a very down to Earth theme throughout his works: The theme being the coming of age type issue. All the stories I wrote about contain this maturing theme in one way or another. Faulkner is both a writer and a teacher-there is much to learn from his works.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza (pronounced /tÊÆ'iË Ã‹Ë†tÊÆ'É›n iË Ã‹Ë†tsÉ‘Ë /;[1] from Yucatec Maya: Chi'ch'à ¨en ÃÅ'itsha',[2] â€Å"at the mouth of the well of the Itza†) is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatà ¡n Peninsula, in the Yucatà ¡n state, present-day Mexico. Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classicthrough the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of the Early Postclassic period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, from what is called â€Å"Mexicanized† and reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion. The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained by Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropologà ­a e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History, INAH). The land under the monuments had been privately-owned until March 29, 2010, when it was purchased by the state of Yucatan.[3] he Maya name â€Å"Chich'en Itza† means â€Å"At the mouth of the well of the Itza.† This derives fromchi', meaning â€Å"mouth† or â€Å"edge†, and ch'e'en, meaning â€Å"well.† Itzà ¡ is the name of an ethnic-lineage group that gained political and economic dominance of the northern peninsula. The name is believed to derive from the Maya itz, meaning â€Å"magic,† and (h)à ¡, meaning â€Å"water.† Itzà ¡ in Spanish is often translated as â€Å"Brujas del Agua (Witches of Water)† but a moNorthern Yucatà ¡n is arid, and the rivers in the interior all run underground. There are two large, natural sink holes, called cenotes, that could have provided plentiful water year round at Chichen, making it attractive for settlement. Of the two cenotes, the â€Å"Cenote Sagrado† or Sacred Cenote(also variously known as the Sacred Well or Well of Sacrifice), is the most famous. According to post-Conquest sources (Maya and Spanish), pre-Columbian Maya sacrificed objects and human beings into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god Chaac. Edward Herbert Thompson dredged the Cenote Sagrado from 1904 to 1910, and recovered artifacts of gold, jade,pottery, and incense, as well as human remains.[7] A recent study of human remains taken from the Cenote Sagrado found that they had wounds consistent with human sacrifice.[8]

Culture Discrimination in School Essay

Magdoline Asfahani.’s â€Å"Time to Look and Listen â€Å" is a descriptive essay in wich Magdoline explains how she expirience Culture discrimination in school and try to balance her identity in ways that honored her parents cultures while embracing American-born values. Magdoline states that , is painful and hard to keep emotions under control , her anger , resentment , pain can breack though and overwhelm what she try to portray in a cool, rational manner . Magdoline explains how she deal with discrimination in her school because of her culture . In the essay , Magdoline expands the reasons of been discrimanate because of her ethnicity , race and for be an immigrant at school. First , Magdoline describes ethnicity as culture discriminatio in school . She explains that as a younh child immigrant raised with a conscious respect for America that many people take for granted. . She further explains that discrimination is not unique to America because it occurs in any country that allows immingration . Magdoline clearly states that â€Å"Anyone who is unlike the majority is looked at the a little suspiciously , dealt with a little differently. â€Å"(68). She affirms that everything change for her U.S Marine barracks in Beirut had been bombed, at school her classmates ataunt her with cruel names , attacking her heritage and religion . She said that after a while she try to forget her ethnicity because her classmates told her that she came from an uncivilixed , brutal place .Magdoline did feel like to murderers. Second , In the essay Magdoline expands on the reasons that race is a culture discrimination in school . She affirms that beacuse of her race she stopped inviting friends over dinner , because she thought the food was weird. She said that it is humiliate for her to let her friend know where her parents come from because of their accents . Magdoline further explains that she felt exclude and began to turn into someone without a past. She states that â€Å"Why should an adolecent be asked questions like is it true you hate jews and you want to destroyed? â€Å"(69). She explain that her parents never said anything even alluding to such snetiments . Third , Magdoline iliminates that to be an immigrant is a reason for be discriminate in school . Sje explains that while she was at shool one teache bulling her when she told the proferor that she is goimh to the Meddle East . Magno states that â€Å" who knew nothing abouth Arabs and Muslim except what they saw on television seemed like a bad dream â€Å" ( 69). She affirms that she realize now that she come from a culture that has a rich history . In conclusion ,Magnoline explaind that culture discrimination in school still but it needs to be done , not for sake any particulare ethnic or cultural groups but for sake of our country .She enlightens the education is hey to undestand an as Americans we need to take a time to look and listen carefully to what is aroud us and not rush to judgment without knowing the fact .Magnoline affirms that expirience Culture discrimination in school is because we have differnet ethnicity, race or for been an immigrant but discrimination is not unique to America because it occurs in any country that allows immingration.

21950183087900 Essays - Xiaomi, Smartphones, Economy Of China

21950183087900 Essays - Xiaomi, Smartphones, Economy Of China 21950183087900 Xiaomi's globalization strategies Location: Astana Course Code: MGMT621 Course Name: Strategic Management Professor: Stephan J. Wirtz , MA, MBA, DDA Student(s) Name(s) : Nurzhan Sikhimov INTRODUCTION The work aims to study and analyze the factors that led to the success of Xiaomi company, its current position among its competitors in the domestic and the world market. Xiaomi was founded in April 6, 2010 by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun, who is one of China's top 20 richest person with net worth US$ 9.1 billion according to Forbes. It crafted smartphone hardware, software, and internet services as well as accessories with the help of smart and talented people that it hired from Google, Kingsoft, Microsoft, Motorola, Yahoo and other successful technology companies around the globe. Xiaomi has sold more than 60 million smartphones worldwide in 2014, with more than 18 million handsets in China alone, resulting in US$ 12 billion revenue. Their presence is mainly in the Asian region such as China, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines. Xiaomi's focus is to produce reliable, user friendly, mobile applications and affordable phones to customers. Xiaomi is currently the third largest smartphone producer in the world with over 5,000 employees worldwide. As of December 2014, Xiaomi has achieved the status of the most valuable technology start-up in the world after it successfully secured US$1.1 billion investment with a company valuation of US$ 45 billion [1] To understand reasons for the company's success, the business model canvas and SWOT analyses of the company are made. The studied scientific works and articles made it possible to consider the world smartphone industry, the place of Huawei in it, its abilities to survive in the tough struggle in the international market , present some solutions to sustainability of Huawei's competitive advantage. The business model canvas of the company KEY PARTNERS Google Youku Todou KEY ACTIVITIES Software development VALUE PROPOSITION Hig h tech affordable smartphones Customer oriented Link between hardware and software CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS Use of customer feedback for developing new products and technology Customer engagement CUSTOMER SIGMENTS Middle class customers KEY RESOURSES W ebsite and online stores I T and communications infrastructure M anufacturing facilities. Content development CHANNEL S E-commerce Few physical stores Advertisement through customers COST STRUCTURE Production RD REVENUE STREAMS Smartphone sales Other devices sales SWOT Analyses for Xiaomi S trengths One of the Largest Smartphone maker - Xiaomi is one of the largest smartphone makers in the world. It is said to be the 5th largest smartphone manufacturer as of 2017. Originating from China, the Smartphones are manufactured in huge quantities and have wide acceptance across the world. Highest selling Smartphone - The REDMI Note 4 became the highest selling smartphone in India and China and practically in 50% of the Asian market. This shows that Xiaomi is strongly rising in the smartphone market and has already beaten several giants. Huge China and Asia market available - Another benefit to Xiaomi is that the whole Asian market is their playground. As China lies within Asia and as Chinese mobile brands are highly penetrated in the Asian markets , Xiaomi still has a lot of ground to explore. Good Qualityproducts - Even at such low prices, no one can doubt the quality of Xiaomi phones. The smartphones are regularly rated high on all E-commerce portals - a further proof that Xiaomi does not compromise on quality even if lowers the price regularly. E-commerce advantage - The Flash sale model is a very popular model which has worked wonders for Xiaomi. In this model, the product is made available only in limited quantities and sold at a very low price . This model made the consumers crazy and each Xiaomi looked like a price which was hard earned. Weaknesses Offline Distribution - Xiaomi mainly sold through the flash sale but at times, it was difficult for customers to get their hands on a REDMI or MI model phone. This is because their offline distribution is not upto mark and Xiaomi phones sell mainly via E-commerce. Advertising and Marketing spends- The advertising and marketing spends of the brand is very low. The brand launches ATL campaigns only when coming up with a new product . However, the advertising is erratic at best

A Journey Through The Golden Gates of Promise essays

A Journey Through The Golden Gates of Promise essays A Journey Though the Golden Gates of Promise Great controversy exists over the true promises of the Golden Gates in the United States. Discrimination occurs with different ethnic groups, but for those immigrants permitted into the country, the opportunities are excellent. The laws and practices established to control immigration into the United States limit the amount of poverty that can be present in the country. Without these important practices and laws created by the United States Congress, cheap labor would overpower American citizen labor and lead the country to an economic and social catastrophe. Although the United States is often criticized for its establishment of immigration laws and practices during 1865 and 1930, these actions are very fair. It seems that the people of China have received a lot amount of discrimination as they try to venture into the promise lands of the United States. Early discrimination of the Chinese is revealed when considering early laws and practices of the United States towards immigration. Not only did Congress pass laws and restrictions against Chinese but the attitudes of citizens towards the Chinese often led to uproars and bitterness towards the immigrants arriving from China. In the 1850s, the California legislature passed a series of anti-Chinese restrictions. These restrictions forbade Chinese Americans to enroll their children in public schools, to marry whites, or to testify against whites in the court of law. Some particular court cases display the effects of this law. A very upsetting California court case decision in the 1850s for the Chinese people is called People vs. Hall. In August of 1853, George W. Hall, his brother, and their friend assaulted a Chinese miner in Nevada County. When Ling Sing, the Chinese mans cousin, came to help him, Hall shot and killed Ling Sing. During the original trial, Hall was found...

Essay Internal Controls in SAP

Essay Internal Controls in SAP Essay: Internal Controls in SAP Credit limit check (static) the credit exposure for the customer may not exceed the set limits for credit. The exposure of Credit is the aggregate value of all the items. Credit limit check (Dynamic) this checks all the value of the document based on the horizon period. To open the order value involves all the undelivered orders. The calculation of the value occurs on the date of shipping, and is kept in a data structure for a specified period of time. To define the credit check, a certain future horizon date is specified: it could be 10 days or two months depending on the specified periods. The credit limit check can be applied at any time within the service to offer information about the customer’s credit status. It can be accessed automatically and manually. The system is designed to check the planned costs without tax. Validity checks are the implementation guide in the individual financial statement data. They are assigned to particular groups. With validity checks, you can check individual statements immediately after input and individual companies can also be checked. The system as an application control detects when something goes wrong. It contains zip codes which it compares to cities and states. It is from this internal control that it obtains the information to detect incorrect entries and this is a validity check. With an active validation check, SAP SNC adapts to the order of work in these cases: when the customer alters the order of purchase to SAP SNC, or the user has saved the work order with altered or current (new) deliveries on the user interface. Batch number invalid- this validation check becomes relevant when the user decides to have the batches tracked and their usage in the work order collaboration. The supplier sends confirmations to SAP SNC through xml messages. You can pay for writing your essay at custom writing service. Just visit our website and fill in the order form!

CORPORATE FINANCE - ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CORPORATE FINANCE - ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example mpany is evident and the company has declared a relatively high dividend of 57p per share in the year 2008 which is a significant improvement as far as last 3 year dividends declared are concerned. All in all, our mathematical method of computing WACC suggests that GSK is highly inclined towards debt financing, which is a prime reason behind the increment in WACC. We also conclude the fact that floating interest rate due to the current economic condition reduces the WACC and also consider the company’s performance which reflects on the net income which ultimately reflects on the dividends declared. It is prime evidence of the fact that the management takes all necessary measures to reduce the cost of doing business which is a major consideration for any and every business. The operating, investing and financing activities of a company are very handy and useful information for the users of financial infrmation, such as creditors, investors, financial analysts, etc, because these activities change the financial position of the company. Let us now look upon some of the important activities that make some impression on GSK’s financial position. GSK’s management has adopted sound business strategies in order to ensure smooth and efficient running of its operational activities. These strategies have expanded the cash generation from operations to  £ 9,055m in the year 2008 in comparison to previous years. The reason behind this high figure of  £9,055 million are the two reclassifications; the cash generated from operations is  £106 million lower than that given in GSK’s unaudited or projected accounts issued on 5th February 2009. Also keeping in view that drop-off in liquid investments for the current year has been reclassified from financing activities to investing activities. Some accounting heads that create changes in the trade payables may have been a result of the growth of products that the company introduced. GSK management computes inventories on a

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

International Relations - Essay Example ing â€Å"The Evolution of International Society† by David Armstrong, thereby accounting for existence of historical alteration and comparative weights between pluralist forms of international society and solidarism forms of international society. Historically, international society is perceived through the narratives regarding the emergence of European state systems, which were attributed to principles of sovereignty and non-intervention. This period is marked by the formation of an association referred to family of nations or the international society, which was founded on conservation the sovereignty based on the set of values of civilization. In fact, this signified the members of the international society since they were under the jurisdiction of the principles of sovereign equality. Furthermore, these members were free from any forms of interventions and rules of international law. Pluralistic form of international society entailed a narrow degree of shared norms while the Solidarist form of international society had a high wide of shared norms, and it focused on the substantial element regarding the elements emphasizing on rights entitled to an individual. For example, Greek international society was a form of Solidarist form, which emphasized on shared moral understanding concerning the rightful international conduct based on the religious norms. In fact, this related to areas such as the sanctity of treaties, diplomacy, war and declaration of an enemy’s death. An example of pluralistic form of international society is ancient India, which has numerous religious norms through they were not always in practice; in fact they were only applied to only to international relations, such as in a situation of war. There is a mutual exclusion of both pluralism and solidarism in the criterion of sovereignty, which is perceived to be synonymous to property. Therefore, pluralism and solidarism were also considered distinctive attributes of international society,

Does the impact of higher education have large effects on an Essay

Does the impact of higher education have large effects on an individual's income - Essay Example e most supportive in respect of offering the individuals with maximum earning level in the aftermath of the completing their formal and professional education. The study will be supported with Labour Theory of Value developed by David Ricardo and Income Distribution Theory of contemporary era. The researcher aims to choose the culturally diversified society of the United Kingdom as the universe of his research, where the people belonging to different education and income levels will be taken as the units of analysis for the present study. In addition, being demographically diversified city, the individuals belonging to divergent cultural, religious, social, economic, racial and ethnic groups and communities could be selected as the sample of the present study. The researcher will select both the genders as well as different age groups by applying quota sampling in his study in order to justify the complete presentation of various groups of society. It may take approximately three months in the completion of the entire research work. After the gathering of the data, the findings would be tabulated and the statistical tests would be applied in order to interpret the results, on the basis of which the hypotheses were either accepted or rejected subsequently. This part of the dissertation has been dedicated to all those who have made their valuable contributions at any level during the completion of the present research. First of all, the researcher pays his humble gratitude to his Lord, Almighty God the Omnipotent, Who has blessed him with the power to accomplish this arduous task of writing the dissertation and displaying his gifted abilities in the field of research and writing. Secondly, the researcher also feels happy in paying his sincere thanks to his compassionate parents, who provided him with the shelter of their unwavering love, affection and kindness as well as a very comfortable atmosphere during the conducting of his research work. Moreover, the

How much of the United Kingdom's energy needs could be covered by Essay

How much of the United Kingdom's energy needs could be covered by renewable energy sources in 25 years - Essay Example Renewable energy is energy that relies on sources and natural energy flow from the environment, which never run out because of continuous replenishment. UK has the world’s largest resources for renewable energy such as wind, tides, waves, and therefore, it is in a good position when it comes to natural energy resources. Shifting to renewable energy is not only essential for stopping fossil energy imports, but it will also create an avenue for exporting natural based energy to other countries with limited supply of natural energy. In addition, increasing focus on environmentally friendly energy also prompts UK to switch to renewable energy sources. This aims at limiting the effects of climate change, and protecting environment from degradation, thus, preserving it for the generations to come. The success of venturing into renewable energy depends on environmental economic and political factors. Overview of Renewable Energy Sources in the United Kingdom Renewable energy currentl y supplies a significant of part of the UK’s energy demands. ... be because renewable energy sources are expensive, for example, the Energy Minister himself, George Eustice, recently made a comment saying solar and wind power subsidies are too high to benefit consumers (Mason, 2013). This among other challenges is preventing renewable energy sources become the primary source of energy production. Plans are underway to attain a 30 percent target of renewable energy by 2020 in the United Kingdom, which is quite achievable given the advancements in technology and rich sources of renewable energy. Below are the primary sources of renewable energy in the United Kingdom and there sources of application. Wind Power Wind power is energy generated using wind turbines fixed in the windy regions especially the countryside. The amount of wind power therefore depends on the availability of acceptable sites. Currently, winds turbines are set up in several places including Wales, Scotland, Yorkshire, and Cornwall. The primary application of wind power is the gen eration of wind related electricity, in which it currently provides for 20% of electricity requirements in the country. In 2010, there were a number of significant wind related projects in the UK with Sands, Gunfleet, Thanet and Robin Rigg, which are offshore wind farms. As a result, this saw a 1.1 GW power capacity from the new wind, which is a 3% increase compared to 2009 data (Gifford, 2012). Furthermore, offshore installations increased to 230% with 653 MW though with 503W it reduced by 38%. Similarly, 2013 has seen great improvements recording 10GW by mid-2013, and UK being the eighth largest producer of wind power in the world, there is great expectation of growth with respect to its wind power capacity (DUKES, 2013). Furthermore, current estimates stands at 2 GW increase in wind

(1)Explain and evaluate Platos epistemological position or Essay

(1)Explain and evaluate Platos epistemological position or - Essay Example Many philosophers regard experience and reason as the basis of knowledge. Reason and experience as ways of identifying knowledge commonly referred as rationalism and empiricism. A rational philosopher deems that, knowledges basis is on self-evidence and principles. Knowledge that does not rely on sense of experience is priori while knowledge that relies on experience posteriori. Plato is an example of a rationalist because he believes that sense experience does not provide people with certainty whether what they experience is true. He deems that, the information people receive by relying on sense is unreliable because it changes constantly. The unchanging forms or principles are what Plato believes to be thinking or reasoning (Bobonich 15). When an individual has an opinion founded on undoubted principles, then he has a strong foundation of the opinion. This foundation helps individuals to take a belief to be more than an opinion and makes people identify a belief to be true. When individuals believe something is true, then this is knowledge. For individuals to gain the knowledge they ought to surpass the changing flux of the physical world and hold a rational permanent order behind the world. The grasping of a rational permanent order is an intellectual functioning of the mind, and in its purest form there is formal (Brandwood 25). The intellectual act can only take place when there are innate ideas that have a foundation. Knowing normally assumes the definition as the process of making the observable world intelligible through relating it to the external order of the truth. Plato defines the changing world and materials as the realm of forms. He argues that physical objects are real if only they are intelligible, but they can only be intelligent in unchanging terms. What makes something to be intelligible cannot be constantly changing; hence, it being unrecognizable to be that thing. It is therefore; correct to say that a

Re-organization of Government and contractors supporting Department of Term Paper

Re-organization of Government and contractors supporting Department of Defense efforts for Afghanistan and Iraq - Term Paper Example end, the paper will analyse the definition of private contractors, their legal status under international law and the risks and advantages involved in their use to supplement US military operations. In doing so the paper firstly discusses history of the development of private military companies and private security companies in the aftermath of the Cold war due to the downsizing of the military and how the proliferation of these companies has altered the infrastructure of contemporary military strategy, resulting in increased reliance on their services. The paper then considers the debate surrounding the use of such contractors with regard to the ambiguity of legal status under international law and parameters of their activity. In considering the debate, this paper further considers the common activities undertaken by such contractors and the central arguments of the military in justifying their use in practice. The paper further considers the possible implementation of a categorisation system to ensure that the use of private contractors remains adequately regulated whilst simultaneously providing a viable asset to US defense operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in light of the changing nature of warfare. The proliferation of private military companies and private security companies in the 1990s directly correlated to the downsizing of armed force supplies in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War. This resulted in a new political order in the international arena with novel conflict scenarios, thereby creating a demand for military manpower and expertise. The redefinition of these security strategies has left gaps in the core functions of the armed forces, which have been supplemented by alternative military service delivery via Private military companies (PMCs) and Private Security Companies (PSCs) to support US defense efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US defense effort heavily relies on private contractors in Iraq in particular for multifarious

(1)Explain and evaluate Platos epistemological position or Essay

(1)Explain and evaluate Platos epistemological position or - Essay Example Many philosophers regard experience and reason as the basis of knowledge. Reason and experience as ways of identifying knowledge commonly referred as rationalism and empiricism. A rational philosopher deems that, knowledges basis is on self-evidence and principles. Knowledge that does not rely on sense of experience is priori while knowledge that relies on experience posteriori. Plato is an example of a rationalist because he believes that sense experience does not provide people with certainty whether what they experience is true. He deems that, the information people receive by relying on sense is unreliable because it changes constantly. The unchanging forms or principles are what Plato believes to be thinking or reasoning (Bobonich 15). When an individual has an opinion founded on undoubted principles, then he has a strong foundation of the opinion. This foundation helps individuals to take a belief to be more than an opinion and makes people identify a belief to be true. When individuals believe something is true, then this is knowledge. For individuals to gain the knowledge they ought to surpass the changing flux of the physical world and hold a rational permanent order behind the world. The grasping of a rational permanent order is an intellectual functioning of the mind, and in its purest form there is formal (Brandwood 25). The intellectual act can only take place when there are innate ideas that have a foundation. Knowing normally assumes the definition as the process of making the observable world intelligible through relating it to the external order of the truth. Plato defines the changing world and materials as the realm of forms. He argues that physical objects are real if only they are intelligible, but they can only be intelligent in unchanging terms. What makes something to be intelligible cannot be constantly changing; hence, it being unrecognizable to be that thing. It is therefore; correct to say that a

Accounting theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting theory - Assignment Example October: At the directors’ meeting it was decided to allot shares in full to the applicants who had paid the full amount and proportionally to all the remaining applicants. According to the company’s constitution, all surplus money from application can be transferred to Allotment and Call accounts. February 15: As provided for in the constitution, the directors decided to forfeit these â€Å"C† ordinary shares. The constitution further provided for any surplus on resale, after satisfaction of unpaid calls, accrued interest and costs, to be returned to the former shareholders. This is in line with the notice usually given by the board of directors lasting fourteen days after which the defaulting members will lose their shares through forfeiture (Leo, Hoggett, & Sweeting 2012). February 20: The Company offered ordinary shareholders 1 option (at a price of $1 per option), for every 3 shares held. Each option entitled the holder to buy 1 â€Å"D† ordinary share at a price of $1.50 per share, exercisable on 1

Fourth Quarter English Interpretive Paper Essay Example for Free

Fourth Quarter English Interpretive Paper Essay A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt illustrates the adult life of Sir Thomas More. In this play, the Common Man portrays man and his vices and sins showing the ordinary man of every age, class, culture, and society. Bolt uses the Common Man in the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor to show how man can easily sin. Common Man exhibits man’s immorality through the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor, in A Man for All Seasons. Christian virtues are lacking in the Common Man’s role of the steward. The Common Man’s character, the steward, disrespects Rich by the snubbing manner of which he speaks to Rich. Likewise, when he spies on Thomas More he is being disloyal and dishonest. (pp. 40-42) Furthermore, the steward exhibits greediness by spying on More for Richard Rich, Thomas Cromwell, and Signor Chapuy in exchange for money. (pp.40-42) In addition, pride is conveyed towards Rich by the steward when he behaves as if he superior over Rich. (pp.104-105) Vices are seen in the steward’s behavior. The Common Man in the role of the boatman demonstrates a lack of morality. The boatman displays dishonesty when he tries to overcharge Thomas for his boat ride home. (p. 25) Likewise, he is being greedy as he wants more money than he should receive for giving Thomas a ride home. (p. 25) Moreover, his disobeyed the law by ignoring the fixed boat fares. (p. 25) The boatman’s actions are sinful. Lack of morals can be observed in the Common Man in the role of the Jailer. The vice of greed is seen by the Jailor when he is willing to accept fifty guineas from Cromwell in exchange for information about Thomas More. (p. 135) Likewise, the jailor is dishonest when he is willing to take anything that Thomas says and tell it to Cromwell to use as evidence against Thomas More in court. (pp. 135-136) Lack of charity is exhibited by the jailor when he does not allow Thomas’s family to visit Thomas at the jail. (pp. 145-146) The Common Man, as the jailor, displays vices. The role of the steward, boatman, and jailor played by the Common Man reveal the lack of mans morals in A Man for All Seasons. Disrespect, dishonesty, greed, pride, lack of charity, and disobedience are witnessed in the words and actions of the three characters. The vices represent the basic character of the Common Man who is every person in every age, class, race, and society. Bolt’s play, A Man for All Seasons instructs one to avoid sin and protect his morals and Christian faith. [ 1 ]. Robert Bolt, The Man for All Seasons(New York, NY; Vintage International, 1990),pp. 4-5. All subsequent references will be noted in the text.

Factors that influences consumer buying behaviour for fast food of mcdonalds

Factors that influences consumer buying behaviour for fast food of mcdonalds Introduction: In the recent period of time, there has been a hasty change in the food habits among UK residents. Fast food is in United Kingdom since medieval age, it wasnt exactly 21th century fast food but somehow similar to todays fast food. Fast food has become a popular trend of British culture as it is been carried a long way since Roman Empire. The basic roots of fast food are coming over from America but fast food was in different form in every country. It started getting into more of a worldwide business when globalisation started its role. It is now one of the multi-million pound industries which boost the UK economy. Fast food was revolutionised in 1902 with the introduction of the automat in America, where customers started to line up for readymade foods from the display counters or vending machines, paid and either left or ate the food on the premises. The restaurant which made its first move into UK was KFC in 1965 following the step, pizza hut came into the market in the year 1973 a nd then the global fast food leader McDonalds jumped in the year 1974. (Fast food nation, 2009) In 1940s, McDonald brothers introduced new concept of Speedee Service System which revolutionized the restaurant business, the benefits of their system was advertised as Imagine- No carhops-No waitresses-No Dishwashers-No bus boys-The McDonalds system is Self-Service (Scholosser,E, 2002..P20) In the past few years fast food has industry has faced many criticism, people are getting more concern about healthy diet. Government interaction in to business by banning the advertisement in certain places as well as many campaigns and programs are raised following the health awareness among the people. People are getting against the salted chips, high fat meals and many other issues. Why fast food is been considered and its expansion in United Kingdom Every day many people are consuming fast food and for many people it is a regular evening dinner. Fast food is developing and expanding immensely. A recent survey carried out by BBC world, 2008 shows that 45% of people in UK are likely to agree that they liked the taste of fast food too much to give it up, as well it also reveals that people in the UK are Europes highest fast food consumers which is due to the popularity of fast food chains in their favourites list. Consumers are having a growing desire for fast food and UK consumers trying to put McDonalds on the safer side in the economic crisis with sales in 2008 beat last years. The per head spending of UK customers in 2007 was  £82 in fast food restaurants which is predict to go higher and it will benefit chains like McDonalds and burger King. (Data Source: Caterersearch, 2008) The United Kingdom national statistics in 2009 (Kent K, 2009) suggests that unique nature of working force has increased due to the rise in numbers of women working as the employment pattern and style of student including international students and many foreign workers has been increased. According to Schlosser E (2002) with increased mobility and the expansion of urban areas people spent more time in their workplace. This was also paired with an increasing number of working women in the workplace thus leading to less time allocated for food preparation at home, supporting the argument Glazer F (2009) provides evidence in the research that working moms are more concerned about lack of time to prepare meals in compared to moms who is not working. In such a way, some three quarters of the family food budget was initially spent on fast food meals. Kent K (2009) This increase in the work force from migrant workers, foreign students as well the increase of women in work force has made a big contribution in fast food success, considering London as the location of this study it is clear that it is the most diverse city of UK with different cultures sharing their views and rituals in the city. The fast food has also been driven by multi-cultural people in London, London is considered as one of the most diverse city in the world and where a marketer can expect a diverse buying behaviour too. Many cultural and communities are based in London and the city also expect the numbers of tourist every day, all these different cultures have their unique taste. The multicultural customer has base has forced the marketers to include diverse taste and they have to consider the demand of their multicultural customers. McDonald has taken the initiative by promoting the different cultural promotional menu for example: Chinese food promotion and recently launched Indian chicken tikka wrap. The food giants are keeping the diverse customer base into consideration. Snackspot, (2009) The big brands are regularly expanding their menu in order to cope with the demand of the fast food customers. The fast food market is getting really high due to the number of consumers getting towards it; the industry is growing really rapid and fast food companies making better profits on daily basis. The branded fast food outlets and classic British cafes are the main chains in the industry, the restaurants and take away shops are deeply rooted on the British high roads and at popular shopping centres as well as retail parks, motorway and at many other places. Brandau M, (2009) a recent consumer research has found out that quick service restaurants have gained market through value of offering and premium menu which has helped them to go through post recession recovery, it is also been revealed that big fast food giants has gained a huge number of affluent customer base as well more typical fast food lovers in this economic downturn which is been named as barbell strategy. As the study show there has been a massive rise in the fast food consumption and every day it is more and more expanding. McDonalds is in the UK fast food market for long but recently there has been a fierce competition between Technology has played its role in almost every business. Technology could be used from improving business to attracting customers into the restaurant. Smithers R (2007) the idea of launching the free internet service in the McDonalds restaurants have helped the company in getting number of customers into the restaurant, Liddle A (2005) also they are teaming up with Nintendo to promote its portable Nintendo DS to attract the gamers, it is kind of great promotion which is building a brand image and it can attract many teens into the restaurant. The Wi-Fi concept has attracted many students which can help them in savings money on internet. The fast food giants have also started taking card payments few years back which proves to be a convenient method of payment ignoring the hassle of change, card payments has no minimum payment restrictions in many outlets and can be used also for 20p sweet chilli sauce in McDonalds. The card concept was upgraded by Barclaycard arrival of contactless t echnology which was successfully launched at McDonalds. Chain Store Age (2007) mentions that according to a survey conducted by Visa, the use of card payments in the quick service restaurants has been rated a more convenient experience, around 82% consumers agreed with the fact and 77% agreed that it pursues them buy whatever they desired because they were not limited to the cash in their wallets. Pietrykowski B (2004) mentions that fast food industry has faced many critics from many groups in the previous years and its still facing problems from the media and also from the government, in the year 1986 there was campaign started by an Italian which was named slow food movement, at present it comprises 77,000 individual members representing 48 countries, Slow food (1989) We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast life, which disrupts our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes and forces us to eat fast food, so slow food is now the only truly progressive answer, Walsh B (2008) names this movement as the anti-fast food, anti-industrial and anti-agricultural movement. Whereas Pietrykowski B (2004:12) states slow food movement seeks the preservation of local foods and cuisines by creating and strengthening networks of social relations between consumers and makers. In return the fast food companies introduced healthy options in their menu ad ding fruits and nutritional information as well reduce salt to their food. Fast food giants are also keeping up the demand by expanding their menus and trying different promotional tactics. Fast food is considered as an easy key and recently with the added values to healthy food and also by adding organic ingredients and food to their menus; it is drawing attention to many new customers. Glazer F (2009) mentions that McDonalds recently launched the global moms panel to advice the company on issues such as balanced food and communications with the families as well as launched moms quality program insisting on the chains quality and safety standards, hence the food chain has taken a family step towards their products and launching such campaigns can create a better trust among their consumers. Sky News (2010), McDonalds has achieved this success by following these steps in to their business as well as their performance was aided by its superior value at every level of the menu, helpin g it to push up sales increased by double digits and full year profits growing up to 6% to  £2.83 billion. Life style impacting the fast food industry and cultural influence on fast food advertisement and its consumption London is been considered as one of the business capital of the world, similarly one of the most diverse city in the world too, hence the lifestyle of the city is much different comparing to other UK cities. Economist (2003) mentions that before when people needed fatty hot food, they had to cook it. So they had to spare time and energy, this has discouraged the consumption but now the mass preparation of fast food took away that concept, nobody has to make big effort and nobody has time. The lifestyle of Londoners is getting more and more hectic. The fast food trend has taken the effort of cooking out from the house to the giant fast food companies, people do not mind eating in trains, busses as long as it saves time. Londoners are getting into work more in comparison to previous years in London. Kent K (2009) The image above shows the different cities of United Kingdom, which shows London having the highest employment rate in the recent years and again, Economist (2003) the proportion of women going out to work is probably the main force pushing the time-saving trend, Britain is considered as a topper in convenience food league as well as the working women league. Within an increase in employment there has also been a change in the working hours of British people, Summerskill (2000) mentions that it is one of the main reasons of time poverty and fast food consumption in Britain. People are working long working hours possibly with few breaks and many doing antisocial hours (typical night hours), or they take second and third jobs to meet their own needs. In UK, one in nine workers do more than 60 hours a week, antisocial working hours and working extra hours are very common, especially in retail industry as many are getting 24/7. (Dailymail, 2008) A research conducted by Oxford Economics c onsultancy suggests similarly there has been rise in the income which has made the living standards in Britain better, the living standards were been calculated taking GDP in to consideration. Another lifestyle based factor is individualism, which is much common in London because of many foreign workers and students. Arndt M (2007) In general, the heavy consumption of fast food is a single man in his mid-20s who has a professional job that pays above average wages. Hence the lifestyle is much responsible for the success of the fast food market. Marketers need to consider many things when they start promoting a particular brand or product. As the world is not homogenous, there is a difference in choice even in the same culture. If we consider London, there are number of multi-cultural people living in the city. A company in order to get success cannot really rely on just one common culture. Rugman A (2001: 583) suggests that globalization does not, and has never, existed in terms of a single world market with free trade, cultural differences has divide the world into the triad blocks. In United Kingdom, Schiffman L, Kanuk L (2007) there is many different societies and culture residing in other term subculture. Subculture is set of people with distinct belief and behaviour, it differs from mere social grouping, is awareness of style and differences in style, language or other phenomena and more complex society. The fast food companies focus on particular subcultures in order to gain the market and to make the advertisement wo rk. Types of subcultures followed by companies in segmentation Schiffman L, Kanuk L (2007) McDonalds has used the concept of sub-culture by diversifying few of their London based restaurants into Halal restaurant, which is certainly a part major muslim community in London. Similarly KFC has followed the same step and has turned 74 out of 700 of their restaurants into Halal certified restaurants, their products are been approved by recognised Muslim association and certificate is been displayed at their restaurants (KFC, 2010). United Kingdom is a very diverse country and considering the fact about the different ethnic backgrounds, fast food companies run different events and food promotions in order to attract the consumer towards the brand and towards their product such as oriental menu taking Chinese into consideration and chicken tikka wrap attracting Indians and Pakistani. Furthermore McDonalds acts according to the location. McDonalds restaurant Location Segmentation steps Manhattan, New York The target customers are working class people coming for breakfast or lunch Maastricht, Netherlands Jakarta The target customers are families with children, with big playgrounds surrounded by swings, slides etc. The target customers are youngsters and yuppies. Ghauri, Cateora, (2005 P-22) In this competitive period of business, the fast food companies cannot do business without taking international business dimensions into the business. It not only helps to gain the local market but it also helps to gain success in the cross border trade. The marketing polices may be needed to change according to different market culture. Fast Foods heavy investment on advertisement Without a strong recognisable brand name a product is no more than a commodity, with out advertising there is no recognisable brand name. (Wright R, 2000 P-89) Consumer buying behaviour depends mainly on awareness and recognition which is achieved by advertisement. Advertisement can be consider as a way of communication, almost all advertisement contains a persuasive element of sales but it also creates brand and should also deliver a motive. (Sargeant A, Asif S, 2000) The above gives an idea how the advertisement is conducted and which factors are been consider when an advertisement is carried on. In UK, McDonalds identified the need of co-ordinated marketing and advertising policy, in order to gain the market, a company should find out what the customers want, develop products to satisfy them, charge them the right price and make the existence of the products through promotion. McDonalds is now the biggest single brand advertiser on British television. Promotional activities and special suggestive selling within the restaurant have a tactical role to play in getting people to return to the restaurants regularly. All franchisees benefit from any national marketing and contribute to its cost, currently a fee of 4.5 percent of sales. (The times, 2009) Consumer buying behaviour and Marketing Mix For a person to make a decision, a choice of alternatives must be available. When a person has a choice between making a purchase and not making a purchase, a choice between brand x and brand y, or a choice of spending time doing A or B, that person is in a position to make a decision. Consumer decision depends on many factors, human brain has two hemispheres one on left and another on the right. It is important for an advertisement to appeal to both sides. This means combining the rational dimension with the emotional component in your brand proposition. If they build a brand personality for a product that has both an emotional and rational appeal then they are appealing customer decision making. (Schiffman L and Kanuk L, 2004), a various index of repetitive purchase go after a similar buying decision which can be determined through brand, products and other factors. (Ehrenberg, 1988:28) Knowledge of consumer buying behaviour can help the companies to identify the needs of consumers better and that can lead towards market success. McDonalds is one of the worlds best familiar brands, and the consumer buying decision affects from many point of view. A repetitive purchase can only occur if the companies deliver consistently. A model of consumer buying behaviour is shown below which can be applicable to many companies and it helps to identify the consumer buying decision. The model describes the customers perception towards different purchase factors, these factors runs through consumers mind and after a while the consumer can come to conclusion of purchase or no purchase. The Times (2006) has conducted a study on McDonalds, The consumer takes number of external and internal factors before making the buying decision. Psychological factors are important, e.g. what image doest the product give or how the consumer feels when purchasing it (eg; pound saver menu for quick bitters). The advertisement of the product has to be linked with the realism of the consumer buying behaviour, if the advertisement matches with the consumers emotion then the result will be positive. It is called a black box model. (Kotler, 2004) Jill McDonald, Chief marketing officer of McDonalds UK reveals their idea behind the advertisement of McDonalds that they always try to be clear and confident about what they are and what they stand for and they convey in a simple language consi dering every single person to understand their message as McDonalds have always been customer oriented. Although (The times, 2006) it is essential that the messages which are being communicated by the company to their customers supports each other and there should be brief understanding keeping brand aspects in the communication and the target audience should be rolled out into action which may include purchase of a product or referring to their friends or family etc, the core concept in consumer buying process is to make customer feel positive about the product and (Achenbaum 1989, Lindsay 1990) it is quite fact that advertising is the best source in influencing the consumer buying decision and to build a brand image. (ODoneell C, 2005) Marketing mix supports companies marketing and business strategies whereas mix includes price, place, product and promotion, (Kotler P, Armstrong G, Wong V, Saunders J, 2008) mentions that the marketing strategy is linked with the marketing mix in order to achieve the companys marketing aims and objectives, the marketing mix acts as a toolkit in order to establish a strong marketing hold in the target market. A company may use one marketing mix to reach one target market and can differentiate second one to achieve the target market. (Pride W, Hughes R, Kapoor J, 2009) Schieffer R, Leininger E, (2008) McDonalds has successfully marketed their product to their targeted customers and has developed well positioned offerings for a manageable group of target segments, which is an effective marketing mix, offers (Baker M, 2003) a right product that meets the customers demand, that is of effective cost to the customer and it effectively delivers the quality and usage of the product which can be purchased with the utmost convenience. McDonalds customer profile is very diverse, family visits with their children for a treat, kids visits McDonalds for fun and youngsters visits considering price and the business customers may visits for a quick service. The specific target can be simple to communicate and the company can convey their message in an effective and efficient way. McDonalds have also tried to offer a product which is demanded by their customers, Jim Skinner, Vice president of McDonalds limited mention (Schieffer R, Leininger E, 2008) that McDonalds always focus on good customer service, quality product and hygienic cleanliness in their restaurants, as well as they always giving tips on management Mr. Skinner mentioned face the facts, listen to your customers because they will tell you what really matters. The company should always keep in mind that they are not the only one offering the product or service, a customer have a choice unless there the company holds a monopoly of particular product. McDonalds has to consider the competitors and taking them into consideration they have to revitalise their menu. The product life cycle is much important for a business to float regularly in profit and with good brand image. (Marketing, 2009) McDonalds has successfully launched new chicken legend burger chicken selects in competing with KFC for their spicy chicken strips, in their menu in the past year as well introducing fish fingers in their happy meal selection. The company also launched a range of healthy products including the organic milk and they introduce ethical standards for their coffee suppliers. McDonalds brand has gone to the basic of marketing communications; the new product launched is typically marketed through television and newspaper advertisement. (Justin M, 2009) following this mantra McDonalds always improve their products and services. In order to sustain in the market McDonalds has always been innovative in their products and it will continue to do so. In the below mention diagram the chicken legend and chicken selects product of McDonalds are the recently launched new product or innovation of McDonalds, where as one can say that their popular burger Big Mac is at the maturity stage. (Strategic Management, 2005) Similarly (Haines S, 2008) the price of the McDonalds product reflects the targeted customers decision to purchase the benefit; it represents a link between the pricing rationale to value, revenue volume of the product, McDonalds has always maintained their product when there is reduction in the price in order to compete in the market, usually many companies face the quality issue when they reduce the price of a particular product or services, as the customers mentally thinks that the reduced price products are not really same compared to original product quality. Kurtz D (2008) explains that the pricing objective varies from company to company, the main areas to consider in price objectives are probability objectives, volume objectives, meeting competition objectives and prestige objectives and McDonalds follows a mixture of this objectives into their business. References http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=P_ovoY2ZcbkCpg=PA255dq=marketing+mix+modelcd=1#v=onepageq=marketing%20mix%20modelf=false

PSY 301, Introductory Psychology, 1998, Exam 2 :: UTEXAS Texas Psychology

Introductory Psychology -- Pennebaker Test 2 Please write your name and social security number on THIS PAGE as well as on your Scantron form. Be sure and blacken in the correct dots for your SSN, name, and test form. 1. Hans and Franz are identical twins that were separated at birth. The finally meet at age 45, and find that both of them have become psychology professors. What is the most likely explanation for this similarity? a. both twins had strong psychology genes. b. both twins had strong teaching genes. c. something in the twins’ genes led them to see the world the same way. d. identical environments. e. all of the above are true. 2. Functional fixedness interferes with a. objects or events that are functioning properly. b. looking back to evaluate the success of a strategy. c. defining the problem and goal. d. choosing a solution. e. implementing the chosen strategy in solving a problem. 3. When people of varying cultures were asked to match facial expressions with specific emotions a. there was little agreement, even among people from the same culture. b. there was agreement within a specific culture but not across cultures. c. people from underdeveloped societies had responses not seen in industrial societies. d. there was remarkable agreement among members of all cultures. e. there were large differences between rural and urban societies. 4. The innate physiological mechanism that keeps an individual's body weight at a genetically programmed level is known as the a. homeostatic trigger. b. hunger median. c. genoprogrammatic releaser. d. metabolic master. e. set point. 5. The cessation of breathing during sleep is called a. sleep apnea. b. narcolepsy. c. insomnia. d. paradoxical sleep. e. simulated death. 6. Unlike sex in humans, sex in animals typically takes place a. far more frequently. b. after elaborate courtship and foreplay. c. in run-down hotels. d. in the absence of physiological cues. e. only at certain times of sexual readiness. 7. The affiliation motive often strengthens when people are in a situation involving a. performing a work task. b. helping others. c. the threat of danger. d. independent behavior. e. casual discussions 8. The fact that some people who are very good at some intellectual skills (such as reading or verbal reasoning) are frequently rather poor at other intellectual skills (such as solving math problems) tends to contradict the concept of a. the "g" factor. b. specific intelligences. c. instrumental (operant) conditioning. d. componential IQ. e. factor analysis. 9. Of the following, the BEST example of an aptitude test is a. the MMPI. b. a college final exam. c. a 5th grade spelling test. d. an academic achievement test in arithmetic. e. the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. 10. If Mother Goose sees one of her eggs outside the nest, she will go through a series of steps to move the egg back with her bill.

Market Mix

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI SCHOOL OF BUSINESS STUDIES – BANDARI COMPUS KIBWANA . K. MATAKA REG NO: D61/70919/2008 MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ASSIGNMENT A. IDENTIFY A FIRM OPERATING IN KENYA AND ANALYSE ITS PRODUCT MIX USING BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP MATRIX (BCG MATRIX) B. FOR THE SAME FIRM DISCUSS HOW CHANGES IN THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENTAL FORCES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS AFFECTED MARKETING ACTIVITIES. C. IDENTIFY LAWS/ACTS IN KENYA AFFECTING MARKETING. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LAW/ACTS. A. Identify a firm operating in Kenya and analyse its product mix using Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG Matrix)In order for us to discuss the identified firm operating in Kenya and analyse its product mix using Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG Matrix) its important to discuss Boston Consulting Group as concepts then we apply and analyse the company identified. Boston Consulting Group Matrix which is also referred as BCG Matrix, Boston matrix, Boston Box, Boston Matrix or Boston Consult ing Group analysis is a chart that has been created by Bruce Henderson for the Boston Consulting Group in 1970 to help corporations with analyzing their business unit or product lines.Among its uses this model helps organizations to allocate resources and is used as analytical tool in branding marketing, product management, strategic management and portfolio analysis. For the purpose of our discussion we will analyze the East African Breweries Ltd (EABL) which has an annual turnover of over 30 billion and has the largest share of beer industry in the region. The group employs more than 1000 people across East Africa. We intend to skew our discussion on the Kenyan perspective of the company.Generally, Boston Consulting Group matrix considers two criteria the native market share and marketing growth rate. Categorically it separates products into four areas namely:- * Stars * Question Marks * Cash Cows * Dogs Question Marks Under question marks products we argue that Alvaro which is a non alcoholic malt drink qualifies to be considered into this category. These products which are also referred as problem child have high growth rates but low relative market share. In the first six months in the market the company had spent over 600,000 to promote it.Thus they are known to be growing rapidly and thus consumes large amount of cash. Alvaro has shown the potential to gain market share and become a star and eventually a cash cow when the market slows. However if the question mark does not succeed in becoming a market leader it will degenerate into a dog when the market growth declines. Question marks must be analysed carefully to determine the direction in which they are moving toward to. Stars In November 2004 EABL introduced Senator keg brand into the market.The brand has high performance since it is providing affordable and high quantity alternatives for illicit brews. It targets the low income earners. This brand qualifies to be a star. Senator Keg is probably rela tively new product in the growth phase because they have high market shares, however they may be generating sufficient growth profits to cover their investment needs. By 2008 the product had passed the mark of 3500. This products will become cash cows of the later years but it currently unlikely to be enerating a high level of revenue due to the high level of investment required to expand the product. Usually the predominant strategy is to grow then to the next stage the â€Å"cash cow† where most profits are made. To achieve this company is using the ‘Tuko Mtaani’ na senator keg promotion as the main marketing campaign. Cash Cows Tusker is the main brand for EABL with over 30% of the Kenyan beer market selling more than 700,000hectolitres per year. This brand was launched in 1923. Tusker beer has high market share in a show growing industry.This product typically generate cash in excess of the amount needed to maintain the business. With this product the market life circle has moved to maturity and the growth is slow. They are regarded as staid and boring state. Tusker beer as a cash cow, also benefit from low production costs, reaping the advantages of experience or learning curve, plus product loyalty. Pilsner beer brand may also be categorized in this category. Dogs They are products which have little or no prospects. Some books refer them as pests. These units typically break even generating enough cash to maintain the business market share.It may not yet be making a loss unless it is demanding disapproriate use of overheads. Hence this category and just like the problem child should be thoroughly analysed with a view of either improving it or even discontinued as soon as it becomes a burden. Whitecap beer brand falls under this category. It is one of the oldest brands which is targeting high ranking professional people. The overall goal of this ranking is to help corporate analysts decide which of their business units to fund and how much which units to sell.The above discussed can be summarized in the table below:- StarsSenator Keg| Question marks/problem ChildAlvaro| Cash Cows * Tusker * Pilsner| DogsWhite Cap| Market Growth Rate Low High Market Growth Rate HighLow Relative Market Share B. FOR THE SAME FIRM DISCUSS HOW CHANGES IN THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENTAL FORCES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS AFFECTED MARKETING ACTIVITIES. The Marketing Environmental factors for Kenya Breweries consist of the actors and forces that affect the company ability to develop and maintain successful relationship with its target customers.In the last three years the company experienced changes in the marketing environmental forces. These marketing environmental forces may be categories either as micro environmental forces and macro environmental forces. The changes in micro environmental forces will be discussed by looking at both the internal and external environmental forces. The changes range on the following areas:- * The company * The suppliers * Marketing intermediaries * Customer markets * Competitors * Publics During the period under review the company experience a marketing change (physically) of the top management.Recently the top management experienced a shakeup after the CEO – Mr. Gerald Mahinda, leaving the company to South Africa based company Brand house. This calls for readjustment, internal rearrangement, which affected the marketing programmes, plans and actions. More adjustments are expected since the person replacing Mr. Mahinda – Mr. Seni Setu from Ghana was working with Coca cola it is expected that he will pump in the skills gathered from the rival firm. During the electioneering period year 2007/08 the country witnessed massive violence and destruction of properties.The most affected region is the Rift Valley and central Province. These are the regions which are known for growing barley which is the main raw material for beer processing. It is in record that farms were set ab laze and farmer displaced. This greatly affected and disrupted the supply pattern and equally affected the cost of acquiring the raw material. In a large extent this compelled the company to resort to alternative sources of raw materials. Since the traditional suppliers were no longer reliable, stock not available.This greatly raised the production cost and hence cost shifting process was and is still being administered. This fact has been captured by the EABLS2009 half year results report which had the theame of â€Å" growth in extraordinary times†. Changes in Marketing intermediaries such as resellers, physical distribution firms, marketing services agencies and operations of financial intermediaries has greatly affected the marketing activities of East African Breweries and the country at large. The period under review witnessed the introduction of telebanking services.The Mpesa and Zap concepts for the safaricom and Zain mobile service providers greatly affected the mark eting intermediaries. In fact some resellers are now partnering with these two services providers. This has smoothen the marketing activities and shortened transaction period. Our discussion on marketing intermediaries is not complete without looking and analyzing the aftermath of post election violence in particular. The period under review witnessed the physical redistribution of reseller, firms and the potential customers.The resellers, firms and customers migrated away from volatile regions to neutral grounds. The company areas forced to utilize the research and development department to analyse this new trend of distribution of resellers; physical distribution firms and relocated customers. In order for East African Breweries Limited to create satisfying customer relationship it must partner with marketing intermediaries who form an important component of the company’s overall value delivery system to customers. The resellers who are at times referred to as middlemen are the main players for the company.The company distribute their products through the wholesalers to the retailers before reaching the final customers. The wholesalers are considered as the distributors. Hence like explained earlier all these were affected by the post election violence. However still the company did a lot of the intermediaries marketing. For example 500 bars were recruited and activated, 2500 waiters trained and modules and CDS manuals provided. The East African Breweries Ltd position and strength in relation to the competition and its market share has a very important influence on company strategy.The period under discussion saw the entrants of new players and aggressive advancement of new competitions such as Keroche Industries and Kuguru Food Products. This led the company into trying to reach out for the new products such as the new brand of customers. The introduction of non-alcoholic drink (Alvaro) which is a flanker product and meant to attract other customers. In order to the capture the market from illicit brews. The company introduced the Senator keg. This new products exposed the company to the major marketing battle with the Coca cola company.Under competition companies usually derive their marketing strategies from the competition rather than customer orientation. According to research about 70% of Kenyans predominantly Christian populations do not drink alcohol but do socialize in bars and pubs. According to Ndirangu Maina, – the Managing Director of Kenya Market Research firm (Consumer Insight Africa) â€Å"The non alcoholic business was owned by Coca cola, its amazing that an alcoholic company would think of that before coke. † Like explained earlier over 600,000 has been pumped for this product.The fact that we have competitors in the market implies that Kenya breweries is not a monopoly. In fact they are at times challenged by the traditional brewers who have cheap products. This prompted the company to introduce new products such as Allsops and Senator keg into the market. Basing our next argument on the studies of Kotler by looking at the seven types of publics. For the last three years all the seven publics were affected by a number of changes. The period witnessed the formation of East African Community, this has led to the company advancing into all east African Countries including Rwanda and Burundi.This greatly increased the size of publics for example citizens action publics include consumer organization, local publics, general publics and the internal publics have been increasing. This greatly changed the marketing strategies, plans and timings. Our second part of discussion is based on the macro environmental forces which are factors over which the organization has least control over the last three years. These factors have greatly changed hence affecting the marketing activities. Changes in social cultural environment is from two dimensions – social and cultural. Kibera F. N. and Waruingi B.C advance an argument of the concept of â€Å"oneness† among Africans. This belief further influences distribution in that many African distributor find it unethical to expand profit base at the expense of their own. It has further been argued that consumers go for imported goods because they view them as superior. Also related to culture are norms and believes for example EABL will not concentrate on North and eastern province because of traditional norms and religions and beliefs on alcohol. However for the purpose of our discussion let us look at social factor associated with demographic patterns.The perpetual pull of the urban centers and the push of rural centre’s have lead to concentrating the population on urban areas. This trend has now changed to pull those urban areas which have more cosmopolitan status which was as a result of post election violence. There a number of people lost their lives. This clearly shows that clenographic patterns ke eps on changing with the interaction of people and the other element of cultural borrowing and sharing. Generally the urban population is characterized by the sprawling slums for the low income people.The company resorted to introducing Senator keg campaigns of the Tuko Mitaani so s to capture this market. The fact that cultures are for people and people form the markets hence any changes in them greatly affects the marketing structure and strategies. There is negative publicity or rather attitude of the society towards bar attendants. Recently the company as a marketing venture resolved to national campaign of training the bar attendants and to a large extent sending the message to the society that there is nothing wrong with those who deal in alcohol a total of over 2500 waiters have been trained.Further those one found sellers of their products by training them they greatly improve their image and sales. The world is currently experiencing economic crunch. Inflation is on the ris e and it has passed 29. 30%. This means the cost of production is increasing, also consumers are now conscious of the prices and priority is placed on primary products. Hence EABL is witnessing a shift of customers to cheaper brands. Here the Tuko Mitaani promotion came into play. Unemployment or disguised employment is on rise. This affects the customers behavior because of absence of source of income.Further for those who are employed due to the world economic crunch and inflation, the disposable income is mainly spent on primary goods. Hence the percentage which is normally being left for luxuries is being reduced and further consumer shift to cheaper products and local brews. The economic crunch has also affected credit availability. Here many distributors continue to carry narrow assortment of merchandise. Therefore the economies of large scale distributions are largely affected. Also affected is EABL which has to get some supplies on credit.The company came up with Jisimamie n a Kshs. 50 million credit advancement strategy targeting SME’s and giving them 50,000 for a viable business plan. Since under such circumstances consumers buy what is really necessary and the EABL is out for cost saving ventures. This greatly affect marketing exercise which are generally consume a lot of cash the marketing spending yet increased by 5% in 2009 reports, EABL has to be careful therefore with pricing policies, marketing and distribution activities. EABL in 2008 alone 2. 165 million was spent on marketing alone.Coming up with Bambua Bambika million promotion meant to entice consumers to buy with the hope of getting out of economic crunch. The speed of change and the impact of technology has a major impact on the EABL ability to undertake the marketing activities. Technological environment is based on scientific knowledge, research, inventions and innovations. The period under review saw the introduction of major technologies. To mention a few introduction of new t echnology for canned beer, telebanking and widespread use of internet and world wide web.The top achievement of the company is the coming up with a high yielding barley species. The change in technological forces has greatly influenced marketing activities of EABL. Further the company has capitalized in internet to create a web site which is interactive and calls for scanning of information across the board. The canned beer is suitably parked for takeaways. The ecological/physical environment forces are calls using of physical environmental friendly ingredients. The changes in climatic conditions for the last three years is associated with global warming.We are witnessing harsh climatic conditions. The extremely hot conditions have forced EABL to start the programme of supplying refrigerators to wider areas so as to cool their products and making them more refreshing. Further harsh climatic conditions have affected production of barley hence raise cost. Further the company has launc hed the Green Goals 2010 innitiative with its six pillars such as caring for environment, enforcement of environmental standards, recycling, waste reduction and survey matters. In order to take care of pollution the company is sticking to recyclable non wasteful parking material.All these environmental issue have led to the growth importance of green issues in marketing. Related to the physical environment forces is geographical forces. Population distribution and size indicates an absolute potential consuming public. The bulk of this discussion has been explained while presenting arguments for demographic pattern and its changes. Connectivity and general infrastructure are part of geographical forces. Regions like Bundalangi and general Western region have experienced destruction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges due to harsh climatic condition.This greatly affect the distribution of products and raises the cost of production and distribution. Increasingly, political and leg al systems can have significant effects on marketing policies and strategies. Both the government and consumer have made the task of marketing more complex. The period under review has witnessed the raise of popularly known sin taxes by over 70%. This affected the cost of production. Further the government has introduced NACADA which is all out to fight alcohol and drugs consumption. This indiscriminate advocacy against alcohol has affected marketing activities of EABL.The highlighted legislations and anti alcohol lobbyist strict advertising laws shaped the company’s marketing process. This lead to the following strategies. We ID Campaign, Don’t’ drink and drive campaigns The legal framework is more inclined toward regulation of activities in general terms. The concept of free market economy has greatly affected the marketing of KBL products since foreign products fill the market. The period being discussed has witnessed the ever growing concern of alcoholic rel ated advertisement.If this law is passed then it will mean total restructuring of market process for KBL even though this law is yet to be passed yet it is causing ripples in form of lobbying and discussion farms which the company is forced to take up the responsibilities and related cost. Finally the political skirmishes related to the post election violence has greatly affected the marketing activities of EABL. A lot has been discussed about the effects post election violence in the earlier discussions. c. IDENTIFY LAWS/ACTS IN KENYA AFFECTING MARKETING. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LAW/ACTS.It must be noted that marketing does not take place in a vacuum. Among the factors which affect marketing is legal related factors. In Kenya there are a number of laws which generally affect market operations in the country. The laws regulate marketing functions right from the functions, products and even pricing. For the purpose of this discussion let us look at them one after the other. The Suppli es Preventition Management Act Cap 17 of 2007 aims at establishing, inventory, improve and publish the standard of the supplies professional. The Act guides on training and relevant examinations boards.The Acts empower the administrators of this Act register and licence all practitioner under this cadre. The Sale of Goods Act Cap 31 specializes the condition for sales of goods in Kenya. The Act specifies the formulation of a contract and the performance of a contract. The rights of unpaid sellers against the goods and action for the breach of the contract one areas which have been covered in the Act. Narcotic Drugs an Psychotropic substances Act Cap 4 of 1994 is an Act of parliament with respect to the control of the possession of trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance an cultivation of certain plants.To provide for forfeiture of property derived from or used in illicit or narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance and for committed purposes. The Tobacco Control Act Cap 4 of 2007, its objective and purpose is to provide a legal framework for the control of the production, manufacture, sale, labeling, advertising, promotion, sponsorship and use of tobacco products including exposure to tobacco smoke in order to protect the user, consumer, person below the age of 18 and secondary affected citizens.The Exchange Control Act Cap 113 (Repealed) is an Act of parliament to confer panes and impose duties and utilization in relations to gold, currency payments, security, debts and the import, export, transfer and settlement of properties and for purposes committal thereof. The Act further has rules which are regarded as the Exchange Control fees. The fire Arms Act Cap 114 is an act of parliament for regulatory, licencing and for the controlling, the manufacturer, importers and exporters, sales, repairs, storage, possession and use of firearms, ammunition, arigrams and destruction devices and commented purposes.Which its subsidiary inflation the Act has rules associated with firearms. Equally fees chargeable per fireman is specified. Another Act of Parliament charged with the responsibility to make provisions for regulatory the sale and supply of liquor and for matters incidental thereto and committed therewith is the Liquor Licencing Act Cap 121. However this act does not apply to certain areas these areas have been stipulated in the Act varying for medical purposes to sale of liquor on board of vessels.Related to this Act is the Pharmacy and Poisons Act Cap 244 which is also an Act of parliament to make better provision for control of the profession of pharmacy and the trade in drugs and poison. Copy Right Act Cap 130 (1966) is an Act of Parliament to make provision for copyright in literacy, musical and artistic works, audio visual works, sound recording and broadcasts. Under its subsidiary legislations has regulations which are amid at explaining caption 15.Agricultural produce marketing Act Cap 320 is an act of parliament to c ontrol and regulate the marketing of Agricultural produce, enable marketing brands to provide for the powers and fantasies of the boards and for matters committed therewith. This stipulates the establishment of marketing boards and under its miscellaneous part it stipulates the regulations, offences and other related matters. Associated with this Act we have National Cereal and Produce Board, Pyrethrum Act 340, Tea Act Cap 343, Cotton Act cap 335, Coconut Industry Act Cap 332 and Coffee Act Cap 9 among others are all agricultural marketing related Acts.The National Cereals and Produce Board Act which is an Act of parliament that regulates and controls the marketing and processing of maize, wheat and scheduled agricultural produce to produce NCCPB and control purpose therewith. The rest of the listed Acts listed in this paragraph are to provide respective avenue for reorganization, regulation of the respective industry and the control of growing process and most importantly marketing . That respective product for both scientific and agronomic research and any other concerned purposes.The Pest Control Product Act Cap 346 (1983) is another agricultural related Act which regulated the importation manufacture, distributors and the use of products for controls of pests, and of the organic functions for control purposes. The Restriction Board Monopolies and Price Control Act Cap 504 is and act of parliament which is geared towards encouraging competition in the economy by prohibiting restrictive trade practices continuing monopolies concentration of economic powers and prices.However even though this Act supports competition the Foreign Investment Protection Act Cap 518 gives protection to certain approved foreign investments and matters incidental thereof. In conclusion therefore legal aspects generally influenced the marketing practices in Kenya. In fact the laws discussed are only a few. There are others and in fact all the laws of Kenya has one way or another affe cted marketing either directly or indirectly.

Purpose and Meaning of Human Existence Essay

One of the great ironies with respect to Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is that one of the world’s greatest plays is so poorly understood. There are, to be sure, many conflicting interpretations. Precise themes or intentions have been difficult to discern from the play’s text. These interpretive difficulties have been complicated by the fact that Beckett was often evasive when asked about the exact purpose of certain characters in the play or the meaning of the text. This is not meant to suggest that certain themes and intentions cannot be determined, for there certainly appear to be certain thematic patterns, but instead to suggest that the play does appear in certain ways to be open to different types of interpretations. A review of the scholarly texts and articles, for instance, reveals academic arguments to the effect that the play is about God, salvation, the French resistance to German occupation in the historical period in which the play was written, the purpose of human existence, and the meaningless of time. With such a variety of interpretations, supported by specific references to the play’s text and other historical circumstances, it would seem nearly impossible to identify an overarching or unifying theme. A careful examination of the play’s text, however, suggests that such a dominant thematic element can be found. The thesis of this paper, therefore, is that the dominant theme in Waiting for Godot is the human being’s search for purpose and meaning in a world that human beings either do not understand or cannot understand. In support of this thesis, this paper will attempt to harmonize the different critical interpretations and demonstrate that the main characters through their dialogue on a number of different subjects consistently illustrate the human quest for purpose and meaning in a world that seems hopelessly beyond their comprehension. Critical Confusion and Multiple Interpretations: Harmonizing Different Perspectives As an initial matter, before proceeding to an examination of the play’s text, it is useful to present the critical confusion that has arisen from multiple interpretations of the play. This is useful because even these different interpretations can be harmonized to some extant if the truly dominant theme of the play is said to be the human search for purpose and meaning in a complicated or complex world. It is well-established, for example, that the play presents a series of universal questions; specifically, as one academic has observed, â€Å"Waiting for Godot, in many ways, simply extends those uncertainties: Why are we here? Are we alone in an uncaring universe, or not? What are we to do while we are here? How can we know? And, ultimately, what does it matter? â€Å"(Hutchings x) These types of questions, to a large extant, transcend many of the conflicting interpretations. If Godot is God, as some have argued, then Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for God. They freely admit that they are not particularly familiar with Godot and this admission reflects and reinforces the fact that these two human beings do not have a perfect knowledge of the creator of their world. If Godot is not God, as some have argued, then Vladimir and Estragon are perhaps waiting for some type of intellectual spark in order to tell them why they are waiting, whether they should leave, or whether it might be better to leave their spot by the tree and take affirmative steps to go and find the mysterious Godot. In either event, whether Godot represents God or a figurative type of intellectual illumination, the core theme is one of two human beings who seem consistently unable to determine what to do. They engage in a series of superficial conversations, they consider suicide as a way of ending their confusion, and in the end they remain firmly planted on the country road much as the tree where they wait is firmly planted in the ground. Even if one is to assume, as some scholars have, that the play is really an artistic allusion to the French resistance or the onset of the Cold War, this does not necessarily undermine the notion that human beings are somehow trapped within a world or social circumstances in which they have little control or little understanding. The important point, for purposes of this paper’s thesis, is that the conflicting interpretations can be transcended if one assumes that the transcendental theme is one most specifically related to the human being’s search for purpose and meaning in a confusing physical world. Whether Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for God, a real person, intellectual knowledge of social circumstances, or the laws of the universe is fundamentally tangential to the fact that they are helpless in the circumstances that Beckett has created. They are petty, feeble, and passive. The rest of this paper therefore proceeds from the assumption that the conflicting interpretations can be unified by treating the fundamental theme as the search for purpose and meaning in life. This fundamental theme will be discussed in the following sections by referring to specific features of the play. Significance of Human Companionship: Pairs, Dependence, and Shared Searches One of the most important structural features of the play is the fact that human beings are portrayed as being extraordinarily dependent and unable to exist in isolation or individually. This is most evident in the fact that the play’s characters come in pairs and seem in many ways to be inseparable. The main characters, for instance, are Vladimir and Estragon. It would appear that they have arrived as a pair, they continue to wait as a pair, and although they never leave they do talk about leaving as a pair. They have different personalities, they would appear to have different backgrounds given the different stories that they tell, and yet they seem unwilling or unable to separate and go their own ways. This notion of human inseparability, a common fear or ignorance about the meaning of human existence, is particularly clear when Vladimir and Estragon are discussing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the two thieves on the cross next to Jesus. Specifically, the fear of being alone and the emphasis of human companionship is provided in the following passage VLADIMIR: Ah yes, the two thieves. Do you remember the story? ESTRAGON: No. VLADIMIR: Shall I tell it to you? ESTRAGON: No. VLADIMIR: It’ll pass the time. (Pause. ) Two thieves, crucified at the same time as our Saviour. One— ESTRAGON: Our what? VLADIMIR: Our Saviour. Two thieves. One is supposed to have been saved and the other . . . (he searches for the contrary of saved) . . . damned (Becket n. p. ) This passage illustrates the need for human companionship and also the need for human beings to depend on each other. This companionship is necessary because human beings must face the uncertainties of the world and human existence together. The dependence is thus caused by a fear that individuals will be unable to cope with these uncertainties whereas humans sharing these fears can at least confront these uncertainties together. This common bond, in short, helps human beings to deal with their confusion about the meaning of human existence better than if they pondered these questions alone. An examination of the entire play consistently reinforces these notions of companionship and dependence. Later on in the play, for example, Vladimir and Estragon are considering suicide and the pair again grow concerned that one will successfully commit suicide and the other will fail. The prospect that one of them will die and one will live is a frightening thought for both men because one will be unattended in death and the other will be unattended in life. Again, because the purpose and the meaning of human existence is unknown both in life and in death, the pair refuse to split up or pursue any action that might destroy their emotional and physical bonds. At another point in the play, Estragon states that â€Å"There are times when I wonder if it wouldn’t be better for us to part† to which Vladimir responds rather matter-of-factly â€Å"You wouldn’t go far. † (Beckett n. p. ). The play could not exist as it was intended if the pair ever did separate. The quest for purpose and the meaning of human existence is therefore a common human quest rather than an individual’s personal burden. These notions of human companionship and a shared quest are even more powerfully presented with the human pairing of Pozzo and Lucky. In their first appearance, Lucky is a slave and yet he prefers being a slave and being dependent to being set free. Lucky is ridiculed, he is called a pig, and yet he reacts angrily when someone other than Pozzo attempts to help him; more particularly, he kicks Estragon in the shins. A telling scene in this respect is when Lucky appears to faint after dancing and giving his rather incoherent speech; more particularly, Pozzo is deeply fearful at the prospect of losing his slave when he says Don’t let him go! (Vladimir and Estragon totter. ) Don’t move! (Pozzo fetches bag and basket and brings them towards Lucky. ) Hold him tight! (He puts the bag in Lucky’s hand. Lucky drops it immediately. ) Don’t let him go! (He puts back the bag in Lucky’s hand. Gradually, at the feel of the bag, Lucky recovers his senses and his fingers finally close round the handle. ) Hold him tight! (Beckett n. p. ) Even a human master is dependent on his slave, the companionship of master and slave is intimate because both fear facing the uncertainties of life alone, and like the bond that exists between Vladimir and Estragon, so too does a very real bond exist between Pozzo and Lucky. This bond is reinforced in the second act when Pozzo returns blind and his neck is tied to a rope being held by Lucky. Pozzo could not sell his slave and the slave is now leading the master. As if these two clues were not enough, Beckett included yet one more human pair to emphasize the common fears that human beings have about the purpose of their lives and the meaning of human existence. This final human pairing is the boy sent as Godot’s messenger. The boy and Godot constitute a final human pairing and the boy recounts to Vladimir and Estragon that Godot is real and that Godot â€Å"beats my brother. † (Beckett, n. p. ) Despite the beatings, the boy and his brother remain with Godot as is established at the end of the second act. This scene is also notable because it establishes that Godot exists and that the most essential human relationships are about the aforementioned human pairings rather than about Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot. The waiting, as it were, may simply be the context within which Beckett sought to establish the shared human bonds with respect to their confusion about the meaning of life. The question thus becomes how these dependent and mutually burdened companions ought to approach their lives. Function of Idleness: Fear of Action and Aversion to Failure In addition to their unwillingness to separate, Vladimir and Estragon seem also quite unwilling to commit to any action despite a great deal of conversation. To be sure, the play is marked almost exclusively by dialogue rather than action. The pair carry on a series of seemingly endless conversations, most of them rather childish and inane, and these conversations in the end seem to represent a rather firm commitment to making no commitments at all. Vladimir, for example, recognizes this fear of action or commitment when he says to Estragon Let us do something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed. Not indeed that we are personally needed. Others would meet the case equally well, if not better. To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late! (Beckett qtd. in Brater 147) Vladimir and Estragon, for all of their apparent desire to actually meet Godot, are wholly unprepared to take any affirmative steps to actually go and locate him on their own initiative. They admit that time is passing, that they represent â€Å"all mankind†, and that it will be â€Å"too late† if they do not do something. It is this very inability to do something, an inability which they represent figuratively as all human beings, that characterizes their function in the play. There are several clues to the effect that they can find Godot if they were not inhibited or afraid in some way. First, Vladimir and Estragon have obviously followed a country road to the tree where they are waiting for Godot. The fact that they have walked this particular country road, and selected this particular tree, suggests that they know in which direction the mysterious Godot resides. Presumably, if their actions were not somehow constrained, they would simply continue walking along the same country road until they found Godot. They could ask for directions or assistance along the way and they could become more active in pursuit of their ultimate destination. The problem, however, is that both Vladimir and Estragon perhaps do not know their precise destination. The second clue to the effect that the waiting of Vladimir and Estragon is a product of their own doing rather than Godot’s apparent tardiness is the fact that a boy appears twice in the play as a messenger. The boy admits quite literally that he and his brother know Godot, that they are employed or otherwise beholden to him in certain respects, and that he will return to Godot as soon as his message has been provided to Vladimir and Estragon. Why, then, could they not have simply followed the boy home to Godot? Indeed, this is a curious question that can only be resolved if one assumes that Godot is irrelevant to the waiting. Some interpretations, it must be acknowledged, have suggested that Beckett intended Godot as God and that they boy messenger was intended as a type of angel ( Mercier 27); such an interpretation, whether accurate or not, does not undermine a thesis to the effect that the predominant theme remained man’s tentative quest to understand himself and the universe in which he lived. This is true for a couple of reasons. First, when asked whether he intended Godot as God, Beckett repeatedly stated that there was never intended to be any relationship between Godot and God. Presumably, the play’s author knows what was intended. That many interpretations have focused on Godot as God, however, is not surprising. The names are almost the same and the quest to understand the nature and the meaning of human existence necessarily implicates some questions related to God and how the universe was created. Thus, although these interpretations are somewhat rational, the evidence that can be derived from Beckett’s own statements and the play’s text taken as a whole counsel against such an interpretation. God is relevant, as one possible explanation for the meaning of human life, but Godot is no more God than Vladimir and Estragon are hoping for salvation. Godot is Godot and the human pair waiting by the tree are seeking understanding and illumination rather than salvation. Second, the play’s theme is more about the waiting and the rational underlying the waiting than it is about Godot. The entire play, to be sure, takes place in one setting. Other settings, including Godot’s, are tangential and not central features of the play’s structure. The waiting, in this respect, transcends the distant character vaguely known as Godot. One leading scholar of the play has noted how the waiting is more important than Godot by arguing that The play’s minimal plot and action are accurately described in its title: throughout the duration of the play, and throughout an undeterminable amount of time that elapses in their lives, the two central characters await an event that does not happen and may never happen. Meanwhile, necessarily, they pass away their time in some- times abrasive conversation, in chance encounters with a pair of odd passersby, and in expressions of mutual if sometimes exasperated compassion and the long-standing concern that can develop only between inseparable friends. (Hutchings 23) Taken together, the best argument that one can derive from the play’s text is that there is a dominant theme; that dominant theme, in turn, is that human beings are collectively and inseparably bound together by the fact that they do not know the purpose of the human race or the meaning of their own existence. Such a lack of knowledge encourages closer types of human dependence and simultaneously inspires caution, uncertainty, and fear. All the while, amidst this uncertainty and fear, time passes by and all human beings are faced with dying without ever having understood why they existed in the first place. Life is a tree to which we are all tethered much in the same way that Vladimir and Estragon were figuratively tethered. Conclusion In conclusion, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is best read as an artistic rendition of the greatest human dilemma of all time. Human beings, in this respect, are born with an imperfect knowledge of themselves and of the universe in which they exist and are expected to function. This imperfect knowledge lends itself to much speculation of the purpose and meaning of human existence, as the many religions around the world forcefully attest to, but in the end it is nothing more than idle and meaningless speculation. Godot, whether he is God or not, is irrelevant in the play. It is the waiting, the search and the confusion that all human beings share, that is the play’s common lamentation. That all of the critics tend to characterize the play as tragedy or comedy somewhat misses the play’s essential nature as a lamentation for a quest for knowledge that can never be fulfilled. We are better advised to forget Godot and get on with living rather than waiting for divine inspiration that will probably never arrive. Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. â€Å"Waiting for Godot. † Samuel Beckett. net Brater, Enoch. â€Å"The Globalization of Beckett’s Godot. † Comparative Drama 37. 2 (2003): 145+. Questia. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. Hutchings, William. Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2005. Questia. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. Mercier, Vivian. â€Å"The Uneventful Event. † The Critical Response to Samuel Beckett. Ed. Cathleen Culotta Andonian. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. 95-96. Questia. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.