Murdering Mckinley Essay Example for Free

Murdering Mckinley Essay The main factors that are presented in the book include how the assassination affected America and its society, Roosevelt’s response to the assassination and his succession to the presidency, the reasons for committing the murder, and the evidence that supports the cases of the assassin and the district attorney. I found this book to be a well-organized and accurate account of the assassination as well as the surrounding events. I found the events that occurred to be extremely wrong and hurtful to the American society. The means by which the assassin achieved the political changes that he desired were completely immoral and threatening to America. Rauchway describes William McKinley’s assassination in the year of 1901 by explaining to the reader the motives of the assassin, the reaction of the district attorney and society, and the response that Roosevelt had to suddenly becoming the President of the United States. On September 6, 1901 President William McKinley was tragically assassinated at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY by Leon F. Czolgosz. President McKinley ran the politics of state supported capitalism. He was a strong conservative, which was reflected in his successes of reopening factories and putting individuals back to work. Czolgosz disliked McKinley’s politics and wanted McKinley himself to fall in order to prove America was vulnerable and to strip the American people of any illusions of safety. Although the motives behind Czolgosz’s actions were complet ely immoral, he did have well supported logic behind these actions. The case ultimately went to trial, and the district attorney tried to prove that the assassin succumbed to radicalism through his anger of his social standing. Some would argue that Czolgosz was mentally insane and delusional and that he should receive mercy. At the time of the assassination the American society was becoming more urban and more complex, leading people to have less control over their own fates. People soon began to believe that a sane and healthy social environment would lead to a sane and healthy United States population. Movements to sustain these ideas grew and flourished during the time of Roosevelt’s presidency. This led to liberal political ideology, which soon became kno wn as progressivism. The main impact that McKinley’s assassination had on Americans was that it pressured them to be more clear and up front on their opinions of a working class which included a large number of immigrants. It also encouraged the people to voice their opinion on race in the developing democracy. The organization of the text and manner by which the facts were presented by the author made it easy to follow and understand. I found the book to be unbiased while representing all sides of the argument fairly. The book contains evidence of the details given and the author sometimes uses other historians to back uphisevidenceasagoodwaytosupporthisstatements. Tome,therealbenefitof reading this book was that it helped to expand my knowledge of the actual events of the assassination as well the effects that it had upon America and Roosevelt’s new role as President. I feel that the arguments presented by Rauchway regarding whether or not the assassination was a positive or negative experience for America were mostly equal. After reading the book I gained a better understanding of the affects of the murder. I am able to understand that although McKinley’s death was a tragedy, ultimately America was able to flourish through the progressivism supported through Roosevelt’s policies. However, I feel very strongly that Czolgosz’s act of murder was completely inhumane and very disrespectful to America and its people. As a whole, the book was a very well written description of the murder of William Mckinley and of the affects it imposed on the country. The murder of McKinley had many lasting impacts on American society. Through the assassination, America recieved a push towards progressivism, and became a wake up call to American politics. Although it was a misfortunate act which was committed, it did help America to grow and become stronger as a nation. Roosevelt took a strong stance as the new President and bravely faced the challenge of leading America with courage and knowledge. He acted upon constituent’s fears so that they would become supporters of his efforts to rid radical dissent. Some say Czolgosz acted upon his own insanity, however his decisions were based on logic and his life ended in the electric chair and his remains were doused in sulfuric acid. When he committed the crime he was aware that there would be extreme consequences for his actions. This showed America how far some people would go to achieve the political changes they desired. As Americans today look back on the tragic event, it is seen as one of the most devastating days in American history. However, in the end America found the strength and courage to push through the sorrow and hurt and eventually grow from the death that birthed a new nation. Eric Rauchway presents this tragic event in American history with a hopeful and optimistic tone as he emphasizes the positive growth that America managed to obtain through Roosevelt’s policies. His account is easy to understand yet still challenges the reader to think more deeply about the implications of the event.

Marketing Plan for New Coca Cola Drink

Marketing Plan for New Coca Cola Drink The following marketing plan is for the introduction of the innovative product line extension of the pioneer beverages company Coca-Cola. The Coke Buzz Tea is fresh and innovative product which will enhance the revenue of the company. The following analysis will allow in outlining the best practises to achieve the strategic goals outlaid by the company. The mix of marketing strategies will facilitate to achieve market share of an estimated 8,688,300 people (target) with a growth of 7.3% as forecasted in 4 years. This will capture the unserved market for ready-to-drink Coke Buzz Tea. The success in the sales growth with this product line extension will bring company to apex position and will tag the company as a market leader in the functional soft drink. Situational analysis Under the situational analysis the changes of trends in beverages industry are thoroughly examined. The SWOT analysis is done to get a clear picture of micro environment variables. Under the industry analysis, the opportunities for an innovative product are discussed Marketing plan In the marketing plan all the research work and marketing strategy is listed. The pricing, promotion and place strategies are in accordance with the ongoing Coca-Cola strategy. The strategies are critically revised to add more value in the balance sheet of the company Financial analysis Under the financial analysis breakeven point calculations are done and also incorporated the expected sales growth and revenue figures. Company description Founded in 1886, we are the worlds major marketer, manufacturer and distributor in non-alcoholic beverages syrups and concentrates, which are consumed in the production of nearly 400 beverages brands that contributes our wide portfolio. We are operating in more than 200 countries with our head office established in Atlanta. We are at the second position in functional and specialty Asian drinks. The Coke Buzz Tea will help the company to achieve the top most position in the ready to drink tea sector. Product description and strategic role in future of the company: Coke Buzz Tea will be a canned and bottled beverage and it will be positioned as the only ready-to-drink tea product available in the market. The product will bring entirely unique experience with the base of green tea enhanced with the fruit flavors such as strawberry, passion fruit and lime. Customers will feel fresh and energetic after sipping this delicious tea. It will pose itself different than the traditional tea while offering the delicious taste of fruit juices in convenient and attractive packing. The strategic role of the Coke Buzz Tea in for Coca-Cola is focused on three objectives: Grow to be a market leader in the functional and ready-to-drink sector with increased market share. To attract the Gen-Y consumers and satisfy their needs with an eye catching and FUNctional product. To stay at the front position as the market leader in innovative product development and successful product launches. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Consumption The sales amount for the functional drinks sector in Canada has approached to $342.2 million in 2004 for a volume of 125.9 million liters. This product division has shown a steady growth since 1999: raise of 13.5% over a phase of 6 years. The consumption rate per capita in 2004 has risen to 4 3.94 liters, which represents a 4.0% increase compared to 1999. The increase of this particular market is mainly due to a slow shift in consumer trends. Trends Through the early 1960s, soft drinks were one and the same with colas in the mind of consumers. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, further beverages (from bottled water to tea) became more accepted. Coca-Cola and Pepsi responded by expanding their product offerings through coalition (e.g. Coke Nestea) and acquisitions (e.g. Coke Minute Maid), but also by keeping their focus on the portfolio diversification. Today, while the soft drink industrys importance has amplified in 2010, the volume sales of carbonated soft drinks has declined due to a large share of consumers who are more attracted towards the trend of healthier drink options in the functional drink segment(smoothies, energy drink, sport drink, milk and juice drinks). Companies have been actively involved in new product developments in order to defy the growing concerns about harmful health impacts of high-fructose drinks, but also to enlarge the demand in a market where product offerings are rapidly maturing. New flavor introductions and health-conscious formulations have been introduced in an attempt to offset the rejection in carbonated soft drink sales The functional market is predictable to show sustained growth and consumer concern in the future years as consumption shifts to healthier, trendier and sophisticated products. Profitability future growth potential In 1993, Concentrate Producers grossed 29% pretax profits on their sales, while bottlers made 9% profits on their sales, for an entire industry profitability of 14%. While the functional drinks segment only accounts for 3.7% of the whole soft drinks sales in 2004, estimations are forecasting a growth of 7.3% in sales and 11.0% in volume consumption by 2010 (ref.4). SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGHTS Effective strides in new markets Coca-Cola has aligned with several companies (such as the joint venture with Nestlà ©) in order to boost the ability to react to demands and variation in the markets of coffee, iced tea and juices. The developing markets are more complex than the developed markets. They require more marketing and product awareness. Strong existing distribution channels Coca-Cola has global operations and is well recognized in its distribution channels (such as store retailers or vending machines). Therefore, a new product launch can usually rely on the existing distribution structure in order to reach the greater part of its target market while requiring no major supply / delivery enlargements. Brand strength The Coca-Cola Company is the biggest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. The Coca-Cola brand is unarguably recognizable brands in the 200 countries where it trade its products. The well established and strong brand name is one of the bases for the companys competitive benefit on several of its core markets. WEAKNESSES Relying upon line extensions Coca-Cola is relying on brand expansions increase sales in specific lines, particularly its long-time carbonated soft drink products (i.e. the introduction of Vanilla Coke assisted maintain sales for the core Cola beverages). However, there is a major risk of cannibalizing existing sales in the long term (for example, Bubble Tea might deter on sales for iced tea). Reliant upon particular carbonated drinks The long-time existence of Coca-Colas Coke beverage has conventionally promoted this particular line as a flagship product. The core coke products have gained strong loyalty from customers and have solid basis of sales. The brand is more and more anchored as a single line carbonated drinks which may have taken away the freedom to diversify in other non carbonated products. The Coca-Cola Company is a strictly global multinational business giant. Most of its products are shipped to many areas of the globe. These products have adapted to the geographical requirements Furthermore, many smaller and diversified product lines are more or less accepted in one particular region over another. Therefore, the course of diversifying the production and marketing all products engage costly investments. These capital necessities typically increase as the product becomes heavily focused (for example to market a coke bottle in Japan is less difficult due to the worldwide recognition of the bottle rather than the Qoo in the same country, as the Qoo is the newest non carbonated drink introduced by Coca-Cola in 1999) OPPORTUNITIES New product introductions The functional drinks market is one that predominantly allows more opportunities, innovations and gives greater freedom for creativeness in the production, design, distribution, manufacturing, promotion and retailing choices and processes. Brand is attractive to global partners Because of the size of the company and broad portfolio base, Coca-Cola has strong purchasing power over its suppliers, and also draws large partnerships with various levels of consumer contact (e.g. McDonald, movie studio promotions, promotions in universities, sponsorship agreements, etc.). Existing brand awareness also offer an international playing field for powerful marketing strategies. THREATS Strong competition Coca-Cola has a tough competition in the global market. Though the number of the competitors is less but to capture the bigger share in the crowded market will be a tougher one. Potential health issues The current drift of consumer and consumers groups consciousness towards goods and services is both beneficial and threatening for companies in the food and beverages business. Over the last few years, concerns over health concerns have risen in the media through an extended and ever- growing network of knowledge outputs (TV channels, journals, internet). The shift of the younger generation towards a healthier standard of living needs a careful planning and decision- making in new product developments. Large companies can also straightforwardly become the target of consumers apprehension. Target market Segment identification: RTD (Ready-to-drink) bottled Coke Buzz Tea, to be established within the Functional Drinks sector. Segment needs The product will accommodate to both social needs (perception of a social, fun drink with a sense of belonging within peer consumer groups) and physiological needs (hydrating and nutritional value). Segment trends The current trends include a move away from junk foods and carbonated drinks, a rising interest for healthier / beneficial foodstuffs for the mind and body, the trend towards the accessibility of on-the-go products for those with an active lifestyle, as well as the inclination for personalization through customization. Conclusion Based on the aforementioned analysis, Coke Buzz Tea appears to be a profitable and innovative product with a strong outlook for market share presence and segment growth opportunity. Upon execution of the marketing plan, the Coca-Cola Company will reclaim increased market shares and claim its targeted situational place of market leader in the functional drinks section as well as keeping its long-standing consumer appreciation for innovative and successful product launches in diversified markets. Projected profits will be $243,029.47. Objective The objectives of the marketing plan are focused on the three main criteria: To establish a wide brand recognition through the capturing of market share Making consumers more aware regarding the Coke Buzz Tea product from coke. To attain a market leader position in the functional drink sector PRODUCT STRATEGY The core Bubble Tea beverage in a pre-bottled and pre canned, ready-to-drink format. The actual product Packaging and labeling: see figure images.jpg Branding: Colorful, aspect of play, round shaped, prominent Buzz logo written in modern font, catchphrases such as Think outside the Bubble and Get Your Buzz. Trade name: Coke Buzz Teaà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, a Coca-Cola product Brand personality: oomph, funky, cool, purposeful, original, funny, healthy, etc. Brand equity: Coca-Cola provides a consistent, quality, accessible and innovative soft drink reputation. Augmented product Nutritional information, Status (social drink), Features promoting the website, Healthy drink with an advantage of a green tea base. Marketing considerations Product life cycle Coke Buzz Tea is a low-learning product. With a strong marketing promotion, sales [will] begin immediately and the paybacks of the purchases are readily understood. Since Coke Buzz Tea is prone to product imitation, Coca- Colas strategy is to widen distribution rapidly, which is currently possible, credit to the companys high manufacturing capacity. Coke Buzz Tea pursues the practice of product line extension. PRICE STRATEGY The price strategy that will be undertaken should consider the following aspects: 1. Consumer demand 2. The product lifecycle 3. Potential substitutes Customer demand Customer demand is a vital factor which is driven by flavor, income and availability of others alike products at a different price (mentioned later in the potential substitutes section). For a lot of customers, value and price are much related: the higher the price, the higher the value. As a result, Coca-Colas intention to position Coke Buzz Tea as an exclusive, innovative and attractive product offer it a certain control over price. The product lifecycle The company should take benefit also to the fact that the newer the product and the in advance in its lifecycle the higher the price can typically be. It ensures a high profit margin as the early adopters get the product and the firm seeks to earn development costs quickly and it also carry a certain prestige to the product. http://www.sabertek.co.za/images/ProductLifeCycle.png PROMOTION STRATEGY Objectives: To create strong awareness about the launch of Coke Buzz Tea among the Gen-Y (10-29 years old) consumers and their parents. This is very essential to win the market share against the main competitor PepsiCo. Message: The promotional outputs will convey the clear message that:- Coke Buzz is a healthy drink for active and young people who simply enjoy taking care of their body and life. Think outside the buzz: BeBold, BeOriginal, BeDifferent, BeYourself. A good spirit in a good body. Media selection: Before selecting the appropriate medias, it is significant to note that Generation Y consumers only give partial consideration to media. However, they can be reached through incorporated programs. They are typically using other than one communication media at a time; a behavior that is commonly called multitasking. This set of consumers doesnt give its complete attention to one single message, but rather uses continuous fractional attention to scan the media. Marketers can still communicate with Generation Y by means of a variety of targeted promotional tools. Another vital tactic to reach our target market is through Viral or Buzz marketing, which Coca-Cola will greatly use in this campaign (campus, contests). Advertising: PROMOTIONAL MIX Consumer oriented: Contests: Win another Coke Buzz Tea flavor, Uncover a secret code beneath the bottle cap and win sporting goods and electronics by logging on the website (Arguments: It will boost consumer purchases and encourage consumer involvement with the product). Samples: Distribution of samples in supermarkets, school/universities and near theaters. Samples are a technique to avoid product resistance since people are not used to find bubbles in their drinks. Arguments: It will encourage people to buy the new Coke Buzz Tea and it signifies low risk for customers since they get it for free. They have nothing to lose by trying it. Point-of-purchase: In supermarkets (to reach the parents of generation Y). Arguments: It is also a way to increase product trial and provides a good product visibility. Trade oriented: Allowances and discounts: Case allowance (Arguments: The free goods approach will be used so it can push retailers to buy more of the product to get a certain amount for free). Cooperative advertising: To cheer retailers to buy our product and to sustain our high level of advertisement that consumers anticipate from Coca-Cola. Other considerations: IMC (integrated marketing communication) Intermediary: personal selling will be more often used. Ultimate consumer: Coca-Cola will use additional mass media because the amount of possible buyers is large. PLACE (DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY) Coke Buzz Tea will be distributed through these channels: Convenience stores Supermarkets Independent food stores Multiple grocers Discount stores Vending machines Direct sales. FINANCIAL MEASURES Requirement for success analysis: C.M. per bottle = 382,159.36 / 328,000 = $1.17 Break-even: (113,453.56+25,676.33) / 1.17 = 118,914 (bottles) http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/home.ubalt.edu/ntsbarsh/Business-stat/otherapplets/BreakEvent.gif Market share: 118,914 / 1,000,000 = 11.9% In one year, if Coca-cola can sell 118,914 bottles of Coke Buzz Tea, or in other words achieve 11.9% of the functional drink market share, it will break even. After this point, every bottle Coca cola sells will generate average $1.17 towards the profits. The potential profits can up to $1,030,770.001 based on our target market. Expected Costs: COGS: $597,124 * 36% = $214,964.64 O/H: $597,124* 38% = $226,907.12 Expected Revenues (total) = $597,124 1 $1.17*(1-11.9%)*1,000,000 = $1,030,770 CALCULATIONS Based on Coca-Colas previous financial statements, we will see the Average COGS/Revenues for year 2005, 2004, and 2003 is 36%4. Operating Costs /Revenues = 38%5 Moreover, since our target market are 1,000,000 cans annually assuming Coca-cola maintains its market share in functional drink 32.8%, we predict our sales as 1,000,000 * 32.8% = 328,000 bottles. We use the ratio of average capital expenditures / net operation income for North America to estimate the fixed cost we need for producing Bubble Buzz in Canada: 4.3%6 of the total revenue. Task 3 The Coke Buzz Tea is a product line extension for the well established Brand Coca-Cola. The company has won the award of the most valuable company and always at the first place in providing the full value for the money. The Coke Buzz is the extension in the product line but it offers the same commitment for the value for the money as the other Coke products are offering. As the starting price of the Coke Buzz is kept little higher than the existing products. This can be compensated by justifying the nutrition content and the uniqueness of the product. The freshness of the green tea and the delicious taste of the fruit flavors will let consumers enjoy the full value of their money. The advertisement has a vital role in the success of the product. As there is a neck to neck competition between Coke and Pepsi. So Coke needs a strong advertisement to backup the launch of the product. In the marketing plan I have discussed the promotion process which is very diversified. This product is clearly targeting the young generation, which may be students, college students, young employees, athletes and few old people who like to change the conventional tea with something exciting. This age groups is not limited to a single advertisement media. So a proper mix of advertisement media is required. Critical reflective learning is the learning technique with which students or the learner brings the theoretical knowledge into practical use. With the help of the reflective learning individuals grow in term of knowledge, social and professional skills. In the course of MBA the reflective learning process plays very critical role. Sometimes even in organizations, the managers fail to possess reflective learning skills. The reflective learning bridges the gap between what we have learned in the school and what we need to stay in business. In the course of Marketing Management, I have leaned the various marketing tools, techniques, concept and theories. In the starting the course module was very easy and according to my prior experience of sales assistant. Before the MBA course I was working as an efficient sales executive in a multinational company. Though my background was not supporting the role I was working in. but my strong communication and social skills bought success and perks during my job tenure. To add more skill set under my CV and to gain the insight of the corporate world, I chosen the business study. During the first few weeks of Marketing Management course I was very amused to see the simple marketing techniques but having critical affect on the revenues. The mode of teaching was mainly through slides and case studies. This helped in the implementation of the theories and various concepts in on the real time companies. The course started with a slow pace and I was able to gain the basics of the marketing. The aim of the module was to provide future managers an understanding of the key theories that underpin the study of Marketing, as well as an opportunity to analyze and evaluate the marketing strategies of successful and not-so-successful businesses. The module started with the 4ps of marketing and phillip kotler reaserch work. I have gained the sense of importance of the Place, Promotion, Price and Product. To make any product successful, there should be a proper strategy for the marketing mix. In the preceding week I came to know the various aspects of the buying behavior of the consumers. The adoption process sounded very interesting in creating hype for the product. I learned how adoption levels vary among the consumers and came to know the various classes of the consumers. After gaining the insight of the concept the course was advanced to the product life cycle. This helped me in the understanding of the processes involved in the birth phase of the product to the decline of the product and how the marketing mix changes with the life cycle. Week 4 and 5 revolved around the segmentation of the market and how to capture the target market. Though I had little knowledge of the market segmentation and the target market due to my past job. The addition to my knowledge was the techniques used to segment the market. Earlier I was not sure how the companies segment their markets but the study of demographic, geographic, behavior descriptors made me aware of the causes of segmentation. But sometimes I got confused as there are some companies whose products are same for all buyers e.g. Coca-Cola, and Pepsi. Although they produce different products but the basis of their sales is still the old flavor drink. I had very fascinating moment when I studied Michel Porters generic strategies. I found the practice use of the generic strategies when I writing my project report. These strategies found very helpful in the positioning of the product in the market. After studying the half of the course I was bit confused in the fit between the preference of the market segment and current positioning of the product. For this I did a personal research and wrote a positioning statement to guide development and implementation of marketing strategy. After this revision I was able to grasp the concept of the final decision on where a product will be placed, OR where a current product will be repositioned to within the market. Learning of the Forecasting technique was a very new thing for me. This concept was totally practical and had mathematical touch. This was the only topic I faced in module in which I touched the calculator. Along with the course work I learned the concept of forecasting techniques with my own research. The six techniques took long time to learn. In the same week I learned the importance of the market research techniques. These were very helpful for me to grow socially. I found them very interesting as they need a direct contact with the customers. The thing that disappointed me in the course module is the affective use of the technology in the market segment. The module was not equipped with the technologies that help in the real time marketing environment. I felt to do self study in this field but the burden of the study and work restricted me to go beyond the course module. Though I kept myself updated with the use of internet and various marketing magazines. In the course work I read about the client contact management system ACT. In the ACT system the Advertising companies have the salespersons contacts in the ACT database and they offer information on the last ad they purchased. This helps the sales person be more effective in their sales and try to sell products (advertisements) they know the customer will be interested in purchasing. By the week 6 I gained the basic and advanced knowledge in the module. Week 7 was little difficult for me to understand. The positioning process was very confusing for me as it involved lot of research and practical knowledge. For this purpose I took help from my friends who were working in the supermarkets and big grocery stores. The term positioning was very new to me as I had never encountered with this process during my job. The positioning task had many steps as I learned: Select the target market Set the promotional objective Set the promotional budget Design the promotional mix Carry out a research to find out if the promotional objectives met This was the scene when I had to implement my all marketing knowledge which I had learned in the course. Week 8 study was more practical than the article. In that week I practiced many real time problems which a manager can face or the issues which can arise in the marketing division or in the whole organization. In that particular lecture I came to know the ethical issues associated with the marketing practice. Though in the lecture very limited knowledge was given on that topic but the lecturer was able to convey the importance of the topic. After the week 8 I assessed myself on the basis of the knowledge I earned in the module and found that I become sound in theoretical part but I found difficulties in relating the concepts with the real time scenarios. This was due to the less number of assignments given in the module description. Though the final assignment which needed a lot of research and cleared most of the quarries. But the module needs to be revised as there should be a proper assignment is required in the middle of the course work, so that students will able to attach themselves with the practical world at very early stage. I felt the major drawback in the course module is the involvement of the students. There was negligible number of the seminars given by the students. This kept me at back end in term of confidence to speak in front of the whole class. There were no debates or maybe there wasnt any weighting to the debate, thats why nobody cared about them. At the end of the reflective learning process I am still not comfortable with the technological advancement in the sector of the marketing. I have very limited knowledge about the tools used by the managers in the real world. I thought to attend a seminar to overcome the limitation of my knowledge but then I realized it would be better if the college admin will add this as activity in the course module. My personal assessment revealed the shortcomings in my presentational skills and analytical skills. To overcome the hurdle I made proper strategy for which I joined the study groups in the libraries and started to read case studies. The other tools which helped in the reflective learning are the journals, magazines, TV, internet and the various seminars. http://www.scribd.com

The competitiveness of Malaysia in attracting FDI

The competitiveness of Malaysia in attracting FDI 1.1 Abstract This report investigates the competitiveness of Malaysia in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). More specifically the study investigates the relationship of FDI with Malaysias economy, analyzes the reasons that affected the FDI into Malaysia, and evaluates each possible reason with relevant supportive data. The study will further evaluate the effectiveness of government policies in attracting FDI into Malaysia. 1.2 Malaysia and the FDI Malaysia has a policy of mixed economy whereby the countries attract FDI into the country to drive its economy and to ensure growth. Most of the empirical studies on the function of FDI in countries suggest that FDI is an important source of capital, complements domestic private investment, enhancement of technology transfer, and increase overall economic growth in countries where higher economic growth will creating sound investment environment which attracts investment from market-seeking firms (Karimi et al., 2009). According to Krugman and Obstfeld (1994) FDI functions as one way to bridge an inter-temporal gap of capital demand and supply, and like other capital inflows, increase the production frontier of developing countries, which normally suffer a shortage of capital. FDI also lead to increase the employment rate through the expansion of the economy and job creation. Insufficient funds for investment are the main reason to seek FDI and normally, less-developed countries lack of fund for investment (Har, Teo, Yee, 2008). Therefore by having the FDI, it can help them to develop their countries and improve their standard of living by creating more domestic employment and increase the economy. Besides FDI creating more job opportunities, inflow of FDI has been an important source of knowledge transfer in technology, management skills and international linkages for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines and Thailand (Yussof Ismail, 2002). FDI is considered to be an important vehicle for transfer of new technology which contributes to growth more than domestic investment (Borensztein et al., 1998). FDI provides the fastest and most effective way to deploy new technologies in developing host countries, through the process of technology transfer, the foreign multinationals also contributed to the development of the technical capabilities of the locals (UNCTAD, 2000). Moreover, through training of employees and hands-on learning, FDI can raise the skills of local manpower and as a result, increasing their productivity level ( Marial Ngie, 2009). Furthermore, FDIs role is to fuel exports growth whereby the production of products and services are to cater both domestic and intern ational markets. The governments effort by introducing more liberal incentives including allowing a larger percentage of foreign equity ownership in enterprise under the Promotion of Investment Act (PIA)1986 and followed by the establishment of Free Trade Zones (FTZs) during the Second Malaysia Plan ( 1971-1975) in order to attract a larger inflow of FDI. Since then, Malaysia has attracted a large portion of the investment dollar that flowed into Asia. Between 1986 and 1996, it resulted to a large inflow of FDI at an annual average rate of 38.7% after 1987. In 1995 for instance, Malaysia was the second largest FDI recipient among Asian economies with US$ 5.8 billion (UNCTAD, 1996). FDI Inflows to Malaysia, (in million dollars) 1990-2009 The figure above shows the trend of FDI inflow to Malaysia. Malaysia has received a lot of FDI since the 1990s and FDI has become an important contributor to the growth and the transformation of Malaysias economy whereby FDI could create job opportunities for the countries citizens. The FDI flow in Malaysia is inconsistent and fluctuates randomly. For the record, Malaysia has recorded RM 152 billion in net FDI inflows during the period 2000-2009 higher than RM 134 billion from 1990-1999. But actually Malaysias performance starts to grow up impressively by 1990s compared with the years before 1990s and it show that may be the investor confidence had improved. However, the lowest figures of FDI inflows recorded in 2001 were due to the global trend and followed by the collapse of technology bubble (The star newspaper, 25 March 2010). As for 2009, the FDI inflow into the Malaysia had drastically dropped 81% to US$1.4bil from US$7.3bil in 2008, which reported by the World Investment Repor t (WIR). According to the chief economist of RAM Holdings Bhd Dr Yeah Kim Leng, the reason why the FDI have contracted sharply due to lack of confidence as the result of the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 (The star newspaper, 13 March 2010). In 2007, FDI inflows peaked, when it reaching US$1.8 trillion, up 30% from 2006, bringing the worldwide stock of FDI to US$15 trillion. FDI is an important contributor to the growth and the transformation of Malaysias economy, particularly in establishing new industries, enhancing production capacity, employment, trade and technological capability. Malaysia has attracted a steady inflow of net FDI in the recent decade, averaging 3% of GDP per annum with a peak of 4.5% of GDP in 2007 (Har, et. al., 2008). However, relatively lower FDI inflows were recorded in 2001 and 2009, similar to the global trend, following the collapse of the technology bubble and the global financial crisis respectively. According to the World Investment Report 2010, Malaysias FDI was dropped more than 81 percent in 2009 on Year-on-Year basic, from US$7.32 billion in 2008 to US$1.38 billion in 2009. The FDI inflow into Malaysia of the entire year of 2009 was even less than half of the annual average total FDI inflow between the years of 1995 to 2005, which included the long recovery period after the 1997 Asia Economic Crisis. Besides, Malaysias FDI inflow in 2009 was also lower than Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. This is the very first time in the history where the Philippiness FDI total is more than Malaysias FDI. 1.3 Malaysia Economy Background Malaysia was a strong performer in economic growth within the South-East Asia region in the early and mid-1990s. However, the countrys economy was hit hard during Asia Economic Crisis, which began in July 1997 started from Thailand. The crisis caused Malaysia economy contracted by 7.4 percent, and the Ringgit slipped by more than 40 percent until the country decided to implement currency and capital control, as well as pegged it currency- RM3.80 to USD1. However, the economy was able to recover strongly, particularly in 1999 and 2000, as the result of increased government spending and highly increased export sector. Malaysia had successfully to register averaged annual GDP growth rate at 5.9 percent since 2001. The country economic growth are transforming from depending on government spending and exports to become more driven by private consumption and investment, particularly in the services sector. Malaysia had taken the initiatives to reconstruct it economy, especially financial sector since 1997 Asia Financial Crisis. This enabled Malaysias economy did not hurt badly by the global financial crisis which began on November 2008 in US. However, the countrys economy is facing several problems internally and externally. These include of potential decreasing exports demand, higher commodity prices (due to Quantitative Easing (QE) Policy- worldwide, and Quantitative Easing 2 (QE2) US), lower competitiveness in attracting FDI inflows, and challenges in gaining the high income country status. Malaysias government had introduced 5 economic regions within the country (Iskandar Malaysia (Iskandar), North Corridor Economic Region (NCER), East Coast Economic Region (ECER), Sabah Development Corridor (SDC), and Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE)) within the year of 2008. Also, the Malaysians government has promised to commit to an open economy, increase the countrys competitiveness and promote more freedom for foreign investors to the country. However, the introduced of 5 economic regions and the promises given by the Malaysians government did not responded positively by foreign investors, as the FDI inflow into Malaysia was dropped shapely in the year of 2009. Malaysia aims to become a developed country in 2020, yet the country need to grow at least 7 percent annually for the 10 years to come. Malaysia have been focused in several sectors in 9th Malaysia Plan and 3rd Industrial Master Plan, which includes of Islamic Finance, IT ICT, Education, Tourism, Biotechnology, and Multimedia. However, the 10th Malaysia Plan and the Malaysia Budget 2011 are both focused on the blueprint on addressing income distribution, retaining affirmative action policies for native Malays, while developing and improving the agriculture and social services sectors. 1.4 Malaysia Countrys Facilities According to World Investment Report 2008, MNCs often invest in countries with well established network of transportation and communication facilities. Malaysia is ready to fulfill the needs of logistic and communication within the countrys boundary, especially in the Peninsular of Malaysia. PLUS-highways and KTM railways are both linking the major towns in peninsular. Malaysia is famous with cheaper ports services than Singapore provided in southern Johor, as well as in Klang. Besides, the leading budget airlines- Air Asia, which selected Malaysia as the hub of it networks also increased the competitiveness of Malaysia in term of transportation. As for communication, Malaysia is moving toward to implement National Broadband Initiative (NBI), other than the MSC projects. According to SKMM (Malaysia Multimedia and Communication Commission), 95% of peninsular lands and 55% of East Malaysia areas are covered by fixed line broadband. Besides, there are with 29.6 Million cellular subscrip tion (Q3,2009), with 95% of area coverage in Peninsular and 77% of area coverage in East Malaysia. 1.5 FDI. Why and How? FDI in general can help to create jobs opportunity and reduce the poverty rate in a developing country. There are many ways in which FDI can help to enhance a countrys manufacturing and export competitiveness. In order to attract export oriented FDI and to ensure that such investment translates into development gains, a country needs to find the most effective ways to make the choice of locations as well as the target segments, conducive to the kind of export activities the MNCs aim to foster. One of the biggest tools for economic integration is FDI. FDI moves towards low technology production and labour intensive in developing countries, but they flows in high technology production towards developed states. FDI usually depend on different views of investments such as the sector of investment whether its manufacturing or services, the size of multinational investor or company. When the firms, which relocate only a part of its productions process, but not the whole productions line, then there is with possibilities for more FDI inflows in future, as the firms might continuously to relocate other productions process. Natural resources, specific skills, inexpensive labour and infrastructure will usually be the motivator to the foreign investors to relocate their productions line. On the other hand, the investors will invest heavily in an advantaged location to increase their competitive advantages. In todays rapidly globalizing world, successful exporting needs not only competitive products, but also marketing expertise and access to international markets. Giving greater access to FDI can provide major benefit in this respect especially in markets in which established brand names and large distribution networks are important assets. FDI can also be effective means of providing resources, such as skills, training, technology, capital goods and intermediate input needed to exploit a countrys existing comparative advantages. As for developing countries, FDI play a major role in the manufacturing sector for exports. This contributes to direct and indirect impacts to the domestic companies, in which direct impacts occur when FDI establish backward linkages with domestic companies. The indirect impacts occur when the domestic companies are able to copy the operations and the managements styles from the foreign companies, opportunity to recruit skilled employees of foreign companies, and taking advantages from reductions in trade barriers, as well as the improvements in local infrastructure. FDI is the vehicle by which firms achieve their strategic objectives. A company must posses some asset such as product and process technology or management and marketing skills that can be used beneficially in the foreign affiliate in order to invest in production in foreign markets. According to Kindle Berger (1969), For direct investment to thrive there must be some imperfection in markets for goods or factors, including among the latter technology. Or some interference in competition by government or by firms, which separates markets. The industrialized nations have remained the major contributor as well as the major recipient of FDI though FDI flows to the developing world have more than doubled between 1990 and 1999. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The FDI FDI is generally defined as ownership of a countrys business or properties by entities not domiciled there (BusinessDictionary.com). In this 20th century, the improved technologies and consolidated economies make a greater mobility of peoples, goods, capital and ideas from one country to another country. Such exchange of goods, services, knowledge and cultures between countries brings us to a world without boundaries and it is popularly known as globalization (Global Education). As the tendency of world towards globalization, FDI plays an extraordinary and growing role in global business (Graham Spaulding, 2005). In terms of FDI, the host country is the country which receives the investment from the source country or home country, which is also known as the foreign investor. The inflows of FDI into a host country can drive to a significant development of economy by providing an external source of capital, new technologies, management skills, and process. According to Graham Spaulding, FDI is classically defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country. A direct investment is about investing in buildings, machinery, and equipment while indirect investment is refer to undertaking a portfolio investment. In current year, the definition of FDI has been expansive to include the acquisition of lasting management interest in a company outside the investing firms home country, investing in a joint venture, or construction of facility, or league with a local firm with the following input of technology and licensing of intellectual property (Graham Spaulding, 2005). Besides, the form of FDI has much different from the pass in terms of the size, scope and methods of execute due to the expansion in technologies, changes in markets capital structure as well as the gradually aggrandizing liberalization of national investment regulatory framework. The expanding of FDI in current year proposed different view point to different people. Adherents of FDI indicate that the exchange of investment flows profits both the host country and the home country while opponents hold that multinational collaboration are able to exert greater power over smaller economies and would lead to larger local competition (Graham Spaulding,2005). Since the flows of investment in a countrys economies does brings about great impact, most governments, especially for those in industrialized and developed nations really put much attention to FDI. In the United States, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a section of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is responsible for collecting economic data about the economy including information about FDI flows (Graham Spaulding, 2005). By going through this data, the influence of such investment on the overall economy can be determined and the impact on industry segments will be assessable. The FDI embodies two typical assets: first, capital and second, technology or a number of intangible advantages. So, FDI is more likely to be important in industries with significant firm-specific, intangible, knowledge-based assets. FDI contributes most to the development process when affiliate is wholly owned and fully integrated into the global operations of the parent company. Once the parent investors commit themselves to incorporate the output from host country into a larger strategy to meet global or regional competition-there is evidence of a dynamic integration effect, which creates innovative and creative technology and techniques, as well as closer positioning along the top of the best management practises and highest industry standards. 2.2 The benefits of FDI In general, FDI will improve competitiveness and create employment, as well as increase the development of the host nation. This is a result of inward investment increasing the number of entrants in the indigenous industry which forces all competitor firms in the industry to become more competitive by reducing costs and improving efficiency and quality. In the analysis of Bosworth and Collins (1999) found that about half of each dollar of capital inflow can converted into an increase in the domestic investment. The result of the analysis show that the transferring of foreign resources equal to 53-69 percentage of the inflow of financial capital. The rest are transferred to reserves accumulation or capital inflows. In addition to the contribution of joint ventures, foreign firms can serve as a catalyst for other domestic exporters.In an empirical analysis, the probability of domestic factories will be exported is considered to be actively associated with the nearby multinational companies (Aitken et al. 1997). One implication is that the government may encourage potential exporters to be close to each other, creating export processing zones, duty-free import of inputs given as to fund infrastructure, special offers or tax-free to help reduce the cost of domestic enterprises to foreign countries to break the market. Export processing zone is a useful broad-based reform, but may introduce spatial distortions, the government in the wrong place to find the area. Much FDI activity is achieved by way of a joint venture between a foreign company and an indigenous company and this may bring advantages such as risk diversification, capital requirement reductions and lower start-up costs. Besides, foreign firms will bring in superior technology and enable free spreads of technology to the existing firm for extent of benefit to the host countries. FDI will manifest itself in the creation of spill over and linkages typically in suppliers and customers whereas the dynamic impact will affect the competitive environment. In addiction, both adherents and opponents support their respective view point regarding to the implication and effect of growing in FDI. Adherents stand the point that exchange of investment flows benefits both the host country and the home country (Graham Spaulding, 2005). This enable the mutual benefit between both countries where the enterprise in host country providing the new technologies, capital, management skills, and facilities as needed by the home country while the home country investor invest money in the host country to achieve their common goal, making profit from their collaboration. In spite of the perspective mentioned above, some prop osed that FDI helps in economic development of the particular country where the investment is being made and especially applicable for the economically developing countries (EconomyWatch). Supporters vouching for FDI say that it is stable and is a source of advanced technology and better managerial practices, so it is good for developing economies (Peter Nunnenkamp, 2002). Optimism about the consequences of foreign investment, coupled with heighted awareness about the importance of new technologies for economic growth, has contributed to wide-reaching changes in national policies on FDI and it helps accelerate the process of economic development in host country (Gordan H. Hanson, 2001). For most nations that were developing form the economic perspective, FDI is considering as one of the major foreign source of financing during 90s. Besides, there is an observation shows that FDI has played an important role in helping several countries when they were confronted by economic difficult ies. For example, during the financial problems of 1997-1998 that the amount of FDI made in countries in East Asian region was pretty steady and similar observation has been made in the 1980s and in Mexico in 1994-1995 (Economy Watch). The presence of foreign corporate in a host developing economy produces a positive externality that is the transfer of technologies. As a research for technology transfer, there are four correlated channels which are vertical linkages with suppliers and purchasers in the host countries, horizontal linkages with competing or complementary companies in the same industries, migration of skilled labors, and the internationalization of RD (OECD, 2002). With the presence of Multinational Enterprise (MNE), the technology transfers have been demonstrated that existing particularly through vertical linkages however the weighty of horizontal linkages is still the subject to argue (OECD, 2002). Moreover, technology transfer can only be accomplished through FDI since trading of goods and services and investment in financial source are unable to fulfill this goal. The countries that get FDI from another country can develop the human capital resources by getting their employees to receive training on the operations of a particular business (Economy Watch). According to the overview of OECD, this human capital enhancement is not only occurring through the efforts of MNE whereas it arises from government policies seeking to attract FDI via enhancement of human capital (OECD, 2002). Besides the effects of MNE in human capital development, the other enterprise which has a direct business relationship with MNE such as their supplier may also produce positive influences on the human resource quality. This effect can have a further movement which labor move to another firm or become entrepreneurs. In addition, it is possible for the host country to receive corporate taxes revenues when there is any profit generated by the FDI in that country. 2.3 The Factors that affecting FDI FDI movement is basically derived from financial transactions and non-transaction factors such as price changes, foreign exchanges and other changes during the reference period. In other words, the movement is derived from the differences between the closing and opening positions of the year. There are three factors that make Malaysia attractive to FDI, which have been identified are: (1) Malaysias undervalue currency; (2) lower cost of labour; and (3) fairly low interest rate (Oti-Prempeh,2003). Generally, firms are always looking that overseas expansion as a necessary way to reach a more effective access in the markets which have low representation. Investments often lead to increased trade flows indicating that trade flows and investments are complementary ( Tyler and Miranda, 2007 ). A set of region determinant is chosen from the literature on the location of US service industries to state the pattern of the Foreign Service firms FDI activity in the US. These determinants are the share of metropolitan population, the agglomeration of domestic producer services, the value of commercial and industrial property and population growth. About their study in the location of FDI and state characteristics within the US, Coughlin et al. (1991) assumed that a foreign firm company will choose to invest in a special state depends on the levels of its characteristics that influence profits relative to the levels of these characteristics in the other states. Besides that, Qian Sun et al. (2002 ) find proof that the value of the FDI determinants flows through the time period. Facility and labour quality are also important determinants of the distribution of FDI. The good infrastructure and labour quality will attract the attention of the foreign investors. Besides, the political stability and openness of that country to the foreign world are also as the important dimension to drawing in the foreign capital. Inward investment is likely to stimulate the production of global competitors in the recipient country. Market size and growth, barriers to trade, wages, production, transportation and other costs, political stability, psychic distance and host governments trade and taxation regulations, performance requirements, cultural distance, GDP per capita and infrastructure are factors affecting FDI location. While economic growth and technology transfer to the host country are important consequences of FDI, development of technological infrastructure and human capital are critical prerequisites and so antecedents for FDI. Moreover, while psychic distance has been pertinent so far in FDI decisions, its importance might gradually reduce with increasing globalization and development of new digital economy. Institutional and strategic factors into theory . . . need to be considered in tandem to explain the change in trend of FDI flows (Sethi et al ,2002),. The inflow of FDI includes a raise in the production base, the introduction of new skills and technologies and the creation of employment. Foreign investors increase productivity in host countries and FDI is often a catalyst for domestic investment and technological progress. Increased competition associated with the entry of an MNE upgrades the competence and product quality in national companies, and opens up possibilities for export (Ahn and Hemmings, 2000). 2.4 Globalisation and the FDI Since the early 1960s a large number of theories on FDI have emerged. This proliferation was to a large extent, due to Hymer 1976, and the subsequent recognition that FDI is a manifestation of market imperfection and firm specific advantages. This is the implicit and explicit assumption in most modern theories. The multiplicity of factors involved in production, combined with barriers to the free movement of goods and services, together with the differences in production environment, are also been an increasing number of studies regarding other modes of foreign investment (FI). These new forms of FI activities such as join venture, licensing, franchising, etc seem to have taken on an increasingly important role in recent years everywhere, including developing countries (Oman, 1984). There is increasing understand that trade and FDI are the vehicle that moves globalization. The nature and quantity of determinants and factors that determine FDI inflows into a country depend largely on the barriers-to-trade. In order to encourage globalization, all countries must try to eliminate the barriers-to-trade and provide opportunities for attracting FDI inflows into the country. As the race for FDI inflows among the nations intensifies, the conditions for attracting FDI inflows continue to increase and multiply as well.

Structure analysis of Idlenot Dairy :: essays research papers

Structure Analysis of Idlenot Dairy I. Introduction Idlenot Dairy was located in Springfield VT. The company that had been in business for about 5 years. The Dairy received unprocessed milk from the local farmers and produced a variety of products. These included different types of milk, yogurt and cream. The plant also bottled an assortment of juices and water. II. Departmentalization The Functional Structure would best describe the form of Departmentalization used by Idlenot. Various departments employed people with particular training. The IT trained personnel worked in the Data Processing Department. People with Financial backgrounds were located in the Accounting Department. The exception to this was in the Shipping and Warehouse operations. The employees that were responsible for moving stock from one location to another did not require specialized training. III. Methods of Coordination A. Wharehouse Managers at the Dairy used different methods of coordination for specific activities. The Warehouse Manager used coordination through standardization. Procedures that were used for the stocking of items in the coolers became routine. The Team Leader would assign Stock Men to a machine. The machines produced and packaged the products and sent them down the track in milk crates stacked six high. An employee would pull them from the track and place them in the appropriate cooler. He continued this as long as the machine he monitored produced a product. To perform the same steps day after day did not require a significant amount of thought. B. Shipping The Shipping Manager’s activities required a different approach. He used coordination through formal hierarchy. The Shipping Manager assigned the Team Leader tasks that required more supervision and resources. He gave an order to the Team Leader who divided it among his Pullers. The Pullers would enter the tunnel, assemble the order from the various coolers and send it down the track to the awaiting loaders. The Loaders would remove their assigned color-coded stacks and put them in the appropriate trucks for delivery. This process did not require special training but it did require more direction from the Supervisors than the warehouse functions. IV. Elements of the Organization Idlenot Dairy was a small organization. Its span of control was limited. In the shipping and warehousing divisions the managers and team leaders had no more than six employees under their supervision at any one time. The other departments had slightly higher ratios. Most of the supervisors directed the employees, they did not oversee them. The decision-making at Idlenot rested with the President, Vice President and Department Managers.

Expression in Art :: Essays Papers

Expression in Art Before the portrayal of the human body can be critiqued, you must understand the artist's culture. As man evolved over centuries, his views of the body also transformed. Our tour definitely showed the drastic changes in different cultures' art. Each culture and era presents very distinct characteristics. Through time and experimentation, we have expressed our views of the human body clearly with our art. Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were seen in the same: profile of the legs, frontal view of the torso, and profile of the head. Like most civilizations, Egyptians put a lot of faith in gods. The sky god Horus, a bird, is found in a great amount of Egyptian art. Little recognition was ever given to the artists. The emphasis was on the patron. Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint w ith slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their works. As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the Egyptians'.

India shine

As the first reports started to trickle in, the apprehensions of the party workers at 7 RCA and Congress WHQL began to crystallize to gloom. The early trends seemed to be daunting and slowly yet steadily the buildup towards the ultimate result was emerging. Beyond doubt the flow was In favor of Brutally Kanata Party (BGP), the major opposition party. By the end of the day†¦ The Congress was truly humbled with an abysmally low tally†¦ 44 seats, the lowest ever in the electoral history since independence. For the first time in two decades BGP emerged on its own as the arrest single party.Backdrop & Introspection The result had its impact, at the Congress Parliamentary Board Meeting, the next day. Party President Mrs.. Sonic Gandhi and the Vice President Mr.. Rural Gandhi offered to resign. In an expected twist to the tale, their resignations were not accepted and the party decided to take collective responsibility. There were many issues to focus and It was quite unclear as t o how the grand old party would seek to address these. For two successive terms, the party governed at centre along with Its coalition partners. 2004 elections sprang a definite surprise.The BGP government was on an upswing, the campaign was highly Innovative, the economy In good nick with growth rate around 9. 5% and the image of Its leader Mr.. ABA Payees was most respected. The party perceived itself to be in the driving seat and its campaign â€Å"India Shining† was expected to hit off well with the electorate. In spite of strong economic indicators, fairly good record of governance, general sense of well being and all the predictions of re-election, the BGP were stunned. The congress campaign negated the best of Bops claims thus enabling them to take the lead in forming the government.An intrepid and a politically innovative advertisement blitz failed to impress. The most unexpected happened and Congress secured its victory. The first five years I. E. 2004-2009, were con servative yet relatively non controversial. The symptoms of decline began to emerge. The economy was showing signs of recession, growth rate was on the slump, global economic conditions started to show challenging signs yet the congress managed to pull off In 2009 to get re-elected to form a coalition government again. Things began to change†¦ Emboldened by its re-election and the arty started to influence policies and decisions resulting in an indifferent state of governance, conflicts, dilution of control, ineffective monitoring. Ministries began to exert themselves and more or less operated with impunity and became non responsive to PM; abundance of corrupt practices and scandals broke out, economy began to decline with high inflation, price rise, unemployment, dropping investments, growing incidents of violence against women, Look pal agitation etc which put a great deal of pressure.The PM to large extent restricted his operations to his domain and as not seen exerting hims elf to bring the administration under his control. Coupled with this was the most Ineffective approach towards media and interaction on media which left the party scuttling for cover on many occasions. There emerged a general sense of strolls and stagnant state of affairs which was becoming a common overlook a large number of them. For the elections 2014, the focus of the party remained on personality I. E.BGP preliminaries candidate and the issue of secularism. The emergence of PAP and its impact was sidelined and many issues relevant to the runner context of elections were not taken into cognizance. The approach was quite ambivalent and ambiguous. The net result was a mixed message to the electorate looking for answers to questions which remained unanswered. Campaign Challenges : BGP By 2011, the BGP apparently began its preparations to target the 2014 elections. The party began its preparation with a focus on identifying the correct strategy.Having faced the double defeat in 2004 and 2009, it realized that success is possible if the party is able to project its image and be identified as a national alternative. In order to do so, it had to set itself on important issues namely Personality, Platform, Plank, Diversity, Demography and Development. By default, the PUP lead government seemed to pave way for crystallization of BGP campaign strategy by series of actions and inactions. As a first step, the BGP began the exercise of identifying a candidate suitable for spearheading the campaign.After a series of up's and town's, the party was able to narrow down to the CM of Gujarat, Mr.. Neared Mood. The choice was fraught with controversy as many including leading political analysts felt that this old endanger the Bops chances. Even within the party there was a dissent from senior leaders like ELK Divan, Cushman Swarms etc. The other national parties seemed to rejoice as they felt it was a trap BGP had set for itself and the choice would undo their chances. By 201 3, the official declaration took place and Mood was anointed the PM candidate, the face of BGP for the 2014 elections.While the choice of Mood was becoming a controversy, the approach towards elections was to be aligned. The reach out was tremendous, the political alliances were challenging, the geographical ileitis were imposing, the regional heavy weights were difficult to rope in, Mood as a choice was also alienating some erstwhile partners like JDK(U). The party had to identify themes and means to reach out to the target population and make a convincing pitch. The environment had undergone an extensive technology makeover since 2004.The decade has brought in changes in perception as regards elections, greater apolitical pro activity and dependence on reliable and fast communications. The demography too has undergone a rapid change; there was a growing sense of discontent on account of various factors effecting the society, economy and evildoer. Moreover, issues like unrest due t o nationalism, cross border tensions, reactive neighborhood etc also tended to make the Job of convincing electorate that much more difficult. Though the national situation on multiple fronts was grim, the fact that such a situation was a hidden opportunity or not was truly debatable.There were challenges in abundance and the choices were limited by time. The objective was to conceive and present a campaign which appeals to all sections simultaneously and converts the message to conviction and thereafter to action in terms of vote. Starting a campaign too early would be self defeating (2004 stands testimony for that) and too late would be ineffective or defensive (2009 a possible example). The question of when, where, how and who? For an effective campaign message and medium were to be identified and reinforced convincingly as a national alternative.Bops approach towards 2014 was characterized by structured planning and focused execution. It SE about the Job in a clinical manner wit h pre defined objectives to achieve. The campaign activity was set in motion by basic reorganization of the party dare, revamp & election of national executive, short listing prospective Prime Ministerial candidate, identifying issues relevant for campaign, projecting party agenda through articulate spokespersons, adopting multiple media options to leverage reach & communicate were part of numerous hurdles that needed to be considered.The national demography has undergone a substantial change and the increased awareness would also need specific attention. The climate across the country appears to have undergone a change with people across the cross section of society evincing a new found interest in elections. The youth and the educated middle and the upper middle class known for its disregard towards participation in elections appeared reengineering. A conservative estimate put the number of youth vote bank across the country was at 100 million.A substantial chunk of this needed to be harnessed and it was also essential for the party to enhance its vote share across the country. The party needed to correctly identify the challenges of multiple segments divided by diverse parameters such as culture, language, education, age, economic status, religion. Large number of local issues were taking precedence over sectional issues which diluted the party's influence visa–visa the regional players.The campaign called for deliberate action plan with defined objectives and with red flags across the time span to accelerate/ decelerate the campaign. The party decided to go all out leveraging the best of technical brains. A multi-tiered campaign was to be conducted with the objective of targeting and winning over the circumspect population in its favor.. The impact was like a corporate entity trying to rebind itself with a new product launch. There was branding, there was product development, here was segment specific media strategy and there was people to people co ntact.As the stage was set, the BGP was in top gear with the assemble results in northern states showing a thundering favor towards BGP. The time of opportune but the choices were different and difficult. Any misalignment would prove costly. The Aftermath The campaign was highly intense. Both the national parties pitched in all the resources. It was a no holds bar election with reputations at stake. The results were historic. An outright majority for BGP and an irrevocable domination of the Look Saba long with its allies.The congress and the PUP stood decimated. The results were a surprise & beyond all the expectations of all political parties, experts and election surveys. What went right for BGP and why? What factors in this election are lessons for use of effective advertising and media promotion? How did Congress â€Å"Fail to sense the pulse†? What went wrong with experts and pollsters who could not identify the mood? Did â€Å"Personality, Platform, Plank, Diversity, D emography and Development† influence the advertising and media choices and if so how?

A Decision of Uncertainty Paper Essay

Just recently, this past spring my cell phone contract recently expired after a continuous extension of over lapping contracts for over ten years. I have decided to finally upgrade my cell phone. The saturated cellular device industry can meet various consumer needs just depending on how sophisticated of a device is needed. The new and advanced iPhone 5 is a huge investment for a cellular phone. The retail price for iPhone 5 ranges from an additional $199 with a two year contract and $500 compared to the contract price AT&T offers. If a consumer signs a two-year contract plan to purchase the phone at a reduced price and incentive. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay Due to financial restrictions and the holidays, I decided to purchase the phone and my contract price for the phone during the 2012 Christmas holidays. â€Å"Through my research and compliance with my constraints, the most opportune time to† (UOP, 2010, Week Three Supplement) upgrade my phone is reasonable during the holidays. Most cell phone companies such as AT&T and Sprint offer huge savings when multiple agreements are made. An iPhone investment could be costly because the standard warranty does not cover accidental damage. The accidental damage insurance, for an additional 48% one-time fee off the contract price, provides consumers with a peace of mind by providing two year coverage for hardware repair, drops, fumbles, slips, and water damage. Purchasing a high costly device means comes with the decisions on whether to purchase the contract price iPhone and not worry about accidental insurance; thus risk purchasing a replacement phone at retail cost or purchase the contract price iPhone and pay an extra 48% insurance fee, which adds to my spending and reallocate my budget for this phone. To decrease my decision of uncertainty; I have complied research on the new iPhone 5. My researched data set was from Business Wire and it provided a survey of 10,000 iPhones including their warranty claims. More important, my researched specified the hardware and accidental warranty claims. The claims all occurred within two years of purchase. Considering a voice plan and data plan would cost at least $1440 over the term of the contract. Another viable option is setting up an agreement with Cricket, which is better known as a pay as you go company. Cricket does offer an unlimited plan that could cost a consumer more than $5,500 over a two year agreement. Based on research from T3 the Gadget Website, the iPhone 5 is 20% daintier than the iPhone 4s, 16% less bulky than the Samsung Galaxy S3 and 14% lighter that the HTC One X. The iPhone 5 reviews have shown that it has a bigger screen, 4G capability and a better front facing cameras. However, the review also shows that the battery life is still not great, there are no iP5-specifice iOS 6 features and the old maps design is highly preferred. Now, it’s time to review the ten best features of the new Apple iPhone. * iPhone 5 will have a 4-inch screen * The new iPhone will be available in only black and white * iPhone 5 comes with Apples new â€Å"A6† processor, which runs twice as fast as the previous generation. * The phone has more than 200 new features in iOS 6 * You can update your Facebook status using SIRI * 8 MP camera, 3264Ãâ€"2448 resolution, five lens element lens, f2.4 aperture, 25% smaller * 8hrs LTE browsing, 10hrs Wi-Fi browsing, 40 hours music, 10hrs video, 225hrs standby * 802.11n 2.4Gz & 5GHz up tp 150Mbps, 802.11 a/b/g/n * The phone will have Now: DC-HSPDA, HDPA+ and LTE * Apples Retina Display 326 pixels per inch (ppi) The iPhone 5 is now available and many consumers will enjoy the new device but it has also started the clock on the next new iPhone. In a year from now, Apple will release a new and improved model of the iPhone. It may possibly be the iPhone 5s or the newly enhanced iPhone 6. My uncertainty still remains to upgrade gracefully to the iPhone 5 or sit tight and wait for the new and improved iPhone. References Future Publishing Limited. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from T3 The Gadget WEBSITE: www.t3.com ZEE NEWS LIMITED. (n.d.). ZEEBIZ.COM. Retrieved NOVEMBER 14, 2012, from WWW.ZEENEWS.INDIA.COM