The Themes of Heart of Darkness Essay Example for Free

The Themes of Heart of Darkness Essay â€Å"The Heart of Darkness† by Conrad is one of the great novels of English literature. This novel exposes the greed, malice and selfishness of the European men. They exploit the wealth of Africa in the name of civilizing the natives. They take away their ivory and in return gave them hunger, destitution, poverty, degradation and death. The English men of this novel lack morals and conscience. Conrad observed the hypocrisy of his country men and exposed it in a marvelous way in this short piece of art. Feder (1955) is of the view that Heart of Darkness is an allegory that takes into account the souls journey through purgatory and hell to salvation, and that expedition is analogous to the pursuit for the Holy Grail or is equivalent to expedition of Dantes Inferno. (p. 290) Conrad major objective in writing a sea-voyage is best expressed in one of his letter that manifests that his major concern was that the public mind fastens on externals, on mere facts, such for instance as ships and voyages, without paying attention to any deeper significance they might have. (Jean-Aubry, 1927, pp.320-321) The theme of Imperialism: â€Å"The Heart of Darkness† is another expose of imperialism like Conrad’s â€Å"An Outpost of Progress†. In â€Å"Heart of Darkness† Conrad vehemently denunciated imperialism and racialism without damning all men who through the accident of their birth in England were committed to these public policies. According to Eloise Knapp Hay (1963), â€Å" to a man for whom† â€Å"race† meant â€Å"nation† more than â€Å"pigmentation†, and for whom â€Å"nation† was a sacred image, the nineteenth century civilization of racialism as a means of commercial profit through tyranny was history’s most agonizing chapter. In conveying the effect upon his mind, he could only imagine the worst torments of hell invoke Virgil and Dante who had seen as if hell with their own eyes†¦..and add to their testimony what he had seen with his eyes in the Congo. Yet, like Virgil and Dante, Conrad lived in   a historical moment †¦everything that was good in England had been thrown, along with the bad, into the â€Å" competition in the acquisition of territory and the struggle for influence and control†, which, according to William Langer, â€Å"was the most important factor in the international relations of Europe† between 1890 and 1910. It seemed that when Conrad actually began the writing of â€Å"heart of darkness†, he was deeply absorbed in two questions: his loyalty, both as man and as writer, to England, and his acute mistrust of the way the â€Å"civilizing work† was being accomplished by the European powers in south-east Asia and in Africa. In this novel he brings before us the nature of â€Å"western superiority† in primitive lands. Reading this story repeatedly, we know that the dark English coast before him recalls for Marlow the darkness of modern Africa, which is the natural darkness of the jungle but more than that the darkness of moral vacancy, leading to the atrocities he has beheld in Africa. This moral darkness of Africa, we learn later, is not the darkness of the ignorance of the natives, but of the Whiteman who blinded themselves and corrupted the natives by their claim to be light-bearers. Talking of the roman conquest of England, Conrad says, it was â€Å"just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a grand scale, and men going at it blind-as is very proper for those who tackle darkness†. What Romans had done in England, the English did in South Africa. Marlow admits that English conquests, like all others, â€Å"means the taking away it from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves,† though Kurtz went to the African jungle with an idea to civilize the natives; he saw his mission in Africa as that of torch bearer for white civilization. But very soon he starts extracting from the natives human sacrifices to himself as god. Finally, his hatred for the natives plunged to the depth out of which came his prescription of the only method for dealing with primitive people: â€Å"Exterminate the brutes!† Marlow will establish in his more lucid moments that what is black in Africa is what has a right to be there. If whiteness finally emerges as moral vacuity, blackness finally appears as reality, humanity and truth. The matter is more complex still, for along with the physical blackness of men and the metaphoric blackness of unchartered regions of the earth; the darkness Conrad has been suggesting all along is the forced expulsion of whatever is displaced by â€Å"light,† whatever is displaced by civilization-the expulsion of Africa’s native virtues by Europe’s self-righteousness. The European Whiteman in Africa is parasites; they are hollow; they have no personal moral vision of their inhumanity and folly. They are also collapsible, because their society’s institutions are incapable to hold them up. Ivory has become the idol of the foolish run of European pilgrims; and Kurtz is no exception.† all Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz.† Criminality of inefficiency and pure selfishness: Walter Allen (1955) believes that, â€Å"The Heart of Darkness of the title is at once the heart of Africa, the heart of evil- everything that is nihilistic corrupt and malign – and perhaps the heart of man†. (p. 122) According to Conrad (1958) himself, the story of â€Å"heart of darkness† is about the â€Å"criminality of inefficiency and pure selfishness when tackling the civilizing working Africa†. (p. 37) In the story Marlow makes much of the inefficiency and selfishness he sees everywhere along his journey in Africa. But it is the criminality of the civilizing work itself that receives the heaviest emphasis in the novel as a whole. J.W.Beach (1932) believes that Kurtz is the representative and dramatization of all that Conrad felt of futility and horror in what the Europeans in the Congo called â€Å"progress†, which meant the exploitation of the natives by the white men. Kurtz was to Marlow, penetrating this country, a name, constantly recurring in people’s talk, for cleverness and enterprise. But there were slight intimations, growing stronger as Marlow drew near to the heart of darkness, of traits and practices so abhorrent to all our notions of decency, honor and humanity that the enterprising trader gradually takes on the proportion of a ghastly and almost supernatural monster symbol for Marlow of the general spirit of this European undertaking. On his journey up the Congo, Marlow comes across the forsaken railway truck, looking as dead as the carcass of some animal; the brick maker idling for a year with no bricks and no hope of materials for making them; the â€Å"wanton   smashup† of drainage pipes abandoned in a ravine ; burst, piled up cases of rivets at the outer station and no way of getting them to the damaged steam boat at the Central Station; the vast artificial hole somebody had been digging on the slope- all these and many more are the examples of the criminality of the inefficiency. Wilson Follet believed that in this novel, â€Å"the European is shown drained, diseased, a prey to madness and unutterable horror and death†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚     This proves that the white men over there, except the company’s accountant, are inefficient and selfish. They themselves do nothing, whereas on the other hand they exploit the natives to the maximum, they extract the maximum workout of them and pay them three nine –inch long brass-wire pieces a week, which are insufficient to buy them anything. As such most of the natives are starving and dying. This novel is a very faithful accord of the cruelties and atrocities perpetrated on the natives of Africa by their European masters. The Historical theme: In Elizabethan times the Drakes and Franklins sailed from the light of England into the darkness of unknown seas, returning with the â€Å"round flanks† of their ships bulging with treasure. Nineteen centuries ago the incoming tide brought the Romans from the light of Rome into the darkness of England: the roman conquest of England was an aggravated murder on a large scale. Modern imperialism-represented by Conrad in â€Å"heart of darkness†- is not different from the ancient; the civilized white men of Europe have entered the blackness of Africa, and have united the natives. The white men come as imperialist traders but in reality for the sake of ivory they loot and plunder. For the sake of ivory the whites robed the natives of their very identity and existence. Their lives and their culture were destroyed to the maximum extent possible by the so called civilized men of the world who declared their task as â€Å"white man’s burden†. Works Cited Allen, Walter. 1955. The English novel; a short critical history. New York: Dutton. Beach, J. W. 1932. The Twentieth Century Novel; A study in Technique. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Century Co. Conrad, Joseph. 1958. Letters to William Blackwood; ed. W. Blackburn. Durham N.C.;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Duke University Press. Feder. 1955. Marlows Descent into Hell. 19 Nineteenth-Century Fiction. 289-292 Hay, E. K. 1963. â€Å"The Political Novels of Joseph Conrad†. Chicago: University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chicago Press. Jean-Aubry, G. 1927. Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters; Letter to Richard Curle, July 17,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1923.

Strategic marketing planning

Strategic marketing planning The proper application and implementation of a strategic marketing plan is essential to the success of any business. A company can have a perfect product, but without proper placement, identifying an audience and a marketing plan appropriate activity would not be able to market its products to consumers. Watawala Plantations PLC was able to convert an activity performed in the home of commercial success through the implementation and respect of its strategic intentions. The company was able to convince consumers that the store offers more than just tea, but rather a rich experience they should have on a recurring basis. The company was able to translate this consumer experience of its products for an extremely lucrative. This strategic marketing plan will discuss the marketing strategy implemented by Watawala Plantations PLC, and evaluate the plan of the company in the current marketing strategies including market segmentation, targeting strategies, positioning, the competitive environment, and various other factors that affect its marketing strategy including external macro environmental forces. Table of contents Title Page. 1.0 Introduction 04 2.0 Watawala Plantations An Overview 05 2.1 Company Background 05 2.2 Mission, Vision Corporate Values 06 2.2.1 Mission 06 2.2.2 Vision 07 2.2.3 Corporate Values 07 3.0 Product Description Oolong Tea 08 4.0 Construction of SWOT A Situational Analysis 08 5.0 Marketing Objectives 10 6.0 Market Segmentation, Target Market and Positioning 10 6.1 Market Segmentation 10 6.2 Target Market 11 6.3 Positioning 11 7.0 Macro Environmental Analysis PEST Factors 12 8.0 The Marketing Mix 4Ps 14 8.1 Product 14 8.2 Price 15 8.3 Place (distribution) 16 8.4 Promotion 16 9.0 Proposed Marketing Budget 17 10.0 Evaluation and Control 18 11.0 Bibliography 19 1.0 Introduction Today in the rapidly changing corporate arena one of the frequently spoken subject is becoming the Strategic Market Planning and many expensive reference materials can be commonly seen in bookstores, libraries and via online sources. But what exactly is Strategic Marketing Plan, how to assess the external macro environment? What are the impacts of political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors have on developing Strategic Marketing Plan? These are some of the common questions to be answered. Without a clear strategy the organization is like a ship without a rudder, going around in circles. This strategic marketing plan prepared to Watawala Plantations PLC is essential for the newcomer Oolong tea to the market. Oolong Tea is an innovative product that is close to the tea and black tea, and this product can be a cleaner body. This strategic marketing plan will discuss the marketing strategy implemented by Watawala Plantations PLC. It is very much evident, that the strategic marketing plan for Watawala Plantations PLC has been successfully completed after gaining a substantial understanding from the various reliable sources where the information have been gathered. I strongly feel that the information that I have provided in this strategic marketing plan will definitely satisfy the assessment criteria. Last but not the least I wish to mention that, at the best of my knowledge, Ive acknowledged all the sources which I did refer to complete this strategic marketing plan. 2.0 Watawala Plantations An Overview 2.1 Company Background Watawala Plantations PLC is a pioneer tea plantation and marketing company in Sri Lanka. This is a listed company is a joint venture with the legendary Tata Group, which owns the No. 1 tea brand in Britain Tetley. Today Watawala plantations PLC has undertaken the management of selected 18 prime tea estates in all elevations of low-rise, medium-and high-grown along with a pair of rubber plantations, and the Sri Lankas only palm oil factory and employs over 15,000 people. With the joint venture in Tata Tea India, Watawala Plantations PLC has accepted the challenge of converting trade and productivity in to competition. The unique advantage of three diversified namely crops, tea, rubber and Palm has made the company to move in different directions in terms of involvement with the daily life of people in Sri Lanka. Total area of plantations is divided region 12,442.13 hectares, of which 41% is the tea, rubber is 18% and 8% less for the cultivation of oil palm. About 7% is separate for firewood and the rest is uncultivated and remains as the areas of conservation, forestry, spices, vegetable cultivation, jungle, buildings, roads, etc. 2.2 Mission, Vision Corporate Values 2.2.1Mission Statement According to David (1995, p.88) a business mission can be classified as the foundation for priorities, strategies, plans, and work assignment. In other words it can be said as the starting point for the design of managerial jobs and, above all, for the design of managerial structures. A mission statement which focuses on a businesss current activities reveals the long-term vision of an organization in terms of what it wants to be and whom it wants to serve. The Mission Statement of Watawala Plantations PLCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By the year 2015 we will get closer to our end user locally and internationally by: Adding value to our products (tea, rubber, palm oil) Being committed to producing quality products Using our own brand Fully utilize the technological advancements and land resources in an eco-friendly manner To respect and understand the community in which we do business Celebrate the diversity and the power of our people While continuing toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, Be the preferred supplier in tea, rubber, palm oil globally Enhance return to our shareholders 2.2.2 Vision A strategic vision concerns a firms future business path that is where we are going. Companys vision defines the desired or intended future state of an organization or company in respect of its basic objectives. Vision is a long-term; sometimes describing how the organization wants the world must stay where it operates. The primary role of a companys vision is to establish a dream to all its employees and stake holders to achieve the companys corporate goals. The Vision Statement of Watawala Plantations PLCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We will take a path no one has walked before and many will want to follow 2.2.3 Core Values Watawala Plantations willà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Ensure that our business is always customer focused and that we continuously strive to meet their demands with the highest level of service. Be committed to offering the highest quality products at all times to our customers globally. Recognize and motivate our employees who are the live wire of the organization, to achieve their fullest potential and provide equal opportunities regardless of gender, religion, race or colour to excel in their work. Value transparency and honesty in everything we do. Contribute positively to the long term sustainability and development of the external community and the environment we operate in. Be innovative and strive for continuous improvement in whatever we do. Recognize that our shareholders are of utmost importance to us and ensure the best possible returns to them. 3.0 Product Description Oolong Tea There are hundreds of different varieties of tea made from tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, but almost all of them is divided into three broader categories which are respectively black teas, which are fully oxidized before drying a careful fermentation process, green tea is dried quickly, while non-oxidized oolong, which is somewhere in the middle and combine the best features of both. Oolong is partially fermented (semi-fermented) tea, which is known for its rich taste and pleasant lasting aftertaste. Oolong is classified as black or dark green tea which is baked longer than Green Oolongs. Green Oolong is usually smells stronger as Dark Oolong is usually has a stronger aftertaste. Special oven baked Oolong is only an intermediate dark green. 4.0 Construction of SWOT A Situational Analysis According to David (2004, pp.156-158) no organization is equally strong or weak in all its functional areas. Objectives and strategies are established with the intention of capitalizing upon internal strengths and overcoming weaknesses. The overall evaluation of a companys strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are called as the SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is used as a framework to help the firm to develop its overall corporate, marketing, or product strategies. Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors, which are controllable by the company. Whereas, Opportunities threats are external factors tend to be uncontrollable by the organization. The SWOT analysis of the Watawala Plantations PLC can be illustrated as follows: Strengths Uniqueness of the product Benefits of product are outstanding and not offered by any other product/company. Brand awareness High quality tea High quality service Expertise on the tea business Entrepreneurial spirit and commitment Complete and broad trained staff Opportunities Can open new lines of business Mass market tea prices will stabilize Consumers are living a more healthy lifestyle Consumers prefer quality products that offer true value Modern technology in the tea industry will be able to increase productivity Growth in tea market due to promotional efforts of healthy attributes of tea Threats Seasonal demand Misperception of tea consumption Competition from coffee shops Limited number of raw materials Unstable tea supply of high quality tea High quality tea prices will increase moderately Tea market is very competitive and relative elastic where strong local competitors such as Lipton, Bogawanthalaweà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. SWOT ANALYSIS Weaknesses Budget deficits Less access to modern technologies with to Oolong tea manufacturing process 5.0 Marketing Objectives All businesses, as a rule, need to set objectives on their own, for the products or services they intend to launch. Setting objectives are important; because they focus on specific aims over a period of time and can motivate the staff additionally to meet the set objectives. The marketing intention Watawala Plantations PLC is to grab a 10% market share and to achieve a sales volume worth of SLR 2,500,000 during the current year 2011. 6.0 Market Segmentation, Target Market and Positioning 6.1 Market Segmentation An organization cannot satisfy the needs and wants of all consumers. To do so, may result in a massive drain in company resources. Segmentation is simply the process of dividing a particular market for a good or service into sections, which display similar characteristics or behavior. There are a number of segmentation variables that allow an organization to divide their market into homogenous groups. There is no single way to segment a market. A good marketer has to try different segmentation methods, either alone or in combination, in order to view the market structure clearly. Segmentation can be categorized in to four major variables. They are geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral variables. It has to be clearly understood that Watawala Plantations PLC has utilized the demographic segmentation variable to divide the market. In demographic segmentation, the market can be divided in to groups such as age, gender, income, family size, family life cycle, occupation, education, race, religion, generation, nationality and social class. But here Watawala Plantations PLC going to consider only the first three groups from the demographic variables as described above. It is very much evident that in particular, the demographic segmentation variables have been chosen because of two reasons. One is that, customer wants, preferences, and usage rates are often associated with demographic variables and the other is that the demographic variables are easier to measure. 6.2 Target Market Target Market is the specific group of customers that a company aims to capture. They have been identified as the people with needs or wants that can be met with the products or services from the company. When evaluating the market segments, Watawala Plantations PLC must look at three major factors. They are segment size growth, segment structural attractiveness, and companys growth. Considering these aspects Watawala Plantations PLC has decided its target group as anybody who is interested in good quality tea. Mass market is the strategy of the company aiming to sell their product to broad market in Spain. 6.3 Positioning After an organization has selected its target market, the next stage is to decide how it wants to position itself within that chosen segment. A products position is the complex set of perceptions, impressions, and feelings that consumers hold for the particular product compared with the competing products in the market. As marketers, Watawala Plantations PLC not only plan positions that gives our products the greatest advantage in selected target markets, but also we design marketing mixes to create these planned positions. Therefore Watawala Plantations PLC is going market its Oolong Tea under its renowned positioning theme THE ART OF TEA 7.0 Macro Environmental Analysis PEST Factors According to David (2004, p.114) the purpose of an external audit is to develop a predetermined list of opportunities that could benefit the firm and threats that should be avoided. The Relationship between Key External Forces and an organization can be illustrated as follows: Therefore while formulating business strategies, Watawala Plantations PLC should be able to respond towards the external macro environmental factors in order to take the maximum advantage of external opportunities or that minimize the impact of potential threats. PEST analysis is a framework used to scan the external macro-environment, in which a firm operates. It is an important aspect to a company, in order to begin the marketing process. The following gird represents the analysis of the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors Watawala Plantations PLC has to consider before deciding either Germany or Australia would be potential market to expand the fruity malt loaf product. The grid below examines the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors with regard to the potential impact and its relative importance towards Watawala Plantations PLC. PEST Analysis Factors Potential Impact Relative Importance Political Factors Strict trading policies Medium Important Funding grants Medium Unimportant Local pressure groups High Unimportant Government policies High Important Political influence High Important Economic Factors Economic structure Command Economy prices are determined by the government Important Taxation issues Total tax rate is 64% on Profit Critical Interest rates 3.0% Important Inflation rates 9.4% Important Socio-cultural Factors Consumer attitudes High Critical Consumer opinions High Critical Media views High Important Brand image High Important Buying access and trends High Critical Health consciousness High Critical Religious factors Medium Important Technological Factors Technology development High Important Research funding Medium Important Recycling systems Medium Important 8.0 The Marketing Mix 4Ps To achieve the marketing objectives, the company has to use the marketing controllable elements (4Ps) effectively. A company might adopt one or more marketing strategies when introducing a product newly. It can set a high or low-level trend for each of its marketing variables, such as price, promotion, distribution, and product quality. Therefore, the key elements of the marketing mix namely product, price, place (distribution) and promotion have to be utilized Watawala Plantations PLC as follows: 8.1 Product A good Oolong tea is refreshing and delicious; the Oolong spectrum has a range of aromas and tastes quite different from what you get with green or black tea. It is difficult to obtain reliable figures on the caffeine content, but its probably not entirely wrong to say that the cup of Oolong average, well mixed, has about half as much caffeine as a cup of black tea and about half again as much as a cup of green tea. The difference mainly comes from the brewing temperature, not the composition of the tea itself. Although Oolong has the characteristics of black and green tea, the taste has little in common. If not overcooked, most Oolong seems almost no trace of bitterness, and generally a stronger aroma than any black or green tea. Like other tea, Oolong is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. These help prevent cancer, keep your heart healthy and aid general well-being. 8.2 Price Price can be simply defined as the amount of money charged for a product or a service provided. A companys pricing decisions are affected either by internal factors relating to the company or external environmental factors or both. The major external environmental factor, which is going to affect the pricing decision, of Watawala Plantations PLC depends on the competitors costs, prices and their possible reactions in relation to the price fixing modes of Watawala Plantations PLC. A consumer when deciding to purchase our Watawala Plantations PLCs Oolong Tea, at the first instance evaluate the price and value of other products, which compete with Watawala Plantations PLCs products. Considering these pricing factors Watawala Plantations PLC should to apply the market penetration pricing strategy, meaning, to fix a low initial price at the introduction stage, in order to penetrate the market successfully at the outset. This is due to the fact that, it is an ideal pricing strategy which can be applied with success at the introductory stage itself, to attract a large number of buyers quickly and effectively so as to win a large market share, in a short period of time. Upon successful launch of Oolong tea, Watawala Plantations PLC can adapt skimming strategy. 8.3 Place (distribution) The distribution modes will cover all areas and all consumers coming under the target group. This is certain as the popularity grows with the demand. A competent distribution strategy will enhance the chances of attaining the goal with easy reach. Through maintaining proper contacts and application of the experience and specialization in the trade and through insuring a steady supply of goods without shortages the reach is assured with satisfactory results. Over the appointment of distributors and agents for the purpose of popularizing the product, requirements and competence in promotion, experience, market familiarity in relation to the productsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. In addition to the distributors, a careful consideration will be given towards selecting the distribution strategy. In this case an intensive distribution strategy will be utilized where it is expected to bring in quick and satisfactory results. 8.4 Promotion Promotion is one of the key elements in the marketing mix. The intention now is to inform, persuade and to familiarize Oolong tea to the market and to popularize it. In this regard sales promotion and pre publicity are two areas, which are related to public relations. To target the group, pre publicity is essential via the media namely the electronic and the print. It is through proper and efficient advertising methods, the target group mainly the consumers would be reached easily which we intend to employ. The channels, which we hope to utilize both in TV and Radio in addition to the press, will be chosen based on their popularity and result-oriented methods adopted. In this regard a careful consideration would be given to economize the expenditure for the promotion purpose. In addition to the above method e-marketing strategy will also be utilized via social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook. YouTubeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. 9.0 Proposed Marketing Budget A financial plan will be carried out since the initiation of the strategic marketing plan in order to determine the total amount of capital needed for each marketing related activity and to be completed within stipulated investment limit, which allows the marketing manager to measure the past with the forecasts actually spent during the project. Figure A illustrates the proposed marketing budget for Watawala Plantations PLC. Figure A Description Amount (SLR) Amount (SLR) Estimated Sales 10,000,000 (-) Estimated Expenses Raw Materials 500,000 Sales Distribution 400,000 Financial Expenses 200,000 HR Administrative Expenses 150,000 Production Cost 1,450,000 Promotional Expenses (posters, banners, advertisementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc.) 4,500,000 Transportation 300,000 Estimated total expenses (7,500,000) Estimated profit 2,500,000 10.0 Evaluation and Control When involving in introducing a new product into the market, it becomes necessary to plan the overall operation in advance, in addition to budgetary provision to carry forward the objective. The controlling and monitoring aspects are two areas, which need constant attention. Any deviation will tend to upset a proper implementation of this strategic marketing plan. Therefore the following action plan can be utilized by Watawala Plantations PLC in order to evaluate and control the strategic marketing activities. Marketing Strategy Action Responsibility Control and Evaluation Methodology Marketing Communication Campaign Advertisement on TV, internet, radio, newspapers, ad campaigns on the streets Marketing Managers, Marketing Executives Monthly Sales Figures Marketing Promotion Campaign Set Up Special Stand for Personal Selling Marketing Managers, Sales managers, Counter staff Supervisors Count Customers and Monitor Sales per Month Organize Promotional Event Major Cities Marketing Managers, Supervisors, Hostesses Count Participants Promotional offers e.g. free gifts with purchase Marketing Managers, Production Managers Produced Output Figures Distribution of Free Samples to Customers At cash point Marketing Managers, Cashiers, Supervisors Count Customers

Why Firms become Multinational Enterprises

Why Firms become Multinational Enterprises Introduction One of the important aspects of globalization is the international transformation of the companies around the world. The companies have evolved from being a domestic firm to a multinational corporation and being present almost everywhere in the world either physically or via internet. These international companies are regarded as true MNCs only if they have made substantial direct investment in foreign countries and have actively and continuously taken part in the management of these assets (Barlett, Ghoshal, p2). Though the companies had started the internationalization process as early as in the seventeenth and the eighteenth century when the developed nations moved towards the under developed ones for acquiring key resources and in search for markets, but the latter part of the twentieth century and the beginning of twenty-first century witnessed a huge expansion in the extent to which the firms go international  (Barlett, ghoshal, p1). The internationalization process has trans formed greatly due to the evolution of the motives and the way firms integrate and expand their businesses around the world. There are both proactive and reactive motivations for a firm to go international. Proactive motivations are evident in firms that see a need for a strategic change and want to go international; whereas reactive firms are those that go international because they have to in order to deal with the competition from the domestic firms growing internationally as well as the foreign players entering the domestic market. (Czinkota, The Export Marketing Imperative, 2004, pg 4). This essay discusses these motives for firms to become MNEs and how they go about it. Why firms become Multinational Enterprises In the increasingly global business environment, many companies cannot afford to be under the assumption that their domestic markets will always be profitable. For this reason, many companies start with selling their existing products to the countries which have more number of consumers (e.g. China and India) or where consumers have more purchasing power (e.g., USA) (Rennie, Michael W, 193). This arises from the primary profit-seeking motive of the companies but also helps them to increase their brand identity and global presence (Czinkota, p4). These companies then customize their product line according to the country in which they are selling in order to expand their customer base and tackle the competition from the domestic players. So increased sales are a major motive for a companys expansion, and in fact, many of the worlds largest companies including Volkswagen (Germany), Ericsson (Sweden), IBM (United States), Michelin (France), Nestle (Switzerland), and Sony (Japan) derive more than half their sales from outside their home countries (UN Conference: Promoting Linkages, 2001). Another motive, which arose from the firms going international, was seeking cost effective resources to propel production for local and foreign markets. As the firms expanded geographically, they needed to attain competitive advantage over other foreign as well as the domestic companies. This drove them to invest abroad in countries where resources needed for production were available at low cost (Cosmin Sabau). In the earlier days, these resources included mainly the natural resources like rubber, steel, aluminum, etc., for example, crude oil was sourced from gulf countries to meet the shortfall in the domestic supply of crude oil. Today, it includes low cost land, labor and capital as well. This helped in lowering their cost of production and offering competitive prices to the customer. Sports good companies like Rawlings rely largely on labor in Costa Rica, a country that hardly plays baseball, to produce baseballs (Philip Hersh, 2009). The motivations to expand internationally however changed gradually in response to the great organizational and technological forces (Barlett, ghoshal, p6). One of the major contemporary motives is achieving economies of scale. It was first noted by manufacturers in the military aircraft industry in the 1920s and 1930s that direct labor costs decreased by a constant percentage as the cumulative number of aircraft produced doubled. By increasing the cumulative output and exporting to a larger market, the companies can bring down their cost of production by 20-30 percent (Ghemawat). Many companies establish foreign research and development (RD) facilities to tap additional scientific resources, sometimes acquiring useful knowledge in the process (Heather Berry, 2006, p 151-168). Avon, for instance, applies know-how from its Latin American marketing experience to help sell to the US Hispanic market (Nery Ynclan, July 23, 2002:EI). Yet another motive for companies going international was shortening PLCs (Barlett, ghoshal, p6). As the life of a product became shorter, adequate returns for all the research and development done for the product could be made only by introducing the product to multiple larger markets. In addition companies nowadays aim to launch the product simultaneously in as many markets as possible to enjoy the maximum returns before more firms start producing substitutes. How firms become Multinational Enterprises Internationalization is a very crucial and strategic decision that a company takes in its lifetime. Certain prerequisites need to be met before a firm can think of nationalizing and becoming an MNC. The first one is high country attractiveness. The country should be able to offer something that will promise a competitive advantage for the company or something that can help the company sustain its existing competitive advantage. Another prerequisite is the ownership of strategic competencies. The company should have some competencies that will help it counter balance the incognizance of foreign markets and environmental conditions. Also, the company should have some organizational capabilities that will increase the ROI by leveraging the companys strategic strengths intensively. These three prerequisites are essential for selecting the mode of internationalization and the mode of country entry that will help the company compete in world business. (Barlett, Ghoshal) There are many methods adopted by companies to internationalize and conquer foreign markets. The earliest method used by firms in their process of becoming MNEs was exports and imports. This may include both merchandise exports and imports and service exports and imports. Service exports and imports may be tourism and transportation, service performance and asset use. Some services earn payment for the companies for the performance of those services. For example, the companies may pay fees for turnkey projects which are transferred to the owner once they are operational. Management contracts also earn the companies fees for the performance of general and specialized management functions for another. Asset use includes Licensing, Franchising, etc. Licensing is the process of allowing another company to use its intangible assets like patents, trademarks, copyrights, or expertise, under contracts known as licensing agreements for which they earn royalties. Example. Franchising is the pr ocess of business in which a company permits another company to use the trademark as an asset of the franchisees business. The franchisor will help the franchisee by supplying raw materials, management services etc. and also will lay down guidelines and standards that are to be followed by the franchisee. For example, McDonalds has franchised its outlets in many countries like UK, India, etc. In many circumstances, a multinational with an exclusive technology may fear that a licensing contract lead to dissipation of its proprietary knowledge. In that case, setting up a foreign subsidiary is a preferable strategy. (http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/CP167.pdf) Another method of expanding globally is by making investments on the foreign countries. Foreign investment implies ownership of foreign property in exchange for a financial return. There are two forms of foreign investment: direct and portfolio. The foreign direct investments (FDIs) confer the investor with a controlling stake in the company. For example, when Nintendos CEP bought the Seattle Mariners, the baseball team became a Japanese FDI in the US. Although the control in the foreign company need not be full; even with a minority stake and the remaining ownership widely dispersed, the foreign investor can take decisions that cannot be vetoed by any other owner. When the ownership of the company is taken by more than one company, it is called as a joint venture. Today, at least 61,000 companies worldwide control over 900,000 FDIs in every industry (UN Conference: FDI from Developing and Transition Economies, 2006, p 30-31). On the other hand, the foreign portfolio investment is a non controlling interest in a company or ownership of a loan made to another party. This can be in the form of stocks in a company or loans to a company in the forms of bonds, bills, or notes purchased by the investor. They are comparatively safer than FDIs in terms of risk. Conclusion The changing extent, character and geography of MNE activity over the past two decades is itself a reflection of a series of path-breaking technological, economic and political events. But internationalization is not a one size fits all approach have different motives to go global and do it in the way that best suits their business models and gives them maximum returns. Whichever method a company adopts, it goes through a learning process and increases its knowledge throughout the process. Internationalization has indeed become the need of the hour for companies to sustain their businesses in the long run and develop companys strategic and organizational capabilities.

Matrix Review :: essays research papers

The Matrix Action / Sci-Fi (US); 1999; Rated R; 135 Minutes Cast Keanu Reeves: Thomas "Neo" Anderson Laurence Fishburne: Morpheus Carrie-Anne Moss: Trinity Joe Pantoliano: Cypher Hugo Weaving: Agent Smith Produced by Bruce Berman, Dan Cracchiolo, Andrew Mason, Barrie M. Osborne, Joel Silver, Erwin Stoff, Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski Directed and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski Keanu Reeves as a martial-arts master and savior of the earth? Laurence Fishburne as his mentor? The world as we know it does not even exist? Surely, you can't be serious. Welcome to the fascinating and confusing world of "The Matrix." In this sci-fi thriller, Reeves stars as Neo, a computer programmer by day and cyber-hacker by night. Out of nowhere, he is contacted by a group of super hackers who tell him that his life is in danger and his only hope is to trust them. The group's leader, a quiet but confident man known as Morpheus (Fishburne) tells Neo that he is the one chosen to save the world and that the "Matrix is the wool that has pulled over your eyes - that you are a slave." Neo is the world's only hope. In a nutshell, Morpheus explains that computers developed on their own and won a brutal war against man. So the computers made a program to put all of the slaves back in the past, which is our present day. He tells Neo that he can chose either to live now or to see what the world is truly like. Neo chooses the latter, and the trip down the rabbit hole begins as does the fight for the salvation of humanity. But the battle must be fought out in â€Å"The Matrix†, not the real world, where computer sentinels are seemingly invincible and where the laws of physics can not only be bent, they can be tossed right out the window. With that kind of freedom, characters can run up the sides of walls, leap incredible distances, dodge bullets, and with the help of Hong Kong stunt specialist Yuen Wo Ping, pull off some of the most impressive kung fu fight sequences ever filmed. Slow-motion film sequences, some shot at the rate of 12,000 frames per second, allow the filmmakers to manipulate the on-screen action much like in the Gap commercials where the dancers are frozen and the camera angle shifts around them. Andrew Mason lends the film the same look he gave Dark City, only this time the good guys wear black and everyone else is either a sentinel or prime fodder for target practice.

WHITE BLOOD CELLS Essay -- essays research papers fc

White Blood Cells Bacteria exist everywhere in the environment and have continuous access to the body through the mouth, nose and pores of skin. Further more, many cells age and die daily and their remains must be removed, this is where the white blood cell plays its role.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to this quotation, without white blood cells, also known as leukocytes, we would not be able to survive. White blood cells are our body’s number one defense against infections. They help keep us clean from foreign bacteria that enter our bodies. Statistics show that there are five to ten thousand white blood cells per micro liter of blood, however this number will increase during an illness. White blood cells can differ in many ways, such as, size, shape and staining traits. There are five different kinds of white blood cells that fall into two separate categories. One category is called, granular leukocytes, and the other is called agranular white cells.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three different types of granular leukocytes. Neutrophil is a phagocyte, produced in the bone marrow that ingests and destroys bacteria extremely fast. Neutrophil has a diameter, which is, about ten to twelve micrometers long. They make up about 60-70 percent of the total number of white blood cells in our body. Eosinphil is a type of white blood cell that secretes poisonous materials in order to kill parasites, allergies and phagocytosis of bacteria, which is when the...

Elie Wiesel’s Night Essay -- Elie Wiesel

There exist only two types of people in a time of war and crisis, those who survive and those who die. Elie Wiesel’s novel, Night shows how Elie, himself, faces difficult problems and struggles to survive World War II. Wilfred Owen’s poem, â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†, tells a story about a young soldier thinking of himself before others during World War I. The poem â€Å"Mary Hamilton† shows how a mother killed her child so she would not get into trouble. Sir John Harrington writes about a sad truth in the poem â€Å"On Treason†; the poem reflects humanity’s selfish tendencies during tough times. When people face difficult times they often care about only one person, themselves; the need to survive clouds people’s moral and judgment. Elie Wiesel writes about the times when he notices himself being selfish, instead of caring for others. When the Nazis forced the prisoners to run, Elie faces many difficult challenges. Any prisoner who stopped running would be shot, or trampled by other prisoners. The young boy, named Zalman, running next to Elie cannot continue to run. Zalman, â€Å"trampled under the feet of thousands of men† (Wiesel 86) becomes forgotten shortly after he dies. Elie admits, â€Å"I soon forgot him. I began to think of myself again† (86). The war has made Elie realize he can only afford to think of himself or else he will die. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† shows how one soldiers need to survive indirectly causes another soldiers death. From the very beginning of the poem the reader sees how the war affects the soldiers. Fighting in the war has aged the soldiers, the once young men now â€Å"bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags† trudge through the warzone (Owen 1-2). The men, completely drained f... ...d war show how easily the morals of people can be twisted. When faced with challenging, demanding times people will often choose what benefits them best. The poems and the novel, Night, show how cruel and selfish humans can be when they feel their survival threatened. People will turn against one another in order to live another day or deny help to a fallen soldier. The harsh truths of humanity leak out in times of war and crisis. At the end of the day, every man has to fight for himself in order to survive. Works Cited â€Å"Mary Hamilton.† Honors Poetry Unit Class Handout. Sir John Harrington. "Treason." Honors Poetry Unit Class Handout. Wiesel, Elie, and Marion Wiesel. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a Division of Farrar, . Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print. Wilfred Owen. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est.† Honors Poetry Unit Class Handout.

Discuss how Ralph changes in the course of the novel

Lord of the Flies Short Essay Discuss how Ralph changes in the course of the novel and why these changes occur. Ralph is an English schoolboy who is stranded on an isolated island without adults together with the other boys after a plane crash. He tries to establish a civilized society with rules and order by blowing the conch to assemble the boys. His charismatic nature allows him to be elected the leader. Rally's changes throughout the story can also be reflected by his changing perception on Piggy. â€Å"At the beginning: bullies PiggyAs the story progresses: has become more dependent on logical thinking and Is more determined to rebuild the community with the help of Piggy and his rational mind â€Å"Rally's perception towards Piggy has changed from an inferior boy with physical illnesses to an intelligent true friend by the end of the story He has changed from a bully to a mature boy and a responsible leader who understands the need to establish a civilized society with democr acy He relies on Piggy's reminders and his intelligence to call assemblies and make himself clear->He treasures Piggy and ales his opinions Piggy's Intelligence has a great Influence on Ralph (how adults perceive the world)† Examples: â€Å"Exercised verbal violence on Piggy (sucks to your ass- mar/auntie) Insisted on calling him the name he hates-â€Å"Apply', laughed at his name â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of Innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. † â€Å"Seeing how savage the boys like Jack and Roger can be while having Piggy as his companion,By Caring As the story progresses: has become more dependent on logical thinking and is more establish a civilized society with democracy He relies on Piggy's reminders and his values his opinions Piggy's intelligence has a great influence on Ralph (how adults mar/auntie) Insisted on calling him the name he hates-â€Å"PiggY', laughed at his name Ralph wep t for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall need to maintain rational thinking all the time (like Piggy) in order not to degenerate and is therefore, not lured by the temptation of food More determined to maintain Jack Piggy as â€Å"role model† as he thinks in a logical manner and has enough knowledge to comprehend how adults' may think† â€Å"†Piggy could think. He could go step by step inside that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for all his while maintaining a rational mind thanks to the constant reminders from Piggy