Teamwork wins Championship free essay sample

Team work wins Championship! Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championship. l I must say what an awesome saying by Michael Jordan! He beautifully portrays the success of teamwork. As nowadays, the challenge for companies is to deliver quickly and flexibly new quality products and services in order to respond to greater and changing demands from clients. Standardization and specialization characterize traditional work organization; the work is divided into different segments, and workers perform their tasks individually, specializing in their field. However, specialization, control and outine are suitable when a constant demand for standardized products applies. However, for a fast changing demand, this method does not seem to work as well, and may lead to coordination problems and rigidities. Therefore, to fulfill the fast changing demand, the companies started to look for new forms of organization of which teamwork is quite successful one. 2 Teamwork is considered to be one of the core elements of the new work organization and it involves working cooperatively and making use of individual strengths within a group to achieve a common goal. We will write a custom essay sample on Teamwork wins Championship or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events. This is because there is no one leader clearly in charge in fact the leadership role is shared and work is done collectively. This creates an environment that facilitates knowledge and information exchange. As team working makes fuller use of all the talents of the workforce. Better solutions to problems are found as those most closely connected with the work participate in suggesting answers Thus, this highly motivates staff resulting in reduce labour turnover and high labour productivity. Labour productivity is the output per worker in a given time period. When companies such as W. L. Gore, Volvo and Kraft Foods introduced teams into their production process, they made news because no one else was doing it. But today, its Just the opposite an organization that doesnt use teams would be newsworthy. Its estimated that over 70 percent of U. S. manufacturers use work teams. 3 Hence, team working is better for productivity than individual working. Management theory suggests that compared to an individual, a diverse group of people will be more creative because team members will bring a variety of ideas, perspectives and approaches to the group. Even at Google teams are a way of life. As the company web sites states, Googlers thrive in small, focused teams and high-energy environments. 4 Actually teamwork is different from the Taylorist work organization. F. W. Taylor was the person who made first serious attempt to analyze worker motivation in order to advise management on the best ways to increase worker performance or productivity. His scientific management theory is characterized by task specialization, a pyramid hierarchical structure and a centralization of responsibilities. Under the Taylorist model the work was divided into narrow functions with short, repetitive work cycles and the work method is rescribed in detail. However, this system does not offer sufficient scope for a process of upgrading and innovation, which is essential for quick change and adaptation. The slowness and relative rigidity of the traditional organizational scheme otten earns i t the name dinosaur syndrome. 5 Furthermore the repetitive tasks cause boredom amongst workers. Hence, employees lose interest in their work which ultimately leads to poor response rate and high labour turnover effecting productivity. Hence, Taylor approach of management, giving instructions to workers with no discussion or feedback is considered to be undesirable. Worker participation in devising best work practices is now encouraged. As Mayo Human Relations theory also suggest that working conditions and financial rewards have little or no effect on productivity. In fact when management consults with workers work in teams and develops a team spirit then productivity is improved. As team working makes fuller use of all the talents of the workforce. Thus, better solutions to problems are found as those most closely connected with the work participate in suggesting answers. 6 Case study of Starbucks Corporation will further help to illustrate the concept. Starbucks Corporation is the most famous chain of retail coffee shops in the world. In 1971 it started with three owners and in 1982 a sales representative, Howard Schultz, of the house ware business in New York Joined them. When he had a vocation to Italy, he experienced an entirely different coffee culture. He wanted to adopt that in Starbucks but the initial owners rejected the idea. Therefore, he chose to establish a new coffee shop, named II Gironale. In two years his business was so successful that the three owners of Starbucks decided to sell their business to Schultz. His work strategy worked so well that in 2007 he was ranked as the 16th best company. Schultz was so successful due to his business culture, beliefs and attitudes. He believed that the tip of success is not coffee but employees. Hence, motivation is the vital factor for business in the process of making their production. As labours are not working machines, so they can not always do the same affairs with equal passion. Accordingly the efficient method to make staffs keen on their Jobs should be to motivate them. As Nicholson (1998) also reported that workers had strong social eeds which they tried to satisfy through membership of informal social groups at workplace. 7 Therefore, Schultz adopted teamwork which did not only construct a small social structure in organization for employees to soci alize, but also composite of various kind of members who equip with different background of skill and knowledge on account of the mission. However, if business were rather bureaucratic in their approach with an inflexible approach to staff issues. Focused on individual working rather than teamwork then according to Mc Gregor theory Y, workers will be ighly de-motivated. As Mc Gregor theory Y managers believed that workers are creative, willing to accept responsibility and can derive as much enjoyment from work as from rest and play. Hence, in todays world where there is so much awareness among workers so if they are not given any right in decision making then this could de-motivate them and affect productivity. Thus, teamwork is the solution which gives workers not only the chance to participate in suggesting ideas in fact through increased communication they are able to complete large projects in lesser time. As many business projects require numerous tasks and exhibit a complexity level that would be almost impossible for a single employee to complete on his own. 8 Therefore pulling individuals from a variety of departments and positions allows a company to complete projects and work assignments more efficiently. Adding up to it, team working can reduce management cost as it is often associated with de-layering ot the organization. De-layering is the removal ot one or more ot the levels ot hierarchy from an organization structure. Furthermore, there is a positive correlation between teamwork and employee training. This is because when workers work in teams they are able to learn from others. As some team members might be from the upper level of the management and have much more experience than others members. Thus by developing social contacts and even by observing them, members who are less experienced can learn. The Finnish Quality of Work Life Survey reports, Employees who do teamwork have generally better possibilities of receiving training and for developing their skills than people who do not work in teams. 9 Abraham Maslow also suggested the theory of the hierarchy of human needs. His findings were not only based on the work environment in fact he considered psychological and sociological factors as well. He believed that human needs starts from the level of physical needs which include food, shelter, water and rest. Then it moves to safety needs which means protection from threats, Job security, health and safety at work. Further the hierarchy of needs move to social needs which refer to feeling of belonging to a group, trust and acceptance. And then comes the esteem needs and self actualization. Esteem needs mean status and recognition of achievement. Therefore, by developing teams MasloWs social and esteem needs and likely to be fulfilled. Hence, workers are expected to be better motivated. It would stimulate people to take action to improve productivity. 10 Hence, it can be safely concluded that teamwork can contribute to a better quality of working life for employees leading to improved productivity. Working in teams allows employees to give their ideas and work collectively which result in completing large projects in lesser time and hence increase efficiency of employees. Efficiency means producing output at the highest ratio of output to input. Therefore, the organization is benefited from the speed of employees as teamwork motivates workers and they do their work with more interest. Furthermore, the degree of acceptance is high of the decisions made by teams as they are usually perceived as more legitimate than decisions made by one person. This is because team members are reluctant to fght or undermine a decision that they helped develop. 11 Henry Ford also said, Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is the progress. Working together is the success. 12 Therefore, adopting team work at work place usually leads to success. Total Words: 1512

Feminine Gospels Essay Essays

Feminine Gospels Essay Essays Feminine Gospels Essay Paper Feminine Gospels Essay Paper How far do you hold with the position that ‘Feminine Gospels is nil but â€Å"Feminist Propaganda? ? ? † ’ In reply refer to 2 verse forms in item. Talk about Title. The Virgins Memo. The adult female who shopped Feminism has been around since the 1910 with purpose and intent. Since so the motion gained impulse and created a 2nd and 3rd motion which have gained acknowledgment in history and still today there are existent womens rightists who kept true to the original feminist motion. However since so have attracted the attending of wannabe’s and females who have been misinformed of what feminism is. are eager to fall in some kind of cause to let females to be treated as â€Å"equals† to their male opposite numbers. Carol Ann Duffy has created a broad scope of books turn toing the literature universe of feminism non merely that is she hailed one of the greatest Feminist writers however I agree slightly with the statement that her book Feminine Gospels which she published in 2002 has a batch of feminist propaganda. : Virgin’s memo is a typical illustration of feminine propaganda as it’s a verse form of the Virgin Mary go forthing a post-state message for her boy Jesus. who harmonizing to the Bible was the boy of God. We can see this as in the 2nd line she says â€Å"son† turn toing Jesus. Duffy uses repeat to underscore merely how bad work forces are at consciousness. this is done invariably by utilizing the word â€Å"maybe† and â€Å"or† as if Mary pulled these idea’s without much idea or encephalon power. therefore by utilizing insistent words like â€Å"maybe† and â€Å"or† Duffy obviously voices her sentiment that females are better at work forces if they are given the ability or in this instance the power to alter things in the universe or do a difference and at the same clip shows work forces in a discrediting visible radiation. Furthermore Duffy besides does this by making a list of the many different jobs Jesus could’ve gotten rid of when he was alive like â€Å"abscesses. acne. asthma† and â€Å"menopause. mice. mucous secretion. son† in other words disputing what Jesus did in his life and minimizing work forces in general. Duffy adopts petroleum and humourous subject to the verse form to show the incapableness of consciousness males have for case Duffy uses crude sarcasm to maximize the effectivity of her point with â€Å"the unicorn’s love† because this beautiful animate being is fabulous animate being and was created by worlds after Jesus left the universe compared to the â€Å"rats† â€Å"giraffes† which are really existent one time once more knocking males. The verse form Beautiful displays males a negative visible radiation throughout as media of work forces dismissed. the nearing power of adult females Either of those could be used as feminist propaganda. Whatever makes adult females look better and work forces look worse. The Virgins Memo A batch of females are warranting what they do as being a womens rightist. But they are NOT womens rightists. They’re merely dorks. Feminism now is covered in obscure generalizations and many efforts to acquire the message out are transforming into statements. and is interpreted otherwise to multiple people and many are contradictory that general understanding seems to be black. Feminine Gospels is a female feel good book that boosts feminine morale by doing males slightly inferior to females.

Immigration in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigration in the US - Essay Example Women choose to be immigrants, being taking the role autonomous workers who support their families in their native countries. Immigrant women work as housekeepers, baby sitters and nurses. Manufacturing sector also employs migrant women. Lack of an effective legal immigration framework, lack of policies, poor international protection mechanism and various other factors make women immigrants struggle in the processes. Global restructuring is not the only factor that influenced female immigrants and the related affairs. Women’s autonomy, their decision making power, gender roles, influence of family members and society are few factors that influence women immigration. Patriarchal control over household labor and various other traditions have undergone changes that influence women immigration. Cultural and material experiences of immigrants have enabled a transition from patriarchal to egalitarian relations in domestic and other activities. Women have been elevated their roles as they become the co-partners in heading the household. A change in division of labor that assigned some domestic responsibilities to men have brought a solace to some immigrants like Dominican immigrants. Immigrant experience has improved the gender relations for Dominican immigrants, females being the ultimate beneficiaries. However certain other groups like Cuban immigrants however put their females to labor market just to upgrade their socioeconomic status. The struggle over domestic authority has triggered disunion and divorce. Single women, loosing their husbands’ financial contributions, fail to retain the middle class standard of living and get degraded in their life. Marital disruption and female-headedness introduce innumerable disadvantages that add to the grievances of immigrant women. Women become deprived of the advantages brought by migration and employment. Dominican women are found to be reluctant to Dominican Republic as they hate the sexual division of labor and gender and class ideologies in the society. The conflict over return disturbs the glow of migration as a collective and unifying household project. Dominican immigrant men are found to be perplexed as they attempt to be first among the immigrant household and at the same time trying to keep the gender roles of the Dominican Republic. They struggle while promoting the patriarchy practiced in the home country and attempting to keep up the standards of their new land. Men choose to return to Dominican Republic while women preferring to continue in the United States. Women enjoy the freedom, financial independence and the new status being in the United States. Women being the earning member also attempt to dominate in the decision-making processes of domestic affairs and other matters. Women refuse to give up the new found power. The friction triggers divorce, and women dare to remain in the new land trusting the job they possess. Immigrant women are forced to accept low-paying job s also for they have to survive on their income alone. This leads to further degrading of their jobs. Though women gain a lot through their migrant status, in the due course they stumble as they fail to balance their family lives. Immigrants would be benefited by a formal access to the citizenship. They should be given equal chances of participation in various sectors of the society. They must be permitted to participate in politics,

Dangerous Climate Change. What Strategies Are Available To Avert The Essay

Dangerous Climate Change. What Strategies Are Available To Avert The Onset Of Dangerous Climate Change - Essay Example Some reports have shown European summers getting hotter, Alaskan streams and other lakes getting warmer, and our polar ice caps allegedly thawing (Schneider and Lane, 2006). More than just the actual warming of the planet, the impact of such warming has certainly captured the world’s attention. These are the major issues which have caused much concern among authorities and the public in general. This issue has managed to affect the environmental, as well as the business community with projected losses in profits accredited to climate change. Environmental experts claim that as our planet continues to grow warmer, more environmentally related disasters would be expected to occur with much stronger hurricanes, storms, and typhoons building up in the warmer oceans (Lemonic, 2008). These experts further emphasize that man has to address the issues which pertain to climate change in order to stem the progression of this phenomenon into dangerous levels. The word ‘dangerousâ⠂¬â„¢ seems to have now been strongly associated with climate change. Its actual meaning in the context of climate change will be discussed in this paper. This paper shall discuss climate change and the different ways by which its implications can actually be quantified to dangerous levels. It will discuss the point where climate change can be considered acceptable and the point where it is considered to be dangerous. This study is being undertaken in order to establish a thorough and comprehensive understanding of climate change as well as its implications to our society and our efforts towards reversing its impact. Discussion Defining ‘dangerous climate change’ ‘Dangerous climate change’ is a term which was introduced legally during the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (McGuire, n.d). Climate researchers have come up with different definitions in order to define the point at which climate change can be considered dangerous. Schneide r and Lane (2006, as cited by Spratt and Sutton, 2008) have suggested different metrics in measuring climate change and such metrics have included: the risks to unique and threatened geophysical or biophysical systems; risks related with extreme weather events; total damages; temperature thresholds to large-scale events; risks to global ecosystems; loss of human cultures; key sustainability metrics of water, energy, agriculture, health, and biodiversity; the number of people put at risk; and the triggering of irreversible chain of events. These are all metrics which can be used in order to determine how dangerous the impact of climate change is. Dawson and Spannagle (2009) discuss that dangerous climate change is the degree of climate change which violates Article 2 of the UNFCCC. Article 2 basically sets forth that the function of the UNFCCC is to manage the emission of greenhouse gases to levels which would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the weather and climate system (Dawson and Spannagle, 2009). In effect, such acceptable levels must be achieved within levels which would: â€Å"allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change; ensure that food production is not threatened; and enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner† (Dawson and Spannagle, 2009, p. 112). Article 2 does not use the exact words ‘dangerous climate change,’ however such words are accepted in terms of dangerous anthropogenic interference; it also refers to the man-made toxic chemical emissions which trigger climate changes beyond their natural patterns. The UNFCCC has not come up with a clear definition

Is Interagency Working in England Beneficial to Childrens Learning and Essay

Is Interagency Working in England Beneficial to Childrens Learning and Development - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that interagency workings in England started long time ago around in the mid 19th century in the health and social care sectors. Nevertheless, the trend has being gaining popularity over the past few years especially since the death of Victoria Climbie on February 2000. This research paper is going to critically analyze whether interagency working in England are beneficial to children’s development and learning. Victoria Climbie decease prompted to a large and thorough research analysis of the United Kingdom child protection and development services. This led to publication of various studies highlighting the need for multiagency working and sharing of information with the main goal being to protect children, help them develop and facilitate their learning. Such studies have led to numerous reforms as it had been suggested by different publications among them being the ‘Green Pape:Every Child Matters’ which was made in 2003, a publicati on that prompted to a dramatic increase in the number of voluntary and non-voluntary organizations working together to help children lead a full life. According to the study agencies working alongside other agencies has proven to be an effective strategy of improving children’s outcomes of development because of the cross cutting themes that different organizations bring forth together. Coming together of different organizations and sharing information increases the probability of shielding children from any harm and most importantly promote their welfare in a way that only a few children if any have to face terrible situations like the ones Victoria Climbie faced. Publications like the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ year 2010 highlight the need for the collaboration of the general England society in promoting and safeguarding the welfare of young people and children.  

Nikes Marketing Principles

Nikes Marketing Principles Blessed from the mighty heavens by the Greek Goddess of Strength, Power and Victory read Nike; the brand has always captured ones imagination and strengthened its position among the upper echelons of marketing icons. Nikes marketing strategy draws your attention by interrupting you, attracting you, ensnaring you and finally and most importantly satisfying you. In a recent conference, Paul Knight , the charismatic founder and ex- CEO of Nike chose a divergent outlook to most other speakers on the subject of choosing Nike over competition. He asked people who run to rise from the comfort of their seats. He then asked those who run three or more times a week to keep standing. He looked on and exquisitely announced -We are for you. When you get up at 5 oclock in the morning to go for a run, even if its cold and wet out, you go. And when you get to mile 4, were the one standing under the lamp post, out there in the cold and wet with you, cheering you on. Were the inner athlete. Were the i nner champion. Just Do It is more than a tag line, its a motto. Its a cheer. Its a rallying cry. A sublime demonstration which augmentsmarket segmentation, fortifies positioning, empowersbrand building, and exemplifies relationship management in a snapshot, slowly and yet subtly hitting the sweet spot. The Story So Far More than 25 years ago, Co-founder Bill Bowerman used a waffle iron to conjure up a new sole for a pair of running shoes. Nike hasnt looked back since. Innovation has been the mainspring for a company exalting in its enduring success. With insufficient funds to indulge in advertising, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman took to the streets, selling shoes at local athletic meets from the backs of their trucks. The word-of-foot gripped the sporting fraternity and marked the beginning of Nikes success on track. Then came the late 80s and with it the pain of losing out on sales to Reebok who introduced training shoes, tailor made for a growing breed health conscious women. In a bid to regain market share, Nike played to their strength and countered punched with new models of shoes designed for various sports. This was the phase when Knight and Bowman realized the importance of aggressive marketing coupled with product innovation and began to invest a princely part of corporate revenues toward s marketing and advertising. By the early 90s, Nike was ranked as one of the best advertisers in the world, soulfully striking ones emotional chords rather than the rationale ones. The Marketing Mix One of the key ingredients of the perfect marketing recipe comes by way of blending in the marketing mix. The key elements of the marketing mix are a set of interrelated entities which are set in unison with one another. (Proctor, 2000: 212). The marketing mix is a combination of the 4 Ps Product, Price, Place and Promotion for any business venture. Adapted from Exploring Business (Karen Collins) We shall evaluate the positive and negative impact of Nikes marketing mix in more detail. Product: Product is the companys offering via goods or services to the customer. A product can be viewed at three different levels: Adapted from Selling and Sales Management (David Jobber) Core Product It is the main benefit that the product offers to the customer. In the case of footwear, it is meant to protect and comfort the human foot whilst it is on the move Total Product (adding value) The chief aim is to ensure that customers purchase your brand. Nike has been a dominant player in the footwear market over the years. Their well-crafted design, innovative products, marketing and brand building activities have helped them gain a differential advantage over their rivals. Their packaging and labelling has been state of the art over generations. Augmented Product(Extended Product) The non-tangible benefits that the product can offer. This encapsulates customer service, after sales and warranty. Nike prides itself on excellent customer services with faulty products instantly replaced without any flutter. Nike warranty time is standard to current markets. Today, Nikes products are manufactured in more than 700 factories, employing over 500,000 workers in 51 countries. The company, through its Footwear segment, offers footwear products for men, women and children. Through its Apparel segment, it is engaged in selling sports apparel and other accessories designed for specific purposes. Under the Equipment segment, the company offers a range of performance equipment such as bags, socks, timepieces, sport balls, electronic devices. Other segment offerings are brands such as Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley, NIKE Golf and Umbro. Over the years, Nike has changed the way the game is played with its wide range of products. Nikes offerings have been in the ascendancy with the sales of 175 different styles of shoes in the 1980s springing to almost 772 different styles in the 1990s collections to a remarkable 1200 different styles showcased in the 2000 collection. Nike Air Max was the first line of shoes introduced in 1987 with frequent additions in the same product line over the years. The Air Jordan XX3 was its marquee shoe product designed for basketball with the contemporary issue of environment consciousness in mind. The Ansoff Matrix The Ansoff Matrix is a marketing tool developed to help marketers figure out the best way to grow their business via new and existing products and new and existing markets. The four strategies involved comprise of: (Kotler, 2006:48) Market Penetration Product Development Market Development Diversification Adapted from Marketing Management (Philip Kotler) Market Penetration Market penetration is built around marketing existing products to existing markets. Some of the techniques involved to increase revenue are promoting the product, professing brand loyalty etc. Nike has invested heavily in drawing up an elevated level of brand awareness to its omnipresent customer base by way of sponsorships, advertising and promotional activities. The company have significantly revamped their supply chain system which in the past has hampered their quest to meet global customer demands. They have also driven their retail based sales strategy to maintain their shelf space with enticing incentives. Market Development Market development focuses on marketing existing products to new markets. Some of the methods involved in capturing a new audience are exporting products, targeting a new market segment etc. Nike has effectively been able to expand geographically with their multifarious product offerings. They pulled off a masterstroke in 2003 signing up Liu Xiang, Chinas first gold medallist at the Olympics .This was followed by an advertisement showcasing his muscle and that of a nation with the trademark Swoosh on his shoulder. The result a walloping 66% rise in sales of its core products in China in what was the start of an intangible treasure hunt. Product Development Product development talks about marketing new products to existing markets. The capabilities here involve innovating new products to replace already existing ones. Nike has constantly been on the run with its technically advanced shoes time and again. The classic example is that of the Air Jordan Lines. There have been a staggering 25 major models of the product released over the past 25 years with variable designs and signature performance re-layers. Diversification Diversification thrives on marketing new products to new markets. It can be classified as related and unrelated. Related means remaining in the same market one is familiar with. Unrelated is delving into a new industry with no marketing experience. Nike has followed related diversification. The Prime example: adding the clothing line to its existing shoe operations. Nike has introduced a 3D soccer game available for download from their website which advertises their key products. This is targeted on a global scale at youngsters who gradually get associated with the product catch them young they say! BCG Matrix The Boston Consulting Group matrix is a chart designed to help companies analyse the performance of their business units. The market growth and market share dimensions provide a handy evaluation for the company on how to prioritize their product portfolio. Adapted from Perspectives on Strategy (Carl W Stern/George Stalk) Cash cows earn a lot of revenue and the onus is on stability strategies. In Nikes case, a vintage example is that of the Air Jordan sneakers. They exhibit low growth but already have a dominant market share. Stars are fledging businesses that thrive on accelerated growth of market share. Companies tend to reinvest their profits back into the business hoping to gain enough market-share to envisage themselves as cash cows. Nike has recently announced quadrupling their investments in apparel innovation and trends citing it as their biggest opportunity in the next five years. Nike has also developed its Nike+ products combining the best of both worlds superior products and technology. Question marks are new businesses whereby companies delve into expanding markets albeit with a low market share. Companies use share profits from other businesses to try converting a question mark into a star. Fitting example of a question mark in Nikes case are their recent watches and electronic products designed to capture more market share. Dogs yield low returns in a low growing market. Companies tend to employ turnaround and retrenchment strategies for their dogs or even dispose them off if they dont foresee a measurable future. The Nike brass decided to sell Bauer Hockey in 2008 in the event of tight margins in hard goods and a flat hockey market. Product Life Cycle Product life cycle explains the history of a product and the stages which it went through. It can be divided into the following stages: Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Introduction Stage: When a product is introduced, sales are going to be low till the customers become aware of the product and its benefits. During this stage, the companies will try to establish a market and build a demand for the product. Growth Stage: The growth stage is a period of quick revenue growth. Sales start increasing as customers start getting to know the product and its benefits .Sales will increase further as retailers express their interest in shelving the product. Maturity Stage: Maturity stage is the most profitable phase. Advertising expenditure will be reduced. Competition by other firms on similar products will be foreseen. The primary objective at this stage is defending market share whilst going hell for leather with profit making. Decline Stage: Sales gradually begin to decline because of a potential variance in customer tastes. The market reaches its threshold for the particular product. Decrease in sales leads to either less or no profit at all. Example Air Jordan Air Jordan, also simply as Jordans are a brand of shoes and athletic apparel produced by Nike originally designed for a very well known professional NBA basketball player Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan line is now sold by the Jordan Brand subsidiary of Nike. Since its first release in 1985, there have been new designs of the shoe released each year and have been making decent profits even after Michael Jordan retired from the NBA. Below is the Life cycle for this product. Life cycle curve of Air Jordan SALES Introduction Growth Maturity Decline TIME Nike introduced the first series of Air Jordan shoes in 1985, there were a multiple series released till date. The above graph illustrates the stages this product went through in product life cycle, which was introduced in 1985. It had a decent introduction, it reached the next stage i.e growth by 1992 and made a good amount of profit and reached a maturity state by 1998 and has maintained stability in this stage till date. Nike Hockey Sticks In 1994, the year Nike bought Montreals Canstar Sports, maker of the popular Bauer skates and other equipment, it then manufactured the series of hockey sticks between 2004 -06 in china. Random testing by health have found the lead in the sticks far exceeds the acceptable tolerance and because the sticks are used by youths, lead is especially harmfull. Approximately 100,000 sticks have been found to have dangerous levels of lead. Nike Bauer has issued a recall that takes the sticks out of the hands of youth and junior players. Below is the product life cycle for this product: Nike Hockey Sticks Introduction Decline SALES TIME The above graph illustrates the sudden decline of a product. Nike introduced different models of Hockey sticks for respective customers in American region in the year of 2008. This product has not gone through the stages which comes before the decline stage, since, quite before the product would start growing, it started to decline since the sticks were found harmful to be played with. Positive Impact: Nikes gift to the world lies in the comfort of mankinds happy feet. Creativity has always been Nikes forte and it comes as no surprise that they have toyed with the idea of customers designing their own shoes. Watching over the process of production of their creation adds to customer satisfaction and gives them a sign of belonging. Keeping abreast with technology, Nike has collaborated with Apple Inc. to produce the Nike+ product used to monitor a runners performance through a radio device in the shoe linked to the iPod Nano. . The cricketing fraternity has largely benefitted from the Air Zoom Yorker, devised to be 30% lighter than competitor shoes. Athletes have found the Nike Free edition to be a major boon with the design allowing foot muscles to gain strength by way of less constriction mechanism. Basketball players found the Nike Hyper dunk to be quite useful with its superior shock absorption techniques minimizing the impact of stress on the muscles. Customer satisfaction can be directly mapped to the success of the company. Nikes capture of market share with its diversified product range has seen its revenue shoot through the roof in recent years. Negative Impact Nike also had its fair share of brickbats with respect to its products. Its futuristic-looking hockey skates bombed in the markets during the late 1990s. The failure was deduced to be a result of rushing the product into the market before fully straightening out the probable design problems. A good 13 years after acquiring Bauer, and arrogantly making promises that it would revolutionize the business of hockey, Nike eventually sold its Nike Bauer unit to investors Roustan Inc. and Kohlberg Co on February 2008, an unassuming fall from grace for one of the worlds powerful brands. Though Nike Bauer was a market leader, it was predicted that the company would find it hard to recover even half the $395 million amount it paid for Canstar Sports, Bauers Montreal-based parent, in December 1994 mainly due to the stagnant hockey market. Nike as a company was built on the assertion that low cost and high quality running shoes could be imported from cheap Asian markets like Japan and sold in th e US. Nike felt the negative tremors as allegations were rife that they underpaid factory workers in Indonesia they sold shoes for around about $150 and paid the person making them a meagre 50 cents!.Along came the by-products of child labour in Cambodia and Pakistan and unsatisfactory working conditions in China and Vietnam during production. Recently, Nike has brought about winds of change towards its irrelevant practices and is also dedicating its efforts towards environmentally responsible business operations Price Price is one the key component which more or less decides the fate of a company. It is a return on efforts poured into manufacturing and marketing a product. Listed below are the various components of an effective pricing strategy (Proth and Dolgui, 2010: 101) Market- Skimming The process of Price Skimming involves setting high price for new products. The objective is to skim the revenues layer by layer from the customers who are willing to pay more to have the product sooner. Market- Penetration This involves setting low prices for new products in order to attract and penetrate the market in the initial stage of the launch of the product Competitive Pricing Prices in this strategy are set lower than that offered by the competitors or same price with the added incentives to attract customers. Premium Pricing Prices are always set high for a product or service to emphasize its exclusiveness. Economy Pricing This is a no frills low down price technique, since the manufacture and marketing costs are kept at a minimum. Psychological Pricing This approach is manifested when marketers wants the customers to feel that they are paying less. Prices are often expressed as odd prices, for example 99.99 cents not 100 dollars. Product Line Pricing This approach is mostly used by the marketer who has a wide range of products or services offered. The price is reflective of the benefits of parts of the range. Optional Product Pricing Companies offer to sell option or accessory products along with their main product. Captive Product Pricing This is the practice where the prices of a basic product are kept low to attract customers and the price of a companion product without which the basic product cannot be used is kept high. Product Bundle Pricing In this approach different products are put in the same package and sell them for discount. This helps the sellers to move old stocks. Promotional Pricing This approach is mainly used by the sellers who want to promote their product by attracting attention to the business. Typical example is that of a buy one get one free scheme. Geographical Pricing Geographical pricing is considered for different variations in prices in different parts of the world. Value Pricing Prices of a product will be based on the value it creates for the customer. This is usually the most profitable form of pricing, if it can be achieved. Nikes Pricing Strategies Nikes pricing strategy all comes down to understanding the products, competition, marketing the product and most importantly determining which price point is the best for their product .Needless to say, it is very rare that an organization makes use of all the above permutations and combinations in pricing techniques. Nike is no different with its pricing strategy revolving around penetration pricing, premium pricing, value pricing, skimming pricing and psychological pricing. Penetration Pricing Nike initially started out on the principle of penetration pricing so as to capture market share and then gradually increased prices. Premium Pricing As Nike exclusive products developed; it became recognizable to consumers in that marketplace. This drove its perceived value to a higher level especially with the limited editions of the Air Jordans. Value pricing Nike went about setting the price to the degree at which consumers place their value on the product. It is at this very point that customers associated themselves with Nike and paid the extra penny, as long as their products remained state of the art and exhibited the cutting edge. Psychological pricing Nike has priced their products to $99.99 (for example). After all in ones mind, a .99 is always cheaper than a .00. Skimming pricing This approach dwells on skimming market profits layer by layer. Nike has used this to good effect in setting high initial prices for the new design they bring into the market. This is then tailgated by a gradual decline in price as the design has been in the market for a while and a new product is on its way. Adapted from Principles and Practice of Marketing (David Jobber) Nike employs a rapid skimming strategy of setting high prices as well as investing heavily in advertising the new product. Generally, Nike shoes current season last for a period between 3 to 6 months where they are sold at peak prices. After that season, comes a process called closeout where prices are gradually reduced. The final stage is that of the inventory cleanout where a take all basis strategy is employed to sales. Nikes quality is directly proportional to its commitment of excellence. Excellence comes at a premium and fittingly so. This places Nike in the upper rightmost quadrant of the Price vs. Quality matrix. Nikes products are well worth their weight in gold. Positive Impact Nikes dominance in the market through its vehement promotional strategy coupled with a smart pricing function makes the market as a whole unattractive for competitors. In most cases, it has identified the precise price points across its range of products. The impact of Nikes pricing strategies can be seen in its overwhelming sales and profit margins (on a single pair of shoes!!!) as depicted below. Negative Impact Nikes pricing strategy has not always been quaint. The Air Jordan brand shoes were premium priced, released once every year in order to keep the value of the shoe as high as possible and make it a collectors item. However, this has prompted this line of shoe to be highly duplicated or imitated which has become a major headache for Nike with the virus spreading to the other products just as well. In 2003, the overpriced Air Jordans at $200 were biting the dust on store shelves as consumers shifted base to Sketchers (SKX ), K-Swiss (KSWS ), and New Balance shoes who slowly began nibbling away at Nikes heels. Nike has not utilised all the strategies of pricing. Each and every pricing strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages. Nike can venture into approaches like promotional pricing as an attraction tool for the customer by mentioning the word FREE. Nike can also utilize product bundle pricing by combining products (with a high and low demand) and selling them at a discounted price. Place (Distribution) Place pin points to effective distribution of products or services to the end customers. It is paramount for the organization to correctly estimate the needs and wants of the customers to meet its marketing objectives. Adapted from Principles of Marketing (David Jobber) Channel 1: Direct Marketing (No intermediaries) The direct marketing channel has no intermediaries. The company sells straight to the customers. Channel 2: Indirect Marketing (One intermediary) The first level of indirect marketing involves one intermediary. The company sells its goods to large retailers who in turn line them up for customers. Channel 3: Indirect Marketing (Two intermediaries) The second level of indirect marketing involves two intermediaries. The company sells its goods to wholesalers who buy in bulk and sell them to smaller retailers. Channel 4: Indirect Marketing (Three intermediaries) The third level of indirect marketing involves three intermediaries. The company sells its goods to agents who contact wholesalers who further sell to retailers. From the view of the producers, more number of levels leads to higher complexity and much less control. Nike employs the first two channels to good effect. Heres how: Nike -Direct Marketing By 1999, NIKE had opened 13 of their privately owned NIKE Town superstores located in high traffic upmarket surroundings. The first of those was a posh store in Portland which was soon bettered by a larger than life outlet in downtown Chicago. Nike also operated 53 outlet locations focussed on liquidating overstocked and outdated inventory. NIKE redesigned and overhauled their website incorporated with e-commerce functionality. A variety of products were put up for sale at full retail prices. Nike Indirect Marketing (Retailers) Nike operates 338 retail stores in the US and 336 stores worldwide. Retail stores in the US Retail stores Worldwide Nikes store formats include a mix of departmental stores, footwear stores, goods stores, tennis, skate and golf shops, and as well as retail accounts. Nike store are centrally located and easily accessible. The company operates three significant distribution centres located at Memphis, Tennessee and Wilsonville, Oregon in the US. Then, there are the leased distribution facilities which operate on a comparatively smaller scale in the home country. Nike also runs 14 distribution centres worldwide with Japan and Belgium among their prime locations. Subsidiaries NIKE also has global presence through several of its subsidiaries. The wholly owned subsidiaries include Cole Haan, Converse, Umbro and Hurley. Converse is engaged in designing, distributing and licensing of athletic and casual footwear, apparels and accessories. Cole Haan designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats. Umbro is engaged in the designing, distributing and licensing of athletic and casual footwear, apparel and equipment for soccer under Umbro brand. Hurley designs and distributes sports apparel relates to surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. Nike is developing high calibre information systems, logistics and a much improved supply-chain management system. In the good old days production was based on instinct. Nike used to take a guess as to the number of pairs of shoes to churn out and hoped to cram them on retailers shelves. Nike has revamped its supply chain management systems since the disaster to ensure the right amount of sneaker s find their way across the world more quickly. Positive impacts As Nikes market share grew, it buoyed merchants who carried their products. This helped Nike negotiate terms with retailers on location, display and inventory levels all of which contributed to the overall customer experience. NIKE Towns in Portland and Chicago became an instant hit with customers flocking in to witness the two-story wall painting of Michael Jordan and trying out shoes in the mini basketball courts. Souvenirs and other rarities were a showcase for the latest Nike had to offer and helped in brand building activities. The 53 stores opened up for liquidation served as a handy means for getting rid of excess inventory whilst maintaining control of the brand. Nikes re- launched website keying in on inspirational content as well as innovative products was met with a phenomenal amount of success. Negative impacts In the early days, Nike suffered from retailer inconsistencies. Imperfect information was received on inventory levels leading to stock outs and misallocations .The infamous i2 fiasco was a rap on the knuckles for Nikes brand image. It was made an example of as a company that botched up its supply chain unit. It was a deemed to be software glitch and the repercussions cost Nike more than $100 million in lost sales, leading to a depressed stock price by about 20%, which further went on to trigger a flurry of class-action lawsuits. Succinctly, the i2 demand-planning engine ordered for a surplus of thousand Air Garnett sneakers than the market had called for and a thousand fewer Air Jordans than were actually in demand. Nike looked at various operational workarounds but at best it was a classic case of damage limitation. The opening of the NIKE Towns and e-commerce applications was a cause of concern for Nikes traditional retailers initially as it would eat into their business. Nike all ayed fears by positioning their direct marketing strategies differently to the retail markets but doubts were still casted on the anomalies of this move. Promotion Compelling promotions and captivating advertisements are the cornerstones of a successful product in contemporary times. Listed below are the various components of an effective promotional mix. Advertising Nikes legend with television commercials dates back to October 1982 with the first advertisement broadcast during the New York Marathon. Wieden and Kennedy were the creators in chief back then and not surprisingly their partnership with Nike still holds fort to this day and age. Nike advertisements are very appealing and leave a long lasting imprint in the viewers minds. Public Relations Public relation is an entity that focuses on both brand building as well as defending. Nike has recently employed the green public relations strategy. This has been a powerful weapon in the corporate social responsibility aspect with environmental issues the subject of concern in contemporary times. Personal Selling Nike endorses the personal selling technique to good effect. Customer assistants in Nike retail stores have direct contact and constant interaction with the buyers of their merchandise. Nike representatives often train customer assistants on the latest in technology and merchandize. Sales Promotions Sales Promotions are driven around the accelerated purchase of products. Nike entices its customers with discounts, rebates and gift coupons. Direct Mail In the direct mail method, publicity material is sent to a customer within the targeted segment. Nikes concentrated efforts in recent times towards publishing its customer catalogues has been met with open arms a staggering 200,000 responses to the catalogue e-mail in 60 days. Internet Marketing The dot com industry has been an emerging trendsetter in ever growing and evolving marketing strategies. Nike has given volumes of ad space to its armada of products via a network of sites. Nike is accelerating Internet marketing campaigns to diversify extensively on the web. The impact of these promotional strategies can again be traced back to the profits at which Nike operates on. Sponsorship has been a key strategy in Nikes promotional activities. Nike endorses a galaxy of celebrity athletes across all sports. Michael Jordan was an absolute superstar for them in terms of publicity and sales. A whole array of national teams including the Indian National Cricket Team is under sponsorship contracts with Nike. News has just come in of Nikes win as the official uniform sponsor of the National Football League (NFL) for a deal worth a whopping $500 million. The Communication Model Adapted from Marketing Management Philip Kotler Nike has efficiently translated all the key factors in efficient communication. Through their marketing strategies, they have reached out to a plethora of audiences and gained a profitable response. They have encoded their ideas, coated them with creativity and pushed them through to be easily decoded by the receivers (custo

Started Early - Took My Dog, by Emily Dickinson :: essays research papers

Started Early- Took My Dog, by Emily Dickinson Suicide was not a widely discussed topic in the 1800's although, it commonly appeared as a theme in many literary works of that time. The action of killing one's self is not a classified psychological disorder, but there are many disorders where suicide is the end result. This is why suicide is a commonplace subject within the psychological field in present day society. The poem "I Started Early- Took My Dog," by Emily Dickinson, can be interpreted as making strange reference to a suicide. Freud says, "Suicide is a response to loss (real or symbolic), but one in which the person's sorrow and rage in the face of that loss are not vented but remain unconscious, thus weakening the ego."(Freud p.246). Dickinson uses several elements in her poem to relate this theme such as tone, imagery and rhyme. It is told through the first person point of view of an unknown speaker. Dickinson begins the first line of her poem by writing in iambic tetrameter. In the second line she switches to iambic trimeter and proceeds to alternate between the two. This rhyme scheme proves to be particularly effective in complimenting the subject of the poem-- the ocean. When a reader looks at the poem it is easy to see the lines lengthening then shortening, almost in the same fashion that the tide of the ocean flows and ebbs. I started Early- Took my Dog And visited the sea- The Mermaids in the Basement Came out to look at me. (Dickinson 1-4) The waxing and waning action of the text might symbolize the constant cycles of life. The fact that the text recedes then elongates in rhythm make the reader think the speaker of the poem is not sure what steps to take in their life. The speaker might not have convinced him or herself about the suicide attempt. Many suicidal thoughts are stopped short of action and then thought about later. Dickinson writes in this style to show the opposing forces of every situation. Suicide would likely be the most contemplated decision the narrator has ever had to make. Through metaphors, the speaker proclaims of her longing to be one with the sea. As she notices The mermaids in the basement,(3) and frigates- in the upper floor,(5) it seems as though she is associating these particular daydreams with her house. She becomes entranced with these spectacles and starts to contemplate suicide.