Extended Marketing Mix Essays

Expanded Marketing Mix Essays Expanded Marketing Mix Essay Expanded Marketing Mix Essay Paper Topic: Expanded Propelled on third of October 2009 by the McLaren’s Group which has been a name with incredible energy towards improvement of engine athleticss in Sri Lanka. Speed Drome ( Pvt ) Ltd. is each Pro/Go-karter’s Eden on Earth. Situated in the midst of green touching area in close propinquity to the parliament composite and Buddhadasa play land in Battaramulla. Speedrome is a to the full prepared and expertly fitted race way which incorporates 19 go-karts. automated planning and hiting frameworks. expertly prepared staff. assigned observer nations and cooled VIP exhibition. for the enthusiasm of providing their customers with the best experience that they can offer. Go-karting might be Speed Drome’s boss product however they haven’t halted at that place each piece far as the diversion feature is concerned. with an athleticss cantina and a luxurious couch. These two additional administrations are given to customers to have gatherings or any corporate occasions. Speed Drome other than has taken a venture in providing a pool to give to spoting corporate administrators and prominent ways of life. Concerning the little childs. Speed Drome has taken the self-sufficiency of making a kiddies race way every piece great. To set it just. Speed Drome purposes to be non just an alluring power for Pro/Go-kart sweethearts everyplace except other than to flexibly the full family with relaxation exercises and diversion. Speed Drome has increased a lot of prominence ever since its dispatch. with a show kart race in which the commitment of Yoshitha Rajapaksa. Aravinda De Silva the previous cricketer who is an intense devotee of engine cars alongside the woman race driver S. A. Lakshika and Jackson Anthony were noted. Karting titles, for example, Speed Drome All Island Karting Championship Rounds 1-3 hotshot unequivocally what Speed Drome is about each piece numerous expert articulation one drivers take parcel in these rivalries showing the existent achievement engaged with Go/Pro-karting. while pulling significantly progressively potential customers and taking to other karting titles. At long last the major in addition to point for Speed Drome is the way that it is the 1 and just Go/Pro-Karting establishment in Sri Lanka up 'til now and with its additional benefits Speed Drome’s in the future appears to be extremely productive with all the fundamental models being kept up. The Extended Marketing blend 1. Product In a help association. the product is alluded to the administration being conveyed to the buyer which is elusive. indistinguishable. variable and transient. The speed Drome ( Pvt ) Ltd. ( Appendix 1 ) offers an arrangement of administrations which can be clarified in footings of entertainment. relaxation and experience. Their boss point of convergence is on providing their customers with the experience of existent Pro-Kart dashing ( Appendix 2 ) and in add-on to that other beguilement and relaxation administrations are other than given, for example, the Kiddies way. ( Appendix 3 ) the athleticss cantina ( Appendix 4 ) and the pool ( Appendix 5 ) alongside the Epicurean Lounge ( Appendix 6 ) . The idea of the administration in footings of: Impalpability: True administrations are elusive. In this way when you leave Speed Drome there is simply one memory or the experience that remaining parts. which is siting a master kart at the solitary accessible topographic point in Sri Lanka. A few components are touchable, for example, the karts utilized. the swim pool and so forth . be that as it may, the core advantage of the buy is non. also, that is the sheer understanding of siting a star kart and encountering its speed. Indivisibility: The administration gave by Speed Drome is indistinguishable as the physical nearness of a customer is essential in this administration. Be that as it may. with the guide of its physical assets the general assistance takes topographic moment that only the shopper that is the individual keen on siting a master kart meets the administration provider. Perishability: Karting or some other assistance gave by the organization must be devoured when advertised. It can non be created now for ingestion at a ulterior stage/cut nor would they be able to be held or supplied on the grounds that the estimation of this administration exists right when it is required. Changeability: This administration is incredibly factor since Speed Drome is the solitary help provider for kart dashing in Sri Lanka by and by. It has its extremely ain normalized quality which can non be rivaled another signifier of diversion administration. as it gives a one of a kind and an uncomparable encounter. The previously mentioned highlights characterize the administrations they give which pull in childs and veteran drivers in like manner. 2. Money related worth Pricing is one of the vast majority of import selling blend conclusions and it is the solitary selling blend variable that creates grosss. Speed Drome ( Pvt ) Ltd. is an overall gain and cost situated association. Their main points are to: * Maximize their total compensations. * Achieve an imprint return on contributing. * Recover contributing expenses over a particular clasp period And to. * Generate volume to drive down expenses. Speed Drome doesn’t seek after the position quo or net incomes situated points as it is the solitary association represents considerable authority in this specific industry in Sri Lanka. Because of a similar ground Speed Drome follows the financial worth planing plan. Their fiscal qualities for all the administrations are similarly high ( despite the fact that they don’t have matches in a similar industry ) contrasted with the other diversion signifiers in the market. This is because of the administration quality. picture and to prevent rivals enter the market simple. The devotees are the current money related qualities connected to the administrations being given by Speed Drome: * Pro-Karting/Go-Karting ( 10 proceedingss ) †Rs. 750 * Happy Hours Karting ( each Tuesday 3pm-8pm ) †Rs. 500 * Swimming pool charges ( boundless ) per individual †Rs. 450 * Membership Benefits: * Membership free Rs. 15000 * Rs. 750 tickets for Rs. 500 * Kart coach entirety Rs. 1500 for Rs. 1000 * Members can use pool free. additional invitee with individuals charged only Rs. 250 each * 10 % value decrease for corporate pack with to the full use of pool and beguilement nation. Also the race charges. specific occasion expenses and creating program charges are charged. 3. Topographic point The topographic point part of the selling blend is the place the customer gets the administration or where the administration is found. Speed Drome is Located in close propinquity to the Parliament Complex and Bhuddhadasa Play Ground. in Battaramulla. It has arranged itself around major metropoliss, for example, Colombo. Rajagiriya. Nugegoda and Pitakotte which are on the whole incredibly private nations have all been thoroughly considered actually cautiously by Speed Drome course preceding structure. This is to climb their imprint advertise which is generally the upper class of network in light of the fact that in spite of the fact that the expense for siting a Go-Kart ( which is something extremely uncommon to make in Sri Lanka ) appears to be reasonable each piece far as the expense for keeping the Karts and hardware required spell. Shockingly however for the main part of Sri Lankan’s the fiscal incentive to pay for such an encounter is amazingly outlandish. The nation where the Arena ( or establishment ) has been based on is exceptionally enormous and praises the Track great and to add to this the overflowing landscape environing the Speed Drome gives this way an alone vibe to it. Speed Dome’s area has one increasingly significant advantage which is that it’s just a push off non only from the metropoliss environing it however alongside from other major metropoliss in the domain like Colombo and Dehiwala and so forth. Over all the assurance to build Speed Drome where it is a profoundly decent idea and key move which has appeared and is yet to keep up conveyance in outcomes. 4. Advancement Advancements have become a basic factor in the administration selling blend. Servicess are anything but difficult to be copied and thus it is all around the exchange name which separates a help from its contrary number. As referenced under the subject Place’ Speed Drome’s selling blend Carters to a chose area. which is known as Niche selling. Its administration is tied in with providing delight for the individuals who want the requirement for speed’ . What better way to pass on about this sheer experience which can be picked up at only one topographic point in Sri Lanka other than propelling the administration? The undeniable competitory points of interest Speed Drome has are: * Service Differentiation The solitary establishment that gives karting involvement with Sri Lanka. * Image Differentiation Karts which are only accessible at Speed Drome in Sri Lanka and the novel logo itself separate the administration gave. How Speed Drome breaks through to the customer The main point of Speed Drome is to do the potential customers great conscious about their new assistance. Henceforth the undermentioned techniques are predominantly used to propel their administration * Weekly offered specific karting hours * Happy Hours’ Every Tuesday from 3pm-8pm ( Rs. 750 tickets at Rs. 500 ) ( Appendix 7 ) * Karting rivalries * Thank God its Race Day Competition ( Appendix 8 ) * All Island Karting Championship ( Appendix 9. 10 ) * Exhibition kart races of celebrated people ( Appendix 11 ) * Publications * News Paper advertizements Ex-spouses: Daily Mirror. Sunday Times. Sunday Observer * Magazines Ex-spouses: Thingss to make in Colombo. Regard. Howdy and so on. * Online Ad * Social web bunches Ex-spouse: The authority Facebook Group with most recent updates. Twitter and so on.

Agenda-Setting Assignment

fifth of November 2012 Agenda-Setting Assignment In motivation setting news outlets go about as guardians of data. Approach motivation is the point at which the media sets their own plan dependent on issues that they believe are the most significant. Also, when they choose these most significant issues, they give them the most noteworthy significance. The media features certain perspectives since they accept that these viewpoints are what we should know; and on the off chance that there is something they don’t notice, at that point that’s something that as indicated by them, we shouldn’t know †regardless of whether for our advantage or theirs.Despite the straightforwardness of making a plan, each extraordinary news outlet has an alternate motivation, in light of their advantage or what they accept to be our advantage. Something significant anyway to manage at the top of the priority list is that, despite the fact that the media causes us to notice certain is sues, they can’t reveal to us how to consider them †by the day's end, how you see an issue relies upon you. To give models on how distinctively plan setting can be utilized, I will discuss two diverse news sources, a free one and a national one.As a national news outlet I will discuss â€Å"CNN†. CNN (Cable News Network) is both America’s first news station just as the primary station to offer 24-hour inclusion. CNN in the United States is at times depicted as CNN/US to separate the American Channel from the International one. CNN/US was established by Ted Turner in 1980, and from that point forward has been one of the universes driving news outlets. â€Å"The Independent† is an autonomous, British, morning paper claimed by Alexander Lebedev with Chris Blackhurst as the present proofreader in chief.The Independent was first propelled in 1986 and holds the title as UK’s most youthful every day paper. To dissect distinctive motivation settings, lets take a gander at two comparative news things detailed in both of these papers and think about their likenesses and contrasts. Let’s take the picking of Egypt’s new pope as one report. Both news outlets announced the story totally unique. CNN recounted to the story in an extremely short article that concentrated fundamentally on the way that Christians in Egypt are a minority.If one were to dissect this article on the footing of Salience and Priming, one would see intriguing realities. Right off the bat its conspicuous that CNN’s need isn't to discuss the new pope, since he is barely referenced all through the whole article. Rather the article centers around the terms â€Å"Christians†. The way that they are a minority is referenced a few times. They additionally notice that as per a couple of gatherings made, the Christian populace in Egypt is somewhere in the range of 5 and 9%. The congregation shelling assault that occurred in January slaughtering 21 individuals was likewise stated.However nothing is referenced about the service itself other than that a blindfolded kid picked one of the three potential popes through picking his name from a precious stone bowl. Egypt’s previous pope is likewise referenced. His date and reason for death are additionally refered to. In wording or Framing, clearly CNN has given this story a major significance as it was in the â€Å"Top Stories† segment. Anyway the words utilized don’t truly talk about the occasion itself but instead illuminate us about Christians in Egypt. Regardless of the way that this occasion wasn’t in The Independent’s top news list, they gave the story a greater importance.The article was significantly longer than in was in CNN and all the more critically it concentrated on the occasion itself. They discussed the little youngster who needed to pick a name, about the a huge number of cameras that were there, and about how enormous of an occ asion this was for every one of the 8 million Christians in Egypt. They likewise cited numerous individuals that said that how significant at last having another pope intended to them and how due to Egypt’s current troublesome political status, it’s great to have a figure that speaks to confidence and hope.In terms of remarkable quality, preparing and confining no words were rehashed and the articles need was to show how critical this occasion was for some individuals all around the globe. This is only one case of how distinctively news outlets can report comparable stories. Lets take a gander at Superstorm Sandy as another model. Not at all like the picking of another Pope in Egypt †CNN gave this story a ton of consideration. A few articles were composed with a few pictures showing exactly how enormous of a calamity has happened.They notice the troublesome time that these individuals are experiencing †also that correct now there is another significant occasi on occurring in the U. S, the decisions. Not exclusively are these individuals managing the loss of their homes and absence of power yet it likewise appears that another tempest will hit New York and northern New Jersey by Wednesday. The climate has diminished out of nowhere and as indicated by Meteorologists it will keep on definitely decline. Numerous individuals state that it is a troublesome time for these American residents that need to manage such a great amount at once.However it is likewise referenced how development work has promptly started and what number of have begun working in the 9/11 ground zero sight that has been crushed by the flood. Despite the fact that they referenced similar realities, The Independent, adopted an alternate strategy in announcing the story. Right off the bat they referenced the state senator Andrew Cuomo and how he is attempting to rapidly take care of the entirety of the issues that have out of nowhere emerged, for example, the chilly climate and absence of power consequently absence of warmth. There is additionally an issue with the absence of fuel and the failure to run back-up generators.The trouble of lodging and what number of are living in â€Å"â homes that are uninhabitable†, is likewise a monstrous issue. Moreover the article proceeds to state that with this new moving toward storm, the resentment towards the legislature has expanded, saying that they are â€Å"moving too slow†. The articles principle need is to make reference to the entirety of the issues the individuals are confronting and how the administration isn’t responsive. Words, for example, â€Å"fear, outrage, danger, struggling† are utilized to show exactly how extraordinary of an occasion this is. Generally speaking, the article is enlightening and states clear data without utilizing any repetition.I think at this point its unmistakably evident that every news source has an alternate motivation and an alternate method o f detailing a story. The explanation for that shifts. Before I referenced the tempest that occurred in America, I referenced an alternate nonpartisan occasion. CNN would clearly have more enthusiasm for the tempest since it’s a national occasion. Along these lines I picked an occasion that both news outlets aren’t legitimately identified with †Egypt picking their new pope. What I saw anyway was uncommon. CNN discussed it very generally.They didn’t notice any subtleties of the occasion itself and somewhat centered around the psychological warfare assaults that have occurred with the goal of harming Christians, the nations minority. They appeared to report the story in such a negative route as opposed to stating how delightful and significant this occasion was. The Independent then again detailed the story in a brilliant manner. They said how significant picking another pope was for the Christian populace. They additionally said that how this occasion brought harmony, happiness, expectation and love to numerous individuals around the globe. Lets take a gander at the tempest as our second issue.Because CNN is legitimately â€nationally-associated with this occasion it revealed it in an unexpected way. It talked about the troublesome occasions that many are confronting, remembering that presidential races are soon. They additionally referenced how development work has started to happen rapidly. Then again The Independent referenced the absence of reaction from the legislature and what number of residents are apprehensive and aren’t sure what to do straightaway. Dissimilar to the past story where CNN was somewhat negative while The Independent revealed the story as a positive occasion, presently it’s the opposite.However because of both news outlets direction its reasonable. I mean how might CNN a national news outlet censure their legislature for reacting to the emergency excessively moderate? It just wouldn’t bode well. That’s why we should play close regard for a news sources’ direction since they for the most part make their plan dependent on it. In light of their direction and subsidizing there are things they can and can’t state †that’s why each news outlet reports news contrastingly then others. Through this, I accept that we ought to figure out how to be a functioning audience.We shouldn’t simply confine ourselves to one media source, since that one source can be announcing news dependent on its plan, and not on what we, the crowd, need to know to make an educated choice on what to consider the occasion occurring. Moreover we ought not let a news source mention to us what to thing †we should take the data, and make our own sentiment about it. Since by the day's end we’re every individual and we reserve the privilege to think in however we see to be correct. Sources: * http://www. autonomous. co. k/news/world/africa/egypts-antiquated co ptic-christian-church-picks another pope-in-expand function 8280938. html * http://us. cnn. com/2012/11/04/world/africa/egypt-coptic-pope/list. html? hpt=wo_c2 * http://en. wikipedia. organization/wiki/CNN * http://en. wikipedia. organization/wiki/The_Independent * http://us. cnn. com/2012/11/05/us/tropical-climate sandy/record. html? hpt=us_c1 * http://www. autonomous. co. uk/news/world/americas/temperatures-approach-freezing-as-another-storm-looks-set-to-hit-new-york-in-the-wake-of-superstorm-sandy-8282360. html

One Year After Michael Jackson

One Year After Michael Jackson For MIT students, were most often having fun when were way too busy. Dont ask me why; I dont like being busy, but here I am enjoying myself AND being busy at the same time. I resent it. Regardless, its that business which brings you this entry a few days late. Now, here is a blog post, in the voice of last Friday. Where were you a year ago today? Ed.: that is, a year before June 25, 2010 Its perhaps shocking and quite revealing about our culture that these events stand out in tandem to me, but there are two days in my life that felt quite similar: September 11th, 2001, and June 25th, 2009 the day of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the day of Michael Jacksons death. For both of those days, I remember exactly where I was and how I reacted. I dont mean to compare relative impacts and significances for those days by mentioning them together; consider though that for the first, I was only in elementary school, and for the second, I was newly done with high school, and better able to perceive my surroundings and their significance. A year ago today, I felt a new kind of shock. I spent my morning and afternoon in lab at MIT, working on an application that eventually quadrupled the sampling rate for the sensor we were using. I left after dinner, walking towards central square with only a few hours of daylight left which I hoped not to spend in traffic. I was headed to alewife, where I would fetch my car for the uncomfortable daily fee of seven dollars and sit in awful traffic until I could take the highway back to my (then) home. Coincidentally, one day short of a year afterward, I became no longer able to call that place home, but thats a different topic (and one of the less fun reasons Ive been so busy, recently). I was walking through central square when I felt the first ripples. Outside of the McDonalds on Massachusetts Avenue stood three punks (I use the term punks because the image you should have in your head is that of punks standing on a street corner in a bad 80s teen comedy, smoking and wearing unusual amounts of leather. Replace the leather pants with skinny jeans and any odd jackets with awkwardly plaid shirts, change the category to hipsters, but keep the stigma of punk and youll imagine what I encountered). Some of these punks called out to me: Hey, Michael Jacksons dead! I thought they were joking, and didnt acknowledge them, eager to make it home. To a fellow punk: Doesnt even look at us. Nobody cares. [laughter] As I walked, I thought of what an odd thing to say that was; although attempted provocation of passers-by isnt all that uncommon, why would they bring up Michael Jackson, who (I thought, at least) had been out of the spotlight for a few years? Was it possible they werent joking? On the T, I started to hear more of the story. As people got on at harvard, porter, davis, I heard more: Did you hear about MJ? Is it true?. What happened to Michael Jackson? The spread of news was amazing; Im sure a similar spread occurred in 2001, although I was too young to observe it. The ripples turned into waves, and when I got into the car the tsunami hit: there was no music. No music, only talk radio. All of the stations were talking and confirming what Id slowly began to fear (and why I feared it, I didnt know) Michael Jackson had died. The King of Pop was gone. For the past few years, Michael had been an easy target. The color of his skin, the child abuse scandal the internet ate him up. One of the Scary Movies featured a nasty MJ jab, I remembered. There was the photoshopped movie poster for Home Alone with MJs face in the window, spread endlessly over the internet. The jokes went on; the King of Pop was being treated as a jester. I think that much of my generation focused on Michael in that light; we grew up on the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears (umm no comment). And, in the uncomfortable middle school years, who of my age trying desperately to be funnier than their friends didnt crack at least one joke about Michael Jackson and child abuse, or his amazing color-changing abilities? Regrettably, I almost certainly did; fortunately, I dont remember them. However, it seemed to me that Michael had been dragged down from his throne as the King of Pop. As I caught the news over the radio stations, the Michael Jackson of my middle school years was what I expected to hear remembered. Instead of condemnations and stories of scandal, I heard praise. I heard the world come together not just through broadcast media, but through conversations in the student center and on the T in the week to follow after a mans death, and I heard them praise him for his accomplishments rather than make a mockery of his failures as had been the norm of recent years. I heard us recognize the mans talents and his weaknesses, and I was amazed. I didnt expect the world to be able to love a man whod committed such atrocities, but I was shocked and amazed that we were able to. I dont in any way condone child molestation, and I know the world doesnt either; thats what made it remarkable to me. I guess I just didnt think the world would be able to separate sin from a sinner. I didnt think that we, as a people, were that nice. I was very refreshingly shown just how wrong I was. As I listened to Billie Jean and drove down route 2 west, I was shell shocked, and I drove slowly in contemplation; sad that wed lost such a talented man, but happy to see us accept ing him as we seemingly hadnt near the end of his life. I remember wishing I had some venue through which to offer my respect for the mans accomplishments, and to share what Ive shared here. A year and a blog later, here is to Michael Jackson. For the last week, Ive listened to Oldies 103.3 FM at work; every day, they made mention of their Michael Jackson tribute scheduled for Friday. Today, spending a few hours in the car, I enjoyed remembrance of the emotions Id felt driving one year ago, and I listened to some good music. Where were you, the day Michael Jackson died?

Marx s Bikini Bottom The Political And Economic...

Marx’s Bikini Bottom When a child is watching the television show SpongeBob SquarePants, it is often viewed as an innocent, comical, cartoon about a Sponge and his day to day activities. But later in life, after learning about Marx’s Theory, one can explain the correlation between the two polar opposites. Marx’s Theory is â€Å"the political and economic philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which the concept of class struggle plays a central role in understanding society s allegedly inevitable development from bourgeois oppression under capitalism to a socialist and ultimately classless society† (Marxism). The entire town of Bikini Bottom is exactly how a Marxist City would be set up, with each level of the social structure demonstrated with different characters in different classes; poor, middle, and upper. The lowest class in the today’s social structure would be considered the poor, which is often viewed as lazy, education lacking people who are not willing work in order to move up through the social structure. Patrick, one of the main characters in SpongeBob SquarePants, presents these views to be true while he is participating in his role in Bikini Bottom. He has no source of income, does not attend school, has little belongings and lives under a rock. In episode 13 of season 9 he refers to his unemployment as â€Å"funemployment† when he tries to convince SpongeBob that he does not need to work (Hillenburg). Another character displayed is Plankton. He is also

Why Does the Republican Party Use the GOP Acronym

The GOP acronym stands for Grand Old Party and is used as a nickname for the Republican Party, even though the Democratic Party has been around longer. The Republican Party has embraced the  GOP acronym after  doing battle with the Democrats for decades over its use.  The Republican National Committees website address is GOP.com. Detractors have come up with other nicknames using the GOP acronym, including Grumpy Old People and Grandiose Old Party.   Earlier versions of the GOP acronym were used for Gallant Old Party and even the Go Party.  But long before Republicans adopted Grand Old Party as their own, the acronym was commonly applied to Democrats, especially southern Democrats.   Early Use of GOP Acronym in Newspapers Here, for example, is a July 1856 reference to Democrats being the GOP from the Agitator, a now-defunct  abolitionist newspaper from Wellsboro, Pa.:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"If the grand old democratic party is only accommodating enough to dissolve the Union it will be a great relief to the free north, whose resources have always been expended to nourish and perfect slavery.† But as  The Washington Times James Robbins points out, Democrats gave up on being the Grand Old Party toward the end of the 19th Century and Republicans adopted the moniker. The phrase really stuck to Republicans following the election of  Republican Benjamin Harrison to the president in 1888. On Nov. 8, 1888, the Republican-leaning New York Tribune declared: Let us also be thankful that under the rule of the grand old party which has helped the country to become more honored and powerful, richer and more prosperous, happier in its homes and more progressive in its institutions, than any other country on earth, these United States will resume the onward and upward march which the election of Grover Cleveland in 1884 partially arrested. Robbins unearthed evidence that Republicans were labeled the Grand Old Party a little earlier that 1888, however. They include: A June 1870 reference in the Estherville Iowa  Northern Vindicator:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The grand old party goes right along overcoming obstacles and winning victories, entirely oblivious that any such concern as a Democratic party has an existence.†An August 1870 reference from the Freeport Illinois  Journal: â€Å"Republicans cannot afford to be fighting one another. We ought to reserve our Strength for the common cause in which we are engaged, and rally like a band-of-brothers around the grand old party of liberty that we all love.†Ã‚  And in 1873  Republic Magazine  described Republicans as â€Å"the grand old party,† â€Å"the grand old party of freedom,† and â€Å"the grand old party of human rights,† Robbins has reported.   Getting Rid of Old in GOP The Republican National Committee, perhaps sensitive to the portrayal of the GOP as the party of old voters and even older ideas - see the reference above to the Grumpy Old People acronym - has tried to reinvent itself in recent years. In at least one reference on its website, it refers itself to the Grand New Party.   Regardless of how the GOP tries to portray itself, many people - including Republicans - have not idea what the acronym stands for, according to public opinion polls. A 2011 CBS News survey found that 45 percent of Americans knew that GOP stands for Grand Old Party.   Many people think GOP stands instead for Government of the People.

Apple’s iPhone Price Cut Consumers’ Reaction Free Essays

string(126) " can read a web page while downloading e-mail in the background over Wi-Fi or Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution \(EDGE\)\." Apple Inc. (Apple) was established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976, engaged in producing, selling and supporting a wide range of personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones, computer software, computer hardware and hardware accessories (Apple Store). The company is always known for its strive for delivering new and improved products and find innovative means of marketing and strategies of human resource management. We will write a custom essay sample on Apple’s iPhone Price Cut Consumers’ Reaction or any similar topic only for you Order Now Since its inception, the firm has been enjoying a prominent place among the players in the computer industry with most successful marketing strategies and innovative products and services. The company is a US – based multinational corporation that focuses on design and manufacture of consumer electronics and closely related software products. The company was established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976, engaged in designing, developing, selling and supporting a wide range of personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones, computer software, computer hardware and hardware accessories. Till 2007, the firm opened around 200 retail stores across five countries and one online store through which hardware and software products are being sold (Retail Stores). In the year 2008, the firm was awarded the best corporate performer organized by the famous business magazine, Business Week. (Best Performer Award 2008). iPhone: A Revolutionary Invention The mobile phone technology made its beginning in the mid 20th century. In the opinion of Robert Conway (Conway), the head of, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Association â€Å"Mobile phones are becoming absolutely indispensable in the developing world†. It was in Sweden the first mobile service introduced in the form of radio telephony which was two-way radio; used in taxis and police cruisers as tested by Swedish police. Then in 1946, first commercial mobile service for use in communication devices was launched by American ATT and South-western Bell. It was only in 1970s the ‘modern’ mobile phones were developed, researched and experimented. Thereafter from 1980s, it attracted more and more consumers as a result the growth in the mobile phone industry was tremendous. In 2003 the number of mobile phone users around the world reached to 1. 52 billion. So the mobile phone technology is experiencing fast growth and making greater sophisticated one. The mobile users were also benefited from security systems and surveillances. Conway also stated that,† â€Å"The technology is a gravitational force that brings into its orbit a huge amount of innovators. † The trend in the mobile phones users in the developing nations never showed a negative trend but instead it always showed a positive trend. For estimating the target market in mobile technologies and services, it is necessary to have proper knowledge regarding consumers live style and their demand because as the consumers passes through different stages their interest levels, usage patterns, spending habits, and brand preferences for mobile and other technological products and services constantly changes. So a good e. g. to give is iPod a revolutionary model of Apple bringing bundle of digital music’s introduced by the Apple company in order to exploit maximum home computer market. With this iPod, the company created user friendly product so that the users could download music from the Internet to the player and used technological expertise to improve their product based on consumer needs. The analyst Richard Jameson, GfK NOP said,† Apple’s history proves that it has the magic touch when it comes to product development and marketing†. There after Apple introduced by totally redesigning iPod a small sized that changed the rules for the entire portable music market named iPod nano. This introduction made no changes in the market for iPod and continued as Apple’s monopoly product. As the competition rose between various devices in market, the iPod nano became the most fashionable product of Apple, made a stiff move with many optional accessories including lanyard headphones. There was a price-cut in iPod nanos i. e. Its 4 GB version was priced at $149, which was $50 below the cost of current version having a similar memory and the 8 GB version was priced $199 lower than current model which resulted its success, so the Apple thought of launching iPhone by combining iPod and mobile phone in order to meet its design and user interface with consumers and proved to be number one in the market. This gadget was launched on June 29, 2007 and revolutionized the tech-savvy market. It also entered highly volatile cell phone market combining telephony, MP3, web surfing and video watching. The iPhone was the most awaited gadget by technology enthusiasts and mainstream media. It wants to reach top during holiday season of 2007 than the previous year’s 2121 million units and the way it interacted its consumers succeeded it to reach the top. Exhibit 1) describes the features of iPhone as: it has got2-megapixel camera, headset and audio jacks, an iPod dock, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and a speakerphone; weight is about 135 g little heavier than standard mobile phone but lighter than many devices having QWERTY keyboard; its thin design has a touch screen that allow users to use on-screen soft keys to dial numbers, enter web addresses and type e-mails and text messages; it makes more appealing to the less tech-savvy users because of touch screen that helps for all menu navigation an d data entry from typing messages to dialing phone numbers; it can also support digital-music player that syncs with iTunes; the Apple’s voicemail system provides visual interface that allow users to pick messages as the wants to listen; finally it has built-in rechargeable battery that allow users to talk up to eight hours and standby time up to 250 hours but browser sessions on General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), depletes its battery rapidly, however if the iPhone is used as an iPod music player by users its life would be shortened. Apple iPhone also possesses unique features that perform its most functions with single contract and able to standby long time. It also has supportive functions of like multi tasking where the user can read a web page while downloading e-mail in the background over Wi-Fi or Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE). You read "Apple’s iPhone Price Cut Consumers’ Reaction" in category "Papers" Here interface is unique with large multi-touch display and innovative new software that allows controlling everything by finger on touch screen. It also combined the features of multiple tools into one handheld device to appear as the grid of colorful icons, with the four chief functions—Phone, Mail, Safari web browser and iPod—in a separate strip along the bottom. These all sophisticated features made iPhone a much sought after device and enjoyed a top position in the market (Exhibit 2) in spite of its acute competition from the top mobile players having overlapping features. The combined features of iPod music and video player with mobile telephone, the iPhone was available through ATT Wireless Services. But it was locked by the service provider ATT in its two-year service agreement. The consumers in India could not use iPhones in their home town even they have purchased from US or UK, because of reloading software. The demand for iPhones rated greater than any other product of Apple. In the opinion of iSuppli, the best-selling handset among the 2, 70,000 smart phones and featured phones sold to US consumers during the beginning of month in July 2007 is iPhone. Even market analyst pointed that Apple created a strong brand and customer Market analysts pointed out that Apple had created a strong brand and customer loyalty by following a skimming price strategy and customers are ready to purchase highly priced products now and in future with equanimity. iPhone: Banking on Pricing The iphone entered the market a month with stock of 3, 00,000 and a manufacturing capacity of 1, 50,000. Their version 8 GB was available for $399 in the US through Apple’s retail and online stores and ATT retail stores but 4 GB version were sold till the supplies lasted. To make it affordable to customers, Apple launched more iPhones during holiday seasons. The launching of Apple iPod in October 2001 is a success story which was priced at$349 (as of 2007) for 160 GB lower than a MP3 player and remained popular by gaining high demand till date though there was a price rise in 2005. Later another product named ipod shuffle with 512 MB, was introduced having unique appeal with a price at $99 and $149 for 1 GB. The analyst at Jupiter Research Joe Wilcox analyzed that the lower-priced iPod is part and parcel of Apple’s new mass-market strategy, and before September 2007 it wanted its one-millionth piece to be sold. Similar to the price cut of the iPod, the Apple after two months decision to cut the price of 8 GB storage iPhone from $599 to $399 on September 5, 2007 showed a good response from many quarters. In accordance to Steve Wozniak, Cofounder of Apple Computers, remarked, â€Å"Nobody expects a product to drop that much in price in such a short time† and criticized Steve Jobs (Jobs) the chief executive of Apple Inc. , for his decision to price cut of iPhone by $200 within 68 days of its launch. He also said that Jobs has received letter on the company’s website and complaints from hundreds of customers acknowledging that Apple has disappointed some of its customers through price cut of iPhone’s 8-gigabyte model. According to Apple executives the plan for price cut was done long ago and hoped it would keep the iPhone’s pricing in line with its new iPod Touch. But this price cut suggested that Apple which long lived in a pricing bubble insulated from other personal computer makers was not different from the brutal pressures of the cellular phone business. Van Baker, an industry analyst at Gartner Group said that. â€Å"My suspicion is that they got to 7, 50,000 really quickly, and then it started to slow down†. This price cut dropped down the share price of Apple by 5% and stood at $136. 76 on September 5, 2007. Protests against Apple went to the extent of consumers filing cases against the company. Dongmei Li (Li) a customer of Apple filed a case on September 24, 2007 in the US District Court, against the company for violating price discrimination laws claiming that it should stop selling the $499 4 GB model. Li had waited for the launch of iPhone and then found that the store only had 4 GB iPhones in stock and had subsequently purchased one. Much to her charging, Apple then slashed the price of the 8 GB iPhone and stopped selling the 4 GB model. 100s of customers like Li who paid the full price did not expect the sudden reduction and complained bitterly. Apple, however, had no financial reason to cut prices, but to gain more customers during the holiday season. By the end of September 2007, Apple had sold 1. 4 million iPhones and also launched the device in the UK, Germany, and France. In Asia and Australia iPhone was scheduled to be released during 2008 (Exhibit 3). While the company was dealing with the price cut controversy, its competitors were working on developing models that could compete with the iPhone. Apple’s competitor LG was working on iPhone `killers’, its new product Prada phone KE850 will attempt to offer unbeatable combinations of style, features and price. It costs ?300 ($614). Nokia with its N800 was already a tough competitor to Apple’s iPhone with a niche market. The iPhone price cut caught the media attention in a big way and raised questions about the device’s continued success. However, there are also some advantages to Apple’s price cut (Exhibit 5). The price cut has raised the question as to whether Apple needed to stimulate demand as it is the most valued gadget in history, by reducing the price drastically soon after its release. Experts observe that Apple is switching from a price-skimming strategy to market penetration strategy. They felt that it would be able to expand market share more rapidly and competitive barriers could be strengthened through the change in strategy (IPod: Factors of Success). In spite of its popularity, the iPhone is said to suffer a few shortcomings. Apple iPhone lacks some features like user-changeable battery, voice dialing, voice recording, video recording, instant messaging, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), copy and paste and common Bluetooth file transfer OBject EXchange (OBEX). It is hard to use the on-screen keyboard because of its small sized surface. Further, the iPhone is available only through ATT service provider and not through third parties. It comes with a two-year service agreement in the US. In countries like India even if iPhones are purchased customers cannot use them, as they have to reload the software to use it. Many users opine that though it boasts of a very clear and sharp screen, Apple’s user interface is finger driven and the screen rapidly becomes covered in unsightly fingerprints (Ziegler). Apart from these limitations, Apple had to tackle the consequent criticism following the price cut of the iPhone Stephen Hoch, marketing professor at Wharton University, observed, â€Å"The reversal on Apple’s iPhone may have been more dramatic because the company has marketed itself as consumer friendly. People have strong positive feelings about Apple. They feel they are part of the Apple family. When Jobs announced the price decrease, people felt betrayed†. According to Wharton faculty and analysts, the iPhone episode reveals the perils of pricing in a marketplace where constant innovation, fierce competition and globalization are changing the rules of the game (Smart pricing boosts revenue). John Zhang, marketing professor at Wharton University, said, â€Å"The product lifecycle is short and the market is moving quickly. You don’t have a lot of time to learn from your mistakes. You have to price the product right the first time†. Jobs, while speaking to reporters, defended his move stating that his price cut was directed to attract new customers in the holiday season with more aggressive pricing. He added that it benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone `tent’. Jobs observed, â€Å"†¦even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone, and even though the technology road is bumpy, we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price. Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these. † Greg Joswiak, Apple’s worldwide vice president of iPod and iPhone product marketing, also agreed with Jobs and observed that there was no better time for the price cut and he also added that it was that time of the year that was most important and an opportunity to come into the holidays with a fresh and aggressive product line (Ziegler). Work Cited Aaker, Kumar, Day George, and Kumar V. Marketing Research. 2nd Edition, John Wiley ; Sons, Inc., 2000 Apple Retail Store, â€Å"Interior Design of Apple Retail Store in the US, Apple Inc â€Å". Apple Inc. 16 June 2009 ;www.apple.com/retail ;. Apple Store, â€Å"Store information: Apple Inc â€Å". Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;http://store.apple.com/us ;. Apple Changes Strategies, Apple Changes Strategies for iPhone and iPode Touch Devices†, Apple Inc â€Å". Apple Inc. 16 June 2009 ;www.enbite.com/apple-changes-strategies-for-iphone-and-ipode-touch-devices/ ;. Best Performer Award 2008, â€Å"Best Performer Award 2008†. Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;http://search.businessweek.com/Search?i=1;page=2;resultsperpage=20;searchterm=best+corporate+performers+2008;sortby=relevance;u1=searchterm;. Hawkins, D I, Best R J, and Coney K A. Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy. Homewood: Boston, 1989. IPod: Factors of Success, â€Å"Big Apple†. Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;www.korekalibre.wordpress.com/category/successfulpioneers ;. Mahajan, Vijay, Muller Eitan, and Bass Frank M, A New Product Diffusion Models in Marketing – Review and Directions for Research. Journal of Marketing, ; Self Service Account Program, â€Å"Self Service Account Program†. Apple Inc. 16 June 2009 ;http://www.apple.com/support/programs/ ;. Ziegler Chris, â€Å"The Apple iPhone†. Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/the-apple-iphone ;. How to cite Apple’s iPhone Price Cut Consumers’ Reaction, Papers

Globalization for Opportunities and Threats -myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theGlobalization for Opportunities and Threats. Answer: Introduction A Multinational Corporation (MNC) is an organization, which has its head office in one that is known as home country and runs its business in some other countries, which are known as host countries. As the term indicates that multinational corporation is a business entity, which operates its business in more than one country. When an organization expands its business globally, then it may have some opportunities and threats from this globalization. The main objective of this essay is to discuss the opportunities and threats, which are developed by globalization. The discussion will be done by looking at an MNC from developing market. The organization, which is taken into consideration here, is Alibaba.com that is China based company and expanded its business globally. This essay will highlight the opportunities and threats for Alibaba.com in international market of Australia. It will analyze the differences between developing the market in home nation or host nation. The threats to t he company will be analyzed by looking at some external and internal factors of home and host country, i.e. China and Australia. Company Description Alibaba Group Holding Limited is an e-commerce organization, which is based in China. Alibaba.com facilitates the service transactions between two different organizations. It offers business to consumer, consumer to consumer and business to business services via its website. Other services, which it provides, are online payment services, search engine for shopping and cloud computing services. Allibaba Holding established its operations in the year 1999 and it was found by Jack Ma. In the year 2017, the revenues of the company are 158 billion. With this revenue, the company has become the biggest retailer in the area of e-commerce and operating its business operations in over 200 nations (Lashinsky, 2007). This e-commerce organization has turned into the most leading e-retailer in the world by attaining revenues and sales afar to major competitors, like; Amazon, eBay, Wal-Mart etc. Globalization Globalization is the process of growing the business and economic interdependence among several countries. Generally, globalization is categorized into two parts, like; globalization of production and globalization of markets. Globalization has a major impact on the business environment with offering development to the Multinational Corporation. But the organizations, which have been successful in other foreign countries, do not always get success in the developing market. For an organization to be successful in emerging market, the companies require understanding the local environment by giving time and resources (Baylis, Owens and Smith, 2017). The organizations may have various opportunities and threats in foreign market. Opportunities of Globalization Globalizing the business can have a huge impact on the decision makers and process of decision making process for developing interconnected decisions for expansion. The decision makers have to make the decisions regarding whether the organization should expand in respective country. This can be determined by looking at different aspects, which are mentioned below. These are the major opportunities, which may generate in expanding the business globally. There is a direct relationship between globalization and performance of an MNC. When an organization expands its business in international market, it is expected that the organizations will perform in better way in terms of decreased costs, increased sales and revenues and enhanced competitive advantage over the competitors in new market (Beamish, 2013). In this scenario, Alibaba.com is expanding its business in Australia country, so it also may have some opportunities, which will be beneficial for its business operations. The company is developing its business in the Australian regions with the vision to build a whole infrastructure that is required to make the local businesses able to expand business internationally. As Alibaba.com is operating its business in e-commerce industry, so it is very easy to expand its business in other countries through its international website. Thus, the internet can be seen as an opportunity of globalization for its business. Via internet, Alibaba is able to go across the borders and reach its potential customers with its products and services. In addition, the decision makers may discover the opportunities to use the human resources in international market as they work towards the goals of profitability, which are set by the organizational top management (Bryan, 2015). One of the major opportunities for Alibaba is the transfer of technological knowledge and advancement in globalization. This can lead the organization towards growth in innovative and best techniques for e-commerce business. The organization may have the opportunities to tie up with the national and international chains of different retail stores for introducing their products and services to a wide customer base (Deresky, 2017). Expansion in Australian regions will enable the company to establish better relations with the merchants of Alibaba in the region and it will increase its emphasis on business strategy outside China. This globalization will boost cross-border e-commerce market of China. The MNC is investing in Australia, which demonstrates its commitment to serve the increasing number of foreign retailers and its intention to launch more global offices in the coming future (Heshmati Lovic, 2012). The online buyer penetration in Australia is the second highest in overall Asia Pacific region. Due to low population in Australia, number of digital buyers is low in the country. The company has its presence in the country but does not have a considerable market share (Dunning, 2014). In the year 2014, Aliexpress of Alibaba had market share less than 1% in e-commerce industry, while eBay had approximately 20% market share. Now, e-commerce in this country is growing with the rapid pace and surpassing the growth of physical stores (Hill, 2008). Thus, globalization is critical for the overall growth and development of Alibaba.com. Australia can contribute to its growth and organizations enhanced focus on this specific region can lead this to comparatively higher growth. The organizational strategy for globalization will offer the organization an opportunity to establish its image and presence outside China. By looking at these aspects, the decision makers can the effective decisions regarding the globalization (Jorgenson and Givens, 2014). The decision makers made decision that they will make partnership with Woolworth organization in Australia. Threats from Globalization When the globalization may be considered as an opportunity for decision makers and businesses, it can also be discussed to be a threat to all the large and small organizations. In expanding the business in Australia, the decision makers at Alibaba.com may face some threats in making decisions regarding globalization. One of the major threats is competition from competitors in the host country, i.e. Australia. The company may face the competition from Google.com, Baidu.com, Australia Post and eBay, which is already well-established in the country and having a significant market share. This can affect the revenues of Alibaba in foreign country (Lovvorn, 2011). As discussed above, the population of Australia is lower than other countries, so there will fewer users of the internet operations and online shopping. For making them aware, the organization needs to invest in promotional and advertising activities, so that they can actively be engaged in the online processes. Moreover, changes in the customer preferences and life style have left Australia services chasing development of e-commerce industry and making efforts to stay with the developing retailer markets (Pearl, 2017). As Alibaba.com is an e-commerce business and it follows an e-business model in the industry. Generally, the e-commerce business does not influenced by political factors, but working as an e-commerce player, the organization need to know about the tariff laws, taxes and other political aspects. In Australia, the online offerings of the Alibaba.com can be influenced by trade laws and regulations of the country. If the company violates some political laws and regulations of country, then products may not be shown on the website of the organization (Meyer and Peng, 2016). It poses a major threat on the companys presence in the new market. There may be some social factors, which can pose threat to Alibaba.com and its decision makers. Alibaba is operating its business in more than 200 countries. So, the differences in culture may impact, what the goods and services Alibaba shows to the customers. For understanding this, there will be need of marketing research and study about the preferences, demands and tastes of customers. There may be differences in the country tastes. So, the decision makers should consider that there will be differences in the deal offered for Australian buyers from deals for Chinese buyers. Organization may face some of the ethical and social responsibility issues in globalization. In addition, legal factors may also cause challenges for the organization. In this business expansion, the company has to follow the laws of both the countries, i.e. China and Australia. In the e-commerce business, some of the legal considerations include policies for use of coupon, terms of use, cancellations policies and other information regarding buying the products at Alibaba.com. There may be differences in the laws and policies of both the countries, so it may work as a threat for decisions makers. The organization needs to consider the costs of the competitors (Pieterse, 2015). There may be chances that competitors sell the products on cheaper prices. So, managers at Alibaba.com need to consider these aspects before expanding business in Australia. Lessons for International Business Managers In the entire process of globalization, the international managers may learn so many lessons about the interplay between home and host country differences for attaining the success. The managers have to consider some specific aspects of globalization, which can impact the growth and presence of company in new and emerging market (Stahl and Tung, 2015). In the home country, the managers may gain the experience in domestic markets and may have greater understanding about the business strategies in the home country. While, operating business in host country, the managers need to create new strategies according to the conditions in new country market. In home country, they may work as morale builder for the employees in home country. At Alibaba China, the employees may feel it difficult to adapt the foreign environment, so the managers require learning about enhancing morale and motivation in the employees, so that they can work in Australian e-commerce market effectively (Savrul, Incekara Sener, 2014). In host country, the managers need to develop effective staffing strategies, so that they can eliminate the barriers related to languages and culture. First, the managers should have better knowledge and understanding about the laws and rules of Australia, so they can help their subordinates to work complying the laws and regulations of foreign country. In expanding business globally, the managers of Alibaba.com need to learn about the differences in culture and language between host and home country. There are so many differences between the cultural values and language of China and Australia. So, managers should conduct the training program, so that the people can learn about the culture of foreign country (Wild, Wild and Han, 2014). Furthermore, the managers can learn that operating business at globalization levels, the organization may face many social responsibility and ethical issues, which affect the business of an organization. A Chinese organization may have different traditions and culture, which affect the working style in Australia. These differences between traditions and values in host country can create the issue of developing trust for organization (Stahl and Tung, 2015). Way of working in home and host countries may cause social responsibility issues for the organization. So, the managers of Alibaba.com should learn about eliminating these issues in order to expand business in Australia. The organization should offer training programs to both the staff and its management team as well. This training will be about the traditions and cultural values of host country. It will motivate the management team and employees to develop corporate social responsibilities in an effective way. For achieving success, the international business managers should make rules and regulations for preventing social responsibility and ethical issues at globalization level. The interplay between home and host country makes it difficult to manage the business in host country. By looking at the differences in home and host countries, the international business managers need to strengthen their leadership and administration styles to deal with the employees in Australia. The globalization may allow the managers to run the business in uncertain conditions and environments, so they need to implement effective strategies to attain the objectives of globalization and create new strategies to look at the emerging opportunities in new markets (Totonchi Kakamanshadi, 2011). The globalization experience of international business managers can allow the Alibaba.com managers to deal with the future encounters and open new business ventures. In expanding the business, there will be diverse customer base in home and host countries, i.e. China and Australia. For Aliababa.com, there may be differences in the taste and preferences of the customers of both the countries. So, managers need to conduct market research before expansion and understand the needs and expectations of customers in new foreign market. The best thing, which the manager can learn, is open-mindedness. They should be willing to observe the customers in Australian market and develop goods and services, specifically personalized for the foreign customers. By looking at all the opportunities and threats in the Australian market, the international business managers need to learn about the making effective decisions. In the globalized scenario, the managers will get new perspectives and walk between effectiveness and emphasis on Australian market. International business managers have a significant role in the process of globalization. They need to consider and learn so many things from both home and host countries as well. In addition, they need to learn about all the external factors of Australia, which can impact the growth of Alibaba.com in Australia. These factors are political regulations, legal factors, social factors and economic factors (Wild, Wild and Han, 2014). Thus, in the foreign market, the working environment must be better equipped to carry out the international perspective to the business operations of Alibaba.com. These lessons of managers will be effective for attaining competitive advantage and success in new market. Conclusion It is hereby concluded the globalization has developed the business conditions have significant impact in all the countries. Over the decades, the e-commerce business has shifted to the developed countries, like; Australia. For an organization, the process of globalization may be very difficult and threatening, but the business may have some opportunities from globalization. In the above scenario, a Chinese organization, i.e. Alibaba.com is expanding business to Australia. In this globalization process, the company may have some opportunities and threats in foreign market. As it is an e-commerce giant, so there are limited threats for organization. External factors may have large impact on the business in international markets. The organizations need to transform their rules and policies according to the new country market. Thus, it is true that conducting business globally presents major challenges to the domestic activities. The difficulty in operating business at international lev el offers the organizations different opportunities and choices, which can be adopted by the MNCs. At the end, it is recommended that Alibaba.com should conduct an environmental, strategic analysis and have strong culture understanding about foreign country for taking advantage of international opportunities. References Baylis, J., Owens, P. and Smith, S. eds., 2017.The globalization of world politics: An introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press. Beamish, P., 2013.Multinational joint ventures in developing countries (RLE International Business). Routledge. Bryan, B. 2015, Alibaba just proved it's more than just some Chinese company. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.in/Alibaba-just-proved-its-more-than-just-some-Chinese-company/articleshow/49791045.cms Deresky, H, 2017, International management: Managing across borders and cultures. Pearson Education India. Dunning, J.H., 2014.The Globalization of Business (Routledge Revivals): The Challenge of the 1990s. Routledge. Heshmati, N. Lovic, S. 2012, Opportunities and Challenges in Emerging markets - A case study of two multinational companies in India, Retrieved from https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:537742/FULLTEXT02. Hill, C, 2008, International business: Competing in the global market place.Strategic Direction,24(9). Jorgenson, A.K. and Givens, J.E., 2014. Economic globalization and environmental concern: A multilevel analysis of individuals within 37 nations.Environment and Behavior,46(7), pp.848-871. Lashinsky, A, 2017, How Alibabas Jack Ma Is Building a Truly Global Retail Empire, Retrieved from https://fortune.com/2017/03/24/jack-ma-alibaba-china-ecommerce-world-greatest-leaders/. Lovvorn, A.S, 2011, Developing a Global Mindset: The Relationship between an International Assignment and Cultural Intelligence, International Journal of Business and Social Science. Meyer, K. and Peng, M.W., 2016.International business. Cengage Learning. Pearl, H, 2017, Alibaba Group Expands Presence in Australia, New Zealand, Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alibaba-australia-idUSKBN15J091. Pieterse, J.N., 2015.Globalization and culture: Global mlange. Rowman Littlefield. Savrul, M., Incekara, A. Sener, S, 2014, The Potential of E-commerce for SMEs in a Globalizing Business Environment, Journal of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Stahl, G.K. and Tung, R.L., 2015. Towards a more balanced treatment of culture in international business studies: The need for positive cross-cultural scholarship.Journal of International Business Studies,46(4), pp.391-414. Totonchi, J. Kakamanshadi, G, 2011, Globalization and E-Commerce, International Conference on Networking and Information Technology. Wild, J.J., Wild, K.L. and Han, J.C., 2014.International business. Pearson Education Limited.

Successful Points Of The Ancient Chinese Civilization Essays

Successful Points Of The Ancient Chinese Civilization SUCCESSFUL POINTS OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE CIVILIZATION The Ancient Chinese civilization went through a series of successful social affairs as well as a series of social disarray. Each Dynasty resulted in slightly different reforms, but it seems as though the overall Chinese population held the same general beliefs on such things as family, education and the civilization as a whole. I believe that these morals are what really held the Chinese civilization together in times of conflict and political division. FAMILY A Chinese family was traditionally very large. It was what would be called an extensive family today. The grandparents, parents, and children of one family all lived together. It was considered a sign of good luck and happiness, if five generations lived together at one time. In Ancient China, the family was a strict hierarchy: father sons (oldest to youngest) mother daughters (oldest to youngest) Being the ruler in his home, the father assigned his childrens careers, determined their education, arranged their marriages, gave rewards or punishments, and controlled the family finances. Every family member gave their earnings to the father, who then decided how to redistribute the money. EDUCATION The Chinese have always respected and stressed learning. All parents tried to give their sons, rather than daughters, the best education possible. In poor families, boys were usually trained from early childhood to do the same jobs as their fathers. At times, however, extremely intelligent boys were able to attend school if a rich relative or group of neighbors agreed to help pay the fees. Boys from wealthy families could either attend school or choose to learn from a private tutor in their own homes. Girls from wealthy families might also learn at home from a tutor. Otherwise, she would learn domestic tasks from her mother, such as sewing and embroidery. The main goal of schools was to train boys to be able to become a government official. However, it was not easy to enter the government due to the difficult exams that must be passed. As a result, boys started to prepare early, and began their education at the age of eight or nine. All students had to learn and memorize the important texts that Confucious used in his teachings. DYNASTIES Although there were several different Dynasties during the Ancient Chinese era, they each flourished with the different achievements of the Chinese culture. The Han Dynasty During this period, records were kept, enabling us to learn more about this exciting time. Han strengths included mathematics, geography, and astronomy which led to technological advancements. These advancements led to inventions such as the magnetic compass and the sternpost rudder. Iron came into use, aiding the improvement of agricultural practices, which in turn helped produce sufficient amounts of food to supply the growing urban population. The Tang Dynasty The Tang emperors focused on giving back to the peasants. They adopted the equal field system which entitled the state to fertile land only after the death of the peasant owner. The state then turned and reassigned the land to another worthy adult peasant for their needs and resources. Also during this period, Chinese culture began to influence Japan due to successful foreign affairs. The Song Dynasty The Song rulers aggressively promoted the use of the previous dynasties innovations. The use of printing was encouraged. The revolution of irrigation was made by the water pump and the spiral worm-drive for liquids. This made mining less difficult and of course aided in the general field of agriculture. As stated before, it seems as though the general Chinese civilization had firm beliefs and morals within the family and from those beliefs the population simply lived their lives. Although they did go through several different dynasties and social/ political reforms, the basis of family and education remained constant, forming a firm faith of the two elements. History Essays

Controversial Issue Essay

Controversial Issue Essay Controversial Issue Essay Controversial Issue Essay: Making It Controversial If you always set one and the same question to yourself that is: why controversial issue essay again? we are going to answers your question. Controversial issue essay is the best exercise, which is only possible to invent for the proper process of studying. Controversial issue essay develops a lot of different skills and helps students to become more experienced in academic writing. Thus, controversial issue essay develop: analytical thinking skills perfect writing skills ability to have own opinions to all the possible problems excellent searching and analyzing skills the ability to work with facts, to analyze them and to use them for your sake. You see, that is why controversial issue essay is considered to be one of the favourite professors assignments: Preparation for Controversial Issue Essay Writing It is reasonable to get acquainted with the kind of controversial issue essay before starting to write your controversial issue essays. If speaking in a simple language, any of the controversial issue essays are the essays, which serve as a bomb. It is silent and quiet until it flashes. Each controversial issue essay is like a fire, like a hot spot, which makes people start debating. It should be emotional, burning, exciting. The main purpose of controversial issue essay is to convince people that your point of view is the only possible approach to the problem. Persuading is the only proper way of writing your controversial issue essay. A standpoint you deal with in your controversial issue essay should be supported by the authoritative facts taken from the authoritative sources. The more examples and proofs you present in your controversial issue essay the more persuasive it is going to be. Any controversial issue essay demands a lot of creativity from the writer. A common dull controversial issue essay is never going to be controversial. That is why in order to get the high grade for your controversial issue essay writing you have to make it hot, debating, and exciting. There exist a lot of different controversial issue essay techniques which can make a simple essay to be unusual and bright. Use them in your controversial issue essay and you will write an excellent work. Controversial Issue Essay Help If you need any kind of help or assistance with your controversial issue essay writing, you may bravely appeal to our custom essay writing service. We will support you at any stage of your controversial issue essay writing and give you some useful pieces of advice. Read also: Business Ethics Paper Term Argumentative Term Paper Analysis Term Paper 250 Words a Page Term Paper 15 Page Term Paper

Identify three of the course learning outcomes that you will apply to Essay

Identify three of the course learning outcomes that you will apply to achieve your personal and professional goals and provide a - Essay Example Ethical values are also important factor for the effective leadership. The paper also demonstrates the effective application of personal leadership perspectives. Learning outcomes are the educational aims and objectives. The learning outcomes are the skills and goals that a learner achieves after a period of specified and supported study. At the end of the course program student can reliably demonstrate his skills. University of Warwick (2004) categories the learning specifications into four categories: Subject knowledge and understandings Subject specific skills are practical skills, practice of which is integral to the course, e.g. laboratory skills, language skills and counseling skills. Cognitive skills, intellectual skills such as an understanding methodologies, synthesis, evaluation or ability in critical analysis. Key skills are skills that are readily transferable to employment in other contexts, such as written and oral communication, working within a team, problem solving, numeric and IT skills. The learning outcomes broadly specify the: needs of the learner, needs of the society, learner knowledge about the particular subject. During my studies, under the supervision of my teachers/instructors the personal skills I acquire are: Ability to work in team, Effective communication, Ability to solve problem. As a student of business administration my professional skills are related to the business planning and management. The basic course learning outcomes of my studies which help me in my profession are: I will be able to 1. Explain the important terminology, theories, principles, concepts and analytical techniques used in leadership. 2. Apply the known terminology, theories, principles, concepts and analytical techniques used in leadership when analyzing complex and complicated managerial situations 3. Effectively synthesize important terminology, theories, principles, concepts and analytical techniques used in leadership when solving the sophisticated p roblems in complex managerial solution. These outcomes help me to achieve my personal and professional goals successfully in my field. Now I highlight one by one on the benefits of these outcomes Primary leadership theories for profit and non-profit organizations There are number of leadership theories which fall into following categories: 1. Trait theory of leadership. 2. Behavioral theory of leadership 3. Contingency theory of leadership. 4. Transformation theory of leadership 5. Invitational theory of leadership. 6. Transactional theory of leadership. 1. Trait theory of leadership. Early trait theories argued that the leadership qualities are innate and instinctive qualities. You either have these qualities or not. These are inherited Like Great man theory. Early studies assumed that leaders are born not made. But now trait theory refers to the external behavior, particular personality and behavioral characteristics much depending on the internal beliefs and thinking power of a l eader. Their main examples are: self-assurance, self-confidence, feelings and good decision making skills. Traits are the key features of the leadership. Edwin Ghiselli (1971) identified six traits for an effective leadership. These are: supervisory ability, need for occupational achievement, intelligence, decisiveness,

Reflect on the syndrome approach as a way to analyse complex systems Essay

Reflect on the syndrome approach as a way to analyse complex systems. How did it help - Essay Example In an attempt to reduce these nightmares another nightmare has been created. Hayden (2004) indicates that suburbia promised the ‘triple dream’ of community, house and land with back yard pools and flowering trees. However, it has led to a rather complex problem. This is described as the â€Å"Suburbia Syndrome†. The Suburbia Syndrome has been linked to a number of ills including obesity. The suburbia has also been linked to the crisis that unfolded in the recent past with the housing bust and the collapse of many financial institutions. Wasik (2009) has described the situation as the worst housing bust of all times and has linked it the realization of the American dream. The quest by every American to live in the suburbs is unsustainable as there is a connection between, economics, home ownership and the environment. The price of energy and other factors make it very clear that the present course of suburbia is unsustainable. Suburban conditions have been linked t o a situation of wastefulness and unsustainability. Jackson (1985, cited in Hayden 2004) indicated that the lengthy process of suburbanization would slow down because of rising energy and land costs which would lead people back to urban centers. However, this was not to be as ‘Americans have settled on the fringes of metropolitan regions’ much faster than they have ever done (Hayden 2004). More Americans were living the suburbs in 2000 than those living in central cities and rural areas combined (Hayden 2004). Many of the key economic and cultures centers including corporate headquarters and regional theaters had relocated to the suburbs. This was so while space was becoming more abundant in the urban centers. This indicates moving from one problem to another as the move to relieve the urban centers of certain problems have created the same problems elsewhere. Once a suburban area has been established the promoters

Religion Essays Diversity of Religious Cultures

Religion Essays Diversity of Religious Cultures The impact of immigration greatly affected the diversity of religious cultures and traditions in Australia The impact of immigration greatly affected the diversity of religious cultures and traditions in Australia. It dramatically increased in some groups and causes a decline in others, because of the introduction of new denominations. Before 1945, Australia was predominantly a Christian based society, lacking diversity. The impact admidst the Second World War led to an increase in the Orthodox churches and several branches of Christianity. The abolishment of the White Australian Policy (1970s) meant that Australia was freely open to various peoples from other countries seeking migration to Australia. As a result of this more Africans, Asians and Middle Easterns were able to migrate, most of which brought new religious denominations such as Islam, Hindiusm, Buddhism etc. Prior to 1945, Australia’s religious landscape was mostly dominated by Christians- mostly Catholics and Anglicans. Even within Christians, Anglicans dominated more in numbers as they were supported by the government and held some social authority. However, the aftermath of WW2 with the refugees seeking new lives enabled Jews to come to Australia- which contributed in increasing the number of Jewish adherents in Australia. Also, the slogan ‘populate of perish’ in the 50s- 60s enabled other Europeans to immigrate to Australia, hence increasing the number of Orthodox Christians. Although since 1945, Christianity still outnumbered other religions in Australia, the drop of the White Australian Policy in the early 70s allowed immigration from non- Christian countries such as: Asia, India, Africa and Middle East- bringing religions Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam into Australia. This not only shapes the current religious landscape of Australia having diverse religions other than Christianity, but also effected the rate of Christianity to drop to 67.9% out of the whole population of Australia. Changing patterns of religious adherence 20 percent of Australians are non religious From 1996-2001 > dramatic increase in Islam, Buddhism, Hindu and Judaism Due to the abolishment of the white Australian policy immigration increased. After 1976 the Methodist church seized to exist. After 1976 the two new Christian denominations arose in Australia > Pentecostal church the uniting church in 1981. Christianity as the major religious tradition Originally migration came from Irland / Britain Immigration 14 orthodox denominations in Australia Abolishment of white Australian policy. Denominational switching Within protestant or Anglican denominations people are very prepared two switch denominations. 1991 the church life survey shows that 29% of people had switched in the last 5 years. Reasons for switching is because; New comers joining or rejoining after a number of years. Rise of new age religions: New Age teachings became popular during the 1970s Often use mutually exclus ive definitions for some of their terms A free-flowing spiritual movement Secularism: the belief that religion should not be involved with the ordinary social and political activities of a country. from 1788 to the present day, regular church attendance has increased from 10% to 20%. People who associate themselves with no-religion in the census rose from 7% in 1971 to 16% in 2001. The ANU survey showed 42% of responses believed religion was not important. Outline changing patterns of religious adherence from 1945 to the present using census data There have been significant declines in the number of Christians regularly attending religious services. This decline is most evident in the Anglican Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Uniting Church. The drop in the figures for these three denominations represents both a decrease in the percentage of those who are affiliated with that denomination as well as a decline in actual numbers over the last decade. The proportion of Orthodox Christians in Australia grew rapidly after the Second World War and has remained quite constant over the past decade. Roman Catholics have continued to increase both numerically and as a percentage of the population, and have overtaken Anglicans as the largest denomination in Australia. Pentecostal figures have demonstrated strong growth both numerically and as a percentage of the population since the 1960s. In the last ten years however, this steep ascent appears to have slowed down and reached a plateau. The significant drop in the numbers of people regularly attending religious services should be read in conjunction with the substantial trend in the increasing numbers of people writing No Religion or Religion Not Stated in the census. The figure for religions other than Christianity, on the whole, appears to be steadily increasing from a fairly small base. Buddhist figures have grown at a steady rate from 1972 onwards and is now the largest religion other than Christianity in Australia. Hinduism has maintained steady growth. The numbers of Muslims in Australia have also increased dramatically since 1945. In 2001 the proportion of Jews was similar to that recorded in 1947. Christianity as the major religious tradition The significant decline in the number of Christians regularly attending religious services, especially in the Anglican, Uniting Church and Presbyterian denominations, can be attributed to the aging population, the lack of migrant intake and the general dissatisfaction impacting on other mainstream Christian groups. Roman Catholics are continuing to increase numerically, though not at the rate of the population because of its younger membership and substantial migrant intake. The significant increases in the Pentecostal figures can be attributed to factors such as the lively nature of its worship, its emphasis on contemporary music, the strong sense of community and spiritual support it provides, the charismatic leaders which lead the congregation and the clear cut answers it provides for times of uncertainty. Pentecostalism is an evangelical (fundamentalist and focused on conversion) and charismatic (a strong emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit) strand of the Christian religion. The slow down in the increase of Pentecostal figures in the last 10 years can be attributed to the revolving door syndrome which recognises that large numbers of Pentecostals remain with the Church for a relatively short period of time and because many Pentecostals were encouraged by their leaders to write Australian Christian Church rather than Pentecostal on the 2001 census. Immigration Changed Australia from being mono-cultural, mono-faith to multi-cultural, multi-faith. Since World War 2 and the lifting of the White Australia policy there has been much more diversity in migration and an accompanying increase in the diversity of religious groupings. Migration after World War 2 led to increased number of Catholics from countries such as Italy, Malta etc. This also increased numbers of Orthodox Christians from Greece and Eastern Europe. After the ending of the White Australian policy in 1972 migration developed from a larger range of countries bringing a wider range of religions. Migration has led to significant increases in the numbers of people who are Buddhist, Muslims, Hindus and Jews. Buddhists came from Indo-Chinese countries Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and in more recent times Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. Muslims came from countries such as Indonesia, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq, Bosnia. Increases have also occurred in Christian denominations where there is a large non-Anglo population Orthodox (Eastern Europe) and Catholic churches (from predominantly Irish to include Mediterranean, Eastern European, Asian, South American, African members). Increased presence of a variety of religious groups has also led to a greater appreciation of this diversity. Denominational switching The vast majority of people affiliated with religious groups in Australia were born into that religion. The phenomena of swapping between denominations or groups of the same religious tradition is known as denominational switching. Denominational switching is more common in Protestant Churches than in the Catholic Church. The majority of Pentecostals have moved from another Protestant denomination to join the Pentecostal group. Pentecostal is the term used to describe Christian denominations which have a strong emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, healing, prophecy etc). They are often relatively small groups which provides for more personal interaction, they also have lively worship. Pentecostalism is the fastest growing Christian group. Most Pentecostals have switched to the group from another Christian denomination. Many leave again after about 2 years this is known as the revolving door syndrome. Rise of New Age religions Census figures show a considerable level of dissatisfaction with traditional religious groups. Alongside this dissatisfaction is an indication of a strong and growing longing for a spiritual dimension to life. New Age is an umbrella term which refers to a range of alternative and/or pseudo-religious groups that people are attracted to. New Age religions are characterised by their adoption of elements of Eastern religions and their subsequent rejection of traditional Western views, and the fact that it favours creation centred spirituality. Some examples of new age religions are feng shui, yoga, tai chi, astrology, tarot cards, numerology etc. Many people uphold traditional religious beliefs and practices but supplement them with new age elements. Secularism Secularism is the belief that religion should not interfere with or be integrated into the public affairs of a society. There are multiple factors which have contributed to the decline of religions relevance for the integration and legitimation of modern life. The increasing pluralism and materialism of society alongside societys increasing individualism and dissatisfaction with traditional religions are major reasons for secularisation. This trend is most evident in the significant increase in the number of people responding No religion in the census alongside an overall decline in the Christian figures recorded in the census.

Ethnobotany Essays -- essays papers

Ethnobotany An Available Option Try to imagine yourself or someone you hold close to you being very sick, so sick that just being alive each day gives more pain and suffering than the previous day. Not one person should have to suffer from a disease that is incurable and leads inevitably to death. With an assisted suicide a person and his or her family can be relieved of the agony of the illness. Euthanasia is sometimes considered to be the best option for a loved one who is in intractable pain, and should be an option available to patients who meet qualifications and agree to the assistance in suicide. There are two different forms of Euthanasia: Active and Passive. Active Euthanasia is the causing of a person’s death through a direct action in response to a request of that person. Dr. Jack Kevorkian is most well known for his acts of Active Euthanasia. Passive Euthanasia is, according to www.religioustolerance.org, hastening the death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course. Examples of Passive Euthanasia include â€Å"pulling the plug† on a patient in a coma or turning off a respirator to aid in the breathing process. These two processes should, at times, be performed on some patients so that death will occur sooner and suffering will no longer happen. Although some pains that are effects of terminal illnesses can be controlled to a level that can be endured, most people who are suffering from these illnesses do not...

Solution to Case Problem Specialty Toys

Solution to Case Problem Specialty Toys 10/24/2012 I. Introduction: The Specialty Toys Company faces a challenge of deciding how many units of a new toy should be purchased to meet anticipated sales demand. If too few are purchased, sales will be lost; if too many are purchased, profits will be reduced because of low prices realized in clearance sales. Here, I will help to analyze an appropriate order quantity for the company. II. Data Analysis: 1. 20,0 00 .025 10,0 00 30,0 00 .025 .95 20,0 00 .025 10,0 00 30,0 00 .025 .95 Since the expected demand is 2000, thus, the mean  µ is 2000.Through Excel, we get the z value given a 95% probability is 1. 96. Thus, we have: z= (x- µ)/ ? =(30000-20000)/ ? =1. 96, so we get the standard deviation ? =(30000-20000)/1. 96=5102. The sketch of distribution is above. 95. 4% of the values of a normal random variable are within plus or minus two standard deviations of its mean. 2. At order quantity of 15,000, z= (15000-20000)/5102=-0. 98, P(stockout ) = 0. 3365 + 0. 5 = 0. 8365 At order quantity of 18,000, z= (18000-20000)/5102=-0. 39, P(stockout) = 0. 1517 + 0. 5= 0. 6517 At order quantity of 24,000, z= (24000-20000)/5102=0. 8, P (stockout) = 0. 5 – 0. 2823 = 0. 2177 At order quantity of 28,000, z= (28000-20000)/5102=1. 57, P (stockout) = 0. 5 – 0. 4418 = 0. 0582 3. Order Quantity = 15,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 240,000| 240,000| 25,000| 25,000| 20,000| 240,000| 360,000| 0| 120,000| 30,000| 240,000| 360,000| 0| 120,000| Order Quantity = 18,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 288,000| 240,000| 40,000| -8000| 20,000| 288,000| 432,000| 0| 144,000| 30,000| 288,000| 432,000| 0| 144,000|Order Quantity = 24,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 384,000| 240,000| 70,000| -74,000| 20,000| 384,000| 480,000| 20,000| 116,000| 30,000| 384,000| 576,000| 0| 192,000| Order Quantity =28,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| S ales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 448,000| 240,000| 90,000| -118,000| 20,000| 448,000| 480,000| 40,000| 72,000| 30,000| 448,000| 672,000| 0| 224,000| 4. According to the background information, we get the sketch of distribution above. Since z= (Q-20,000)/5102 =0. 52, so we get Q=20,000+0. 2*5102=22,653. Thus, the quantity would be ordered under this policy is 22,653. The projected profits under the three sales scenarios are below: Order Quantity =22,653| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 362,488| 240,000| 63,265| -59,183| 20,000| 362,488| 480,000| 13,265| 130,817| 30,000| 362,488| 543,672| 0| 181,224| 5. From the information we get above, I would recommend an order quantity that can maximize the expected profit, and it can be calculated by the formula below: P(Demand

Practice in Using Commas and Semicolons Correctly

This exercise offers practice in applying the rules for using commas and semicolons correctly. Before attempting the exercise, you may find it helpful to review these three pages: Guidelines for Using Commas EffectivelyHow to Use the SemicolonSemicolons, Colons, and Dashes Throughout the following two paragraphs, you will find a number of empty paired brackets: [ ]. Replace each set of brackets with a comma or a semicolon, keeping in mind that the primary use of a semicolon is to separate two main clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction. When you are done, compare your work with the correctly punctuated versions of the two paragraphs on page two. Exercise: Pasta Pasta[ ] a large family of shaped[ ] dried wheat pastes[ ] is a basic staple in many countries. Its origins are obscure. Rice pastes were known very early in China[ ] pastes made of wheat were used in India and Arabia long before they were introduced into Europe in the 11th or 12th century. According to legend[ ] Marco Polo brought a pasta recipe with him from Asia in 1295. Pasta quickly became a major element in the Italian diet[ ] and its use spread throughout Europe. Pasta is made from durum wheat flour[ ] which makes a strong[ ] elastic dough. Hard durum wheat has the highest wheat protein value. The flour is mixed with water[ ] kneaded to form a thick paste[ ] and then forced through perforated plates or dies that shape it into one of more than 100 different forms. The macaroni die is a hollow tube with a steel pin in its center[ ] the spaghetti die lacks the steel pin and produces a solid cylinder of paste. Ribbon pasta is made by forcing the paste through thin slits in a die[ ] shells and other curved shapes are produced with more intricate dies. The shaped dough is dried carefully to reduce the moisture content to about 12 percent[ ] and properly dried pasta should remain edible almost indefinitely. Pastas can be colored with spinach or beet juice. The addition of egg produces a richer[ ] yellower pasta that is usually made in noodle form and is often sold undried. When you are done, compare your work with the correctly punctuated versions of the two paragraphs on page two. Here are the two paragraphs that served as the model for the punctuation exercise on page one. Original Paragraphs: Pasta Pasta, a large family of shaped, dried wheat pastes, is a basic staple in many countries. Its origins are obscure. Rice pastes were known very early in China; pastes made of wheat were used in India and Arabia long before they were introduced into Europe in the 11th or 12th century. According to legend, Marco Polo brought a pasta recipe with him from Asia in 1295. Pasta quickly became a major element in the Italian diet, and its use spread throughout Europe. Pasta is made from durum wheat flour, which makes a strong, elastic dough. Hard durum wheat has the highest wheat protein value. The flour is mixed with water, kneaded to form a thick paste, and then forced through perforated plates or dies that shape it into one of more than 100 different forms. The macaroni die is a hollow tube with a steel pin in its center; the spaghetti die lacks the steel pin and produces a solid cylinder of paste. Ribbon pasta is made by forcing the paste through thin slits in a die; shells and other curved shapes are produced with more intricate dies. The shaped dough is dried carefully to reduce the moisture content to about 12 percent, and properly dried pasta should remain edible almost indefinitely. Pastas can be colored with spinach or beet juice. The addition of egg produces a richer, yellower pasta that is usually made in noodle form and is often sold undried.