Principles of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Principles of Marketing - Essay Example More than 50% of Indian consumers use ordinary toilet soaps to clean their hair and usage of shampoo among majority of the populace is still restricted to social occasions as weddings and parties. While per capita consumption of shampoos is only 13ml in India it is 160ml and 330ml in Indonesia and Thailand respectively. The bigger players in Indian shampoo market are HLL, P&G, CavinKare, Dabur and Ayur (equitymaster.com 2007). Segmentation Companies divide markets into groups of consumers or segments with distinct needs and wants and identify which market segments it can serve effectively. To develop the best marketing plans managers need to understand what makes each segment unique and different. Marketing theory categories preferences into three different sub-categories (Anderson 2008): Homogenous preferences: When all consumers have roughly the same preferences and the market does not exhibit any natural segments. Diffused preferences: When consumers vary greatly in their preferen ces and if there are different brands in the market they are likely to position themselves throughout the available space and show real differences to match differences in consumer preferences. In shampoo market marketers almost always face a situation of diffused preferences as each category has specific requirements and expectation from the products they use. Clustered preferences: When natural market segments emerge from groups of consumers with shared preferences. Shampoo market is segmented primarily according to usage benefits. Some shampoos claim to serve the cosmetic benefits of providing strong, healthy and shining hair. Others claim to remove dandruff completely while the third category claims to deliver all the benefits related to herbal ingredients. The anti-dandruff segment is the fastest growing among the three segments with an annual growth rate of approximately 12% per annum (equitymaster.com 2007). There is also another small segment that is steadily gaining ground. This segment offers specialized shampoos as those that can be safely used in colored hair without removing the color. But this segment has not grown enough in size to warrant a separate analysis. Marketers also segment the market according to following criteria (Czepiel 1992): Geographic Segmentation: It divides the market into different geographical units such as nations, states, regions, cities or neighborhoods. In shampoo market, however, such variations do not matter that much as targeted consumers in every region or nation would have same, or nearly same, perceptions about beautiful hair. Demographic Segmentation: It divides the market into groups on the basis of age, family size, family life cycle, gender, income, occupation, education, religion, nationality and social class. Marketers of shampoo concentrate on ladies, irrespective of their age, and their income while marketing their products. Though in some situations religion, especially Islam might also have to be taken in to account. Marketers can now reach women very easily through television. Psychographic Segmentation: Buyers are divided into different groups on the basis of psychological/personality traits, lifestyles or values. People within the same demographic group can exhibit very different psychographic traits. Marketers of sh

Alcohol Use in Micronesia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alcohol Use in Micronesia - Essay Example Today, alcoholism is a major issue that calls for international attention and input to try and manage. This paper evaluates the culture Truk, Marshallese, and Palau, and compares them to identify distinct differences and similarities to generate a hypothesis. Prior to the Japanese administration, chewing of betel nut was common, until the Japanese introduced alcohol and it is now a part of their traditional and modern day occasions except house parties intended for financial exchanges (Nero 1990). The Palaun’s today are associated with high drinking capacities. This drunkenness is linked to increased wife-beating which is today more common than ever for this culture. Abuse origin is thought to be the administration of the Japanese who introduced corporal punishment as a mode of discipline and for violence against women by their husbands, and increased drunkenness amongst Palauan’s men resulting to high Palauan aggressiveness. Chuuk culture is located in Moen Island where alcohol abuse is a common practice that originated from United States immigrants, embedded into Trukese cultural system, and perpetrated by their cultural attitudes and values (Mac 1979). Additionally, Trukese marriage stability occurs with age where men become less violent and are only alcoholics unlike youngsters who drink and engage in fights. Trukese are alcohol abusers identified through destructive conduct and aggressiveness and fights. These drunkards are mostly identified as high school dropouts, and unemployed wage workers (Mac 1979: 134). The Marshallese people are located in Moen islands and originally consumed alcohol in during transition of young males to manhood. However, bottled alcohol or liquor was introduced to them by Americans resulting to changes in youth ethos to take charge of their own affairs and not blindly following the community elders (Carucci 1949: 147). Alcoholism amongst Marshallese unmarried

Theories and Models of Memory

Theories and Models of Memory Baddeley and Hitch developed another model of short-term memory which is called working memory. The distinction between short-term memory and working memory is that short-term memory is frequently used interchangeably with working memory however the two of them should be used separately. Short-term memory refers to just the temporary storage of information within the memory whereas working memory refers to the processes that are used to temporarily organise, manipulate and store information. Their model also put forward instead of the short-term memory being a single store, it is in fact an active processor containing many different types of stores- the central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer. Central executive: The central executive is the main and most important component of the model which can be best described and known for attention. It is responsible for controlling and monitoring the operation of the slave systems known as the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketch pad that have limited capacity, and relates them to the long-term memory. Within the central executive, it decides what information needs to be attended to and which parts of the working memory to send this information to in order to be dealt with. Also, it is its function to decide what working memory pays attention to whenever someone is completing an activity and another activity comes into conflict with it. The central executive basically directs attention and puts the activity most important as priority meaning it selectively attends the important stimuli and ignores the least important. Despite how important the central executive is in the working memory model, we know less about it compared to the two subsystems it controls. It is Baddeley who suggests that the central executive functions more like a system that controls attentional processes, rather than a memory store. This is unlike the visuo-spatial sketch pad and the phonological loop which are both specialised storage systems. Phonological loop: The phonological loop holds speech-based information for 1-2 seconds and is composed of an articulatory control process and a phonological store. The articulatory control process acts as an inner voice which practices information from the phonological store by repeating it again and again. An example of this is remembering a phone number we have just heard. As long as we keep repeating it in our heads, we can retain the information in working memory. The phonological store on the other hand is the inner ear. Spoken words enter the store directly meanwhile written words must firstly be changed into a spoken code before they can enter the phonological store. The working memory model has strengths and is supported by Shallice and Warrington (1974). Theyfound support for the working memory model through their case study of KF. KF was a brain damaged individual who had an impaired short-term memory. He struggled to immediately recall words which were represented verbally, but was fine with visual information. This suggested that he had an intact visuo-spatial sketchpad but an impaired articulatory loop, therefore showing evidence for the working memory models view of short-term memory. This finding couldnt be explained using the multi-store model of memory, which therefore put forward that the short-term memory was just one system. Visuo-spatial sketchpad: The visuo-spatial sketchpad is known as the inner eye and refers to what things look like. It also processes the temporary storage of spatial and visual information. It can manipulate visual and spatial information held in the long-term memory, and images in two and three dimensions, for example people can recall someones face they know from long-term memory in only two dimensions and can also imagine walking around their kitchen in three dimensions. Evidence suggesting that the working memory uses two completely different systems for dealing with verbal and visual information is that it is much harder to perform two verbal tasks at the same time because they interfere with each other and results in performance being reduced. The same applies to carrying out two visual tasks at the same time. However, a verbal processing and visual processing task can be completed at the same time because the information does not interfere. Furthermore, this supports the view that the sketch pad and phonological loop are two separate systems within the working memory. Gathercole and Baddeley (1993) also support the working memory model and they completed a lab study where people participating were divided into two groups. All of them had to complete a task which involved them following a moving spot of light. This would use the visuo-spatial sketchpad. At the same time as this was going on, one group also had to describe the angles on a letter, which was another task involving the visuo-spatial sketchpad. The other group meanwhile was given a second task that would involve and use the phonological loop and they were given a verbal task whilst following the light. The results were that Gathercole and Baddeley found the performance was way better in the participants completing tasks which used separate systems. Episodic buffer: The episodic buffer was added into the working memory model by Baddeley in 2000 after the model failed to explain the results of various experiments. It briefly stores information from the other subsystems, integrating it together, along with information from the long-term memory, resulting in complete scenes or episodes. It basically acts like a backup store which communicates with both the components of the working memory and the long-term memory. The episodic buffer is not limited to one sense only, unlike the other two slave systems. Its functions seems to weave visual memories, bind memories together and phonological memories into single episodes, which then become stored in the episodic long-term memory. The central executive chooses information from the phonological and the visuo-spatial sketchpad that go into the episodic buffer to then form an episode of memory. Along with this, the episodic buffer also appears to download episodes from the long-term memory, referring them to be analysed and possibly recalled to conscious memory.

Siddhartha :: Essays Papers

Siddhartha In the book â€Å"Siddhartha† Herman Hesse shows even though one may have a goal in mind there are many paths. In this story Siddhartha and his friend Govinda have the same goal, and the two friends end up taking separate paths. Siddhartha however becomes distracted. When looking at the book â€Å"Siddhartha† one can see three detours Siddhartha took, which most readers don’t see; this is important because in the end it helped Siddhartha find self-fulfillment. Siddhartha starting out as a Brahmin left him at a disadvantage when searching for Nirvana. He realizes the many gods that they worship are of no value because the only true god is Atman. He searches for a way to concentrate on this one god, and eventually attain Nirvana. In these thoughts he also comes to the conclusion that the lifestyle he has is a distraction. His possesions, his feelings, his beliefs are all a distraction which leads him to his conclusion to join the Samanas. He joins the Samanas and thinks he would like their lifestyle. On his journey with the Samanas he learns many things from them like how to seperate himself from want, and to divide spirit and body. This lesson however, only brought him further from his goal as you will see in the development of this essay. Siddhartha soon leaves the Samanas after showing how he has surpassed the elder Samana by hypnotizing him. He goes on a new journey to see Buddha, leaving his friend with Buddha and himself ending up in a village called Samsura. In Samsura he becomes further than he's ever been from attaining Nirvana, but again in the end its for the best. He becomes like the "normal" people he has always seen himself better than. He gets depressed, takes on gambling, and becomes fond of the drink. His gambling driven by his hate of greed, and the desire to show his hatred causes him to earn more and more to repeat the vicious cycle. As much as this looks like the worst thing that could have happened, it is really the best. Siddhartha realizes the spiritual state he was seeking is lost by his "new" life. He goes to the river he once crossed, in hopes of drowning himself and the pain he feels being so far from his "Self".

Innovator of the Modern Art Essay

Jackson became one of the trendsetters of the modern art movement. His technique, materials and perception of art distinguished him from other equally talented 20th century artists. The artworks that he produced represented his enigmatic character. Though many were amused with his painting, there were also those who questioned his artistic talents and knowledge. But he did not let these criticisms compromise his distinct creativity. Pollock was categorized as an Abstract Expressionist artist primarily because of his infamous drip paintings including the â€Å"Convergence†. These drip paintings were painted on a large canvas on the floor. According to Pollock, painting on the floor made him feel closer to his painting. He was able to work on the different angles of the canvass by walking around it. This unusual technique was considered by Pollock as a way of being a part of the painting not just the typical creator of it. The act of letting the the paint drip into the canvass generated prolonged and continuous lines in which the paintings were dominated by white and black and sometimes there were hints of exciting bold colors. In addition, the drips of the paint were able to create a three dimensional effect making it tactile and visually appealing. With regards to the choice of materials, Pollock utilized uncommon paints and brushes. His paints were industrial and household paints that he described as the â€Å"natural growth out of a need † (Boddy-Evans, 2008, What Paint Did Pollock Use? ). Meanwhile, the brushes were deteriorated and hard to let the paint naturally drip down the canvas. Pollock explained his painting method as â€Å"new needs need new techniques† meaning the modern age requires new approaches to reflect its real essence (Boddy-Evans, 2008, What Paint Did Pollock Use? ). References Boddy-Evans, M. ( 2008). What Paint Did Pollock Use?. About Inc. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from http://painting. about. com/od/colourtheory/a/Pollock_paint. htm.

Resolving Conflicts With People Essay

Abstract Conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life. There are situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict. And if the conflicts are not resolved they can be intense personal animosity between individuals involved. There are bound to be differences, arguments and conflicts in the work place and conflict resolution is an essential skill that a person should have. This is a skill that is thought or acquired through experience and learning from others. Resolving Conflicts Over the years I have been involved in situations where there were arguments, differences in opinion which all usually resulted in a conflict of some sort. I think conflicts also have magnitudes and the scale of a conflict and how important the situation is to the job can also dictate how and when it is resolved. In this paper I will describe one of the situations where I was involved in a conflict, what transpired and how it was resolved. A couple years ago I found myself in a situation at work where I was not happy with one of my colleagues. I was about to go on a month log vacation and after a conversation with my manager he designated a colleague as my back up and suggested I updated them on things I was working on and what they needed to do to keep the work progressing while I was gone. Basically my job is to support airlines by responding to questions and issues that they have about the Airplanes that by company sells to them. This was a very critical part of what the company did and was part of supporting customers to keep them happy and potentially buy from us again in the future. So I scheduled a meeting with my colleague and we talked about all the projects I was working on, the status of the projects, what needed to be done to complete the project and how to support the new incoming projects. I told him about the issues I was having with some airlines, the point of contacts and how to best reach them to resolve the issues. There was a specific client that had a very urgent issue that needed to be resolved and I relayed to my colleague the status and told my colleague the deadline for the inquiry was near and he needed to close out the case before moving on to anything else. When I got back from vacation about a month later, I realized that a lot of the cases I was working on were still open and even worse the deadlines had passed and the customers had not gotten the responses they needed to keep opera ting the planes. When I asked my colleague about the situation he explained to me that he was very busy and was not able to spend a lot of time working on the issues that I had left him to take care of in my absence. My initial perception was that my colleague was irresponsible and unreliable. I was very frustrated and angry because a lot of customers were disappointed and unhappy because of the lack of response from my company. This burden fell on me because everyone knew it was my responsibility to respond to the customers and I was blamed for the dissatisfaction on the part of the customers. From my colleagues’ point of view, the manager asked him to step in a back fill for me while I was out, he was told to still work on things that he needed to do and also back fill for me at the same time. The manager had told him that I was going on vacation and he would need him to keep any eye on the things I was working on but still make sure he worked on his projects. My colleague decided to prioritize himself and chose to do most of his work rather than prioritize to see if any of my cases were urgent and respond in a timely manner. Ultimately his perception was that he just had to do a little bit to get my work moving along but was not responsible for making sure that all my work was completed in time. I asked my coworker why he had not helped the customers and he explained to me that he was overworked and did not have enough time to get the job done. I decided to confront my coworker because it bothered me and I thought it was better to air the grievances in the open than to let them fester. I was very upset and told him I thought he could have done a better job and I felt his job ethic was pretty bad because this was work he was supposed to have done. There was a bit of an argument and some harsh words were exchanged. The argument centered around me thinking he should have done more to make sure my work load was progressing while I was gone, a nd his main response that he could not manage my work load and his at the same time and be as productive as I expected him to have been. We were able to resolve the conflict before it escalated without, having any long term grudges against each other. Some of the reasons the conflict was resolved was because we spoke calmly to one another and tried not to be aggressive. I have learnt that listening to the other person’s point of view helps to understand their position and see things the way they had understood it. The main reason for the conflict was miscommunication on the managers part. The manager told my coworker to do what he could to help out when he could when I was gone, by what I thought my manager told me was that my coworker would be taking over for me while I was gone. So I had different expectations for what I thought my coworker was going to help me with. We both spoke to our manager about what had transpired and how the miscommunication had affected the current workload, he understood our individual points, apologized to both of us and neither of us was blamed or held responsible for the late responses to the customers. The main reason why we were able to resolve the conflict and have the desirable outcome, is the reality is that it can take time to reach a win-win solution, and we did not want to spend hours trying to decide who was wrong or right. There was increased understanding, increased cohesion and improved self knowledge between us which made resolving the conflict much easier than if we had not agreed resolving the conflict without placing blame was our priority. Communication and the willingness to listen is very important in resolving a conflict, however, if the conflict was not handled effectively, the result could have been damaging to the cohesion of the team and perception that we had of each other. Talent is wasted as people disengage or are dissatisfied with situations in the work place and it’s easy to end up in a vicious downward spiral of negativity and recrimination. There was no better solution to how this conflict was resolved, but one thing that could have been done d ifferently was to increase communication with the manager and involved the manager when my coworker and I had the meeting. This way the manager would have been able to set expectation for each of us and cleared up any competition. But because we both received instructions separately we both interpreted differently and that cause confusion. The trust level between my coworker and I actually increased after this incedent, because after communicating with him more I got to know him on a more personal level and understood that he had a very good work ethic and was only doing what he was instructed to do. What could have helped come to a better outcome is sending emails to the customers letting them know I was out of town and that even though somebody was standing in for me while I was gone I would do my best to follow up with anyone who had not received help by the time I got back from vacation. I would also have sent an email to the manager detailing my interpretation of his instructions and reiterating his expectations from my point of view. Last thing I could have done different is to document the transition plan of things that my coworker needed to do and sent it to my coworker and manager to make sure that everyone was on the same page. References Arnold Anderson. (nd).Workplace Examples Of Workplace Negotiation. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/workplace-examples-conflict.negotiation-11402.html Naomi Drew. (nd).Six Steps For Resolving Conflict Retrieved from http://www.learningpeace.com/pages/LP_04.htm