Organizational Behavior Case Study Using

Abstract We chose to look at a military case that was exposed by the media last year in which Brigadier General (BG) James BG Botchie of the United States Air Force was accused of conduct that was unbecoming of an officer. By examining the roots of classical organizational theory as well as the systems theory approach to management, we will be able to see what aspects and principles should be better utilized and enforced in order to prevent such incidences from reoccurring. ? Organizational Behavior Case Study UsingClassical Organization Theory and Systems Theory In order to see where Brigadier General James Botchie’s management went wrong, we will use the classical organization theory and systems theory to evaluate his action and decisions. To provide support to our conclusion, Tommy will share a personal encounter he had with BG Botchie. Quotes from various texts will also offer support to our position that BG Botchie’s approach to management was not only ineffective, but also inappropriate for an officer in the United States Air Force.Classical Organization Theory While some aspects of classical organizational theory can be considered out of date, it has been constantly progressing over the past century to better suit current workplace environments. From Taylor’s scientific management theory to Weber’s bureaucratic theory all the way to Mooney and Reiley’s administrative theory, classical organizational theory has developed some of the most fundamental principles to help better manage people in the workplace.In order to effectively understand how classical organization theory could help a situation, such as the one regarding Brigadier General James Botchie as reported by the Air Force Times, one must first look at the basic principles behind the theory. One of the four central points in Frederick Taylor’s scientific management theory is to, â€Å"closely supervise workers, and use reward and punishment as motivators † (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). In BG Botchie’s situation, he provided little to no supervision to his subordinates and was described as â€Å"hands-off, uninformed and at times uncaring† (Fontaine 2). This lack of upervision caused the military equal opportunity office (MEO) to be an unorganized and nonproductive environment that allowed discrimination and intimidation to go undisciplined and undocumented in many cases. Another â€Å"Taylorism† stated that â€Å"the task of management is planning and control† (Walonick, 1993). From what the Air Force Times showed, BG Botchie did not follow either of these guidelines. Military organizations require all parties to abide by strict codes of conduct in order to function as a well-oiled machine. BG Botchie’s actions not only reflect poorly on his work ethics, but also his moral ethics.He did not act as is expected of a United States serviceman; â€Å"†¦Personnel are expected to conduct themsel ves in accordance with the highest standards of personal and professional integrity and ethics. At a minimum, all personnel shall comply with directives issued by the Secretary of Defense†¦ regarding the Standards of Conduct and Government Ethics. † (Dalton, 1997). Much like the rank levels involved in military organizations, Max Weber’s bureaucratic theory â€Å"emphasized the need for a hierarchical structure of power† (Walonick, 1993).In order to continue maintaining control among soldiers or workers alike, there is a need for definite rules and a â€Å"clear line of authority and control† (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). BG Botchie allowed this line to become blurred when he developed friendships with his subordinates. Not only did this lead to unprofessional conduct in the form of creating an inner â€Å"boys only† clique that harassed female coworkers, it also raised an ethical dilemma in that BG Botchie engaged in business deals with subordin ates and possibly used government resources to further his profits (Fontaine 4).There is a reason for positions of authority and that is to maintain control and productivity in the office. BG Botchie instead used his authority to foster sexual harassment and gender discrimination, build unprofessional relationships and misappropriate government resources for his own benefit (Fontaine 1). Mooney and Reilly’s administrative theory proved to be the most rigid out of the classical organization theories. This theory put the emphasis on â€Å"establishing a universal set of management principles that could be applied to all organizations† (Walonick, 1993).It is now realized that this is not possible with the fast paced changing of times; however, this method could be used to help remedy the inconsistencies that occurred in BG Botchie’s wing. For example, if there was a uniform set of rules and procedures set in place and enforced regularly, people like BG Botchie woul d not have a chance to abuse their power. Throughout examining the classical organizational approach to resolving Brigadier General James Botchie’s erroneous behaviors, the key solution is enforcement of hierarchy.None of this would have occurred if BG Botchie’s superiors had paid closer attention to his actions. While people in positions of authority should not have to instill fear in order to get results, they should be treated with the respect they deserve. That respect facilitates efficiency and respect for fellow coworkers as well. By maintaining the proper order of ranks, work is accomplished as a result of a sense of pride in work and duty to one’s job. In addition to an increase in productivity, the level of discrimination and harassment would decline for fear of punishment.When the rules are enforced and there are positive and negative repercussions for behaviors, people are more inclined to follow the regulations set forth. Simply put, to avoid negativ e situations, such as BG Botchie’s, enforce the rules and regulations that are set forth. Systems Approach This situation could have also benefited from the systems approach to the Ohio Air National Guard Organization. The United States Air Force maintains a strict code of conduct as an entire organization and also employs separate, more detailed rules and regulations for those enlisted and those who are officers.The enlisted ranks are seen as the workers or followers to the officer ranks. The officer ranks are seen as the leaders of the organization and they are expected to set the tones for how those that follow them are to conduct themselves. Rules are established to help keep the distinction between the appointed leaders and those who are the followers and to prevent any bias from effecting promotions or allowing preferential treatment from the leaders of the organization. Brigadier General James Botchie was fortunate to experience both the leader and follower sides of th e Air Force.BG Botchie started out in the enlisted ranks before he was commissioned to the officer ranks. I had the opportunity to work for BG Botchie after the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001. He was the flight commander and highest ranking officer for the mission. As a unit, the 121st Air Refueling Wing (ARW) was assigned to support Operation Enduring Freedom at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. My job as an enlisted worker was for various electronic functions of our airplane.My ultimate goal was to make sure that the pilots could complete their mission, which required all of the aircraft to be operational. We accomplished this mission and pleased BG Botchie. He attempted to reward us (the enlisted workers) with alcoholic beverages in an enlisted only establishment. I tell you this story to give yet another example of the rules being established and BG Botchie acting as though he was above them and as if there would be no ramifications for breaking them. S ystems theory can be described as having all components of an organization interrelated.By changing one variable, many others may also be effected (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). Modern day management has to understand that the decisions imposed on one part of an organization can have a great impact on other members of the organization, even if they are not directly related to the initial decision. BG Botchie’s decisions were not thoroughly thought out and he did not consider the impact that they would have across the organization. The decisions he made for his immediate group not only affected the morale, behavior, and work ethics, but it also reached throughout the entire Air National Guard.The 121st ARW is always partnered with other units from all across the United States. This behavior is observed by others who may have had a different managerial style and expectation. This is also evident in the following quotes: â€Å"The organizational systems theory also infuses a cultu re that is transformed to a learning environment. A creative learning environment will also help the organization and its members realize that the small decisions made today may affect a global impact tomorrow† (Smith & Taylor, 2000). The Central premise behind holding a vision is that somehow I can shape my future, systems’ thinking helps us see how our own actions have shaped our current reality, thereby giving us confidence that we can create a different reality in the future† (Smith & Taylor, 2000). BG Botchie did not infuse the culture with the set of values and morals that the USAF instilled in his appointment as commanding general. If Brigadier General James Botchie analyzed his decisions using the systems approach for his managerial and decision based processes, his career may have had a different outcome.Conclusion In conclusion, it is generally in everyone’s best interest to abide by the rules and regulations of an organization since they are set forth as a way to maintain order and protection for the employees. The classical organization theory and systems theory have clear cut principles that help to build a strong organization, when the policies are followed correctly. Having employees that respect the hierarchy of the organization is also essential to a successful workplace.Brigadier General James Botchie did not follow these guidelines and it cost him the respect of his peers and nearly cost him his job.? Bibliography Dalton, J. H. (1997). General Regulations: Administration of Discipline. U. S. Navy Regulations, 1990 Interim Change, 101-102. Fontaine, S. (2012, May 23). Report Details 1-star's Inappropriate Conduct. Retrieved from Air Force Time Mobile: http://www. airforcetimes. com/mobile/index. php? storyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. airforcetimes. com%2Fnews%2F2011%2F04%2Fair-force-ig-details-conduct-BG Botchie-041811w%2F Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational Dynamics and Human Behavior. The McGraw-Hill Compani es Inc. Smith, K. D. , & Taylor, W. G. (2000). The learning organisation ideal in Civil Service organisations: deriving a measure. The Learning Organization, 194-205. University, C. M. (2008). In Administration, Globalization and Multiculturalism (pp. 25, 30, 79, 360). McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. Walonick, D. S. (1993). Organizational Theory and Behavior. Retrieved from http://statpac. org/walonick/organizational-theory. htm

Marketing Analysis of Li-Ning

LI-NING limited company was found in 1980. At the beginning of its establishment, it cooperated with Olympic team of China to push the development of sports goods. At the same time, LI-NING spared no effort to sponsor all kinds of matches. In 1995, it became the leading sports brand of China. Through exploration over 20 years, it gradually becomes a famous international sports brand representing China. In this report, it makes a marketing plan for the next three years according to detailed analyse of internal and external environment of LI-NING, which is based on the model of Benchmarking, Product Lifecycle and PESTEL. At the same time, it finds the key issues of LI-NING facing through news. Afterwards, according to the key issues, build the feasible objectives. And then it detailed recommend target market segment, positioning and marketing mix and critical factors for LI-NING limited company. Introduction Li-Ning Company Limited is one of the leading sports brand enterprises in the PRC, possessing brand marketing, research and development, design, manufacturing, distribution and retail capabilities. In addition, the mission of the company is that through sports to inspire people the desire and power to make breakthroughs. The vision is to be a world’s leading brand in the sports goods industry. At the same time, Breakthrough is the core values of LI-NING (LI-NING, 2010). There are a great number of products in LI-NING. However, Shoes of LI-NING is the aim of research in the report. Audit and analysis A marketing audit is a comprehensive systematic, periodic evaluation of a company’s marketing capabilities. The audit examines the goals, policies, and strategies of the marketing function. Marketing audits are performed on a regular basis by an unbiased, independent company and are used to improve a company’s overall marketing performance or to establish new marketing plans. An effective audit include these six points, they are marketing environment audit; marketing strategy audit; marketing organisation audit; marketing systems audit; marketing productivity audit and the marketing functions audit. (Kotler, et al, 2009) Audit is divided into two parts to analyse including internal and external analysis. Firstly, internal analysis onsists of two important points: the performance and determinates of strategic options. And two models will be adopted to make internal analysis, which are benchmarking process and product life cycle. In the performance, it is financial and marketing measures of past and current performance. Benchmarking process Researching and looking for the best practices in leading companies, it could compare with own enterprise, so that improving t o catch up the leading enterprise to enter and create a virtuous cycle of good performance. The key is learning from the best enterprise in the industry. In addition, through the study, the firm could rethink and improve the practices of business management, and then it could create their own best practice. Benchmarking focuses on practical experience and emphasis on specific links, interfaces and processes. (Kotler, et al, 2009) LI-NING regards NIKE and ADIDAS as its main competitors. At the same time, LI-NING is the leading sports brand in PRC. Actually, the product of LI-NING has advantage in the respect of sale, source and price. If it keeps remaining the advantage, it will have a good market share. If it loses the price advantage, although the advantage of brand and development of products still exist, the market share of LI-NING shoes will be decrease. At present, the main gap between LI-NING shoes and NIKE shoes is brand value. As for LI-NING, it is important to improve the value of shoes brand, so that it has the chance to increase market share, even catch up with NIKE and ADIDAS. Advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking Benchmarking is an effective management tool because it overcomes ‘paradigm blindness’. It gives firms a new method, idea and tool to improve their effectiveness. The major limitation is that it remains inadequateness to measure the whole effectiveness of such metrics. Product life cycle The product life cycle is defined as the period that starting with initial product design, such as research and development, and ending with the withdrawal of the products from the marketplace. It is a series of stages, including introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. This sequence is known as the product life cycle and is associated with changes in the marketing situation, thus impacting the marketing strategy and the marketing mix. LI-NING shoes are currently in the growth stage. On the one hand, LI-NING always wants to catch up with the sales of NIKE shoes in china. LI-NING continually research and develop new technologic shoes for young people interested in sport. At the moment, the demand of their new technological shoes is increasing. On the other hand, LI-NING is well known for providing sports products in china and lots of people like to purchase their shoes. Advantages of disadvantages of Product Life cycle Product Life cycle is an applicable method for the internal analysis. It is convenient for marketing manager to apply different marketing mix strategy based on the different stages. In addition, it is easy to observe due to the two variables, which are time and sales. There are 3 key points to describe the limitation of product life cycle. Firstly, there are no clear classification criteria of starting and ending point. Secondly, not all of product cycle curve is standard s-type; also there are many special product life cycle curves. Thirdly, the decline of product does not mean that it cannot regenerate. If it improved through appropriate ways, it could recreate a new product life cycle. External analysis It is determinants of strategic options refer to past and current strategies, strategic problems, organisational capabilities and constraints, financial resources and constraints, strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, micro environment and macro environment are the key factors to analyse. Customers and competitors usually are considered as the micro environment factors. Any company cannot serve every customer in markets, only through effective market segmentation and then choose their own target market, so that companies can get market shares. Based on a few of professional marketing research, the customer of LI-NING shoes actually is higher than their excepted. The core customer is 14- 45. However, as for sports industry, the ideal age should be young people from 14-25 years old. However, because of the influence force of brand, budget of spread, market position and price strategy, the enterprise of sports products often focus on the second and third city. However, in the primary city, they cannot catch up with the international enterprise. So, LI-NING counts NIKE and ADIDAS as its main competitors. In the new competition time, LI-NING developed hi-technology and youthful products to compete with NIKE and ADIDAS. For instance, LI-NING developed the new technology called ‘gong’ as if the some shoes of NIKE put air in shoes, which is used in shoes to improve the bounce of people. PESTEL PESTEL is the main method to analyze the macro-environment, consisting of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. Political Johnson (2008) indicates that political is about business activities of organisation and the potential impact by political power, relevant policies laws and regulation. As for LI-NING, there is a stable political environment, and the main market in domestic which is supported by nation. On the other aspect, the policy will not change rules for controlling the organisation or collecting more tax, this helps LI-NING to compete with mighty foreign sports brand to occupy the market share of nation. Economic Johnson (2008) suggest that it is the economic structure of external organisation, industry distribution, resources situation, the level of economic development and the trend of economy in the future. China's increasing quickly economy is obviously known by people in the whole world. In 2010, the GDP is ?3405. 07 billion, which increased by 9. 1%. Based on the exchange rate of the end of year 2010, it is approximate 4986. 8 billion dollar which is rank of number three in the world. Therefore, the level of customer purchasing capacity enhance continually. Social Johnson (2008) suggests that it is about cultural change, expectations, demographics and family change. For the company of LI-NING, firstly, the language barrier does not seem an actual problem for foreign products in market. Secondly, because of the increase continually GDP of PRC, customer have consumption capacity to purchase ideal shoes. Technology Johnson (2008) indicate that technology include new technology of product, new design, new material, development trend and application prospects. As for LI-NING, the first is that the technology can reduce the cost of products and services, and increase the quality. Secondly, the improved technology can make it more convenient for customers to purchase products. For instance, customer can purchase product and pay money through internet bank. Thirdly, changing the way of sale by improving technology, LI-NING can sell shoes in network shop. Finally, technology improves a new way for LI-NING to communicate with customers. For example, customer can communicate with the company on the internet. Environment Johnson (2008) indicates that it is about an activities, product or services of organisation that can interact with the environment factors. As for LI-NING, it is the most famous brand in sports industry in PRC. However, it has a big gap to the world famous brand. Regarding as the leading enterprise in China, it has some influences on the other sports firms. On the other aspect, to produce LI-NING shoes is not dangerous for environment and it can be cyclic utilization. Legal Johnson (2008) indicates that it is the laws, regulations and judicial status of external organisation and the legal awareness of integrated system consisting of citizens. As for LI-NING, it has registered trade mark. Also it is not against law for the organisation to produce or to sell shoes. Advantages and disadvantages of PESTEL PESTLE can effectively analyse the macro-environment of LI-NING. As for the disadvantages of PESTEL, there is a rapid change in society and the effect of analysis will not last for a long time. In addition, PESTEL only refers to the external environment and sometime it needs to be considered in connect with other factors such as the organisation itself, competitors and the industry that it is operating. Key issues There are 5 key issues faced by LI-NING are below: 1) American marketing research organization, sporting goods intelligent (SGI), the beginning of January 2008 had shown the rank of market value for the whole world sporting goods companies. LI-NING beyond the Asics of Japan in the comprehensive world sporting goods companies. Arranging after NIKE, ADIDAS and PUMA, it is number four. The market value of NIKE is 32. 039 billion dollar, ADIDAS is 15. 364 billion dollar, puma is 6. 4 billion dollar and LI-NING is 3. 86 billion dollar. However, there is a big distance to catch up NIKE and ADIDAS. (bin 2008) 2) There is a wide gap between LI-NING and NIKE or ADIDAS. The days of sales of inventory of NIKE are 84 days, and ADIDAS is 64 days, but LI-NING is 161 days. It means the inventory of LI-NING occupied a large capital, which influence the cash flow and Return on Capital Employed. (song 2010) 3) The shoes of LI-NING are not professional in the aspect of sports shoes as NIKE and ADIDAS. The professional shoes of LI-NING remain keeping the level of the protection for athletes in competition. (song 2010) 4) Compared with the advertisement star of NIKE and ADIDAS, the spreading strategy of LI-NING cannot attract the eyes of customer. Because of the lack of super star, the popularity of LI-NING is lower than the other two competitors. ) Both of the two companies NIKE and ADIDAS have developed over 40 years, and the popularity of shoes is considerable bigger than shoes of LI-NING. Therefore, LI-NING could lost a number of customer who is aim to purchase the famous brand shoes. (CTEI 2009) Objectives The objective is the starting point of the marketing plan. The objectives can find after analysis the environment of market. In addition, the objecti ves should use SMART criteria. The SMART criteria are consisted of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. Specific means that the objective should state exactly what is to be obtained. For example, it might set an objective of getting ten hundreds new customers. Measurable means that an objective should be capable of measurement, so that it can be determined whether it has been obtained. Achievable means that the objectives should be realistic given circumstances in which it is set and the resources available to the business. Relevant means that objective should be relevant to the people responsible for achieving them. Time bound means that objectives should be set a deadline. To set up marketing objectives, there are two parts of objectives including marketing and financial. Doyle (2006) indicates that in the marketing goals that the marketing plan should have a clear sales goal. The primary market objectives are sales and share. In the financial goals, profits, return on investment and cash flow should be the primary financial objectives. For the LI-NING limited company, there are six objectives. Financial objectives: 1) Earn an annual rate of return on investment of 20% during the next three years after taxes. Compared with the data of year 2009, it should increase a little from 18% in 2009 to 20% during the next three years. 2) Achieve average net profits of ?23. million in China over the next three years period. Because the profits in 2009 is ?15. 6 million and the new series of professional sports shoes for target customers will coming in China market, and then the net profits will increase 50% at ?23. 4 million in the next year. 3) Achieve average cash flow of ?37. 9 million in China over the next three years period. Because of there will be a good sales in future, the inventory will reduce. Therefore, the cash flow will increase 40% to ?37. 9 million. Marketing objectives: 1) Increase the market share from 17% to 20% or 22% in china during the next three years. Due to the arrival of new sports series, it will attract a number of attentions from young person. Therefore, the market share will increase 3% to 5%. 2) Increase customer awareness of the professional sports shoes of LI-NING brand from 15% to 30% over the next three years period. The information of professional sports shoes could deliver to young customers interested in through all kinds of advertisement. Therefore, it will attract a large number of customers’ attention. Target market segments Market segmentation Before deciding the target market segment, it should make market segmentation. Doyle (2006) indicates that a market is divided into different homogeneous groups of consumers. They have different benefits wants, the amount they are able or willing to pay, the media they see and the quantities they buy. A market segment is a customer group with one or more characteristics that cause them to demand similar product. In most markets the need of for segmented offering is obvious because a single product will not meet all the customers. Segmentation has two variable types: needs and profilers. Customer needs are the basic criteria for segmentation of market. As for profilers, these are descriptive, measurable customer characteristics such as geographic location, nationality, age and income. Doyle (2006) states that ‘consumer and industrial markets generally differ in their sets of need and profiler variables’. Commonly, consumer market segmentation is divided by four main parts, Geographic, Demographic, Psychographic and Behavioural. Organisational market segmentation could consist of seven parts. They are industry of end user, organisational type, size of organisation, geographic location, application, usage and purchasing organisation. In addition, the strategy of choosing target market segment is important, and it has three ways to choose. 1) Undifferentiated marketing It means that enterprise regard the whole market as own target market. Stern (2006) indicates that enterprise ignores actual or potential differences among segments, and targets one offer to the whole market. 2) Differentiated marketing The strategy of differentiated marketing is divided the whole market into a number of different market. According to the different market, it develops different product considers the different marketing strategy to meet the needs of different customer. ) Focused marketing Stern (2006) indicates that firm does not aim to compete in the majority of the market, but rather specialises in one segment, or a small parts of segments. Therefore, the firm can exert the advantage in the minority market and improve the occupancy of market. Choosing target market segment However, the most important point is to choose target marke t segments. There are five factors govern the attractiveness of the segment, including segment size, segment growth, profitability of the segment, current and potential competition and capabilities of the business. LI-NING is a leading sports brand enterprises in the PRC, and their shoes product should have a right direction. There are three key points to describe the target market of LI-NING, including brand positioning, target market and target customer group. The selection of LI-NING target market: Brand positioning: young, fashion and professional sports shoes. The reason is that the market consumption capacity of young people has enhanced and people have the tendency to buy high-end products. Target market: relatively quite wealthy city. The reason is that LI-NING as a leading brand of sports industry is quite expensive for low income group. Because of LI-NING is aim to produce good quality and functional shoes, the cost could higher than normal shoes. Therefore, it is suitable for relatively quite wealthy city to purchase. Target customer group: 14-35 years old, athlete, young person, people who love sports. And the most of middle-end market and the less of high-end and low-end market and The reason is that the shoes of LI-NING are quite suitable for young person and athlete. Additionally, it has the function to protect foot when people putted on shoes. On the other respect, according to produce some high quality to improve the image of product, for instances the product suitable to play golf. On the other hand, to produce the low-end product, it is aim to reduce the interference from the other low-end brand. However, the core market is the middle-end market. In the market, it can follow the original brand, which is aim at ages around 24 to 35 years old that they have quite good income and consumption capacity, and also they are the main customers of LI-NING. Market positioning To make a market positioning, it should choose a strategy to position it and apply a suitable tool to analyse. Firstly, market positioning has been shown how a business can offer superior value by strategies that add value or reduce costs. Marketing positioning also called product positioning, which is according to the position of the existing product of competitors in the market segment to create a new product which is different with competitors’ to give customer different feeling, so that the product possess the capacity to compete. Doyle and Stern, 2006) On the other hand, before making market positioning, it should analyse the situation of market, and then to choose an appropriate tool to find the answer of market positioning. There are two tools to analyse it, including perceptual mapping and the pane mapping. Compared with pane mapping, the perceptual mapping is quite usual in normal analysis. It is a visualization statement of customer for products or brand perception and preference. The aim is to attempt to deliver the view of customer or potential customer using a clear and visual map. The chart has shown the information about LI-NING, NIKE and PUMA. Both of NIKE and PUMA have high quality. And then, the shoes of LI-NING have the gap to them in the quality. On the other hand, compared with NIKE and PUMA, LI-NING has the advantage of price. LI-NING can apply the price advantage to expand stores in the most of city, so that people who have low income and cannot afford to buy the product of NIKE and PUMA could purchase the shoes of LI-NING which is also a famous sports brand in the world. In addition, according to a new positioning in market, LI-NING has another advantage, which is possessed the approximate function and fashion design to attract more customers of young person. Meanwhile, to choose an appropriate strategy to position product, it is possible to beat competitors. Therefore, the strategy of market positioning is a kind of strategy of competition, which means that according to the characteristic of product and the awareness of customer for product determine the competition relationship between own product and competitors’. There are three ways for enterprises to position market. * Avoiding powerful enterprises positioning It means that avoiding powerful enterprises to find a place which is belong to self. The advantage is avoiding the directly competition with powerful firm, and build an own image in customer’s mind. Because of the way of position has a quite low risk, and has a high success rate. Usually, it is adopt by the most firms. * Competitive positioning The aim of the way is to compete with powerful competitors, so that it can achieve a great market advantage once beat powerful competitors. However, there is high risk for firm. * Repositioning It is to change characterise of product, and then changed the image in customers’ mind. The aim is for target customer having a new understanding for the new image of product. Wilson and Gilligan 2005) LI-NING should adopt the way of repositioning. The reason is that from 2006 to 2007, LI-NING has researched the main customer group, and it has big gap between actual customer group and target customer group. The age of actual customer group is around 35 to 40, so that a number of young person feel that LI-NING is inferior t o international brands on the cool and fashion. It is unsustainable for LI-NING in the future. To catch up the new objectives which love and focus by a great number of young person, LI-NING should adopt the way to change the old image in customer’s mind. At the same time, according to change the technology and design of shoes, it is possible loved by more and more young person. Marketing mix Marketing mix is the sort of marketing decisions, which management makes to apply its positioning strategy and reach its objectives. There are four parts in marketing mix including product, price, promotion, and place. Product decisions include product variety, product performance, product features, product design, packaging, sizes and brand name. Price consists of discounts, allowances, geographical pricing, payment terms and credit terms. As for promotion, it includes sales force, public relations, customer promotion, advertising, trade promotion and direct marketing. Place refer to distribution selection, density of distribution and dealer support. (Doyle ;Stern, 2006) Product As for LI-NING, it is facing a strong challenge from NIKE and ADIDAS in the future. To keep the shoes of specialization, technological innovation is the key point. LI-NING should keep researching and developing the shoes which is good for young person more professional and fashion. The price should suits the level of young person and lowers than NIKE and ADIDAS, so that a number of customers choose the shoes of LI-NING. According to the value principal, even though the price of LI-NING shoes is lower than the other competitors such as NIKE and ADIDAS, the degree of satisfaction and comfort is quite high. Promotion There are three key points. Firstly, to find the suitable sports match to sponsor, it attracts a large number of attentions for LI-NING shoes. Secondly, it should make an accurate advertisement positioning. ‘Make the change’ is the slogan of LI-NING. The aim is to give customers an impression that they could change everything when they putted on shoes of LI-NING. Finally, it should choose a suitable media to spread advertisement such as TV, newspaper, internet and broadcast. Place The place should distribute with two methods including traditional and new distribution. In traditional distribution LI-NING has its own stores where consumers could purchase it. Also LI-NING could use intermediaries to sell its shoes. On the other hand, in the new distribution it could sell shoes on the internet through the online store. Critical factors Critical factors refer to the detailed implement and control of marketing plan for companies. It helps companies to achieve expected objectives. Firstly, marketing implementation is a strategy, which means that it is the process from marketing plan to action and task. Also, it make sure the task is been completed. For the other point, marketing control is a working system to make sure firms run according to expected objectives. (Kotler, 2000) As for LI-NING, there are five critical factors in the implement and control of marketing plan. ) The strength and direction of advertisement. Advertisement is a method of promotion. Efficient implementation of advertisement can increase the popularity of LI-NING shoes, and then a large number of customers will concentrate on it. 2) The quantity and quality of raw materials. Possessing enough raw materials can help the firm to produce enough shoes to meet the needs of customers. Additionally, because of high quality of raw mater ials, LI-NING can produce the high quality shoes. 3) The depth of researching and developing technology. Technology is a key point for LI-NING to positioning. Developing the professional sports shoes through deeply researching on technology can help LI-NING to reach objectives smoothly. 4) The grasp of the professional sports technology knowledge for dealers and salesmen. It increases the impression of LI-NING for customer. Because dealers and salesmen can detailed describe the functions of shoes to increase the impression of LI-NING shoes which is the product of high technology. 5) The monitoring level of manager. For instance, in the process of marketing implementation, the effective monitoring on each step from manager can help LI-NING to immediately find the existing problems and solve them. Recommendation The shoes of LI-NING are in the growth stage of the Product Lifecycle, there are many methods can keep it increasing. A few suggestions mentioned below to help LI-NING. 1)The direction of advertisement should aim at target customer group. Since the customers between 15 and 29 years old are quite like watching basketball and football matches in china, LI-NING should sponsor these matches to attract the attention of young customers. 2)The LI-NING shoes are the marketing leader in the sports brand in china. Therefore, it should try and introduce new series products to take more market share. The brand loyal customers will also buy the new series products to try. 3)LI-NING should offer a sale of bundle on selling shoes. For instance, on the purchase of a pair of shoes, the price of accessory such as stocks and shoelace is discounted or is a presentation. 4)Product differentiation of LI-NING shoes is a key factor. The LI-NING shoes have different series for different situation to wear. Therefore, it should to describe the different shoes on advertisement, websites, and retailer, helping customers to choose the right one for them. )As for the shoes of ultralight series, it is positioned as racing shoes. However, there is a same type product existing called marathon. Therefore, it is better to change the ultralight to the kind of performance training that could be a new product and will be concerned. 6) Allow customers to try shoes is another way for LI-NING to effectively sell shoes. When new shoes arrival in store, it should allow customers to try the shoes within 60 days. If they not satisfy the shoes, customers can send back their shoes. 7)Enhance training salesmen. They should improve politeness and professional knowledge to communicate with customers better. Conclusion. In a word, this report adopts relevant models to analyse the internal environment and external environment of LI-NING. It finds the key issues through news. Based on the analysis of key issues, the feasible objectives are drawn up for the company. In addition, the marketing management action suggests are given to reach the objectives. The marketing management action includes target market segment, positioning and marketing mix and critical factors in implementation and control. Finally, there are some recommendations given to LI-NING shoes. ;

Communication in Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication in Economics - Essay Example The economists on the other hand estimated that that over 10 million dollars are spent each year as an average payment package for the chief executives in only big companies. The economists believe that the people who are on the receiving end of this kind of enormous transfers of the shareholders end ironically want the CEOs to continue. The economists have put it across that letting the excessive pay escalate every year badly hurts the already battered reputations of the American chief executives and from their point of view the silence has been very baffling. The economists also believe that there should be an inter4nal pay equity in every single company so that to avoid this perception that there are better people in the highest realms of business. The economists have also clearly said that with all the scandals that have been occurring in the recent past the CEOs only care about themselves and the idea that they create wealth for their shareholders is seen as the most ridiculous thing. This is true since most of them do not actually do the physical work themselves but their employees do the work and hence they are the ones who have created wealth for the shareholders from the type and the quality of service they provide. The economists further believe that without the presence of the lower level employees the CEOs would not have the companies at all because they would really have an awfully hard time in doing all the company's' jobs at once. Another very interesting issue is that the CEOs in America suggest what they would like to receive as their payment package. It then gets to the human resources person who later gets a consultant and it works so well that the CEOs get what they had implied or what they think they deserve. This makes the CEOs be highly respected by their peers. The economics think that it would be very fair if all the people were paid the salaries that they think they deserve by the companies that they work for. Since paying the CEOs hefty amounts of money leaves the economists wondering what about the people who have impacted the CEOs lives and the teachers who taught them the basic math and even reading. This people do not make millions in a year but they have helped in the creation of who the CEOs are today and if given a chance every one of these people who have worked tirelessly would like to make millions as the CEOs do but it just can't happen. (Noah, September, 1991) The economists suggest that the society has been playing a significant role in allowing the CEOs get much more power than anyone else and they assume that they deserve the credit for building their million dollar companies. The CEOs however play an insignificant role in sustaining the companies and in most instances they do not have to make as many decisions as the board members do or as much work as the secretaries. All the actually do is simply watch and monitor the stock prices and clearly ensure that they are still earning at least a seven digit salary. The boards on the other hand have been made to accept the logic that the CEOs should be in the top half in their pay and if it is not so this leaves an implication to the to the general public

Creative Teams and Creative Conflicts Assignment

Creative Teams and Creative Conflicts - Assignment Example In such a situation, Puccio, Mance and Murdock (2011) note that organizational conflicts may be very common. Despite the differences in creative thinking styles, the group could improve their process by following these three principles. In the first place, the group should have talked about their unique differences to create a sense of identity among each other. This is because where there is an understanding of identities it is easier to accommodate other people (Grivas and Puccio, 2012). Secondly, based on the differences in identities, the group should have broken their job down into tasks and assigned compatible thinkers to different jobs. Finally, the group should have had a standby conflict resolution team that would have been responsible for managing all conflicts from the very unset that they showed up. Into the future, it is expected that the process would be approached differently so as to lead to group success. For instance if I was in charge of leadership, I would have used the strategic accommodation skill to ensure that each person appreciated the place of the other person in the collective realization of the organizational goal (Prichard, n.d.). Puccio, G. J. (2006). Tapping into our creative thinking skills to manage complex problems [Powerpoint]. Faculty Institute on Teaching and Learning-RIT, International Center for Studies in Creativity,State University of New York, Buffalo State. Retrieved from https://www2.rit.edu/fitl/presentations_2006/TappingIntoCreativeThinkingSkills.pdf Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. C. (2011). Psychological diversity: Leading people with different styles. In Puccio, Mance, & Murdock, Creative leadership: Skills that drive change (pp. 241–264). Los Angeles, CA:

Cross Cultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Cross Cultural Communication - Essay Example Conceptually, the aspect of ‘cross-cultural communication’ can be apparently viewed as a mix of various other fields that include ‘cultural studies’, ‘psychological studies’, ‘anthropological studies ’and ‘communication’. Specially mentioning, cross-cultural communication acts as a push factor assisting the management of diverse organisations to follow appropriate communication based strategies (Tonnen, 2004). This type of communication has intense implications in the development of critical understanding about social relationships. Arguably, it is in this context that analysing social relationships along with the working styles of different cultures often acts as the foundation of successful global business associations (Jayakumaran, n.d.). This essay aims at critically evaluating the major facets of Hall’s high along with low context cultural models and analysing two nations falling into each category, i.e. Japan and India for high context culture and Australia and Germany for low context culture model. Moreover, the essay would also analyse four instances of business communication with illustration to particular corporations operating in the selected four countries in correspondence to each context cultural model based on Hall’s theory. Hall’s contextual model of culture describes how different cultures prefer the use of higher contextual messaging for making regular communication rather than using lower contextual messaging techniques. The model also helps in understanding the effects of culture on the communication process (Lange & Paige, 2003).The major facets of Hall’s high along with low context cultural model have been described in the following. Cultures belonging to higher context cultural model generally follow the notion of collectivism as they focus towards prioritizing the welfare of society rather than being concerned over individual benefits. It can be viewed that high context cultural model is

SAGE and the LGBT Elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

SAGE and the LGBT Elderly - Essay Example The images in the campaign are often of gays and lesbians in the prime of their lives, enjoying and celebrating their sexual choices and the freedoms to exercise these choices. But while campaigns such as these surface important and urgent issues that society needs to know about, it also obscures an important narrative: that of the aging homosexual, rendered forgotten and made invisible by a youth-obsessed society that refuses to see and acknowledge the sexual agency of its more elderly members. This where the organization SAGE (Service and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders) comes in. It is the largest and oldest organization in America devoted to promoting the welfare of LGBT senior citizens and make sure that their voices do not get lost in a cacophony of voices. It seeks as well to address the particular vulnerabilities that affect the LGBT elders, who are often socially isolated and find themselves at the hands of culturally-insensitive medical practitioners. To quote their website, â€Å"With LGBT older adults twice as likely to live alone than heterosexual older adults, more than four times as likely to have no children, the informal caregiving support we assume is in place for older adults may not be there for LGBT elders.† Seeking to address this need, SAGE formed itself in 1978. It delivers services to LGBT elders in New York City but also pushes for policy reforms at the national level, and provides technical assistance to similarly-minded groups all over the country. It is not however a simple issue of sterile technical assistance. ... ceptibility to the hate agenda of conservative groups, SAGE employs a radical organizing component as well (Reisch, 2005: 288) – that is to say, â€Å"the replacement of oppressive institutions, conditions, systems and practices with ones that reflect principles of justice, equity and respect for human diversity.† (ibid.) How does anthropology come into the picture? Anthropology is a useful tool by which we study how the concepts and constructs of homosexuality evolve over time. To quote Weston (1993: 339), The same socio-historical conditions that facilitated the development of a gay movement in the United States, combined with the efforts of a hardy few who risked not only censure but their careers, allowed homosexuality to move to the center of scholarly attention. Though the field of lesbian/gay studies in anthropology has been slower to develop than its counterparts in literary studies or history, by the 1990s ethnographic analysis of homosexual behavior and identi ty, ‘gender bending’, lesbian and gay male communities, transgressive sexual practices and homosexuality were flourishing. It is also helpful here to discuss the notion of intersectionality – that which looks at the multiple, socially-constructed categories that interact in complex and multidimensional ways to produce and reproduce structures of inequality. It is hinged in the idea that themes of gender, race, class, and indeed age, should be perceived not as independent from each other, but as overlapping structures of oppression and exploitation that must be addressed and resisted together as it â€Å"shapes those upon whom it bestows privilege as well as those it oppresses.† (Frankenberg: 1993: 131).† In their website, SAGE enumerated three specific fundamental problems that they wish to

American improvement in the conduct of military operations in Europe Essay

American improvement in the conduct of military operations in Europe - Essay Example After the Second World War, the United States emerged as a global superpower in terms of its military power and the Cold War era saw the development of the nation as a super power. Towards the end of the twentieth century, it is because of these improvements in the conduct of military operations in Europe that helped the nation to dictate terms over international relations and global terrorist upheavals. Murray & Millett (2001), in this respect, observe that the â€Å"American commanders had shown considerable improvement in the conduct of military operations in 1945† (Murray & Millett 483). The authors observe that the American drive to the Rhine and the encirclement of the Ruhr by First and Ninth U.S. Armies were the greatest American victory in the war. For them, the U.S. commanders in the campaign were successful as they had ‘a superior understanding of exploitation and maneuver warfare’. The U.S military also realized the significance of more robust radio communications that would assist infantry platoon. Similarly, the U.S military developed an innovative â€Å"ability of the artillery to adjust and mass fires on unseen targets, either by map analysis or, more importantly, by the use of ground or airborne observers† (Murray & Millett 30)

Religion Analysis in texts of Machiavelli and Hobbes Essay

Religion Analysis in texts of Machiavelli and Hobbes - Essay Example This impetus towards change seems to draw both writers away from being champions of conventional religious concepts. However, whereas Hobbes still recognizes conventional moral concepts like the golden rule, Machiavelli advises the prince to get ahead, by all means necessary. Generally, Machiavelli observes that people are caught up in superficial concerns as a matter of ensuring the success of princely subterfuge, and also as a matter of demonstrating the importance of the perception of correction, whatever the actual state of affairs may be. The true prince may have committed any number of crimes and sins against religion, but as long as the people see them as benevolent and just in terms of reputation and public image, the subterfuge can continue. Machiavelli does not offer a warning against subterfuge. He does not call upon people to open up their eyes and look deeper into the inner, spiritual nature of things. As a political writer, he is unconcerned with this aspect of life and is more concerned that the true prince whom he is advising learns to be an effective leader in a way that ensures the success of his rule, at whatever cost and by all means necessary. â€Å"You must know there are two ways of contesting,† he writes to the prince, â₠¬Å"the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second.† (Machiavelli, p. 114). Obviously, aligning with the beast is not the most sound principle for a friend of religion to espouse. Machiavelli does address religion, but only in so far as he shows that people tend to be taken in by religious appearances, and are thus easily fooled, and portrays this state of affairs as being one that can be taken advantage of by the effective ruler.

Texas Roadhouse Wont Scrimp on Making Employees Happy Essay Example for Free

Texas Roadhouse Wont Scrimp on Making Employees Happy Essay 1. â€Å"If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers† is a common phrase. In your experience, is it actually practiced or is it just a clichà © on the wall? Discuss the implications of your answer. â€Å"If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers,† this quote mostly depends on the individual company and how they perceive their employees. Some companies realize that in order for them to succeed, they must invest in their employees, as employees are the key to a successful and highly profitable business. And in order for employees to remain motivated and continue to flourish, they need recognition, which is a basic human need, regardless of status or job type. Once employees have been acknowledged for their good performance, they feel more appreciated, and as a result will demonstrate greater levels of commitment and dedication. Thereby, producing top results for the company and treating its customers with royalty. During recessions some companies such as Texas Roadhouse, continue to demonstrate employee appreciation through employee gatherings, cash reward bonuses and annual company conferences, in which spouses are invited (Noe et al., 2011). Companies such as Texas Roadhouse and other companies are leaders who want to succeed in today’s competitive world, and they realize that even during hard economic times, there’s still the strong need to maintain programs which are aimed at recognizing employees for work place accomplishments. And when employees are truly happy and motivated, they will care for the customers and give their best. Even through our suffering economy, many other companies also continue to celebrate employee’s performance through various recognition programs such as, cash bonuses, flexible work hour schedules, award celebrations, gift cards, employee appreciation day, company cook-outs, discounted family membership incentives, floating days and many others. Finally, most good leaders appreciate what employees do for the company, and will try to find ways to show love and appreciation. 2. Texas Roadhouse uses money as a motivator for employees. In today’s economy, describe alternative methods that could be used to motivate their employees. Texas Roadhouse has traditionally been known for their generous cash bonuses in recognition of employee appreciation, such generosity included, cash bonuses ranging from $500.00 in fun money to $20,000 for best meat cutter (Noe et al., 2011). However, in today’s unstable economy, the smart business leader will find other ways to show love and appreciation for their employees. Texas Roadhouse managers realize that employees are its biggest contributing factor for success or failure, and will find other ways to motivate employees, even during such economic uncertainty. For many companies, non-cash recognition is still a very powerful motivator, and will still foster ways to attract and retain good employees. And even though money is always a great motivator, effective employee compensation goes beyond money, in terms of individual needs being met; such needs as psychological needs, which define human relationships and the importance of employees connecting with customers, coworkers and managers. Employees also need to feel that they are a part of a group that has achieved success (Armstrong., 2010). Texas Roadhouse could customize a flexible-hours plan that would cater to restaurant staff. And even though most employees wouldn’t necessarily have the luxury of working from home, they would still have Flexible work hours and would be given the freedom to switch time schedules with coworkers, possibly allowing them more balance between work and home-life, while demonstrating an established trust between manager and employee. With flexible work schedules, employees can leave earlier or come in later, rotate shifts, or readjust their work schedule to make it more conducive to their life-style (O’Toole et al., 2011). Another great non-cash employee incentive for Texas Roadhouse could be that of various trainings and self-developmental opportunities. Trainings are very informational and can benefit employees in many ways, as they promote excellent ways for companies to learn of their top talent, trainings will also also satisfy employees will skill deficiencies. Trainings show the employees that their employer supports career development and advancement. The various trainings will expound on existing skills by including missing tools such as, education, updated technological skills and will help promote the company’s vision for valued progress. Trainings such as employee leadership offer employees development and confidence in independent problem-solving. Texas Roadhouse could also utilize multiple customer service trainings, since they provide direct service to exterior customers. And in order for them to continue on a successful path, they must continue to find ways to teach and reteach their employees the values of world class standards and its quality to customer satisfaction. As employees are exposed to various training programs, their knowledge potential becomes greater, creating more valuable human capital to the company. 3. Discuss the possible effectiveness of each of your alternative methods. Regardless of the economy’s condition, a good leader is able to inspire and motivate its employees, as they understand that happy employees will result in the success of the business. Effective employees are a result of effective managers, and good managers reward employees for good performance through communication and various reward methods. Alternatively, non-cash rewards, such as trainings and flexible hour plans can promote happier, healthier and more motivated employees, which will lead to more productivity. A flexible hours plan can prove very effective, as this method allows employees the freedom to switch shifts, to rotate hours around the clock, or change the time of day in which the tasks will be completed. As employees are allowed this flexibility, there sense of responsibility and confidence increase, as trust and an honor system is established between the employee and the manager. Through the flexible hours plan, employees are less stressed, as they are finding more balance and time to fulfill family obligations as well, all resulting in increased employee productivity. Employee trainings may also prove to be a very effective means of motivating employees. Trainings provide many benefits, as they help to build employees skills and talents, they also can foster a greater team environment, thereby giving employees a wider range of support and comfort. Trainings and other developmental strategies can be a powerful tool, which can aid a struggling worker. Through various training sessions, employees gain problem-solving abilities, learn up-to date technology skills, and become less dependent on the manager. And finally, trainings can help manager’s spot top talent within the company. 4. Analyze how transferrable is the Texas Roadhouse way of motivating employees in other organizations. Texas Roadhouse way of motivating their employees through large cash bonuses and other annual motivational conferences are incentives, which are based on the individual managerial leadership style, and cannot be transferred to other organizations, as every leader exhibits a distinct leadership style. It is agreed that such large cash bonuses will create keen competition between employees, but each leader have their own intangibles or uniqueness, which is spelled out through their leadership strategies. And during an economic hardship, the leader may decide on future investments that would offer the employee various training sessions to build upon their existing skills and knowledge, thereby, offering the employee promotional opportunities which would increase the employees financial gain, as well as making an upgrade to the companies potential success. Leaders must also consider that different people are motivated by different things. While some employees may have financial goals, others may have professional or personal goals, and cash compensation can’t possibly fulfill all human needs. Finally, based on the needs of a company, a good leader will know what to do and how to go about planning in order to achieve a successful outcome. References Armstrong, M. (2010). Armstrong’s handbook of reward management practice. (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., Wright, P.M. (2011). Fundamentals of human resource management (4th ed.). New York, NY: MCGRAW-HILL. O’Toole, J., Lawler, E. (2007). The new American workplace. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Underage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Underage Drinking Essay Episode 4 Underage Drinking; A National Concern of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia addresses underage drinking through politically incorrect satire while still focusing on the seriousness of the subject matter. It is widely known and accepted that alcohol abuse by teenagers is not only a crime; it is also a sorrowful situation when it involves ruining lives and it can even result in death. The cast of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia presents a new and obviously demented view point to the subject. The friends portrayed in the show understand teenage drinking is unacceptable and in the opening scenes of this particular episode the cast shares some personal youthful experiences while sitting together in the bar that that is owned collectively by the group. Charlie points out a particularly dangerous moment when he says several times â€Å"Remember when we totaled Ben’s car after we plowed into that tree!† (â€Å"Underage Drinking, A National Concern†). Alcohol use among teens increases dramatically during the high-school years and leads to serious consequences for many teens. As studies by statistics from the National Institute of Health show, each year in the United States, alcohol-related automobile accidents are a major cause of teen deaths. Alcohol is also often a cause in other teenage deaths, including drowning, suicides and homicides. â€Å"Teens who drink are more likely to become sexually active, have sex more frequently and engage in risky, unprotected sex than are teens who dont drink.† (National Institute of Health). For each person who will agree with a specific angle to this subject there will be two who will stand up and disagree. A classic example from this episode is the early comment from Dee, â€Å"[there is] a social responsibility to keep teenagers from drinking.† (â€Å"Underage Drinking, A National Concern†). Obviously this is right thinking however this is the twisted turning point with regards to this episode. It is suggested and then agreed upon to give the local youth a â€Å"safe† place where they can consume alcohol without the worries typically associated with attempting to purchase liquor without valid identification. The topic should be black and  white. There isn’t supposed to be a gray area involving illegal activities and the bottom line is simple; if you’re under 21 you cannot drink alcohol. What happens on the show is especially ironic because the owners of the bar justify making money off of ignorant teenagers while telling each other they’re providing a controlled environment for something that teenagers are going to do anyway. They point out that in many countries the world over it is not uncommon for someone as young as 12 or 13 to be found drinking with some degree of regularity and rationalize that they’re actually providing a community service. Everyone would like to know why teens use drugs and alcohol; some use narcotics to fit in and then become addicted. Others think a more complicated reason exists why people use drugs, especially teenagers. During the teen years, kids are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. The increasing need for teenaged independence may make kids want to defy their parents wishes or instructions as a way of asserting their independence. Peer pressure can also have an effect on an adolescents decision to begin drinking. While much has been written about peer pressure, and its effect should not be ignored, study after study proves that parental involvement carries much more weight. Teenage bodies and minds are still developing, and drinking at that age has a much more negative effect than on an adult The abuse of alcohol by teenagers is a sneaky thing, and many times adults who dont want to believe their children would do that, find out too late that they already have. â€Å"Parents, teachers and social workers need to remain alert to the signs of alcohol abuse in teenagers.† (National Institute of Health). There is a misconception, especially among non-alcoholics, that a teenager is too young to become an alcoholic. This is a subject that is completely overlooked in the episode in spite of the tongue in cheek satire. Some recovering alcoholics can look back through specific teenage years and see that they were drinking as an alcoholic when they were much younger. It is true that most teenagers wont come to grips with their drinking problems until much later in life. Alcoholism does not discriminate against its victims, and it crosses into all age groups. What the show does not focus on ultimately, is that bad choices have bad consequences. If a teenager thinks they have a drinking problem, they should be assisted in finding help and not given rationalizations that offer a quick escape. There are many young people Alcoholics Anonymous groups available today all across the country. They are living their teenage years as it was intended to be, free of alcohol and happy. Underage drinking is a serious and criminal offence and there should be zero tolerance in spite of the success of comedic displays in the media. Works Cited National Institute of Health. Alcoholism When Drinking Becomes a Disease. â€Å"Underage Drinking; A National Concern.† It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. By Glenn Howerton. Rob McElhenney. Charlie Day. FX Productions. 18 Aug. 2005.

Link Between Islamophobia And Racism Cultural Studies Essay

Link Between Islamophobia And Racism Cultural Studies Essay Indeed, much literature is dedicated to question the (mis)appropriateness of Islamophobia as a labeller of phobia generated, presumably, from an increasingly visible presence of Islam / Muslims in the U.K. in recent years. 1,2,3 The case for / against Islamophobia, depending on which party holds argument, is, in fact, made blurry given the ambiguity of what constitutes a Muslim identity in the first place. 4 Considering potentially multiple identities of U.K. Muslims 5,6, contestation between and within concerned parties holds a fluid ground more so based on or as a result of fluidity of what makes up Islamophobia. This paper examines multilayered manipulations of Islamophobia as contested within a U.K context. The argument, first, discusses literature on race relations and immigration policies, more emphasis being laid on policies pertaining to Commonwealth subjects in Indian Subcontinent. An examination follows of how race-based (addressing ethnicity, assimilation and multicultural ism issues) as opposed to faith-based (addressing religious practices, rights, and interfaith relations) protections have much influenced and/or mixed up contestations over Islam, Muslims and, most importantly, Islamophobia, if any, within a U.K. context. Finally, Islamophobia is placed in a wider European context in which contestation over Islamophobia as such is connected to Continental debates on modern nation-states and multiculturalisms. Race, race relations and immigration policies Historically, Britain has received waves of immigrants of diverse descent for a multitude of reasons. Yet, post-World War II period, particularly during mid-1940s, 1950s and 1960s, witnessed unprecedented influx into major industrial cities for reconstruction efforts. 7,8 Up until late 1960s, no specific laws addressed inter-ethnic violence and conflict. Ironically, ex-colonies subjects were regarded, after all, as second class citizens. 9 Only when families of Asian (primarily Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi) works started to flood English cities and ports in what is referred to as chain immigration (i.e. residents invite close family members and friends and, once settled, relatives and friends invite their own families and friends) did local acts of ethnic violence give prominence to and raise public awareness on a national level of alien citizen status as part of British reality. 10 Still, post-World War II period is one characterised more by inflammatory statements made about nationals of non-British blood and descent 11 rather than about citizens whose allegiance to British values and way of life is questionable because of a different creed such as in case of South-Asians. Indicative of an increasingly racialised public discourse pertaining to immigrants and naturalised subjects is: When individuals like the Marquis of Salisbury spoke of maintaining the English way of life, they were not simply referring to economic or regional folk patterns, but explicitly to the preservation of the racial character of the English people. We have developing here a process of subjectification grounded in a racialised construction of the British Subject which excludes and includes people on the basis of race/skin colour. 12 Indeed, race remains a fundamental subtext of British hegemonic discourse during colonial era, in post-World War II period and beyond. For one, one staple justification for subjugation of nations, groups and individuals is race. 13 Further, in case of a South Asian minority, presumably British Subjects, race is invoked as a justification for inequalities at workplace, housing, education, let alone political rights. 14 In essence, race and racism essentialise subjects of racist acts. Similar to all hegemonic practices which maintain specific power relations within an overarching power structure, racism emphasises superior vs. Inferior duality in order not only to maintain existing power relations but also to morally justify excesses of inequalities. 15 In British context, South Asian workers predominantly from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh particularly during first mass immigration waves of 1940s, 1950s and 1960s were, like a gear fit into a larger wheel, brought in as props, imported, used, and returned. Initially, South Asians workers performed and acted as underdogs much to masters delight. Later, however, as familiarity of British System and Administration developed amongst workers of non-British blood, riots and protests became noise (racist) masters needed to work on. Thus, successive legislations regulating immigrants status within U.K. borders were, apparently, meant to control influx of immigrants and to align British Subjects along well-defined ethnic boundaries.16 As U.K.s ethnic makeup diversified over time and across localities, states insistence on ethnic markers between and within ethnic groups grew by leaps and bounds. The racism formula, endorsed by laws and working brilliantly in a colonial era and slightly so within borders during early days of mass immigration, turned out problematic if not unstabilising given growing pressures of growing minorities in pocket cities, minorities now capable of tipping vote balance. Ultimately, a multi-ethnic / multicultural society is not based on a goodwill, all-accommodating multiculturalism discourse one meant to acknowledge ethnic / racial / cultural differences per se by way of minority rights but, rather, one emphasizing ethnic markers for further state control. 17 In fact, state control, in so far as British Muslims are concerned, represents a clear instance not only of an ethnicity manipulated (at multiple layers of discourse in government, media, and education) but, further still, of an identity (i.e. BrMislim / BrAsian) manipulated (at just same layers) and hence fluidity of what constitutes Islam / Muslim and, probably in turn, Islamophobia. Understanding an emerging Islamophobia requires, however, an examination of evolution of race relations politics from one based on race to one based on faith. Race, faith, Islamophobia, and multiculturalism By definition, political discourse is one characterised by manipulation and is, largely, subject to voters sway in democracies. 18 Political Correctness (PC) is just one example of political machination. In essence, a politically correct expression is a euphemism meant (and, for that matter, meaning) less to fulfil felicity conditions required for an actionable statement and more as instrumental. Thus, British policies on race and ethnicity has marked a shift since installation of race relations acts of 1965 and 1968 19 from an emphasis on racial discrimination to an emphasis on religious extremism and bigotry as a basis for incrimination only selectively, excluding BrMuslims. Indeed, incitement to hatred based on affiliation to Islam is one major legal anomaly scholars continue to point out to. 19, 20 Interestedly, given papers purposes, racial discrimination against BrAsians has not, in fact, been eliminated by virtue of progress in legislation on racial relations but only diverted to another (unprotected by law) dimension, significant as is, of a BrAsian subjects identity. That is, being Muslim. That multilayered public discourse has, moreover, shifted from race to faith is indicative not of actionable (as opposed to pronounced) change but of power structure(s) embedded in race relations discourses in the U.K. Thus, in place of a racialised discourse based on BrAsian intrusion into Britishness, same racial group, now British Muslims, comes out as anti-British. Typical of a manipulative political discourse a game of labelling and re-labelling underprivileged, underrepresented groups (except in prisons) is enacted such that power relations as engineered, largely but not always by, state are maintained within and between different ethnicities in a multicultural community which is, Britain. Unsurprisingly, a set of composite metrics has been developed in order to measure Britishness. 21 That such metrics combine gauges of loyalties at intra-national (i.e. Britain), national (i.e. England, Scotland, etc), or local (e.g. Bradford) levels is, indeed, indicative of an ethnic identit y crisis, particularly so in case of BrAsians / BrMuslims. As a consequence, a group diverse as BrAsians / BrMuslims and framed as inassimilable 22 into wider and mainstream community is bundled up altogether, labelled and made alien. Islamophobia is, one argues, an expression of an anxiety over ethnicity identity. Indeed, Islamophobic sentiments are, upon close examination, aimed not at Islam per se but at Muslims. 23 In fact, literature repeatedly points out that people, rather than faith, is phobes trajectory. 23, 24,25 A broad overview of British media is indicative of who is meant and labelled: If you doubt whether Islamophobia exists in Britain, I [Gordon Conway, Head of Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia] suggest you spend a week reading, as I have done, a range of national and local papers. If you look for articles which refer to Muslims or to Islam you will find prejudiced and antagonistic comments, mostly subtle but sometimes blatant and crude. Where the media lead, many will follow. British Muslims suffer discrimination in their education and in the workplace. Acts of harassment and violence against Muslims are common. 26 Thus, Islamophobia, a label gaining currency in media and academia thanks to Runnymede Trusts much publicised report Islamophobia, a challenge for us all 27 has acquired such a canonical status as to render alternative neologisms unrepresentative of responses to Islam / Muslims. According to Halliday, Islamophobia indulges conformism and authority within Muslim communities. One cannot avoid the sense, in regard to work such as the Runnymede Report that the race relations world has yielded, for reasons of political [emphasis added] convenience, on this term. 28 Moreover, The use of Islamophobia also challenges the possibility of dialogue based on universal principles. It suggeststhat the solution lies in greater dialogue, bridge-building and respect for the other community, but this inevitably runs the risk of denying the right, or possibility, of criticisms of the practices of those with whom one is having the dialogue. Not only those who, on universal human rights grounds, object to elements in Islamic traditions and current rhetoric, but also those who challenge conservative readings from within, can more easily be classed as Islamophobes. 29 Thus, Islamophobia is employed in such a politically correct fashion such as to silence criticisms, on one hand, and to maintain good neighbourhood relations, on another. The former stance is framed, in right-leaning perspective, as militant, jihadist, terrorist, uncivil, anti-modern and anti-Western. 30 The latter is framed, in Islamist perspective, as accommodating, assimilative and hegemonic. In between is media, an arena for meaning-making and shifting perceptions. Alternatively, Islamophobia can be employed not as a politically correct euphemism in order to silence internal criticisms or to maintain law and order but, rather, to militate against an other. This could take a shape of dismantling politeness courtesies essential not for a politically correct dialogue but for one based on critical questioning. Still, Islamophobia could be further employed such as a cover up for supposedly hidden hegemonic agendas. 31 One peculiar shift for Islamophobia as contested within a U.K. context is how instead of imported aliens made citizens being instigators of hate, violence, unrest, and, ultimately terror an enemy within image is constructed and maintained such as to, apparently, pass Islamophobic sentiments, if any, from one generation onto another. 32 For some now increasingly most, credit to media rivers of actual blood running London streets following London 7/7 (Ã   la 9/11 codification) attacks are reminiscent of symbolic blood as invoked by Enoch Powell in his Birmingham speech in 1968: As I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding. Like the Roman, I seem to see the River Tiber foaming with much blood. The tragic and intractable phenomenon [i.e. immigration] which we [emphasis added] watch with horror on the other side of the Atlantic, but which there is interwoven with the history and existence of the States itself, is coming upon us here by our own volition and our own neglect. 33 Unsurprisingly, Powells xenophobic pronouncements just as all xenophobic pronouncements -gain further inertia as an apparently self-fulfilling prophecy comes true. Admittedly, most, if not all, far-right politics tap into a well-rehearsed repertoire of phobias not least Islamophobia. Moreover, whole political careers are created and enhanced based on precautions from an other: now of colour, now of race, and now of different faith. Across Europe, ballot boxes speak volumes of Islamophobia tapped into as a final recourse against an imminent green menace within. 34,35 Islamophobia: European context Placed in a wider context, Islamophobia is not exclusive to U.K. As a matter of fact, for Europe in which U.K. is situated and to which it is historically affiliated Islamophobia is a common currency. Indeed, each European country has a distinctive narrative to tell of Islam / Muslims. Yet, for all differences, European nations especially former colonial powers share common narratives of home-grown terrorists and phobias. 36 Interestingly still is how European nation states follow a similar pattern of state controls over flow of (now particularly Muslim) immigrants as well as controls of modes of conducts of minorities within. 37 In fact, U.K.s, and for that matter Europes, current immigration laws and policies cannot be fully understood in isolation of European conception of nation-states. Historically, European nation-states evolved into democratic polities in which upholding order and rule of law required consistent policies. 38 As European countries grew increasingly into political, economic and scientific powerhouses, an increasing influx of immigrants required subtler means of control. Typically, in major European countries such as U.K. enacting multiculturalism policies meant, at least apparently in so far as actual practices are concerned, less room for truly diverse communities and more for accommodation, assimilation, and full integration of an increasing alien presence posing, allegedly, menaces to established European Enlightenment canonical values of reason and secularism. 39 Probably understandably, far-right currents in European politics manipulated political machinery inciting violence and hatred at times creating, only in voters minds, all sorts of phobias. The case for Islamophobia is one, consequently, which can be understood primarily based on power relations established and maintained in a wider power structure of Europe. This is particularly significant if one is to grasp global (i.e. Western) war on Islam, which is not. For all long-established and nourished power structures need a signifier, a marker, which, presumably , contains, defines, and tags an assumed other only to maintain law and order in an endless historical power struggle over hearts and minds. In conclusion, Islamophobia is, ultimately, a (mis)label slapped onto bottled up power relations within a marked power structure. In U.K. context, Islamophobia is used, as has been demonstrated, not to mark a shift in discursive practices towards a truly multicultural community but to maintain embedded power relations in which specific groups are assigned definite space within ethnic markers. Initially, race is used to maintain power structures but upon introduction of race acts and laws, subtler formers of control and manipulation are employed by which focus is shift from race per se to faith not as a creed but as another boundary of control.

My Sisters Bones - Book Report :: essays research papers

â€Å"Don’t tell Mom and Dad it’s me, okay?† She Waits. â€Å"Okay?† she says, a little louder. â€Å"Okay,† I tell my sister. â€Å"How are you? How’s college?† I’m surprised she’s calling up here, and glad for the distraction. Billy Weinstein seems to be the only one who’s noticed how her sister, Cassie, has changed since she left for college. She can tell how she seems withdrawn, obsessed with studying, and how she barely eats. Although Billie wants to talk to her parents about it, every time she brings it up, they just act as though its a phase and that she’ll grow out of it. Her father continuously says â€Å"She’s under a lot of stress now, that’s all. Freshman year is very hard at Cornell. She’ll get her appetite back after exams.† As the story deepens, Billie continues to try and show her parents how Cassie’s actions aren’t healthy. She’s even tried convincing Cassie to ask for help or to at least realize she has a problem. â€Å"No Billy, really, I’m fine. I had some breakfast before, I’m really not hungry. I’ll eat later, okay, I promise,† Cassie tells me. What makes it even worse though, is that Billie’s father is a doctor and should be able to tell that Cassie has a eating problem. As time goes on , Billie realizes that Cassie is getting deeper into problems. She sleeps all the time, and has stopped eating altogether. Finally, when Cassie’s dorm director at college calls and tells her parents that she has been getting reports from girls worrying about Cassie, Billie’s parents finally take action. As soon as they bring Cassie to the doctor, they put her in an eating disorder clinic. They all know that it will be a while before Cassie gets better since Cassie still hasn’t realized she has a problem. When Billie tells her that she should gain more wait, all she can say is : â€Å"It’s not good, it’s gross. I can’t stand it, really, but it’s the only way out of this place. Not that it’s so bad. I mean, in a way, it’s easier. Just a few simple rules. If you gain, you’re good, if you lose, you’re bad.

Theatre Royal in Winchester production of 1984 :: Drama

Theatre Royal in Winchester production of '1984' 1984 Evaluation =============== On the 19th November 2002 myself, and a group of year eleven students went to the Theatre Royal in Winchester to watch a play named '1984'. The plays main theme was about a society being treated unfairly and not being able to have rights or individuality. It showed people being extremely restricted on what they could do both physically and mentally. Watching it, it made me feel fortunate to have the rights I have and that I am not constrained on what I can do. The director wanted you when watching, to feel uncomfortable and distressed as you were watching one individual being tortured. The more torture shown, the more privileged I felt to possess the rights I do have. A variety of techniques were used to enforce the powerful message this play presented. At the beginning, a group of soldiers pointed at the audience and shouted 'Die Die' continuously, which made you feel threatened and also at the same time involved within the play. The set was quite basic yet effective. All the scenes featured two large wooden walls, which were moved for different scenes. These walls were used as a technique to change scene. When a new scene was started the walls would be spun round to illustrate a new scene, which was very effective. Throughout the play short videos were shown for a variety of reasons. These included: emphasizing a point within the play, to give new information to the audience or to add to the dramatic effect of a particular scene. Various lighting techniques were used including a spotlight. A spotlight makes you focus on one particular part of the stage where usually a scene is being acted. A spotlight can add tension and increased dramatic effect to a scene, for example when soliloquies are used. An additional lighting method used was to flash bright lights at the audience to illustrate a scene change. This was very effective as afterwards a new scene was taking place. As well as lighting techniques, the props used were very successful in making the scene more exciting and attention grabbing. One prop used was a counterfeit electric chair. In this scene the main character was being tortured using the electric chair. The smoke and sounds the chair was making made the scene even more dramatic and made you sympathise with him even more. The main characters included a man named Winston, and a woman called Julia who has already had already a couple of illegal love affairs. Both characters were deprived of their rights and wanted the same thing, freedom.

Agile Software Development

Testing in Agile software development approach is quite different from the traditional testing methodologies as it requires testing at every phase of the development and not only by the Quality Assurance team but by developers and business analysts as well.This is because 1) Agile software development requires testing throughout the lifecycle of the project and 2) Developers and Business Analysts are under the system and the business better, respectively.According to Ambler, the basic strategy of testing in Agile software development is testing throughout the lifecycle and therefore can be divided into following four phases:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Initiation – This is often short and includes indentifying initial acceptance tests, setting up the testing environment and identifying a testing team for the project. The benefit of this test phase is to set-up testing groundwork, possibly install the tools that will be needed for testing as well.2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Construction – This may comprise of any number of iterations depending on how the scope and management of the project. A significant amount of testing occurs during this phase. Concepts such as ‘confirmatory’ and ‘investigative’ testing is employed here by the agile developers who test often, test early and usually test first. Confirmatory and Investigative testing, as described by Ambler, are briefly defined below:a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Confirmatory Testing – This focuses on verifying that the system fulfills the intent of the stakeholders as described to the team to date. Two aspects of confirmatory testing, as presented by Ambler, are:i.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Agile Acceptance Testing – is a mix of traditional functional testing and traditional acceptance testing because the development team and their stakeholders are doing it collaboratively. Developer testing is a mix of traditional unit testing and traditional class/component/service integration testing.ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Developer Testing – strives to verify the application code and the database schema and to look for coding errors, perform at least coverage if not full path testing, and to ensure that the system meets the current intent of its stakeholders.It is often done in a test-first manner, where a single test is written and then sufficient production code is written to fulfill that test. (Ambler, Agile Testing Strategies)b.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Investigative Testing – This strives to discover problems that the development team didn't consider.Agile teams produce working software at the end of each construction iteration and hence a new version of the system should ideally be given to a separate test team that which can be assigned the goal to explore potential scenarios that neither the development team nor business stakeholders may have considered. (Ambler, Agile Testing Strategies)3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Release – At this stage, the project is ready to be delivered to the user an d is tested from user acceptance point of view at this stage.4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Production – Once the system has been delivered, defects may arise and Agile testing ensures that these defects are fixed in a timely and appropriate manner.Testing Tools It is not necessary to use a tool, solely designed for testing in an Agile development methodology. Automated testing holds a key place in agile development because of the sheer amount of testing that is required throughout the lifecycle.Some tools that have been used by agile development and testing teams include JUnit for Unit testing, Fit and Fitnesse for acceptance testing, Autoit and Selenium for functional testing etc.Microsoft Visual Studio is the first IDE that introduced integrated unit testing tool (Ingles)Test Documents Agile software development encourage going as light as possible, hence the need for singular reference points and avoidance of multiple documents and redundant information as is the norm in traditional approaches. (Ambler, Single Source Information – An Agile Practice for Effective Documentation)The main documentation work required in Agile software development is:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Test plan to ensure comprehensive coverage of the software and guarantee quality (Black)2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Traceability Matrices – these matrices are used in testing phases to link functionality and test cases to specific requirements.Risks involvedThere are however certain risks involved in Agile development as suggested by some researchers. Some of these have been quoted below (Agile Software Development): ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lack of structure and necessary documentation ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Incorporates insufficient software designRequires too much cultural change to adopt Can lead to more difficult contractual negotiations Can be very inefficient — if the requirements for one area of code change through various iterations, the same programming may need to be done several times over.Whereas if a plan were there to be followed, a single area of code is expected to be written once. Impossible to develop realistic estimates of work effort needed to provide a quote, because at the beginning of the project no one knows the entire scope/requirements Drastically increases the risk of scope creep due to the lack of detailed requirements documentation Agile is feature driven, non-functional quality attributes are hard to be placed as user stories Test Standards The standards that have been introduced for agile software development include ISO/IEC 12207:1995 and its replacement ISO/IEC 15288:2002. Other standards that are also of interest to software development are ISO/IEC 15939:2002 (Software measurement process) and ISO/IEC 14143 (Software measurement – Functional size measurement). (W.H. MORKEL THEUNISSEN) Bibliography 28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .â€Å"Agile Software Development.â⠂¬  Wikipedia. 28 July 2008 .Agile Software Development: Definition. 28 July 2008 .Ambler, Scott. Agile Testing Strategies. 28 July 2008 .—. â€Å"Single Source Information – An Agile Practice for Effective Documentation.† 28 July 2008 .Black, Rex. 28 July 2008 .Ingles, Paul. 28 July 2008 .W.H. MORKEL THEUNISSEN, DERRICK G. KOURIE AND BRUCE W. WATSON. â€Å"Standards and Agile Software Development.† 28 July 2008 .

BB concepts

Transactional (timely exchange of products and services) Value-added (falls between transactional and collaborative) Collaborative (alternatives are less, complex purchases and high prices) Transactional: Timely exchange of g/s in a highly competitive market in terms of prices. Autonomous, no/little concerns towards the need of customers or sellers. The relationship ends once the purchase Is done Types of products- packaging, cleaning products or commodity products where bidding is involved Collaborative:Occurs when few alternatives are present and involves complex purchases. Prices too are high. Switching costs are very high and extremely important to collaborative customers. This is because the organizational customers invest in their relationships in the following areas: Money People Training costs Equipment Procedures & Processes The needs of both the customer as well as the seller is taken care of. Trust and commitment are the key factors In such a relationship and they exists w hen one party has complete confidence In the other partner's Integrity and ability.Egg: IBM/GE/ Intel/ DuPont- Sucrose, etc. In case of high tech IT products, collaborative relationship can be very beneficial. It focuses on joint problem solving and resource sharing. Value drivers in Collaborative exchange: Value creation through core offerings- direct cost, delivery performance Value creation within sourcing process- acquisition cost Value creation at the customer level of operations- ops In order to achieve the key supplier status In collaborative exchange, one must- Target the right customerMatch with their purchase requirements Develop strategies to build trust and commitment in order to reduce the perceived risk in the minds of the buyers. Value-added In-between transactional and collaborative. They are those businesses which apart from Just attracting customers also try and retain customers by: Providing additional services Developing customized services according to customer needs Provide incentives to the customers on a regular basis to retain them Egg: Tate & Lyle and food ingredients The buyer seller relationship depends mainly on:Market conditions- Highly volatile/ less alternatives go for collaborative, Low prices/ low complexity go for transactional o/w collaborative Improving transactional customer loyalty: Adopt differentiation strategy- this strategy suggests that the value created to the customers which is measure by high margins and sales should exceed the cost involved in creating and delivering the customized product/ services. Adopt activity based costing- BBC is a method that allocates the cost of performing various service to each customer.This will enable the firms to accurately identify who are the most profitable customers. The whale curve which is the result of BBC tells that 80% of sales revenue comes from 20% of the customers. The firms should therefore either retain the most profitable customers, convert unprofitable one to profit able or fire those who are not profitable. Managing unprofitable customers- Reduce cost to serve Increasing profitability- life time value All this can be done through adopting the right CRM strategy The CRM strategy: Acquire the right customers