Communication Challenges to Modern Day Business Essay

Communication is defined as the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual or electronic channels. Simply put, communication is the exchange of information between people. It is important to get feedback from your audience and vice versa for the process of communication to take place effectively. The feedback can be either positive or negative. It is any communication used in an organization with an intention to promote a product, improve service or with the intention to make a sale. This type of communication also occurs within the organization between the management and employees. It has purpose and a lot of attention is given to the details. Business communication has undergone a lot of transformation as a result of the growth of information technology that has changed the whole concept of communication. In the past, businesses had a model of communication that left very little room for interaction and conversation with the receiver of the message. Currently the model that works and is now used by most organisations is one that gives room to both conversation and interaction with the receivers. Communication is very vital in any organization. Like blood in our bodies, it is the channel that gives life to the organisation and without it, organisations would not be functional. Effective communication plays a significant role in the success of the business, as communication works to send information, control behavior and motivate workers. Today there are many more ways to communicate than there were just a few years ago and access to communication devices is almost universal in most businesses. Good communication means the intended message that is send is received by a group of audience without any distortions in meaning. This definition applies to not only personal communication among friends or relatives, but to business situations where you may be communicating with a co-worker one-on-one or in a meeting with several or more people. The key here is clarity Communication is also almost instantaneous. Good business communication is simple and easily understood, a rule often overlooked by managers and team members. This is especially important when preparing a document, speech or presentation that is a game-changer for the company. Simple and concise language wins over language that is obtuse and hard to understand. Business communication defines most organizations, resulting in effective marketing campaigns, productive interpersonal relationships among co-workers and successful customer service resolutions. Since audiences demand different kinds of communications in different situations and settings, effective business communication professionals understand how to tailor messages for maximum results. Several communication challenges exist within day-to-day business operations, especially with technology. Technology benefits organizational communication by lifting communication restrictions caused by time and distance. At the same time, the removal of time and distance as communication factors has led to the challenges of information overload and constant accessibility. The issue of constant accessibility has led to blurring of the lines between personal and professional lives. There are several barriers: Emotion serves as an obstacle to effective communication, as emotion can interfere with making rational decisions. Differences in culture can be a communication challenge for international businesses. Not understanding the language and customs of other cultures can lead to poor sales and public relation disasters. There are a number of recognised barriers in the modern day communication, many of which go unnoticed, that can and do effect the standards of communication a person feels comfortable with. Physical barriers are often down to the nature of the environment in which communication may take place but are not always interpreted by the recipient in the correct manor. For example an office door being closed could signify to a co-worker that someone does not want to be bothered, or is possibly in a bad mood, whereas the occupant of the office could have possibly closed the door due to a breeze or didn’t close the door them self at all. This is an example of misinterpretation of actions brought about by the physical barrier of the door. Barriers like this can often present the risk of a ripple effect; in that the barrier in this situation could damage the recipients’ perception of the source by making the recipient feel outcast or shut out by the inhabitant of the office, which would set up the standings of a bad communicative relationship. Issues in communication can be disturbed when the basic mechanics of the communication method are damaged directly.

Louis Pojman’s We Don’t Deserve What We Earn Essay

Merit and desert are two terms that are always in opposition to one another. While merit measures value in terms of success or failures, desert presupposes that value is not only measured in terms of success or failure but also the intentions must be assessed. Desert asseses â€Å"whether or not one had good or bad intentions, whether or not one was responsible for the success or failure†. While it is tempting to decide on issues with regards to their value in terms of the intentions of doing them as well as the success or failure of the object to meet our specific demands, I do believe that we merit is the best way of making a decision; we deserve what we earn. Athlete who has been training for long hours everyday deserves to win a race because of his attempt to train, and not marely because he is tall or has some long strides. Merit presumes that a person deserves something provided that he has some qualities. This is in contrast to desert which assumes a person to deserve something given that he attempts or does something. The criterion for deciding whether we deserve what we earn may be either through merit or desert, but one fact is that we generally deserve what we earn. The society itself is full of pointers to the fact that we get what we â€Å"saw†. To begin with, the laws governing our actions in the society show a justice. The concept of justice is found in most cultures and religious institutions. An ancient Greek poet, Simonides, defined justice as â€Å"giving each person his due† an idea which is unequivocal in the ancient Greek laws which also defined justice as giving the people what they merited. This idea of justice is also evident in most religions. The concept of the final judgment done on the basis of ones goodness or badness cuts across all religions; in the Hindu scriptures the notion of reward got after reincarnation is portrayed as being proportional to the person’s deeds. This same idea is also exemplified in the Quran and explicit in the Hebrew and Christian bibles. The bible for example states that what a person sows such shall he reap. In the current world affairs, we can look at the US election as one indicator of the criteria by which the society measures its values. We can decide to look at Obama as deserving the win from two perspective, from a meritorious point of view or from a desert based point of view. If we look at it from a merit-based point of view, then we can say that Obama deserved the win because he planned well, mounted a successful campaign machinery and was successful in convincing the young people, many of whom voted for him. On the other hand, we can decide to say that Obama deserved to win because he represented a minority community which has been oppressed and so deserved to win the election on this ground. Reference Pojman, L. Merit: Why do we value it. Journal of Social Philosophy. New York. Vol 30:83-102.

A Silver Dish

Add one extra variable Into the equation, and the entire solution has hanged, Just as well If you were to take one variable out. In this essay, I will be using the butterfly effect theory to explain how events will be altered when one characteristic Is taken out of the main character, after first identifying four of his characteristics and showing how it supports the development of the story as well as his character. What does it mean to have responsibilities and what is its importance in life? Responsibility consists of the duty or obligation that one owes to another or oneself.One can direct the responsibility towards family, friends, and even God. Responsibility results in a positive character trait that shows a high degree of unselfishness. It teaches each person that there will always be something beyond themselves to care about. Responsibility can consist of moral, legal, mental or physical obligations. Woody, a businessman in Chicago, has an endless amount of responsibility. à ¢â‚¬Å"He [father] came to Woody In the backyard one spring day and said, ‘From now on you're the man of the house' â€Å"(Bellow 543).At the age of fourteen, Wood's father had abandoned him, leaving Woody the responsibility of taking care of his mother and two younger sisters. He cares for his mother and his two sisters who are all mature adults. He also cares for his father and his father's wife, though he shares no blood with his stepmother. † Since his wife, after fifteen years of separation had not learned to take care of herself, Woody did her shopping on Fridays, filled her freezer. He had to take her this week to buy shoes. Also, Friday night he spent with Helen- his wife De facto.Saturday he did his big weekly shopping. Saturday night he devoted to Mom and his sisters. He was too busy to attend to his own feelings†(Bellow 541 Wood's countless obligations to his family UT him in a position of the dominant male, the caretaker. â€Å"Mother and the girls tur ned into welfare personalities and lost their individual outlines. Ah, the poor things, they became dependents and cranks. In the meantime, Woody, the sinful man, was their dutiful and loving son and 561). How would the story have changed If Woody had no sense of responsibility?As a child, Woody had no choice but to take full responsibility over his family, seeing as nobody else would. During these hard times for Woody, his selfless acts were the glue that held his broken family intact. If Woody were to exile all selfless feelings from his body and replace it with pure selfish thoughts, only the worst would be in store for his family. â€Å"Woody, who took full responsibility for them all, occasionally had to put one of the girls (they had become sick) In a mental 541). If Woody had Ignored shadows, known only as the crazy women you tell your children to avoid.The narrator went on to say that, † he paid for heat and light and food, and dressed them all out of Sears, Roebuck a nd Webfoot's, and bought them a TV, which they watched as devoutly as they prayed†(Bellow 561). With his mother in the hospital religiously, his sister checked into a mental institution, and his other sister unable to stabilize herself or her career, Woody had no choice but to take responsibility. If he hadn't done so, knowing that his father would never step up to his responsibilities, his family would have indefinitely perished to the harsh reality of poverty.Woody had shown signs of true loyalty to his family, loyalty that will always be in existence, even for his father. Some people believe that loyalty makes one predictable. Others may say that being loyal means being unable to think for oneself. And some may even indemnify loyalty as a weakness. Loyalty is the willingness to make an investment or personal sacrifice to strengthen a relationship. Though it is rare to find, a loyal person is a valuable asset to anyone. Loyalty involves obedience, sacrifice, and compassion, a mix that is not easy to find.Family requires undoubted loyalty from family members as well as friendships require friends to convey the meaning of loyalty to strengthen a bond between one and another. A loyal man can be described as a man who sacrifices his life for his family, his friends, and even his country. In his case, loyalty will be described as Woodsy endless devotion to his father. Woodsy father had, on every occasion, let Woody down, yet he has always stood behind his father. Mimi got to lend me money to buy gasoline- the caddie money you saved†(Bellow 543).The only money Woody had been able to save up working a side job, Woodsy father had taken it as getaway cash. Woody had not hesitated upon giving his father what he had asked for, even though this meant Woody was an enabler for his father's wishes upon deserting his family. â€Å"Why had he let Pop have his way? Why did he agree to meet him that day, in the dim rear of the lorry? â€Å"(Bellow 549). Woodsy fa ther had return for one purpose, he needed money. Woody had decided to take him to Ms.Skulled, the woman who out of good faith, paid for Woodsy college tuition for two years to become a minister. Woody had taken a risk by bringing his father to the only person who supports him in life. What he did not expect is that his father was planning on stealing her personal belongings for extra cash. Even when his father had done so, Woody had stood by him and said, â€Å"He denied that he or Pop had touched Ms. Shouldn't property. The missing object- e didn't even know what it was- had probably been misplaced, and they would be very sorry on the day it turned up†(Bellow 559).By staying loyal to his father, an admirable and rare trait, he had in fact proved himself to be deceitful and therefore disloyal to those who had supported him as he was growing up. Take one variable out of an equation, and the answer will be entirely different. Just as an equation, remove a character trait from Woodsy character, and the entire story will differ from the original. If woody had not been so loyal to his father, many things would have been different. To start, if Woody had not given his father the money to escape, His father could have never returned, believing that there was no warming welcome to accept.If he had indeed returned though, and asked Woody once more for money, I believe that Woody would have turned him down. Woody was well off in his life, entity from himself. When his father returned again, if Woody had thought in more of a selfish manner, he would have turned his father down, and would not have dealt with the pain of his supporters giving up on him. By being more selfish, Woody would have been seen as a more respectable character, without weakness for the man who mined his life. Woodsy loyalty to his father had been the variable in his life that continuously forced a downfall in his life.Loyalty is comprised of many things, but one thing loyalty does require is honesty. Honesty is another quality that is rare to find in this world, a quality that should be treasured. Honesty is the ability of being sincere, truthful, trustworthy, honorable, and fair. When you look at being honest and telling the truth it would seem as a simple task to practice. Being honest means keeping a friends secret unknown, admitting to your mistakes, and telling the truth despite the consequences. When you make a statement, make a truthful one. However, it seems that being entirely honest can be more difficult than one may perceive it to be. Woody was moved when things were honest. Bearing beams were honest, undisguised concrete pillars inside high-rise apartments were honest. It was bad to cover anything. He hated faking†(Bellow 542). Everything in his life that Woody had been able to appreciate had been honest. Woody had tried to learn from his father's mistakes, and instead being an honest man. After bringing his father to the house of the woman who could possibly help Woody and his father with their money issue at hand, Woody witnessed his father stealing a silver dish from the kind lady. ‘Before they come down, pop, will you dig that dish out of your long Johns. ‘ Pop turned stiff on him. He became absolutely military. He said, ‘Look, I order you! ‘ Before he knew it, Woody had Jumped his father and begun to wrestle with him†(Bellow 556) Being an honest man, Woody must go against his loyalty for his father and stop him from committing theft towards the one person who can help them. Woody does his best to be honest with everybody around him, but to be honest with one may result n dishonesty towards another. Dishonesty is a word used to describe the absence of honesty.If Woody would have been known as a man with the absence of honesty, the Woodsy life may have been altered entirely. If he had allowed his father to continue on with his theft, he would not only have felt guilty for allowing the terrible de ed to continue, he would have been an accomplice. He must have to choose a side, to stand behind his father or against him. By standing with him, it could have ignited a spark within Woody, causing him to follow in his father's footsteps as a kleptomaniac. He old have gone on to lead a life of crime, forgetting his mother and two sisters at home to starve.Truth and honesty are not easy qualities to come by, yet truth can always be found in religion. Religion can be defined as a system of beliefs, symbols, and values that provide a group of people with the solution of the question of the ultimate meaning. Religion is a way to acquire a higher feeling of self-importance. Man unites himself with the Infinite and feels ennobled. Through religion, men and woman are able to give their lives purpose. Religion is the central element in the life of civilization. Woody, immersed in Christianity, is known to be a man deeply connected to his religious roots.Woodsy religion is what put him on th e path for a new life, a path opposite of his fathers. Religion is the one source of comfort that Woody is able to find in his life. It gives to get up and tell a church full of Scandinavians that he, a Jewish lad, accepted Jesus Christ†(Bellow 545). Woody testified of his faith to Christianity and went on to say that, † he moved his own heart when he speak up about faith†(551). Woody had been known to the general public as a faithful Christian boy, servant to none except God. Although Woody had studied for two years in a seminary, preparing to be a minister.Two years of college during the Depression was more than most high-school graduates could afford†(Bellow 539). Without his father in his early years of life to show him the way, religion introduced him to the right path. Religion is what paid for his college tuition, taught him the meaning of honesty and how to take responsibility. Just like the rest of the character traits, take religion out of Woodsy ch aracter and the story will drastically change. Ms Skulled, out of good faith, had paid for his auction for two years in hopes of Woody becoming a minister.If Woody had chosen to be a nonbeliever, he would have undoubtedly lost his opportunity to go to college. By doing so, he could have lost his future opportunities to be able to support his mother and two sisters, as well as his father and his fathers spouse, Haling. Without religion, Woody might have not been able to find truth in the world, and therefore have no reason to be an honest, truthful person. If he had chosen the path to be free of religion, he might have not cared for being a sinner and in fact turned into his father, a gambling, stealing, irresponsible man.In conclusion, there had been many attributes that describes Woodsy character. The four character traits that I had chosen to talk about were his responsibility to his family, loyalty to his father, honesty in life, and faith in his religion. All of these characteri stics help develop their story in their own way, and I have proved this using the theory known as the butterfly effect. Change one detail in the past, and entirely alter the outcome of the future. Each characteristic helps develop the story in its own way, each critically changing the story when it had been removed from the list of his character traits.

What were the major provisions of the 1954 Geneva Accords, and what Essay

What were the major provisions of the 1954 Geneva Accords, and what international pressures influenced these accords - Essay Example The strategies laid in this issue had a directed effort in controlling trade and other interests. America on one hand wanted to kill communism in the south eastern Asia while the French colonized Vietnam and invested heavily in the region. No one was willing to let go of the loose end of the string as economic and political factors acted as the drivers of events. France never wanted to leave Genà ¨ve after signing the Genà ¨ve accord after investing and gaining influence over the nation (Ives 27). The prime minister kept on with the ties and culture in the northern part. The reassurance of French supports to Vietnam after independence and guarantee it an election in the 1956 hence a transition from a master outlook to equals. The domination of the French compromised the independence of the southern Vietnamese. This influenced the political scene in the nation in that politicians had to be anti French. Ten months after the accord, there was a French American cooperation that saw the French mismatch their action with words. As the Geneva conference approached closure, the US began to review its policies towards Indochina. This consideration came as a result of communist in Chinese gaining avenues to spread to south eastern Asia. This would mean that the free world in these regions would come to an end as restrictions had to gain grounds originating from the communist. Sought to alternative French policies took center stage. The French and the US had to part ways over Vietnam as the policies regarding Viet by the US got subject to withdrawal. The US on its perception felt that the French could have taken a little bit longer in Vietnam before offering it independence. America had two avenues of getting involved in the Indochina war. The most conspicuous one involved the efforts of France attempting to keep its colony as the other included the Vietnamese civil war. The main cause of this involvement by the

Quan-Haase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quan-Haase - Essay Example This causes an elimination of the poor in accessing the learning facilities to be at par with the rich. With the introduction of m-Learning, there can be a high possibility of reduced cost of learning. This can also ease the access of the learning materials over the phones. It is unfortunate that the number of people who can afford such phones is limited. This automatically eliminates the less privileged. Quan-Haase is very clear on the issues that affect the effectiveness of technology-enhanced learning in developing countries – teachers, time, classrooms, books, and money continue to be significant issues. Although technological developments aim at extended and equitable opportunities extending to poor and disadvantaged populations, lack of trained teachers, negative attitude over distance learning, inadequate technology and educational infrastructure and cultural and social restrictions imposed to women and girls, have increased the gap that exist between the poor and the rich, urban and rural, and between genders. The issues addressed in the paper make it appropriate especially to the developing countries. It can be used to plan for strategies to curb the most contagious issues in order to benefit all levels of citizens equally in the developing

Charge of the Light Brigade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Charge of the Light Brigade - Essay Example Due to the foolishness of youth and the hope of a quick victory, each of us wanted to be a part of the battle that would change the course of this strange yet intense conflict. Sadly, as a youth is so often optimistic, the hopes and dreams of my fellow comrades and I were soon diminished as the war dragged on far longer than any of us ever expected it to. Yet, at last, we were informed by our officers that our very brigade would be making an offensive maneuver. Many of us thought that this opportunity was one that had slipped by for far too long and were eager to take place in such an activity. We were informed that the target was a fleeing artillery unit that we could harass and ultimately destroy as a means of improving our countrymen’s position on the field of conflict and seeking to leverage a thorough victory. However, before we set out on the charge, we realized that the position we were attacking was not dismantling and leaving but in fact heavily fortified and well pro visioned. As such, we had one of two choices. Either we could refuse the order and instruct our officers that they had made a fundamental error or we could shoulder our duty and perform it per the requirements that we had been trained. Naturally, as valorous soldiers that sought duty and honor before death, we chose the latter. Sadly, the results of this decision were ultimately terminal for many of the men within my brigade. Withering machine gun fire, constant artillery barrage, and small arms fire defined the charge itself. Even though our men reached the outer perimeters of the defenses towards which we had targeted, the force was so greatly reduced that the effectiveness of this attack was repelled almost immediately. Although many individuals who regard this battle consider this a valorous action, I must say that after having taken part in it, the valor of seeing such a slaughter is somewhat lost upon me. Moreover, the retreat itself was almost as deadly as the advance. The ar tillery, machine guns, and small arms of the Russians did not see their engagement until the point in which we were fully out of range and/or undercover of our own defenses. After the charge, officers, fellow soldiers, newspaper journalists, and individuals around the world held us as heroes. However, it is with a great deal of said that I did not specifically feel myself a hero. Rather, I felt that the men and I within the brigade who had engaged in active foolishness were little more than pawns within the hands of misinformed and rather uncaring officers on the field. It must be stated that even though I have this level of sadness and discussed with regards to the way in which this particular action was carried out, the patriotism that I have towards King and country remain undiminished (Cavendish 53). Instead of viewing this charge as a life altering way of thinking about my patriotic duty, I have instead realized that the military chain of command is oftentimes fundamentally fla wed. Rather than performing checks and ensuring that each and every man could be spared, the arrogance of complete and total control over the battlefield, by specific military commanders such as Maj. Gen. Lord Cardigan, allows such individuals to care little with respect to the trials, tribulations, and ultimate death that their soldiers might face in the field of conflict. Moreover, the officers that reported to Lord Cardigan were naturally fearful of questioning the tactics and providing

Monopoly and Perfect Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Monopoly and Perfect Competition - Essay Example b) Why is MR less than price in a monopolistic market? [2] In a monopolistic market, the demand curve for the monopolistic business is the market demand curve. Since market demand is not perfectly elastic, the monopolistic demand curve tends to be slopping down. Sales can only be increased in such conditions by lowering the price. MR is typically lower than price for every level except the first, since the lower price affects not just the extra sales but also previous sales. Hence MR tends to decrease, since a monopoly has foregone price for a greater output. c) A recent report shows that cars made in Canada are sold at lower prices in the U.S. Although they do not have a monopoly, how would price discrimination help to explain this. What does it say about Canadian consumers relative to those in the U.S.? [5] Price differentiation tends to exist when identical goods from the same provider are sold at different prices. Typically, price discrimination tends to exist in monopolistic mar kets or in oligopolistic markets where it is possible to exercise market power. Price discrimination between the Canadian and the American markets indicates that the same provider is selling the same product at two different prices in these markets. Since the cars are priced lower in Canada, it indicates that the car provider experiences greater competition in the Canadian market. This forces the car provider to sell at lower prices overall. In contrast, in the American market, the car provider faces lower competition or perhaps no competition at all and so can sell cars at higher prices. Therefore, Canadian consumers are willing to pay less to buy cars, while American consumers are willing to pay more to get the same cars. This would also indicate that the Canadian car market is in the state of perfect competition, and the American car market that is in the state of monopoly or oligopoly. d) Give an example of a monopoly. Briefly explain whether you believe it should remain as a mo nopoly or not. Support your answer. [4] Monsanto is a world leader in the commercial seeds market. Furthermore, Monsanto holds a monopoly in certain herbicide brands such as Roundup. This positions Monsanto as a global monopolistic giant that has the market power to alter prices when it feels appropriate. Already Monsanto is being investigated in the United States for breaching antitrust laws. Monopolies such as Monsanto should be broken up, since they cause more harm than good. Monsanto is already responsible for inflating prices in the genetically altered seeds market around the globe. Such practices dissuade the use of such seeds in the long run by farmers around the world, which in turn leads to generally lower agricultural output. Since the market entry barrier is high for industries such as the commercial seeds market and the herbicides market, it is necessary to break up monopolies such as Monsanto. Only such steps can ensure that new market entrants can be introduced to alte r the state of competition. 2. Perfect Competition a) Explain three ways in which international currency markets fit our model of perfect competition. Make sure to explain the effect of the assumptions in the currency market. [6] A market could be theorized to have perfect competition when it meets certain conditions. The market has to be so populated with numerous small firms or producers that

Ethics - Strength and weaknesses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics - Strength and weaknesses - Essay Example The theory of moral obligation emphasizes on the significance of understanding and comparing dialogues associated with morals and rights. That is to say what actions are obligatory and what are the morally right attitudes The moral fiber behaviors in virtue of ethics are constant, predetermined and dependable. Hence, an individual that posse the virtue of kindness has to operate kindheartedly in all types of situation, to all individuals and for a long time regardless of the intricacies involved, whereas in the obligation theory disputes the irrelevancy of asserting and defending one-dimensional division of relativity versus entire moral essentials. For instance helping others depends on the real world experiences where moral and right materialize, (Regina et al.2008:319-1016) The ethical virtue believes in the individual ethical behaviors development is a long term occurrence encouraged by the influence of friends, teachers, and role models, revelations to diverse situations or parents. This is so because different individuals are born with all kinds of propensities which are either positive such calm and affable or negative attitudes like envious and irritable.

Porters 5-Force Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Porters 5-Force Analysis - Essay Example In the following paper the example of online university as a part of a strategic group within the larger context of "universities" will be considered to research the Porter's Five Forces model. The theory of five forces model along with practical analysis is combined in each of Porter's discussion within the chosen industry. In the analysis of online university it is important to carefully enumerate the supplier group. Suppliers to the online education industry would be faculty (content suppliers), mentors, software providers and perhaps in the case of state-supported institutions, the legislators and regents. Given that legislators and regents have considerable power in some instances, one has to acknowledge that the principal supplier group exerts relatively little power in relationship to the industry. Thus the bargaining power of suppliers is low. Barriers to entry deter new competitors from entering the market and creating more competition for established firms. There are several major barriers to entry and they include economies of scale, capital requirements, product differentiation, switching costs, cost disadvantages independent of scale, access to distribution channels, and government policy. One example of an industry with high barriers to entry is computer chip manufacturing. The extremely high cost of building a fabrication plant makes entry into this industry very risky. The resturaunt industry on the other hand has considerably fewer barriers to entry since almost everything can be leased and employees need not be highly experienced and trained. (Porter, 7). One has only to watch the Internet to see almost daily announcements of new email courses, programs and degrees rapidly proliferating. The reasons for this are fairly obvious. Barriers to entry are low. Capital requirements are minimal. Switching costs are not important to the buyers and brand identity is probably not nearly as important as access and convenience. Demand for this "product" is growing rapidly as industry demands larger numbers of advanced degrees and education to meet market demands. The threat of new entrants is high. III. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES Threat of Substitutes exist when the demand for a product declines due to either lower prices of a better performing substitute product, low brand loyalty, new current trends, or low switching cost. When threat of substitutes is low the outcome is favorable to the industry,

Domestic violence as it relates to pregnacy (Option 2) Research Paper - 1

Domestic violence as it relates to pregnacy (Option 2) - Research Paper Example er gives an outline as tohow nurses may offer special treatments to such women.After being attacked, victims are at peak of their physical and mental disturbance and that’s when they need the some serious support. Nurses can be of great help to suchwomen as they usually know how to take care of patients during sensitive situations like these.Such women need not only medical treatment but psychological guidance as well. Many lives are affected by domestic violence. It is one of the main issues of the rapidly growing world. Although many victims do survive, some of them are not strong enough and usually succumb to the fear and trauma of the incident. In most of the cases, it is the silence of the victim that gives the abuser an authority over them. I got my firsthand experience with a rape victim while I was serving as a junior nurse in the hospital nearby. I was treating a regular patient when I heard a sharp painful voice coming from the hospital’s lobby. Wanting to know what’s going on, I rushed to the lobby and saw a teenage girl being moved on a stretcher to the emergency. Just as I reached nearby to ask what had happened to her, she was rushed into the emergency ward for urgent treatment of her wounds. I still remember that day very correctly. She was inside the emergency room for around two hours and throughout she would keep on shouting at the top of her voice. As soon as the doctor came out from the emergency theatre, I inquired from him what had happened. He didn’t give me many details owing to the critical nature of the case but he just said that the girl’s pregnant and got raped in this situation. Being a woman myself, I got shocked like something had happened to my own self. Soon after, I was assigned to take care of that same patient. When I first went in the room I remember she was still trembling in pain and saying something to her own self. When I went close by I heard her saying â€Å"why me, why me?†. I went close to her and told her

A Rose for Emily Essay Example for Free

A Rose for Emily Essay Foreshadowing is an advance sign or warning of what is to come in the future. Foreshadowing is used as a literary device to tease readers about plot turns that will occur later in the story. In the story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† by William Faulkner, several examples are used to achieve the surprising but believable ending. The extremely strong scent about Ms. Emily’s house and the purchase of the poison are just what of these examples of foreshadowing in this story. The first example of foreshadowing is the horrible stench that the townspeople complain about. In the quote, â€Å"just as if a man any man- could keep a kitchen properly,† it shows how the women accuse the male servant of the smell because they stereotype how bad men are in the kitchen since it isn’t their place. Anthor accusation of the smell from the butler is Judge Steven when he states â€Å" its probably just a snake or rat that nigger of hers killed in the yard.† These two quotes suggest the smell to be from the butler but kept us on the edge of what the smell really was. The townspeople tried to resolve the issue, as some of the men decided to sprinkle lime around her house in hopes it would alleviate the stench. However, the smell did not dissipate for another week or two. If the odor had come from a mere snake or rat, the smell would have persisted for only a few days. In anthor section of the story Emily plans on buying arsenic. This is the next example of foreshadowing. â€Å"I want the best you have. I don’t care what kind,† this quote made by Emily to the town druggist when she wants the strongest poison. This questions the reader what she might need it for and why the strongest one. The druggist answers back to her, â€Å"they’ll kill anything up to an elephant,† the druggist made this point to let Miss Emily know that it kills huge animals not only just rats. When Emily goes home she finds written on the box, under the skull and cross bones- â€Å" for rats,† this suggest to the reader to think whether she might use it on herself or for someone else. Therefore in the ending of the story, when Miss Emily dies and the townspeople discover the corpse of Homer Barron, the reader recalls the use of foreshadowing, Miss Emily buying the poison and the horrible stench that was coming from the house. Faulkner in fact prepares the reader for Homer Barron’s death at the ha nds of Miss Emily almost from the very beginning. The use of foreshadowing throughout the story contributes to the unity of the story and allows the reader to accept the lovers’ fate as inevitable.

Bill of Materials and Cost Estimate Sample Essay Example for Free

Bill of Materials and Cost Estimate Sample Essay Total: 201,810 Pesos| B. FOOTINGS, COLUMNS AND BEAMS Item Description| Quantity| Unit| Unit Cost (Pesos)| Total Cost| 1. Albay Sand| 71| m3| 380| 26,980| 2. Coarse Aggregate| 141| m3| 850| 119,850| 3. Portland CementAlbay Sand| very small| m3| | | 20. Portland Cement| 1| pc| 230| 230| 21. Labor Cost (30%)| | | | 42,117| 22. Indirect Cost (10%)| | | | 14,039| Total: 196,542 Pesos| K. ELECTRICAL WORKS Item Description| Quantity| Unit| Unit Cost (Pesos)| Total Cost| 1. Panel Board Main | 1| unit| 3,500| 3,500| 2. 4† Electrical Tape| 3| pcs| 25| 75| 3. Wall Lamp| 16| pcs| 350| 5,600| 4. Triple Switch| 3| pcs| 200| 600| 5. Single Switch| 11| pcs| 150| 1,650| 6. Convenience Outlet| 20| pcs| 150| 3,000| . 20 mm dia. UPVC x 3 m| 10| pcs| 120| 1,200| 8. 25 mm dia. UPVC x 3 m| 3| pcs| 150| 450| 9. 30 mm dia. UPVC x 3 m| 10| pcs| 180| 1,800| 10. 32 mm dia. UPVC x 3 m| 3| pcs| 210| 630| 11. 22 mm2 THHN wire| 1| box| 1,500| 1,500| 12. 3. 5 mm2 THHN wire| 5| box| 1,300| 6,500| 13. 5. 5 mm2 THHN wire| 6| Box| 1,200| 7,200| 14. Labor Cost (30%)| | | | 10,112| 15. Indirect Cost (10%)| | | | 3,371| Total: 47,187 Pesos| L. SUMMATION OF COSTS Item Description| Cost| 1. Site Works | 201,810 Pesos| . Footings, Columns and Beams| 1,469,440 Pesos| 3. Slabs| 458,481 Pesos| 4. 6† CHB Wall| 363,420 Pesos| 5. Ceiling| 301,386 Pesos| 6. Windows| 52,500 Pesos| 7. Doors| 107,100 Pesos| 8. Painting| 248,634 Pesos| 9. Forms and Scaffoldings| 602,778 Pesos| 10. Sanitary Works| 196,542 Pesos| 11. Electrical Works| 47,187 Pesos| 12. 20% Profit| 809,856 Pesos| 13. 10% Legal Expenses| 404,928 Pesos| Total Project Cost: 5,264,062 Pesos Say 5. 27 Million Pesos | The Estimated Cost of the Project: 5,270,000 Pesos

Analyze Psychological Impact Of Television Media Essay

Analyze Psychological Impact Of Television Media Essay The aim of this paper is to analyze psychological impact of television. This paper claims that television has mostly negative impact on our lives. Although there might be some advantages of television, we should spend less time in front of it for several reasons: television is addictive, watching television has a negative influence on our behavior, television negatively influences childrens socialization, and watching television undermines important aspects of family. First, it must be said that television is rather addictive. The average American spends about 4 hours a day watching television( Condry 31), with older adults watching the most of any age group; even teenagers, who watch the least amount of television, still spend an average of nearly 24 hours a week in front of the TV set (Condry 31). The term television addiction, according to Mcilwraith first appeared in the popular press bolstered only by anecdotal evidence, but it gained widespread acceptance among parents, educators, and journalists (371). Television consumes large amounts of people time. Addicted people watch TV longer and usually more often than they wanted and their efforts to cut down their TV watching are often unsuccessful. According to Mcilwraith, people very often gave up important activities (social, family, or occupational) just to watch television. television addiction is defined as heavy television watching that is subjectively experienced as being to some extent in voluntary, displacing more productive activities, and difficult to stop or curtail (371). Condry states that it is unclear the extent to which individuals use television, like a drug, to change their affective state (114). People certainly claim this to be the case when asked about why they watch television. Most people say they use television for escape and relaxation. They use television to unwind, and that it the reason why watching television is rather addictive (Condry 114). This ability to use television for ones own purposes, as an unwinder, for example, raises another important series of questions about the degree of choice available to most viewers. Individuals with cable, or better yet, with a video recorder, should be more able to use television as an unwinder because they have a wider selection of material to choose from. Each person knows him or herself better than any other, we know what turns us on and what might best unwind us. No one has studied it yet, but those with more choice should be better able to accomplish this than those without (Condry 115). Second, watching television has a negative impact on our behavior. Television influences human behavior because there are mechanisms whereby the content of television which can have an effect on what we do and on how we act (Condry 120). According to Condry: Part of televisions influence comes about because of how we learn (by observation and imitation), because of how we respond to certain kinds of story material (arousal/desensitization), and because of the structure of our inhibitions and the way television provides the kind of stimulation necessary to release them (121). Condry calls these behavioral mechanisms, because for the most part the influence was shown on some activity (120). Television also influences what we believe and think about the world, and it does so, again, because of our make-up, our psychology. Just as the behavioral effects have behavioral mechanisms, the cognitive effects of television have cognitive mechanisms based on the structure of attitudes, beliefs, and judgments and on the way in which these cognitive structures are acquired (Condry 120). A series of studies provide evidence for a small but significant influence of televisions content on attitudes and beliefs about the real world. Heavy viewers exposed to persistent displays of violence and mayhem on television drama come to believe that the real world incidence of such violence is higher than do light viewers of the same age, sex, education, and social class. Apparently the facts of the world of television tend to slip into the belief and value systems of individuals who are heavy consumers of it (Condry 123). Violence laden television not only cultivates aggressive tendencies in a minority but, perhaps more importantly, also generates a pervasive and exaggerated sense of danger and mistrust. Heavy viewers revealed a significantly higher sense of personal risk and suspicion than did light viewers in the same demographic groups who were exposed to the same real risks of life (Condry 123). Third, watching television affects greatly the process of childrens socialization. Socialization is the process of learning the attitudes, values, and behavior patterns of a given society or group in order to function effectively within it (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey). The aim of socialization is to prepare children for different social roles, including occupational role. We know that children can imitate behavior greatly. Evra notes that even infants as young as 14 months have demonstrated significant and deferred imitation of televised models(79). One of the most important forces in young peoples lives is television, because it provides many additional salient and attractive role models (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey 282). There is much evidence, which shows that young people unconsciously imitate television characters, they learn from the values, beliefs, and behaviors (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey 282). Television shows numerous law firms, hospitals, restaurants, businesses, and de picts people engaged in various work-related activities. Nevertheless, many traditional occupations, and much of what typically takes place during a workday, are not exciting or dramatic enough to be depicted on programs designed primarily to entertain (Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey 283). Moreover, according to Hoffner, Levine, and Toohey: television often transmits an inaccurate, stereotypic image of how people behave and communicate in various occupations, and portrays women and ethnic minorities in less glamorous or prestigious occupational roles than white males Television also over-represents law- enforcement and professional positions while under-representing managerial, labor, and service jobs (283). The context for television viewing is a very significant component in childrens television experience. Those children who receive parental comment, input, and supplementary information and interaction have a very different experience of television viewing than those who view alone or with less involved parents. Such differences in the viewing context play an important role in determining the strength and nature of televisions impact. Families differ in their attitudes toward, and in their use of, television; these differences in turn influence childrens understanding and attitudes about the content and its impact on them. Coviewing with siblings and peers can also affect a childs behavioral response to television content. Fourth, television has often been criticized for undermining important aspects of family life by displacing other important family activities (Evra 150). It is interesting to point out that since its development as a commercial vehicle, families have come to accept television as a valuable member of the family (Evra 150). Television viewing with family members is common. Televisions danger lies not so much in the behavior it produces as in the behavior it prevents, such as family talks, games, arguments, and other interactions. Despite the fact that families still do special things together, television diminishes their ordinary daily life together, because it is a regular, scheduled, and rather mechanized daily activity (Evra 151). Poor family communication affects greatly overall family health. Problems and conflicts are caused by the family communication dysfunction. It is necessary to spend time together, having a family meal and turning off the TV can create more opportunities to talk. However, because there is TV, children and parents are distracted from talking, and in such a way suffer communication. Television influences various spheres of family life leisure relations, aesthetic interests and values, consumer behavior patterns, parent-child attitudes and socialization practices (Cohen 103). Television is an accepted, approved and readily accessible source of information, and it both creates and reinforces models of social behavior (style of dress, idiomatic language, attitudes toward sexuality and gender, parent behavior) that define not only individual behavior, but also family behavior (Cohen104

The Scientific Revolutions and Copernicus Book Essay -- History Scien

The Scientific Revolutions and Copernicus' Book In the sixteenth and seventeenth century a Scientific Revolution swept over Europe. The start of this Scientific Revolution has been atributed to Nicolaus Copernicus and his Heliocentric Model of the Universe. Copernicus was born in Torun Poland on February 19, 1473. His parents both died when he was very young so he was sent to live with his uncle who was a high ranking official in the Church. Copernicus studied canon law, medicine, astronomy, Greek, philosophy, and mathematics. His diversified fields of study led him to hold the positions of physician, teacher, member of parliament, and canon law expert for the Church. At the age of twenty Copernicus left Poland for Italy for the purposes of schooling and work. Copernicus released his theory of a sun centered universe in his book "On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres" which was published in 1543. This is the same year in which he died at the age of 70. Copernicus waited to release his book until on his deathbed because he feared reprisal from the Church and his peers. Copernicus said he "saw his completed work only at his last breath apon the day that he died." Before Copernicus the world believed in the Ptolemaic model of the unive rse. Ptolemy was a Greek astronomer who developed his model in 150 A.D. This model held that the Earth was at the center of the universe and that all of the planets, moons, and stars rotated around the Earth in different spheres. It also said that everything in space was made up of "perfect" material that was unchangeable. Ptolemy based his model on the teachings of Aristotle. He released his theory in the book "The Mathematical Collection." For over 800 years the Ptolemaic model of the ... ...tter than other planets. We do not sense the motion of our own planet therefore from our vantage point it appears as if the other planets are moving backwards. This process is known as retrograde motion. Retrograde motion explains why the brightness of planets vary. It also explains why some planets appear to move faster than others. Bibliography - Donald Kagan, Ozment, and Turner. "THe Western HertiageBrief Edition: Vol. 2 Since 1648." Prentice Hall. NJ. 1996 (330-331) - http://www.cvnet/Ftpsites/starfinders/articles/ecu.htm - http://www.gco.org.au/st6/6-4945md.jpg - http://www.gco.org.au/index.html - http://csep10phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/retrograde/copernican.html - http://ceps.nasm.edu:2020/RPIF/IMG/EARTH/earth.gif - http://ceps.nasm.edu:2020/RPIF/IMG/EARTH/earthrise.gif - http://www.isomedia.com/homes/cuedeler/astroks.htm The Scientific Revolutions and Copernicus' Book Essay -- History Scien The Scientific Revolutions and Copernicus' Book In the sixteenth and seventeenth century a Scientific Revolution swept over Europe. The start of this Scientific Revolution has been atributed to Nicolaus Copernicus and his Heliocentric Model of the Universe. Copernicus was born in Torun Poland on February 19, 1473. His parents both died when he was very young so he was sent to live with his uncle who was a high ranking official in the Church. Copernicus studied canon law, medicine, astronomy, Greek, philosophy, and mathematics. His diversified fields of study led him to hold the positions of physician, teacher, member of parliament, and canon law expert for the Church. At the age of twenty Copernicus left Poland for Italy for the purposes of schooling and work. Copernicus released his theory of a sun centered universe in his book "On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres" which was published in 1543. This is the same year in which he died at the age of 70. Copernicus waited to release his book until on his deathbed because he feared reprisal from the Church and his peers. Copernicus said he "saw his completed work only at his last breath apon the day that he died." Before Copernicus the world believed in the Ptolemaic model of the unive rse. Ptolemy was a Greek astronomer who developed his model in 150 A.D. This model held that the Earth was at the center of the universe and that all of the planets, moons, and stars rotated around the Earth in different spheres. It also said that everything in space was made up of "perfect" material that was unchangeable. Ptolemy based his model on the teachings of Aristotle. He released his theory in the book "The Mathematical Collection." For over 800 years the Ptolemaic model of the ... ...tter than other planets. We do not sense the motion of our own planet therefore from our vantage point it appears as if the other planets are moving backwards. This process is known as retrograde motion. Retrograde motion explains why the brightness of planets vary. It also explains why some planets appear to move faster than others. Bibliography - Donald Kagan, Ozment, and Turner. "THe Western HertiageBrief Edition: Vol. 2 Since 1648." Prentice Hall. NJ. 1996 (330-331) - http://www.cvnet/Ftpsites/starfinders/articles/ecu.htm - http://www.gco.org.au/st6/6-4945md.jpg - http://www.gco.org.au/index.html - http://csep10phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/retrograde/copernican.html - http://ceps.nasm.edu:2020/RPIF/IMG/EARTH/earth.gif - http://ceps.nasm.edu:2020/RPIF/IMG/EARTH/earthrise.gif - http://www.isomedia.com/homes/cuedeler/astroks.htm

Christmas Is A Good Holiday For Many Reasons :: essays research papers

Christmas Is A Good Holiday For Many Reasons   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christmas is a good holiday for many reasons. There are reasons that exist that make Christmas a bad holiday, but for the most part it is a wonderful time of year. Millions of people around the world will agree that Christmas is one of the most fun and exciting holidays. Christmas is a good holiday because students get a vacation from school, people get to exchange gifts with friends and family, and people get to spend time with their families. Those three reasons, among others, help to make Christmas one of the best holidays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, Christmas is a good holiday because students get a vacation from school. While not in school, students have no homework. That really helps to make the holidays more enjoyable. With no school, students have no reason to get up early so they can stay out late and sleep late in the morning. When Christmas comes around, it means that the school year is half over. If a student has done well the first semester, he or she is sure to survive the second semester.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, people get to exchange gifts with friends and family. Exchanging gifts is always fun because people receive new things. Who couldn't enjoy something that was given to them free. Also, people get to give gifts to their friends and family. Giving gifts always gives people that warm happy feeling inside. The most enjoyable part is seeing the gifts that people gave being opened by the people receiving them. That always puts a smile on peoples faces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Last but not least, people get to spend time with family. Some of the family may not have been seen in a long time so it puts everyone in a good mood to finally see them. Being with family is fun and helps make the holidays more enjoyable. One thing that many families may find interesting is sharing stories.

media research :: essays research papers

Running Head: Discovering the World of Journals in Media Research Abstract This assignment consists of 4 journals, two of which were scholarly and the rest were trade journals. The objective of this assignment was to familiarize us on how to obtain and record data from different journals. This assignment will teach the class how to be efficient researchers in different media fields. Media Research assignment 3 Running Head: Discovering the World of Journals in Media Research Discovering the World of Journals in Media Research Class Since my related field is television production, I decided to use Broadcasting and Cable as my first scholarly journal. This journal is published by Reed Business Information (formerly Cahners Business Information) and is a leading provider of critical information and marketing solutions to business professionals in targeted industry sectors. Broadcasting and Cable is a great scholarly journal for anyone who works for a cable company on or off the production set of the business. The journal informs readers on the latest technology such as Cameras, tape decks, lighting and televisions. The journal also informs us on current events in the broadcasting industry, for example the journal reviews how many satellite companies made money last year. I chose to summarize an article called â€Å"News Corp.’s Carey moves on.† News Corp.’s Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey resigned because of a deal that went bad with Direct TV. News Corp was trying to make a deal with Direct TV in order to build a worldwide satellite distribution company. If the deal went through for News Corp, it would have made them one of the most powerful entertainment industries in the world. Unfortunately someone else beat Chase Carey to the punch in buying Direct TV. Chase feels handing in his resignation will prevent News Corp from blaming him for the unsuccessful deal. Media Research assignment 4 Running Head: Discovering the World of Journals in Media Research The last scholarly journal I decided to use was Educational Technology. This journal is published by FNO (For Now On) Press, which makes a philosophical commitment to engaged learning, problem-based learning and Information Literacy. I chose this particular journal because my girlfriend is studying to be a teacher and I wanted to learn some statistics about her field. The term Educational Technology refers to science-based knowledge. Its concerned about hardware and software systems that can help students learn in many different ways. Readers of this journal include anyone who interested in teaching children by using mechanical devices such as computers and video recorders rather then by using strictly lecture.

Marketing strategy of Danone Essay

Summary After the market research of manufacture and generic yoghurt brands in Spain we came to a conclusion that the best three brands are Carrefour, Danone and Carrefour Discount in the given order. One of the main attributes for the Carrefour’s first place was the balance between low price and good quality with attractive packaging even though Danone was the market leader when concerning the market share. The aim of the marketing strategy for Danone is to gain back the market share it has lost during the years 2007 to 2013 and how Danone can adapt to the economic situation without damaging its premium brand position. SWOT of Danone in Spain We decided to make Danone’s SWOT to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in Spain. By the analysis we named action that can be done in the future in order to increase the market share of Danone. Strength – quality (packaging, structure of the yoghurt, – variety of product line – well known for its good quality and healthy products – development of new products & innovation – advertising (attracts kids) – known brand – web page discount + agreements with the shops – strong financial situation – a number of CSR activities and initiatives to benefit and support the stakeholders Weaknesses – high pricing strategy (premium brand) – competition from big competitors in every segment, which means limited market share for Danone – presence of many competitors means high brand switching Opportunities – the market of healthy products is growing – using discount coupons – street marketing & viral marketing – cooperation with Kellogg’s – renewable packaging – acquisitions and mergers – new placement of healthy products Threats – economic crisis – rising popularity of generics – increase in cost of raw materials – acquisition by competitor – though competition 3 Strengths As a market leader in terms of market share, Danone’s products present many strengths, and the brand continues to improve those strengths all the time. Indeed, in terms of quality, Danone’s products are the best in Spanish market with healthy, tasty and good structured products. Moreover, with a unique attractive packaging, Danone stands out from the other brands on the market. The variety of its product lines give Danone the strength to meet perfectly the demand. In this way the brand can respond to all the customers’ needs, in accordance with the different target groups, wants and customers’ tastes. All the products can be seen on the web page: http://www.danone.es/Producto/danone/#.UxzBm3kh5GM Moreover, the company is focused on research and development, and in this way concentrates a large part of its work on development of new products and innovation. This aspect makes Danone a brand concerned about the future and its consumers’ future needs. This is why today Danone is a brand with a worldwide reputation, well known by most of the people, and an example for other food-processing industry brands. In addition to that, Danone has webpage discounts and agreements with shops which push new clients to buy and current clients to buy more. Finally, Danone’s advertising represents an important strength for the company because they have strong marketing campaigns. This way, the brand catches all customer’s attention depending on the target endorsed. Advertising variates depending on the product line and the main target  market. For example, many of the brand’s advertisings are focused on kids and their needs, which is making the products for kids very attractive. At the same time Danone is giving valuable attributes for parents to make the final decision to actually buy the product especially when it comes to the healthiness or a daily need of certain vitamins and calcium. Moreover, their advertisements are brilliant to attract new clients for their different product lines. 4 Weaknesses High pricing strategy can be considered as a weakness for Danone when considering the economical situation. As a premium brand Danone has a â€Å"label† of a better and more expensive product that can drive customers to consume generic brand products. Moreover, Danone has permanent competition from big competitors, like Kraft Foods or Nestlà ©, in every segment, and Danone’s sales decline compared to those competitors. Finally, the presence of many competitors means high brand switching, which can represent an important weakness for Danone. 5 Opportunities Danone is a well known brand with a great reputation worldwide that implies plenty of opportunities in the Spanish market. People are more health concerned than ever, and this trend is making its way to the Spanish culture as well. As mentioned before, Danone has a large product line where healthy products such as Actimel and Pro yoghurts with added protein. Especially in Spain where the weather is good and the so called bikini season is longer because of the warm weather, people tend to take more care of their body shape and healthiness, which enables Danone to promote and sell its innovative and health concerned products to Spanish people. In addition as shown in the graft below, the demand of yoghurt is increasing year by year meaning that customers are willing to consume such products. 5.1 Discount coupons One of the main weaknesses of Danone is the high pricing strategy that can make customers turn away to consume generic brand products. Thereby Danone could start using discount coupons temporarily. The coupons would be placed as part of the packaging with a 10% discount. Discounts will not be able to be combined with other discounts and it could be used in the next purchase of any Danone products. The main idea is to give a small discount to lower the threshold for purchase without actually decreasing the real price. At the same time this kind of discount coupons creates a continuous circle of purchase and creates stronger customer relation for the products. The real difference of the price would not be significant regarding to the loss of revenues of Danone but would give added value for the customer to consume Danone products. Since Danone would not lower the real prices but use this kind of discount, it would not harm Danone’s premium brand status. 5.2 Street and viral marketing Spanish culture is used to the street marketing and handing out flyers especially in the bigger cities as Madrid. Instead of giving tasting of the Danone products in the supermarkets, it could be a great opportunity for Danone to place a stand into a centric place of a big city, give tastings and share information especially about the healthy products. Thereby Danone can make its most innovative and special products familiar to the new customers. In addition, Danone could advertise its loyalty club that offers plenty of discounts. To use all the sources of street marketing it would be effective to create something catchy that people would be able to make viral. It could be a small competition, flash mob or a game where customers can be active and be part of Danone. In addition, it is often forgotten or unknown that Danone is paying high attention to environmental issues and acts socially responsible. Therefore street marketing gives Danone an opportunity to communicate with customers and show the great work behind its products. This kind of positive  information is likely to leave a mark to the customers and make them consume Danone’s products in the future. 5.3 New placement Danone offers healthy products and concentrates its promotion on that aspect. This is why we decided to gather some healthy products in specific places, on the first hand. For example, we want to place healthy products, especially products with extra protein, in sport clubs, to familiarize sport-people who like having a snack after their training, with the brand, and to convince them to eat healthy products. On the second hand we want to establish special machines in private universities to spread Danone’s products. In this way, we distribute healthy product to young people, who are more concerned by the â€Å"healthy trend† than people of the older generations. 5.4 Recyclable Packaging It is true that recyclable packagings may be seen as a new concept. Nevertheless, it is a necessary one. Materials such as plastic, glass, metal, cardboard or paper may be reduced. To replace this, some alternative products may be used but still maintaining stability and quality. It is an economic benefit, every stage of the recyclable packaging offers potential savings that can make a great contribution to the environmental protection. Besides the economic factor, it also encourages low energy production technologies, reduced transportations and waste minimization. After this analysis we may ask ourselves, what about Danone? We recommend a packaging in green color, which will have a resemblance with the environment. In this packaging the consumer will be able to visualize written facts about the ecosystem, as well as quotes about nature. To increase the interest in the product an extra souvenir will be provided, a disposable spoon in the shape of a leave, this will be attractive to our customers’ eyes. In this way we can differentiate ourselves from the market and mostly, from our direct competitors. 5.5 Association with Kellogg’s 5.5.1 Kellogg’s Brand diagnosis Parent Company : Kelloggs Category : Food processing Sector : Food and beverages Tagline/ Slogan : Bring out best to you USP : First company to enter into readymade cereal breakfast segment Segment : Food- cereal breakfast and beverages Target Group : Family and children looking for healthy tasty breakfast Positioning : Healthy and tasty breakfast Product Portfolio – Brands : 1. Corn Flakes 2. Coco Pops 3. Chocos 4. All-Bran 5. Krave 6. Frosted Flakes 7. Froot Loops 8. Special K 9. Eggo 10.Fiber Plus 11.Crispix Kellogg’s main competitors 1. Quaker 2. Post 3. General mills 4. Torto 5. Tilo 6. Uncle Sam 7. Nestle 8. Cadbury 9. Familia 5.5.2 Kellogg’s SWOT Analysis Strengths: 1. Geographic Diversity: The company’s products are marketed and sold in more than 180 countries around the world; the company will not be seriously hurt by economic problems exclusive to one market or country 2. Great marketing initiative through various campaigns 3. â€Å"Kellogg’s small changes big differences† earth day celebration 4. â€Å"Fighting hunger† initiative with Walmart 5. Kellogg’s â€Å"heart healthy selection† 6. Has a global workforce of over 30,000 7. High brand awareness and top of the mind breakfast cereal brand globally 9. Solid Revenue Growth: Kellogg reported revenue representing year over year annual growth of 3.89%, a stable and secure rate that is projected to sustain into the future 10. Brand Loyalty: Kellogg’s iconic red logo can be found on the majority of the cereal boxes in your local supermarket, and drives customers back again and again Weaknesses: 1. Saturation of Market: Kellogg’s products are already in nearly every market around the world, so there is little room left for geographical expansion 2. Some products are high in sugar content Opportunities: 1. Development of distribution channels in other countries with help of other company 2. Change in lifestyle of consumers , lack of time increase consumption of ready-made-food 3. Tie-up with restaurants and hotels 4. Product Innovation: Kellogg has for years innovated and created new brands and products, and further product innovation is probable and should fuel sales growth Threats: 1. Increasing competition in readymade breakfast segment 2. Food regulations by government 3. Due to the increase of white labels and store brands, consumers have a lot more choices and a lower price segment to choose from. 4. Strong competitors 5.5.3 Description of the strategy consisting in associating with Kellogg’s After this wide market research of Kellogg’s company, we came to a conclusion that an association with Kellogg’s to launch a new product would be a great enrichment for both Danone and Kellogg’s. Indeed, Kellogg’s believes that with every morning comes a new beginning. The company believes that when we start with a great breakfast, great things can happen. That’s why they make more of the foods that we and our family know, trust and enjoy. A variety of great-tasting, good for our favourites that get us going so that we can make the most of every moment. That is how Kellogg’s will bring additional quality, taste and power to our brand. 5.5.4 Marketing mix of the new product Product: 4-pack Danone yoghurt with Kellogg’s cereals attached to the yoghurt. On one side, Danone yogurt, on the other, Kellogg’s cereals. It offers cereal lovers an alternative to milk. People: This product is directed towards health-conscious consumers, family and children looking for healthy, tasty and quality breakfast. Price: ~2,30â‚ ¬ / 4-pack yoghurts Place: Danone’s distribution strategy is to always be available to everyone. This means the products are distributed widely, in a variety of stores and locations so that it’s easy for customers to purchase it, everywhere. Danone guarantees easy accessibility thanks to a great network of distributors. Their products are available in numerous supermarkets all over spain such as Mercadona, Dia, Carrefour, Eroski, Super core, etc†¦. Promotion: For the promotion of this new product, Danone (and Kellogg’s) will penetrate the consumer’s mind using the following means: 1) Television Commercials 2) Social Media (Facebook and YouTube) 3) Discount coupons 4) Radio Danone’s promotion strategy is also known for using strategic ways to expose their products in supermarkets, so this strategy will of course be used as well for the new product. 5.5.5 Conclusion With this strategy, the launching of a new yoghurt/cereal product, Danone wants to contribute to the development of the consumption of ultra-fresh products at breakfast. This product will be introduced as a trial in the first place. If this product turns out to be a success, we will widen this product line by introducing new flavors of this type of yoghurt with cereals, such as strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, etc. Another expansion of this new line could as well be Kellogg’s classic cereals coated with Danone yoghurt. Threats As mentioned before the economic crisis give a challenge for premium brand as Danone. There can be seen a change of consumption where the low price goes over the quality of the product. Therefore generic brand are gaining more and more market share. Year by year there the prices of the raw materials tend to increase which gives an extra challenge for producers to keep the final price customer friendly but still get revenues.

Ocean Carriers Case Study Solution Essay

Executive Summary Given the current and expected market conditions, the financial department of the Ocean Carriers Group is to evaluate the potential revenues and expenses of commissioning a new capsize ship for cargo transportation in order to meet a received demand for lease. A recommended approach would consist in analyzing the expectations for the world economy, trends in world trade and potential contracts; however, an estimated time of service should be assigned in order to predict future cash flows. Summary of facts In January 2001, Mary Linn, vice president of Finance for Ocean Carriers, had to decide whether to accept an offered leasing contract for the duration of three years. In the event of acceptance of the above-mentioned contract, the profits of the company would depend on the agreed hire rates, operating costs, ship depreciation and inflation. After the closure of the contract, further income would be evaluated based on expected market daily hire rates. The conditions for the proposed lease are shown in exhibit 1. Statement of problem The duration of the leasing contract is quite short so the company has to analyze whether the investment as a whole will prove to be profitable even after the closure of the contract. In order to do so, they will have to take into account the fluctuations of the daily spot rates in the short and long terms, as well as existing differences in taxation policies within its offices in Hong Kong and in the United States. Last but not least, the company has to question the tenability of its 15-year policy. Analysis Spot hire rates Daily spot hire rates are predicted to fall in 2001 and 2002 due to an  increase in the fleet size (63 new vessels are scheduled for delivery) and expected stagnation in iron ore and coal shipments. Iron ore and coal imports are very important for the company because they are about 85% of the cargo it carries every year. Therefore, due to this future stagnation the company will face a weak market position, resulting in lower daily spot hire rates. Overall investment Despite negative market conditions in the upcoming 2 years, long-term prospects look much more promising. Iron ore vessel shipments are going to increase due to new players joining the iron ore industry: India and Australia. As a consequence, in this new global market, daily charter rates and spot daily charter rates will probably rise producing additional demand for shipments. Company’s 15-year policy The company used to scrap or sell ships just before their 15th year of navigation to avoid paying for maintenance expenses related to the 3rd special survey. According to our calculations presented in the Exhibit 2, scrapping the vessel before the 15th year is not recommended. Results show that the NPV of a ship after 15 years is higher than the scrap value of 5 million dollars. Thus, we advise the company to keep the ship longer than 15-year period, since operating the vessel over a longer period will earn additional profit and the ship can be scrapped some time later, granting the same million dollars. However, there are few factors that signal why company might be willing to get rid of the vessel. Firstly, if the company’s priority is to keep a young fleet of cargo ships, operating ships older than 15 years may not be the optimal choice. In fact, older ships are riskier and are less efficient. Secondly, due to low demand for older ships, leasing the same vessel in future might be an ineffective venture. Investment decision We computed two separate calculations for given two assumptions in Exhibit 2.  According to assumption A the company operates in United States, thus has to pay 35% of taxes, whilst according to assumption B, company operates in Hong Kong, and it’s exempt of taxes. Our calculations show that NPV in the first scenario is negative in both 2017 (-6,350,239) and 2027 (- 4,285,462) due to very high taxes, while in the second scenario the NPV is positive in both 2017 (1,719,018) and 2027 (4,025,600). It’s important to understand why we presented two columns for 2017. First column shows the numbers in the case of operating a vessel for 15 years, whilst second column shows the values in case ship was to be operated for a longer period. Another important fact to consider is that in the first scenario, when the company operates ship only for 15 years, we excluded the capital expenditure for 2017 related to the survey, Whilst, in the second scenario, while operating the ship for more than 15 years, we added the yearly capital expenditure back. We made an important assumption; we did not include capital expenditures linked to the last special survey, because we assumed that the company is scrapping the ship just before the special survey is conducted. Recommendations In conclusion, keeping in mind what we demonstrated before, the company should invest in the production of the new vessel only in Hong Kong and should not scrap it after 15 years, because its NPV will still be positive.

Blue Velvet

Over history, literature has impacted the approach and understanding of multimedia, pop entertainment. Furthermore, it has shaped our social ideologies, contesting current norms, and furthering our own examination of societal approaches and schools of thought. Much of the narrative and film techniques have incorporated a psychological and psychoanalytic examination of human nature and how it impacts everyday life. David Lynch's film, Blue Velvet is one of the most influential films, pushing the world of entertainment into new perspectives, reshaping much of the technique producers undertake. Blue Velvet served as a major catalyst for independent filmmaking, which largely reshaped multimedia entertainment. Throughout this film, Lynch heavily relies on Freudian theories, specifically revolving about the Oedipal complex/conflict, sadism, masochism, and fetishism as a connecting point between the characters. Throughout this paper, I apply these Freudian techniques on the psychoanalytic level by examining and analyzing various characters. This will further illustrate how Blue Velvet as well as other works that are heavily based on psychology, impact our society. Lynch's film was particularly influential because of his incorporation of darker topics, as well as the connection between his film and Franz Kafka's work in terms of grotesque themes. Lynch helped to shape literature as well, during the tone of this period of darker themes in creative works, because authors began to incorporate darker themes in their own work. The Gothic is a particular genre that Blue Velvet helped to shape. Not only did the film address psychological levels and theories that had yet to be fully represented in pop-media film, but it also utilized a popular Freudian theory called the uncanny. Lynch achieves this because, throughout the film, people are often unable to describe what they've seen. Lynch focuses on the opening setting of Blue Velvet in a small town, encapsulating an idealistic All-American image. The audience is given a picture-perfect neighborhood where children cross the street with the help of a crossing guard in uniform, surrounded by a scene of blue skies, white picket fences, and colorful tulips in blossom. These images force viewers to think about how we collectively define the American Dream, as well as what the â€Å"perfect life† is. By doing so, Lynch is able to tap into our psyche; this storybook beginning allows him to go deeper, behind the fences and smiling children, into a world of anything but perfection. Lynch's influence on society's perception of the â€Å"American Dream,† adds to the importance of his film. Irena Makarushka's article, â€Å"Subverting Eden: Ambiguity of Evil and the American Dream in Blue Velvet.† Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation, enhanced the reshaping of our psychological perception of the American Dream, through her examination of life and society. She utilized Blue Velvet to further her notions through varying ideas and contexts. Furthermore, she examined Lynch's film, because it encapsulated the concept that life is not as it always seems; the â€Å"American Dream† often serves as a faà §ade, blinding society to the darker, perhaps more realistic, side of life. When the film begins to shift into scenes of hungry black insects, the tone and ideas within viewers' minds begin to shift. The contrast between the insects and the happy children at play reveals a struggle between what Freud referred to as the Id and the Superego: â€Å"Professor Freud came to the very significant conclusion that the neurosis represents a conflict between the ego and the id (the instinctive needs); the psychosis between the ego and the outer world; and the narcissistic neurosis a struggle between the ego and super-ego. The differentiation of the mental apparatus into an id, ego, and super-ego thus resulted in a clearer understanding of the dynamic relations within the mind† (Alexander 176). This quote allows us to understand that the children at play are representative of the Id because of our instinctive needs, such as protection, which in this case was provided by the crossing guard; the black insects are representative of our Superego because they focus on â€Å"the part of a person's mind that acts as a self-critical conscience, reflecting social standards learned from parents and teachers,† which correlates to the darker side of society. Lynch's psychologically metaphorical tactic essentially forces viewers to understand that life is not as perfect as it may appear to be, and evil often occurs behind the closed doors of the â€Å"cookie cutter† house. His use of aesthetically pleasing scenery in the beginning, however, is important to remember:It is only rarely that a psychoanalyst feels impelled to in-vestigate the subject of aesthetics even when aesthetics is understood to mean not merely the theory of beauty, but the theory of the qualities of feeling. He works in other planes of mental life and has little to do with those sub-dued emotional activities which, inhibited in their aims and dependent upon a multitude of concurrent factors, usually furnish the material for the study of aesthetics. But it does occasionally happen that he has to interest himself in some particular province of that subject, and then it usu-ally proves to be a rather remote region of it and one that has been neglected in standard works. (Freud 1) Freud is essentially saying that aesthetics often impact the feelings one feels. This being said, Lynch needed to provoke a feeling of peace and happiness at the beginning of Blue Velvet in order to emphasize the shift of these emotions, into those of fear, terror, and confusion. This tactic allowed Lynch to augment the correlation between emotions towards perceived cultural images, and feelings when people recognize that life is not always as perfect as it seems in the â€Å"American Dream.† This point will be examined at length throughout this paper. Blue Velvet serves as a pivotal film because of the psychoanalytic components, particularly in terms of the characters. Each character is symbolic of varying psychological theories. Furthermore, the way Lynch introduces characters contains several Freudian theories. The first character viewers were introduced to was Jeffrey Beaumont. Beaumont came upon an ear while walking near his home. Psychologically speaking, the Freudian theory has noted that when someone dreams about dethatched body parts, it is symbolizing male castration. This is important to note when analyzing Blue Velvet. Before applying this theory to Blue Velvet, the concept of dreams is important to understand in terms of its applicability to the film. Dreams are heavily influenced by the image of our culture, and how we construct it. Lynch undertook this influence, applying it to Blue Velvet, by reconstructing our understanding of the American Dream through tropes of mystery revealed when viewers are introduced to the darker truth behind the beginning of the film's portrayal of the American Dream. The dreamlike imagery he used, relating back to the uncanny, begins with the main character, Jeffrey's discovery of the severed ear. The uncanny focuses on the human mind and mindperecpeiotion in correlation to creative works such as Blue Velvet. Just as Freud noted that detached body parts were subconscious thoughts of male castration, Jeffrey's finding was representative of the general unconscious of society. When Beaumont brought the severed ear to the police department, the detective, Detective Williams, urged Jeff to let the incident go, because there were darker problems occurring in town. As expected, Jeff ignored Williams' comment, deciding to pursue the matter himself, receiving help from his girlfriend, Detective Williams' daughter. Relating back to the detached ear, it largely foreshadowed the upcoming events. As noted above, a severed body part often resembles male castration on the psychoanalytic level. When Jeff began to investigate the case, he soon found himself encountering a nightclub singer and her sadistic male abuser. This singer, Dorothy, and her abuser, Frank encapsulate the Freudian definition of sadism and masochism. Due to the looming issue of male castration, one could assume that Frank was possibly interested in sexual dominance, power, and pain in order to compensate his own sexual insecurities. Freud heavily believed that sadism and masochism, which is a form of sexual pleasure derived from inflicting pain upon others or receiving sexual pleasure from receiving pain, was associated with innate male sexuality (Freud 1). Viewers watch as Frank belittles, insults, and beats Dorothy, but soon discover that she gains pleasure and arousal from the abuse. Here, Lynch is exposing society to the darker side of sexuality, utilizing psychological theories, and forcing viewers to think about their own sexuality. Furthermore, he is allowing several people to act on their own fantasies as an outsider in a fantastical world. This greatly relates to the purpose of the Gothic genre, which is to expose and allow people to process and cope with difficult issues without actually having to endure the pain in reality. When examining Dorothy and Frank on the psychoanalytic level, the Oedipal complex is also seen. Freud believed that the Oedipal complex was a child's internal desire to have sexual relations with their parent of the opposite sex (Klein 12). Applying this theory to the characters, Frank largely represents the child, while Dorothy represents the mother, in a dysfunctional mother-son relationship. Interestingly, despite Frank's aggression, he referred to himself as a baby, illustrating his oedipal fantasy. It Is heavily illustrated, here that Lynch wanted to confront the less than comfortable theories and fantasies that many people truly have. Essentially, Lynch is supporting the notion of â€Å"forbidden emotions in powerful but carefully distinguished forms† (Johnson 522). By this, he means that often times repressed, and or, unconscious emotions that are ignored due to stigma, are expressed in other ways. Lynch was able to depict this through the characters throughout Blue Velvet and their sexual tendencies and personas. Jeffrey represents the Oedipal complex even more. When Jeffrey's father was stung by a bee in his garden, he is brought to the hospital. During this time, Jeffrey stayed home, tending to domestic duties and obligations. His father's incapacity and helplessness forces Jeffrey to go to his father's home and hardware store. Fittingly, it was around this time that Jeffrey found the ear. This discovery could be representative and symbolic of his own feelings of castration because of the domestic duties he began to take on. Generally speaking, the ear is representative of male's anxiety and shame towards their Oedipal fantasies. Lynch was able to depict this anxiety-provoking journey through Jeffrey's own investigation of the severed ear. Jeffrey's anxiety and tension were, not surprisingly, further exasperated by Dorothy. His sexual attraction and longing for a desirable, yet perverse female, relates back to the Oedipal complex. It is more important to focus on Dorothy, because of her perverse sexual nature, and how it impacts the men around her. Moreover, the psychological reasoning behind these fetishes and tendencies forces readers and viewers to think about themselves, and possible pervasions, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and society. It particularly addresses inner conflict and tensions. Some of these inner tensions can be seen in Dorothy though her fetishes. In terms of fetishism, Freud also heavily studied this psychological phenomenon. Fetishism relates to sexuality, especially in terms of children's sexual fantasies towards their parents. The author's claim that we must question of our own perception of reality, as well as the issue of good versus evil, was precisely what Lynch forced his viewers to do throughout Blue Velvet. Makarushka tended to use the term â€Å"illusion† quite often, which was interesting, because Lynch's film had a strong illusionary tone to it, tracing back to the uncanny, and the dreamlike imagery and emotions throughout his film. Her article was complementary to Blue Velvet because she was able to pose the mysterious and often unsettling aspect of reality versus illusionary life in the supernatural sense throughout the film. Furthermore, it did force readers to question how realistic the perfect, â€Å"cookie cutter,† image of the American Dream is, ultimately redefining its meaning. When thinking about the â€Å"American Dream,† society has always seen it as the ultimate standard of successful, happy living. This very point was denounced by Lynch through Blue Velvet. Just as Makarushka brings into play the idea that this concept is too good to be true, â€Å"However, closer scrutiny reveals that things are not what they seem. The slick, picture-perfect surface of the American Dream lacks substance and depth,† Lynch applies this idea to Blue Velvet (Makarushka 33). The idea that things are not as always as they seem pushes readers of Makarushka's article, and viewers of Lynch's film, to think about their lives and purpose beyond materialistic, professional, and superficial levels. This essential argument, encapsulating her entire article, reiterating that there is more than meets the eye, is emphasized through Lynch's character depictions throughout the movie. Jeffrey and his girlfriend seem to have the looks, charisma, and typical life that anyone would strive for, but as the movie progresses, characters such as Dorothy illustrate the darker side of life, involving heavy issues such as drugs, which subsequently make viewers think about life on a deeper level. Difficult topics such as drugs and abuse are not often talked about, or even thought about, in families living the American Dream, which says a lot. Psychologically speaking, the avoidance and ignorance of realizations and discourses about topics such as these can heavily influence people's psychological state. By forcing viewers to reflect on our own lives, past the jobs, kids, home, etcetera, Blue Velvet makes us begin to think about ourselves and identity on authentic levels. This makes Lynch's work particularly influential on the psychoanalytic level, because by Makrushka arguing that we as individuals, must view life through multilateral lenses, as opposed to the unilateral lens we lean towards, in this case, the unilateral lens being the American Dream, people can begin to address their unconscious and subconscious mind, resulting in a fuller understanding of themselves and others. Essentially, both Makarushka and Lynch show us that we must look past the American Dream, into the painful reality of life occurring outside of the protected bubble we place ourselves in. As a result, we become more aware and self-understanding, making us more organic and insightful individuals of society. Another philosopher that attests to Lynch's psychological notions within Blue Velvet is Louis Althusser. His observations of ideology, throughout Ideological State Apparatuses, are particularly seen in terms of his repressive and ideological state. Lynch's depiction of the crossing guards, fireman, and detectives relates back to the repressive state because it is one in which cooperation from the public is achieved through physical coercion by means such as the police. Blue Velvet illustrates what happens when these authoritative figures dissipate, â€Å"The loss of an authoritative interpretative frame of reference results in a cultural disequilibrium. For Lynch, this decenteredness is affirmed in the experience of the ambiguity of evil which ultimately subverts the unambiguous claim of the American Dream† (Makarushka 32). Althusser's ideological state resembles more of a soft power that is sustained by cultural institutions such as church, family, and culture. It also values a sense of choice of what reality is imposed. This state specifically correlates to the reshaping of the American Dream throughout Blue Velvet because it questions what life is like beyond the perfect image, and what reality really is. By seeing what happens when the repressive state fails, we can see how softer figures can reshape people's understanding of life, reality, and deeper meaning. The American Dream must be redefined, and the psychological impact of the human mind must be addressed, according to Lynch. His film, Blue Velvet essentially allows us to understand that the true American Dream is one in which we are self-understanding, multilateral, and questioning of who we are beyond the image we portray, through its psychologically dynamic characters. Through his focus on Freudian theory, human understanding is better emphasized, increasing our own understanding of the self and others.

Innovation in Cosmetic Industry

ABSTRACT : Innovation is one of the most important issues in business research today. It has been studied in many independent research traditions. Our understanding and study of innovation can benefit from an integrative review of these research traditions. In so doing, various topics of consideration have been identified and studied. Consumer response to innovation, Organizations and innovation, which are increasingly important as product development becomes more complex and tools more effective but demanding; techniques for product development processes, which have been transformed through global pressures, increasingly accurate customer input. Innovation is the core business competency of the 21st century. In order to not only compete and grow but to survive in a global economy, businesses must innovate. To date innovation has been approached in a piecemeal fashion often linked solely to the New Product Development (NPD) process. There has been a remarkable increase in R&D investment by industries at global level over a number of years. The area of R&D in industry with the highest rate of growth over the past six years has been in directed basic research. Innovation and the effective management of technology have become a top priority for nations as well as companies, to stimulate economic development and strengthen their competitiveness. Allocation of R&D for the development of new businesses is seen as a key growth strategy by firms in most parts of the world. New products are engines to growth and prosperity for all companies in the manufacturing sector or the service sector. In this article, an attempt has been made to explore the drivers of new product performance, with a particular focus on cosmetic industry. P&G is considered to be one of the companies dealing with cosmetics with the best innovation strategies, and hence it has been taken as an example for the study. The Innovation Diamond is introduced by P&G as an integrative and guiding framework to help management focus on what’s important to success: innovation strategy, a solid idea-to-launch process, portfolio management and the right climate and leadership. (Keywords : Innovation, R&D, Cosmetic industry, P&G, success, Product Development. ) INTRODUCTION : Innovation, the process of bringing new products and services to market, is one of the most important issues in business research today. Innovation is responsible for raising the quality and lowering the prices of products and services that have dramatically improved consumers’ lives. By finding new solutions to problems, innovation destroys existing markets, transforms old ones, or creates new ones. It can bring down giant incumbents while propelling small outsiders into dominant positions. Without innovation, incumbents slowly lose both sales and profitability as competitors innovate past them. Innovation provides an important basis by which world economies compete in the global marketplace. Innovation is a broad topic, and a variety of disciplines address various aspects of innovation, including marketing, quality management, operations management, technology management, organizational behaviour, product development, strategic management, and economics. Research on innovation has proceeded in many academic fields with incomplete links across those fields. For example, research on market pioneering typically does not connect with that on diffusion of innovations or the creative design of new products. Overall, marketing is well positioned to participate in the understanding and management of innovation within firms and markets, because a primary goal of innovation is to develop new or modified products for enhanced profitability. A necessary component of profitability is revenue, and revenue depends on satisfying customer needs better (or more efficiently) than competitors can satisfy those needs. Research in marketing is intrinsically customer and competitor focused, and thus well situated to study how a firm might better guide innovation to meet its profitability goals successfully. To encourage and facilitate further research on innovation in marketing, we seek to collect, explore, and evaluate research on innovation. Key goals of this paper will be to provide a structure for thinking about innovation across the fields, highlight important streams of research on innovation, suggest interrelationships, and provide taxonomy of related topics. Successful innovation rests on first understanding customer needs and then developing products that meet those needs. Our review of the literature, therefore, starts with our understanding of customers and their response to and acceptance of innovation. Because we are interested in how firms profit from innovation, the article will then review organizational issues associated with successfully innovating and with how organizations adopt innovations. Customer understanding and the organizational context are underpinnings to innovating successfully. They must be in place before proceeding. Then the flow of innovation will be discussed. SUCCESS FACTORS IN AN ORGANISATION: Success factors for an organisation predominantly identified in the research papers are : †¢ Product innovation †¢ R&D investment †¢ Leadership commitment, Clear understanding of the company’s capabilities, †¢ Strong connection to the customer and a deep understanding of major customer problems, †¢ Willingness to take big but well-understood risks. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT : Once consumer needs are understood and organizations for innovating and strategies are in place, then begins the execution part of innovation—moving from having a strategy to conceiving a concept to delivering against that strategy, to designing the final product and its manufacturing process, to finally having a (hopefully successful) commercial product. This section examines research that has sought to improve this process of product development (PD), which is predominantly prescriptive in nature. We begin with a brief review of product development processes, then will discuss about the research applicable to each of various stages of product development. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES : The emerging view in industry is of product development as an end-to-end process that draws on marketing, engineering, manufacturing, and organizational development. The core of this process is the product development funnel of opportunity identification, design and engineering, testing, and launch. Previous researches recognizes that, for a single successful product launch, failures will be many, although some may be recycled, reworked, and improved to become successful products. Even when a product has been in the marketplace, innovation continues as the firm continually searches for new opportunities and ideas. Researches also recognize the current hypothesis that firms are most successful if they have multiple product concepts in the pipeline at any given time, forming a portfolio of projects. These projects might relate to independent products but increasingly are based on coordinated platforms to take advantage of common components and/or economies of scope. Risk is inherent in product development; few of the many concepts in a portfolio are likely to be successful. Information to evaluate alternative concepts is often imperfect, difficult to obtain, and hard to integrate into the organization. For each success, the process begins with 6 to 10 concepts that are evaluated and either rejected or improved as they move from opportunity identification to launch. RESEARCH CHALLENGES : PD processes are only as good as the people who use them. Structured processes force evaluation, but evaluation imposes both monetary and time costs. Teams can be tempted to skip evaluations or, worse, justify advancement with faulty or incomplete data. There are substantial research opportunities to understand the optimal trade-offs among evaluation costs, the motivations of teams for accuracy, and the motivations of teams for career advancement. For example, advancing a concept to the next stage in either a sequential or spiral process requires a hand-off. New team members must have sufficient data to accept the hand-off. In some instances, the old team members are now required to look for new projects—a disincentive to advancing a concept through the gate. Marketing, with its tradition of research on people, whether they are customers or product developers, have many research streams that can inform and advance the theory and practice of PD processes. Despite this, we have seen little formal investigation of the link between marketing capabilities and PD processes. The most critical research challenges in this area include, Improving the effectiveness of non sequential PD processes; Understanding which process is best in which situations; Understanding when it is appropriate to modify processes; Linking marketing capabilities and PD processes; Understanding the explicit and implicit rewards and incentives that encourage PD teams to either abide by or circumvent formal processes. Both market orientation and innovation have been identified as crucial success factors in companies. A positive impact of market orientation and innovation on company performance has been found in many industries and under a wide range of market characteristics. Research on market orientation is focused in particular on large companies. However, market orientation is expected to be important for small companies as well as large companies. Research in this field for small firms is relevant because small companies are widely represented in important industries like retailing, services and agriculture. Research has shown the importance of market orientation for the success of product innovations. A market orientation may stimulate innovations and increase the performance of innovations. In this paper we will focus on innovations in small independent companies that do not have the capacity for R&D as opposed to innovations in medium sized and large companies. Various models about the relationship between market orientation and innovation have been proposed examined the impact of market orientation on innovation characteristics using measure for market orientation. Many studies that focus on factors discriminating between successful and unsuccessful innovations conclude that market orientation is one of the main contributing factors to innovation success. INNOVATION Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society. Innovation differs from invention in that innovation refers to the use of a new idea or method, whereas invention refers more directly to the creation of the idea or method itself. The word innovation derives from the Latin word innovatus, which is the noun form of innovare â€Å"to renew or change,† stemming from in—†into† + novus—†new†. Diffusion of innovation research was first started in 1903 by seminal researcher Gabriel Tarde, who first plotted the S-shaped diffusion curve. Tarde (1903) defined the innovation-decision process as a series of steps that includes: First knowledge, Forming an attitude, A decision to adopt or reject, Implementation and use, Confirmation of the decision, Innovation. Innovation is the process by which an idea or invention is translated into a good or service for which people will pay, or something that results from this process. To be called an innovation, an idea must be replicable at an economical cost and must satisfy a specific need. Innovation involves deliberate application of information, imagination, and initiative in deriving greater or different value from resources, and encompasses all processes by which new ideas are generated and converted into useful products. In business, innovation often results from the application of a scientific or technical idea in decreasing the gap between the needs or expectations of the customers and the performance of a company's products. In a social context, innovation is equally important in devising new collaborative methods such as alliance creation, joint venturing, flexible working hours, and in creating buyers' purchasing power through methods such as layaway plans. INNOVATIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO BROAD CATEGORIES: (1) Evolutionary innovations are brought about by numerous incremental advances in technology or processes and are of two types a) Continuous evolutionary innovations result in an alteration in product characteristics instead of in a new product, and do not require any user-learning or changes in his or her routine. Examples are the multiblade shaving razor, fluoride toothpaste, and laptop computers. (b) Dynamic continuous evolutionary innovations require some user-learning but do not disrupt s his or her routine. Examples are fax machines, instant photography, and handheld computers. (2) Revolutionary innovations (also called discontinuous innovations) require a good deal of user-learning, often disrupt his or her routine, and may even require new behaviour patterns. Examples are photocopier (xerography) machines, personal computers, and the Internet. Innovation is synonymous with risk-taking and organizations that introduce revolutionary products or technologies take on the greatest risk because they have to create new markets. A less risky innovation strategy is that of the imitator who starts with a new product (usually created by a revolutionary-innovator) having a large and growing demand. The imitator then proceeds to satisfy that demand better with a more effective approach. Examples are IBM with its PC against Apple Computer, Compaq with its cheaper PCs against IBM, and Dell with its still-cheaper clones (sold directly to the customer) against Compaq. Although many innovations are created from inventions, it is possible to innovate without inventing, and to invent without innovating. NECESSITY FOR INNOVATION â€Å"Innovation will be the necessity for social and economical growth of the nation in future. We live and die through relative innovation. The world has changed because of innovation only. Science is responsible for all the innovations we feel around,† remarked Srinivasan K. Swamy, President, All India Management Association (AIMA), New Delhi A light bulb overhead may signal a bright idea in cartoons and comic books, but in today's business world companies can't sit around waiting for creative bolts of inspiration. Long-lasting success requires a process of innovation that is predictable and consistent. Today innovation is necessary to survive. The global market has become so competitive that innovation is now as valuable an investment as sales and marketing. Markets are becoming more global, not less, so the value of innovation will continue to increase. Here's why: a) The best ideas and technologies spread rapidly around the world now. A company with a new product may make a one-time splash, but before long everyone else will have adopted it. A consistent, predictable innovation process enables companies to overcome this. b) Brands aren't as powerful as they used to be. Experience is now more important than brand name as the basis for a person's purchasing decision. The Internet allows people to share experiences about a company with millions of others. People now choose the products that give them the highest value, not just the best-known brands. Relying on a strong brand name is no longer enough. Consistent, predictable innovation is the answer. The Society of Management Accountants calls â€Å"innovation†¦fundamental to the quest for profitable, sustainable growth. †3 Peter Drucker, probably the most insightful management guru ever, deems it the one business competence needed for the future. Fortune magazine’s advice to companies who want to be named to its Most Admired List? Innovate, innovate, innovate. Innovation currently accounts for more than half of all growth. And it is enormously profitable. A study done on the rate of return for 17 successful innovations showed a mean return of 56% compared with an average ROI of 16%. Companies are catching on to this sea change. In an Ernst & Young study, European and North American companies called innovation the most important criterion for success in the future. Even technology firms who presumably are leading this charge consider â€Å"making innovation happen† the industry’s single biggest problem. COSMETIC INDUSTRY Indian cosmetics industry has witnessed strong growth during the past few years and has emerged as one of the industries holding immense future growth potential. The cosmetics industry registered impressive sales worth Rs 288. 7 Billion (US$ 5. 8 Billion) in 2010. The sector has mainly been driven by improving purchasing power and rising fashion consciousness of the Indian population. Moreover, the industry players are readily spending on the promotional activities to increase consumer awareness. According to our new research report â€Å"Indian Cosmetic Sector Analysis (2009-2012)†, Indian cosmetics sector is expected to witness noteworthy growth rate in near future, owing to the rising beauty concerns of both men and women. The industry holds promising growth prospects for both existing and new players. The baseline for the optimistic future outlook of the Indian cosmetics industry is that, there has been a rise in variety of products offered by the industry players. Moreover, the companies have started opting for online retailing and are offering specialized products to generate revenue from all the corners. Rising usage of Cosmeceuticals and Nutricosmetics by the Indian consumers will also pave way for the Indian cosmetics market during the forecast period. Our research report incorporates an innovation of the cosmetics industry in India. It provides segment level analysis of the industry along with the emerging trends and innovation that happened in the previous years. INNOVATION IN COSMETIC INDUSTRY The cosmetics industry is a lucrative, innovative, and fast-paced industry. It is also a key market segment in the retail industry. In it they highlight the following products as examples of what cosmetic companies are doing to create â€Å"innovative† products. 1. Soap from a lingerie company 2. Men’s cologne in a bottle shaped like a #1 3. Nanotechnology skin care cream 4. 3D anti-ageing skin mask. The only product that could have some technological innovation is the one based on nanotechnology. Unfortunately, there are no claims given and you could easily make the product by creating a standard skin lotion with added, non-functional nanotechnology. If cosmetic companies really wanted to set their products apart from the competition, they need to create formulas that solve consumer problems in some superior way. Consumers don’t care about how their products work (say nanotechnology), they care about the end results. The major sections of cosmetics in this industry are : sun care, skin care, hair care, body care and perfumes and decorative cosmetics. SUN CARE The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends regular sun screen use to help protect skin against UV radiation†¢ Significant industry investment has helped develop increasingly effective and appealing sunscreens that – Offer broad UV (both UVA and UVB) protection – Contain a combination of nano-sized mineraln (e. g. titanium dioxide) and organic UV filters to offer high levels of protection – Have applications that suit all lifestyles and consumer needs SKIN CARE : Skin maintenance is important because skin is the largest organ in the body, serving as a vital defence barrier. This also makes it particularly vulnerable to damage . Regular cleansing and caring improves hygiene, prevents pores from becoming clogged, removes dead skin cells and protects against external elements Dermatological research continually leads to more effective and gentle applications that address different skin types such as dry or aged skin. †¢ Dec 30, 2011 – Euromonitor Reports Growth in Skin Care Market in Africa & the Middle East Between 2005 & 2010. As new opportunities for skin care in key developed markets slowly dry up, much stronger growth forecasts for the category in many markets in Africa †¢ Dec 28, 2011 – R Highlight – Angle-dependent Interference Pigments Multilayer pigments alternately coated with layers having high and low refractive index are known in the art. The optical effect of the pigments †¢ Dec 14, 2011 – Editorial – Future-Touch Translates Future Trends into Innovation †¢ Dec 14, 2011 – Article – UK spa company Elemis has established itself as a leading professional spa company as well as a strong contender in the retail cosmetics market. HAIR CARE : Products: Shampoos, conditioners, hair colourants, texturisers, serums, hair sprays, growth stimulators, anti-dandruff shampoos, lotions. Improved personal hygiene via treatment of dandruff, itchy scalp, greasiness Enables self-expression, helping consumers have confidence in their appearance and greater self-esteem Meeting specific consumer needs such as controlling fly-away hair, taming unruly hair with relaxants, adding texture to limp hair, repairing damaged hair and restoring colour to aged hair BODY CARE : Products: Soaps, antiperspirants, deodorants, body washes, shower gels, body lotions, scrubs, oils. Benefits: Soap represents a significant historical public health advance, helping break down grease and dirt Antiperspirants and deodorants enhance comfort and hygiene by helping avoid excessive perspiration and resulting body odour Non-soap detergent bars enable mild cleansing for consumers with skin conditions (eczema, rosacea, mild atopic dermatitis, etc. ) PERFUME : Products: Perfumes, colognes, salves, scented oils Benefits: Fragrances play a significant role in enhancing personal well-being Aromatherapy research reveals that smells influence our emotions, inspire creativity and are the fastest memory triggers The sense of smell is proven to be an important factor in the process through which we form relationships. DECORATIVE COSMETICS : Products: Foundations, blushes, powders, eye Benefits : Make-up enables self-expression, helping consumers have confidence in their appearance and greater selfesteem Clinical research confirms that the ability to take care of your appearance during illness increases confidence and can aid the healing process Science is at the heart of every cosmetic product. R programmes generate new patents every year and in 2009, over 2600 (an estimated 10% of all patents granted in the EU) were awarded to the cosmetics industry. Scientists from a wide range of disciplines such as physics, microbiology, biology, toxicology, rheology, analytical chemistry and genetics apply their skills in the European cosmetics industry. In total, the European cosmetics industry employs approximately 17,000 scientists. R programmes investigate consumer behaviour and beauty aspirations, the biology of skin and hair, new innovative technologies and sustainable development; this helps to select the best ingredients which are the most respectful of human health and the environment, and to create new formulations which respond to both expectations and challenges Innovation is vital for the European cosmetics and personal care products industry. It can take over 5 years of innovative research and formulation to bring a new product to the market Every year, a quarter of all cosmetic products on the market are improved or are completely new. Europe is the flagship producer and mass consumer market of cosmetics and personal care products in the world. Ongoing changes in the environment and in consumer lifestyles require new innovations that meet increasing needs, such as caring for and protecting skin from sun and weather damage SUSTAINABILITY The cosmetics industry is committed to sustainability and aims to: Reduce the environmental impact of the sector and its supply chain, from ingredient sourcing through to packaging. Ensure a balance between the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainability WHY INNOVATION IS REQUIRED IN COSMETIC INDUSTRY : Cosmetic products are important consumer products with an essential role in everyone's life: apart from â€Å"traditional† cosmetic products, such as make-up and perfumes, it also includes products for personal hygiene, for example tooth-care products, shampoos and soaps. Today's cosmetic market is driven by innovation including new colour pallets, treatments targeted to specific skin types and unique formulas concentrating on different needs. Most cosmetics products have a lifespan of less than five years and manufacturers reformulate 25% of their products every year. They need to improve products constantly in order to stay ahead in a highly competitive market where more choice and ever greater efficacy are expected by the consumer. The European cosmetics industry is a world leader and dominant cosmetics exporter, a highly innovative sector and a significant employer in Europe. The EU's involvement concerns mainly the regulatory framework for market access, international trade relations and regulatory convergence, all aiming to ensure the highest level of consumer safety while promoting the innovation and the competitiveness of this sector. Innovation is important for any business but for cosmetic industry it is a necessity. Recently Several hundreds of key representatives from the European cosmetics industry have gathered in Brussels to discuss the importance of industry on the European economy and how it can build for a sustainable future. Discussion at the General Assembly focused on â€Å"Science, Beauty and Care : Innovating for a Sustainable Future†. Fabio Franchina, President of Colipa mentioned â€Å"Today’s cosmetic industry, is more dynamic and innovative than ever, and we are committed to ensuring that we contribute fully to a truly sustainable uture. † He also mentioned that â€Å"innovation is the life-blood of the cosmetic industry† This product innovation strategy guides the business’s New Product Development direction and helps to steer resource allocation and project selection. In the mid-1990s, P&G’s Cosmetics business lacked a business and product innovation s trategy, the result being that Product Development efforts were scattered; many different initiatives were launched in many different product categories and segments in a futile attempt to win. There was no focus. The first element was a product innovation strategy. Indeed, the real breakthrough occurred in the Cosmetics business turnaround when the business leadership team began a rigorous business planning process leading to clearly defined objectives, goals, strategies, and measures. A much more concentrated innovation strategy was elected, focusing on lips, face and eyes, rather than the entire body. Next important facet of strategy meant getting the supply chain under control: end-to-end supply network management. Management streamlined the supply network so that production and shipments were tied to market demand. As a result, they were able to reduce the time in the supply network, thereby eliminating much of the product obsolescence generated with each new product launch. By focusing first on an innovation strategy for the business, the stage was set for effective Product Development. The message is that if your business lacks a product innovation and technology strategy, you are missing a key element of successful product innovation. This strategy should include the goals for the business’s product innovation effort and how these goals tie into the broader business goals. This strategy is more than just a list of this year’s development projects. It has a much longer-term commitment. The innovation strategy also includes defining strategic arenas or areas of focus, much like the Cosmetics business did. That is, you need to define the product, market, and technology areas in which the business will focus its Product Development efforts. The key here is focus. Innovation is important on different levels and is also important for different reasons. Innovation is an important driver of Economic growth and improvement. For Cosmetic Industry it is for – †¢ Survival Growth †¢ Shareholder return Individual perspective every industry constantly needs to innovate. Industry changes their route to work to become more efficient. They change how they do something (process innovation). They train to broaden their skills (to gain competitive advantage). Virtually all of the economic growth that has occurred since the eighteenth century is ulti mately attributable to innovation. The Economist Intelligence Unit undertook a survey in 2007 which noted that â€Å"long–? run economic growth depends on the creation and fostering of an environment that encourages innovation. Innovation is considered an important driver of long-term productivity and economic growth. Innovation is required to raise productivity, meet the challenges of globalization and to live within our environmental and Demographic limits. Some major reasons for innovation are : ? To survive adverse changes in operating circumstances; ? To make life easier for the customers; ? To gain competitive advantages; ? To protect market share; ? To reposition an organization and raise its profile ? To lead the market and reinforce a reputation as market leader ? To open new horizons so as to get out of a rut or avenues with limited potential ? To attract extra funding ? To raise margins and profitability ? To drive total shareholder returns. FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING AN R&D COSMETIC STRATEGY In this week’s cosmetics and skin care industry post, the New logic portfolio team write about six factors to consider when developing your R&D cosmetics strategy. To research the post we reviewed our cosmetics posts over the last few months, and conducted ancillary research. 1. The Combination of Groundbreaking Formula and User-friendly Packaging In the cosmetics and personal care industry, breakthrough innovations on formulas and packaging are still keys to success as they directly relate to product performance. Cosmetic and skin care chemists search for the ingredients and technology to advance product efficacy, while they also contribute to design innovative package that improve product applications. This is obvious, but it’s the formula, delivery systems and packaging that make all the difference when it comes to developing innovative cosmetics projects. Your R&D cosmetics strategy has to consider what these fundamentals. . Concentrated Product Development A successful cosmetics R&D strategy is efficient in solving two problems: shorten product development times and improve innovation initiatives. In the cosmetics and personal care industry, the diversity of product lines (face, body, lips, and eyes) creates a barrier that prevents the easy innovation across all categories. Experienced leaders use R&D project portf olio optimization to pinpoint innovation projects that align with current resources and leverage the development of existing expertise in a technology. The Maybeline â€Å"Great Lash† Mascara collection has a history of 40 years, during which period its product profile has continued to expand. Maybelline has focused on enhancing the â€Å"Great Lash† product line through conducting consumer insight research, selecting pilot productions and adjusting the R&D process. 3. Consumer-oriented Strategy Any R&D innovations begin with the goal to improve consumer experience. R&D leaders conduct market research to discover problems and collect consumer insights, which if executed correctly can turn into   new treatment solutions and product upgrades. As increasing numbers of cosmetics companies expand worldwide, consumer-oriented strategy also includes outsourcing or moving R&D centers overseas to enhance local R&D capability. For example, L’Oreal China has improved its shampoo formula in order to cater to Asian hair care needs. Overseas R&D centers help facilitate regional research and local talent recruitment. It may also benefit the R&D process in the host country as such outsourcing enables the exploitation of local technology and resources for company-wide projects. 4. The Challenge of Product Diversification While expanding a brand’s product profile is more of a business strategy, cosmetics and skin care R&D departments need a comprehensive technology development strategy to help anticipate risks and structure conceptualization. For example, when a successful skin care company is trying to launch cosmetics lines, the company needs to decide which products to start developing pilot engineering programs. A product development plan that’s been optimized for project selection can allow a company to lay a solid foundation and avoid failures at different stages by understanding what’s possible from the projects to select and implement. . Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions allow merged companies to realize the optimal allocation of R&D resources, such as facilities and capital investments. In this way, R&D departments have the chance to share information and develop better products. In the cosmetics and personal care industry, company mergers and acquisitions may not necessarily lead to the merger of R&D departments. However, a well-established parent company can provide its brands with R&D guidelines that improve innovation capabilities and optimize the product development process. 6. Cross-Industry Development Another future R&D trend are cross-industry solutions, where tighter partnerships with other industries as well as the knowledge of other sciences, such as food and biochemistry enhance R&D knowledge. For example, nutricosmetics was first developed by the Swedish biochemist and scientist Ake Dahlgren, who later founded the first nutricosmetic company Imedeen in the late 1980s. In recent years, L’Oreal and Shiseido have started R&D projects in nutricosmetics, applying what was originally developed from pure science to personal care products. P&G AND INNOVATION Let us now take an example of a leading company P&G and how they improved in cosmetic industry with its Innovation. P&G’s cosmetics business is a case in point where a dramatic turnaround was achieved via a disciplined, holistic approach to new product management. The story begins when P&G acquired the Cover Girl and Clarion cosmetics brands in 1989. Two years later Max Factor was acquired. P&G then applied its tried-and-true approach of leveraging scale and an innovation strategy with a few, big new products. But there was no real business strategy, and efforts were scattered and unfocused. And so, by 1994, management was forced to retreat and retrench. They dropped the Clarion line; and through much of the 90s, senior management at P&G wondered if they should be in the cosmetics business at all! A new line, under the Oil of Olay banner, was attempted but failed, and the entire cosmetics business continued to decline. The turnaround of P&G’s Cosmetics business started in the late 90s when business unit management turned to P&G’s Initiatives, Diamond philosophy. Today, P&G’s Cosmetics business is a healthy, growing, and profitable enterprise. Performance results have significantly improved since the late 90s, and the business is seen as a key growth contributor for P&G. The major factors that drive a business’s new project performance, illustrated in the Innovation Diamond are: Having a product innovation and technology strategy in place for the business; Having an effective and efficient ideato- launch process; Resource commitment, which focuses on the right projects— portfolio management; and People; that is, having the right climate and culture, effective cross-functional teams, and senior management commitment to New Product Development. aha† was that there is no one key to success in product innovation, and thus management stepped back from a focus on individual initiatives and looked at the broader picture. For example, having a great idea-to-launch process is not sufficient; it’s not a stand alone driver of positive performance. P&G’s Initiatives Diamond serves as a guide for each business’s product innovation effort, and helps to focus management’s attention on what is important to success. According to Bob McDonald, P&G’s Vice Chairman of Global Operations, â€Å"The Initiative Diamond played a significant role in improving the business results in P&G’s Household Care global business unit. This work brought us a new discipline to manage our innovation programs and yielded a major increase in the in-market success of our initiatives. They aligned their organization on how to use Stage-Gate ® success criteria, and portfolio and resource management to deliver better innovations for the consumers they serve. [pic] [pic] The top half of P&G’s diamond in Exhibit 2 is strategic in nature, and captures the business’s product innovation strategy: goals, the mix of new products required to meet those goals, and the required resources. Portfolio management (or project selection) is thus closely connected to strategy. The bottom half of the diamond is more operational and focuses on delivering specific new product projects or initiatives: what resources must be put in place for each project; and how individual new product projects are managed so they succeed, using P&G’s idea-to-launch SIMPLâ„ ¢ methodology. Coincidentally, the two diamonds—P&G’s Initiatives Diamond in Exhibit 2 on this page and the research-based Innovation Diamond in Exhibit 1—are almost the same. Each one or both can be used to guide your business’s new product efforts. Here is a quick look at the four drivers of performance and how they work at P&G. Driver #1—A product innovation and technology strategy for the business Best performing businesses put a product innovation and technology strategy in place, driven by the business leadership team and a strategic vision of the business. This product innovation strategy guides the business’s New Product Development direction and helps to steer resource allocation and project selection. In the mid-1990s, P&G’s Cosmetics business lacked a business and product innovation strategy, the result being that Product Development efforts were scattered; many different initiatives were launched in many different product categories and segments in a futile attempt to win. There was no focus. The first element of the diamond is a product innovation strategy. Indeed, the real breakthrough occurred in the Cosmetics business turnaround when the business leadership team began a rigorous business planning process leading to clearly defined objectives, goals, strategies, and measures. A much more concentrated innovation strategy was elected, focusing on lips, face and eyes, rather than the entire body. A second facet of strategy meant getting the supply chain under control: end-to-end supply network management. Management streamlined the supply network so that production and shipments were tied to market demand. As a result, they were able to reduce the time in the supply network, thereby eliminating much of the product obsolescence generated with each new product launch. By focusing first on an innovation strategy for the business, the stage was set for effective Product Development. The message is that if your business lacks a product innovation and technology strategy, you are missing a key element of successful product innovation. This strategy should include the goals for the business’s product innovation effort and how these goals tie into the broader business goals. This strategy is more than just a list of this year’s development projects. It has a much longer-term commitment. The innovation strategy also includes defining strategic arenas or areas of focus, much like the Cosmetics business did. That is, you need to define the product, market, and technology areas in which the business will focus its Product Development efforts. The key here is focus. Driver #2—An effective and efficient idea to- launch system Studies show that an effective new product process, such as Stage-Gate ®, exists in top performing businesses, a system that drives new product projects from the idea phase through to launch and beyond. In P&G’s Cosmetics business, developing an innovation strategy was a solid first step, but the means of implementing strategy must be in place too. So management turned to a second element of the diamond, namely P&G’s SIMPLâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€the Successful Initiative Management and Product Launch model. SIMPLâ„ ¢ is a stage-and-gate new product process, a methodology for driving new product p rojects from the idea phase through to launch and into post-launch The SIMPLâ„ ¢ model forced project teams to do their homework early in the project. For example, much consumer research work was undertaken, and consumer insights gained led to winning new product concepts. One big success is Outlastâ„ ¢ by Cover- Girl. This ten-hour lipstick—a kiss-proof, long-lasting lipstick—uses a unique two-part application system (first a color and then a gloss) to produce an enduring lip color and gloss. A second winner—Lipfinityâ„ ¢ by Max Factor—was also introduced, again using the SIMPLâ„ ¢ model. Both new products have been huge successes not only in the U. S. , but around the world. The turnaround of the cosmetics business was underway! Most companies claim to have a new product process or stage-and-gate system in place, according to a recent PDMA study. 7 Further investigation reveals, however, that most firms’ processes are deficient. They are poorly designed, they miss the mark when it comes to best practices, and they are badly implemented. 2,3 P&G is an exception. Their idea-to-launch process, SIMPLâ„ ¢, is a rigorous process that uses stage-and-gate decision-making complete with clear go/kill criteria and timing requirements. The SIMPLâ„ ¢ model, shown in Exhibit 3, consists of four main stages, with each stage building in a set of current best practices in the form of key activities, and also clearly defined expectations for project team in the form of end-points. There are also four gates or go/kill decision-points in the model; each gate is comprised of a team recommendation and a management decision. The SIMPLâ„ ¢ Model P&G’s approach is different from that of most firms’, however. Instead of focusing on the process per se (like so many companies do), management stepped back and identified the basic principles that the model is founded on. These principles are constants across many and varied businesses and geographies. But the constancy of these principles has helped the company adapt the model to many different types of businesses and different types of projects leading to a standardized and globally applied Stage-Gate ® process. The principles which underlie the SIMPLâ„ ¢ model are shown in the box on this page and explained here in more detail: Winning in the marketplace is the goal. In many firms, too much emphasis is on getting through the process; that is, getting one’s project approved or preparing deliverables for the next gate. In the past, P&G was no different. By contrast, this principle emphasizes winning in the marketplace as the goal, not merely going through the process. Specific success criteria for each project are defined and agreed to by the project team and management at the gates; these success criteria are then used to evaluate the project at the post-launch review. And the project team is held accountable for achieving results when measured against these success criteria. (By contrast, the great majority of businesses still do not conduct post-launch reviews on projects; and even fewer hold their project teams accountable for achieving agreed-to project results). Use criteria for making Go/Kill decisions. Specific success criteria for each gate relevant to that stage are defined for each project. Examples include: expected profitability, launch date, expected sales, and even interim metrics, such as test results expected in a subsequent stage. These criteria, and targets to be achieved in them, are agreed to by the project team and management at each gate. These success criteria are then used to evaluate the project at successive gates. Risk and rigor must be balanced. Project teams employ appropriate e rigor in learning, planning, and decision- making in order to mitigate risk. They build in a strong consumer focus and rely heavily on voice of customer research; they front end-load their projects, undertaking appropriate, often extensive up-front homework prior to development; and they focus on developing differentiated, superior products that meet customer needs better than competitors. Note that SIMPLâ„ ¢ is also scalable and is tailored for specific projects based on level of risk and size of investment. Not every project requires the same degree of rigor, front-end work, and market research. Use a common language. Throughout the 1990s, each P&G business unit had developed its own version of a stage-and-gate new product process. Integration, cooperation, and measurement across businesses thus proved difficult with each business using a different system and different terminology. A GLOBAL PROCESS The current SIMPLâ„ ¢ process is a corporate global process—the same stages, gates, principles and measures—and is universal across geographies and business units. Each business, however, is free to adjust and adapt the process to suit its own business requirements. SIMPLâ„ ¢ is not stand alone. The idea to- launch process is only one ingredient of successful innovation, a single element of a much larger whole, the Diamond. Individual projects cannot be managed independently of other projects, their priorities, resource constraints, and changing business conditions. Thus the Diamond represents the relationship between these elements: innovation strategy,resource planning, project selection, and the SIMPLâ„ ¢ new product process SIMPLâ„ ¢ Driver #3—Resource commitment, focusing on the right projects and portfolio management In P&G’s Cosmetics business, portfolio management, a third element of the Initiatives Diamond, was next employed to enable management to look at its entire portfolio of new product initiatives, and secure the right balance and mix. Through portfolio management, the business built a pipeline of new and improved products that established the needed initiative rhythm for each product line (face, lips, eyes). New products and upgrades in each product line created news and excitement in the market. This â€Å"launch and sustain† portfolio approach was a key part of winning in the marketplace. Best performers like P&G have an efficient portfolio management system that helps the business leadership team effectively allocate resources to the right areas and projects. P&G splits this resource commitment facet of the diamond into two parts: project selection and resource planning. The company relies primarily on success criteria as part of the SIMPLâ„ ¢ process to help make better go/kill decisions on projects, as noted above. In addition, a number of P&G businesses have developed screening tools using scorecard methods for early decisions and for the selection of ideas to enter the SIMPLâ„ ¢ process. When it comes to resource planning for projects in the portfolio, P&G’s methods vary depending on the nature of the business. Many P&G businesses utilize a resource profiling approach to resource planning. The resource profiling method helps to assess future project resource needs based on learning from past projects, and it anticipates peak resource periods of time. This approach enables businesses, such as Fabric Care, to improve the overall portfolio decision process by allocating scarce resources to the highest priority projects globally. The most technically complex, resource-intensive businesses use purchased resource management software. These software tools look at people available versus requirements for specific tasks on individual projects to focus on near-term resource constraints. P&G’s deliberate approach to portfolio management and resource planning (the resource facet of the diamond) has had a strong positive impact, according to Martin Riant, President of P&G Global Baby and Adult Care and formerly President of P&G’s Global Feminine Care and Antiperspirants/ Deodorants business. Using the diamond has had a remarkable effect on our business results. It has forced a much higher level of discipline in how we allocate our resources, how and when we make investment decisions and in accountability of projects to deliver what they promise,† he says. Driver #4—A positive climate and environment for innovation People, culture, and leadership make up the fourth driver of performance of th e diamond (Exhibit 1). First, senior management must lead the innovation effort and be strongly committed to New Product Development. This senior commitment is most evident at P&G where Chairman, President, and Chief Executive A. G.. Lafley, makes it clear, â€Å"Innovation is a prerequisite for sustained growth. No other path to profitable growth can be sustained over time. Without continual innovation, markets stagnate, products become commodities, and margins shrink,† he explains. A positive climate and culture for innovation and entrepreneurship, combined with effective cross-functional teams backed by strong management support and empowerment are fundamental to success. P&G has focused much effort here in recent years, which has helped it generate a step level improvement in results. The entire innovation effort, together with the Initiatives Diamond and SIMPLâ„ ¢ process, is sponsored and owned by both the commercial (sales and marketing) and technical (R&D and engineering) communities. An important step was the creation of Initiative Success Managers who report to each of the company’s busin ess unit presidents. These Initiative Success Managers make the diamond and SIMPLâ„ ¢ work. QUESTIONNAIRE: A small survey was carried out to find out the behaviour of cosmetic users. The survey was primarily designed to check on behavioural aspects of the users towards new innovative cosmetic products. The questionnaire is given below, followed by findings : NAME: GENDER: AGE: OCCUPATION: 1. Do you use cosmetics? †¢ Yes †¢ No 2. How much is your income per month? †¢ Dependent †¢ 35,000 3. How much do you spend on cosmetics per month? _______________ ( Do you agree with the following statements? Q4 –Q8 1-strongly agree 2-agree 3-neutral 4-disagree 5-strongly disagree ) 4. I try new products 5. I switch brands if some other brand comes up with a better product 6. I often find gaps in my current product 7. I wait till I finish my current product till I buy another similar purpose product 8. I would rather reuse a good produce than try a new similar purpose product 9. Why do you switch products (tick all that are applicable) †¢ Price †¢ Packaging †¢ Availability †¢ Fragrance †¢ Utility †¢ Reviews 10. What kind of products do you use? †¢ Herbal †¢ Ayurvedic †¢ Scientific †¢ Any 11. On an average how long do you use a product before changing it? 8 weeks 12. How many times a year do you try a new product? †¢ 10 13. How many times do you reuse a product before trying a new product? †¢ 0-1 †¢ 2-3 †¢ 4-6 †¢ >6 14. Does the range of products available in the market match your requirements? †¢ Yes †¢ No 15. When a new product with a new feature is launched , how soon do you try it? †¢ Within 1st month †¢ 2-3 months †¢ 4-7 months †¢ 8-12 months †¢ >1 year 16. Compared to your current expenditure on cosmetics how much extra are you willing to spend on a new product with better feature/results? No extra money †¢ 1-10% †¢ 11-25% †¢ 26-50% †¢ >50% 17. On a scale of 1-5 , how important is the following feature in a cosmetic product, for you to buy it? Rank the options from 1-5 where : 1-Most important & 5- least important †¢ Packaging †¢ Fragrance †¢ Reviews †¢ New feature †¢ Brand ambassador FINDINGS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE: †¢ The questionnaire was answered by 25 females and 10 males. †¢ There were 20 from the age group of 30-35 years, 5 from age group 20-25 years and 10 from age group 25-30 years. About 70% of the respondents spend around 3% of their income on cosmetics per month. †¢ 67% of the respondents try new products. [pic] †¢ 63% of the respondents switch brands if s ome other brand comes up with a better product. †¢ 80% of the respondents often find gaps in their current product inspite of the huge range of cosmetics available. [pic] †¢ 34% of the respondents wait till they finish their current product till they buy another similar purpose product. †¢ 27% of the respondents would rather reuse a good product than try a new similar purpose product. 87% of the respondents switch products due to better utility, 64% on the basis of reviews, 39% depending on availability, 30% depending on price, 12% depending on fragrance and 6% depending on fragrance. [pic] †¢ 58% of the respondents use a product for 6-8 weeks before changing it. †¢ 42% of the respondents try a new product 3-6 times a year. †¢ 60% of the respondents reuse the same product only 2-3 times a year before trying a similar new product. †¢ Despite the wide variety of products available in the market, 66% of the respondents feel that the products in the ma rket do not match their requirements. Maximum percentage of the respondents buys a new product with 2-6 months of its launch. †¢ 6% of the respondents are willing to pay no extra money for a new product with better features, 15% of the respondents are willing to pay 1-10% extra money for a new product with better features, 33% of the respondents are willing to pay 11-25% extra money for a new product with better features, 25% of the respondents are willing to pay 26-50% extra money for a new product with better features & 21% of the respondents are willing to pay more than 50% extra money for a new product with better features. pic] †¢ For 56% of the respondents a new feature in a cosmetic product motivates them into buying. All the above responses indicate towards the fact that customers are tempted to buy new, innovative, better products. REFERENCES : R. G. Cooper, S. J. Edgett & E. J. Kleinschmidt, New Product Development Best Practices Study: What Distinguishes the Top Performers, Houston: APQC (American Pr oductivity & Quality Center), 2002; Robert G. Cooper, Michael S. Mills, Succeeding at New Products the P&G Way: Work the Innovation Diamondâ„ ¢,working paper no. 1, 2005 R. G. Cooper, S. J. Edgett & E. J. Kleinschmidt, Best Practices in Product Innovation: What Distinguishes Top Performers, Product Development Institute, 2003. R. G. Cooper, Product Leadership: Pathways to Profitable Innovation, 2nd edition. Reading, MA: Perseus Books, 2005. R. G. Cooper & E. J. Kleinschmidt, â€Å"Benchmarking firms’ new product performance and practices†, Engineering Management, 1995. John Hauser, Gerard J. Tellis, Abbie Griffin, Research on Innovation: A Review and Agenda for Marketing Science, 2006 M. Mills, â€Å"Implementing a Stage-GateTM process at Procter & Gamble†, Association for Manufacturing Excellence International Conference, â€Å"Competing on the Global Stage†, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 2004. R. G. Cooper, Winning at New Products: Accelerating the Process from Idea to Launch, 3rd edition. Reading, Mass: Perseus Books, 2001. R. G. Cooper and S. J. Edgett, Product Innovation and Technology Strategy (Hamilton, ON: Product Development Institute, 2009). PDMA’s quarterly magazine for Product Development professionals, How P&G achieves such stellar NPD results, Insights into Innovationâ„ ¢, October 2005 Vol. XXIX No. 4,