Differences of Brand Purchasing between International and Local Female Students Free Essay Example, 2500 words

It is considered that factors such as students country of origin, culture, and opinions from friends have the greatest influence on the choice of products from both local and international students. In particular, the image of origin is associated with the reputation of regions and consumer reaction to feelings and knowledge about the host country, in addition to the culture of that country (Prentice, 2006; Ktonecnik and Gartner, 2007). Therefore, if the products sold in the University are an expression of certain regions whose characteristics they exhibit, it is most likely that the culture will play a key role on the perception of such products and on the ultimate purchase decisions. In a University set up, there are reference groups, which include people or groups that students can look up for guidance and opinions. These are important sources of influence on the product brand. In this case, reference groups include friends who influence other students buying decisions as a resul t of their special skills, personality, and knowledge. For example, when a certain student undergoes a bad experience with a certain brand, it is most likely that they will influence their friends not to purchase such a brand. We will write a custom essay sample on Differences of Brand Purchasing between International and Local Female Students or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Mager and Hulpke (1990) pointed out demographic factors such as occupation, education, income, and family background, which considerably determine the exposure to foreign goods and hence the likelihood of purchasing them.

British Imperialism During The First War Of Indian...

British Imperialism in India Indian Independence The first war of Indian independence, also known as the 1857 Indian Rebellion, was not the first challenge to British authority, but it was the first to feature widespread coordination with increased levels of intensity. It began with discontent within the sepoy army. Initially, the soldiers were well-paid to keep their loyalty, but the EIC failed to increase pay to match the inflation rate. Moreover, they received the impression that the Company was attempting to change Indian religions, due to the criticism of missionaries in India, previous violations of Hindu religious conventions, and the introduction of new cartridges that were greased in pig fat and beef tallow, the previous†¦show more content†¦However, India would have to pay for the damages of the mutiny through increased taxes. The next major step toward independence occurred with the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885 at Bombay. Despite claims of secularism and religious to leration, the INC was a mostly Hindu organization, and in 1906, the Muslim League was formed. Together, they represented the public opinion for swaraj, or self-rule, and served as a way for Indians to participate in politics in response to rising Indian nationalism. One of their first campaigns was the swadeshi movement, a boycott of British products in favor of Indian domestic goods, which won them autonomy at the provincial level. Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), also referred to as Mahatma (meaning â€Å"Great Soul†) Gandhi, entered the INC as its president in 1920. He worked under the principles of ahimsa, non-violence, and satyagraha, truth-struggle, to convince the British that it had wrongfully repressed India, and work together with the them to reverse its effects. From 1930 to 1934, he launched a series of civil disobedience movements. The most notable of these was the Salt March in 1930, to protest the salt tax imposed by the British. Gandhi, along with Sarojini Naid u

Summer Reading Project on the Shades of Gray Free Essays

In the beginning of â€Å"between shades of grey†, Jonas, his sister Lina, and mother are paid a late night visit from the soviet secret police. Father wasn’t there to protect his family, so by force, the family has to get packed and ready to leave out the door in five minutes. Lina packed clothes and essentials, so did her younger brother Jonas. We will write a custom essay sample on Summer Reading Project on the Shades of Gray or any similar topic only for you Order Now But their mother knows what has happened, and starts smashing valuables outside of the police’s sight that she has worked for, almost as if she will never see them again. Jonas and Lina saw their mother smashing dishes and expensive china, so do the police. The mother says â€Å"sorry it was an accident† but Lina and Jonas saw her breaking with rage. They now know that home is no longer a place of comfort, their mother destroyed the valuables because the home and everything in it was now the property of the police, and she wanted them to not have all of it, so she smashed things to make what they were taking would be less valuable. Brother Jonas and sister Lina, totally oblivious to the reasoning behind their abduction, spend their imprisoned days and nights learning to share and work with others. In the struggle of having a father in a train cart, Lina, Jonas and Andrius, cope with each other and striving to save their loved fathers. I think that according to the book â€Å"between shades of gray† I would match up the best with, Jonas. Jonas Is oblivious to the circumstance an just â€Å"goes with the flow†, an plays it on the safe side. Like me, being the youngest, you have to listen and follow. While imprisoned in their cold, crowed, train cars, Lina has to associate with strangers. Lack of food, spirit, patience, and warmth keeps stress tensions high. Lina is trapped with over 10 people in a train car, one man has an injured leg who needs a lot of attention. They are very limited on food, almost a loaf of bread to feed the whole cart. If one were to get an illness that is deadly, the whole cart has a greater possibility of getting it too, because they are all crammed, and are practically touching shoulder to shoulder. Team work is one of the many keys to getting along in the small, crowded place that was forcefully given to them. How to cite Summer Reading Project on the Shades of Gray, Papers

Recognizable Traits of Natalie free essay sample

Natalie, a beautiful creature known to be attached to me by half of my blood, Is a rare one to find. It took Me Seventeen years to find her. Raised not too far from here, her life has been an adventurous one. I finally have gained the courage to explore the ways of Natalie to teach you how to spot her. Ive compiled a list of easy recognizable traits. 1. Bright Blue Eyes: When you look Into her eyes Its Like looking Into the sky on a clear, sunny day.They re one of many traits of hers that pull people In without realizing what shes doing. Its almost as if a spell was castes upon you. 2. Dancing Queen: unlike myself, Natalie is very flexible. She has been dancing since she could keep her balance. She is one of the only family members I know that can bring her leg up parallel to her head. We will write a custom essay sample on Recognizable Traits of Natalie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Give her a beat and she can dance to anything. 3. Fascination With Teal: If you place anything with the color teal on it in front of Natalie she is sure to find it wonderful.If you really want to put her in to a trance I would suggest using tie-dye instead. It is said to be a little more effective. 4. Open Arms: Whether she Just met you or barely knows you Natalie is sure to welcome you into her life. She loves making friends and is very social. Just be sure to be nice back because if you arent you could devalue your honor of being her friend. Things To Remember That Will Keep Her Hypoactive: Clowns Lightness places unlocked windows Spiders Being made to wink Horror movies Recognizable Traits of NatalieBy adaptability Natalie, a beautiful creature known to be attached to me by half of my blood, is a rare ways of Natalie to teach you how to spot her. Vive compiled a list of easy recognizable When you look into her eyes its like looking into the sky on a clear, sunny day. They are one of many traits of hers that pull people in without realizing what shes doing. Unlike myself, Natalie is very flexible.

Importance of parental Involvement free essay sample

Importance of parental Involvement on the academic performance of Grade V-VI pupils BY ct-Gee Introduction Parent involvement is absolutely essential to student achievement in school and in life. The overwhelming studies and research indicate that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, Walberg, 2005). The impact that parents can have n their childs learning and achievement transcends income levels and social status. In fact, the most accurate predictor of a students achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which that students family is able to: 1 . Create a home environment that encourages learning; 2. Express high (but not unrealistic) expectations for their childrens achievement and future careers; 3. Become involved in their childrens education at school and in the community. If two f these three criteria are accomplished, children of low income families will achieve at or above the levels expected of middle class children. We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of parental Involvement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Parental involvement does not only mean that it leads to higher academic achievement, but to better attendance and improved behavior at home and school as well. When school and home, work together collaboratively, and using a competent approach to education, it can make a huge difference in student achievement. Students value their education when they see the interest shown by their parents. When children achieve, everyone benefit. As children excel, the school is recognized, the teachers are recognized and the parents and other family members of those children are encouraged to extend their knowledge by going back to school. The purpose of this study is to reveal how important is parental involvement on the academic the performance of Grade V-VI pupils at school. This aims to show the readers that parents can be a great supporter and a big help for their children to become inspired to study harder.

Walt Disneys Company Strategy

Walt Disneys Company Strategy Introduction This report reflects some of the important findings in terms of strategy, organizational behaviour as well as recommendations that should be put in place for further growth. Walt Disney has been in the forefront of the entertainment industry especially in its four consumer markets namely: Studio and Motion pictures, media networks, consumer products and theme parks and resorts.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Walt Disneys Company Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This report further identifies some of the strengths and weaknesses that befall Walt Disney even with such glory. There are also some threats and opportunities that face this giant company. This report also analyzes the strategic goal of Walt Disney, especially in terms of product positioning, segmentation, pricing, channelling and also promotion. The recommendations that are outlined in the end will enable this company to prepare itsel f in dealing with the present threats as well as those that might come up in the future. Company History Walt Disney was established by Walter Elias in the early 1920’s and began as a cartoon studio until its growth to a global corporation. This company provides high class entertainment for people around the world. Walt Disney owns massive networks of media together with parks all over the world and operates mainly in North America, Asia, Europe as well as Latin America. This company has a strong brand image that enables it to draw huge numbers of customers especially to the extended entertainment products. This is a world class entertainment company with over 180,000 shareholders and employs about 60 thousand employees. Walt Disney has over the years relied on market diversification to achieve its main goal which is to draw more customers. This has enabled the company to grow massively developing from development, marketing as well as research (Jones 273). Walt Disney has be en able to enjoy the benefits of en masse production since it has been a market leader. An example would be when this company utilized extreme amounts of money to invest in its European theme park. It is estimated that the amount totalled to about $3.6 billion, which is a huge amount for other companies to afford. Walt Disney also enjoys the involvement of the government policy which is also demanding.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is estimated that the French government at one point invested about $1.2 billion in this project, provided transport as well as tax relief on cost of goods estimated to be 7 percent from the previous 18.6 percent. Since the entertainment industry in Disney is designed in a unique way, suppliers are less dominated hence bringing up concentration (Jones 274). Its growth is basically drawn from its size. The company is able to establi sh a dependable relationship with its suppliers since it orders products in large quantities. The Disney Company has been able to compete tirelessly with competitors by upgrading all products as well as services to fit customers’ expectations. Internal strength and weaknesses Walt Disney is one of the Hollywood’s largest studios, owning about eleven theme parks as well as other product channels. It owns media networks, theme parks and resorts all embedded in the company’s strong brand. However, there are other aspects like competition that affect its operations in terms of pricing, which leads to low margins. Some of the internal strengths include widened product portfolio, well established brand image as well as wells of Disney’s competitors include Universal Studios which has massive targets in Disney’s customers (Clark 5). Another weakness that Walt Disney has is the protest by some of the religious groups. Some of them claimed that the material s released by the company were offensive. Walt Disney also lacks innovative ideas that would work towards retaining customer’s attention. There have also been some negative sexual implications especially in some animated movies such as â€Å"The Lion King† and â€Å"Aladdin†, among others. External environment surrounding Walt Disney External Environment (p 1) states that Walt Disney is surrounded by competitors who are mainly saturated in the market especially in the U.S. Examples include Busch Entertainment which has equivalent financial resources to Walt Disney. However, with the demanding capital to enter the entertainment industry, Walt Disney finds itself comfortable with less competition. The corporate hierarchical structure of Walt Disney is stable, with decisions made from top to bottom management. The middle management is the one responsible for carrying out the available projects with the help from the lower management. The culture of the corporation is well defined where all employees must adhere to (External Environment 4). Disney has remarkable quantity of resources that are available for allocation. This is where Walt Disney associates with its brand name and quality to promote their products and services. The main financial objective of Walt Disney is to diversify in a tremendous rate so as to maximize their shareholder equity returns. Another strength that Walt Disney boasts about is the proper organization of its logistics operations, HR management, as well as Information Systems. Walt Disney has been able to grow over the years because the management has been in a unique position in the industry. They have been able to relate to past experience, thereby identifying the customers’ expectations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More SWOT Analysis of Walt Disney Though Walt Disney has since grown to be a successful company, it is clear that there are market forces that drag or affect its performance. This analysis will focus on strengths of this company as well as weaknesses, not forgetting the possible opportunities and threats that befall this company. Strengths The main strength of Walt Disney is stored in its brand name. This company has a famous brand that is known to almost every one around the world. This strength is basically drawn from the company’s objective to be the world’s leading entertainment provider, differentiating its products and services from the competitors’. The Disney brand focuses on vibrant characters like Mickey Mouse, Pooh, just to mention a few, to attract customers especially children. Marimax studios together with that of Pixar have been beneficial to the company in reaching a large base of characters as well as attracting more brands (Clark 2). Disney has alwa ys focused on low-cost strategy which has enabled them to stay in the market for a while. It is clear that a company must have new and fresh ideas to stay in the current environment of business. This company is able to control costs and at the same time provide goods and services of high quality. Weaknesses The large workforce in the corporation has been one of the setbacks of this company, not forgetting lofty overhead expenses. Frequently changing the management system interferes with company’s operations because sometimes it becomes more complicated. One should also not forget that this change will always be associated with unwanted expenses. Threats The main threat that faces Walt Disney is within its television network. TBS (Tuner Broadcasting System) has mounted much pressure that Walt Disney cannot handle. It is also important to note that in the business environment, competition is inevitable even if there are high costs involved. There are small companies that risk i t all in order to fit in the market (The Walt Disney Company 9). One threat in the Disney’s cartoon industry is the introduction of new cartoon characters. There are quite a number of new characters that are seen everyday in the Television Network. This brings us to the question, â€Å"will the characters like Mickey Mouse hold the pressure internationally?† This can only be determined by observing the industry carefully. Walt Disney also faces major threats of its security system due to issues of terrorism. Employees also have the threat of losing their jobs because the company frequently engages in acts of introducing new executives. Opportunities Focusing on this SWT analysis, it is evident that Walt Disney uses demographic segmentation as its strategy. In today’s market, it would be important for this company to conduct psychographic strategy in order to increase the volume of customers. Corporate and Business Level Strategy Walt Disney is currently using an informal management approach which is horizontal and decentralized. The available departments are responsible for bringing up new ideas which are considered in the low hierarchy awaiting final decisions. The main focus of the management is on collective creativity of the groups as well as team work. Walt Disney has set aside a special Sunday when all the creative individuals meet in order to share their ideas (The Walt Disney Company 16). Every employee in this meeting is supposed to participate and pass on his or her ideas to the rest of the team. Walt Disney has also benefited from the services of the executives that are brought in by employees of the top management. These executives bring with them significant ideas and experience earned from previous entertainment industry to Walt Disney (The Walt Disney Company 19). Walt Disney uses emergent strategies which are not specifically planned. In this strategy, ideas come from the lower to the top management without the intervention of the seniors. This is one of the best strategies to be used by companies because many people can combine ideas to come up with a concrete strategy. Since Walt Disney has the intention of targeting families that love entertainment, it is strongly recommended that they cater for the ever changing trends as well as people’s life-styles. The success of Walt Disney has been in the vision of customers’ value. Walt Disney has been able to visualize the expected results and work upon achieving the best. The other principle of Walt Disney’s success is the ability to demonstrate leadership courage. Disney was able to portray his visions which inspired other people’s ambitions. He operated by trading values for values with those who felt the need to benefit from the corporation (Linetsky 3). Walt Disney also operates to provide the best quality. This is one of the ways that enables a company to establish long-term relationships with customers. The third principle used by Walt Disney is to be perfect in all possible ways without compromising the quality of the products and services. Disney is a profound perfectionist and wanted his ideas to work in every means. All his standards are set high because they demonstrate high moral value. Along with his standards, he also considered the costs of achieving as well as failing to achieve them. Disney maintained his high standards because they were the guide to his success. In some cases, Disney had to engage in some arguments with his employees and even family members in order to preserve the integrity of his standards. The fourth principle was about money. Disney believed that money was not an end but rather a means. He valued money as a source of financing his ventures and this made him achieve meaningful results (Linetsky 4). The fifth principle is exceeding the expectations of the customers. Disney ensured that his company created a positive customer experience so as to achieve great results. He believed that the most important achievement a company could have is have highly satisfied customers. The other principle was to create experiences that are much valued through the design of the entire business. This can be witnessed by the success and design of Disneyland. Its design took much planning techniques that later contributed to the present relaxing and refreshing experience. The excellent designs are also clearly demonstrated in Walt Disney’s film and park industries (Linetsky 5). The seventh principle was all about treating minds with total respect. In this aspect, Disney made use of the ideas of his employees to achieve his intended goals. He created a favourable working environment that enabled people to exchange ideas for better growth of the company. The eighth principle was all about treasuring creativity. Disney believed that dreams were creative and that it is important to translate them in real life. The last principle that worked for Disney was to think from all direction. Walt encouraged his workers to think and come up with developing ideas. At some point, he used sketches to implement his thoughts and dreams so that his workers could have a clear understanding of his ideas. He was actually comprehensive of those contributing ideas as well as insights (Linetsky 7). Structure and Control Systems Walt Disney has been profitable due to its use of diversification. Disney also uses synergy effectively as well as employee relation (Kirkman 1). These aspects have made this corporation to stay on top of the niche market. According to the analysis and prospects of Disney, it is clear that they are on the verge of competing with giants like Yahoo and the rest. The ability of Walt Disney to link innovative creativity to meet customer expectations is what makes him prevail in the entertainment industry. Converting imagination to real life or physical existence positively influences other people. Disney has been on the list of people who are responsible for technological and organizational innovations in animation as well as film industry (Dilts 1). Recommendations The first recommendation that I would strongly suggest is that Walt Disney should expand their line of production by engaging in market segmentation. This can be done through psychographic as well as observing the lifestyle characteristics of the customers. I strongly believe that Walt Disney can greatly benefit if it ventures into other industries like fast foods. Using the brand name Disney, they can attract a large group of customers especially kids. Walt Disney can as well consider introducing online learning software where children can learn more about animation. Walt Disney should as well analyze all the financial capabilities as well as policies that are implemented in the organization. This can be done through trend analysis in order to determine the financial growth of the corporation. There is also another aspect to be monitored further which is li quidity. This can be used to indicate the capability of the firm to meet its obligations; both short term and long term. Another change that would be necessary for the company’s profitability is to avoid the frequent change of the management. Though new executives bring with them new concepts, this posses a great risk in terms of communication efficiency within the organization. It is important that Walt Disney should focus on promoting the existing employees. This is simply because they understand the rules and the regulations of the company as well as capabilities of the other employees. It would also be important for Walt Disney to specialize in providing consumer products as well as rely on its marketing strategy. They should not only think of diversifying into a new line of products, but concentrate on the existing products and services as well. Walt Disney should put much emphasis on divisions such as the theme parks as well as film entertainment. This will avoid the ri sk of engaging in those markets that do not address customers’ needs in terms of products and services. I would also recommend that the company increases its asset requirements and maintain them under strict control. In terms of product delivery, it would be wise for Walt Disney to establish its own distribution channels. This can be done through channel strategy, delivering services and products to its esteemed customers. Promotional campaigns are also important which would see products expanded all over the market (Ali 19). Since Walt Disney is a multinational corporation, I strongly believe that they have the capability to financially promote their campaign programs. They can have large promotional budgets since they have their own line of media, hence saving costs of running ads on other media. The issue about pricing can as well be closely monitored so as to cater for a large number of customers. The pricing strategy should in fact focus on the Kim line of products (Ali 21). Ali, Shabir. Analysis of case: Walt Disney. 2009. Web. Clark, Wendel. â€Å"Walt Disney world SWOT analysis.† Demand Media Inc., n.d. Web. Dilts, Robert. Walt Disney: Strategies and genius, volume 3. Santa Cruz, CA: Meta Publication, 1996. Print. External Environment. Opportunities and threats. Scribd Inc. 2012. Web. Jones, R. Gareth. Case 21: Walt Disney Company 1995-2009. p. C273-C283, 2009. Print. Kirkman, Christopher. Strategy analysis of the Walt Disney Company. 2001. Web. Lai, Wilfred. Mixed opinions and less support persist with Hong Kong Disneyland. 2008. Web. Linetsky, L. Barry. Nine principles of Walt Disney success. 2007. Web. Media Releases. Residents have mixed opinions towards Hong Kong Disneyland. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2006. Web. The Walt Disney Company. A case study. 1996. Web.

The Shawshank Redemption and its Relation to Greek Mythology Term Paper

The Shawshank Redemption and its Relation to Greek Mythology - Term Paper Example Narrated by an older prisoner named Red, the film gives its viewer information about Andy primarily through the external perspective Red provides, and Red sees in Andy many reasons to pay close attention. Red’s way of telling Andy’s story is one of the first attributes of the film to hint at the possibility that Andy is a larger than life character of potentially mythic—and heroic—proportion. Since the film is set in the 1940s, the viewer instantly recognizes differences in the legal system as well as the treatment of prisoners from how those things are today. This remove from contemporary times serves to emphasize the mythical atmosphere of the film, so the viewer more readily accepts the ideas set forth. We quickly identify Andy as a person of uncommon qualities. Although he comes from a middle class background and has no prior criminal record, he maintains his composure during his transition into prison and his first overnight. As the more experienced inmates make bets about who will cry during their first night in prison, some put their money on Andy. They are disappointed to find that not only is he not the first to cry, but he does not make any sound at all. As soon as Andy arrives at the prison, he is subjected to cruelty, abuse, and even torture. Although he fights against the prisoners who torment him, he is outnumbered by them and can not protect himself. From this early point in the film, one can identify the features of the mythological hero in Andy. According to Campbell, the hero often finds himself in a world that suffers from a â€Å"symbolic deficiency,† and feels compelled to set it right (30). The deficiency can be spiritual, as in a fallen world, or it can be physical, as in a world of ruins (Campbell 30). It is undeniable that the world Andy descends into when he arrives at the prison is deficient. He has to pull a maggot out of his food during one of his first meals, he suffers physical abuse from prisoners and guards alike, and above all else he is serving a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit. Considering this, it seems his prison world’s deficiency is merely an extension of the greater societyâ €™s depravity. Despite the phenomenal abuse, Andy’s mind remains solvent and he maintains his ability to plan and strategize. When he overhears one of the prison guards, Captain Hadley, complaining about the money he is going to lose to taxes, Andy seizes the opportunity. Although it is an immense risk, he presents Hadley with financial advice that eventually results in the exchange of Andy’s financial services for goods provided by Captain Hadley. Andy does not ask Hadley for something for himself, but instead requests cold beers for all his workmates that were with him that day, a seemingly selfless action. This kind of selflessness and largesse is evident also in the actions of the hero figure in mythology. Wright describes mythological heroes as people who â€Å"through extraordinary actions, save the group, change the world,† and commit other meaningful acts (146). For example, Heracles of Greek mythology possessed incredible physical strength that gave him the power to change things in his environment for the better (Grimal 185). He defeated a beast that was causing problems for herders, and killed the Stymphalian birds that were destroying Arcadian crops (Grimal 187). Heracles used his physical abilities to engage in these selfless, world changing actions. Though Andy did not slay beasts in prison, he did devote energy toward significant and world changing activities. Buying beers for his friends was not the limit of Andy’s meaningful acts. Not long after he made the request for