How to Differentiate Customers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How to Differentiate Customers - Essay Example Average Revenue: Businesses need to evaluate the average revenue earned over a period of time. From the accounts perspective, the management needs to check what is the current spending of the customer and what would be the projected revenue. Based on it the average revenue against a customer needs to be calculated. If average revenue is good or is very good then definitely the business should spend more time on the customer.Revenue Change Score: The annual changes in revenue are given the maximum weight where the management can analyze and comprehend the percentage change over the last fiscal years with the current year. The analysts need to study the increase / decrease in revenue to get the change graph. The analysts also need to forecast future revenue change based on current market scenario, customer relationship and other internal and external factors. Lewis (2005) stated that firms should identify their profitable customers and strategically plan their marketing based on custom er asset value. He also specified that the forecasting of the future value of customers is of paramount importance. The management can decide which customers should be allocated more time due to current net worth and prediction of future net worth.Current Relationship: The current relationship with the customer plays an important role in identifying the various parameters related to current revenue and future revenue projections. Customer relationship remains at the core of the entire business where a transparent., flexible and service orientation relation helps in gaining customer satisfaction. Reliability and confidence build up are important in ensuring future revenue and growth of the company. Conflict management should reduce any communication errors and help the firm project its growth plan. Technology Entanglement: Technology plays yet another important role in customer relationship management. Proper reporting, web conferencing and email management helps in communicating with the client. Log maintenance helps reduce communication issues. System integration helps the management in knowing what value additions are given to the customer and vice versa. This helps the organization to differentiate between the various customers and their net worth to the organization. Share of client: The share of outsourced work needs to be evaluated for the customer. There are a lot of instances where outsourcing is required and the business should assess it. Partnership: There needs to be a constant partnership with the customer with communication being a vital aspect of it. Constant

Bullying: Effects On Social Anxiety And Self Esteem

Bullying: Effects On Social Anxiety And Self Esteem The present study documented measures of social anxiety and self esteem in adolescents and sought to determine its association with dimensions of bullying in victims. Social anxiety entails feelings of apprehension in social situations, while bullying involves recurrent and intentional acts like teasing to injure another and has been suggested in the occurrence of social anxiety. Self esteem refers to the general view of oneself and proposed as a link with bullying. An independent variable of this study is bullying while dependent variables are social anxiety and self esteem. Two hypotheses were yielded: (a) higher rates of bullying in victims were linked with social anxiety and (b) there is a relationship between bullying and self esteem. Eriksons developmental theory of Identity versus Role Confusion supported hypotheses of why bullying increased social anxiety and lowered self esteem in adolescent victims. Adolescents between ages of 12 and 20 completed self-report questionnaires on bullying, social anxiety and self esteem. Results proposed individuals who identified themselves as bullied victims had higher degrees of social anxiety and lower self esteem. Keywords: social anxiety, self esteem, adolescents, bullying, victims, erikson, developmental, identity, role confusion Chapter One: Introduction Before measuring the association between bullying, social anxiety and self esteem, it is crucial to be equipped with an understanding of the variables. Bullying With the intention of conducting investigations on bullying, researchers have to first determine what exactly is bullying As denoted by Marini, Spear and Bombay (1999), bullying is the manipulation of physical and emotional influence of deliberate harm towards a person, thereby producing a destructive environment instilling anxiety, threat and apprehension in an individual. Adding onto Marini et al.s (1999) definition, researchers who further assessed bullying indicated two different types namely direct and indirect. Direct bullying is portrayed as perpetual, existing as bodily assaults like kicking and hitting, while indirect bullying consists of behaviours such as teasing and intentional exclusion of an adolescent (Fitzpatrick et al., 2007; Haddow, 2006; Hampel, Manhold, Hayer, 2009; Nansel et al., 2001; Omizo et al., 2006; Raskauskas Stoltz, 2007). Social Anxiety An underlying characteristic of social anxiety is a phobia of social settings and interpersonal communication yielding self awareness and negative beliefs of oneself. Individuals suffering from social anxiety typically dread negative assessment by people (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Based on Slee (1994), social anxiety has been unveiled to impact negatively on peer involvement, thereafter contributing to peer refusal. Self-Esteem Schaffer (1996) postulates self esteem as an assessment of an individual and the extent to which one perceives himself or herself as either optimistic or undesirable. Cooley (1902) proposed an understanding of oneself is shaped in accordance with peoples behaviour towards the self. Those who obtained positive views from others like a compliment would have increased self esteem. Onset of Bullying Bullying has evolved into a universal issue in adolescence. Several public findings by Cho, Hendrickson, Mock (2009) recognized bullying as multifaceted, producing a series of adverse societal, psychological and educational effects on adolescents. A justification for the rise of bullying occurrences in adolescence could be because of numerous progressive changes happening in this stage. Such changes include emotional ones like escalation in anxiety (Green, 2007; Nansel et al., 2001; Pergolizzi et al., 2007). Bulach, Fulbright and Williams (2003) theorized the manner in which bullying contributed significantly to the development of school violence. This was evidenced by an incident in 1998; Georgia, where an adolescent succumbed to death due to school bullying. The misfortune evoked awareness in the country where regulations on bullying were authorized. Hence, it is no wonder bullying is acknowledged as a prominent kind of violence in schools (Bulach et al., 2003; Olweus, 2003; Siris Osterman, 2004; Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy, Borum, Modzeleski, 2002). The following describes the influence of bullying on victims by highlighting the prevalence rates, thereafter introducing traits of victims and how these are linked with social anxiety and self esteem. Prevalence of Bullying Bullying is highly prevalent among adolescents and differs among cultures. It results in detrimental consequences and persists as a stumbling block in schools, where adolescents struggle to handle distress from bullying. National studies directed by Nansel et al (2001) demonstrated an approximate of 2,027,254 adolescents identified themselves as victims of temperate bullying while 1,681,030 youths engaged in repeated bullying. Reviews have generated an increasing interest on bullying in the 21st century (Rigby 2003; Arseneault et al. 2009), with adolescents of United States of America (USA) generating the highest distress from either forms of bullying. This is evident in a study, where an estimated 10% claimed to be bullies or victims at least once a month (Omizo, Omizi, Baxa, Miyse, 2006). A study by Olweus and Limber (1999) stated approximately 1.6 million of college adolescents in (USA) constituted bullied victims. Additionally, Nansel et al. (2001) uncovered 30% of them were linked with bullying, existing as a bully, victim or both. A separate statement by the U.S. Department of Education revealed 77% of adolescents whom were assessed were victims throughout their entire education (Garbarino et al., 2003). With bullying occurrences on the rise, researchers have thus commenced detailed examinations to further evaluate such occurrences in adolescence (Espelage Asidao, 2003). Since such elevated incidences of bullying are a cause for concern, it is vital to be mindful of different types of aggression and that bullying is just a specific kind. Despite majority of studies on issues of adolescent bullying for bullies and victims, only those pertaining to victims and the relation to social anxiety would be investigated. Attributes of Victims This group of adolescents are known as receivers of violence inflicted by their aggressors. Victims are more likely to appear timid, withdrawn and lack motor synchronization. Besides being known to have minute body sizes and regarded as undesirable by their peers (Bernstein and Watson, 1997), they have nervous disposition characterized by an intense worry of negative appraisal from people, (Bernstein Watson, 1997; Haynie et al., 2001), a trait of social anxiety. In addition, these victims display avoidance in social settings as a result of being bullied (Fitzpatrick, Dulin Piko, 2010; Ivarsson, Broberg, Arvidsson, Gillberg, 2005; Hampel et al., 2009). Olweus (1973, 1978) recognized victims exist in two groups; submissive and highly aggressive or provocative victims. The submissive ones are portrayed as vulnerable and do not incite bullies to further violence. Instead, they behave in ways that intensify the act. As submissive victims do not protect themselves, they are deemed weak, therefore undergoing peer refusal, an aspect of social anxiety. On the contrary, provocative victims exhibit restlessness and seem more irritable. They are likely to retaliate during assaults. Though all victims are highly susceptible of appraisal especially negative ones, submissive victims are more affected by such criticism and reproach themselves repeatedly. Highly aggressive victims portray nervous tendencies and difficulties focusing on tasks at hand, experiencing greater disregard compared to submissive victims. Victims and Social Anxiety Though anxiety is manifested in several forms, social anxiety is most palpable in bullied victims and acknowledged as a persistent disorder (Watson and Friend, 1969; as mentioned in Slee, 1994). Adolescents who suffered from childhood bullying may be at greater exposure to being bullied in school (Chapell et., 2004). Despite beliefs on bullying as uncommon in schools, a study has disputed such claims, indicating bullying rates as frequent across some colleges (Chapell et al.). A study was held on 1,025 university students where 60% claimed to have witnessed bullying and around 44% noticed a lecturer victimizing a student (Chappel et al.). This finding led Chapell and his team (2006) to further investigations, where a clear link regarding bullying occurrences in infancy, adolescence or both stages and chances of becoming victims in school was established. Their results are of considerable importance as it can assist some medical practitioners in treatment effects as they manage patients who might be bullied victims before. Social anxiety results in public aversion and restraint in affected individuals, reducing peer involvement due to a self belief of being undesirable by people (Ginsburg et al., 1998), therefore affecting peer communication which prolongs bullying and decreases their self esteem. This understanding was further developed as Crick and Bigbee (1998) noted adverse peer communication can affect ones self assessment, thus accounting for insufficient self esteem and exacerbates social anxiety. Investigators uncovered not all victims of bullying manifest social anxiety in adulthood (Hawker Boulton, 2000; Jantzer, Hoover, Narloch, 2006; Newman, Holden, Delville, 2005; Olweus, 1993; Schafer et al., 2004). However, regardless of their studies that bullying might suggest psychosocial issues during adolescence, there is still inadequate interest in the understanding of why only certain adolescents may experience such issues. Reviews (Chapell et al., 2004; Chapell et al., 2006) indicated adolescents who recalled being victims of bullying were at heightened possibilities of social anxiety in contrast with those who had no recollection. Such experiences pose worry particularly since bullying throughout adolescence has displayed a significant connection with higher emotional and interpersonal difficulties (Dempsey Storch, 2008; Hawker Boulton, 2000; Jantzer, Hoover, Narloch, 2006; Newman, Holden, Delville, 2005; Olweus, 1993; Schafer et al., 2004; Tritt Duncan, 1997). Further analyses on previous bullying occurrences in males who were weekly sufferers discovered that they regarded anxious tendencies as a result of being bullied (Gladstone, Parker, Malhi, 2006). Similarly, the ability to recall past episodes of attacks was known to influence its start, with adolescents who recollected their situation recording a hastened experience of anxiety conditions and greater unease in social settings as compared to those who failed to remember their traumatic experience (McCabe, Miller, Laugesen, Antony, Young, 2010). An analogous study revealed adolescents who were victims before displayed more negative perception of the public than non-bullied adolescents. This perception is an example noted in anxiety disorders (Hawker Boulton, 2003). Furthermore, bullying accounts have specified adolescents who were once victims had more inclination to display characteristics of social anxiety like phobia of negative appraisal from others and social avoidance (Dempsey Storch, 2008). In comparison with non-bullied adolescents, victims are known to experience elevated psychological and emotional suffering due to bullying episodes they faced in school. Research has suggested this intense distress would persist even in adulthood (Fekkes, Pijpers, Verloove-Vanhorick, 2003; Hampel et al., 2009; Solberg Olweus, 2003). Està ©vez, Murgui, and Musitu (2009) piloted a finding on psychological changes with regards to social anxiety and self esteem in 1,319 adolescents. It was revealed bullied victims manifested higher social anxiety and greater discontentment with life compared to bullies and those non-bullied. This was reinforced in bullied. This was reinforced in Fitpatrick et al.s (2010) review where low self esteem and high degrees of social anxiety were evident due to bullying occurrences. Graham and Bellmore (2007) formed a profile sheet for bullying by grouping it based on bullies, victims, bully-victims and those non-bullied. They discovered significant disparities of psychological changes in victims, bullies and non-bullied adolescents, where victims garnered the most scores for anxiety and least in self esteem. In contrast, bullies yielded the lowest degree of social anxiety and were extremely high on self esteem scores. Based on cross sectional information, a study on 226 adolescents with past occurrences of being bullies and victims was operated (Gladstone et al., 2006). Gladstone and his team focused on victims and their likelihood of displaying anxious tendencies in adulthood. Self reported measures were used to determine anxiety. Results depicted bullied victims had greater levels of social anxiety and suffer from insufficient self esteem. Furthermore, social anxiety was still constant in a notable percentage of victims, expanding current findings on the relationship between bullied victims and adverse effects they experience. Additional research on bullying was conducted by Menensi et al. (2009) which concentrated specifically on psychological influences of bullying on victims. This assessment indicated bullies engaged in threatening behaviours like violence while victims suffered from worrying symptoms including social anxiety. In Esbensen and Carsons (2009) four year analysis, based on the belief that bullying happens continuously which causes major psychological issues like social anxiety, a set of questions were devised to establish the outcome of bullied victims and bullies. An apparent disparity in bullying frequency was uncovered. A meagre 28% indicated themselves as victims in yes and no questions; whereas 82% admitted they were victims on questions inquiring personal development and behaviour. Victims faced with bullying on a constant basis also experienced increased social anxiety, higher possibilities of being harmed at school and a severe fear of being bullied, which was supportive of Menensi et al.s (2009) study. Bullying and Self-Esteem The effects of bullying are well documented in countless reviews, from lingering health issues to emotional distress and diminished self esteem. Self esteem is constituted by a series of beliefs an individual has (Berk, 2009). The relationship of bullied victims and low levels of self esteem is clear. This is apparent in Houbre et al.s (2006) report which implied a lack of self worth in victims who were seemingly displeased with their physical appearance. This negative self evaluation may cause victims to isolate themselves from the public, and this could result in mental health issues. Hence, it is significant to identify the connection between bullying and how it leads to low self esteem in victims. According to Hodges and Perry (1999), bullying serves as factors of self esteem and social anxiety. A co-relational study on 8,249 Irish adolescents indicated links between rates of bullying and esteem, where bullies garnered least self esteem and anxiety (OMoore Kirkham, 2001). A separate study directed by Rigby and Slee (1999) on bullying in adolescence revealed 48.8% of males and 62.5% of females who lacked self esteem suffered more negativity following an assault. As a result, they have lesser peer involvement and suffer from refusal, triggering weakened self esteem and isolation from social settings, a core aspect of social anxiety. Thus, as predicted, it appears that self esteem contributes notably to the domains of bullying as well as social anxiety. In a subsequent finding, Houbre, Tarquinio and Lanfranchi (2010) questioned if low self esteem was a determinant and outcome of bullying. Their study supported the idea of self esteem as a predictor of bullying based on results portraying pessimistic beliefs as the strongest indication of the act. In addition, further examination by them on repetitive bullying and self esteem described the extent to which both were connected; the lower the self esteem, the higher the occurrence of the attack. Apparently, bullying can reduce a victims self esteem. Despite victims possessing a likelihood of being bullied, such attacks decrease their self esteem and also exacerbate feelings of anxiety as they accept their aggressors beliefs. Thus, these findings imply that self esteem can exist as a cause of bullying and can also be influenced by it. Ample evidence regarding self esteem in bullying occurrences has been displayed before (Andreou, 2000; Callaghan Joseph, 1995; Ross, 1996). Boulton and Underwoods (1992) study unveiled a whopping 80% of adolescents claimed to experience more happiness and confidence in life before episodes of bullying commenced. This is further evidenced in Bosworth et als (1999) analysis on 558 students of a certain academic level, where low degrees of self esteem and higher bullying rates were linked. Moreover, victims of bullying were recognized to have lower self esteem in comparison with bullies and those not implicated (Andreou, 2000; Bolton Underwood, 1992). Hence, self esteem served as an originator and a result of bullying (Graham and Juvonen, 1998). In a precise finding by Graham and Juvonen (1998), it was noted that adolescents who perceived themselves as victims came across several social issues like low self esteem. This is in contrast with adolescents, who were identified as bullied v ictims by their peers, suffering from peer issues like refusal. Nansel et al.s (2001) research relating to self esteem and the capability to befriend others produced an unfavourable relationship with school bullying, but was surprisingly positively correlated with victimizing people. This is reasoned by Borgs (1998) study which stated male victims were extremely resentful and female victims were mainly unhappy. As feelings of resentment and unhappiness result in distress which affects victims self esteem, they may also be placed at heightened risks of being bullied (Hazler, 2000). In different reviews, the extent of bullying is considered an influence of an adolescents mental well being. This seems to imply anxious tendencies of an adolescent are likely to stem from bullying. This notion was supported by an examination on bullying as a correlation of decreased self esteem and elevated intensities of anxiety (Mynard, Joseph and Alexander, 2000). An exact finding by Mynard et al. (2000) purported oral bullying as a negative link with self esteem and that adverse outcomes of bullying may vary based on the extent of aggression applied. As a majority of adolescents are predisposed to intimidation by bullies, one possible reason for those who are more confident and less anxious would be their low acceptance of assaults by bullies as they attempt to protect themselves against harm, instead of the victims who fail to retaliate (Egan Perry, 1998). This explanation hence clarifies why only some adolescents who lack self regard and display social anxiety depict a phase of bullying. Several findings specified self esteem as a significant link to bullying and social anxiety, proposing that bullying incidents cause unfavourable effects on an individuals self esteem, thus justifying the high degrees of social anxiety according to them (Bernstein Watson, 1997; Fosse Holen, 2002; Kumpulainen, Rasanen and Henttonen, 1999; Kumpulainen Rasanen, 2000; Mahady-Wilton, Craig, Pepler, 2000; Marini, Spear Bombay, 1999; Nansel, Overpeck, Pilla, Ruan, Simons Morton, Scheidt, 2001; Perry, Kusal Perry, 1988; Rigby, 2000; Roecker Phelps, 2001).

Review on Black Comedy :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Journal Entry for â€Å"Black Comedy† Dear Journal:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have never been so exhausted in my entire life and now I have time to sleep and do some schoolwork. I know this is a day late and I am sorry, but Sunday I just couldn’t function anymore.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the production of â€Å"Black Comedy† I learned how to speak with a Standard British and Cockney dialect, was able to participate in the erection and demolition of a big set, and realized how much actors rely on each other during a performance. This production was hard, but an enjoyable learning experience. Never in my life had I used a British accent or a Cockney, now that I think of it. It was really hard for me to get that all down. Chris really did his job by pounding it away into our brains with all the packets and tapes. I had to watch â€Å"My Fair Lady† to get that wonderful Cockney down. Dialect work was the topic of our second rehearsal with little comments throughout the production.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oh what a lovely set we had! With some measurements that were missing or wrong. All Hail Jim! I really enjoyed being a part of the group and helping put the set together. I was so glad to hear that there would be a second work call because I hadn’t been able to attend the first. We started out that morning by putting the upstairs platform up, the stairs, the flats, and then paint. We ended that night by painting the stage a nice brown color and we were out of there at eleven o’clock. It took an awfully long time to put the set up, yet it took about three and a half hours to pull it all down. It was all over when all there was left to do was sweep the floor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since this was only my second play I realized that with a small cast as â€Å"Black Comedy† had each actor must work together and know the other actors’ lines. When someone would miss or forget a line, another actor would have to either help them get back to where they should be or go with it. I learned just how important cue lines were in this production. They tell you were you should be in your blocking, in the play, and who’s line is next. A way that helped me learn my lines this time around was when I thought I knew them I would write them down and then go back over them with the script in my hand.

Addiction Counselor Essay

The Human Service Career of Addiction Counseling has inspired me to learn all I can to help people, and has given me the opportunity to make an honest living. I was in desperate need of a behavior and attitude change about my life, for I have received the information from others in the field and made a conscious decision to help others who have a desire for change and a new way of life. Substance abuse counselors advise people who have alcoholism or other types of addiction, behavioral problems, or help the client recover from addiction by providing treatment and support. Substance abuse counselors and behavior disorder counselors do the following: Help people in treatment centers, jails, institutions with mental and physical, addiction or problem behavior. In these settings they assist people develop treatment goals and plans. They help people with family problems. Help people with behavioral and attitude to recover from their addiction. Work with families about addiction or behavioral disorders, and help them develop strategies to cope with those problems. Refer people to other resources or services, such as job placement services and support groups. The support groups of Narcotic’s Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous are just a couple of positive resources addicts in recovery attend. There are a number of career centers located in metropolitan areas which help people with job placement or assist them to obtain the skills to get a job. Addiction counselors also work with other health and mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, social workers, doctors, and nurses. They work in places that employ many types of healthcare and mental health professionals. Addiction treatment counselors may work in teams to best develop a treatment plan and coordinate the suggested care for a patient. Counselors work with those who have been ordered by a judge to receive treatment for addiction problems. Counselors work in a wide variety of settings; mental health centers, prisons, probation or parole agencies and juvenile detention facilities. They also work in halfway houses, detox centers, or in employee assistance programs. EAP’s are mental health programs provided by some companies to help employees deal with personal problems. Addiction counselors work in residential centers, where clients live in the facility for thirty days, sixty days, six months, one year, and eighteen month long term program. They work with clients in outpatient treatment centers or programs. Addiction counselors also work in private practice, where they work alone or with other professionals. They have sometimes have large caseloads, and do not always have enough counselors to meet the demand for their services. They may have to work together in some situations to deal with agitated clients, which can be very stressful. Addiction counselors work full time, and overtime in inpatient facilities, you may have to work evenings, nights, or weekends. Education requirements are from a high school diploma to a master’s degree, depending on where you’re working and state regulation. Counselors with a license are able to do more with their clients, such as private one-on-one counseling sessions. If this is what you’re interested in you need to reach your state’s education requirements. Substance abuse and behavioral disorders counselors in private practice must be license. Private practice, requires a master’s degree and 2,000 to 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. Counselors must pass a state-recognized exam and complete continuing education every year. Contact information for your state’s regulating board can be found through the National Board for Certified Counselors. The licensure or certification criteria for substance abuse and behavioral counselors outside of private practice may vary from state to state. The state you’re working in may or may not require a specific degree, but many require applicants to pass an exam. Addiction Counselor’s with less education, such as a high school diploma, may be required to go through a period of on the job training. Training prepares counselors how to respond to a crisis situation, and interact with families and people with addictions. The wages for substance abuse behavioral disorder counselors in the industries employing the most counselors were as follows: Hospitals, state, local. Private –$ 45,000, Local Government –$ 45,000, Individual and family services – $ 37,000, Outpatient mental health and substances abuse centers – $ 35,000 and Residential mental health and substance abuse facilities – $33,570. The median is annual wage of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors was $ 38,120 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $ 24,690 and the top 10 percent earned more than $ 60,400. Employment of addiction counselors is expected to grow more than average for all occupations. Growth is expected as more people seek treatment for their addictions or other behaviors and drug offenders are increasingly being sentenced to treatment rather than jail time. The court system has recognized that people committing crimes related to drugs are less likely to offend again if they get treatment for addiction. As the population grows, the number of individuals entering treatment is expected to increase as well. This is expected to cause a continued demand for counselors in mental health centers, halfway houses, detox centers, and treatment programs. Important qualities for this kind of work are as follows: Compassion; Counselors often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be compassionate and empathize with their clients. Listening skills; Good listening skills are essential for substance abuse counselors, they need to give their full attention to a client to be able to understand that client’s problem and values. Patients; Counselors must be able to remain calm when working with all types of clients, including those who may be distressed or angry. People skills; Counselors must be able to work with different types of people. They spend most of their time working directly with clients or other professionals and must be able to develop and nature good relationships. Speaking skills; Counselors need to be able to communicate with clients effectively. They must express ideas and information in a way that their clients easily understand. Job prospects are excellent for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, particularly for those with specialized training or education. Employers often have difficulty recruiting workers with the proper educational requirements and experience in working with addiction. Although, many workers leave the field after a few years and jobs need to be replaced. Those interested in entering this field should do some searching and find the right place suitable to your liking so you can enjoy helping others while earning a responsible living. References Occupational outlook handbook (2012-13 ed, pp, 192-194). Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorders Counselors. Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor’s Pub. Division.

Erving Goffman The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Essay

Erving Goffman has completed a wonderful presentation of human behaviour and face-to-face interactions, of a first meeting between two people, who may or may not have an audience. The use of a theatrical performance to explain the interaction was indeed an ingenious idea that kept me intrigued until the very end. This book was written in 1959 but its referencing to human behaviour is still very much relevant to today’s life style. Human behaviour patterns have been written about by many individuals over the years, why we do the things we do or how long we have been undertaking these behaviours. Is there any relevance to the patterns in our behaviour? It would seem there definitely appears to be. As a society, to influence how another person perceives who we are. We give appearances and refinements of someone we want people to see, yet not particularly who we truly are. Goffman describes this as a performance, a play that we put on to give a good first impression. This play could become a nightmare, if we do not keep it under control. It can be difficult to play the part of someone you are not, for the reason that it can rebound on you. It is better to persist with who you are, and not reveal all of yourself in the beginning, like a good story. To present who we are, we should start at the foundation, begin with presenting an opening act. This act should be near to true life, the person you would like to be known as. Currently a person of importance gives the impression that they know what they are doing, example your doctor. If they were a person who, on first meeting gave the impression that they were unsure, confused and unconfident, would you go back to them? No, perhaps not. Even when they are having a bad day your doctor will always appear to be in control, so that we feel more at ease. When we first meet new people we try to acquire information about them, it is then how the person delivers this information, that we base our assumptions. People give information verbally and non-verbally by expressions, movements, gestures and other presumably unintentional communications, like a slight smile. Our brain takes all this information into consideration then makes a personal judgment based on the material it collects. There is so much information for us to collect and make our decision on, that we sometimes need a second meeting to be able to make a correct judgement on a particular person we have meet. Goffman concludes that his own assumptions are made upon a face-to-face interaction and the result of an encounter, the performance that is given to each particular participant and their performance as a basic point of reference. In conclusion, Goffmans writings clearly represent how we present ourselves in everyday life today, and possibly well into the future. References Erving, Goffman (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, New York, Anchor Books, pp. 1-16.

To Close for Comfort essays

To Close for Comfort essays According to the article, Too Close for Comfort, personal space can be defined as, an invisible boundary surrounding each individual, a territory into which others may trespass. Numerous studies have been conducted measuring gender differences in dyadic intervention. Past results have shown that females do not require as much personal space in conversation than males. James Baxter also conducted a study involving interpersonal spacing in natural settings. Baxter observed similar gender differences, however he also concluded that role relationships were a determining factor in all three scenarios. The level of comfort and relationship status while engaging in conversation also becomes a determining factor. The more comfortable one is with the person and there environment, the more likely they will allow the personal to enter into close conversation. When choosing to further these studies, it is my intention to observe the personal spaces amongst college students. Since topics of conversation are different amongst age groups, whereas college student may have more friendly social discussions over those who are older, it may be that personal space will decrease. In terms of gender difference, it is my intention to reaffirm past results that females will engage in much closer conversation in both female-to-female dyadic intervention as well as male to female relations. Based on my observations, as well as my fellow observers, results will show that females will engage in much closer, proximal conversation than men. In instances of female/male conversation, it is likely that the distance between the two people who are involved in conversation will increase when it is the male instigating conversation. In performing this experiment, natural observations were made on campus, from an unobtrusive view within an everyday college social environment. S ...

The Sepoy Mutiny Of 1857 Essays - British East India Company

The Sepoy Mutiny Of 1857 Essays - British East India Company The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 As with any conflict or controversy there are always two sides to the debate, and the events in India during 1857 are certainly no exception. Given the situation in India during the nineteenth century it is hardly surprising that such a polarisation of opinion exists regarding the context of the rebellious events during that year. The British being in control of the subcontinent and their sense of superiority over their Indian subjects, would naturally seek to downplay any acts of rebellion. While the Indian subjects on the other hand would arguably wish to exaggerate and over emphasise the importance of these events, as a means of promoting the nationalist cause for self determination. The truth of the events themselves, does it lie towards the British account or the Indian pro nationalistic side, or could there be a certain amount of truth in both sides of the debate. Metcalf in his account cites three indisputable factors behind the outbreak of rebellion in 1857. Primarily he sees `accumulating grievances of the Sepoy Army of Bengal' as the most important factor. The reasons behind this `deterioration of morale' amongst the army lay with several reasons. Much of the Sepoy army was comprised of `Brahmins and other high caste Hindus' who assisted in promoting a `focus of sedition'. The `generally poor ezdard of British officers', plus the lack of improvement to the overall position of those men serving in the army also increased the level of tension. At this point it should be remembered that the `Bengal Army differed from those of Bengal and Madras', as the Bombay and Madras armies took no part in the rebellion of 1857. But the more pronounced military factor was the lack of British troops in the `Gangetic plain' meant that many areas were `virtually denuded of British troops'. These military grievances which although significant were not themselves enough to incite rebellion, as it took a perceived attack on the Sepoy religious institutions to trigger of the rebellion. The first of these perceived threats was that the British government was preparing to dismantle the caste system and `convert them forcibly to Christianity'. Although not based on fact the actions of some `pious British officers did nothing to dispel' the rumours to the contrary. Added to this British lethargy was the Brahmins who tended to be `peculiarly watchful for potential threats to their religion and caste'. Secondly, the introduction in 1857 of the `new Enfield rifle' with its distinct ammunition, which required the bullet to be `bitten before loading'. Rumours that the grease used on the bullets was either from the fat of cattle or pigs, which either proved `sacred to Hindus' or `pollution to Muslims', was interpreted as attacking at the core of the Hindu and Muslim religious beliefs. These rumours unlike those regarding the conversion to Christianity and dismantling of the caste system, did prove to have a factual basis, as the British government `withdrew the objectionable grease'. This belated action proved futile as the damage had already been done. However this only accounts for the military aspects of the uprising which display the version of events `accepted in official circles [as] basically army mutinies'. This version preferred by the British fails to acknowledge the level of `widespread unrest among the civilian population', who saw much of the British government's actions as amounting to interference and contempt for the `long established rules and customs'. Disraeli saw the causes of the uprising as not being the `conduct of men who were ... the exponents of general discontent' amongst the Bengal army. For Disraeli the root cause was the overall administration by the government, which he regarded as having `alienated or alarmed almost every influential class in the country'. Yet other British saw the overall social situation and government administration as having no effect in causing the uprising. For officials like Sir John Lawrence the `immediate cause of the revolt' was the concerns held by Sepoys over the new ammunition for the Enfield rifles. However, he sees this as just the trigger incident, with the root cause being the long term reduction in discipline in the army and the poor ezdard of officers in command. The British ezdpoint is to regard

Sad Plays - Tragedies and Tear-jerkers

Sad Plays - Tragedies and Tear-jerkers Have you ever noticed how some plays are such a downer? Even some plays that are supposed to be comedies, such as Anton Chekovs masterpieces, are dour and cynical and downright depressing. Of course, the theater like life isnt all about comedy and happy endings. To be reflective of human nature, playwrights often delve into the tears-soaked corners of their souls, producing literary works that are timeless tragedies that evoke both terror and pity, just how Aristotle likes it! Here is a list of theaters most hauntingly sad plays: #10 - Night Mother There are many plays that explore the topic of suicide, but few are as direct and, dare I say, as persuasive as Marsha Normans play, night Mother. During the course of a single evening, an adult daughter has a sincere conversation with her mother, clearly explaining how she plans to take her own life before dawn. The daughters miserable life has been plagued with tragedy and mental illness. However, now that she has made her decision, she has gained clarity. No matter how her mother argues and begs, the daughter will not change her mind. New York theater critic John Simon praise the playwright stating that Marsha Norman conveys the simultaneous monstrousness and ordinariness of this event: that Jessie both solicitously provides for her mothers future and abandons her, coolly matter-of-fact about what strikes most of us as the ultimate irrational act. As with many sad, tragic and controversial plays, Night Mother ends with much to contemplate and discuss. #9 - Romeo and Juliet Millions of people think of Shakespeares classic Romeo and Juliet as the ultimate love story. Romantics view the two star-crossed lovers as the quintessential young couple, forgoing the wishes of their parents, throwing caution to the proverbial wind and settling for nothing less than true love, even if it comes at the cost of death. However, theres a more cynical way of looking at this story: Two hormone-driven teenagers kill themselves because of the stubborn hatred of ignorant adults. The tragedy may be overrated and overdone, but consider the ending of the play: Juliet lies asleep but Romeo believes that she is dead so he prepares to drink poison in order to join her. The situation remains one of the most devastating examples of dramatic irony in the history of the stage. #8 - Oedipus the King Also known as Oedipus Rex, this tragedy is the most famous work of Sophocles, a Greek playwright who lived over two thousand years ago. In case you have never heard the plot of this famous myth, you may want to skip to the next play on the list. Spoiler Alert: Oedipus discovers that years ago he murdered his biological father and unknowingly married his biological mother. The circumstances are grotesque, but the real tragedy stems from the bloody reactions of the characters as each participant learns the unbearable truth. The citizens are filled with shock and pity. Jocasta hangs herself. And Oedipus uses the pins from her dress to gauge out his eyes. Well, we all cope in different ways I guess. Creon, Jocastas brother, takes over the throne. Oedipus will wander around Greece as a wretched example of mans folly. (And I assume Zeus and his fellow Olympians enjoy a mean-spirited chuckle.) Read the complete plot summary of Oedipus the King. #7 - Death of a Salesman Playwright Arthur Miller doesnt just kill off his protagonist, Willy Loman, by the end of the play. He also does his best to euthanize the American Dream. The aging salesman once believed that charisma, obedience, and persistence would lead to prosperity. Now that his sanity is wearing thin, and his sons have failed to live up to his expectations, Loman determines that he is worth more dead than alive. In my review of the play, I explain how this drama may not be my favorite of Millers work, but the play clearly accomplishes its goal: To make us understand the painfulness of mediocrity. And we learn a valuable, common sense lesson: Things dont always go the way we want them to go. #6 - Wit: There is a lot of humorous, heartwarming dialogue to be found in Margaret Edsons Wit. Yet, despite the plays many life affirming moments, Wit is filled with clinical studies, chemotherapy, and long stretches of painful, introspective loneliness. Its the story of Dr. Vivian Bearing, a hard-as-nails English professor. Her callousness is most evident during the plays flashbacks. While she narrates directly to the audience, Dr. Bearing recalls several encounters with her former students. As the pupils struggle with the material, often embarrassed by their intellectual inadequacy, Dr. Bearing responds by saying intimidating and insulting them. Yet, as Dr. Bearing revisits her past, she realizes she should have offered more human kindness to her students. Kindness is something Dr. Bearing will come to desperately crave as the play continues. If you have already experienced Wit then you know you will never look at John Donnes poetry the same way. The main character uses the cryptic sonnets to keep her intellect sharp, but by the end of the play she learns that academic excellence is no match for human compassion, and perhaps a bedtime story. Continue reading the Top Ten List of the Worlds Saddest Plays.

The Description of an Application Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Description of an Application Letter - Essay Example I also have experience in excelling in use of new technologies in the field of medicine. I have enclosed my certification credentials, resume and two references to enhance your access to additional information about my qualifications. I will be very grateful if considered and promise to deliver my best if granted an opportunity to serve your organization. â€Å"The Community Cancer Center (CCC) is one of the private, bountiful, non-profit, community-owned and operated cancer treatment facilities† (Community Cancer Center) that was formed in early 1980.CCC is very unique. This is evidenced by its lack of affiliation with governmental, political, or religious organizations. It is also independent of any support from any hospital or medical organization. Additionally, it performs its roles without any support from tax dollars. All these contribute to it working entirely towards enhancing the success of the community. â€Å"The CCC is governed by a voluntary, 30-member Board of Trustees† (Community Cancer Center). Its administrative duties are carried out by an executive director who supervises a staff of 22 as well as part-time employees. Physician services are offered by 2 independently employed oncologists. CCC offers support to those who lack the potential to purchase needed medicines. It also offers nutritional as well as psychosocial counseling to those in need of the service. A van owned by the center as well as the driver employed by the center take part in transporting patients who lack the ability to access medical centers. According to Bruce Hanna who was the former president of the Community Cancer Foundation, the philosophy of the CCC is to â€Å"To give hope, when life is challenged by cancer and to care for all who need it in Douglas County† (Community Cancer Center). The job I am applying for is  located in Normal, IL 61761. It is offered by all industries, and it requires a full-time employee. The reference code for the job is 20645485.  

Staffing Technologies in Chern's Company Case Study

Staffing Technologies in Chern's Company - Case Study Example This paper will give recommendations on how to improve Chern’s staffing systems and later give some reflections on the entire Chern’s case study. Chern should employ additional technologies in order to ensure that human resource management personnel concentrate on the essential and critical tasks only. The organization should consider utilizing such technologies in the entire human resources management process (Philips & Gully, 2009). Chern can use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), automated employee training system and a human resource information system. The three above will basically automated various human resource management functions and bring in efficiency and save time. The ATS is a system mainly used for recruiting purposes and it can handle the entire hiring process depending on its level of sophistication. An ATS will be used to post online vacancy advertisements, screen candidates for the required qualifications and perform online interviews with shortlisted candidates. The different scores for the different candidates can then be put on a dashboard for easier and quicker decision making (Philips & Gully, 2009). An ATS will make hiring easier and will make it possible for Chern to interview as many candidates as possible and increase chances of hiring the best and talented candidate for any position (Philips & Gully, 2009). The employee training system is application or system that is used to induct new employees into their roles as well as monitor their performance. This system is commonly referred to as learning management system can be used to develop employees’ skills and competencies by facilitating training. This system can be a great asset to Chern as it will determine the training needs of individual candidates, recommend training materials and generate a training schedule for the new staffs (Schuler &Jackson, 2008). Chern should also adopt a human resource information system that will assist  the human resource manager in performance evaluation as well as carrying out some tasks such as payroll production and determining hours worked daily. This system can be used as a decision-making tool in planning for promotions and successions.

Compair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compair - Essay Example Khafre also refers to a block cipher. The name Khafre also refers to  kefren  (a pharaoh of Egypt of the fourth dynasty). This pharaoh had his  capital  based at Memphis. The statue of Khafre is made of  stone  that is exceptionally  stylish  or  smooth. Several lines that penetrate deep into the stone  depict  the  texture  of his skirt and headdress. The forms of both bird and  man  faces are remarkably  exact  in  proportion  and their carvings are of a true nature as compared to the Guedea’s  statue (Pickering 43). A closer look at the khafre  statue  reveals more muscle definition and the firmly fixed feet. The statue of Gudea and that of Khafre are different in  purpose  or there functionality. The statue of Gudea represents a  ruler  in the temple while that of Khafre represents the pharaohs. The two statues are also different in terms of the  period  they were created. The statue of Gudea represents a  leader  who ruled in the temple. The statue of Khafre represents pharaohs who were political leaders and not proponents of any faith. The statues are similar in the  period  of their  creation  that is 2900-2600 BCE (Pickering 54). The statues were also created by the Sumerians, which makes another similarity. The statues also represented rulers of two  different  territories. Parthenon is the allegory of Greece and Athens. Parthenon is regarded to be the perfect temple ever built. It also happens to be one of the highly known and recognized memorials in the universe. The temple is outstanding because of its impressive position in appearance on the Acropolis. Secondly, Parthenon’s architectural civilizations and its reflection of the Greek culture over hundreds of years contribute to its recognition as a symbol of western civilization by historians and philosophers. The term Parthenon is derived from a Greek word (Parthenon’s) which means virgin. In the Greek culture of the building, there were two main styles namely, the

Outline of Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Outline of Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example It explains how nature tries to balance the differences of men and women so they will be able to mate. An example is the equalization of testosterone levels between the sexes. Studies by Dr. Marazziti, a professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pisa revealed that other levels of hormones, like serotonin and oxytocin gets altered in the early phases of a romance, but eventually goes back to normal after some time. Related to the article of Kahn, this article, a magazine article whimsically written as a narrative discusses the physiological effects of romance. It reports anthropologist Helen Fisher’s studies on the biochemical pathways of love in all its manifestations: romance, lust, attachment, etc. Fisher has done experiments on people â€Å"in love† by putting them in MRI machines and studying how their brain works when shown a photograph of their beloved ones. It was found out that the effect is stimulating the part of the brain associated with reward and pleasure and stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for creating intense energy, exhilaration, focused attention, and motivation to win rewards. The article also discussed studies by Donatella Marazitti, (previously mentioned in the annotation before this current one) who studied the similarities of low serotonin hormone levels of people in love and people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It also shares other biological effects of passion and romance, the way dopamine levels of passionate lovers are high when a romance is new but when it gets comfortable enough, couples thrive on oxytocin, the hormone responsible for attachment to one another. This article reports the advantages of sex and gets into a discussion of non-verbal signals women give out during the courtship period of a romantic relationship. Some signals that women give out when they are interested in a man is flashing eyebrows, eye contact, smiling, primping, showing of palms, running fingers

High Note Report - Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

High Note Report - Assignment - Essay Example Primarily, the expansion of operations by many firms has completely changed the manner in which the world operates. The barriers that hindered the abilities of people to interact and communicate across borders have diminished gradually. Therefore, the decision by HNG to enter wider markets is a step forward towards realizing potential and exploring supplementary opportunities that the company could not have enjoyed with the previous stalemate posed by inadequate communication platforms (Koch, 2011). This paper, therefore, sets to dissect the changes in the business processes that HNG will have to undergo in order to blend its strategy fully with the market conditions and organizational expectations. Besides, it will explore how the shift in the business processes will benefit from the implementation of open source packages such as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Consequently, the transformation in the channels and patterns of distribution significantly contribute to the changes in the business processes. These adjustments concern both the strategies of the firm and the infrastructure of distribution. Previously, HNG was a supply firm that capitalized on enhancing distribution services while facing the challenges of lowering the costs of distribution as per the requirements of the customers. However, with the partnership of Live Art Networks, the company aims at capturing larger markets and shifting the supply of equipment to the sale of equipment. The above contradictory objectives could be realized by the opportunities availed by the technical development. According to the first requirement of Kotters 8-Step Change Model, the author emphasizes the need to include urgency in the organization. Globalization obligates companies to embrace technology as part of the process of doing business internationally. Open sourcing is a community driven

Micro economic analysis-Bosley's by pet value Essay

Micro economic analysis-Bosley's by pet value - Essay Example The Company is driven by a commitment towards its client that basically involves a guaranteed satisfaction among its clients; with an agreement to refund clients in case they fell they are not properly served (www.bosleys.com). Additionally, Bosley by Pet Value is driven by the commitment to develop and maintain a good rapport with its clients, through creating a pleasant environment for clients as they shop. On the other hand, the company is driven by the philosophy based on the belief that good nutrition is the foundation for healthy and happy animals. In this regard, the company has employed experts on animal nutrition to ensure that animals are provided with best premium brand food, thus healthy life (www.bosleys.com). The success of this retail company over the last three decades can be attributed to a number of operational strategies that is has employed overtime. These operational strategies have enhanced its competitive advantage over the last three decades, thus making it one of the largest retails in British Columbia (www.bosleys.com). The operational strategies do not only focus on provision of high quality pet food products, but also extends towards the provision appropriate prices. The company has employed the following pricing strategies: This is a pricing strategy that was recently introduced by the company. Specifically, the company has introduced this pricing concept in Vancouver as well as in all the retail shops in British Columbia. This strategy involves the provision of flyer saving and special offers after a client has purchased a product. Basically, the flyers indicate goods and services that are offered at discounted prices and the special offers that are currently provided by the company. The company has also employed the concept of special promotion as a strategy for pricing its products. Basically, special promotions involve providing clients with

High Note Report - Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

High Note Report - Assignment - Essay Example Primarily, the expansion of operations by many firms has completely changed the manner in which the world operates. The barriers that hindered the abilities of people to interact and communicate across borders have diminished gradually. Therefore, the decision by HNG to enter wider markets is a step forward towards realizing potential and exploring supplementary opportunities that the company could not have enjoyed with the previous stalemate posed by inadequate communication platforms (Koch, 2011). This paper, therefore, sets to dissect the changes in the business processes that HNG will have to undergo in order to blend its strategy fully with the market conditions and organizational expectations. Besides, it will explore how the shift in the business processes will benefit from the implementation of open source packages such as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Consequently, the transformation in the channels and patterns of distribution significantly contribute to the changes in the business processes. These adjustments concern both the strategies of the firm and the infrastructure of distribution. Previously, HNG was a supply firm that capitalized on enhancing distribution services while facing the challenges of lowering the costs of distribution as per the requirements of the customers. However, with the partnership of Live Art Networks, the company aims at capturing larger markets and shifting the supply of equipment to the sale of equipment. The above contradictory objectives could be realized by the opportunities availed by the technical development. According to the first requirement of Kotters 8-Step Change Model, the author emphasizes the need to include urgency in the organization. Globalization obligates companies to embrace technology as part of the process of doing business internationally. Open sourcing is a community driven

Rent Controls In The Big Apple Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rent Controls In The Big Apple - Essay Example There are different levels of control, however: pre-1947 buildings, rent stabilization buildings, and unregulated apartments. The one section of society that loses out in this arrangement is the poor. Sixty years after the temporary measure of rent constraints were introduced, the state government will discuss the state of this policy soon; it will likely be continued for the foreseeable future. There was, however, an attempt to rid the market of these price restraints back in 1997. A debate ensued between the Republican-dominated Senate and the Democrat-led assembly. The result of this argument was that a compromise was reached—23,000 renters were freed of rent constraints out of a group as large as one million. The â€Å"lucky† people who qualified for this arrangement had to be extremely wealthy—household incomes of more than $175,000 per year for a period of two years, or those renting apartments that cost more than $2,000 per month. The result of this decisi on was that the poor remained under strict price controls. One thing that was hidden in that agreement was that the next date to re-consider rent constraints would change to a year without elections, thus taking politics out of the decision as much as possible. Since 1997, New York’s politics and markets have changed to the extent that not too many people are likely to oppose rent constraints now. Most economic experts do not support rents constraints because it severely affects the supply and demand markets and results in unwanted side effects. Many landlords and tenants do not have the freedom to work out their own deals; they are locked into whatever agreement is decided by the law. One consequence of the ill-nature between landlords and tenants is that the law makes it virtually impossible for a landlord to evict a criminal. Henry Pollakowski, an economist at the MIT Center for Real Estate, says

Impact of User Fees in Healthcare

Impact of User Fees in Healthcare Introduction An old proverb offers a world of insight when it says that â€Å"health is wealth†. Truly without health nothing in life is worth it be it a million dollar Ferrari or a state of the art beach house. Looking at the statistics, the overall health of the population across the globe is deteriorating and no amount of medical technology or innovation is able to mask the fact that people are really getting sicker and need treatment. Method of payment differs from one country to another and within countries as well. The developed nations support their citizens by subsidizing health care and making it free in some cases. The developing nations have government hospitals which offer treatments at subsidized rates. The health care burden that the developed nations are facing is colossal. In an attempt to reduce this burden, some suggestions of introducing a co-payment are being made in the developed nations. The rationale behind this suggestion is that people who are covered with insuranc e tend to over use medical services because they don’t have to pay anything out of pocket. However, critics argue that introduction or rise of existing co-payments will significantly erode the will to get treatment done and many individuals will end up not going to doctors for essential treatment. The proponents of co-payments assume that every individual is insured and able to afford co-payment. This is contrary to reality where many people are unable to pay for even the most basic necessary medical interventions. I support the latter. One of the primary reason behind my conclusion is that this would increase the burden on the bourgeois and the poor population for their health care and worsen their condition. Background on User fees in Healthcare Healthcare is generally price inelastic. People who have used these services pay the predetermined prices, at least for critical care, absolutely essential visits to the physician and prescribed medicines. â€Å"Moral hazard arises when an insured person chooses unnecessary/more expensive form of healthcare because she/he knows that the insurance company will be paying for it†(Banerjee, 2010). Developing countries like India and China have made their health care services such that the people get more of health care at a subsidized rate due to the fact that 29.5 % of the population in India lies below the poverty line (Kaul, 2013). The ultra-low-cost position of hospitals in countries like India may not seem surprising because the wages are significantly lower than those in the developed countries for instance the U.S. and U.K. However, the health care available in these hospitals is cheaper even when the wages are adjusted: For example, even if Indian neurological hospitals pay their doctors and staff salaries of U.S. level, their costs of open-heart surgery will still be one-fifth of those in the U.S(Vijay Govindarajan, 2013). Under such circumstances, if the government increases the rates of health care services, it would lead to under usage of these services because the people would have lesser access to hospitals due to the higher costs as compared to their salaries and savings. Not many people in such countries choose to insure themselves for health because of the perceived limited requirement of hospital services as compared to high payments to the health insurance companies. Rationale for introducing user fees The rationale behind keeping user fees could be that they could generate additional tax income for the health industry when financial help from outside sources were minimal, liability refunds were shooting up and the governments of medium income countries were feeling the pressure on their internal finances. There was also a philosophical shift in the functioning of the healthcare industry in the early 1990s during which, the system of out-of-pocket payments was introduced. In this, the patients were asked to pay for the services they get from the hospitals which in turn motivated the healthcare workers and increased their efficacy (Action). Quality can be improved with better finances and remuneration. And quality is a significant aspect of health care which cannot be compromised under any circumstances. In the later years, after implementation of totally free health care, it was realized that some patients actually â€Å"over used† medical services. Introduction of a user fe es greatly reduced this moral hazard. Secondly, bulk billing and abolition of user fees leads to an increased burden on the government financially. The rising cost of health care compels the government to introduce a system where the consumer is liable to pay some amount. Supporters of user fee also claim that universal health care is a myth and the citizens ultimately bear a much higher cost (than the user fee) for the so called â€Å"free medical treatment†. User fees compounded poverty User fees inconsistently damage the health of poor and middle class people. They tend to push families into debt and poverty thus compelling them to scrounge money through illegal means or from financiers, or to sell or hypothecate livestock or resources that they depend upon to earn a living. The charges can especially pressurise women who have fewer resources to rely on. Such circumstances tend to create a brutal condition where in there is a constant increase in poverty which leads to malnutrition and the ailments they live with. This results in poorer health which ultimately results in bigger issues each time there is a need to pay for healthcare emergencies. â€Å"The World Health Organisation estimates that 100 million people each year are forced into poverty by these sudden healthcare costs† (Action). When reporting to the hospital becomes excruciating because of high costs, people are more likely to take care at home. This increased load of care in addition to other household work usually puts burden on women and girls This may force them to entrust their education or jobs to take care of the ill (Action). Studies done by the World Health Repot Report of 2010 show that the affliction of non-communicable diseases is emerging and is already a major drawback even in the poorest countries and the people are unable to have access to the services they need to prevent or control these diseases due to financial incompetency or inability to access those services (Priyanka Saksena, 2011). Household burden due to specific non-communicable and chronic illnesses A number of studies demonstrated that the household burden led to financial crisis from specific illness and conditions like, diabetes in India for example, presented that 596 diabetic patients taken as sample group at a private and public hospital in Chennai showed that in the private hospital, the poorest sample of patients spent 24.5% of their income on services for diabetes, compared to 3.5% in the richest group. This was mainly demonstrated because of the increased out of pocket costs. On the other hand, in the public hospital, where middle class family income was much lesser than in the private hospital, the poorest group payed 3.3% of their income on diabetes care while the richest cluster almost 0% of their incomes on care. Another research that was done in 2006 on the total economic cost of illness for households was continuously above 10% of household income. As an illustration, total household charges of malaria per annum were as large as 18% of annual income in Kenya and 13% in Nigeria. Total expense for all forms of illness added up to 11.5% of monthly household income in Sri Lanka, and about 11% of average monthly income in Nigeria. Some of the researches are concerned that even 10% of household income being disbursed by health care expenditure as potentially disastrous where the medical expenditure levels are prone to drive households to cut their consumption of other basic needs, trigger productive asset sales or high levels of debt, and lead to impoverishment. It is clear that this is a somewhat subjective cut-off point and expenditure levels lower than this may be catastrophic for very poor families. Furthermore, it is not only the level but also the timing of health care expenses, which have to be paid in full at the time of illness in the case of out-of-pocket payments that determine whether or not there are catastrophic consequences for a household. This is related to the unexpected nature of most medical expenditure, the fact that the magnitude of payments is heavily influenced by the provider, and that this is precisely the time when income may be lower than usual(Diane McIntyrea, 2006). Current perspectives on User fees in health sector in medium and low income countries Equitable approaches to financing health services are crucial for achieving the goal of universal coverage of health services. When user fees are assigned to a particular service, they become an inequitable financing mechanism which produces barriers to access for a large number of people. Though in some of the Public Health Centres, revenue is provided by the government, it is almost always that it turns out to be inadequate and a persistent challenge in the developing countries(Rohan Sweeney, 2011). This thus leads to imposition of user charges which hinders the poor from using the available services. Another example of this is that under the Alma Ata declaration of ‘Health for all’, developing countries like Bangladesh tried to design country health care programs but had continuously failed to do so because of the problem of increased health care needs and decreased available resources. Hence, when user charges were imposed, there were serious interferences between the two most vulnerable groups which are the poor and the women and the maintenance of patient profile (Stanton B, 1989). There have been studies that show that when user fees were introduced, there was a substantial decrease in the use of health care facilities that ranged from 5% to 51% immediately after the intervention but a significant increase in the use of most curative services was seen that ranged from 30% to 50% when the policy was changed again (WP, 2014). Unfortunately, it is only the user fees that the researches and economists concentrate on to reduce moral hazard. Doctors are well equipped to judge whether a patient requires treatment or not. When such wide spread reliance is placed on doctors regarding treatment, why can’t the same doctors be trusted not to over treat a patient? It must be made mandatory for doctors and other health practitioners to take steps to prevent themselves from doing treatments that could be otherwise be tamed. How do the hospitals function with low prices of healthcare services? Three major practices have allowed the hospitals of low and medium income countries to cut costs while still improving their quality of care. A Hub-and-Spoke Design In order to reach the people in need of care in the rural and other remote areas, hospitals must create hubs in major the city areas and open smaller clinics in rural areas that transfer patients to the main hospital that has all the diagnostic facilities and other resources. This would reduce the need for duplicating the personnel and equipment in every village and the most expensive equipment and expertise in the hub, thus eventually reducing the cost burden on the village population. It would also create specialists at the hubs who, while performing greater numbers of focused procedures, develop the experience that will improve the overall quality. This can also lead to proper and frequent utilisation of machines. For example, an MRI machine if installed in every village separately, would do only 1-2 scans per day. But if a common machine is installed in the main hub, it would scan about 10-20 patients per day. Task Shifting The hospitals can transfer responsibility for routine tasks to lower-skilled workers like the newly graduated and less experienced doctors, leaving expert doctors to handle only the most complicated procedures. Again, such countries always face problems because of shortage of highly skilled doctors. Thus, hospitals have to maximize the duties they perform. Doctors at these hospitals tend to become incredibly productive as they can focus on only the critical parts of the surgical procedures and the final decision making during the diagnosis of diseased conditions. This allows them to perform 6-7 surgeries in a day rather than just 1-2 surgeries in other developed countries like the U.S. This innovation would ultimately reduce the costs. After shifting tasks from doctors to nurse practitioners and nurses, multiple number of hospitals can create a lower tier of paramedic employees with two years’ training after high school to perform the most routine medical jobs. In some hospitals, these workers can comprise more than half of the workforce. Good, Old-Fashioned Frugality â€Å"Necessity is the mother of invention†- Hospitals of lower income countries should come up with wiser ways of sterilization techniques and safely reusing the surgical products that are otherwise discarded after a single use in other developed countries. These hospitals must concentrate less on building designing and making it attractive and spend more on the amenities that would be needed for the welfare of the general population using them. They have also developed local devices such as stents or intraocular lenses that cost one-tenth the price of imported devices. These hospitals can be innovative in rewarding doctors. In the program where fees are payed for every service, an incentive to perform unnecessary procedures and tests is created. Thus, the doctors at some hospitals must be paid fixed salaries, irrespective of the number of tests they order. Other hospitals can employ team-based compensation, which produces peer pressure to avoid unnecessary tests and procedures (Vijay Govindarajan, 2013) Conclusion In conclusion, it can be stated that the user charge has an abundance negative implications in the socio-economic, socio-cultural, political and administrative and management dimensions. Developing country administrators must eliminate fees for essential healthcare and choose a program of financing that will best improve access to health services for their most disregarded groups. This should be suitable to existing institutional structures, cultures and traditions, and to their economic progress. This could be through taxation with healthcare costs paid by the government. Putting an end to user fees is likely to see a rise in the use of services. Governments of developed countries should provide foreseeable aid, committed for the long term, to give developing countries the confidence to eliminate fees. The World Bank and other international institutions must stop prescribing user fees to countries as part of official or unofficial policy advice and provide more financial assistance to scrap fees. The low pay and poor conditions of health workers must be addressed to stop informal fees being tolled(Action). References Action, H. P. Key Facts: User Fees for Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.healthpovertyaction.org/policy-and-resources/health-systems/user-fees-for-health-services/key-facts-user-fees-for-health-services/ Banerjee, R. (2010). HEALTH INSURANCE AND MORALHAZARD. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/938630/Economics_Insurance_and_Moral_Hazard Diane McIntyrea, M. T., Gà ¶ran Dahlgrenb, Margaret Whiteheadb. (2006). What are the economic consequences for households of illness and of paying for health care in low- and middle-income country contexts? . Social Science Medicine, 62(4), 858-865. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953605003631 Kaul, V. (2013). Required: A new poverty line that shows 67% of India is poor. Retrieved from http://firstbiz.firstpost.com/economy/required-a-new-poverty-line-that-shows-67-of-india-is-poor-43862.html Priyanka Saksena, K. X., David B. Evans. (2011). Impact of out of pocket payments for the treatment of non-comuunicable deseases in developing countries: a literature review. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/health_financing/documents/dp_e_11_02-ncd_finburden.pdf Vijay Govindarajan, R. R. (2013). India’s Secret to Low-Cost Health Care. HBR Blog Network,Retrieved from http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/10/indias-secret-to-low-cost-health-care/

A World Without Engineers :: essays research papers

A World Without Engineers Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, on the planet Zovirax, there was an evil king, King Syphilis, who was mighty pleased with himself, for he had just banished all the engineers on the planet to work in the Pixie Stick Powder mines on the moons of Gluteus. "You see," he told his sycophantic servants and lackeys, "I have solved two problems with one simple executive order. I have rid the planet of those annoying, nerdy, know-it-all, engineers." (King Syphilis was actually quite envious of them, because he went to a Junior University in Palo Alto, and didn't know very much at all.) "And secondly," he explained, "I have provided cheap slave labor for the Pixie Stick Powder mines, thus ensuring a limitless supply of this heavenly confection for all to enjoy." All of King Syphilis' staff applauded loudly, because he tended to behead those who didn't. "Bring us intoxicating chemicals, so that we may celebrate," ordered the king. "I'm sorry, Mr. King Syphilis," replied the servant. "You banished all the chemical engineers to the powder mines, so we cannot make the intoxicating chemicals anymore." King Syphilis was quite mad. Nobody talked back to him and go away with it. "Bring me my plutonium phasor gun, so that I may vaporize this impudent guy," ordered the king. "I'm sorry, my good King Syphilis," replied another servant. "Since you deported all the nuclear engineers to the powder mines, we have been unable to operate the plutonium powered phasor gun." Now the king was really mad. "I'm really mad!" said the king. "Bring me my limousine, so that I may repeatedly run over these contumelious servants of mine." "No can do, Mr. King," said the third servant, whose part will be played in the movie version by Keanu Reeves. "All the mechanical engineers are in the mine place, and everyone knows, you can't drive cars without mechanics." "Go jump off a bridge!" said King Syphilis. Another of his servants interrupted, "We have no more bridges, since all the civil engineers have been exiled to the powder mines. Perhaps we should bring them all back." But the king was not the brightest of kings, so he didn't agree to that just yet. "Bring me my vibrating pleasure device, so that I may relax and think about this dilemma of ours," ordered the king. "We are unable to do that, my king, because all the electrical engineers who design the vibrating pleasure devices are in the powder mines." "Hmmm," thought the king. "Perhaps I was wrong in banishing the

A Day In The Dark Essay -- essays research papers

This passage was written by Elizabeth Bowen and is titled ‘A Day in the Dark’. It is a story told by a girl named Barbie. She tells a tale of when she was fifteen and visited the house of Miss Branderry to return a copy of Blackwood’s and to request to borrow, for her father, a thistle cutter. She also takes some roses to apologise for glass stain and thumbmarks on the cover of the magazine. The passage mainly focuses on Barbie and her view on the events. But the passage also looks into the relationships between the Barbie and her uncle, and Miss Branderry and her niece. The first paragraph sets the scene and creates an atmospire for the story. The author immediately begins by saying ‘It was July, a sunless warm afternoon, dead still.’ She also talks of ‘idlers’ who of coarse are people who have nothing to do, because it is to hot. And also she uses words like ‘heavy’. We get this sense of oppression. Sound seems to be a predominant feature in the opening paragraph. For the writer mentions her senses and then continues with references like ‘childless silence’ and the ‘mesmeric sound of the weir.’ At the very end of the paragraph the last sentence is only two words long. ‘It opened’. ‘It’ being this red door, the entrance to Miss Branderry house. By simply using two words it has great effect, emphasising the presence of this door, it seems to be the only thing that has actually moved. Throughout the passage the Elizabeth Bowen has explored the relationships between Nan an...

Altruism in humans Essay

Calvin et al (1987) proposed a more selfish view of helping, stressing that people help others to avoid feeling sad (a negative state) and because it makes them feel good about themselves. This is called the Negative State Relief (NSR) model. It doesn’t matter whether the negative affect (mood) is caused by witnessing the distress of the victim or whether the helper was already in bad mood. Either way, you help to improve your own mood. Adults may internalise the reward of doing good†¦.. Therefore, adults in a bad mood may help in order to alleviate their negative state. However if people can relieve their negative mood through some other source (such as hearing a good joke or getting some money) then they do not need to help. Effect of Mood Enhancement (EME) study A variation on Batson’s research was carried. Those participants in the high empathy group (i. e. those who shared in the same opinions as Elaine or Charlie) were offered some cash during the experiment. Accordingly, they helped less-their negative state at seeing Elaine or Charlie suffer was diminished by the cash. The reduction of their negative state in this was meant that they didn’t have to help reduce their negative feelings (conclusion). It’s been found in numerous studies that being in a good mood results in more pro-social behaviour. Research have found people to be more helpful after listening to comedy, smelling pleasant odours, after finding money or by going outside on sunny days (Boron and Byrne,199†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ). However if people feel their good mood will be affected by helping then they are more likely to not help and walk. Artificial studies: all lab studies are extremely artificial and lack ecological validity. Behaviour in the real world is subject to many other factors, such as social and cultural influences on behaviour – none of which are explored in these lab settings. Therefore it is difficult to generalise lab findings to a wider context. People have criticised Cialdini et al for proposing to negative a view of human behaviour. However the selfish view of human behaviour might be right. ) Helping does help negative state: it’s not in dispute those helping others/ another person in need does lead to an improved mood for the helper. So it has face validity.

Marketing Strategy of Lv

21/12/2011 Marketing Strategy analysis of LVMH with a special focus on LV Industry overview: Louis Vuitton Malletier is commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton, sometimes shortened to LV, is French luxury fashion and leather goods’ company. The company was founded in 1854, and now is the cornerstone of LVMH and its main division carrying almost a quarter of the total group. LVMH is the world leader in the luxury industry. It was established in 1987 through the union of three brands: Louis Vuitton, Moet and Henessy. This union gave birth to a global group that, in addition to leather goods and spirits, brings together to the distribution, a big variety of brands in all segments of the luxury: perfumes, jewelry, watches and also champagne. Through its policy of brand development and expansion of its distribution network abroad (more than 2300 stores worldwide), LVMH has became, since its creation in 1987, a part of a strong growth: it is now the first capital in France and the thirteenth in the world, with 77000 employees of which 74% are based outside France and that share the same values of the groupe. Corporate strategy: A strategic segmentation: In the luxury sector, LVMH has invested in six different strategic business areas: wines and spirits, fashion and leather goods, perfumes and cosmetics, watches and jewelry, selective distribution and other activities. Louis Vuitton is trying to represent by its products, the most refined qualities of Western â€Å"Art de Vivre† around the world. The company is also trying to continue to be synonymous with both elegance and creativity in leather products, blending tradition and innovation through their products and kindling dream and fantasy. How Louis Vuitton attracts its costumers: Louis  Vuitton  is  a luxury brand  belonging to  LVMH which  is  the most  valued  brand  in  the world of luxury. Since 1854  this  has been succeeding with  its  luxury  luggage  first and  then with  fashion industry  (especially with collections  by Marc Jacobs). Louis  Vuitton  has introduced  many advertising campaigns,  but ten years of fashion communication have overshadowed the house. The company realized that customers were less sensitive to the values that were associated with the brand. Therefore the company wanted to put aside while the commercial communication by focusing on a more institutional in order to enhance the house and not just the products. Louis  Vuitton  then chose to move from product communication  to  corporate communications. The goal is  to communicate  the values and philosophy of  the brand and its  leitmotiv:  the trip. To create  a  close relationship with its  customers, the Internet  appears  to be the best means of communication  (interactivity, photos,  videos  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ) The fundamental value  that is conveyed  is the  trip. Today  the concept  has evolved in  travel  habits  (mass tourism, development of  low cost), becoming very usual and then there is no  more magic in the  travel or  escape. In this new  communication campaign  LV  seeks to use the concept of  journey  from  idea  to  idea of   physical  personal journey (passenger). Two of LV advertisements that are using the trip concept Main objectives of the company: Long term objectives: The group  aims to ensure the  sustainability of the company  by focusing  on  core brands  like the  capital  (pillars)  of the 5  areas of  LVMH. In addition,  LVMH  has  the opportunity to gain  market share, eclining  his offer  of  new niches  (accessories). It must continue to invest  for growth. Short term objectives: LVMH wants to achieve a rapid return to the strategic activities such as selling on the Internet like on â€Å"eLUXURY. com† These activities can be  reta ined in the  portfolio ones  because they  do not monopolize  considerable energy  over the long term  and  are a source of  direct profitability  (high margin). Analysis of the four Ps strategy: Product  : Louis Vuitton’s products are very distinguished by their â€Å"absolute quality† and very high price. The aim of LVMH is also to make people feel a big difference between any brand and a brand Louis Vuitton. Therefore a strong image is needed to achieve those aims. One of the big issues that touch LV products is counterfeiting which the company is trying hardly to fight against with enlightenment campaigns, distribution of warning notices to companies, registering the trademarks and designs and making some activities with the Union des Fabricants which is a public interest incorporated association that carries out trademark protection activities. The company is also working on prohibiting appraisal of authenticity by officially sanctioning stores that are alone able to verify whether an article is genuine or not, but also using the mass media to tell people about some details to take into account before appraising whether an LV good is genuine or not. By choosing not to make cheap goods at all, LV is also prohibiting second-line operations or what we call lower-cost alternatives. This can be sort of limitation to a greater expansion but a good choice to the company to stay in the luxury area. Another principle of LV product is that LV is an independent manufacture that is prohibiting outlet product production in order to control the brand value and making a real control on the prices. LV has also a special order service for customers that would like to buy customized and order-made products. Price: LV goods prices are very high, but their value is also of a very high level. The prices are widely accepted by women. The company is trying then to keep the trust the costumers have in its reliable pricing, especially by prohibiting exorbitant pricing, bargain sales, sales in value sets, surprise price changes, pricing in odd prices†¦ Place: LVMH has no boundary; its market is global, taking into account national or regional areas. The company has a geographical strategy that is built on the sentence: â€Å"Think global, act local†. The value of having a global market is to overcome the vagaries of economic conditions (fluctuations in exchange rates, etc. .. ), social (war, etc. .. and demographic issues (emerging Asian countries, etc. .. ). This allows them to meet the specific demands of the market better than in other possible way: for example, the Italians prefer sweet taste champagne that can be adapted to be the right product for them, with mixtures of wines and grapes varieties that are specific to champagne. On the other hand the internationalization of sales allows the company t o respond to many different behavioral changes of consumers. Moreover, LVMH is seeking to emerge new markets with very high potential such as China and India. LVMH benefits from the liberalization of world trade. Promotion: LV in comparison with most companies that use mass advertising, never advertise on television but only on magazines and newspapers with non aggressive sales ads, just images. The brand represents the discovery, travel, sophistication, elegance and creativity. When such words are associated with a company we understand that communication must be really special. Louis Vuitton does not use media such as radio and television media that are surely too popular. Louis Vuitton, because of the demands in women's magazines (Elle, Vogue, Madame Figaro ,†¦ , advertisements published in its journals always have a particular theme (urban, fables, seven deadly sins ,†¦ ). To promote its goods, Louis Vuitton prefers to also organize special events such as Concours d'Elegance car and the America's Cup (also known as Louis Vuitton Cup). The brand,  as  for other firms, is  using  the front  of  the stores  being b uilt for  advertising. For example  in New  York  can be seen  at a height of  over 20 meters  Jennifer  Lopez,  new ambassador  of  Vuitton's flagship products  carry  the brand. Vuitton  also  does not hesitate  to call on  great personalities  to represent  the company. The parades  are  also a good way to  make them known. The target  is not only the  public who  attended the  parade (a few hundred people), but  the people who  hear about  in the press and  other media. LV marketing strategy is also based on a special process of diversification: To stay number one in the luxury sector, LVMH group usually offers a similar product line to the 4 corners of the planet, but in different ways. LVMH is seeking to reach a new clientele that is willing to â€Å"splurge†. They have access to luxury by ancillary products already present in the product range; it requires no new skills or additional skills. This diversification marketing involves distinctive innovations both in the cut of clothes (packaging for perfumes) that the composition of handbags (new materials). All this requires a research and development performance, bringing together the best designers to get a head start as soon as possible and find the trend. Weaknesses of Louis Vuitton and propositions for better strategy: LV products are the most copied in the World, which is not the case of other luxury companies like Hermes for example. Indeed, Counterfeiting is a real problem for the segment of luxury products. The â€Å"extension† of the brand could contribute to the loss of image and prestige. To remedy this, Louis Vuitton is strongly committed to the fight against counterfeiting by establishing a specific team to sensitize the consumer and arrest the counterfeiters around the world and especially in countries where the phenomenon is more present like China. Also, the prices of LV products are not the same around the world: they are 50% higher in Asia and 25% higher in the U. S. In addition, foreigners that are residing outside European community can benefit from a tax refund. It is therefore more interesting for many foreigners to buy Louis Vuitton products in France, thus we have a great development of the traffic around this brand. Indeed, there are many consumers that buy LV products in France and then resale them to foreigners. Others collaborate with foreigners and accept to act as intermediaries for the purchase of these products, with taking a commission for this service. The resale of a product devalues its image as luxury item; the resoled product loses its charm and uniqueness: it becomes such a commodity and no longer a luxury product. To prevent this, LV has to develop more its computer control of sales. And since the luxury market is an area of a big concurrence, LVMH is always required to be distinguished from the others, to keep innovating its products, marketing, advertisements themes and in the same time defending its values†¦ And since it has became a worldwide known brand, may be to make some customization in production, sales and marketing for each culture, I would like to propose to make for come chosen countries special processes of production , sales and advertising that meet but also emerge from their culture†¦ References: * http://www. iasdr2009. org/ap/Papers/Orally%20Presented%20Papers/Design%20Management/Luxury%20Brand%20Strategy%20of%20Louis%20Vuitton. pdf * http://veronique. estienne. free. fr/doc/SLIDE. htm

Nx448 Business Game Report

Contents Part 1 Introduction3 1. 1 Business Objective3 Part 2 Company Performance4 2. 1 Round 14 2. 1. 1 Discrepancy analysis4 2. 2 Round 26 2. 2. 1 Business Strategy6 2. 2. 2 Round 2 Forecast7 2. 2. 3 Discrepancy Analysis7 2. 3 Round 38 2. 3. 1 Business Strategy8 2. 3. 2 Round 3 Forecast9 2. 3. 3 Discrepancy Analysis9 2. 4 Round 49 2. 4. 1 Business Strategy9 2. 4. 2 Round 4 Forecast10 2. 4. 3 Discrepancy Analysis10 2. 5 Key Performance Indicators11 2. 6 Performance Evaluation Comments12 Part 3 Learning14 3. 1 Financial Management14 3. 2 Human Resource Management15 3. 3 Operation Management16 3. Marketing Management17 Part 4 Team Performance18 4. 1 Team18 4. 1. 1 Management Team18 4. 1. 2 Decision-making Process19 4. 1. 3 Leadership19 4. 1. 4 Team Role19 4. 2 Individual20 4. 2. 1 My Contribution20 4. 2. 2 My learning about effective teamwork and decision making20 4. 2. 3 Suggestions for Improving My Performance21 Part 5 Conclusion21 Part 6 Reference22 Part 7 Appendices23 7. 1 Design and Options23 7. 2 Warranty Cost24 7. 3 Other Key Performance Indicators25 Part 1 Introduction This report will give a clear analysis and explanation of the company performance during the business game.Learning about four main business functional areas (Finance, Marketing, Operation and Human Resource) will be discussed in part 3. Team performance and individual assessment will be critically evaluated in part 4. 1. 1 Business Objective Moon Star Motors aims to provide customers with the ability to own a car and lead the customers to experience comfort and quality at an affordable price. We intend to create a distinctive place in the market for our products and build up brand value of quality and reliability in the mind of customers.The initial business objectives set up by management team is: * Increase sales annually * Maximise our profit * Sell out 98% of our cars for every round * Obtain 16% return on investment by the end of round 4 | City Car – TIKI| Large Car – C RUISER| Total| Forecast Production (Units)| 85,000| 35,000| 120,000 | Sales Income (? m)| 850| 833| 1,683| Post Tax Profit (? m)| -| -| 20| Bank Balance before Loan (? m)| -| -| -74| Closing Bank Balance (? m)| -| -| 26| Table 1. 0 Forecast for year 1 Part 2 Company Performance 2. 1 Round 1 2. 1. 1 Discrepancy analysisUnsold stock In round 1, we forecast to sell out both TIKI and CRUISER. However, only 80% of TIKI is sold, with 17,393 units left. We concluded three main reasons as following: * Supply over demand. We are over confident to sell big volumes with low price, but the market actually reached saturation. * Unattractive and inflexible options. In order to maintain low material cost, we only offer two options for customers to select. It might affect the popularity of our TIKI and make it less competitive compared with other car manufacturers. * Not enough promotion.We invested 23 million on market promotion via television and internet, which is about ? 200for every single car . We didn’t invest too much for this round because we want to firstly evaluate the effect of advertisement. Net profit We forecast 20 million net profits and actual figure is minus 116 million. This is mainly due to the large amount of unsold stock and ineffective pricing strategy. The total contribution is unable to recover our fixed cost. In other words, the break-even point is set up too high and our sales volume did not reach BEP.Meanwhile, some overheads such as professional charges and warranty claims are not properly calculated. Gross margin The difference between forecast and result for gross margin of TIKI and CRUISER is 3. 21% and 7. 08% respectively. It is mainly caused by the unexpected extra direct cost. For example, the worker strike increase our labor cost of both models and the option take-up is more than our estimate. Market share Our target market share is 1. 5% for TIKI and 1. 2% for CRUISER. We sold out all our CRUIER and hit the large car sales target. Ho wever, market share for TIKI is around 0. % less than we expected due to our unsold stock. 2. 2 Round 2 2. 2. 1 Business Strategy New Pricing Strategy The management team decided to adapt average pricing strategy in round 2 for two main reasons: * We already access successfully to target market. * Low price high volumes strategy did not make profit. Sales income must be increased in order to recover all overheads in this round and most of the loss in previous round. Based on this, TIKI gross margin increased 2% to 14. 24%, while CRUISER gross margin increased 4. 3% to 25. 25%. ProductionProduction for TIKI in this round has to decrease due to 17,393 units in stock, and we try to sell them out in round 2. Meanwhile, results of round 1 indicated that CRUISER won thepopularity in the market so we intend to increasethe production by 10,000 units. Based on the production adjustment and market predictions, the market share of CRUISER will increase from 1. 2% to 1. 5%, while TIKI maintains 1. 2% market share. Under this situation, our forecast sales will reach ? 2058 million in round 2. Redundancy The harshest decision made by management team is to cut down 574 workers.Even though we understand this have negative effects on industrial relations, it is far beyond our business objective to over produce the cars and keep unsold stock by the end of the year. Therefore, we forecast a 2. 4 million of redundancy cost within total overheads. 2. 2. 2 Round 2 Forecast round 2 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 51,000 | 45,000 | 96,000 | selling price ? | 11,800 | 27,800 |   | gross margin %| 14. 24%| 25. 25%|   | sales income ? m| 807| 1,251 | 2,058 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 262| post tax profit ? |   |   | 82| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 12| 2. 2. 3 Discrepancy Analysis There are three main differences between round 2 forecast and results: (1) production (2) Sales (3) pre-tax profits. Production Production (units)| TIKI| CRUISER| tota l| Target| 51,000| 45,000| 96,000| Actual| 49,668| 44,467| 94,135| Difference| | | 1,865| Our target production is 96,000 units but we actually produced 94,135 units, with 1,865 units missing. This is mainly because the redundancy decision initiated serious worker strike, which is recorded as 41 days in our company report. Thus, the actual production did not hit our target.Sales Sales (? m)| Total| forecast| 2,058 2,058 | actual| 2,017 | difference| 41 41 | The discrepancy between forecast sales and actual sales is 40 million. We have 387 units CRUISER in stock which could increase our sales by 11 million if we can sell them out. And we will get 29 million more if we are able to hit the target production of 96,000 unites and sell them up. Pre-tax profit The actual pre-tax profit is less than the forecast due to wrong calculation on current account interest and loans interest. We have closing bank balance of minus 270 million last round.According to overdraft facility, we forecast to pay 11% of 270 million as overdraft interest which is around 30 million, but it actually is 15% of that amount and cost us 40 million. Besides, an extra 8 million is deducted as the interest of 100 million bank loans of round 1 and is ignored when we did financial forecast. 2. 3 Round 3 2. 3. 1 Business Strategy Personnel Decisions Management team decided to maintain the size of workforce and to increase wages by 8% and training investment by 25% in order to improve worker satisfaction and commitment, especially after we suffer a great loss caused by 41 days strike.We hope to effectively control the strike in this round and expect the improvement of productivity. Automation Investment Management team made a decision of doubling the automation investment due to two main reasons. Firstly, it is recognized that automation can effectively increase the productivity and decrease the high wage bill. Secondly, the profit we made in previous round increases our confidence and financial capa city to introduce new equipment. 2. 3. 2 Round 3 Forecast round 3 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 65,500 | 40,500 | 106,000 | selling price ? 12,270 | 28,600 |   | gross margin %| 15. 25%| 28. 98%|   | sales income ? m| 804| 1,169 | 1,973 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 281| post tax profit ? m|   |   | 118| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 158| 2. 3. 3 Discrepancy Analysis Gross profit Gross Profit| forecast| actual| difference| Sales (? m)| 1,973| 1,973|    0| cost of sales (? m)| 1,512| 1,577|    65| gross profit (? m)| 461| 396| 65| The actual gross profit is 65 million less than our forecast, even though our sales reach the target. This is mainly caused by exceeded materials costs.It is indicated on company report that design and options cost for CRUISER is ? 7572 per unit, but we only count it as ? 6186 when we forecast. In this situation, we are charged ? 1386 more for producing every CRUISER. It reflects that the options we offer to cust omers are of great popularity and we should enlarge option take-up percentage when doing the material cost forecast for next round. 2. 4 Round 4 2. 4. 1 Business Strategy Sales target Encouraging by the good financial performance of last round, management team decided to increase the sales by 32% in round 4 in order to further satisfy our shareholders.However, we do not plan to increase the gross margin for both models because we guarantee customers of good value for money. Thus, we expect the high volumes sales bring us profit. Design and options To make our cars competitive, we add more options to both models for customers to choose based on the popularity indicators (see appendix). Since the very beginning, both 3/5 door hatch with small engine (city car) and MPV with diesel engine (large car) are most popular designs for our target age group. So, the adjustment is focused on the alternative options. Promotion ExpenditurePromotion expenditure will increase by 34% to ? 40 million. This decision is made by management team with attempt to make our products sold better. Market predictions indicated that city car market and large car market will shrink by 12% and 9% respectively. That is to say, risk of keeping stock is high if we increase our production in round 4. Thus, we hope the promotion and advertisement could help reduce that risk. 2. 4. 2 Round 4 Forecast round 4 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 70,000 | 44,550 | 114,550 | selling price ? 13,900 | 26,800 |   | gross margin %| 15. 34%| 30. 73%|   | sales income ? m| 973| 1,639 | 2,612 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 308| post tax profit ? m|   |   | 235| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 412| 2. 4. 3 Discrepancy Analysis Unsold Stock We expect to achieve zero closing stock but actually have 12,853 units unsold which worth ? 246 million. As a result, we are unable to reach target sales, post-tax profit and target market share. Market Share| TIKI| CRUISER| round 3 result| 1. 20%| 1. 51%| round 4 target| 1. 46%| 1. 80%|After evaluation, we conclude two possible reasons which contribute to this result: * We over estimate our capacity and are hurry to expand the market share. As shown on the table, we increase 0. 26% for TIKI and 0. 34% for CRUISER. It seems better if we execute market expansion step by step. * The competitors’ price might have negative impact on our sales. In final round, in order to offer more alternative choices and high quality experience to customers, we added more popular and high cost options for both TIKI and CRUISER, which increase our direct cost per car and make it hard to decrease the selling price. . 5 Key Performance Indicators Performance indicators| round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| Sales | 1509 | 2017 | 1973 | 2274 | Sales growth (decline) %| -| 34%| -22%| 15%| Cost of sales| 1333 | 1599 | 1577 | 1700 | Cost of sales ratio %| 88%| 79%| 80%| 75%| Profitability| Gross profit margin %| 12%| 21%| 20%| 25%| Operating profit %| -7%| 6%| 6%| 12%| Net profit %| -8%| 3%| 5%| 9%| Return on assets %| -24%| 12%| 14%| 26%| Return on investment %| -23%| 21%| 18%| 36%| Liquidity| Current ratio| 0. 64| 1. 26| 3. 52| 3. 24| Quick ratio| 0. 13| 1. 1| 3. 52| 1. 45| 2. Performance Evaluation Comments In general, sales increased from ? 1509 million in round 1 to ? 2274 million in round 4 – an increase of 51%. Over this period, we did not launch any new model and enlarge the sales volumes too much. The main reason for sales increase is the growth of our selling price. Direct cost of sales decreased yearly from 88% in round 1 to 75% in round 4. Even though inflation raises material costs and we offer a pay rise to our workers, we are still able to handle the cost/sales ratio efficiently by adapting smart and efficient pricing strategy.Profitability: Gross Margin % The gross margin has doubled from 12% (round 1) to 25% (round 4). In real money terms, our gross profit increased from ? 176 million to ? 574 mi llion. This trend indicated that return on sales improved. Although direct cost of sales increased year by year, we adjust our pricing strategy in order to make our business more profitable. Operating Profit % Operating profit margin improved from minus 7% (round 1) to 12% (round 4) indicatingmore efficient operation management. To be specific, stock upkeep cost and redundancy cost are well managed.The R&D investment and warranty costs are effectively controlled. Even though the investment on promotion and training increase yearly, this cost is balanced by the decreasing depreciation cost due to the book value of our fixed assets reduced yearly. Net Profit % Net profit margin shows an increasing trend from minus 8% (round 1) to 9% (round 4). Our company remains profitable since round 2. This indicated that our business is successful in consistency of earning. Return on Assets % The return on assets grows dramatically from minus 24% (round 1) to 26% (round 4).This indicates that mana gement is more and more efficient in using business assets to generate profit. Return on Investment % The return on capital employed shows a similar trend, except a slight decline of 3% in round 3. The ROI is 36% by the end of round 4, which has actually achieved our business objective. Liquidity: From round 1 to round 3, the current ratio increase from 0. 64 to 3. 52 times, and the quick ratio increase from 0. 13 to 3. 52 times. The increasing ratio indicates that we have more cash flow to pay our creditors (quick settlement) and meet our short-term obligations.In round 4, the current ratio drop slights to 3. 24 times and the quick ratio drop greatly to 1. 45 times. This trend looks good because high ratio does not mean a healthy cash position of the business. It indicates that we do not use our capitals properly and efficiently. In conclusion, according to our current liquidity situation, our company is suggested to reduce the stock levels and to invest surplus cash in longer term investments. Market Share From round 1 to round 4, market share of TIKI increased from 1. 21% to 1. 35%, despite a slight decline in round 2.Market share of CRUISER increased sharply in round 2 compared with round 1, then showed a tiny increase trend year by year. It indicated that we are successful in persistently and steadily supplying products to the market. Overall, our company’s performance has been improved in several ways, (e. g. sales, profit, creditors, market share, etc. ) In addition, it would have been more helpful for the further financial performance evaluation if the industrial average figures and key competitors’ information had been made available (Behn 2003). Part 3 Learning 3. 1 Financial ManagementIn the field of financial management, cost-volume-profit analysis is a powerful tool that helps managers identifies the relationships among cost, volume and profit (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). It focuses on how profits can be affected by th e following variables: selling price, sales volume, unit variable costs, total fixed costs, etc. (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). Break even analysis and margin of safety is the important part of cost-volume-cost analysis. The formula is shown as following: Formula: BEP = Total Fixed Cost = (in Units) Contribution per unitMargin of Safety = Forecast Demand – BEP Forecast Demand In round 1, we forecast our total fixed cost and depreciation charge is 241 million, and the contribution per unit is 2316. By using formula, the forecast BEP is 104,000 units. So we decided to produce 120,000 units after evaluating market demand. Our forecast margin of safety is therefore around 13. 3%. However, we underestimated the total fixed cost and overestimated our sales volumes. Thus, we suffered a loss of 116 million in the first round. In round 2, we re-evaluate the cost, volume and profit, and then set up 32. % of margin of safety. Financial performance is improved in this round so we adapted the similar approach for round 3 and 4, in which our margin of safety is about 39. 1% and 52. 8% respectively. It has been proved that high margin of safety makes profit less vulnerable to demand drops (Jacobs 2002). Even though we have 12,853 units unsold stock, we still make a profit of 198 million in round 4. From the business game, we have practiced how to price products and how much volume of products we must sell in order to make a profit. 3. 2 Human Resource ManagementWhen we practice the Human Resource function in business game, we put emphasis on rewards, in particular worker wage. High wage will not always improve the work performance from long-term perspective, but annual pay increase works (Banfield and Kay 2008). Based on this learning, we decide to pay our worker ? 355 weekly in round 1 and to increase that wage annually. However, we suffered a loss due to bad company performance in round 1, so wage did not increase even though inflation rate is around 3% . In round 2, company performance is improved and we make profit. Thus, wage increase by 9% ahead of 4% inflation rate in round 3.In round 4, wage increase by 5% to ? 404. Overall, from round 1 to round 4, wage increase by 14%, but the strike days only reduced 1 day (8 days in round 1 and 7 days in round 4). It is indicated that a reward cannot help to improve work performance if the pay increase does not meet the employee expectation (Corby 2009). According to data on competition, EMPIRE, our key competitors, pays their worker ? 500 weekly in round 4 and the strike day is controlled as 2 days. From the business stimulation, we realized the importance of monetary rewards and the link between rewards and productivity.On the other hand, poor management of employee relations often end up with strikes (Blyton and Turnbull 1998). With this learning, we could have found another solution to allocate our workers instead of redundancy. There are some limitations of business game in terms of HR management. High wage and training investment seems to be the only way to motivate productivity. And some other important HR functions such as recruitment and selection, promotion and employee engagement are not covered in the game. Learning experience will improve if those issues are made available in the game. 3. 3 Operation ManagementQuality management refers to the management activities involved in determination of quality policy and its implementation through means such as quality planning and quality assurance (Gitlow 2005). High quality puts costs down and revenue up (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). Based on this learning, in order to control product quality, we focus on the R&D (Research and Development) and skills training when we practice the operation function during business game. From round 1, we keep investing on projects of fuel efficient engine and low emissions in order to detect and control the quality of engines.Both of them are successful after 3 ye ars of research and development. This help to reduce our warranty cost efficiently (see appendix). Due to safety factor, we started to invest on the project of advanced safety systems. We expect the continuous R&D investment bring us long term financial benefit. Meanwhile, we continuously invest on skills training based on the knowledge that investment in skills training can significantly improve product quality (Gitlow 2005). From the business game, I got better understanding about quality management and how quality influences customers’ buying decision.We also learn how to define the quality characteristics, set quality standard and measure the quality of our products. One of the limitations in stimulation process is that it is unavailable to evaluate and select the suppliers by ourselves. If this is made available, I believe that the operation cost would be controlled autonomously and learning experience of students about supply chain would be improved. 3. 4 Marketing Mana gement Marketing management is the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value (Kotler and Keller 2011).In carrying out the marketing functions, the company needs to have a marketing program or strategy. This is known as the marketing mix (Marc 1997). The conventional view of the marketing mix consisted of four components: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. It is indicated that 4Ps constitute the cornerstone of any sound business (Marc 1997). Based on this learning, we tried to use the right marketing mix to reach our target market during the business game. Product: In round 1, 3/5 door hatch and small engine are chosen for city car (24-40 market), while MPV and diesel engine are chosen for large car (41-55 market).Options are selected due to the factors such as safety, comfort and style. From round 2, we detect the popularity index and aim to offer the most appropria te products to our customers (see appendix). Price: We use market penetration in round 1. In the next three round, we adapt average pricing strategy. The economic trend and income status of our target customers are also taken into account as well. Promotion: We keep increasing our promotion investment from 23 million to 40 million via various media. In round 1, we invest ? 200 for every car and it increase to ? 450 in round 4.Through business game, I got better understanding about marketing mix. However, innovation and new product strategy, as another important marketing strategy, is failed to be used in our game. We could have learned more about finding customer value opportunities and creating an innovation culture in our team if we had launched new model. Part 4 Team Performance 4. 1 Team 4. 1. 1 Management Team We distributed our team into four groups in order to cover the four main functional areas of business organization: Finance, Marketing, Operation and Human Resource. Base d on personal interests and experience, I take the charge of Finance.Dorothy and Kira take the responsibility of managing marketing. Operation is taken charged by Michael and Jayson. Adetoro is responsible for HR. It does not mean that we make decisions and take responsibility separately. Actually, those functional areas are linked with and supported by each other. And everybody of the team is required to know exactly the whole process of our business. In reality, the main purpose of functional areas is to ensure that all important business activities are carried out efficiently. This is essential for a company to achieve its business objectives (Marcouse 2010). . 1. 2 Decision-making Process The overall decision-making was a collective process. During the business game, we discussed and evaluated all feasible solutions and make sure every decision is made to help settle the current problems and lead to business objectives. The controversy, however, is sometimes unavoidable. For ins tance, Dorothy, marketing manager, proposed to launch new model in round 3 due to market attractiveness. I cannot agree with that because we are still experiencing financial difficulty. Our net cash position is minus ? 371 million with poor ability to pay our creditors.Adetoro is standing by my side, thinking from a long-term perspective. He suggested our team not to launch new model until we gain a reasonable market share. The further discussion and communication led to unanimous approval of the final decision. The similar situation happened when we discussed whether or not to adept price skimming strategy for our products. The dispute finally is settled properly. 4. 1. 3 Leadership I was nominated as the leader in business game due to my ability to manage market information and provide direction to my team members at the very beginning.Under my leadership, our company is driven to achieve business objectives (execution). I make clear that all my team members are enjoying the game and have learned how to run a business in a real world. 4. 1. 4 Team Role Through my observation, I have identified the strengths/weaknesses and work preference of my team members: * Jayson and Michael prefer to analyze the current situation and raise the issues that we have to face (analysis). Michael is a good team worker who communicates and cooperates effectively with others.Jayson, as a monitor evaluator, has a high critical thinking ability but lacking of expression. * Dorothy and Kira are intuitive about the market information, and they often give the creative ideas (plan). Both of them play as plant. Dorothy prefers change and innovation. She can work more effectively when cooperate with the people who are identified as implementer in Belbin team role framework. * Adetoro used to reflect all our decisions we have made for every round and make everything reasonable and explainable (reflection). He is enthusiastic and logic thinker. 4. 2 Individual . 2. 1 My Contribution I hav e little knowledge about car industry when I take this project, but I quickly realize that I have special interest on costing and budgeting due to my previous work experience. So, I went through the user menu and market research then finish the finance forecast sheet before attending the group meeting. In round 1, I am responsible for both Finance and Marketing. During the group meeting, I proposed my ideas about cost/price, most of which are accepted by my team members and I therefore am nominated as manager of Finance. We suffered a loss in round 1.After analysing the discrepancy between forecast and results, I suggest to adapt new pricing strategy and set a higher gross margin. The strategy is adapted by management team and makes profit for our company by the end of round 2. I am nominated as team leader due to my hard-working, efficiency and reliability. And I actively build up team relation and motivate our team members. I play the role of implementer successfully. I monitor ev ery process of the game and every detail of our decisions, and put emphasis on improving efficiency of every group meeting, and record the minutes. 4. 2. My learning about effective teamwork and decision making Through business game, along with the knowledge I learn from Developing Self module and the experience of residential weekend, I have better understanding about: * An effective teamwork involves in a group of people with common objectives and being able to build up trust and cooperate relationship with each other. * An effective teamwork involves in a group of people who have complementary strengths/weaknesses with each other. * An effective team should have a leader who is able to provide direction, open mind to different opinions, ake right decision and take risks. * An effective decision should create the competitive advantage for organization and bring short term profit along with long term development. * An effective decision builds up the core competency of organization and turn competitive advantage into sustainable competitive advantage. 4. 2. 3 Suggestions for Improving My Performance * If the game could be played again, I would like to think twice before adapting market penetration strategy in round 1 and try to avoid that loss as much as possible. I would like to pay more attention on developing my leadership capability and making better use of the abilities of my team members in order to build up a powerful and effective team. Part 5 Conclusion Overall, our company is successful in the achievement of business objectives. By the end of round 4, our sales have increased by 50%, and our profit is showing a trend of growth. Even though the unsold stock percentage is larger than what we expect, we are still able to control the inventory and keep profitable. Return on investment in round 4 is 36% which is much more than our target.Part 6 Reference Banfield, P. and R. Kay (2008). Introduction to human resource management. New York, Oxford Universit y Press. Banfield, P. , S. Newcastle Business, et al. (2008). Managing for competitive advantage, McGraw-Hill custom publishing. Behn, R. D. (2003). â€Å"Why Measure Performance? Different Purposes Require Different Measures. † Public Administration Review 63(5): 586-606. Blyton, P. and P. Turnbull (1998). The dynamics of employee relations. Basingstoke, Macmillan. Corby, S. (2009). Rethinking reward. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Gitlow, H. S. (2005). Quality management. New YorkLondon, McGraw-Hill. Jacobs, T. (2002). â€Å"The margin of safety. † NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY 20(12): 1191-1191. Kotler, P. and K. L. Keller (2011). Marketing management. Harlow, Pearson Education. Marc, L. (1997). â€Å"Marketing mix customization and customizability. † Business Horizons 40(6): 39. Marcouse, I. (2010). â€Å"BTEC First Business. † 1. 4 The main functional areas within business organisations Ed. Retrieved 06/01, 2012, from http://www. teachmebusiness. co. uk/pag e29/page16/page18/assets/Functionalareas. pdf. Part 7 Appendices 7. 1 Design and Options TIKI (City Car)  | | round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| /5 Door Hatch| Y| Y| Y| Y| Small Engine (4 Cylinder)| Y| Y| Y| Y| Multi Location Airbags|   |   |   | Y| Alloy Wheels|   | Y| Y| Y| Parking Sensors| Y| Y|   | Y| Air Conditioning| Y| Y| Y| Y| Superior Sound System/iPod|   | Y| Y| Y| Security Package|   |   |   | Y| Safety Package|   | Y| Y| Y| CRUISER (Large Car)  | | round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| SUV| Y| Y| Y| Y| Diesel Engine| Y| Y| Y| Y| Multi Location Airbags|   |   | Y| Y| Alloy Wheels|   |   | Y| Y| Security Tracker|   |   |   | Y| Cruise Control| Y| Y|   |   | Automatic Transmission| Y| Y|   |   | Parking Sensors| Y| Y| Y| Y| Electronic Stability Control| Y| Y|   |   |Panoramic Sunroof| Y| Y|   |   | Heated Elec Wing Mirrors|   |   |   | Y| Electric Adjustable Seats|   |   |   | Y| Air Conditioning| Y| Y| Y| Y| Superior Sound System/iPod| Y| Y| Y| Y| Bluetooth Phone Preparation|   |   |   | Y| TV/DVD Player| Y| Y|   |   | Metallic Paint|   |   | Y| Y| Security Package|   |   | Y| Y| Safety Package| Y| Y| Y| Y| Luxury Package|   |   |   | Y| 7. 2 Warranty Cost Warranty Cost| round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| TIKI per car ? | 173| 170| 140| 155| CRUISER per car ? | 400| 353| 295| 348| Total Warranty Claims ? m| 26| 27| 21| 23| 7. 3 Other Key Performance Indicators