Do Some Elements Of Religion Have More Weight Than Others Essay

Do Some Elements Of Religion Have More Weight Than Others - Essay Example However these elements do not hold same value as each other. Elements like belief system, rituals and emotional experience have more value than other elements of religion. Belief system has always been the foundation of a religion and without it the pillar of religion would shake. Every religion is based on certain beliefs and faith and hence it has more weight than other elements. Without belief there a religion cannot exist. According to (Cline,2011)â€Å"Religion is certainly a type of belief system, but not all belief systems are religion. Differentiating religious from non-religious belief systems is sometimes easy, but other times rather difficult†. Religious beliefs gives a meaning and perception to a person’s imagination .Religious beliefs are supernatural in nature and people believe in it with full faith .People and various communities throughout the world have been believing in sets of rules and customs since ages, which is passed on to them by their ancestor s. These religious belief systems are based on the writings and teachings made by the founder of these religious concepts. The ideas and thoughts of religion are codified in to belief system and hence it’s of high value.... Even though the religion has 8 elements few element can be seen as totally absent. We can see that element like true devotion and self realization is absent .The people are now more in to religion for material benefits and there is not honesty or truth in their practice of religion. People are not pure in their thought and actions even though they follow the customs and rituals of their religion. To be faithful in religion, one must be pure in thoughts and deeds and in the present religious practice it is more of outwardly action that inward. Sometimes people practice a religion just for namesake and there is no meaning to it from their part. In ancient times, God and religion was really sacred concepts and people gave it prior importance than people of these times. Another element totally absent in religion is the process of self realization. People all over the world do pray and perform rituals, but they fail to acknowledge the divinity inside them. This problem arises due to the l ack of education from religious perspective. People believe that God is an outwardly thing and pray and struggle before God. They fail to understand that God exist in the core of our heart and realizing him is the sole way to be happy. People mostly love God for their self benefit and not out of natural love for him. When one understands that God is inside him, he will be blissful and content with life. People need to enquire about self and his purpose on this earth in order to prove his love to God. Scientology is a concept which believes that human beings are immortal and it concentrates on human rights. As per (Kent,1997) â€Å"Although some social scientists insist that Scientology is a religion, the more appropriate position to take is that the

Purchase intentions for ready to eat products

Purchase intentions for ready to eat products Research Question: The research focuses on determining the consumer preferences and purchase intentions for packaged and ready to eat food products. Moreover, we also look into how and to what extent factors like relationship of social, demographics, psychographic/ lifestyle, personal and external media influences the purchase decision Synthesis and Application Consumer decision- making styles in short, shopping styles like lifestyles, are a prominent area of interest in consumer behaviour studies. Consumer choice processes vary according to the type of product involved, the timing and the people involved (Burns Gentry, 1990:520). Although brand decision-making represents a fair amount of deliberation during consumer decision making, it does not represent the whole consumer decision-making process (Harrel, 1990:739). (Alet C Erasmus, Elizabeth Boshoff and GG Rousseau, 2001) Consumers purchasing decisions take place over a period of time. The overall goal during this decision process is to evaluate various alternatives and choose the product that satisfies the consumer in an optimal way. Consumers get influenced by several major factors while they make their decisions. These factors can be grouped as social, cultural, pscyhological, and personal factors( Kotler Armstrong, 1997: 141). In addition, increase in the number and variety of goods, stores, and shopping malls, and the availability of multicomponent products and electronic purchasing capabilities have broadened the sphere for consumer choice and led to complicated decision making. (Hafstrom et al., 1992). One or more specific shopping styles dimensions may influence consumer-shopping choices, and these influences are relatively enduring (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). Broadly speaking, these are 3 types of approaches in studying consumer decision-making styles: Psychographic/lifestyle approach, which identifies hundreds of characteristics related to consumer behaviour; Consumer typology approach, which classifies consumers into several types; Consumer characteristics approach, which focuses on different cognitive dimensions of consumer decision-making (Fan et al., 1998). Since ready to eat packaged food has met a stiff resistance on health grounds, the decision maker in the family is also an important aspect. Prior research in this area has found that mothers make the purchasing decisions for monthly food expenditures of the family however, fathers carry out the act of purchasing. Promotional activities such as commercials, new product development efforts, packaging, pricing distribution strategies all play a significant role in determining the person that makes the purchasing decision in the family (Elif Akagà ¼n Ergin, Handan ÃÆ'-zdemir, Bà ¼lent ÃÆ'-zsaà §macÄ ±, 2005) Sproles and Kendall (1986) developed a Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) based on the assumption that consumer decision-making behaviour can be explained by eight central decision-making dimensions that influence a consumers decision making behaviour. The eight decision-making style dimensions were: perfectionism/high-quality consciousness, brand consciousness, novelty consciousness, price/value consciousness, impulsive/careless shoppers, recreational and hedonistic shopping consciousness, confused by over-choice shoppers, and habitual and brand/store loyal shoppers. Despite the eight-dimensional structure being confirmed in the original study, there are indications that the eight-factor model does not hold good in real life. Packaged food industry: Consumer behaviour Favorable nutrition information presented on a Nutrition Facts panel also led to more positive attitudes toward the product, nutrition, and purchase intentions and reduced perceived disease risk. The effects of the nutrition information on all dependent variables were more pronounced in the menu context than in the package context, even though the nutrient values were identical. (John C. Kozup, Elizabeth H. Creyer, Scot Burton, 2003). Moreover, that social class is basically inferior to income as a correlate of buying behavior for the consumer packaged goods. Perhaps some types of packaged foods not covered in this study would have shown greater purchasing relationships with social class; e.g., frozen shrimp and other types of cocktail snacks. (Myers, Stanton and Haug, 1971) These products tend to be criticized because:-   They typically are high in fat and calorie contents The reduced time cost and nutritional content associated with these foods is specifically blamed for obesity Sometimes Genetically Modified Foods are used Sometimes an irradiation process is used If heat processing is used the vitamins are lost Preservatives are always used Packaged food: Indian market In developing countries like India, the preferences of the consumers clearly indicate their priority for cleanliness/freshness of food products followed by price, quality, variety, packaging, and non-seasonal availability. The consumers preference of marketplace largely depends on the convenience in purchasing at the marketplace along with the availability of additional services, attraction for children, basic amenities and affordability (Jabir Ali, Sanjeev Kapoor, Janakiraman Moorthy, 2010) Consumer demand for detailed information regarding content and nutrition of packaged food products is likely to increase due to booming organized retail sector in India. There is awareness about different types of information on the food labels displayed on packaged food products, however, usage of such information as one of the criteria while purchasing packaged food product is relatively low. Indian consumers assign very high importance to information about food ingredients and nutritional contents of the food. They also have very strong preference for brand and the taste of the product. This preference makes them purchase a packaged food item even though it may not meet their criteria of healthy food or may contain some harmful ingredients. Most lifestyle products such as breakfast cereals, readymade dressings etc. that would mostly be used by people who have relatively higher levels of income and education would pay more attention to various kinds of label information. Moreover, the awareness regarding label information is dependent on the consumers level of education, income and kind of occupation. (Sushil Kumar and Anuttera Pandit, 2005) Additionally, researchers have also shown that as convenience becomes the goal for households, with an increase in the number of urban population, working women and income levels, RTE has become the fastest growing sub-segment in the packaged food category. However, in India home cooked food is the first choice. At the moment, regional and non-vegetarian cuisines are relatively under-serviced, with concentration on the vegetarian. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The Research Design chosen is: Exploratory Research: Secondary Data Articles, Journals , Depth Interviews, Focus Group Discussions Conclusive Research: Descriptive Survey and Observation Firstly an exploratory research was conducted to gain insights and understanding about consumer buying behavior and customer preferences vis a vis RTE food products. This was done through the review of academic literature and depth interviews of retailers to identify relevant psychographic factors influencing customer purchase decisions. Secondly descriptive research has been undertaken in order to Profile the heavy users( frequent shoppers) of RTE products Quantitatively analyze the specified population exhibiting certain behavior regarding customer preferences Understand the degree of association of marketing variables with respect to packaged food products Make suitable recommendations. Data will be collected through structured questionnaires designed for the consumers. Depth interviews will be conducted for Retailers in Kozhikode. These responses have been analyzed by various statistical methods. Pretesting: Since our questionnaire has a majority of multiple choice questions there was a possibility of encountering order/position bias. This was done away with by having various sample forms filled with orders of questions as well as choices changed and finally the present form was frozen. The wording of certain questions was also changed after some rounds to pretesting making them more effective for understanding. For example Question 9 in the questionnaire has been changed from e.g. Before Pretesting: Q8. What influences your decision for the food products that you consume? After Pretesting:Q8. What influences your (as an individual) decision on choice of food products you purchase? Sampling technique Sampling methods are classified as either  probability  or  non-probability. In probability samples, each member of the population has a known non-zero probability of being selected. Probability methods include random sampling, systematic sampling, and stratified sampling. In non-probability sampling, members are selected from the population in some nonrandom manner. These include convenience sampling, judgment sampling, quota sampling, and snowball sampling Random sampling  is the purest form of probability sampling. Each member of the population has an equal and known chance of being selected. Systematic sampling  is often used instead of random sampling. It is also called an Nth name selection technique. After the required sample size has been calculated, every Nth record is selected from a list of population members. Stratified sampling  is commonly used probability method that is superior to random sampling because it reduces sampling error. A stratum is a subset of the population that share at least one common characteristic. Convenience sampling  is used in exploratory research where the researcher is interested in getting an inexpensive approximation of the truth. Judgment sampling  is a common non-probability method. The researcher selects the sample based on judgment. This is usually an extension of convenience sampling. Quota sampling  is the non-probability equivalent of stratified sampling. Like stratified sampling, the researcher first identifies the stratums and their proportions as they are represented in the population. Then convenience or judgment sampling is used to select the required number of subjects from each stratum. Snowball sampling  is a non-probability method used when the desired sample characteristic is rare. It may be extremely difficult or cost prohibitive to locate respondents in these situations. Snowball sampling relies on referrals from initial subjects to generate additional subjects. Sampling technique that we will use in our research will be the Convenient Sampling. The data will be collected through soliciting responses to the questionnaire designed for the study. The respondents will be contacted either in person or through e-mail. Sampling frame: Sampling frame is the actual set of units from which a sample has been drawn. In the ideal case, the sampling frame should coincide with the population of interest. For our research, the sampling frame that we will use consists of retail shops, groceries stores and malls. This sampling frame will ensure that the respondents chosen for the survey are the actual consumers/customers of the ready to eat food. E-mail will also be used to as a medium of data gathering. Since the people who usually consume the ready to eat food belongs to the relatively younger age group, the use of e-mail to invite the response will make sure that the survey is directed to the right target population. Sample size: The  sample size  of a  statistical sample  is the number of observations that constitute it. A larger sample size leads to increased  precision  in estimates of various properties of the  population. The sample size of 200 has been chosen for the survey. As according to central limit theorem, a sample of size of minimum 30 observations is required to perform statistical analysis. This sample was large enough to provide the data which could be further used for analysis and interpretation. Data Collection: The data will be collected through the questionnaires. The questionnaires will be filled either through soliciting replies through e-mails or contacting respondents personally. Thus the primary source of the data will be used in the analysis. Data Analysis We have designed our questionnaire such that the responses would give us nominal and interval data. We will be using the following techniques to analyze this data Univariate/ Bivariate Analysis Correlation and regression Multivariate Techniques such as cluster analysis, factor analysis (as applicable) ANNEXURE FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) Introduction The purpose of the discussion was to conduct evaluative research to determine (in order of priority) Understand the perception of the target audience about Packaged Ready to eat food Identify the main factors that influence a buyer to buy the products Understand the need of getting varieties in the ready to eat food material Identify the consumer preference of ready to eat food products Target Audience As per our understanding, ready to eat food would be generally preferred by Married women who dont get time to cook food Young working professionals and college students who stay in flats as bachelors Working population who travel a lot Focus Group Attributes There were 6 participants and discussion was moderated by a moderator. We selected participants from the PGP13 and PGP14 batches of IIM Kozhikode such that there were 2 female students who got married and were working before joining IIM K shared their past experiences 2 students (1 male and 1 female) who joined as freshers shared their experiences as graduation students and also as MBA students 2 students (both males) shared their experiences while they were working in jobs that involved a lot of travelling, before joining IIM K Seating pattern was as shown in the figure P3 P4 P22 P- Focused Group participants P5 P6 P1 M- Moderator M Beginning the Focus Group Discussion: The moderator welcomed the group with his introduction and facilitated introduction of the group too Moderator gave an overview of the topic This is an attempt to know the preferences regarding Packaged Ready to Eat foods from the young bachelors, from working women as they have to take care of the food at home and manage time also and from college going students who have scarcity of time and also look for variety and different taste in the products Subsequently the moderator set the ground rules. The moderator used predetermined questions and an assistant moderator took careful notes. Topics Discussed in the group Question: If ready to eat products are easily available in the market how many of you would like to purchase? Discussion: The group members had different preferences. Some members were concerned about the variety of products available and the price for the quantity. There was a small discussion around the usage of the pack and time factor. One member talked about how he started buying RTE as he stayed alone and this was very convenient to make and it gets ready in few minutes. It saves a lot of time and energy. Ranking was given to different attributes and the final rankings are as follows Taste Time saving activity Easier availability Increased convenience Food variety Price Question: What kind of options should be present in packaged food that you would plan to purchase? Discussion: Everyone was of the opinion that instant mix and packaged snacks like pasta, vermicelli, noodles and ready to cook Indian curries are essential. The final ranking was as follows: Confectionary (preferred across the group) Instant open and eat (preferred by young population) Instant mix to cook like dosa powder, gulab jamun mix (preferred by female users) Frozen food like peas, sweet corn (used for quick preparation of food by married women) Question: Are you brand loyal or would you be ready to switch to a different brand? Discussion: The group was split between brand-loyal and non brand-loyal customers. Brand loyal customers specified major brands like MTR, Kelloggs, ITC when they went for buying RTE foods. And the non brand- loyal customers switched among products whichever they found the best in taste or always looked for a change or went for trials of new products. However, even the brand loyal customers showed inclination to change brand if variety and better taste is available in novelty products. Question: Are you too particular about the cuisine in RTE foods? Discussion: The group consensually came to a conclusion that it preferred different cuisines depending on the time of the day. 1. Chinese- cup noodles, noodles, soups (evening snacks) 2. Mexican- cornmeal (in the morning hours) 3. Italian- Pasta, Bread 4. Indian- gravy, ready mix (main course) Question: Where do you usually shop for Ready to eat foods? Discussion: People had different options for shopping since RTE foods are easily available in the market. They mentioned the following options available whichever was closer to their residence Retail outlet Shopping malls Kirana stores Confectionary stores Question: What influences your decision on choice of food you purchase? Discussion: The group members were influenced by several factors while making a decision to buy a particular product from the various options available in the market of RTE foods. A list of influential factors which they specified is as follows: Advertisements Prior usage experience Friends/ neighbors Retailer on the shop Question: Do you consider price as a major criterion to choose among the products available? Discussion: Most of the group members said that price was not as important a criterion as taste and quality. Moreover the price range of these kinds of products was within range of Rs 50-100, it didnt play a very big role in buying decision process. Inference From the following inferences of the focus group discussion, we designed our questionnaire People do take cuisine into consideration while purchasing packaged food. Taste was the most important criterion followed by ease in making and time consumed. Time was a major factor too as the target segment was young and working population and for them time is always scarce and critical. Word of mouth also played an important role in considering new products for consumption. Value for money in terms of quality and variety was considered to a certain extent before buying a packaged food product. QUESTIONNAIRE Questionnaire instructions Please answer all the questions Unless specified, please select only one option as a response for each question Questionnaire design Q1. Do you buy ready-to-eat (Packaged) food? 1 = Yes 2 = No Q2. In a typical week, how often do you buy packaged food? 1 = Less than once 2 = 1 to 3 times 3 = 4 to 6 times 4 = More than 6 times Q3. Why do you buy packaged food? (More than one option can be chosen) 1 = Convenience 2 = Taste 3 = Nutrition 4 = Quality 5=Price 6 = any other reason, please specify _______________ Q4. Please indicate your food preference. 1 = Vegetarian 2 = Non-vegetarian 3 = Both Q5. What cuisine do you prefer? (More than one option can be chosen) 1= Indian 2 = Chinese 3 = Italian 4 = Mexican 5 = Others, please specify _______________ Q6. Generally during which phase of week do you consume packaged food? 1=Monday to Friday 2=Saturday to Sunday = All days Q7. From where do you buy processed food? (More than one option can be chosen) 1=Retail outlet 2=Shopping malls 3=Kirana stores 4=Confectionary stores, 5=Others, please specify _______________ Q8. What influences your (as an individual) decision on choice of food products you purchase? (More than one option can be chosen) 1 = Children 2 = Advertisements 3 = Spouse 4 = Friends 5 = Retailer on the shop 6 = Others Q9. What is your age group? 1 = 15 to 25 years 2 = 25 to 35 years 3 = 35 to 45 years 4 = Above 45 years Q10. What is your occupation? 1 = Student 2 = Public Service 3 = Private Service 4 = Self-employed 5 = Homemaker 6 = Other, please specify _______________ Q11. Do you live with your family? 1 = Yes 2 = No Q12. What is your monthly income (in Rs.)? 1 = Below 15000 2 = 15000-25000 3 = 25000-35000 4 = Above 35000 5 = cannot disclose Q13. Usually, where do you consume packaged food? 1 = Home 2 = Workplace 3 = Both 4 = Other Q14. On a scale of 5, how satisfied are you with the packaged food, where 1 is least satisfied and 5 is highly satisfied? 1 2 3 4 5 Q15. On a scale of 5, how likely are you to recommend packaged food to others, where 1 is least likely and 5 is highly likely? 1 2 3 4 5 DEPTH INTERVIEW OF RETAILERS We plan to have depth interviews with 1-2 retails and ask them following questions: Which category of food sells more? Which type of packaged food is preferred? Do you have refrigeration facilities? For how many years you have been in the retail business? How many customers visit your shop every day? Which is the peak hour of your business? What age group of customers visits your shop? Which type of customers prefers packaged food? Has the sales of packaged food changed over the last three years?

Legionnaire’s Disease Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Legionnaires disease, characterized as a form of pneumonia, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Legionella. Legionnaires disease accumulated its name after it spread to more than 4,000 World War II Legionnaires, as well as their family and friends, which all gathered to participate in the 58th American Legion's convention in Philadelphia, about 600 of whom were staying at the hotel this convention was being held at. The day after the convention was being hosted, a great number of the people began feeling ill. No one began to think anything of it, because the symptoms were beginning to be very similar to any other stomach flu. It wasn’t until the American Legionnaires started dying of an illness no one could figure out what was, that endless tests were completed, and Medical specialists came to a conclusion that a bacteria, Legionella, was spreading through the air conditioning vents in the convention hotel. (Legionnaires disease: A history if its discovery). This n on contagious infection enters the body through contaminated bacteria into water vapor that we breathe in, affecting the bronchial tubes, and lungs. Legionnaires disease was then given it’s name in 1976, after it killed 34 people from the convention in Philadelphia. People affected with Legionnaires disease often have signs and symptoms extremely similar to signs associated with the flu, such as muscle aches, headaches, loss of appetite, and cough. Fevers tend to get high, ranging from temperatures of 102-105 degrees. Symptoms of Legionnaires disease usually do not show up until 2-10 days after a person is infected with the bacteria, and people normally experience other symptoms such as diarrhea and stomach cramps. Pontiac Fever, also known to be associate... ... Edelstein, Paul H. Legionnaires Disease: History and Clinical Findings. Legionella: Molecular Microbiology, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. http://www.open-access-biology.com/legionella/edelstein.html. Nordqvist, Christian. "What Is Legionnaires' Disease? What Causes Legionnaires' Disease?" Medical News Today. National Health Service , n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/18413.php. "Legionnaires' disease: FAQ." HC Info. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. http://www.hcinfo.com/ldfaq.htm. Legionnaires Disease, What is it? Yahoo groups, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. http://www.gatesit.com.au/legion/Legionnaires_Disease_What_is_it.htm. "Legionnaires' disease." Mayo Clinic. N.p., 2 Aug. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/legionnaires-disease/DS00853.

National Security and Free Press Essay

The adage of â€Å"perception is reality’ is the impact media has regarding national security and the DoD’s response to media. Since John F. Kennedys assignation, through the Vietnam War, OPERATION Desert Storm to the present, people are fascinated with real-time media information for current events; this information is truth in the public’s eyes. President Bush’s decision to place troops in Somalia and President Clinton’s decision to remove troops from Mogadishu are national security ecisions made based on public perception (Belknap, 2001, 1). The National Security Council, consists of political officials, with the exception of the chiefs of staff military advisors; these elected officials make decisions in the interest of national security based on public perception derived from free press. Free press impacts national security by decisions based on public perception and the DoD should utilize free press to reveal benefits of military action in relation to national security (Snow, 2006, 4). Imbedded public media deployed with our C-130 unit with the intent of publicizing a soldier’s perspective of combat operation. This made us feel our involvement is shared along with the greater media picture to give the public a more complete understanding of war from tactical to strategic perspective. In the book Lone Survivor, a Navvy SEAL Team on an operation in Afghanistan let perception of civilian casualties the media would relay, sway combat decisions to save military lives Lutrell, 2007, 232). This perception is the â€Å"negative† impact soldiers face these days. Media imbed within military operations will relay to the public a tactical level perspective of the national security implications of free press. Overall, public opinion is influenced by free press; national security decisions are influenced by public opinion. The DoD should utilize the freedom of press to influence public opinion in the interest of national security. Belknap, Margaret

Operational management Essay

1. Viking Sewing Machines ltd, a large company, was engaged in manufacturing and marketing household sewing machines including electronic models and low priced mechanical models. Sale of domestic sewing machines was declining all over the world in view of the increasing popularity of readymade garments produced by companies using industrial sewing machines. At this stage there was a change in the ownership of Viking in 1997, when the CEO resigned and a new CEO took charge. Under his leadership, Viking considered the following mission statements for the company: a. To develop, produce, market and sell sewing machines and related products which enhance the joy of creative sewing; b. To be consumer driven company ensuring growth, profitability and success by providing superior satisfaction to the consumers and our dealer partners by continuously adding value to the Viking brand; c. To be recognized as the leading premier sewing machine company in the world; and d. To expand our business by creating demand for more creative uses of sewing. Which one of the above mission statements should the company adopt and why? Answer Every business had to be managed and operated with a long term seted goal. So, they need to forecast about the upcoming future of the company and that forecasting should be done in such a way so that it can be more effective and efficient for the organization in the long run. Here, the competitors had already beat the Viking Sewing Machine ltd. So to stay in the competitive market, Viking Sewing Machine ltd should adopt such a policy so that they can be sustainable in the market. Therefore, in order to be sustainable Viking Sewing Machine ltd should follow the second mission statement â€Å"to be a consumer driven company ensuring growth, profitability and success by providing superior satisfaction to the consumers and our dealer patter and by continuously adding value to the Viking Brand.† Because, consumers are the key assets for every company. When consumers will be satisfied with the product they have purchased, they themselves will repeatedly buy the products and they will promote the product by themselves to their close persons. Thus the company would gain some valued customers which will help them to be stable in the market. Again, when Viking will  maintain a good relation to their dealers (supply chain management is very important for every organization), they will be very glad for working with such a company. They will also be loyal with the company and will do for the betterment of the company always. 2. For more than ten years till 1995, Laboni stores ltd was successfully running a a number of retail stores selling cosmetics and skin care products. From 1996, sales were stagnating and now after a year had started declining. The general manager of the company made enquiries from stores in charge at various locations of stores. All of them reported that ladies, particularly the younger generation, were found to be highly discriminating about choice of products. Demand for certain branded items widely fluctuated due to movie artists’ preferences shown on the TV. Also there is a marketed tendency to equate quality with rice. The general managed decided to have environmental analysis carried out with a focus on changes in social and cultural factors among urban ladies On that basis he even thought of recommending to the board of directors a complete change in the product lines to be decided. Do you think the GM was right in his approach regarding environmental scanning? What other factors in the environment needed analysis? If there was a clear change in tastes and preferences of buyers of certain products, is it essential for the company to switch over to a different product line? Answer Every organization in the world needs to modify their business model in some context. When the demand for their products starts to decline due to the change in tastes and preferences of their customers and their competitive pressure keep increasing, they should grab a new policy for their company just to be sustaining in the competitive market. Here, considering the above mentioned fact, I would say that yes, the general manager was right in his approach regarding environmental scanning of the product. Because by scanning the environment, the company would able to know the actual demand of their products and some other factors which are hampering their market such as the quality of their competitors product, what new demand exist in  the market, what their customer wants, which innovation should they bring . As there was a clear change in the tastes and preferences of their customers of certain products, the company should switch over to a different product line based on the result s they have found from the scanning of the environment. 3. Avik industries ltd was a family owned conglomerate with diversified business activities including consumers’ durables, switchgears, batteries and both toilate and washing soapes. For a number of years the company prospered with growth in volumes and market share. But its performance had setback in 1999, when the net margins in switchgears, the most profitable product, declined from 12 to 11%, while in consumer durables it had halved to 6%, the batteries business was under pressure, and the ailing soaps division had just started looking up. The chief executive of the switchgear unit observed that the results would have been worse but for the focus on operational efficiency. For years, Avik had been organized along four divisions as independent profit centres. Except for HR and finance, all other functions were decentralized. The advantage was that each of the businesses had a strong focus. It also facilitated customer focus. The flipside was that divisions became insular and inward looking. Each division had its own ad budget even separated ad agencies. The sales force was pushed to look at short term product promotions in the face of competitive pressure. The cost of sales was rising much faster than rate of growth in sales. It seemed divisional autonomy had been pushed too far down the line. Should the divisional set up be disbanded? Or, should the divisions be converted into SBUs and spun off into separate companies? Is there any other alternative structure possible? Answer Decentralization makes all individual more creative as their decisions get more valued from the top level of the organization. So they get more encouraged to take all the decisions of the company very carefully as they know that they will be treated well for a better decision in future. Now  considering the mentioned fact, my suggestion would be neither the divisional set up should be disbanded nor a single division should be converted in to separate companies. Rather,  Avik industries ltd should disbanded their decision of decentralizing their all other departments. I would say that the decentralization would be very better for the company. And altogether, the SBUs must be added into all their separated departments. Henceforth, the decentralization will allow all other departments to make their own decision and the SBUs will put all the information of the organization from all the separated departments together. Thus, the management board and all others can look for every decision of their organization that had taken in separated departments and would be able to make any correction if they needed in future. So, the decision would mostly come from the top level of the company which will bring the betterment for the company.

Free Essays on Grief And Loss

Abstract This paper will identify and analyze the main concepts ideas outlined in the learning goals of course grief and bereavement. The paper outlines the elements and stages of grief, as well as the complications that might arise from the process. The risk factors associated with the inability to resolve grief and the principles and techniques for effective grief therapy. The paper will also address the assessment and treatment of adults, children, and families with special attention to special types of loss and cultural considerations. The writer will identify her position on grief and bereavement and support the position with the appropriate literature. Good abstract Grief is universal and experienced by all humans at some point in life. Worden (2002), states the people have been grieving for thousands of years, long before professionals were available to assist with the process. Grief is experienced by millions of American each year and each experience is unique and different. While most grief is experienced in the context of a loss to death; grief can come from other kinds of losses including divorce, losing a beloved pet, ending a friendship, infertility, giving a child up for adoption, and even saying goodbye to adult children as they leave for college or to live on their own. All of these involve loss and another person, yet none involve death. Other losses can include losing your job, your independence, relocating or losing a beloved pet. In each case, a lose resulting in grief, even though the focus of one’s grief is not necessarily on another human being. This paper will focus on grief in the context of a loss to death. While grief is universal, no grief experience is exactly the same. One’s reaction to the death of their father can be very different from the reaction to the death of their mother, spouse, siblings or offspring. Individuals process their grief differently and some are able... Free Essays on Grief And Loss Free Essays on Grief And Loss Abstract This paper will identify and analyze the main concepts ideas outlined in the learning goals of course grief and bereavement. The paper outlines the elements and stages of grief, as well as the complications that might arise from the process. The risk factors associated with the inability to resolve grief and the principles and techniques for effective grief therapy. The paper will also address the assessment and treatment of adults, children, and families with special attention to special types of loss and cultural considerations. The writer will identify her position on grief and bereavement and support the position with the appropriate literature. Good abstract Grief is universal and experienced by all humans at some point in life. Worden (2002), states the people have been grieving for thousands of years, long before professionals were available to assist with the process. Grief is experienced by millions of American each year and each experience is unique and different. While most grief is experienced in the context of a loss to death; grief can come from other kinds of losses including divorce, losing a beloved pet, ending a friendship, infertility, giving a child up for adoption, and even saying goodbye to adult children as they leave for college or to live on their own. All of these involve loss and another person, yet none involve death. Other losses can include losing your job, your independence, relocating or losing a beloved pet. In each case, a lose resulting in grief, even though the focus of one’s grief is not necessarily on another human being. This paper will focus on grief in the context of a loss to death. While grief is universal, no grief experience is exactly the same. One’s reaction to the death of their father can be very different from the reaction to the death of their mother, spouse, siblings or offspring. Individuals process their grief differently and some are able...

The Divorce Effects

The Divorce Effects Introduction Divorce involves restructuring of the family where parents separate. When people get married, they get children in the union and who are under the care of both parents. Divorce causes emotional and psychological strain among the parents. The process of divorce is very involving and parents end up as opponents and seek to be independent (Roderick 6). Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Divorce Effects specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More After divorce the parents reside in different houses and have to settle with the other about the custody of children. In most cases the children remain in custody of the mother. Although some people believe that parents absorb the major effects of divorce, I believe that divorce has a big effect on children than parents. Discussion on how effects of divorce on children are more than effects on the parents Emotional effects According to Friedman (17), when parents di vorce the family members are affected. The children as well as the parents have to adjust to changes and may take up to two years to settle down. They often have emotions that are triggered by the divorce. In cases where children exposed and saw the parents engage in conflict, children find it more comfortable to live with a single parent and be not see the parents engage in quarrels. On the other hand, some parents keep their differences secret from the children. When they divorce, such children usually have a harder time to cope with the change than children who knew their parents differences. Therefore parents can live in a marriage for the sake of the children. Children encounter difficulty Children from divorced families portray differences from those who grow up in stable families. Divorce affects children’s social life because some have difficulties relating with other members of society when compared with the others. Roderick (pg 8), argues that some children from t he divorced families may learn skill of copping with difficulties and therefore may end with less problems than those from non divorced families.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The recovery from divorce of the children is depended on the pace of the parent to pull through the difficult times. As Wilson (pg 10) argues, in cases where parents recover quickly, the children were able to cope with changes while those parents who took long to overcome challenges posed by divorce, their children continued manifesting problems like regression. Unprepared to deal with change Young children find it unbearable to deal with divorce of the parents because at their age they have not learnt how to muddle through changes and are thereby not fully ready to handle separation of one of the parents. Most often, boys have a harder time than girls when parents divorce. When they devel op problems, the divorced wife poorly manages the son’s problems and may liken him with the father besides having her own problems. The problem may include the fact that they had a relationship with the father which is no longer present. Children are affected by the separation of parents. ONeill (Para 2) reveals that the father figure or the mother figure is important to children. They lose the connection and some support they got from the parent. Loss of one parent Children end up spending limited time with parents. The divorce makes the children live with one parent and may see the other parent at another time. This makes them fail to experience the love and care of the parent who is away. The parents may enter into other relationships where they have to spend some time with the new found partner. The child does not fully enjoy the company of both parents as the parents may be committed to other relationships. Failure in effective parenting Some parents change their style o f parenting after divorce as Hughes (Para11) mentions. They abandon some practices that would have benefited the child positively. For instance parents may fail to assist in home work since they relocated due to the divorce. The abandonment of the practices affects the child more than the parent because the child needs quality parenting which they are denied. Children are largely affected by the process of divorce where both parents are adverse enemies. They are affected more than the parent when the two parents extend the fights in court about who is to provide care for the children. The child changes in the way they handle situations and may become irritated easily. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Divorce Effects specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They may become criminals and at times attempt to take their life. They may also deliberately neglect authority and at time run away from their home. In some cases children feel insecure and uncertainty about their future. Children suffer when the parents involve them in the divorce cases. Because parents need someone to confide in, some parents end up discussing their problems with the child. The child gets hurt when they become awre of their parents antagonism towards each other. They get feeling of helplessness since they both parents are important to them. Roderick (Pg 14) supports the claim then process of divorce is traumatizing to the children. For this reason single parents living without divorce are viewed as healthier than families that are conflicting. Moreover, children love to live in a peaceful family rather than a family with violence. Economic effects Children have more problems than parents when affected by changes in economic support. Divorced parents may have economic challenges as suggested by most of the authors. Due to inadequate finances following divorce, the single mother of father may relocate and the children change the school they attend as a consequence (ONeill 16). Children lose relationships and friendships that are already and may be required have difficulties copping in the new environment. They may also change their lifestyle due to economic constrains. Psychological effects Children are psychologically affected by divorce. The memories of a good family, when the conflict began and became worse, the divorce process and later the experiences after the divorce remain in the child brain. Another experience that remains to distress children with divorced parents is the movement from one parent’s residence to the other. Such children suffer because they consider that if the situation would change they would have one home (Friedman 27)Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Divorce is stressful and not pleasant. The parents may understand and be willing to go through some changes as a result of the divorce. Children suffer more than the parents because they are neither prepared nor do they understand why they should put up with some changes. The encounter is more unbearable when the parent marries again and divorces again. Change in organization of family Some divorces causes greater loses of relationship with extended family members as well as the organization of a family (Wilson pg 9). The child may lose conduct with the other parents kinsmen like lovely grandparents and only meet them less frequently. During annual parties like a birthday, the child may feel the loss of important members of the extended family and the absence of one parent. Recommendations Children are affected by divorce more than parents because it has negative impact on the child’s maturity. Considerations made when parents choose to divorce do not include the feelings and opinions of the children. Thus children are forced into separating without being involved. Tension increases when one parent influences the child to side with one parent. Friedman (Pg 15) notes that both parents should be committed to follow the progress of their child both in education and in social life. Additionally, parents can make efforts to see their children most often as the children need the figure and emotional support from both parents. Furthermore, parents can also consider staying in the marriage for the sake of the children. This is because children suffer even more than the parents for due to the divorce. Conclusion The effects of divorce cannot be under estimated because children are affected more than their parents. Based on the words of Wilson (pg 1) we can learn that children of divorced parents are affected by the loss of one parent, financial changes that cause change of lifestyle and relocation. They are affected emotionally and psychologically and may end u p with low self esteem and a feeling of helplessness. In addition, stress and memories concerning the divorce remain high among the children and hence they are affected more than the parents. Friedman, Debra. Towards a structure of indifference: the social origins of maternal Custody. New York: A. de Gruyter, c1994. ONeill, William. Divorce in the progressive era. New York, New Viewpoints, 1973 Roderick, Phillips. Putting asunder: a history of divorce in western society. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Wilson, Mike. Divorce. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, c2009