Proof Media Assignment

Proof Media Assignment (Topic#1) Alice Wang The directorial decision to include Catherine’s eulogy and the post funeral party scene in the film effectively enhanced character development. Catherine’s eulogy was significant in displaying Catherine’s behaviour in front of crowds, and her rash decision to make a speech at her father’s funeral. Catherine is shown to make emotional and rash decisions on the spot, not thinking of consequence. Catherine’s shocking speech is made in a calm tone of voice, but shows her clear resentment towards the crowd gathered at her father’s funeral – â€Å"Where’ve you all been the last 5 years? At the end of her speech, she exclaims â€Å"I’m glad he’s dead† and walks out. As she is walking out, we see that Clair stands up after her, but it is Hal who chases her down – this event showing that Hal is more caring about Catherine’s well-being as well as Clair’ s stance in her regard towards her sister. After Catherine walks out, she shows (to Hal) her disbelief at herself and her regret for saying what she said, and walks home. Later in the Post funeral party, Catherine is shown as a solitary person, away from the party.Hal tells Catherine flirtatiously that her dress looks good on her, which effected in Catherine later telling Clair, â€Å"Clair, I love it† (the dress). This shows that Hal’s opinion matters a lot to Catherine, and that Catherine is beginning to have feelings for Hal. Catherine and Hal exchanges words at the party, and Catherine reveals her intelligence to Hal when they begin discussing about the famous female mathematician, Sophie Germaine. Here, Catherine is revealing that she is, in fact, very intelligent – hinting at her inheritance to her father’s intellectual mind.Meanwhile, Clair at the party, is shown drinking and socializing- the complete opposite of Catherine; highlighting the differe nce between the sisters and their behaviours. Flashing back to Catherine and Hal, as Catherine is opening up to Hal, she shows him up into her room, and Hal kisses her. After Hal pulls away he apologizes to Catherine, saying â€Å"sorry, I’m a little drunk†. This shows that Hal is considerate and has feelings for Catherine as well. They continue kissing and they engage in coitus.Before the act, Catherine expresses that she feels like she is â€Å"like an egg† and â€Å"about to crack open†, and after the act, she is shown crying. This scene further develops Catherine’s character, showing that she is very emotional, but she is still in a rational state of mind, able to feel and give love. Overall, the scenes show character development in how different Claire is from her sister, and how Hal cares deeply for Catherine. Most of all, the scenes show Catherine’s resentment, regret, intelligence, that she is in an emotional state, makes rash decisi ons, and that she is not crazy – that she is still in a rational state of mind.

One Man Two Guvnors Drama Review

One Man Two Guvnors review In a packed theatre, full of audiences from all ages who continuously have a smile on their face; currently rated as a high five stars, One Man Two Guvnors could not be a funnier performance to watch. As soon as I entered the theatre, it was completely packed. I also saw many people from different age groups; this gave me a feeling that the show would be entertaining enough to get people from all ages to come and see the show. The environment of the theatre was very formal, as there was a red and gold layout and it was also very clean.Before the show started there was country singers, this was a very good way to introduce the show as the song was very upbeat and got me feeling more excited. They were dressed in checked shirts and suits; this gave me the feeling straight away that it would be based before the 2000s, which I was right as it is set in 1963. These country singers also came in a few times during the show and sang many more lively songs which I l oved hearing and sung with my friends. The main character that stood out the most to me was the well-known actor James Cordon, whom played a failed skiffle player named Francis who is in need of a job†¦ and a meal!He gets himself in a shuffle, as working as a servant for two masters whom are currently enemies. Many words could describe Francis; funny, dopey, confused, loud, sociable, at times annoying. Not only did he make the audience laugh, he also spoke to them too! For example, asking the audience who has a sandwich, which made the audience get more involved with Francis. He also did return a sandwich and a few other treats when asked! He had also made the audience a part of the performance as he needed some volunteers to get up on stage and help him out in the jobs he had to do. Such as, lifting a trunk and needing help on food preparations.My favourite scene that made Francis impress me the most was when he had to keep his two guvnors away from each other and at the same time serve them both food, whilst they was both opposite doors away from each other in the same hotel! His greedy behaviour of taking some food out of the dishes and keeping them for himself was absolutely hilarious. This is also the scene where he chose someone from the audience to help him take some food and store it in his pot. The way parts of this scene was off script yet still so on track and funny impressed me and I laughed the most at this scene.I also thought that the staging had a big impact to the audience. There were many different scene changes that looked so realistic; the living room, the Brighton pier, the upstairs hotel in The Cricketers Arms and the street outside it. The stage was spacious enough for the actors to move around freely, I still had a clear view even though I sat at the right at the top upper circle. The lighting on stage was very bright as the scenes were mostly indoors or in daylight. The music had suited the plays environment as the music was very upbeat, lively, loud and cheerful.Many instruments were played together to make many amazing songs and sounds. The play would stop in between, the curtains would draw and each time I got more inpatient wanting another song to come. The country singers who sang the songs gave me a warm, yet energetic feeling as I and the audience were clapping along to the rhythm, not to mention singing at the chorus. If these country singers did not perform, the overall play would not have been the same! Another scene that I also enjoyed a lot would be the ending scene, where Francis’ two jobs were revealed, all problems are sorted and the truth comes out.The two love birds are finally together and it’s all just like a fairy tale. This was a good way to end the performance in a happy atmosphere. Overall, I recommend that everyone should watch this performance as they will laugh their socks off just like the rest of the audience. I would rate the play a high 4 star performance as it was a fantastic, memorable experience that definitely made my day and is worth the watch. James Corden as his character Francis James Corden as his character Francis Rachel and Stanley whom are in love Rachel and Stanley whom are in love

Cross Cultural Field Experience

Cross cultural experiences can be defined in many different ways. Some people view these experiences as a way to interact with individuals who are diverse, often experiencing things one would not typically experience within their own culture. A cross cultural experience allows someone to share within another’s culture. These experiences can enrich the lives of those who participate by offering experience, knowledge, patience and an understanding into ones culture. Jesus Power Assembly of God I had the pleasure of attending a Sunday worship session on June 2, 2013 at Jesus Power Assembly of God. This church is a bible based and primarily immigrant church located in Columbus, Ohio and founded by Pastor Bismark Osei Akomeah. Reverend Akomeah is the Senior Pastor of Jesus Power Assembly of God church. He has planted four other Assemblies of God churches in Cincinnati and Georgia. He has also created French and Swahili speaking churches. First Impressions My daughter arranged this visit for us since she has a friend that attends the church. As soon as my daughter and I pulled into the parking lot I realized that this was going to be cultural experience for us. We were the only people in the whole church that were not dark skinned. We were starred at. There were whispers behind our backs. We were approached almost immediately by Pastor Bismark Osei Akomeah with welcome arms. I am sure he was wondering how we ended up finding our way into his church as the first thing he asked was if we were invited by a member. Hailey and I found our way into the sanctuary and took a seat in the back. Truthfully I wanted to make sure I could make a break if we needed to. The music and the singing were phenomenal! There was a choir and a band and there wasn’t anyone sitting in their seats. All were up and praising the word of God. The singing went on for a good amount of time before we actually started the sermon. The people were friendly and welcoming. We were approached several times and encouraged to move up closer to the front of the church. Many people came by and shook our hands and spoke to us. In fact, I actually felt more important and â€Å"loved† at this particular church than I have ever felt at any other church I have attended. The Sermon The sermon itself was given in both English and Swahili. The church has large screens in which the words to the sermon were put on so that people could follow along. It was an active service. I was especially surprised at the events for the day. The service started at 10 am with an opening prayer. There was praise and worship for 45 minutes which consisted of a combination of singing and talking. For about 10 minutes following the initial sermon there was time set aside for the welcoming of visitors. Each person took the microphone and said their names and identified how they came into the church. Hailey and I declined to take the microphone and all were understanding and sympathetic. Following the introductions of visitors, there were announcements for the church, more songs and music. The Pastor took the stage at about 11:15 with the sermon for the day. The sermon lasted for about an hour and a half. This was an extremely long service compared to what I am used to at a typical church service. When the sermon was completed there was an additional hour of praying, singing and the passing of the offering plate. The entire service from start to finish was 3 hours long! The one thing that was surprising to me was the difference in the length of the service compared to what I have experienced in the past. The longest service I have ever been a part of was an hour, at the most. These people spent almost the entire day together. Once the service was completed they went into another room in the basement and had a huge spread of food they shared. Church to this group of people was a family event. They prayed together, sang together and broke bread together. There is a clear difference between a Swahili service and a Lutheran or Christian service. Conclusion This experience was an emotional and eye opening event for me. I was able to share in another cultures religious experience and the group welcomed me with open arms. Sharing this experience with my teenage daughter was a valuable lesson for her as well. Although I have always raised my daughter to be accepting of all people regardless of color, religion or culture, she was able to immerse herself in another’s culture and see what it was like.

Economyc Depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Economyc Depression - Research Paper Example Depression is also defined on the basis of two general rules: †¢ A decline in real GDP over and above 10%, or †¢ A recession constantly experienced for 2 or more years. These days, the term â€Å"Depression† is frequently associated with the Great Depression of the 1930’s, though the very term had been in use for quite long before then. History of Economic Depressions There have been many periods of long-drawn-out economic downfall in different countries/regions since 1945, but naming these as "depressions" is contentious. The most considerable worldwide economic crisis in the history after the Great Depression, the recession of late-2000s, has also been named as â€Å"Depression† at times, but this terminology is not in general use, even though economic researchers name them as â€Å"Great Recession†. The â€Å"Great Depression† The Great Depression was an event which started on October 1929, when the stock market in the United States dropped swiftly. More than hundreds of financiers and investors drowned their capital and got bankrupted, even the history writes them to be raised to the grounds and were compelled to live on the streets, time and again going without food. These circumstances resulted to the Great Depression. In modern times, the resulting period of ten years was categorized as the most terrible time-span with extremely high unemployment rate and near to the ground business activity. Almost all of the industries, business hubs, factories, shopping stores and trade centers left numerous Americans out of work, rendered homelessness, and caused people to live without food. A gigantic number of people were depending on the State administration or else charity organizations, to provide them with food (Shannon 1960; Parker 2007). Almost all countries were severely affected by this massive and worst economic downfall and came forward as facing â€Å"The Great Depression† of 1930’s. It led to a sharp turndown in world trade as each country tried to protect their industries. The Depression led to political turmoil in many countries such as Germany where poor economic conditions led to the rise of Hitler. Franklin D. Roosevelt was  elected President  in 1932 and his 'new deal' reforms gave the government more power and helped slow the depression.  By the time, as nations enhanced the production of weapons and other war equipments, the Great depression began to stroll towards an end. The increasing production of war materials led to open job opportunities for masses and resulted in the injection of big sums of money back into the business flow. Many of the factors resulted into the great depression; one of them being the lack of diversification in the economy of United States. The overall economic success of America used to be dependent on very few industries; for instance

MEDIA STUDIES (assignment relates to the concept of media ownership) Essay

MEDIA STUDIES (assignment relates to the concept of media ownership) - Essay Example Lastly, a comment shall be drawn on the research. The Walt Disney Company is a media related company that shares many other interests. The company has got subsidiaries and affiliate companies. The domain of the business is, however, solely focused on entertainment. The company focuses on four segments. These three core segments entail; media interests, consumer products and studio entertainment. The fourth segment is not media related because it wanders into the hotel industry. This segment concerns resorts and parks (The Walt Disney Company 2012). Disney studios focus on family entertainment. This is the foundation that has marketed and propelled the Disney Company. It focuses on animated films and pictures (Manheim 2002, p.143). These pictures are sometimes adapted into magazine entertainment pictures and conversation (Griffin 2000, p.6). The motion pictures employ exceptional storytelling that creates interests for new releases. Walt Disney has three worldwide acclaimed animated films. They comprise; Mickey Mouse, the Seven Dwarfs and the Snow White. The Disney studios engage several distributional channels to ease the distribution of these products. The main distribution channel is Walt Disney Pictures that also divides its role for subsidiary groups. These comprise animation studios like: Pixar, Disney Toon and Walt Disney. The Disney Toon consists of Touchstone and Hollywood pictures. The Disney Company became the parent company of Pixar when it bought it through stock exchange system. Walt Disney Pictures is the interna tional distribution avenue for the company. The home entertainment focuses on selling rental movies to family oriented markets worldwide. Lastly, there is the Disney theatre distribution avenue that focuses on live entertainment. They are the directors of musicals such as; Disney live entertainment and the Disney Ice. Disney music group is concerned with the distribution of soundtracks and original music under

Customer Service Operations of University Essay

Customer Service Operations of University - Essay Example A university’s customer care viewing from the student perspective segregates it to a B2C service. As a student we expect and we need to know whether the facilities offered by an educational organisation are average or excellent. One can not judge and have some idea about the services through public events and television. Some happenings could be out of the control. Customer care of the University needs to develop the expectations of the student community and carefully manage their perceptions as well. Service cues cannot be same as can be for any other industry sector, for example hotel and restaurant experience (Johnston & Clark 2008). Therefore, expectations need to be defined to know the quality factors a university needs to set up. The components of expectations need to be comprehended to functionalise customer expectations so that quality parameters could be structured and offered in required levels of quality. It would also help in creating such tools that map customer satisfaction (Johnston & Clark 2008). Service quality factors, according to Johnston & Clark (2008) can vary for different organisations but at least 18 quality factors have been zeroed-in on the basis of wider application of the quality parameters. These factors, which are identifications of prior expectations, include: Access. Service offering address should be reachable easily and the road leading to the destination should be free from the roadblocks. Aesthetics. Parts of the service offering should be admissible and soothing to the customer; it includes the look of the building, its surrounding area and services offerings including offered products and staff. Willingness to help. It should be offered by the contact people to the customer and indicate interest of the service provider in attending to customer needs. Availability. Here it not only implies availability of service facilities, staff and products to the customer but the reasonable ratio of staff to the needy customers. Products availability should also be sufficient in quantity and variance to be shown to the customer. Care. The customer expects fair and sympathetic treatment, and extended patience of the staff to make the customer feel at ease emotionally. Cleanl iness. The facilities the customer approaches need to be well managed from environment perspective. All physical parts of the service offering including goods and personnel come in the scope of cleanliness. Comfort. It comes with the arrangements made by the facility for the comfortable stay of the customer while visiting the facility. Dedication. The attending personnel’s perceived dedication in attending to the customers and doing their job proudly and with apparent activeness and completely. Communication. The servicing staff need to communicate with the customers in such a way that help the customers comprehend what is conveyed. Communication needs to be correct, clear, concise including both written and spoken language used in providing the required knowledge and at the same time listening thoughtfully to what the customer wants to convey. Competence. It is related to the expertise required in accomplishing the service as per customer needs. It requires following the rig ht processes, exact delivery as per customer inputs, extent of service or product information shown by the contact personnel, offering suggestions and ability of the staff in doing the job nicely. Courtesy. It is related to the behaviour of the concerned staff in attending to the customer issues, which should not be interfering sort of. Flexibility. Readiness on the part of the customer service to mould the service as per customer needs. Friendliness. Attitude of the customer service representative needs to be welcoming and body language of the concerned

Film Project Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Film Project - Movie Review Example Reputation, on the part of the media, the corporation or the personal, has been at stake; problematic and crucial. Cases have been filed. Conflicts escalated together with securing one’s beloved. Wigand, who has been fired, reluctantly hesitates to expose yet managed to submit to the call of a journalist who has valued integrity, objectivity and professionalism to deliver high calibre news for the public to know and scrutinize. Publicity in exchange of privacy becomes intriguing and trivialized. Lies and truth interacts. Defamation and scrutiny has been rampant. The conflict unfolds as the story proceeds; integrating the reality and fantasy. Based on a life story, the discourse of politics becomes crucial as ideology complicates the complex scenario. Biased or Unbiased? Just or Unjust? Critical engagement becomes a crucial matter when public is at stake. Right are violated and uphold but does it really matter? Corporate interest has a political inclination that cannot be disregarded. In the film, it can be seen that in certain cases and scenarios like showing the clip of the CEO of denying the truth about the purpose of nicotine. 1 This already implicates the condition that the corporations have been after their personal interest as an institution without any regard to the effects expatriated towards the public. Manipulation happens in this case since the corporation tries its best to intervene with the decision of Dr. Wigand; especially about not exposing the complexities and technicalities that surround the operations of the company. 2 On a more personal level, there is already an intense conflict between which decision must be taken into account: Dr. Wigand has the option to say or not to say the secrets about the company as it might become a breach of contract with the corporation or a possible neglect of duty of ensuring the

Marketing management and strategy - The UK music industry Essay

Marketing management and strategy - The UK music industry - Essay Example The UK music industry is facing dramatic changes caused by shifts in the patterns people buy music tracks and albums. Online music distribution is changing the rules of the market introducing both major threats and growth opportunities for music labels and distributors. Whereas increased download opportunities and digital format preferences are threatening traditional music specialty stores, legal music websites and music producers have to find creative ways to fight back internet piracy to achieve targeted rates of returns. Online market demand is dominated by teenagers who have shifted their purchases from singles CDs to mostly illegal downloads of singles tracks, stimulated by continually evolving software and P2P networks. In order to survive, market players have to reconsider their strategies and value propositions – by mergers of music labels; flexible pricing and value-added offers by online distributors and active ethical campaigns, the challenge before these companies is to convert the internet medium from a threat to copyrighted material into an effective distribution channel. b. Analysing the competitive impairment using Porter's five forces Rivalry among competing sellers in the industry - rivalry among legal internet music sites is not too intensive, because the legal online download industry is underdeveloped and growing at a very high speed, which means that companies gain market share from a rising number of new customers, converting their downloads from illegal to legal. Apple iTunes has over 70% of the market, which places it into an almost monopolistic position as a market leader. Still, rivalry is expected to increase, as the number of competitors increases, and as customers can easily switch from 1 site to the other (except for Apple and Sony that sell music in formats compatible for their own products). Competitive pressure from substitute products - substitute "products" for online distributors can be considered to be rival traditional distributors for example. The power of substitute distributors is low, because the internet medium provides lower costs, greater flexibility, speed and value propositions as compared to traditional music retailers. Potential entry of new competitors - relatively low costs for set-up and management of web-sites for download mean low entry barriers. Entry of new competitors is likely to be attracted by the growing number of legal sales (from 100,000 to 500,000 by August 2004). The bargaining power of suppliers - suppliers for online music distributors are music producers. Provided there are only 5 major music producers that hold the exclusive rights for famous artistes and musicians, the bargaining power of suppliers is big in terms of price settings - e.g. the music label get 65p of a typical 99 p download. Suppliers include the 5 major labels and smaller independent music labels. Consolidation among big labels (Sony and BMG) is likely to increase bargaining power of suppliers. The bargaining power of buyers of the product - the power of buyers is big in terms that surfers, using new software and P2P networks are shaping the face of the industry. Online distributors have to find ways to attract and retain customers by stimulating them to actually make purchases and switch to legal downloads. c. The impact of the Internet on the competitive environment Internet is the trigger of the digital music revolution. It has changed the whole music industry thus forcing music companies and artistes to reconsider the way music is being sold and distributed. Internet has a number of positive influences on music companies. Through this popular and easily accessible medium artistes and companies have access to a wider global audience and have opened up new revenue streams. Internet has also diminished the bargaining po

Stratigiec planning in Tourism and leisure(To critically assess the Essay

Stratigiec planning in Tourism and leisure(To critically assess the theory and practice of strategic planning for Tourism) - Essay Example Despite this slump, the WTO still forecasts arrivals to reach 1.65 billion by 2020. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the contribution of the travel and tourism to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow US$10.478 billion by 2019 (2009). In order to achieve optimum growth in tourism, a crucial plan must be developed and henceforth be implemented. There are numerous approaches to tourism planning as stated by Getz (1986) are boosterism, economic, physical / spatial, community. While Edgell, Allen, Smith & Swanson (2008) argues that â€Å"One popular tourism planning mechanism is ‘strategic planning’, a framework designed to provide direction for any tourism organisation or destination with the emphasis on quality, efficiency and effectiveness† Consequently, this research aims to analyse and focus on tourism strategic planning and its importance, evaluate the strategic process and practices of the current time, layout the various stakeholde rs and the level of participation of each in strategic planning, establish the relationship of marketing to strategic planning through the analysis of case studies and previous inputs. 1.1 Literature Review The tourism sector entails extensive and detailed planning and coordination. According to Stynes and Halloran, â€Å"it should be comprehensive in such a way that it takes into account resources available to tourism in its entirety, organizations, markets, programs within a region and consider the economic, environmental, social and institutional aspects of tourism development (1987a).† Tourism planning has developed from two interrelated but diverse sets of planning beliefs and methodologies. The first is that tourism is one of many activities in a subject that must be regarded as part of physical, environmental, social and economic forecasting. The degree by which tourism is addressed in such plans depends upon its comparative significance to the community or area and ho w responsive it is to tourism-related activities. Likewise, it can be perceived as a business wherein the community or region opts to engage in planning to include feasibility, marketing, promotions product development and forecasting. A comprehensive approach combines a strategic marketing scheme with conventional planning efforts to create a balance between the needs and wants of tourism and that of local residents. GUNN (1979) With the growth of tourism, the market has become both complex and challenging so it has become imperative for stakeholders to meet the escalating demands of tourists who travel and spend their holidays in resorts, hotels and leisure destinations for more efficient world-class standards in accommodations, amenities and transportation. Important considerations include the concept of new tourism which Poon explains as having gone through intense transformation in terms of new consumers, novel technologies and forms of production, management styles and prevail ing circumstances (1993). Fayos-Sola mentions that new tourism is distinguished by the super-segmentation of demand, flexibility of supply and distribution and achieving profitability through diagonal integration and subsequent system

Security Analysis and Redesign of a Network Essay

Security Analysis and Redesign of a Network - Essay Example Service Information: Operating System: Linux 2.5.25 - 2.6.3 or Gentoo 1.2 Linux 2.4.19 rc1-rc7. Interesting ports on XYZ Invite Design at domain 192.168.0.6: Nmap done: 6 IP address (6 hosts up) scanned in 64.27 seconds. Password strengths are essential in security matters. Users’ password must be encrypted so as to prevent unauthorized entries to the system (Stewart, 2010). The Public Key Infrastructure, Hashing and Digital Signatures, Cryptography: Public Key Encryption and Cryptology assist in the implementation of password protection. Set up an NTFS drive applicable for the IIS application and data. If likely, do not tolerate IUSER or whatever the unidentified username access to any of the available drives. If the relevance runs into any problems due the anonymous user does not have admission to programs on the available drive(s), then apply FileMon from Sysinternals to test which file it cannot access and attempt working around it by relocating the program to the IIS drive. If that is not possible, then permit IUSER access just to that file. Allow Windows auditing on the machine, since there is never sufficient data when trying to backtrack any attackers movements. It is even likely to have a script run to check for any distrustful activity via the audit logs, and then send an account to an administrator. Now this could appear a bit extreme, but if security is actually significant in your organization, this sort of action is an excellent practice. Set up auditing to account any failed account log in attempts. Plus, same as the IIS logs, alter the default location to a different location, and make sure that the company have a backing and a replicated copy (Weaver, Weaver, & Farwood, 2013). On a customary basis, go through as a lot of security articles from various sources as the company can. It is at all times better that company appreciate as much as possible about IIS and universal

Role of Media on African Americans Essay Example for Free

Role of Media on African Americans Essay There has always been a lot of discussion about the perception of African Americans in the media and how it affects their self-identity. It is easy to find examples of bias in portraying African Americans in the media. So what exactly is it that the media does to bring out these stereotypes, biases, and images that tend to stick with a lot of African Americans? The goal of this paper is to explore the different perceptions African Americans have gone through, how it has given them a sense of double consciousness on life, where the media image of African Americans that has stuck with them for so long can, and will go from here. According to the United States Census Bureau (2001), 12. 3% of all people reporting as one race reported they were â€Å"Black or African American†. This ethnic identity is now the second biggest minority group in the United States. It also refers to a group of people that has been in the United States for as long as it has existed. However, through the persecution of slavery, the austerity of segregation, and the continuing underlying prejudice, African Americans are still searching for their true identity. Look more:  the issues concerning identity theft essay Just as children that were adopted tend to long for a true identity most of their lives, so are the circumstances of the African American. Stolen from their homeland and forced into slavery in a new country, African Americans were basically victims of identity theft. Although a lot of progress has been made in the way of an American identity for African Americans, a true identity has not yet been found. According to W. E. B DuBois (1903) â€Å"The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife—this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self† (p.68). Many African Americans feel the same as W. E. B. Du Bois when he says, â€Å"After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world – a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. † He also states, â€Å"One ever feels his twoness – an American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled arrives; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. † A quick look at American history makes it easy to understand where this split identity stems from because Du Bois claims that African Americans were always forced to see things through â€Å"white† eyes only and not have a vision of their own. In an effort to rephrase Du Bois’ comment above, the terminology of â€Å"twoness† is really him trying to define double consciousness as a few different things: 1 the power that white stereotypes have on African American’s lives and also having that internal conflict between labeling themselves as African and American simultaneously. 2 it is a sense of awareness of one’s self along with the awareness of how others may perceive one. This in turn leads to conforming based on level of power, which is basically what occurred. PBS’ African American World Timeline (2004) says that there is a large history of not granting African Americans an identity. Before 1787, of course, African Americans were slaves and only thought of as property. In 1787 the U. S. Constitution was approved. It allowed for the continuation of the slave trade for another 20 years and claimed that a slave counted as three-fifths of a man for representation by the government. In 1865 some progress was gained when the Thirteenth Amendment was passed, outlawing slavery and creating a Freedmen’s Bureau to help out former slaves. Also in 1865 Union General, William Sherman issued a field order setting up 40-acre plots of land in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida for African Americans to settle. But, in 1866, some all-white legislatures in the former Confederate states passed what were known as, â€Å"Black Codes† harshly cutting the freedom of African Americans and practically re-enslaving them. Since that time there has been some progression and also some difficulty for African Americans. Based on the history of the United States’ treatment of African Americans, it is easy to understand how they could struggle for their true identity. James Jones (1991) might say it best when he states, â€Å"Black personality is in part an adaptation to the political contours of racism. The conflict between the freedoms and rights of United States citizens is connected to the denial of freedom and rights that is the history of the African American presence in this country. If we view personality as the resultant of coping pattern and socialization directives, then black personality is, in part, the cumulative representation of the effects of racism over four centuries. It reflects over time, the effects of the form and structure racism takes, and comes to signal the nature of race relations at any point in time (p. 305). † This would lead to accepting of the fact that African Americans do, of course, have an identity, but a lot of the time it is dependent on the identity of White race at that time. Alain Locke (1925) explains the upward moving and upbeat side of African American identity: â€Å"In the last decade something beyond the watch and guard of statistics has happened in the life of the American Negro and the three norms who have traditionally presided over the Negro problem have a changeling in their laps. The Sociologist, The Philanthropist, the Race-leader are not unaware of the New Negro but they are at a loss to account for him. He simply cannot be swathed in their formulae. For the younger generation is vibrant with a new psychology; the new spirit is awake in the masses, and under the very eyes of the professional observers is transforming what has been a perennial problem into the progressive phases of contemporary Negro life. Could such a metamorphosis have taken place as suddenly as it has appeared to? The answer is no, not because the New Negro is not here, but because the Old Negro had long become more of a myth than a man. The Old Negro, we must remember, was a creature of moral debate and historical controversy. His has been a stock figure perpetuated as a historical fiction partly in innocent sentimentalism, partly in deliberate reactions. The Negro himself has contributed his share to this through a sort of protective social mimicry forced upon him by the adverse circumstances of dependence. So for generations in the mind of America, the Negro has been more of a formula than a human being a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be kept down, or in his place, or helped up, to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or a social burden. The thinking Negro even has been induced to share this same general attitude, to focus his attention on controversial issues, to see himself, in the distorted perspective of a social problem. His shadow, so to speak, has been more real to him than his personality. Through having had to appeal from the unjust stereotypes of his oppressors and Traducers to those of his liberators, friends and benefactors he has subscribed to the traditional positions from which his case has been viewed. Little true social or self-understanding has or could come from such a situation†¦ †¦Until recently, lacking self-understanding, we have been almost as much of a problem to ourselves as we still are to others. But the decade that found us with a problem has left us with only a task. The multitude perhaps feels as yet only a strange relief and a new vague urge, but the thinking few know that in the reaction the vital inner grip of prejudice has been broken. It does not follow that if the Negro were better known he would be better liked or better treated. But mutual understanding is basic for any subsequent cooperation and adjustment. The effort toward this will at least have the effect of remedying in large part what has been the most unsatisfactory feature of our present stage of race relationships in America, namely the fact that the more intelligent and representative elements of the two race groups have at so many points got quite out of vital touch with one another (p. 631). † Even in the premier times of African American identity there were still questions to be answered. Now those questions lead to progressive thinking like Locke’s, â€Å"middle of the road† thinking and â€Å"extremist† thinking. An example of the term â€Å"middle-of-the-road† thinking can be seen in a post by Malcolm Frierson (2004) to a discussion board using the topic of what label to give African Americans. He says: â€Å"It is the right of the individual to be self-defining. Black is a color, not a term for a race of people in this millennium. The word was made beautiful and strong in the 60s and beyond for obvious reasons. That effort was admirable and effective, but now fairly done. It is time to move forward. † The term African American linguistically puts the race on more comfortable ground. It doesn’t seem right or fair to look at four men and call one Italian, one Native American, one Chinese, and the other black. â€Å"Whites† dont seem to have this concern obviously because they sit at the top of this name issue. The whole system was constructed to glorify the â€Å"whites† (the imperialists) and belittle the â€Å"blacks (the subjects). † Also, many whites and blacks together, beg for an end to this issue because they claim, were all Americans. But if we are actually honest with each other, nobody while in contemporary American society, when asked for their race or ethnicity, will never be able to simply label them self as simply â€Å"American. † There will always have to be a distinguishing label put upon everyone. Why is it that blacks have to go through this labeling issue more than any other American subgroup? Asian Americans, Italian Americans, and Filipino Americans often become Asians, Italians, and simply Filipino without ridicule or persecution (Asians further become Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, and others). A possible answer to this would be that we all identify with our most dominant ancestral line or native country – German, Spanish, Portuguese, Jamaican, what have you. It should come before the understood American part. But again, we should respect an individuals rights to be self-defining. One black problem could be that a lot of people really havent been to Africa and are in a sense kind of ashamed about or tend to disregard that fact possibly feeling a sense of ignorance in that area. The term African should be proudly used along with the term American just as other foreign groups use their places of origin along with their American status. Unfortunately this viewpoint is just a common middle-ground between the two poles. The other pole is a belief best supported by the All African People’s Revolutionary Party. They say, â€Å"African People born and living in over 113 countries around the world are [one group of] people, with one identity, one history, one culture, one nation and one destiny. We have one common enemy. We suffer from disunity, disorganization and ideological confusion. And we have only one scientific and correct solution, Pan-Africanism: the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism. They feel that African people that have been born or are living outside of Africa are intentionally kept from the knowledge of Africa and her achievements through European capitalism. They also feel that people inside of Africa are tricked into living in separate countries because of the â€Å"divide and rule† tactic used by Europeans which basically means it forces large concentrations of power (people) into smaller units of power to constrain them from gaining more power as the larger unit. It is this pole that receives the most voice in the media and also probably this pole which leads to the bias media outlets against African Americans. Perhaps the earliest example of media bias against African Americans, whether intentional or not, came from 19th Century naturalists that divided mankind into Caucasians, Mongolians, Malayans, Ethiopians and (native) American races. The Caucasians were defined as wise, the Mongolians crafty, and the Ethiopians/negro unintelligent. This bias is blunt and disrespectful, but possibly not hateful in intent back in the day. Today our media comes from less than ten gigantic media conglomerates in the United States. Salim Muwakkil (1999) mentions that, â€Å"Virtually all of our information, our cultural narratives, and our global images derive from institutions whose major goal is to pay handsome dividends to stockholders (p. 2). † Which in other words the media doesn’t really care what they say even if it sounds hateful. If it sells and gets publicity, it’s a hit. He also points out that black-owned media operations are becoming increasingly rare as much larger corporations continue to buy out more places and more property. Muwakkil’s fear is that the mainstream will continue to alter the image of African Americans without challenge to the point that their â€Å"anti-black† tendencies will be encouraged and sustained. Muwakkil makes a very strong point when he states the Kerner Commission’s findings: â€Å"The Kerner Commission (formally known as the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders), which was charged with finding the reasons for the long-hot-summer rebellions, had concluded that the United States was headed dangerously toward ‘two societies, one black, and one white, separate and unequal. ’ It blamed the urban unrest on persistent racial discrimination and a historical legacy of disadvantage, but it also singled out the nations news media for censure. The media treated African Americans as invisible, the commission concluded, and failed to communicate to white audiences a feeling for the difficulties and frustrations of being a Negro in the United States (p. 1). † In the book, The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race in America, Robert Entman and Andrew Rojecki (2000) point out some surprising statistics from studies done on American television. While Black actors are now more frequently appearing in films, its a debatable question as to how well theyre being represented. In the top movies of 1996 representation of African American Females and Caucasian females was drastically different where statistics from differences in using profanity, to physical violence were very often a difference of 70% or more between the 2 races with African Americans being in the higher percentage of the two for those certain areas. Television ads now show, hidden patterns of differentiation and distance pertaining to African Americans. Not surprisingly, for instance, Blacks do not touch Whites in the majority of television ads, but as opposed to Whites, they rarely even touch each other, expressing a slight message assuming that Black skin would be taboo. A ranking of racial preference is implanted within the casting of commercials. Network news also tends to place a â€Å"ghetto† label or more urban image on African Americans. Increasingly, African Americans appear mostly in crime, sports and entertainment stories. Rarely are Blacks shown making an important contribution to the serious business of the nation. The exception of blacks rarely being shown in a positive fashion contributing to the nation would be President Obama, which will hopefully turn the stage for this image stereotype. Unfortunately however, that negative image is not the only blunt indication of a media stereotype. It is noticed by a lot of different people that African American athletes tend to receive a bad representation by the media, pointing out that when they get into any level of trouble, it is reported significantly more and also perceived in a much different way than when White athletes behave in the same manner or worse. It also is sometimes apparent that sportscasters tend to point out solely the athletic abilities of African American athletes in contrast to their tendency to point out the intelligence and savvy of White athletes. It is a known stereotype for quarterbacks on football teams for example, people perceive this position to demand a much more mental capacity and take a much more conscious effort as opposed to other positions on the team. Therefore the stereotype has often been viewed as teams primarily consisting of white quarterbacks. This tends to lead people to believe that black athletes achieve greatness by some coincidence or by simply their natural physical makeup instead of just assuming they are talented and hard working. There are several more examples of media bias against African Americans and there are far too many to speak on individually. Ultimately the point that is trying to be made is that there is a high level of publicity and strong case for media bias against African Americans. Any actor or famous person for that matter will almost always tell you that no publicity means bad publicity. It is logical then, to see the media (whether its biased or not) as a great tool for providing a voice to the African American community. It is also logical to say that a more biased media representation gives African Americans more publicity as Americans simply love bad press because â€Å"dirt† on other people sells, and the media has never cared about ones feelings if it means for them to make money. Ultimately, where I see this issue going from here has everything to do with President Obama. With the world-wide publicity he received for his changing of history for our country, I really feel this will open up many doors into the media for African Americans to have their voice, and create and defend a sense of identity that is much more positive than any other that has been labeled upon them. Obama is the best thing that has happened to African American media and just them as humans because he is what America needs to not only fix the economic and other issues in this country but most importantly bring the people of different colors together even closer than ever before to becoming one country where everyone is separate in color, but equal in representation and voice. Works Cited Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago: A. C. McClurg Co. ; [Cambridge]:University Press John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U. S. A., 1903; Bartleby. com,1999. P. 68. Entman, R. M. and Andrew R.. (2000). The Black Image in the White Mind: Media andRace in America. University of Chicago Press. Frierson, M. (2004) Black, black, or African American? Feedback Poynter OnlineRetrieved May 10, 2009 from http://www. poynter. org/article_feedback/article_feedback_list. asp? id=51320 Fudjud, D. (2003) Black, black, or African American? Feedback Poynter OnlineRetrieved May 11, 2009 fromhttp://www. poynter. org/article_feedback/article_feedback_list. asp? id=51320 Jones, J. (1991). The Politics of Personality: Being Black in America. In ReginaldJones (ed. ) Black Psychology 3rd Edition, 305-318. Locke, A. (1925) Enter the New Negro. A hypermedia edition of the March 1925 SurveyGraphic Harlem Number Retrieved May 12, 2009 fromhttp://etext. lib. virginia. edu/harlem/LocEnteF. html Muwakkil, S. (1999). Corporate Media, Alternative Press, and African Americans Media Alliance, Retrieved May 11, 2009 fromhttp://mediaalliance2. live. radicaldesigns. org/article. php? id=535 PBS. (2002) African American World Timeline. Retrieved May 11, 2009 fromhttp://www. pbs. org/wnet/aaworld/timeline/early_01. html U. S. Census Bureau (2001) Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin. Census 2000Website Retrieved May 11, 2009 from http://factfinder. census. gov/servlet/ThematicMapFramesetServlet? _bm=y-geo_id=01000US-tm_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_M00628-ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_-_MapEvent=displayBy-_dBy=040. Woods, K. M. (1995) An Essay on a Wickedly Powerful Word Poynter Online RetrievedMay 11, 2009 from http://www. poynter. org/content/content_view. asp? id=5603.

Marketing plan Essay Example for Free

Marketing plan Essay This Report presents the strategic Market entry plan of Victoria Secret in Singapore. Victoria Secret is an American brand owned by Limited Brands Company with retail of Lingerie, Women’s Wear and beauty products with annual revenue of USD 8. 7 billion and market share of over 50 percent in North America. It was launched in 1970 by Roy Raymond who started this chain when he had nightmare experience while showing Lingerie for his Wife. He believed that â€Å"Underwear† is not just an Innerwear but can be converted into a Fashion product by tuning in proper colours, styles and patterns and make a product a sex symbol. As it caters to large market in its home country it has been strongly based but now for better growth and more returns Victoria secret has started International expansion. It is one of the fastest growing Lingerie products under Limited Brands Company Umbrella and contributing more than 40% of profits. 1000 number of Stores give strong presence to Victoria Secret and Online shopping ads to the charm. Victoria Secret invests heavily on Advertising with USD 65 Million average for year. The brand symbolizes romance, class, love, desire and romantic moments. They marketed these products by show casing their products with angel looking models breaking ice of set standards of modelling. It is one of the most watched and appreciated Fashion Shows of the world and features world’s best Supermodel as there showstopper creating a feel of sensation in female gender. The brand also took lines from Dove Advertisements by redefining beauty and showing the product users with boosted confidence and sexier looks. The company has done horizontal integration by expanding product range from Lingerie products only to cosmetics, women wear and cosmetics. The appealing brand image gave quick returns on the new product range and helping Victoria Secret in capturing new markets at higher pace. Also what is helping Victoria Secret is its excellent supply chain and IT collaboration which have helped in cutting down overheads. As companies are looking for growth and stability the expansion into Asian market is unavoidable so is for Victoria secret. Singapore being expanding and booming economy can be next destination for Victoria Secret. Singapore also has high fashion conscious population with high income. Singapore being financial hub and supply chain hub is residence for people who have highest per capita expenditure on luxury brands in all segments. In Asia, Singapore boosts for being top market for growing luxury brands. Country also boosts strong tourism and having largest malls in South east Asia helps cater to being selected as best destination in Asia for expansion. Being business friendly government adds to positive of Singapore. Business environment Factors Demography Population rose 2. 5% in 2012. Total population was 5. 4 Million. The Demography of Singapore consists of mix of Chinese, Indians and Malays which account for 74 %, 9 %, and 13% respectively with maximum population between 20-64. Singapore also is world tourist attractor and counts for approx 12 million tourists a year. Total female population is approx 50% and this results in large market size. Female also play dominant role in the society as they also earn. This results in freedom of females and opportunity for them to satisfy their needs. Political Stability Singapore the synonym for freedom to do business was ranked in top 10 best countries to start business. It takes 3 Days on average to start business in Singapore and this is result of stable political System in the country. It has been ranked among top countries for business environment for consecutive 14 years setting benchmark. Singapore is worlds one of the least corrupt country in the world. It ranks 1’st in corruptions perception Index, 2013. The political Stability in the country has provided the most stable economy in South East Asia. Economy The Economy of Singapore is strong with 5. 1% in 3’rd of 2013. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore was worth 274. 70 billion US dollars in 2012. The Expected Net GDP for Singapore is expected to beat market trends and grow more positively in 4’th quarter. The Economy is supported by FDI, skilled labour and fully planned and excellent Infrastructure. The Rising economy has lead to rising per capita income. With the current economic scenario Singapore will attract more youth and global players which will bring more fashion conscious society which will indeed help growth of luxury segment. Industry With rising brand conscious population and trending international brands today brand is equally important for innerwear as is for outer wear. This was proved by growth of this segment industry even during depression of 2008. The rising economies of scale and large production numbers has led to reduced price of product which has increased demand and purchasing capacity. The following factors have contributed largely for growth of this industry: 1) E-Commerce: With rising e-commerce trend and more sophisticated players coming in picture the market has been taken by storm by these players. The customers have not fallen but E-commerce has attracted more customers because of easy access and getting products sitting home. Singapore boosts well E-commerce network with many local players in market along with international Players. The E-commerce has led to fall in prices of product as it involves lesser overhead costs. Association with global E-Commerce players has helped Victoria Secrets attain marvel in other countries and can do the same in Singapore also. 2) Sophisticated Supply chain: With rising use of Sophisticated IT tools for inventory planning, forecasting, Designing and scheduling has helped to reduce costs and development of industry in total. Many Global Brands with innovation in Supply chain have set example for the world. Singapore boosts excellent supply chain network and being Supply chain Hub is excellent destination. Market Analysis Singapore Market size Increase in Per capita income has led to entry to Luxury and premium brands coming in Singapore. The Size of market is expanding and will have higher success rate in coming years. The Table Below shows the growth of Women’s Inner-ware in Singapore. Source: Euro monitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources a) Target Females in Age group of 18-50 which means 200,000 females. Middle and Upper Class Tourists Young and Brand Conscious Generation. Competition Triumph , Aerie , Calvin Kline , Armani , Sorella , Etam , La Perla Adore-Me offers direct-to-consumer lingerie at about half of Victorias Secret prices Intimint asks customers to take a quiz and sends them new lingerie selections every month, based on their preferences True ; Co. sends women five bras a month, giving them the option of keeping what they like and sending back what they dont. Low Price and high variety local Players who have well established network in Singapore c) Porters 5 Forces 1) Supplier Power: LOW, As Victoria Secret has Production facilities in Thailand and India the supplier Power is very low. Buyer Power: HIGH, As Singapore already has high end Lingerie brands in its vicinity the Customers have wider options and can shift their preferences. The market has both lower prices segment and more premium segment. 3) Competitive Rivalry: HIGH, As Singapore already houses Premium Luxury lingerie brands who have worldwide recognition, Victoria Secret has high competition. 4) Threat of substitution: HIGH, The price range plays critical role as Victoria Secret has Competition with lower, same and high price range Products. 5) Threat of New Entry: LOW, Being well established worldwide name has its own fan following which attracts masses. New entries will take time to create impact and in that mean Time Victoria secret can come up with Contingency plan. Landscape a) Independent Women: Singapore being modern and economically sound has Independent women who earn well and spend well. This has led to brand conscious population b) Internet Penetration and Media sensitivity: Singaporeans are always connected to Internet. This has led to Strong E-commerce market here. The Media plays important role as Singaporeans try new western brands more frequently and invest heavily in it if the like the brand . Population Mix: Being strong economy Singapore has attracted  nationalities from various countries which have brought in sense of fashion, demand for authentic classy items. This Demand is of high end products. d) Location: With production plants in nearby countries such as Thailand and India and Strong Supply chain hubs the Location is also ideal. Singapore being small can’t accommodate Production facility so being centre for supply chain helps. ENTRY IN SINGAPORE: MARKET FEASIBILITY STUDY Design Victoria Secret is renowned for its strong designing team which comprise mixture of people around the world to understand each geographic trend. Once they understand the trends they create new trends in the market. It defines Sexiness as youthful, mature, energetic, adorable and intimate. The competitors have targeted another value like Triumph emphasises on Simplicity. Victoria Secret will benefit from point that Singapore is mix of many. The Design Teams have large market size which they can target with larger variety. Bold and Loud Brand Promotion This brand brings sense of comfort and pride among women. This is reflected in there promotion activities. The brand highlights the beauty of every individual and helps concealing imperfections with its unique designs. It is most bought product by models. Their Catalogues feature world’s hottest and sexist women in the world. Singaporeans are vivid about Fashion and Luxury products. With Rising Per capita income and proper promotion by hiring trending models of Singapore Victoria Secret can target masses. The Footfall in malls is one of the highest in Asia which can contribute to high sales if located at proper places. Rapid Growth of High-end Female Market Women are booming rapidly in Singapore who are either in White collar jobs, Leaders, Elites, working in Multinationals, entrepreneurs etc. These women have decent jobs, High disposable income and strong purchasing power. Maximum percentage of Women are highly educated. They are open and eager to accept and use trendy and fashionable Products with good quality. They Care about their Lifestyles, Health and bodies. This is supported by fact that Singapore has low obesity Rate of 7. 3 % in females and ranks much below America where obesity is 35. 5% in females. As women consider themselves independent and delicate it is highly possible for them to spend a remarkable amount of income on underwear and branded lingerie for self rewards. This will help Victoria Secret to enter the market easily and reap Benefits of growing and educated economy. Price Barriers and Distribution Channels Normal bra Ranges from 40-80 USD in US which reduces to almost half during sales. Singapore can also cater to demand with same or lesser Price as there are production facilities in India and Thailand. This will help in taming local players who play games of lower prices. Price would not be a Barrier for Victoria Secret to enter into Singapore. Having strong supply chain network with both these countries and being placed near the demand can be met. The Retail Distribution channels are strong and can be built easily in Singapore owing to small country size and Strong local infrastructure. Being Business friendly environment will help Victoria Secret to Establish Strong Distribution channels in Shorter Periods. Overview Retail market in Singapore is up by 3. 3% in August 2013 is back on track after falling slightly. Total number of Retailers in Singapore is more than 30000 with less than 1% for Lingerie Products. The Scope of market is high. Singapore is heavily sustained on Imports from US, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Market Challenges and Opportunities Singapore has tightened foreign nationals working in labour market and this has led to increase in labour markets. The Rentals have gone for toss and are very high. The overheads cost the most for setting up business in Singapore. Being business friendly country the market attracts large number of players who provide cheap products, copied items from various world renowned brands. With challenges are opportunities also, being supply chain hub the country can act as stepping stone to enter bigger markets like of china. The Strong judiciary System and quick decision making helps to curb challenges faced such as intellectual copyrights and those related to design copying. SETTING UP RETAIL OUTLET IN SINGAPORE 1) Documents Required for Registration The following documents/information is required for registering a Singapore branch office: a) A certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the foreign company. b) A certified copy of Memorandum and Articles (MAA) of the foreign company. c) Particulars of the directors of the foreign company. A memorandum of appointment and details of at least two persons resident in Singapore who will act as the agents for the Singapore branch office. e) A memorandum executed by or on behalf of the foreign company stating the powers of the local agents. f) Details of the registered office address in Singapore 2) Registration Procedure and Timeline The professional firm hired to handle the branch office registration will take care of all the necessary registration formalities. No physical visit of company executives is required from headquarters. The registration process consists of two basic steps: 1) Name approval 2) Entity registration. The name for the Singapore branch must be the same as that of the parent company. It will generally be approved unless it is identical to any existing company name or is vulgar in nature. Assuming necessary document are ready and there are no delays in the name approval process, registration of a Singapore branch can be completed in 1-2 days. The company registrar will send an email notification confirming the registration of the Singapore branch 3) Retail Outlets – Key Facts and Requirements a) Business Incorporation: Before one can begin operations, retail outlet must first be registered with the Singapore Companies Registrar, ACRA. This involves just two procedures that can be completed online within 24 hours. It is best if retail outlet offers unique products and services that are not currently available in Singapore’s colourful retail market. b) Approval for Premises: One must ensure that intended business premise is an approved location for retail business. To have retail outlet in a conservation building or private property, approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA) is required for making additions or alterations to the premises. A Fire Safety Certificate from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) must be obtained to verify that retail outlet meets all fire safety requirements. If outlet is located in a shopping mall, the landlord may expedite the necessary approvals for you. 4) Licenses for Setting Up a Retail Outlet in Singapore Depending on the nature of the merchandise or products offered by retail outlet, apply for the relevant licenses. If outlet offers products which can affect human health and safety, relevant licenses may be required. To Import and sell cosmetics products domestically, notify the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before placing the product in the market via the HSA’s PRISM site. The fee for the notification of cosmetic products is pegged to each product’s risks and variation (colour etc). 5) Hiring Staff Starting a retail outlet or franchise means that one may need to bring on board employees from home country to oversee operations. If one intends to employ or transfer employees from home country, apply for the relevant Singapore employment pass on their behalf. The Singapore employment pass is however subject to approval by the manpower authority and must meet Singapore’s new productivity vision. 6) Taxation of Singapore Branch A Singapore branch is generally considered a non-resident company for tax purposes. Non-resident companies are not eligible for tax benefits resulting from available tax incentives and tax treaties meant for resident companies.   Annual Filing Requirements Section 373 of the Companies Act requires a foreign company to file its Annual Report and the audited accounts of its Singaporean branch office within two months of its Annual General Meeting, or within 7 months from the  end of its financial year whichever is earlier. Also, each Singapore branch is required to file a Tax Return on an annual basis. MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY Victoria secret can enter Singapore Market in following ways: American exporters use agents or distributors to serve the Singapore market and other markets in Southeast Asia. Singapore firms are aggressive when it comes to representing new products and usually respond enthusiastically to new opportunities. Singaporean companies are open to joint venture proposals. Price, quality and service are the main selling factors in Singapore. Prospective exporters to Singapore should be aware that competition is strong and that buyers expect good after-sales service. Selling techniques vary according to the industry and product, but are comparable to the techniques used in any other sophisticated market. It is also important for U. S. firms to visit their representatives and maintain a good relationship with them. Victoria Secret has expanded in Maximum countries with 100% ownership strategy expect countries where it is difficult or impossible. As Singapore is business friendly and Provides Option for 100% investment Victoria Secret should come as 100% subsidiary. RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Enter the Singapore with 100 % subsidiary 2) Launch all product range in one go from Innerwear, shoes, cosmetics and clothes. 3) Target Shopping Centres for their retail operations for better Visibility 4) Promotion using both international and domestic models for better appeal 5) Enter with 2-3 Stores in Initial Phase for better understanding and Expand Further after setting customer base 6) Join hands with E-Commerce industry both domestic and International to promote brand 7) Target not only Young but also Middle age and Old age 8) High Variety and Utmost quality to remain Core of Business in Singapore also 9) Customized Marketing using social media and Electronic Platform 10) Customized Designs for Singapore Customers as per their taste and like 11) Customer Engagement using print media 12) Virtual Trial Rooms and trained Women staff for guidance on shape and size

The two approaches of accounting research

The two approaches of accounting research The positivist approach and the critical approach are the two approaches of accounting research. This article explains the concepts of positivist approach and critical approach, and then explains some of the problems of these two approaches. This article discusses the inter-relationship between accounting research, accounting standards and accounting practice. Through the research findings, this article use the case of intangible assets to illustrates how accounting research impact on accounting standards. Secondly, this article shows how accounting standards effects accounting practice. Thirdly, this article explains the inter-relationship between accounting research and accounting practice. Introduction The positivist approach and the critical approach are the two methodologies of accounting research. Hooper, Davey, Liyanarachchi and Prescott (2008, p20) described that the positivist approach is generally considered to be a combination of induction and deduction. The traditional view for the positive approach to research is to understanding and solving problems. The traditional characteristics of the positive approach are empiricism, logic and causality. These characteristics are often referred to as ontological, epistemological and methodological characteristics of a research paradigm. Positive accounting research experiments to describe what is without making any value judgments as to how things should be. The positive approach has been important in recent years. The critical approach to accounting research does not provide a particular method or methodology for research but rather a dialectic and Socratic approach to the evaluation of knowledge claims (Hooper et al, 2008, p33). T he critical research focus on the accounting theory that is concerned with resolving conflicts between the corporation and general public. The only ideology is the belief in humanness and the concomitant and emancipation of humankind. Critical theory offers processes for the consideration and evaluation of knowledge claims without providing a single way forward for the researcher. These two accounting research approaches are not mutually exclusive but are complementary. Hooper et al (2008) states that the positive approach has a number of problems, such as lack of agreement on what the positive approach actually is; appeals to the authority of science but focuses on behavior and so on. The critical approach also has some problems, such as the critical research cannot generalize findings; critical research cannot predict or replicate studies. Both of these two theories have its own advantages and disadvantages, it is necessary to combine the two methodologies in actual accounting practice environment. Accounting research helps accounting standards setters and others understand the economic world, but accounting research does not seek prescriptions of techniques to make the world better. However, knowing what works and what does not work can help corporations or standard setters choose techniques that have the best chance of working in as yet untested situations. Accounting standards have been categorized on the basis of their nature into two categories: principal-based standards and rule-based standards. Hooper et al (2008) states that accounting standards are based on a set of principals and concepts. Intangible assets defined as non-physical and non-monetary sources of probable future economic profits accruing to the firm as a result of past events or transaction (Canibano et al, 2000). Intangible assets should be accounted and reported in the financial statement. Maines,  Bartov, Fairfield, and Hirst (2003) states that for pragmatic reasons, most research on intangible assets focuses on those intangibles, intangible assets generated by RD expenditures. RD expenditures data are widely available because RD expenditures must be disclosed separately under FASB No. 2, Accounting for Research and Development Costs. Because there is no such requirement for other types of intangibles assets. Canibano et al (2000) describes that control of the probable future benefits arising from the intangible investment is considered by most accounting standards setting bodies as a basic requisite for recognition. Lev and Zarowin (1999) suggest that intangible assets should be accounted for following the same methods applied for tangible assets, but at the same time some argument arise that there are significant differences between tangible and intangible assets which make it necessary to apply different criteria for the recognition and valuation of the latter (Hendriksen, 1982). According to the SFAC6, paragraph 25, the FASB (1985a) considers the ownership or control of the future benefits as the main requisite for the recognition of intangibles. If it is focus on the ownership of the benefits, then intangible assets such as human resource could be recognized. There is a new trend in accounting research, which seems to be providing strong support to reporting intangibles (Canibano et al, 2000). Accounting research suggests to use disclosures on intangibles assets and those intangibles expenditures have future much benefits, but that these future benefits are more like uncertain than those associated with conventionally recognized assets. Thus, there is some empirical support for the capitalization of estimated RD intangibles. Given research results, Maines et al (2003) makes the following recommendations: first, support the FASBs decision to add another project which considers the disclosure and recognition of information related to intangibles assets. Second, believe that the FASB needs to consider recognition of internally generated intangibles asset s, because current accounting standards require capitalization economic similar as intangibles assets acquired externally. Third, Despite our support for intangible assetss disclosures related to and possible recognition , we encourage the FASB to proceed carefully on disclosures and recognition information on intangibles, given significant uncertainties related to accounting research in this paticular area. Concerns related to this research include the following. Finally, while research documents associations between intangibles information and designs make causal inference difficult. All of the accounting research in this area is based on RD expenditures for data availability reasons. It is not clear how easily these accounting research results generalize to other types of intangibles assets. Accounting Standards play an important role in accounting practice. McCombie and Deo (2005) state that accounting standards provide the accountant with a guideline to reports economic transactions and events for an organization. The accounting standards are also described as a piece of delegated legislationparliament has given the power of making accounting standards to a body that has experts on it rather than developing the documents itself as a body of legislators (Ravlic, 2003). The number of companies that have to apply standards in preparing financial reports is therefore quite important. Macve (2010) states that audited accounts are part of an organization that defines the economic environment in a country, or across countries, and enables investors to have confidence in the system as a whole as one to which to entrust their money. This was justified by Edwards (1938) in his call for a revolutionary reform of UK accounting practice. It still seems as true today. In the view of the US SEC it is the overall regime of standards of corporate governance, accounting, auditing and enforcement in a country that lowers the cost of capital to firms in that economy and thereby stimulates investment and economic growth. This effect is probably greater than what any individual firm can achieve by improving its own accounting and disclosures (cf. Botosan, 2006). The accelerating growth of accounting practices over the years has changed the format of corporate annual reports. International Accounting Standards (IASs) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), along with other statutory requirements, have changed the way in which financial statements are reported (Gouws and Cronjà ©, 2008). All the information is generated by a diversity of accounting practices, all of which are therefore worth researching. Accounting research leads to an enhanced understanding of the fact that these practices are driven by two systems that provide the information included in corporate annual reports. This shows that practices peripheral to traditional accounting practices also have an important role to play, both for educational institutions and accounting. Accounting practices should not be seen in isolation (that is, only from an accounting perspective), as they are multidisciplinary in nature. Environmental practices and information, social practices and information, ethical practices and information, as well as management accounting practices and information, together with financial accounting practices and information, form the context within which reporting in corporate annual reports takes place ( Gouws and Cronjà ©, 2008). Accounting Research have made Accounting Practice more efficient and effective, but Accounting research and accounting practice are not always seemed to be synchrony. One of the great attractions of conducting applied accounting research in accounting practice is that the research topics extend beyond the normal boundaries. It brings worldviews into conflict, improves accounting practice, and raises doubts about professional social and values (Schiehll, Borba, Murcia, 2007). HENDRIKSEN (1982) corroborates this argument, adding that accounting theory may be defined as logical reasoning in the form of two principles that: (1) accounting research provide a general frame of reference by which accounting practice can be evaluated, and (2) accounting research guide the development of new accounting practices and procedures. However, some of the research shows results of accounting research have not led to changes in accounting practice; this may be caused by practitioners not accepting the research findings or a lag in putting new accounting theory into accounting practi ce. This has been an over-emphasis on a theory and the research results in some cases, and it is correct that standard-setters and practitioners have not accepted or have been cautious in using the accounting research results as a basis for new accounting rules and practices, such as market efficiency research. However, in other cases research appears to be quite useful to standard setters as they establish new rules and practices, such as earnings management research. Llewellyn and Sue (1996) states that theories for practice would place more emphasis on theory as a map or recipe or instructions manual which provide means by which we can do things in the world or cope with events. Auditing Practice, Research, and Education, A Productive Collaboration, published in 1995 through a joint effort of the American Accounting Association and the AICPA, set the goal of preparing a monograph documenting the successes of prior, less-harried times when collaborative efforts produced significan t insights and often solutions to challenging auditing problems (Bell and Wright, pg 178). They explain the rich heritage of practitioner or academician collaboration in addressing auditing challenges. The authors indicate the importance of a periodic review of academic research for use of those in practice. The monograph also calls for increased interaction with practitioners, the use of academic research fellows in practice, and integration of the research process into audit education (Anderson et al, 2003). Accounting practice depends on accounting research, and accounting research guide the development for accounting practice. Conclusion Both of the positivist approach and the critical approach has its own advantages and disadvantages, the best way to use accounting research is to combine the two methodologies in actual accounting practice environment. The inter-relationships between accounting research, accounting standards and accounting practice are Accounting research helps accounting standards setters and others understand the economic world, accounting research have made accounting Practice more efficient and effective, but accounting research and accounting practice are not always seem to be synchrony. Accounting standards provide the accountant with a guideline to reports economic transactions and events for an organization.

The Importance of Fort McHenry to America Essay -- essays research pap

As a country, the United States felt that the War of 1812 was under control and that they were well prepared for any battle any army could throw at them. After the United States won an important battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message "We have met the enemy and they are ours." As a new country, America, having just defeated the greatest military strength on the earth, was perhaps overconfident. However, once Great Britain turned all of its attention to defeating the United States, America realized that the fate of her country relied on Baltimore, and Baltimore relied on the protection of Fort McHenry. If Fort McHenry was taken over by the British, the Nation would have been split into two. The fate of the United States rested, to a large extent, on the success or failure of the central prong attack which was being protected by Fort McHenry. If Baltimore had not had Fort McHenry for protection, the city would have been an easy target and our nation would have perished because Baltimore would have lacked the proper protection it needed to prevail. Before 1793, there was a base on the peninsula called Whetstone Point, which was of strategic value to the United States because of its location. Whetstone Point was surrounded by water on three sides and in order to get to Baltimore by water, you had to pass by this peninsula. Because of these reasons, this point seemed like an obvious place to put a fort to protect Baltimore. Not only was this a good location because of the water, but it was close enough to Baltimore to protect it without putting it in danger. Therefore, in 1793, a man named John Jacob Ulrich Rivardi was directed by the Secretary of War to create a plan fo... ...endered or America had won. They could vaguely see a flag flying above the fort but could not tell whether it was America or British. Finally the darkness lifted and they saw that the American flag was still up and waving in the wind. After this night, Key wrote a poem telling the events of that night. He called it â€Å"The Defense of Fort M’Henry†. It was published in the newspapers all over America. Someone put the poem to music using an old English tune called â€Å"To Anacreon in Heaven†. This song became America’s first national anthem in 1931. Fort McHenry is not just known for the night when Francis Scott Key put that night into poem, but it is known as a great fort with a very strong military advantage. Fort McHenry helped protect Baltimore and save America. Without Fort McHenry, America could have easily been conquered and destroyed.

The Importance of Education :: The Importance of Education

Education holds the key to your child's future. Education can help your child reach his/her life goals and dreams. Education will help your child choose what he/she wants in life. Here are 10 key reasons why going to college is important for your child: †¢ Education opens up doors. The more education your child gets, the more choices and opportunities he/she will have. With an education, your child has more options, which often lead to greater success and happiness in life. †¢ Education allows your child to choose his/her career. By going to college, your child can choose what he/she wants to do in life. Your student will be able to choose a career that interests him/her and that will enable him/her to achieve his/her dreams. †¢ Education increases the amount of money your child may be able to make. The more education your child receives, the more money he/she may be able to earn. On average, a person with a four-year college degree earns twice as much money as a person who graduated from high school but did not attend college. †¢ Education determines your child's lifestyle. By going to college, your child will likely have more flexibility to choose what type of house he/she lives in, what type of car he/she drives, what places he/she will visit during vacations, and many other things. †¢ Education expands your child's mind. The more educational opportunities your child is exposed to, the more knowledge and skills he/she will obtain. Education will expose your child to a variety of people, topics, and experiences. Your student will learn about things that interest him/her. Growth and development will occur in many areas, including decision-making, analytical awareness, reasoning, creative expression, verbal expression, and more. †¢ Education can help your child improve the community. Going to college will help to teach your child how to make a difference in his/her community. During college, he/she can learn about laws and resources that affect the community. After graduating from college, your child can come home and apply his/her knowledge and skills to better the neighborhood and the people who live there. As a college graduate, your child will also serve as a role model for other children in the community.

Mythological References in Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Mythological References in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   What's in a name? Hamlet's good friend and confidant Horatio is doomed by the etymology of his nomenclature to give good speech. Shakespeare has gifted Horatio with an elegant lucidty that, when inspected closely, enables the reader to better comprehend the nature of the play; one of his first addresses is key in setting the tone of what James Joyce called "'the grave and constant' in human suffering" (Campbell 8). This is also a principal theme of classical mythology, and to fully understand Hamlet as a tragic hero, a comprehension of the mythological references at the beginning of the play must be foremost in the reader's mind. These metaphoric intimations of tragedy; leaked in Hamlet's and Horatio's early soliloquies deliver the fundamental clues to unlocking Hamlet's enigmatic madness and foreshadow its violent emotional, physical and supernatural battles.    The early Greeks believed that the universe created the gods, not .he other way around(Hamilton 24). They created their myths to explain the order of things; how the sun sets, why the moon rises, the tides coming in and out, etc. When these patterns were interrupted, people assumed it was the wrath or folly of the gods and went on making up more stories. Shakespeare has given his characters a heritage influenced by the Teutonic and Nordic races. Both cultures developed a collateral paganish belief shared by the early Greeks, and this parallel helps offer an explanation towards the choice of metaphor in the text. This is most important in the following excerpt from Horatio's second soliloquy. After seeing the ghost of Hamlet's father, he remarks to Bernardo:    Disasters in the sun; and the moist star, Upon w... ...is heroic obligation. Claudius questions Hamlet's mood after a month of mourning for his father:    CLAUDIUS: How is it that the clouds still hang on you? HAMLET: Not so, my lord, I am too much i' the sun.(I.ii.65-66)    The reader is reminded of Horatio's portentous thoughts of misfortune and simultaneously called to recognize Hamlet as the center of future woes, around whom all the disasters at Elsinore revolve like satellites of the Fates: is he too much like his father or not? If Hamlet truly embodies the Promethean essence, then he does know what is to happen: Prometheus means "foresight." What is in a name?    Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth. New York: Doubleday, 1988. Dukore, Bernard F. "Shaw on Hamlet." Educational Theatre Journal 23 (1971): 152-59 Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York: Mentor, 1969.   

Project at Jamkash Vehicleades

A PROJECT REPORT ON â€Å"ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE STUDY & BUSINESS PROCESS† AT â€Å"JAMKASH VEHICLEADES Pvt. Ltd. † (KASHMIR) (Authorized Dealership of MARUTI SUZUKI) BY TANWEER AHMAD UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF PROF. SANDEEP LONDHE SUBMITTED TO â€Å"UNIVERSITY OF PUNE† In the partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA) Through ASM’s Institute of Business Management and Research (I. B. M. R) Chinchwad, Pune 411019 Jamkash Vehicleades (Kashmir) Pvt. Ltd. (Authorised Dealers of MSIL)Hyderpora, By-pass Crossing, Srinagar, Kashmir- 190014 Ph. : 0194-2432680, 2435576 Fax: 0194-2435575 No. :Date: ___/___/______ TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN This is to certify that Mr. Tanweer Ahmad, student of Master of Business Administration (M. B. A) at Institute of Business Management and Research (I. B. M. R) Pune, Maharashtra, has completed his Summer Internship Project at our company from 10th of May 2012 to 19th of June 2012 i. e. 50 working days. During this period, he worked in various departments of the company.He studied the Organizational Climate & Business Process of Jamkash Vehicleades and also gave some recommendations for the improvement. He has an excellent command over the work and was found to be a dedicated, sincere and hardworking trainee during his training period with the company. We wish him all success in his future endeavours. Jamkash Vehicleades (Kashmir) Pvt. Ltd. [Mr. Irfan Ahmad Narworoo] CEO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT All Thanks to Almighty Allah who gave me intellect to study & prepare this Project Report.I express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Irfan Ahmad Narwaroo, Chief Executive Officer of Jamkash Vehicleades (Kashmir) Pvt. Ltd. for giving me the opportunity to do this study and undergo the process of learning. I thank him for all the trust and faith he posed in me and I only hope that I have been able to live up to his expectations. I would like to express my sincere gratitu de to Prof. Sandeep Londhe, my faculty guide who supported and guided me at each step to study and prepare this report. I would also like to thank Mr.Owais Ahmad Rather, my company guide, who guided and supported me in framing the questionnaire and interpretation of data& provided me with a clearer perspective of the Organizational Climate and Business Process of Jamkash Vehicleades by showing me practically and letting me interact with each and every department’s employees. My sincere thanks to Mr. Irfan Ahmad Parray (Sr. Marketing Manager) & Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Wani (Institutional Sales Manager) who also co-operated & helped me in this project. Mr. Farhan Ahmad Najjar, Mr. Sajjad Ahmad _Deputy Managers in Corporate Sales & Mr.Aijaz Ahmad _Team Leader, also deserve unlimited thanks in whose presence I learnt a lot about marketing & selling the cars to the corporates during my field visits. I have no words to express my thanks to my sisters Nusrat Ahad and Nazima Ahad, who had been the source of inspiration, in decision making and in solving the complexities, which helped me to escalate and explore the ideas. My head bows with regards in front of my beloved Mother Miss. Rafiqa Banoo, whose blessings, financial and moral support helped me to complete this study.Last but not least I am thankful to all those who directly or indirectly supported me during this project. Tanweer Ahmad EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Project Title : Organizational Climate Study & Business Process Industry : MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED Company : Jamkash Vehicleades (Kashmir) Private Limited. Chief Executive Officer : Mr. Irfan Ahmad Narwaroo Company Guide : Mr. Owais Ahmad Rather Faculty Guide : Prof. Sandeep Londhe Students Name : Tanweer AhmadObjectives: Under the guidance of my Company Guide: Mr. Owais Ahmad Rather following sub-projects were executed for the project. 1. Preparing a questionnaire tailored to the meet the needs of the organization and conducting the questionnaire on all staf f of Jamkash Vehicleades. 2. To understand the working environment of Jamkash Vehicleades 3. To understand the team/group dynamics of Jamkash Vehicleades: team formation, functions, coordination, and culture etc. 4. To study the existing HR manual / practices and suggest or recommend changes.Scope of the Study: The scope of the study was limited to the Head office at Hyderpora Byepass Srinagar and regional offices at Ganderbal and Kupwara. Methodology: The tools used were Questionnaire on Organization Climate Study and Business Process at Jamkash Vehicleades, semi-structured and un-structured interviews, discussion with the team members and leaders and regular observation of the work of the organization Sources of Data: Primary: Primary sources of data included interactions with CEO, Regional managers, employees, field staff and telephonic interviews with ex-employees. Secondary:Secondary sources of data were the annual reports and other publications of the organization. Insights of the organization: The organization has good collaborations with major stakeholders and has built good reputation in the sector. †¢ The organization has well defined HR policies, Norms and Rules. †¢ The organization has good systems of Finance, Reporting, Audit, Appraisal etc. †¢ The organization is expanding its operations in different corners of the valley & India. †¢ Certain activities are centralized at head office while other are being done at branches. †¢ Focus on capacity building of the staff.Their recruitment and training has special focus. Participation in decision making is encouraged. †¢ The CEO of the company is running the organization with full enthusiasm and energy. Conclusions and Recommendations: Conclusion: The data provided a description of a relatively young, well-educated and trained work force which received moderate levels of financial remuneration. The general picture emerging out of these findings indicate that overall a favour able climate exists in the organization. The organization has a pool of professionals which are working for a larger cause and meeting their professional satisfaction.However due to the rising prices there is a need to revise the financial policy relating to paradigm and accommodation on a regular basis. The organization shows great deal of transparency in decision making and shares information across levels. The management believes in having a participative approach to decision making. There is enough autonomy to perform one’s job. Also the organization offers enough scope for personal and professional growth. The leadership of the origination is approachable and is sensitive to the needs of the employees.At the same time there are roles and responsibilities to be performed and each one is held accountable for work. There is a great emphasis on capacity building and skill enhancement of the employees. As the organization is in its expansion phase, it promises its employees e nhanced roles and responsibilities. The organization needs to plan its manpower requirement in the teams so as to optimize the productivity. In case of employees having multiple reporting, job description should be decided jointly by the team leaders and made known to the employee.The organizational climate can become conducive to develop potential and competencies of the employees and provide opportunities for fulfilment. There is a need for an enhanced role of regional managers who should feel responsible for building a positive, motivating work culture which would ensure optimum utilization of the capabilities of the team members leading to self and organizational effectiveness. Recommendations: In the backdrop, certain areas were identified for improvement in the Organization and the findings were presented for the consideration of Jamkash Vehicleades for adoption.Following recommendations were made: 1. The policies of the employees regarding salary & benefit packages like T. A, D. A, Insurance and others, need to be revised and raised considering the rise in inflation rate and cost of living. 2. Work related stress was also found to be 34% in level 3 & level 4 employees. Thus there is a need to strengthen these levels in terms of recruitment, induction and job related support. 3. There should be a constant evaluation and review of various organizational events. There is a need of a monitoring system which could ensure timely completion of processes. . Higher level employees gave slightly more favourable ratings than lower level employees, thus there is a need to investigate and improve these levels. 5. As the HR department has recently been established the awareness level of HR policies among the employees is very low and even the HR Manual has been given to limited no. of persons, thus it is recommended to conduct programmes for every department separately to make them aware about the HR policies and what functions HR department performs. 6. Recruitment of sales force should be done very fairly and honestly.It needs to be improved through HR planning. Only the deserved candidates should be selected rather than on reference basis. 7. Highly qualified persons should be recruited especially M. B. A. ’s, M. Com’s, B. Com’s, and Graduates rather than 10th & 10+2, because they don’t have much exposure of the real corporate world. Also they don’t have much fluency in speaking English. 8. Grievance Addressal Cell to be started. 9. Defined Travel Policy to be implemented. 10. New joinees’ approval to be done at early basis rather than delaying for months. 11. Salary along with benefit packages as T. A, D.A and other incentives to be clubbed together & should be credited to bank account by 1st week of every month rather than delaying for long time. 12. KRA system should be conducted in a much better way to motivate the employees and reduce the Employee Turnover Ratio (ETR). 13. The compensation of em ployees needs to be raised according to profile, workload, efficiency, and work experience. 14. Rules should be made in consensus with employees’ welfare. 15. Focus on minimising the time for documentation process like RC Book, Insurance Policy, Bills and Promotional Gift vouchers and Offers etc. S. NO. CONTENTS| PAGE NO. | 1. | Introduction To The Topic| 9-11| 2. | Company Profile| 12-24| 3. | Industry Profile| 22-30| 4. | Scope Of Work| 31-32| 5. | Objective Of The Project| 33-34| 6. | Research Methodology| 35-40| 7. | Data Analysis & Interpretation| 41| 8. | Part-I (Business Process) | 42-53| 9. | Part-II (Organization Climate Study)| 54-77| 10. | Observations and Findings| 78-80| 11. | Limitations of study| 81-82| 12. | Suggestions and Recommendations| 83-85| 13. | Conclusions| 86-87| 14. | Bibliography| 88-89| 15. | Annexure| 90| TABLE/GRAPH NO. | CONTENTS| PAGE NO. | Table 1| Awards & Accolades| 16|Table 2| Annual Sales Of Jamkash For The Last Five Years| 20| Table 3| A nnual Purchase And Sales In True Value| 20| Table 4| Exchange Penetration Rate At Jamkash In TRUE VALUE| 20| CHAPTER -1 INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC The topic for my SIP has two two separate parts as _ â€Å"Organizational Climate Study† & â€Å"Business Process† of Jamkash Vehicleades (Kashmir) Pvt Ltd. These are introduced briefly as under: Organizational Climate Study Organisational Climate studies the employees' perceptions and perspectives of an organization. The surveys address attitudes and concerns that help the organization work with employees to instil positive changes.Organisational climate surveys increase productivity. Climate surveys give employees a voice to assist in making desired transitions as smooth as possible. It also serves as a basis for quality improvements. By identifying areas of inefficiency and acting on performance barriers identified by employees of all levels, an organization gains a fresh and different perspective. Survey analysis identifi es areas of employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction to facilitate management in the creation of greater workplace harmony and, therefore, increased productivity.Conclusions are drawn from the data, and recommendations are made to the management team. Additionally, climate surveys can set benchmarks for future surveys, which will allow more in-depth and time series analysis. Business Process Jamkash Vehicleades generates its revenue through different ways by which it has set an example of an emerging and successful business organization in the whole valley and has covered the maximum market share. With its effective implementation of innovative ideas ; promotional tools it succeeded in the establishment of new E-outlets in various districts of the valley.Nature of business: Dealership, Service Provider Processes: * Sale of New Cars (MARUTI SUZUKI Cars Only) * Buying and Selling of Pre-Owned Cars in TRUE VALUE (of any Company) * Services and Repairs Reason for selecting the topic: T here was a need to re-look the operational strategy and the internal systems to optimise the utilisation of resources particularly the human resources. It would help the organisation to harness the emerging opportunities and meet the upcoming challenges. For this purpose this study on Organisational Climate was undertaken.I selected this topic in order to learn the Marketing ; Selling process in the real corporate and gain some experience out of it so that I can get the best placement opportunities from the leading companies after seeing my experience in marketing ; sales. Apart from the sales I wanted to take a deep look into the Business Process of Jamkash Vehicleades so that it could help me in getting the better idea and insight of the business environment, how automobile companies generate their revenue. CHAPTER-2 COMPANY PROFILE JAMKASH VEHICLEADES (KASHMIR) PVT. LTD GENERAL INTRODUCTION:Jamkash Vehicleades is a unique and pioneering organisation working for near about a decad e in the valley with the maximum market share in its’ basket of achievements. It emerged to sell and serve the society with the quality products in Automobile sector initially in JAMMU ; KASHMIR. Jamkash Vehicleades is getting a number of opportunities and experiencing certain challenges in recent times. The opportunities include heavy demand for its services from other states and growing interest on the part of many locations to have E-outlets in those locations as well.To meet these demands and harness opportunities Jamkash Vehicleades moved to national and has opened new E-outlets at different locations recently. The challenges include; sustain and retain the higher position in the competitive market and create maximum employment opportunities for the local people. Another challenge is to compete with the competitors’ new product designs, quality services and promotional tools. BRIEF HISTORY * Jamkash Vehicleades, Kashmir is an authorized dealership of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. * It Commenced business on 8th Aug 2003.Since then it has been providing best services to its customers. * In order to further reach to the rural customers of the Valley, it was the first dealership in J ; K to open E-outlets at Baramullah and Kupwara. * The Vehicleades Group is spread across 4 states (J;K, Punjab, Himachal and New Delhi) and 17 locations. * It sells more than 16,000 cars and services more than 125,000 cars annually. * Vehicleades is among the Top 5 Maruti dealers in the country. * Largest Dealer in Northern India. * It started  operations in 1987, with an employee strength of 15, which now stands at 2000 plus. The success is attributed to the loyal patronage of esteemed customers, supported by an excellent, dedicated team. Commitment towards Customer Care, time has been appreciated by MSIL, in the form of numerous awards. We say: ‘Think Maruti, Think Vehicleades' DEALERSHIPS Main Showroom * Jamkash Vehicleades, Hyderpora Byepass Srinagar, 2003 E -OUTLETS * Jamkash Vehicleades(Kmr), Baramullah (Opened on 1st Nov 2006, Average sale of 100 Vehicles, Showing tremendous growth YOY, inspite of being location susceptible to Militancy and frequent shutdowns) * Jamkash Vehicleades(Kmr), Kupwara Opened on 1st Aug 2009, Average sale of 30 Vehicles, Covering very difficult and terrorism infested areas. ) UP COMING OUTLETS * Jamkash Vehicleades(Kmr), Ganderbal * Jamkash Vehicleades(Kmr), Magam * Jamkash Vehicleades(Kmr), Bandipora CEO/MD of Jamkash Vehicleades (KMR) Pvt. Ltd. MR. IRFAN AHMAD NARWAROO * He was born in 1964, of an engineer father, and a Doctor mother. * He has done his engineering from National Institute of Technology (NIT), earlier REC. * Area of specialization was Civil engineering. Professionally, he started out as an embedded engineer, but his move into automobile industry has an interesting story behind it. It was soon after he finished his final exams in the year 1988, he along with his friends was selected for the Team Gypsy which was a rally programme of Maruti Udyog in collaboration with J;K Tourism. * At that time, there was no idea about the rallies; it was just that how to drive a car. In that rally, he achieved 3rd national rank and when he came back, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the then Chief Minister appreciated the team and even took them along to Delhi. He made us to participate in couple of more rallies and in the same year, we again bagged 3rd National rank. † * That was the turning point of his life, when he achieved the same rank twice and at that time, he decided that he should carve his future in the automobile sector. He was given an authorization letter by Maruti Udyog to start an automobile centre. Jamkash Vehicleades, Hyderpora, Byepass, Srinagar Table 1 AWARDS ; ACCOLADES All India Dealers Conference Held At Pattaya, Thailand 2012BEST SERVICE AWARD BEST E-OUTLET IN THE COUNTRYAll India Dealers Conference Held At Macau In 2010 | | BEST CUSTOMER RETENTION| HIGHEST GROWTH ON HIGH BASE| | BEST SHOWROOM E – OUTLET (RUNNER UP)| | BEST SALES SATISFACTION FOR CITY| | BEST MARKETING INITIATIVES| All India Dealer Conference Held At Bangkok In 2009 | Fy-2008-2009 | | BEST PERFORMANCE IN SPECIAL SCHEMES BY A DEALER| | BEST EMPLOYEE RETENTION(RUNNER-UP)| | HIGHEST NO. OF M 800 SOLD| | HIGHEST GROWTH IN ALL MODEL DESPATCH| | HIGHEST GROWTH IN CLUB 500 DEALERS| All India Dealer Conference Held At Istanbul Turkey In 2008 | Fy-2007-2008 | | EXCELLENCE IN SALES(10000+ CLUB)| | EXCELLENCE IN SPARES PARTS HIGHEST MGA OFFTAKE PER VEHICLE(;8000 VEHICLES)| | EXCELLENCE IN SALES HIGHEST NO OF M800 SOLD| EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE-INNOVATIVE SERVICE   MARKETING| | EXCELLENCE IN MARKETING-MOST CONSISTENT ADVERTISING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR| All India Dealer Conference Held At Athens Greece In 2007 | Fy-2006-2007 | | BEST PERFORMANCE SPECIAL SCHEMES (RUNNER-UP)| | BEST MI PERORMANCE N2| | BEST PERFORMANCE IN RURAL MARKETING| COMPETITORS OF JAMKASH 1. Peaks Auto Pvt Ltd: MARUTI SUZUKI 7. Fairdeal Motors: TATA, Fiat 2. HIGHLAND : MARUTI SUZUKI8. K. C Motors: Chevrolet 3. K. C HYUNDAI: Hyundai 4. Ford : Ford 6. Ansari Toyota : Toyota DEPARTMENTS AT JAMKASH VEHICLEADESThere are ten departments in the organization: Admin HR SalesMarketing Service True Value Accessories Customer Care Insurance Maruti Driving School (MDS) BRIEF PERFORMANCE * Harnessed the huge potential of Kashmir market and started with an average sale of 250 vehicles and servicing load of 950. * Now selling on an average 400 vehicles and servicing load of 3800 vehicles. * Tie-ups with seven leading Insurance Companies. 1. National Insurance 2. New India Insurance 3. Bajaj Alliance 4. Royal Sundaram 5. Iffco Tokyo General Insurance . ICICI Lombard 7. Chola Mandalam * Excellent performance inspite of Kashmir problem, Terrorism and virtually a brokers Heaven. TRUE VALUE: Monthly Purchase: 30 – 40 vehicles (on average) Sale : 40 – 50 vehicles (on average) INSURANCE: INSURANCE: Month ly 2000 – 2500 cars are insured on average. PREMIUM: Rs. 1. 25 crore as total premium is paid to Insurance companies. CLAIMS: 700 claims/ month are entertained which costs Rs. 70 lacs. Cashless Facility: Under which only depreciation amount has to be paid by the customer at the time of claim. TABLE 2ANNUAL SALES OF JAMKASH FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS YEAR| RETAILS of cars (in numbers) | April 2007 – March 2008| 3516 cars| 2008 – 2009| 3431 | 2009 – 2010| 3331| 2010 – 2011| 3979| 2011 – 2012| 3781| April – May 2012| 635| TABLE 3 ANNUAL PURCHASE AND SALES IN TRUE VALUE YEAR| PURCHASES| SALES| April 2007 – March 2008| 226| 220| 2008 – 2009| 191| 186| 2009 – 2010| 257| 242| 2010 – 2011| 303| 296| 2011 – 2012| 394| 374| April – May 2012| -| -| TABLE 4 Exchange Penetration Rate* at Jamkash in TRUE VALUE YEAR| %age| April 2007 – March 2008| 6. 02%| 2008 – 2009| 5. 99%| 009 – 2010| 10 . 92%| 2010 – 2011| 7. 04%| 2011 – 2012| 12. 25%| * Exchange Penetration: Customers sell their old cars to TRUE VALUE and buy new cars. CUSTOMER RETENTION Meaning: Customer Retention  is the activity that a selling organization undertakes in order to reduce customer defections. Successful customer retention starts with the first contact an organisation has with a customer and continues throughout the entire lifetime of a relationship. For that Jamkash Vehicleades organises different events, programs and customer meetings to build a lifelong relationship. e. g. Drawing Competition between Children of existing customers * Customers Meeting Day * Gift Ceremony * Teachers Day * Environment Day etc. How customers are retained in Jamkash Vehicleades Pvt. Ltd. * 72 Hr. ’s Post Sales Follow up * Internal Feedback Card * 15 Days Post Sales Follow up * 20 Days Home Visit * Organize Different types of Events day to day * Organize Customer Meets every month with different themes * If any complaint, resolution within 2-3 days with a proper format. * Average resolution time (ART) ;;; as less as possible * CC/1000 analysed on the monthly basisEVENTS ; PROGRAMS FOR CUSTOMER RETENTION AT JAMKASH VEHICLEADES Customers Meeting Customers Meeting Teachers Day Teachers Day Gift Ceremony Gift Ceremony Drawing Competition Drawing Competition CHAPTER-3 INDUSTRY PROFILE OVERVIEW OF AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY Car manufacturing in India first began in late 1940s. Earlier a couple of cars made by foreign technology were manufactured in India. But now, cars made my Indian car manufacturers dominate the business. | |The future of car manufacturing in India is bright. Sensing this, foreign car manufacturers like Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Suzuki, Honda and Skoda are spreading their base in the country. Domestic car manufacturers have also contributed to the growth of the automobile industry in India. REASONS OF GROWTH Economic liberalization, increase in per capita income, variou s tax relief policies, easy accessibility of finance, launch of new models and exciting discount offers made by dealers all together have resulted in to a stupendous growth of Indian Automobile industry. MARKET SHAREAutomobile industry of India can be broadly classified under passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three wheelers and two wheelers, with two wheelers having a maximum market share of more than 75%. Automobile companies of India, Korea, Europe and Japan have a significant hold on the Indian market share. Tata Motors produces maximum numbers of mid and large size commercial vehicles, holding more that 60% of the market share. Motorcycles top the charts of two wheelers with Hero Honda being the key player. Bajaj by far is the number one manufacturer of three wheelers in India.Passenger vehicle section is majorly ruled by the car manufacturers capturing over 82% of the total market share. Maruti since long has been the biggest car manufacturer and holds more that 50% of t he entire market. Global recession has impacted the Indian automobile industry also and can be seen clearly in the sales figures of the last financial year. Even then this industry has high hopes in 2009-2010; as banks have reduced loan interest rates and the major chunk of automobile customers belong to the middle income group who are becoming economically stronger with every passing day.POPULAR CAR MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA * Maruti Suzuki Ltd. : This is the first automobile company in the world to have an ISO 9000:2000 certificate. It has a joint venture with Suzuki Motor Corporation. The popular models of this group are Maruti 800, Alto, Swift, Wagon-R and Zen. * General Motors India: This global leader entered the Indian market as a joint venture with the C. K. now it is a fully owned subsidiary of the Birla Group. This group has also introduced cars like Chevrolet Optra and Chevrolet Tavera (MUV) in India. * Ford India Ltd. : It was originally an American company.It entered the I ndian market in the year 1988 and launched Ford Escort. The Ford Ikon launched in 2001 was a successful car in India. Other brands of Ford like Ford Fusion, Ford Fiesta, Ford Mondeo and Ford Endeavour also gained popularity in India. * Tata Motors Limited: It is India's largest automobile company, the largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, the second largest passenger car manufacturer in India and the fifth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world. The popular brands of the company are Tata Indica, Tata Indigo, Tata Sumo and Tata Safari.Tata Nano: Recently Tata Motors launched India’s cheapest car Tata Nano in one lakh rupees. * Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd: With a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corporation Japan, the Kirloskar Group of India holds 89% equity of the company. The most popular brands of this group in India are Camry, Corolla, Prado and Innova * Fiat India Private Ltd: The Fiat India that belongs to the Fiat Auto Spa group of Italy gives world-class cars to the country. This group has entered the motor vehicle sector more than one hundred years ago and has earned fame not only in India, but also abroad.Besides ‘Uno', which is Europe's favorite car for the last two decades, the brands like Palio, Petra and Adventure have also become famous. * Hindustan Motors: This flagship company of the C. K. Birla Group was established by Mr. B. M. Birla. Some of the most popular brands of this car manufacturer are Ambassador, Contessa and Mitsubishi Lancer. Other remarkable brands of this company are Trekker, Porter and Pushpak. * Hyundai Motor India Ltd: Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is not only the second largest car manufacturer in India, but is also the fastest growing among the car manufacturers in India.The popularity of Santro, Getz, Accent, Elantra, Sonata Embera and Tuscon is proof of its success. The company is an ISO 14001. Maruti Suzuki India Limited is a publicly listed automaker in India. It is a le ading four-wheeler automobile manufacturer in South Asia. Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan holds a majority stake in the company. It was the first company in India to mass-produce and sell more than a million cars. It is largely credited for having brought in an automobile revolution to India. It is the market leader in India and on 17 September 2007, Maruti Udyog was renamed Maruti Suzuki India Limited.PROFILE Maruti Suzuki plant in Gurgaon Maruti Suzuki is one of India's leading automobile manufacturers and the market leader in the car segment, both in terms of volume of vehicles sold and revenue earned. Until recently, 18. 28% of the company was owned by the Indian government, and 54. 2% by Suzuki of Japan. The Indian government held an initial public offering of 25% of the company in June 2003. As of May 10, 2007, Govt. of India sold its complete share to Indian financial institutions. With this, Govt. of India no longer has stake in Maruti Udyog.Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) was established in February 1981, though the actual production commenced in 1983 with the Maruti 800, based on the Suzuki Alto kei car which at the time was the only modern car available in India, its' only competitors- the Hindustan Ambassador and Premier Padmini were both around 25 years out of date at that point. Through 2004, Maruti has produced over 5 Million vehicles. Maruti’s are sold in India and various several other countries, depending upon export orders. Cars similar to Maruti’s (but not manufactured by Maruti Udyog) are sold by Suzuki and manufactured in Pakistan and other South Asian countries.The company annually exports more than 50,000 cars and has an extremely large domestic market in India selling over 730,000 cars annually. Maruti 800, till 2004, was the India's largest selling compact car ever since it was launched in 1983. More than a million units of this car have been sold worldwide so far. Currently, Maruti Alto and Alto K10 tops the sales charts a nd Maruti Swift is the largest selling in A2 segment. Due to the large number of Maruti 800s sold in the Indian market, the term â€Å"Maruti† is commonly used to refer to this compact car model.Till recently the term â€Å"Maruti†, in popular Indian culture, was associated to the Maruti 800 model. Maruti Suzuki India Limited, a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, has been the leader of the Indian car market for over two decades. It’s manufacturing facilities are located at two facilities Gurgaon and Manesar south of New Delhi. Maruti’s Gurgaon facility has an installed capacity of 350,000 units per annum. The Manesar facilities, launched in February 2007 comprise a vehicle assembly plant with a capacity of 100,000 units per year and a Diesel Engine plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 engines and transmissions.Manesar and Gurgaon facilities have a combined capability to produce over 700,000 units annually. More than half the cars sold in India are Maruti cars. The company is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, which owns 54. 2 per cent of Maruti. The rest is owned by the public and financial institutions. It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange in India. During 2007-08, Maruti Suzuki sold 764,842 cars, of which 53,024 were exported. In all, over six million Maruti cars are on Indian roads since the first car was rolled out on December 14, 1983.Vision The leader in the India Automobile Industry, Creating Customer Delight and Shareholder’s Wealth; A pride of India† We must be an internationally competitive company in terms of our products and services. We must retain our leadership in India and should also aspire to be among the global players. Mission To provide a wide range of modern, high quality fuel efficient vehicles in order to meet the need of different customers, both in domestic and export markets. To provide maximum value for money to their customers through continuous improvement of products and services.Maruti has a network of 391 sales outlets across 230 cities all over India. The service network covers 1,113 towns and cities, bolstered by 2,142 authorized service outlets. The company's change in strategy and emphasis on developing effective marketing communications was their highlights. Mr. Shinzo Nakanishi MD ; CEO Mr. D. S. Brar Director Mr. R. C. Bhargava Chairman Mr. Mavinder Singh Banga Director Mr. Tsuneo Ohashi Director Mr. Keiichi Asai Director Mr. Shinzo Nakanishi MD ; CEO Mr. D. S. Brar Director Mr. R. C. Bhargava Chairman Mr. Mavinder Singh Banga Director Mr.Tsuneo Ohashi Director Mr. Keiichi Asai Director MANAGING BODY PRODUCTS Maruti Suzuki offers 16 models of cars: 1. Maruti 800 2. Omni 3. Alto 4. Wagon R 5. A Star 6. Versa 7. Ritz 8. Gypsy 9. Zen Estilo 10. Ertiga 11. Swift 12. Swift Dzire 13. Eeco 14. SX4 15. Grand Vitara 16. Kizashi Swift, Swift Dzire, A star and SX4 are manufactured in Manesar, Grand Vitara imported from Japan as a completely built unit (CBU), remaining all models are manufactured in Maruti Suzuki's Gurgaon Plant. Suzuki Motor Corporation, the parent company, is a global leader in mini and compact cars for three decades.Suzuki’s technical superiority lies in its ability to pack power and performance into a compact, lightweight engine that is clean and fuel efficient. Maruti is clearly an â€Å"employer of choice† for automotive engineers and young managers from across the country. Nearly 75,000 people are employed directly by Maruti and its partners. FACILITIES Indian Four Wheeler Industry The Four-Wheeler Industry in India has not quite matched up to the performance of its counterparts in other parts of the world. The primary reason for this has been the all-pervasive regulatory atmosphere prevailing till the opening up of the industry in the mid-1990s.The various layers of legislative Acts sheltered the industry from external competition for a long tim e. Moreover, the industry was considered low-priority as cars were thought of as unaffordable luxury†. Post Liberalization, the car market in India have been in a burgeoning stage with all types of cars flooding the market in order to meet the demands of Indian customers who are increasingly exposed to state of the world automobiles and want the best when it comes to purchasing a car. It is expected that by 2030, the Indian car market will be the 3rd largest car market across the globe.The main encouraging factors for the success story of the car market in India are the increase in the opportunity for new investments, the rise in the GDP rate, the growing per capita income, massive population, and high ownership capacity. The liberalization policies followed by the Indian government had been inviting foreign players to participate in the car market in India. The recent trend within the new generation to get work in the software based sector has led to the rise in the income le vel and change in the lifestyle significantly, which has further led to the increase in the demand for luxurious cars among them.The car Market in India is crowded with all varieties of car models like the small cars, mid-size cars, luxury cars, super luxury cars, and sports utility vehicles. Initially the most popular car model dominating the Car Market in India was the Ambassador, which however today gave way to numerous new models like Hyundai, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bentley and many others. Moreover, there are many other models of cars in the pipeline, to be launched in the car market in India. Some of the leading brands dominating the car market in India at present are Hindustan Motors, Reva Electric Car Co. Fiat India Private Ltd. , Daimler Chrysler India Private Ltd, Ford India Ltd. , Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. , General Motors India, Hyundai Motors India Ltd. , Skoda Auto India Private Ltd. , and Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd. Since the demand for foreign cars are increasin g with time, big brands like Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce have long since made a foray into the Indian car market. Facts about Indian Car Market: Although the Indian automobile industry has come a long way since the deregulation in 1993, India does not rank well among its global eers in many respects, viz. , the contribution of the sector to industrial output, number of cars per person, employment by the sector as a percentage of industrial employment, number of months' income required to purchase a car, and penetration of cars. Figure:- Passenger vehicle stock per 100 people India is far behind from other countries with just 6. 9 cars per 100 persons, while Unites States has 76. 9 cars on per 100 persons. Among developing countries, Russia also stands ahead than India and China with 16. 3 cars per 100 persons.Two things that stunted growth of the Indian automobile industry in the past have been low demand and lack of vision on the part of the or iginal equipment manufacturers (OEMs). However, the demand has picked up after the liberalization of the regulatory environment, and global OEMs who enjoy scale economies both in terms of manufacturing and research and development (R;D) entered the Indian market. This has resulted in a significant shift in the way business is conducted by suppliers, assemblers and marketers. CHAPTER-4 SCOPE OF WORK SCOPE OF WORK: The scope of the study was limited to the Head office: at Hyderpora Byepass Srinagar, ; Not for * Regional offices: at Baramullah, Kupwara and * Recently started E-outlets: at Ganderbal, Bandipora, and Magam. This study will definitely help me in gaining the experience and getting the exposure of the Real Corporate World and lastly it will help me in achieving some mastery over the marketing. CHAPTER-5 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT WORK OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT: 1. 1 PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: * To get familiar with ‘How the Corporate works’ * To study about the Organizati on climate. * To study the overall Business Process of Jamkash Vehicleades. To analyse the organisation’s current position in the competitive market. 1. 2 SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: * To gain the experience and get the exposure of the Real Corporate World. * To make the study a success for the organisation in bringing some positive change. * To forward the complaints of customers to Service Manager and CRM. * To know the expectations and suggestions of the customers towards improvements in the car and after sale service. * To know the satisfaction level of employees as well as customers of Jamkash Vehicleades. CHAPTER-6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 6. 1 WHAT IS RESEARCH?Research is creative work undertaken systematically to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. It is used to establish or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems, sup port  theorems, or develop new  theories. A research project may also be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects, or the project as a whole.The primary purposes of   basic research are documentation,  discovery,  interpretation, or the  research and development  of methods and systems for the advancement of human  knowledge. Approaches to research depend on  epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences. There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic, economic, social, business, etc. 6. 2 MEANING: Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. Research can also be defined as a scientific search for pertinent information on a specific topic.In fact, research is an art of scientific investigation. Some people consider research a movement from known to the unknown. It is actua lly a voyage of discovery. 6. 3 DEFINITION: A broad definition of research is given by Martin Shuttle Worth – â€Å"In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge. † Another definition of research is given by Creswell who states – â€Å"Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyse information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue†.It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to answer the question, and present an answer to the question. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines research in more detail as â€Å"a studious inquiry or examination; especially   : investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws†. 6. 4 WHAT IS RESEARCH METHODOLOG Y? Methodology  is generally a guideline system for solving a problem, with specific components such as phases, tasks, methods, techniques and tools.It can be defined also as follows: 1. â€Å"the  analysis  of the principles of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline† 2. â€Å"the systematic study of methods that are, can be, or have been applied within a discipline† 3. â€Å"the study or description of methods†. A methodology can be considered to include multiple methods, each as applied to various facets of the whole scope of the methodology. The research can be divided between two parts; they are qualitative research and quantitative research. 6. 5 RESEARCH PROCESS:Research is often conducted using the hourglass model structure of research. The hourglass model starts with a broad spectrum for research, focusing in on the required information through the method of the project (like the neck of the hourglass), then expands the research in the form of discussion and results. The major steps in conducting research are: * IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM * LITERATURE REVIEW * SPECIFYING THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH * DETERMINE SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS OR HYPOTHESES * DATA COLLECTION * ANALYSING AND INTERPRETING THE DATA * REPORTING AND EVALUATING RESEARCHThe steps generally represent the overall process; however they should be viewed as an ever-changing process rather than a fixed set of steps. Most researches begin with a general statement of the problem, or rather, the purpose for engaging in the study. The literature review identifies flaws or holes in previous research which provides justification for the study. Often, a literature review is conducted in a given subject area before a research question is identified. A gap in the current literature, as identified by a researcher, then engenders a research question. The research question may be parallel to the hypothesis.The hypothesis is the supposition to be tested . The researcher(s) collects data to test the hypothesis. The researcher(s) then analyses and interprets the data via a variety of statistical methods, engaging in what is known as  Empirical research. The results of the data analysis in confirming or failing to reject the  Null hypothesis  are then reported and evaluated. At the end the researcher may discuss avenues for further research. Methodology Under the methodology, the first challenge was to choose a framework and accordingly choose the other criteria like data sources and tools to collect the data. ) Framework Used for Organisational Understanding There are several frameworks, which can be applied to study organisation climate. Some of these are * Litwin ; Stringer, (1968)- organisational attribute approach * Schneider and Barlett (1968,1970)-individual attribute approach Litwin ; Stringer, (1968) has given a macro perspective of analysing the organisation. According to them, â€Å"Climate can be defined as the perc eived attributes of an organisation and its sub-systems as reflected in the way an organisation deals with its members, groups and issues†.The emphasis is on perceived attributes and the working of sub-systems. This frame work emphasises on motivational linkages and seems to be quite relevant for studying organisational climate. Litwin ; Stringer, (1968) Model: A brief†¦ The framework considers six motives relevant for organisational climate. 1. Achievement – this motive is characterised by concern for excellence competition against standards set by others or by oneself, the setting of challenging goals for oneself, awareness of the obstacles that might be encountered in attempting to achieve these goals, and persistence in trying alternative paths to one’s goals. . Influence – this motive is characterised by a concern for making an impact on the others, a desire to make people do what one thinks is right and an urge to change situations and develop p eople. 3. Control – this is characterised by a concern for orderliness, a desire to be and stay informed, an urge to monitor events and to make corrective action when needed, and a need to display personal power. 4. Extension – this is characterised by a concern for others, interest in super ordinate goals, and an urge to be relevant and useful to large groups, including society as a whole. . Dependency – This motive is characterised by a desire for the assistance of the others in developing oneself, a need to check with significant others (those who are more knowledgeable or have a higher status, experts, close associates and so on), a tendency to submit ideas or proposals for the approval, and an urge to maintain a relationship based on the other person’s approval. 6. Affiliation – this is characterised by a concern for the establishing and maintaining close personal relationships, and emphasis on friendship, and a tendency to express one’ s emotions.Schneider and Barlett (1968, 1970)-individual attribute approach Schneider and Barlett view organisational climate as perceptual as well as an individual attribute. Climate in this approach is viewed as summary or global perception held by individuals about their organisational environment. Some of them are encompassed by the work environment scale developed by Moos in 1994. It includes various broad dimensions like Involvement, Co-worker, Cohesion, Supervisor Support, Autonomy, Task Orientation, Work Pressure, Clarity, Managerial Control, Innovation, Physical Comfort and others.The summary perceptions of all the individuals taken together reflect an interaction between personal and organisational characteristics, in which the individual by forms climate perceptions. This paper basically tries to understand the organisation on the basis of individual attribute approach. b) Data sources and tools used 1. Primary Sources: Primary sources of data included interactions with C EO, regional managers, employees, field staff and telephonic interviews with ex-employees. Tool used: * Structured Questionnaire * Interaction with the EmployeesConducting Organisational Climate study required the preparation of a detailed questionnaire which could capture all possible areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of employees. For this I circulated questionnaires to all Jamkash Vehicleade’s employees and mentioned the objectives of my study. I highlighted some points which could help employees in knowing about the importance of organisational Climate study. This was to create awareness among the employees about the study being conducted and how important their participation is, to make the study a success for the organisation in bringing some positive change.The questionnaire included 24+12 questions on separate topics (Annexure 1- Part One ; Part Two). There were questions on a 5 point scale, where 1 was the least satisfaction level and 5 was the most satisfact ion level. There were also some open ended questions and objectives (Yes/No) questions. The questionnaire was tailor made to meet the needs of the organisation. Questions on HR issues formed major part of the survey. I personally met with all Jamkash Vehicleades employees requested them to fill it on the spot. Receptivity to participating in the survey varied tremendously.Since the process was confidential most of the employees still did not want to mention their names/ positions. However some of them freely gave their responses. To understand the organisation climate from a macro perspective I mostly interacted with the senior staff and CEO of the organisation. In order to understand the group dynamics I attended the various training programs organised at various clusters where I met many officials and beneficiaries and tried to get a holistic understanding of the organization in which few dynamic personalities were: Mr. Owais Ahmad Rather (Human Resource Manager)Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Wani (Institutional sales Manager) Mr. Peer Firdous Ahmad (DGM Marketing ; Sales) Mr. Irfan Ahmad Parray (Sr. Marketing Manager) Mr. Sajjad Ahmad (Deputy General Manager, Marketing) and many distinguished personalities. In the process, personally I also met with all employees of the organisation and interacted with them. 2. Secondary sources: The major sources of secondary data were the documents and records of the organization, the annual reports and the literature review. CHAPTER-7 DATA ANALYSIS ; INTERPRETATION Part-I Business Process OfJamkash Vehicleades FOR SALES 1. Were the following things available at Jamkash Showroom? Tick Yes/ No. Particulars| Yes| No| Product Information:| 20| -| Price List:| 20| -| Broachers/ Catalogues:| 17| 3| Display Car:| 16| 4| Friendly Environment:| 14| 6| Proper Seating Arrangement:| 20| -| Interpretation: Overall maximum number of customers agree with the statement that all the things were available at Jamkash Showroom. It can be understood from the analysis that Jamkash is progressing and winning the hearts of the customers through new innovations and attractive tools. . Was the test drive of your car readily available at Jamkash? Options| Results| Yes| 12| No| 8| Total| 20| Interpretation: Out of the total sample size 60% said that the test drive of their vehicle was available at Jamkash Vehicleades. However, the remaining 40% had not taken a test drive. The reason being; they had purchased their vehicles during the time of protests and strikes in Kashmir Valley. So it was not possible to give a test drive of the vehicles freely. 3. Was the car delivered to you at the promised date and time? Options| Results| Yes| 17|No| 3| Total| 20 | Interpretation: Majority of the customers are happy for car delivery on time 85% of the customers agree with the statement. However only 15% don’t agree with this. The reason might be strikes and protests at the time of delivery of the vehicle. 4. How would you rate the overall Jamk ash’s Sales Executives ; Insurance Executives about product knowledge, behaviour, and approach till the delivery of your new car? Particulars| Results| | Excellent| 6| | Good| 11| | Average| 3| | Bad| -| | Very Bad| -| | Total| 20| | Interpretation:Overall maximum customers rated the Jamkash Staff and executives as good. Some rated them as excellent while some rated as average. 55% rated as Good, 30% rated as excellent, and 15% rated them as average. It can be imagined and realised that no customer rated the Jamkash executives as bad or very bad; it clearly states that the employees of Jamkash Vehicleades are very much experienced and knowledgeable without giving any chance of complaint to customer(s). 5. Do you think that the time taken for service / repair was sufficient / reasonable? Options| Results| Yes| 17| No| 3|Total| 20| Interpretation: Jamkash Vehicleades is considered as No. 1. Service provider in the whole valley. It is the only dealership in the whole valley that has its’ service centres in other districts also. So the organization has covered the maximum market of the valley. From the survey it was found that 80% of the customers were satisfied with the service of Jamkash Vehicleades. Exception is of only few customers which will not be considered. FOR SERVICE 6. At the time of the delivery of serviced car, was the Service Advisor present? Options| Results| Yes| 15| No| 5|Total| 20| Interpretation: After purchasing a vehicle, at the time of delivery, presence of service advisor is very important. He makes the customer aware about Do’s ; Don’ts and gives him all the necessary information about the service timings and generally trains him for minor repairs of the vehicle himself in case of emergency. 75% said that the Service Advisor was present at time of delivery. Only 25% do not agree with this. 7. Did you receive any phone call from Jamkash before and after servicing of your vehicle? Options| Results| Yes| 20| No| -| Total| 20| Interpretation:Jamkash Vehicleades is very much effective in follow-ups of the customers. It is one of the tools for Customer Retention. For that Jamkash customer care calls the customer before and after the service to make them aware about the servicing dates and other issues. From the data collected after survey it was seen that the customer follow-up process is 100% done fairly ; effectively at Jamkash. 8. Are you satisfied after servicing your car at Jamkash Vehicleades’ workshop? Options| Results| Yes| 16| No| 4| Total| 20| Interpretation: 80% of the customers are satisfied with the services of Jamkash Vehicleades.The reason behind that is: Jamkash is having qualified and experienced workforce in the concerned departments; Workshop, Body Shop as well as front office where claims are entertained. 9. How would you rate the overall Jamkash’s Workforce ; Service Supervisor/Advisor about product knowledge, behaviour, and approach till the delivery of your s erviced car? Particulars| Results| | Excellent| 7| | Good| 11| | Average| 2| | Bad| -| | Very Bad| -| | Total| 20| | Interpretation: Maximum customers of Jamkash rated the workforce and Service Advisor as good.Some rated them as excellent while some rated as average. 55% rated as Good, 35% rated as excellent, and 10% rated them as average. It clearly states that the workforce of Jamkash Vehicleades is very much experienced and educated in their field without giving any chance of complaint to customer(s). ? 10. Have you planned to repurchase a car from Jamkash Vehicleades in future again? Options| Results| Yes| 10| No| 10| Total| 20| Interpretation: As such every customer of Jamkash is satisfied with its Quality sale and Service. But the 50% of them have not decided to repurchase the new car from Jamkash only.The reason might be the best deigns and offers given by the competitors can deviate the attention of the customers from MARUTI products. 11. Any Complaints/ Suggestions: i Time taken for servicing the vehicle should be reduced. ii Approval of car loan should be done very quickly. iii Documentation Process should be done very fast. iv Some discounts and offers should be given also on services. v As such there is no problems with the servicing but the time taken is much so number of workers and mechanics should be increased to distribute the workload and get the customer’s car serviced quickly. i Complaints or grievances of the customers should be addressed and resolved immediately to save the precious time of the customers. Part-II Organizational Climate Study HR POLICY: Q. 1. The recruitment process at Jamkash Vehicleades is fair? Options| Results| Yes| 26| No| 4| Total| 30| Interpretation: The recruitment process at Jamkash Vehicleades is very fair as 87 % of the employees of the organization agree with the statement. Whereas from the 13% of the employees who were against the statement I asked the reason, they replied that the recruitment process t akes place on the personal reference basis in Jamkash.However from the survey it is clear that the major number of the employees is in favour of the statement and thus the recruitment process at Jamkash Vehicleades will be considered as fair. Q. 2. Have you been given the HR Manual, its hardcopy/ softcopy? Options| Results| HR Manual Given| 13| HR Manual Not Given| 17| Total| 30| Options| Results| HR Manual Read| 9| HR Manual Not Read| 21| Total| 30| Interpretation: From the survey it was seen that only 43% of the employees have been given the HR Manual whereas the major number of employees i. e. 7%, have not received the same. Among the receivers only 9 persons (30%) have read it and the rest 70% are not aware of it. Although the majority of the employees are not aware about the HR manual and the Rules therein but still I found the good Co-ordination and Co-operation among the employees and all the processes were going on very smoothly. It is because all the employees belong to rel igious families. Q. 3. Are you satisfied with your current working conditions in Jamkash Vehicleades? Options| Results| Yes| 19| No| 11| Total| 30| Interpretation:Jamkash Vehicleades has set its own example of its Quality Sale ; Service and has covered the maximum market share in the whole valley. It could be imagined that the employees of Jamkash are hardworking and dedicated. Survey has brought in front, the responses of the employees of Jamkash regarding their satisfaction level in the organization. 63% of the employees are satisfied with the current working environment of Jamkash Vehicleades. Whereas 37% of the employees reasoned their dissatisfaction that they are not satisfied with the salary and other benefits. Q. 4.I am aware about the insurance, income tax and provident fund policies of the organization: Options| Results| Yes| 22| No| 8| Total| 30| Interpretation: Maximum number of employees at Jamkash Vehicleades are very well aware about their insurance, income tax and pr ovident fund policies. As per the survey conducted it was found that 73% employees are aware about it and only 27% are not. The reason of the latter might be that they are new to the organization recruited recently and have not got enough information so immediately. Column1| Column2| 1. Strongly disagree| 6| 2. Disagree| 3| 3. Neither agree nor disagree| 4| . Agree| 13| 5. Strongly agree| 4| Total| 30| ENVIRONMENT: Q. 5. My work area offers me clean, comfortable, supportive and well organised working environment: Interpretation: 44% of the employees agree with the statement that their working environment is clean, comfortable and well organized. If we combine the above data we get that 57% are in favour of the statement and only 30% are against. Only 13% neither agree nor disagree with the statement that means they find their places clean and comfortable sometimes and sometimes not. Q. 6. My work environment is unclean and stressful: Ranking| Results| 1.Strongly disagree| 6| 2. Disa gree| 5| 3. Neither agree nor disagree| 9| 4. Agree| 5| 5. Strongly agree| 5| Total| 30| 66% disagree 66% disagree Interpretation: From the data it is clear that 66% of the staff disagree with the statement as they find their work place and surrounding environment clean, comfortable and unstressful. Jamkash Vehicleades has recruited the sweepers for every department who frequently clean the work area with the latest technological sweeping equipments. Also every employee takes it as his responsibility to keep his work area and whole department clean ; good-looking. Q. 7.Innovations/new ways of doing things are appreciated and liked by team leaders: Ranking| Results| 1. Strongly disagree| 2| 2. Disagree| 9| 3. Neither agree nor disagree| 4| 4. Agree| 10| 5. Strongly agree| 5| Total| 30| Interpretation: Innovation and New Ideas are the keys for the success and growth of any organization. Jamkash Vehicleades also consider employee’s suggestions and ideas as an asset for the benef it of the organization. After survey it was found that 50% of the employees agree that their proposals of new ways of doing things and innovative ideas are appreciated by the team leaders and senior management.Whereas only 37% of the employees disagree with the statement. 13% of the employees are neutral in their response. MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS: Ranking| Results| 1. Strongly disagree| 3| 2. Disagree| 8| 3. Neither agree nor disagree| 2| 4. Agree| 12| 5. Strongly agree| 5| Total| 30| Q. 8. I can communicate easily ; effectively with senior management and forward my grievances/ complaints regarding my work: Interpretation: Communication means sending and receiving the information to and fro. The better the communication process the better would be the results thereafter.As if Jamkash Vehicleades has a very good communication system through which every employee can communicate with his colleagues and the senior management easily and forward his grievances / complaints. After the sur vey I also found that the maximum number of employees at Jamkash say that they can approach and communicate with the seniors easily in case of any difficulty. 57% agree with the statement, 37% disagree and only 6% are neutral. Q. 9. I am treated with respect by the management and acknowledge me for my contribution when organisations goals and objectives are achieved: Ranking| Results| 1. Strongly disagree| 4| 2. Disagree| 3| . Neither agree nor disagree| 5| 4. Agree| 11| 5. Strongly agree| 7| Total| 30| Interpretation: Respect is the key factor for job satisfaction in the organization. â€Å"Respect Others You Will Be Respected† is a true proverb, but in addition I want to say, â€Å"Respect Others and Get Things Done Easily†. If the seniors in the company give respect to their juniors/ subordinates they will in turn give more respect and better results afterwards and also will get satisfied with their job as their social need got fulfilled. Here at Jamkash Vehicleades also I found that each and every employee is being respected and honoured by the seniors.Not only this CEO Mr. Irfan Ahmad and General Manager Col. Ayoub Khan personally interact with the employees frequently and treat them with respect and honour. 60% of the employees of Jamkash Vehicleades agree that they are respected by seniors. Q. 10. Management keeps all the necessary resources ready for me at every time: Ranking| Results| 1. Strongly disagree| 4| 2. Disagree| 7| 3. Neither agree nor disagree| 5| 4. Agree| 11| 5. Strongly agree| 3| Total| 30| Interpretation: Management in Jamkash Vehicleades is very good and has satisfied the majority of employees’ population so far.The above data shows it clearly that 57% of the staff agree with the statement. Whereas, 36% of staff disagree and only 17% are neutral. COMPETENCY: Q. 11. I find my job Challenging: Ranking| Results| 1. Strongly disagree| 5| 2. Disagree| 3| 3. Neither agree nor disagree| 2| 4. Agree| 11| 5. Strongly agree| 6| Total| 30| Interpretation: Everybody wants to get a job that best suits him, in a well reputed company so as to satisfy his social and esteem needs. With such a vision and mission, Jamkash Vehicleades provides job opportunities for the local people.Majority of the people after selection found their job, work environment and the climate in the organization challenging ; on top level than other companies in the valley. 66% of the employees found their job as challenging; only 27% disagree with the statement. Q. 12. I have attended Staff Development Programmes