Twilight Zoine Essays - Mona, , Term Papers

Nightfall Zoine Enter hints of the Twilight Zone Mona: waving the colorful electric lamp. Our setting is an exhausting planet in two focuses in the cosmic system. This planet is destined for demolition by the Galactic Hyperspace Arranging Council to clear a path for a hyperspatial express course that will go through our star framework. This is an exceptional report from The United Relocation Committee with expectations of getting ready most of the populace for the unavoidable move to Earth. This report is intended to help with blending our Altarian culture to that of the Earth. Earth, as all of you know, is the best chance for making homeostatic condition between two societies, one of which is our own since theirs is thought of ?Mostly Harmless? by certain norms. We, as keen being on our planet, must figure out how to live by a couple of these new social standards that Earth calls ?ethics*?.(*said with a touch of a highlight) We have set up a program with the goal that you may learn Earth customs and ?ethics*? along with our most veteran space voyager, Lieutenant Dodge de Neon, as he examines Earth. The nations that were chosen were not at irregular. It is very straightforward extremely, The United Relocation Advisory group picked nations that are accepted to be the purposed tolerating end of about 55.6% of every bygone sign that have, for some obscure explanation, been observable for twenty-three minutes on a couple of old telecom stations that are as yet used to check for astute life on different planets. The nations that have sent the majority of the telecom are accepted not to need such fundamental visits as those on the less than desirable end since all these extraordinary communicates will be broadcast each day somewhere in the range of eight and ten d.m. with expectations of showing everybody every one of these nations with least measure of Altarian charge dollars being spent. Concentrate in on the little vehicle showing up in nation a. Here is our spatial routine machine conveying Lieutenant de Neon to Earth. The principal nation on our rundown is Pakistan. Goodness, dear. The lieutenant is coming in too fast!!!! Here on our screens in the studio I see that it is anticipated that the Habitual machine will hit that enormous round article floating over the structure? The inflatable pops and confetti flies. What's more, the routine machine does as it arrives at a stand-still. Norrenna comes out, opens up the floor covering, comes to behind her and transforms the vehicle into another apparatus and claims to make Islamic petition so anyone can hear. Brauer comes up to Norrenna and attempts to talk with her clarifying his expression of remorse. Norrenna: Allah Hu ackbar, Allah hu ackbar?. Brauer: Sorry that I caused such a mishap. Norrenna: As-Saalam? Eid Mubarak Brauer. Show me a portion of your lanuage please. Norrenna: Bis-millah-heer-rah-mah-neer-rah-heem Brauer: Bis-millah-heer-rah-mah-neer-rah-heem Norrenna: Hama-abne-dismal lejeelow. Norrenna offers floor covering to Brauer. As they do this Norrenna places the little keepsake in the rocket. Also, Brauer moves the vehicle up the ship. Mona: I trust every one of you got the hang of something. That was a strict supplication performed by nearly ? of the Earths populace today on account of the strict occasion Eidul-advertisement haa, or Festival of Penance following two months and 10 days of the journey: Hajj.. Hama-abne-miserable lejeelow is Urdu for: take this with you. Urdu is the local language of Pakistan. What's more, here the spatial ongoing machine is reaching its next stop, Italy, the nation that is following up. The vehicle falls off the ship and runs by the vines pulling some down with the magnet. Dominik comes out and energized. Dominik: stunning, you picked grapes. The main individual to pick grapes turns into the host for the Cupra Montana Grape Festival, one of the most well known in the district. The happens on the first Sunday of October. You may keep the grapes so you can eat on your excursion. (convert into Italian assuming there is any chance of this happening.) Brauer: thank you for your collaboration. Great it isn't vine however, as I don't care for it (state with monotone German inflection) Mona: and the interpretation for the entirety of that is? (state in English) What's more, as the Spatial Habitat proceeds on its way north it shows up in the last assigned nation, Spain. As the machine goes to an arrival on this huge green thing we should plan for a great run. Goodness, hold up there are individuals on the large green thing. The machine will attempt to back off presently to bring down the danger of hitting the individuals. (the vehicle thumps the

Strategic Management Analysis - Starbucks in US Essay

Key Management Analysis - Starbucks in US - Essay Example ..............................................................................14 Figure 3: Number of stores in United States......................................................................15 Figure 4: Value of Gift Cards.............................................................................................15 List of Tables Table 1: Coffee Industry Analysis......................................................................................9 Table 2: Opportunities and Threats.......................................................................................12 Table 3: Strengths and Weaknesses....................................................................................16 1. Presentation Everyday a huge number of Americans stroll into Starbucks cafés and live the special experience offered by it. In spite of the way that US espresso industry is immersed with numerous monster associations, for example, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and Peet’s, the experience th at Starbucks offers is selective and goes about as its specialty. No other café or brand offers a café brimming with mechanical mediations, extravagance and solace, smell of newly broiled and granulated espresso beans. Starbucks isn't only an espresso; with its broad chain of stores it has become some portion of American way of life. This exploration paper is proposed to recognize qualities and shortcomings of Starbucks and furthermore the chances and dangers looked by it. In the light of these distinguishing pieces of proof, vital fit investigation would help in understanding the methodologies received by Starbucks and encourages it in misusing these chances, alleviating dangers and shortcomings and further upgrading its qualities. 2. Errand A 2.1 PESTLE Analysis 2.1.1 Political Analysis Starbucks started its business from United States yet has expanded it exponentially into different areas too, anyway the United States remains its significant market. Current policy driven issues looked by it in US encompass its key unions, concurrences with sellers, duties and government arrangements. Starbucks has been bringing in its crude material essentially espresso beans from different pieces of the world. The nature of the espresso beans fills in as a basic factor for Starbuck’s achievement and a bit of leeway over different contenders. Government taxes and political relations between the US and different nations directly affect the entire refreshment industry and in expansion on Starbuck’s business execution. A careful investigation of different markers underneath, show and ask the presentation of Starbucks as a business element. 2.1.2 Economic Analysis Few monetary components having the inclination of influencing Starbuck’s endurance and advancement in United States; these variables are customer capacity to buy, duties, trade rates, and industry condition. Like expressed before, Starbucks has vital collusions with a significant pool of provide rs however the majority of them are from different nations. The continually fluctuating trade rates bring about greater expenses gave to the purchaser or reflected as lower overall revenues. Besides, by and large monetary situation

Lesbian Representation in the Vampire Classic CARMILLA

Lesbian Representation in the Vampire Classic CARMILLA Sponsored by  Carmilla by Kim Turrisi from KCP Loft. An adaptation of Shaftesburys award-winning, groundbreaking queer vampire web series of the same name, Carmilla mixes the camp of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the snark of Veronica Mars, and the mysterious atmosphere of Welcome to Nightvale. In 1872, J. Sheridan Le Fanu wrote a novella. It’s about a vampire who slowly sucks the life out of the young girls it charms in the daytime hours, only to be hunted down in by a male protector and killed in its coffin. This vampire is a woman. Le Fanu’s Carmilla predates Bram Stoker’s Dracula by a good 26 years. It’s provocative, it’s a quick read, and it is very, very gay. “I took her hand as I spoke. I was a little shy, as lonely people are, but the situation made me eloquent, and even bold. She pressed my hand, she laid hers upon it, and her eyes glowed, as, looking hastily into mine, she smiled again, and blushed.” via GIPHY (Oh yeah, and watch the Carmilla web series) The narrator is Laura, a lonely teenage girl living in Austria. A carriage accident near her home brings Carmilla, a mysterious girl who immediately becomes extremely close with Laura. If you’re used to reading Victorian literature, the sexual-laden prose of their interactions will be shocking. “What!” you will cry. “I thought Victorian literature women only brought baskets laden with things to the poor or else died in the streets due to having had sinful sex.” Well Le Fanu has some things to tell you. Mostly in the form of heavy breathing: “Sometimes after an hour of apathy, my strange and beautiful companion would take my hand and hold it with a fond pressure, renewed again and again; blushing softly, gazing in my face with languid and burning eyes, and breathing so fast that her dress rose and fell with the tumultuous respiration. It was like the ardor of a lover; it embarrassed me; it was hateful and yet over-powering; and with gloating eyes she drew me to her, and her hot lips traveled along my cheek in kisses; and she would whisper, almost in sobs, You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever. Then she had thrown herself back in her chair, with her small hands over her eyes, leaving me trembling.” While this heaving bosom talk may bring to mind classic associations with the male gaze, especially as regards women’s sexuality as it relates to other women, Carmilla is not that easily dismissed. While its titular character is still hunted down in the end, the reader feels an intense sympathy for her, despite talk of her being a monster. Reading between the lines of Laura’s narrative is almost unnecessary. You can feel the weight of the paternalistic 19th century on her as she talks about feeling “embarrassed” and “even frightened” when Carmilla professes her love. Laura has been asked to write this story by a doctor. That doctor’s essay on her story will be published and read, presumably by men. That she is as honest as she is in her recounting of what Carmilla makes her feel is astounding. Almost no less astounding is Le Fanu’s reliance on two main female characters to drive his story. On looking to its far more popular descendant, Dracula, we see Jonathan Harker locking horns with Count Dracula over Mina Murray (Lucy Westenra is also there). In Carmilla, the men are sidelined but manage to remain condescending: The morning after I saw this apparition I was in a state of terror, and could not bear to be left alone, daylight though it was, for a moment. I remember my father coming up and standing at the bedside, and talking cheerfully, and asking the nurse a number of questions, and laughing very heartily at one of the answers; and patting me on the shoulder, and kissing me, and telling me not to be frightened, that it was nothing but a dream and could not hurt me. That Bram Stoker took elements of Carmilla, a woman-centered story about female sexuality, and used them for his own story is beyond doubt. That anyone who is reading Dracula should also read Carmilla is beyond doubt. In a time in our world when we need stories where the disempowered control the narrative, Carmilla is a balm to classic fiction where the women are frequently flat pieces of cardboard pasted into a scene, and exist to change anyone but themselves. Also In This Story Stream 9 Vampire Novels With a Unique Twist The Evolution of Vampires 7 Wonderfully Diverse Vampire Novels 4 Takes on Non-Western Vampires Fangs for Nothing: 12 Underappreciated Vampire Novels How Teaching 6th Grade Made Me Unconditionally and Irrevocably Love TWILIGHT The Best Vampire Adaptations The Vampire as Sexual Predator in LOOK FOR ME BY MOONLIGHT Always Gold, Never Silver: Wealth, Art, and Vampires View all Vampire Day 2019 posts--> The latest and greatest from the world of horror Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

How Are College Academics Different from High School

The Psychology Of Cognitive Theory - 1069 Words

The history of Cognitive behavior therapy was theorized or developed, by Dr. Aaron T Beck. To clarify, Dr. Beck theorized CBT as a form of psychotherapy, the therapists and the client working together as a team, in efforts of developing a therapeutic solution. Next, the CBT therapeutic model is conclusive to studies aiding in seeking solutions which mirror psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, PTSD, and other personality disorders still being conducted or tested. In the end, the purpose is to open the client s mind as to their thought process, so that he/she can reflect on their way of thinking, behaviors, and the emotional direction as to the issues or problems. Next, the†¦show more content†¦403). By the same token, the goal is to improve the behaviors leading connected to disorders, by incorporating treatment options and strategies for a positive outcome for the client. Equally important, to change the way a person thinks are motivating the mind to right and as of today, motivational interviewing increase the chances to change addictive behaviors† (Wiers, Stacy, 2006, p.295). Nevertheless, medication and behavior therapy can improve the status of the individuals thought process and desire for drugs. â€Å"Therefore, effective treatment options are possible for multiple addictions such as collecting evidence to address the client’s needs perchance, using pharmacological or behavioral interventions, which boost executive inhibitory control in addicts† (Sofuoglu, DeVito, Waters, Carroll, (n.d), p.452). Fourth, the populations suited for treatment using cognitive interventions are adolescents, couple’s, children, and families the main goal with the use of cognitive therapy. For the most part, cognitive therapy is there to help an individual achieve remission from their disorder to prevent future relapse or pain within their circle assisting in their journey. Last, the CBT model is a helping aid for the therapist and positive reinforcement, for the client being treated. Therefore, creating and open the door for another therapist expertise to address the concerns of the client and help themShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Cognitive Psychology947 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstand how information is stored and recalled was thought not so widely followed through until the concept of cognitive psychology came along. Cognitive Psychology is broadly known as the study to understand the deep complexity of processing and recalling information which can determine our behaviors and feelings. There are three main focuses which contribute to the study of cognitive psychology. 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The ultimate goal of each method is to help individuals change unhealthy thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. However, these different approaches use different techniques to form assumptions and explanations about abnormality. In this essay, cognitive and psychodynamic are the two approaches that will be discussed. Even though theseRead Mo reThe Theory Of Cognitive Psychology892 Words   |  4 PagesThe theory of Cognitive psychology looks at any individual as the source of processing the information just any computer which perceives the input in the form of information and then processing it with the help of already installed information related to it and then it is given out as an output by following the program. It is still possible to study the mental position of the mind through meditational processes involving attention, perception and memory. These are the stages in processing the informationRead MoreThe Theory Of Cognitive Psychology Essay2350 Words   |  10 Pagesyou are constantly employing cognitive processes in order to function throughout the day. The term for the study of these cognitive processes is cognitive psychology. Rutgers University defines cognitive psychology as â€Å"the scientific study of mind and mental function, including learning, memory, attention, perception, reasoning, language, co nceptual development, and decision making†. One area of these cognitive processes is called wayfinding. It contains several cognitive processes such as knowing theRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Theory Of Psychology Essay1764 Words   |  8 PagesYosef Friedman Professor E Cohen History and System of Psychology (11280 LPSN 332) December 8, 2016 Final Cognitive Behavioral Theory: Cognitive Behavioral Theory can be divided into three parts, or â€Å"waves† of development. The first of the three is Behaviorism. In 1913 Watson launched the behavioral school of psychology, publishing an article, Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it. A few years later, in 1920 Watson and Rayner conditioned an orphan known as Little Albert to fear a white rat. In 1936Read MorePsychology : Cognitive Behavioral Theory840 Words   |  4 PagesCognitive-Behavioral Theory Presenting Concerns Catalina came to counseling seeking help in dealing with traumatic events from her past, which has led her to problems in her marriage, mistrust in others, and high levels of anxiety. She is having a difficult time letting go of the past. Catalina was physically abused by her aunt from the age for 10-14. The only male figure ever present in her life was her aunt’s son Roberto, who attempted to sexually abuse her when she was 14 years old. Although herRead MoreClassical Financial Theory : Cognitive Psychology And Economics952 Words   |  4 Pagesof the stock market. Classical financial theory assumes investors behave with rational expectations in order to maintain an efficient market. Yet as we know, the idiosyncrasies in human behavior vary and financial markets tend to fluctuate up and down as a result. Recently, economics has begun to adopt the insights of behavioral science as a more realistic interpretation of financial markets. Behavioral economics incorporates aspects of cognitive psychology with conventional finance in order to provideRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory Of Cognitive Psychology1187 Words   |  5 Pagesof the Cognitive Psychology movement and one of the most influential developmental psychologists of the 20th century. His work on schemas, adaptation, and his development theory are still being used today in most professional settings as a way to understand the development of the child. His work on schemas led to a new understanding of mental illness, paving the way for Cognitive-Behavioral therapies and other therapeutic methods that are based off faulty thinking. Before the Cognitive movementRead MoreThe Theory Of Psychology, Humanistic, Social Cognitive And Trait Perspective1235 Words   |  5 Pagespatterns of thinking1. In psychology, personality is utilized to sum up all the ways of an individual’s thinking, feeling and acting that based on the environment and experience. Various personality theories exist and are categ orized into four major perspectives—Psychoanalytic, Humanistic, Social Cognitive and trait perspective. These four major perspectives on personality help to describe the numerous patterns in each individual’s personality. The first major theory in psychology is Psychoanalytic perspective

Reasoning Aptitude Free Essays

Reasoning Aptitude Eric Gibbs BCom275 Sunday, March 31, 2013 Lisa Sanchez Reasoning Aptitude The reasoning career activity was a big help, I already knew that I was struggling in presentation and when I did this activity in my results it gave me a good amount of tips to help develop better presentation skills. I learned a lot from the tips they gave me I learned that before presenting my message, think of how I can communicate my genuine concern to the audience, and show them something in your presentation that clearly demonstrates my commitment to the message. I have to use appropriate body language to reinforce my spoken words, and ensure that the audience understands the importance of the message. We will write a custom essay sample on Reasoning Aptitude or any similar topic only for you Order Now Another good tip was to practice and rehearse important presentations in front of a mirror. If possible, I should gain access to a video or at least an audio tape recorder, and record my presentation. Play it back and make a note of areas that didn’t come across so well and try again. This tip is the most helpful of all the tips I have received. Learning from my tips, persuasive communication can help me be a better speaker in the career that I choose. The ability to persuade is crucial in the business world. On a day-to-day basis, I need it to convince employees to work toward company goals or to persuade colleagues or clients to consider your ideas and suggestions. If I can master the art of persuasion, I can not only win the support of others, but I also will be able to unify my team and encourage them to work together. Career Interests Profiler Based on what you told us, you are†¦ Download PDF Enterprising Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. Social Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others. Conventional Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow. Competencies †¢ Strengths | | |Coping with Pressure |[pic] | |Following Instructions |[pic] | |Delivering Results |[pic] | |Adapting to Change |[pic] | |Organizing |[pic] | |Cooperating |[pic] | Work Culture Results Well resourced †¢ safe place to work †¢ comfortable, well-designed work place †¢ all the necessary resources to do high standard work Ethical †¢ emphasis on fairness †¢ active promotion of equal rights and justice for all †¢ the chance to contribute positively to society and make a difference to people’s lives †¢ emphasis on social and environmental responsibility Supportive †¢ secure, stable environment †¢ clearly defined jobs, goals and expectations †¢ no conflicting demands †¢ considerate management †¢ focus on employee welfare †¢ lots of personal development and feedback †¢ lots of recognition and celebration of success †¢ fun place to work How to cite Reasoning Aptitude, Papers

Liberty Essays - Libertarian Theory, Sovereignty, John Locke, Rights

Liberty Thomas Hobbes in his book Leviathan, during the course of his argument about the social contract we make to surrender our rights of nature a sovereign in exchange for order and peace touches the subject of liberty. Hobbes defines liberty as "the absence of opposition( by opposition, I mean external impediments of motion)." (Ch 21, p.136). In his argument, Hobbes claims that this state of liberty is man's natural state in which man fully exercises his rights of nature. Hobbes claims that this state of nature leads to warfare and a short life of strife due to everyone exercising or violating these rights. The answer then to Hobbes is for every one to forfeit these rights of nature and create the social contract and surrender to a sovereign in exchange for order. Though how much liberty is left to the subject once entering the social contract? Hobbes states "The liberty of a subject lieth, therefore, only in those things which, in regulating their actions, the sovereign hath praetermitt ed (such as is the liberty to buy, and sell, and and otherwise contract with one another; to choose their own abode, their own diet, their own trade of life, and institute their children as the themselves think fit; and the like)." (Ch21, p. 138). In other words the only liberty of subjects is that which is not regulated by any law created by the sovereign to whom all natural rights and liberty are surrendered to by agreeing to the social contract. According to the quote subjects are only free to conduct personal business as see fit, such as eating, sleeping, day to day business dealing, how one chooses to upbringing their children. It implies that upon entering the social contract the subject's liberty or unrestricted movement is now forfeited except in any area that the sovereign has not decided to regulate by passing laws regulate or is impossible to. Hobbes overall argument asserts that in order to escape the war filled state of nature we must surrender our natural rights(liberty/absence of restriction) and liberty and pledge our obedience to the sovereign in exchange for the creation of a peaceful orderly society. Thus we agree to the social contract where the sovereign(who is outside the contract) is supreme. While we give up our liberty in exchange for order, the Sovereign retains all his rights to nature and is accountable only to God. Why does the sovereign retain his liberty, while we only retain that which the sovereign has decided not to regulate? because the sovereign uses his liberty to act on our behalf. We in theory are the author of every action decided by the sovereign who in theory acts only in our interest because it would benefit the sovereign to do so.

Free Essays on Morals

What are morals? Does everyone have morals? If so, what morals are just and what morals are unjust? Is it just to kill someone even if your life is in danger? Is it just for a professional basketball player to play for the money and not for the love of the game? These are some questions that you should ask yourself when thinking about, what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Everyone has different morals, and beliefs about everything. My morals are doing what is best. If my life was in danger and it came down to killing someone, I would kill that person. I am not going to just stand there, and let that person kill me. If I had something to defend myself, like a gun, I would use it to the best of my ability to protect myself from any harm. Another strong belief that I have is about cheating. If I had the chance to cheat on a test I would not do it. I feel that I am in school to learn and to plan my future. Cheating off someone’s test would not help me or benefit my needs anymore than failing the test. I would learn more by failing the test, to see what I missed and what I needed to study more, than to cheat. There are four reasons why we should behave justly. 1) To avoid punishment. (Benko, notes) If we behave unjustly we will soon be punished for those acts and most human beings don’t like to be punished in any way. People will kill themselves to avoid punishment. 2) If we could get away with crimes, we would commit them. (Benko, notes) If we knew that we could get away with killing someone we would have a major decrease in population. Today so many people have so much hate for one another that if we could just go outside and kill someone, just because we didn’t like them, then we would. 3) The truly unjust person would have to be perceived as just. To be truly unjust, he or she would have to fool everyone into thinking, the... Free Essays on Morals Free Essays on Morals What are morals? Does everyone have morals? If so, what morals are just and what morals are unjust? Is it just to kill someone even if your life is in danger? Is it just for a professional basketball player to play for the money and not for the love of the game? These are some questions that you should ask yourself when thinking about, what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Everyone has different morals, and beliefs about everything. My morals are doing what is best. If my life was in danger and it came down to killing someone, I would kill that person. I am not going to just stand there, and let that person kill me. If I had something to defend myself, like a gun, I would use it to the best of my ability to protect myself from any harm. Another strong belief that I have is about cheating. If I had the chance to cheat on a test I would not do it. I feel that I am in school to learn and to plan my future. Cheating off someone’s test would not help me or benefit my needs anymore than failing the test. I would learn more by failing the test, to see what I missed and what I needed to study more, than to cheat. There are four reasons why we should behave justly. 1) To avoid punishment. (Benko, notes) If we behave unjustly we will soon be punished for those acts and most human beings don’t like to be punished in any way. People will kill themselves to avoid punishment. 2) If we could get away with crimes, we would commit them. (Benko, notes) If we knew that we could get away with killing someone we would have a major decrease in population. Today so many people have so much hate for one another that if we could just go outside and kill someone, just because we didn’t like them, then we would. 3) The truly unjust person would have to be perceived as just. To be truly unjust, he or she would have to fool everyone into thinking, the...

Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane in the Napoleonic Wars

Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane in the Napoleonic Wars Thomas Cochrane - Early Life: Thomas Cochrane was born December 14, 1775, at Annsfield, Scotland. The son of Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald and Anna Gilchrist, he spent the majority of his early years at the familys estate in Culross. Under the practice of the day his uncle, Alexander Cochrane, an officer in the Royal Navy, had his name entered on the books of naval vessels at age five. Though technically illegal, this practice reduced the amount of time Cochrane would need to serve before becoming an officer if he elected to pursue a naval career. As another option, his father also secured him a commission in the British Army. Going to Sea: In 1793, with the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, Cochrane joined the Royal Navy. Initially assigned to his uncles ship HMS Hind (28 guns), he soon following the elder Cochrane to HMS Thetis (38). Learning his trade on the North American station, he was appointed an acting lieutenant in 1795, before passing his lieutenants exams the following year. Following several assignments in America, he was made eighth lieutenant on Lord Keiths flagship HMS Barfleur (90) in 1798. Serving in the Mediterranean, he clashed with the ships first lieutenant, Philip Beaver. HMS Speedy: Angered by the young officer, Beaver ordered him court-martialed for disrespect. Though found innocent, Cochrane was reprimanded for flippancy. The incident with Beaver marked the first of several problems with superiors and peers that marred Cochranes career. Promoted to commander, Cochrane was given command of the brig HMS Speedy (14) on March 28, 1800. Putting to sea, Cochrane was tasked with preying upon French and Spanish shipping. Ruthlessly effective, he captured prize after prize and proved a brazen and daring commander. Also an innovator, he once eluded a pursuing enemy frigate by building a raft mounted with a lantern. Ordering Speedy blacked out that night, he set the raft adrift and watched as the frigate chased the lantern through the darkness while Speedy escaped. The high point of his command of Speedy came on May 6, 1801, when he captured the Spanish xebec frigate El Gamo (32). Closing under the guise of the American flag, he maneuvered at close range pummeling the Spanish ship. Unable to depress their guns low enough to strike Speedy, the Spanish were forced to board. In the resulting action, Cochranes outnumbered crew was able to carry the enemy ship. Cochranes run came to an end two months later when Speedy was captured by three French ships of the line led by Admiral Charles-Alexandre Linois on July 3. During his command of Speedy, Cochrane captured or destroyed 53 enemy vessels and frequently raided the coast. Exchanged a short time later, Cochrane was promoted to post-captain in August. With the Peace of Amiens in 1802, Cochrane briefly attended the University of Edinburgh. With the resumption of hostilities in 1803, he was given command of HMS Arab (22). The Sea Wolf: A ship with poor handling, Arab afforded Cochrane few opportunities and his assignment to the vessel and subsequent posting to the Orkney Islands were effectively punishment for crossing the First Lord of the Admiralty, Earl St. Vincent. In 1804, St. Vincent was replaced by Viscount Melville and Cochranes fortunes improved. Given command of the new frigate HMS Pallas (32) in 1804, he cruised the Azores and French coast capturing and destroying several Spanish and French vessels. Transferred to HMS Imperieuse (38) in August 1806, he returned to the Mediterranean. Terrorizing the French coast, he earned the nickname Sea Wolf from the enemy. Becoming a master of coastal warfare, Cochrane frequently led cutting out missions to seize enemy ships and captured French coastal installations. In 1808, his men occupied the fortress of Mongat in Spain which delayed the advance of General Guillaume Duhesmes army for a month. In April 1809, Cochrane was tasked with leading a fire ship attack as part of the Battle of the Basque Roads. While his initial attack greatly disrupted the French fleet, his commander, Lord Gambier, failed to effectively follow up to completely destroy the enemy. Cochranes Fall: Elected to Parliament from Honiton in 1806, Cochrane sided with the Radicals and frequently criticized the prosecution of the war and campaigned against corruption in the Royal Navy. These efforts further lengthened his list of enemies. Publically criticizing Gambier in the wake of Basque Roads, he alienated many senior members of the Admiralty and did not receive another command. Though loved by the public, he became isolated in Parliament as he angered his peers with his outspoken views. Marrying Katherine Barnes in 1812, Cochranes downfall came two years later during Great Stock Exchange Fraud of 1814. In early 1814, Cochrane was accused and convicted of being a conspirator in defrauding the Stock Exchange. Though subsequent examinations of the records show he should have been found innocent, he was expelled from Parliament and the Royal Navy, as well as was stripped of his knighthood. Promptly re-elected to Parliament that July, Cochrane relentlessly campaigned that he was innocent and that his conviction was the work of his political enemies. In 1817, Cochrane accepted an invitation from Chilean leader Bernardo OHiggins to take command of the Chilean Navy in its war of independence from Spain. Commanding Around the World: Named vice admiral and commander in chief, Cochrane arrived in South America in November 1818. Immediately restructuring the fleet along British lines, Cochrane commanded from the frigate OHiggins (44). Quickly showing the daring that had made him famous in Europe, Cochrane raided the coast of Peru and captured the town of Valdivia in February 1820. After conveying General Jose de San Martins army to Peru, Cochrane blockaded the coast and later cut out the Spanish frigate Esmeralda. With Peruvian independence secured, Cochrane soon fell out with his superiors over monetary compensation and claims that he was treated with contempt. Departing Chile, he was given command of the Brazilian Navy in 1823. Conducting a successful campaign against the Portuguese, he was made Marquis of Maranho by Emperor Pedro I. After putting down a rebellion the following year, he made claims that a large amount of prize money was owed to him and the fleet. When this was not forthcoming, he and his men seized the public funds in So Luà ­s do Maranho and looted the ships in the harbor before leaving for Britain. Reaching Europe, he briefly led Greek naval forces in 1827-1828 during their struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire. Later Life: Returning to Britain, Cochrane was finally pardoned in May 1832 at a meeting of the Privy Council. Though restored to the Navy List with a promotion to rear admiral, he refused to accept a command until his knighthood was returned. This did not occur until Queen Victoria reinstated him as a knight in the Order of Bath in 1847. Now a vice admiral, Cochrane served as commander in chief of the North American and West Indies station from 1848-1851. Promoted to admiral in 1851, he was given the honorary title of Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom three years later. Troubled by kidney stones, he died during an operation on October 31, 1860. One of the most daring commanders of the Napoleonic Wars, Cochrane inspired such notable fictional characters as C.S. Foresters Horatio Hornblower and Patrick OBrians Jack Aubrey. Selected Sources National Maritime Museum: Admiral Lord Thomas CochraneWestminster Abbey: Lord Thomas Cochrane

Twitter & Navigation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Twitter & Navigation - Coursework Example The following is the formula used to translate the coordinates: Decimal Degrees = Degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600 After configuring the degrees of the points the group must plot these positions on the paper map. The lack of identifying local landmarks or road signs in any case would cause issues with accuracy on pinpointing location. In order to avoid lack of accuracy a group should use some form of tracking device. For this project the iPhone is issued as a viable tracking device to be used secondary to the laptop. In reference to the project, a group encountered a problem when uploading data. The group had covered the laptop tracking device and could not retrieve a track record. The issued was solved by enabling the tracking system on the iPhone. The understanding that can be developed in this case is that the use of the paper map without assistance from electronics could be crippling. Utilizing a GPS as the main source for navigation and finding places has different outcome po ssibilities. Naturally coordinates have to be enabled on the system. This can be done by entering the same decimal degrees as map groups. The GPS will calculate and pinpoint these locations automatically. The tracking system within the GPS will develop a path for the group. However, the issue here can be based solely on the accuracy of the device. Should the pseudorandom code and the local copy of the coordinates be flawed by heavy error there will be destinations that do not match up. In the case of groups there should be a second record to show how accurate the findings are. In this case the use of a local map is implemented to show the right destination of the course. What can be picked up using the GPS method is that the accuracy of the device is hardly incapable of being disrupted. For that reason, individuals should not depend on one GPS result or test. A more accurate reading could be done if more than three devices are used. In general the use of a GPS system in combination with a map could be a suitable match. Though the project requires the use of paper maps and devices separately, they were typically used together to confirm information. The laptops were tracking as GPS devices would and the local area maps were a considerable replica of those paper maps. Twitter Twitter has an entire system is based on an Open System Environment. Currently, the users are implementing a Geo-tagging API to allow themselves to create TwitterVision, #UKSnow, and Trendsmaps in connection with Google Maps. With Geo-tagging one basically uses an iPhone (with viable signal) to deliver a corresponding coordinate to the system that transfers the iPhone signal into a location tag. Focusing more on the use of open systems can qualify the Twitter system to implement forums for educational environments and a larger scale of customer to business purchases as used in Second Life. The only major improvement that could be linked to the mapping system at present could be a location t o location open video attachment blog in real time to create a video conferencing concept. There is a current possibility of geo-tagging a video to a map using a camcorder that is GPS enabled. The basic concept is to utilize the available system the same as one would to geotag a photo (Catt 1). Should the concept of open software be generated to act as a system such as CISCO Webex there would be a live feed to connect universal Geo-taggers. This way individuals that use Geo-tagging for mapping could also enable real time video messaging

The Life of a Maasai Moran Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Life of a Maasai Moran - Research Paper Example The Maasai are a humble group of people who practice nomadism and derive their livelihoods from the animals they keep and hunting and gathering. Among the Maasai, the birth of a male child is a symbol of power. A man is only considered a true man when he sires a male child. The more the males sired the more power and authority and respect one earns from the members of the community (Lekuton 37). There are men who have been made chief of the community because having the highest number of male children. Such a man’s opinion in affairs of the community is taken very seriously and any one who disobeys his command is punished severely. The Maasai believe that it’s the God’s will to have male children and the more the male children the more God is happy with them and is blessing them (Barber 6). The male children are important because they protect the community and it’s wealth from all forms of threat ranging from other neighboring communities to wild animals. T he birth of a male child in the community is received as great news and calls for ceremonies that have been performed for many years handed over from one generation to the next. The ceremonies begin very early in the morning with the village elders meeting together and deciding on the name to be given to the child. The name is given based on the time of the year and events of axiological significance to the community happening as at that time of the year. The child could be born at a time when the community is preparing to go for war or during the rainy season, or dry season or many other significant periods. The name is settled on by the village elders on consensus and will be announced to the rest of the community at a time deemed appropriate by the village elders. This is followed by songs of praise to the father of the child as the community assembles at the assembly point. On such a day, all activities of the community are stopped and ceremonies take center stage. The women wil l all be congratulating the woman who gave birth at this point as others give and seek advice. Those women who give birth to girls and have no boys are advised by the mother of child on how to get a boy and those who have had many boys give advice to the fellow mothers on how to get more and more boys. It is to be noted that at this time the maiden girls are required to be present and will be responsible for all the singing and all the cooking and preparations for the ceremony. According to Saitoti and Galaty (87) a Maasai man is not allowed to perform any domestic chore. His duty is to take care of the community’s safety against all incoming threats. At exactly eight in the morning the Maasai Moran kill a bull chosen by the village elders and drain the blood. The father of the child pours some to the ground and takes a sip. This is done under close supervision by the eldest member of the community. It is believed that the ancestor are still living together with the community and oversee the overall well being of the community by blessing them with rain and good cattle herds. The blood has to be poured first to the ground so that the ancestors can have the first sip. They come first in each and every activity of the community. Forgetting to pour a sip to the ground before taking the blood is a grave mistake and is accorded a whole repentance ceremony. Once the father of the child has poured some to the ground and then taken a sip, the rest of the elders take each a sip of the blood

Social Self And Its Manifestations Sociology Essay

Social Self And Its Manifestations Sociology Essay The self-concept involves how we think about and evaluate ourselves. In psychology self means the collection of cognitively held beliefs that a person possesses about themselves. However it is also seen that the self is an important tool with the help of which human beings make their mark in the society and manage themselves to satisfy and fulfil their needs. Traditionally the concept of self was seen as a tool which only represented the stable, genetically determined character or which later came to be called as personality. Though recently it was found that self keeps on evolving throughout the lifetime of person. With more developments in science and research it has been found that self is seen as dynamic and changeable, hierarchical, situationally and cognitively influenced and culturally constructed. In marketing field it is seen that every customer has a unique image of himself/herself. These self-images or perceptions of self have close relationship with personality, customers tend to buy those products and services whose images or personalities they can relate in a meaningful manner. The purpose of self is to gain social acceptance and play social roles, the society creates and defines roles, and the individual seeks and adopts them. For example farmer, soldier, businessman etc. are all various roles in a society pursued by individuals. Aristotle the Greek philosopher said man is by nature a social animal, an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. This is where the social self comes into picture. In social self a significant portion of self and its behaviour are socially directed and influenced. The social self and socialization comprise of an intrinsic bond w hich is inseparable when it comes to identity formation. Socialization is imminent and inevitable consequence of human existence in society, the reason why an individual receives inclusion into society is to produce social and cultural continuity. Thus it is seen socialization plays a vital role in the prevalence of a culture and without adequate forms of socialization, culture may cease to exist. An individuals life depends on other individuals, human infants are born unable to care for themselves. Their survival depends on another individuals efforts. Thus the relation with individuals is the key not only to survive but also to fulfil needs, desires, attain success and reach highest potential. Sociology and marketing are closely interrelated. Marketing involves creating the value for people, making it accessible, retaining old customers and attracting new ones. It is hard to create and spread it without understanding human relations and behaviour of consumers. Once marketers understand how consumers think, what makes them tick, why do they choose specific products and services compared to other ones then they will be able to pitch their product/service in more efficient and visible manner. This in turn will be beneficial for the company as well, as with increase in sales profit will rise and eventually more and more consumers will begin to buy products/services. So sociology and marketing do not involve focus groups or media, they involve real life observations and digging into human nature and nature of interactions. Social media and the digital technology are just enhancers of social behaviour. Human beings just keep interacting and express themselves and their opinions, in the current scenario which is powered by technology that makes it wider and allows them to reach more people. The motivations remain the same as before social media belonging and conviviality, to mention two most relevant drivers. Development of concept of self has two aspects:- The existential self this is the most basic part of self-concept, sense of being separate and distinct from others and the awareness of the constancy of self. According to psychoanalysts the existential self begins as young as two to three old and rises in part due to relation the child has with the world. For example when the child smiles and someone smiles back. The categorical self the self can be put in categories such as age, gender, size or skill. In early childhood the categories children apply to themselves are very concrete. Later, self-description also begins to include reference to internal psychological traits, comparative evaluations and to how others see them. Social Self and Self Image:- The social self is simply any idea, or system of ideas, drawn from the social life that the mind cherishes as its own. The social self involves how the society perceives the individual, and the ideal social self involves how the individual would like the society to perceive him/her. In a society individuals are unique and different from one another however their self is thoroughly socially constructed. The social self can include ethnicity, gender, age, and place of residence or any other categorization that helps characterize a persons identity. There are two types of socialization: primary and secondary. Primary socialization involves the beginning stages of accepting social ideologies like for example a childs embrace into cultural practices and norms. Secondary type of socialization manifests on primary and becomes the true test of identification and the social self. The social self exists within the parameters of subjective reality, but selfhood is a part of larger objective rea lity that is intrinsically connected with socialization. Without socialization the social self and identity would not exist. Social self is on-going process combining the I and the me. In this on-going process social self is influenced by four factors:- The I the unpredictable and unorganised self. Me the image of the social self seen through other peoples reactions. The generalized other organized set of information about the general expectations and attitudes of a social group. Significant others a person or persons who have great influence on ones behaviour and self-esteem. The social self maintains complete cohesion based on its societal influences, the generalized other and primary socialization respectively. A number of theories explain how people become socialized and develop a sense of self. The looking-glass self refers to the interactive process by which we develop an image based on how the individual imagines he/she appears to others. Other people act as a mirror, reflecting back the image we project through their reactions to our behaviour. Seeing oneself as how others perceive is only the beginning. Eventually one sees how others see us, but also takes on or pretends to take the roles of others. This act of role-taking forms the basis of the socialization process by allowing us to anticipate what others expect of us. The figure on next page (fig-1) shows the hierarchy of social self and the various components that govern social self. Fig-1 Throughout history individuals have been thought to have a single self-image and to be interested as consumers, in products and services that satisfy that single self. When consumer behaviour is taken into consideration, the idea of individual embodying a number of different selves suggests that marketers should target their products and services to consumers within the context of a particular self. Every individual has a certain image of himself or herself with certain traits, skills, habits, possessions, relationships, and ways of behaving. Individuals develop their self-images through interactions with people, initially their parents and then other individuals or groups with whom they relate over the years. It is the image people create of themselves that is the psycho-cultural basis of their strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and failures. For a nations self-image tends to be self-fulfilling. If individual thinks that he/she will be defeated, then he/she has already lost the cause. If one thinks he or she is inferior, then one will tend to lower standards and will be satisfied. Negative self-images, whether individual or collective, can cause untold social and cultural damage. Human beings have nothing to lose by creating and working for the most exalted and inspiring images of themselves, because, as scholar Dr. Perlas any social self-image is a self-fulfilling prophecy anyway. Some people may ask how one person can be a potent force for social transformation, but as the prominent leader in Indian nationalism Mahatma Gandhi once remarked if you like the world to change, you can before by being the change you want to see in the world. Today, seemingly immutable ideas about people and organizations are being directly challenged and transformed on an unprecedented scale. Indeed, as human beings are moving towards a post-modern global society they are breaking out of their parochial perspectives and are recognizing that organizations in all societies exist in a wide array of types and species and functions within a dynamic spectrum of beliefs and lifestyles. A significant leading light towards this expansive direction is the illumination provided us by the profound insights of scholar Dr. Nicanor Perlas. His radical message is that organizations are products of human interaction and imagination rather than some blind expression of an underlying natural order.   This contemporary insight is still shattering many beliefs-one of which is the longstanding conviction that bureaucracy, oligarchy, and other forms of hierarchical domination are inevitable. In direct contradiction to materialist and behaviourist doctrine, w here everything is supposed to be governed from below upward through micro determinist stimuli and physiochemical forces, the new ideational view upheld by scholar Dr. Perlas gives subjective mental phenomena a causal role in brain processing and thereby a new legitimacy in science as an autonomous explanatory construct. Future reality, in his view, is permeable, emergent, and opens to the minds causal influence. That is, reality is conditioned, reconstructed, and often profoundly created through individuals anticipatory images, values, plans, intentions, beliefs, and the like.   To a far greater extent than is normally acknowledged, he asserts that human beings create their own realities through symbolic and mental processes and, because of this consciousness evolution of the future is a human option. It is the image of which in fact determines what might be called the current behaviour of any organism or organization. The image acts as a field. The behaviour consists in gravitat ing toward the most highly valued part of the field. By deliberately changing the internal image of reality, people can change the world. This is what led Einstein to admit that imagination is more important than knowledge. All individuals hold self-images, images of their race, profession, nation, and cultural belief systems; the underlying images held by a civilization or culture has an enormous influence on its fate. Human beings also have images of their own potential as well as the potential of others. According to mind-body studies, merely an anticipatory image, for example, of a hostile encounter can raise ones blood pressure as much as the encounter itself. Similarly, numerous new studies now show that consciously constructed images can lead directly to such things as blood glucose increases, increased gastric acid secretion, blister formation, and changes in skin temperature and pupillary size. The positive image of the future is the single most important dynamic and explanatory variable for understanding cultural evolution: Any student of the rise and fall of cultures cannot fail to be impressed by the role played in this historical succession of the future. The rise and fall of images of the future precedes or accompanies the rise and fall of cultures. As long as a societys image is positive and flourishing, the flower of culture is in full bloom. Once the image begins to decay and loses its vitality, the culture does not long survive. Digital trends set to trigger changes in the social self:- 1. The inner circle: Individuals seek to mirror their social personals in the digital world. But so far, digital has forced individuals to bring together not only their social selves, but also their professional and familial ones, and present a single persona to everyone they keep in contact with online. The average Facebook user has 130 friends, from best friends to new acquaintances. Examples:  Google circles, Facebook Groups, Twitter Lists 2. Personalized news: It is seen that human beings currently create more information in a year than they ever have historically. Understandably, overwhelmed by the plethora of information online, people need ways to navigate relevant information and choose what to read. Already, RSS feeds and social networks facilitate the process through integration with news sites that allow users to generate passive status updates by posting content to the wall. Now applications that sort content based on digital friendship are emerging. The result is social reading is the new standard in online content consumption. Examples:  Percolate, News.me, Flipboard, Zite 3. Rent: Today one can get more entertainment for less. The average Netflix user spends over 11 hours per month watching movies. Digital has changed the sense of ownership and the behaviour of renting is extending into categories beyond media and car rental where human beings realize that their use for certain products is limited and therefore does not warrant a purchase like for instance infant clothes or art for home or office interiors. Examples:  Plumgear.com, Artsicle.com 4. Seamless transactions: People are always demanding that their processes become more efficient, quicker and safer, especially when it comes to their bank account. People can now carry at least one screen with them at all times. 40% of US consumers own a Smartphone, which has becomes so much more than a phone. Transactions are quickly becoming fully integrated with screens in multiple ways, from paying with their phones to executing financial transactions. Examples:  Bitcoins, Google Wallet, Monitise, Square Card, Facebook Credits 5. Home, body, web: Technology is fast reaching a tipping point where it is both sufficiently small and affordable to allow people to monitor their bodies and adapt to their environment automatically. Peoples interest in leading healthier lifestyles, and automating the process through technology and sharing results and experience, is increasing dramatically. Examples:  Nest.com, Jawbone Up 6. Ubiquitous accessibility: Market researchers and data analysts have found that data storage capabilities double every two years, so the demand for data and data accessibility is huge. With the increase in cloud computing usage, physical storage space is becoming obsolete. People access data from multiple devices, whether at home or on the go. Not long ago people stored their digital files locally, but the development of the cloud allows them to store larger amounts online. This is a storage solution that will become more prevalent as companies allow cloud access and service offerings drop in price. Examples:  Bitcasa, DropBox, Google Docs, Instapaper, iCloud, SkyDrive 7. The reliable subscription: Human beings are creatures of habit and they want availability of the products they love in their busy lifestyle. In the past decades people have become an increasingly time-starved society, limiting their availability to maintain routines. Subscription services are utilizing this opportunity to greatest extent possible.  Examples:  ManPacks, PlaneRed, Lollihop, Memberly 8. Short-term nostalgic obsessions: Nostalgia has always been embedded in culture and society. People like to analyse their recent life through check-ins and status updates and to enhance their tactile experiences by bringing digital things to life. As people become more immersed in digital objects, their desire to revisit the not-so-recent past will increase. Examples:  Little printer, Instaprint 9. Location-based discovery: Seeing the same place through someone elses perspective enriches it with new meaning. Interactive websites and mobile social apps are helping people to make creative archives on locations. Examples:  Trover, Foursquare Radar, Google Maps, Tour Wrist 10. Control over data: Data has become an intricate part of human life. People are now able to quantify all their digital actions and more services catering to specialized activities have emerged. People are becoming aware of the value of the data they share online, and may start making decisions differently. Examples:  Ford  Sync, LastFM, Goodreads, reading.am, Voy.url Manifestations of self in online social networks:- Over the past 5 years, online social networking sites (OSNs) like Facebook and MySpace have become a central, virtually unavoidable medium for social interactions. OSNs started by catering to specialized communities and niche groups but have since expanded their reach substantially, permeating virtually every stratum and demographic group in the developed world. As such, they now provide fertile, ecologically valid, and empirically tractable domains in which to examine on-going, real-world phenomena and processes in social and personality psychology. To map out the basic connections between self and OSN behaviour, two descriptive exploratory studies are observed and studied to examine how traits are expressed on Facebook, currently the most widely used OSN in the world. The personality correlates of self-reported Facebook usage and ways in which personality traits are expressed in terms of observable information found on Facebook profiles are also studied as well as the extent to which observers are sensitive to the ways in which personality is manifested on profiles. Two competing hypotheses have been proposed to describe the relationship between offline and online behaviour. The rich-get-richer hypothesis argues that individuals with pre-existing social structures and socially adaptive personalities will reap larger social benefits from Internet use and will use the Internet more for social communication than will individuals who are less socially adept. In contrast, the social-compensation hypothesis argues that individuals wh o struggle to make social connections in face-to-face interactions will use the Internet as a place to enhance their inter- personal lives by forging social relationships online. Some early research on aggressive behaviour online suggested that online personality could diverge from offline personality, but others have argued that those studies were based on forms of media in which users had no expectation for future interactions. Supporting the idea that online social processes mirror those conducted offline, recent research suggests that people largely use online tools to maintain their existing relationships, people who are liked in offline context are also liked online, and mirroring offline findings, those who use OSNs more frequently also possess greater social capital. Despite this research pointing to similar socialization processes in offline and online contexts, research focusing specifically on personality processes in online contexts is scarce. The deliberate processes by which personality traits become expressed in physical, aural, social, and virtual environments could play the same role in OSNs. Result and conclusion of the research:- In two studies, this research revealed a number of connections between personality and Facebook-related behaviour. Extraversion predicted not only self-reported frequency of Facebook usage, but also engagement in the site, with extraverts (vs. introverts) leaving observable traces of higher levels of OSN activity. Consistent with socialization in offline contexts, extraverts seek out virtual social contact and are more engaged during online social experience than are introverts. In the case of social networking sites, this engagement leaves behind a behavioural residue in the form of friend lists, picture postings, and so on. Similarly, rather than providing an opportunity for conscientious people to loosen their collar, OSNs may instead provide another haven in which low conscientious procrastinators can avoid getting down to work. Openness is also expressed as it is in the offline-world with evidence of exploring new activities, experiencing new people, and changing the photo- grap hic scenery. Thus, rather than being an escape from reality, OSN sites exist as a microcosm of peoples larger social worlds. The findings converged with other research to suggest that individuals are able to use observable profile information-be it the number of friends, photos, or another feature-to form accurate impressions of at least some basic personality traits. However, the research also showed that observers seemed to neglect some of the valid cues. These findings showing that some traits are manifested more clearly than others are consistent with the growing body of research showing that different traits are manifested in different contexts. Conclusion:- The society plays a crucial role in developing the self of an individual. Self has evolutionary as well as adaptable functions , the self can serve various psychological functions, having a self is not only knowing who you are, what you can do etc, but also how to get along in a group, observe and understand how to contribute in a group and make oneself visible and important figure. Everyone uses social comparison to understand how are they doing and how high or low do they stand in various situations. The social comparison is done to make oneself feel better by downward comparison and for improving oneself the individual has to look through upward comparison. The self-concept is formed from three major sources of information that humans obtain from others: words, feelings, and behaviours. What one thinks about oneself is often based on others comments, how one feels about oneself often comes from others emotional reactions towards individual and how an individual behaves is often in response to others reactions towards that individual. Another source of information that helps build or reduce self-concept is the set of internal standards used to judge ones performance. If these standards of ideal performance are too high, a person may feel that he or she does not measure up. Consequently, the person develops feelings that devalue a sense of worth, resulting in a low self-concept or self-image in that area. Children often learn these internal standards from watching how their parents, teachers, and peers judge their performance at school and at home. When social self is discussed, another important aspect is also considered which plays vital role in development of self, this aspect is socialization. Socialization is a sociological approach that attempts to explain how people learn cultural morals and the responses and emotions that differentiate human beings from animals that are driven merely by the drive to survive and reproduce. Socialization starts from the assumption that humans are more than animals that do whatever it takes to survive. Instead humans recognize that they are part of a group, and they observe other humans for guiding cues on how they should respond. When a baby is born it observes its mother to learn how emotions work and what the proper response to different events should be. Gradually as the child learns that it is a separate being from its mother and other humans it learns to think about its own reactions and responses and how they differ from those of other people. In this stage the child may deliberately test things out by trying a different response than the one approved by other people. Eventually, the child settles into a pattern of being able to regulate their own responses and empathize with what others want and how they respond. In this way socialization is a careful dance in which the developing human learns to balance their own independent desires and responses with those of t he people around them.

IKEA in China, Sweden and the UK Essay

For IKEA the step into the Chinese market was a big step, maybe as big at the first step abroad to Switzerland and the first store on foreign soil (Spreitenbach) in 1973 (Torekull, 1999). It meant entering China and its gigantic – at least potentially – consumer market. IKEA targets different group of people in China than in countries later in the IKEA ‘life cycle’ (i.e., life cycle based on how long IKEA has been on a market). The main target group is female customers – 65 % of all customers. Women, according to IKEA, stand for change in China and they welcome change (and IKEA see them selves as providing the tools for change in at least one area). Men are also part of the target group but more indirectly as women are the ones in the family having home furnishing interest and making the actual decisions. Customers are aged 25-35 (the core customer is around 30). Many from IKEA’s target group are what in China is know as ‘the little emperors’: the generation born into the One Child Policy (today 15-27 years old). This segment of the population includes some 30 million people. One of the characteristics of this group of consumers is that they are impulsive, easy to influence and are very social. And committed to foreign major consumer brands (Gunnarsson, 1997). They are also known as the ‘the me-generation’ or ‘the lifestyle generation’ (e.g., Schà ¼tte & Ciarlatte, 1999, p 139), IKEA’s customers are also well educated, living in big cities in China. With increasing salaries of the target group, the target group for IKEA increases every year. The customer in China buys less when they visit the store than the IKEA average customer. But in Shanghai for example, the core customers visit IKEA more often than anywhere in the world: 33% come every month. This means – among other things – that there is a need for a lot of change in the store. The Shanghai store rearranges room settings at least seven times a year, for new product or just for different holidays and campaigns etc. IKEA’s offer is to supply affordable solutions to Chinese customers, but the overall image is another one (see below) forcing IKEA to offer other values to their Chinese customers. In the Shanghai stores primary market area the core customers’ monthly household income is 6000 RMB. This is high by Chinese standards but in the IKEA world it is not very high: IKEA compares different countries by using a typical IKEA basket of goods. The Swiss only have to work 2 months to buy the basket while the Chinese will have to work 1 year and 6 months. Merchandise Some of IKEA’s major challenges are summed up in the citation below, featuring IKEA’s current Asia boss: â€Å"When Ian Duffy was first put in charge of IKEA’s China stores four years ago, he spent hours at the checkout line observing customers. He didn’t see many. Instead, he saw plenty of people crowding the Beijing store for freebies – air conditioning, clean toilets and even decorating ideas. Adding insult to injury: shops right outside were offering copies of IKEA’s designs at a fraction of the cost. So, to lure shoppers, the Englishman launched what could be the cheapest IKEA non-sale items in the world: a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a cone for 12 cents. Thus began IKEA’s strategy to beguile the finicky Chinese consumer by slashing prices in China to the lowest in the world – the opposite approach of many Western retailers.† (The Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2006) IKEA is used to be perceived as having low prices, this also one of the competitive cornerstones of the whole concept of IKEA (see above). But this is not the case in China; here the perception is a fairly exclusive western retailer, a store for the higher middle class (Lewis, 2005). For example, for the Chinese, Billy (the inexpensive, high selling book case) was perceived as a luxary (Jungbluth, 2006).  While IKEA has accepted that to some extent, the main strategy has been to cut prices. And to do that, IKEA in China has been allowed to ‘break’ unbreakable codes and rules in the IKEA organisation. China is a big sourcing country for IKEA. Still, for many products IKEA China sources were everybody else in IKEA sources, for example Poland. In China that has meant that imported product were subject to import taxes (22%) and it also involved a lead-time of 12 weeks (it is now down to 5 weeks). To be able to keep cutting prices on the China market IKEA China has been allowed to exceed and expand its sourcing of products in China, while the rest of IKEA still sources the same products somewhere else in the world. The actual figures differ a little on how much in a Chinese IKEA store that is sourced in China. Some say that half of the products in an IKEA store in China are made in China, compared to 23% in IKEA stores overall (The Wall Street Journal, 2006). IKEA says 30 % and in addition to that 500 more articles were the local trading office are now looking for Chinese suppliers. According to IKEA, this has really resulted in lower prices as prices have dropped at least 30% since 2003, on some products the price has dropped as much as 90%. IKEA’s single-seat Ektorp armchair retail for 112$ in China, 67 % lower price than one sold in the US (The Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2006). IKEA, like many other companies doing business in China, is subject to copying. One observer noticed that many Chinese shoppers in IKEA were drawing pictures of the furniture and scribbling down descriptions of the products but not necessarily buying them. (Lewis, 2005). Copying IKEA furniture and style is to some extent easy. The catalogue and the store provide in many cases even measurements of furniture. And IKEA style home furnishing has in some areas become a concept of its own, outside the control of IKEA. If you search the baidu.com, a local Shanghai website, for ‘IKEA style’ you will get more than 39 000 hits. With a focus on delivering help in home decoration rather than individual products as such, it is easier to achieve a position that is not taken over by competitors that copy your individual products: the Karlanda sofa is easy to copy but not the home decorating skills provided by the company in the store, on the web site, in the catalogue etc. While price will not in the foreseeable future be IKEA’s main argument in China, what is? IKEA tries to position itself as a company with an unique competence when it comes to interior design. Helping customers with this is the basic message, rather than selling individual products at low prices.  Focus here has also been on selected areas, like storage. Many Chinese live in small apartments and IKEA can help with smart solutions for storage that makes life easier (is the argument). IKEA’s argument is very much about function while this contrasts to traditional furniture manufacturers in China were everything is about tradition. From experience IKEA know that markets run through some kind of life-cycle: when stores open in a new country most customers buy what IKEA call market-hall products, i.e., everything but furniture. In established countries the proportion is said to be 65 to 35 between furniture and market hall products. It varies across IKEA stores in China but China has matured relatively fast with proportions between furniture and market hall fast approaching those in older markets like Sweden and Germany.  Chinese see IKEA products as innovative and not traditional. Square tables are for example not traditional (round tables are tradition) and many of the colours used are not traditional to the Chinese. Everything in an IKEA store, in China as everywhere else in the world, is sold under the private brand ‘IKEA’. In the Sweden shop in the IKEA store (outside Sweden) there are exceptions as it holds famous Swedish food and drink brands, but in home furnishing it is IKEA. According to IKEA, ‘IKEA’ is a well known brand. In Shanghai, 96 % in the catchments area of the store know of IKEA. Fortune Cookies (Dagens Industri, 20060505) first market and opinion poll in China shows that, among people with a monthly income of no less than RMB 2500, living in urban areas and aged 15-55, 75% know of IKEA. The meaning of IKEA in Chinese is positive and very appropriate: IKEA’s translation in Chinese means ‘desirable for home living/comfortable home’ which is regarded as a very good translation in China. It is pronounced â€Å"Yi Jia†, similar to the English pronunciation of IKEA. All products, here as everywhere else in the world, have Swedish names and the assortment in a Chinese IKEA store is very similar to one in the US, Sweden etc. In 1998 three products were added for China – chopsticks, wok  with a lid and a cleaver – but they are now in almost every store around the world. The Chinese IKEA stores have a special set of tea cups for the Chinese New Year. Also, 500.000 plastic placemats are produced to commemorate the year of the rooster (Business Week, nov 15, 2005). At the moment mainland China, as well as in Hong Kong, the beds sold are shorter (190cm) than standard-sized beds (200cm). This is currently being reviewed but so far constitutes another adjustment in the assortment to fit demands in the geographical area. Many Chinese live in apartments with balconies and this space of the apartment is very important to the Chinese. IKEA has added settings in the store that show how you can furnish your balcony and a special balcony section in the stores (Lewis, 2005). Location and store formats The big-box IKEA format is unusual in China were shopping traditionally is done locally and with specialist stores. IKEA stores in China are located closer to city centre than what is the case in other parts of the world were IKEA stores are usually located well outside city centre and suburbs. In China the location is closer to some type of city centre while the location is not exactly down town. A location well outside the city would not have been ideal in China as consumers do not have access to cars like European and US customers have. Here the stores have to be where public transportation can take people, and where there is some kind of hub where many people pass through. A good example is the Shanghai store which is very close to several bus lines and one of the metro lines in Shanghai. However, as the Shanghai store have 700 parking places under the store, IKEA is expecting Chinese shopping patterns to change in the future (= more private cars to go to the store). Public transportation to the store is a contributing factor to the service level: home sending services are more common and more used here (while they are available also in other parts of the IKEA world). Also, outside the store in Shanghai (and outside other IKEA stores in China) you will see entrepreneurs setting up to transport home for people and also following that with actually putting the furniture together for IKEA  consumers in their homes.  In the new Beijing store – the larges IKEA store outside Sweden (the Stockholm ‘Kungens kurva’ store is the biggest in the world) interesting adjustments have been made to the store format. The store here have wider aisles to cater for the fact that IKEA stores in China have up to three times more visitors than IKEA store elsewhere in the world (The Wall Street Journal, 2006). Advertising and promotion One of the big differences when it comes to communication with the consumer in China compared to the rest of the world is the reliance on the catalogue. Here it is impossible – cost and reach wise – to distribute it like in many other countries. The catalogue is distributed in the store and in some of the primary market area but here the reliance is more on smaller brochures that are sent out several times during the year. These brochures are produced by the same people in Älmhult in Sweden that produces the catalogue, in order to make sure that the brochures have the same layout and IKEA ‘feel’ as the catalogue itself. An example of PR activities is that IKEA a couple of years ago transformed the interior of 20 elevators in less affluent residential districts in Beijing. Nice environment in a dull place, this is to reach untapped markets (‘Change is easy’). PR activities are also important, taking Chinese journalists to Sweden and Älmhult, teaching them about Sweden and IKEA and the roots of the company. IKEA is known for its ‘out of box’ thinking when it comes to creating interest for IKEA and its products. IKEA in China is no exception. IKEA is supposed to have started or sponsored a TV-show were the viewers are offered lessons in home decorating IKEA have run many different ads in China, in TV, newspapers and in print. Themes in campaigns are the same as everywhere in the world but with the Chinese twist (be different, break tradition). Maybe the IKEA advertising line in China is a little ‘softer’ than in other places like in the UK. More humble advertising, do not stand out very much, friendly, home furnishing solutions, educate the consumer, offer partnership for the future in new  home furnishing solutions. The ad featured below is typical: The message of the ad is ‘Small changes, a refreshing new life’. Life can be made better, easier and nicer with small means. Small changes are the key word in IKEA ads and in-store. Other ads that IKEA have run have the theme of â€Å"do not be like your parents†, a theme that seems to speak directly to IKEA’s target group of young women 25-35 years old (Lewis, 2005). The web sites of the different stores in China is also argued to be important: the Internet is a common source of information for the target group, the younger middle class. Also, this source is used as a way to educate customers before coming to the IKEA stores on the concept and how the shopping experience will be (see below also). 12 IKEA Family was introduced in China in 2007 and much is expected from how this will work to attract Chinese customers. The selling environment and service While the products available in the Chinese stores are basically the same as in any IKEA store in the world, the stores do not look the same inside. What IKEA tries to do is to build the room settings not like in the US, not like in the UK or Sweden but in a way that feels relevant to Chinese customers with sizes of rooms and kitchens that are realistic by China standards. So even with the same products, the aim is to make the store in Shanghai look very different from the one in Malmà ¶ by the set-up of rooms. Thus: basically the same product range – but adaptation in the store: presentation of goods and home solutions offered. In China the store layouts reflect the layout of many Chinese apartments. One obvious example was mentioned earlier, balconies are present as many Chinese apartments have balconies. (The China Business Review, July-August, 2004). Overall the shopping experience is different. As other customers are an important part of the shopping experience the way the store is used – as reported above – by Chinese consumers not only as a shop but also as a social area, make for an  (compared to IKEA stores in Europe and the US) different experience. In the beginning, Chinese came not to shop but to socialise in a nice atmosphere, unlike other furnishing shops in China (were you are not allowed to feel and touch the merchandise). This is still true – you find people in the Shanghai store that seem to sleep in the beds and sofas, those that read a book with the feet on one of the tables in the room settings, take a nap – but IKEA try to put up with this as they hope that these people will later return as customers. For example, on in-store sign portrays an older couple whose child just moved away from home to attend college. The couple discusses how IKEA help them to convert their son’s former bedroom into a new room for their own use. The store’s room setting are full of furnishing and dà ©cor ideas for this purpose, the ad argues. The Beijing store is expected to take 20 000 visitors a day, and weekend crowds are so big that staff need to use megaphones to keep crowds in control. 20 000 a day add up to some 6 million visitors each year. To be compared with the ‘normal’ number of visitors for an IKEA’s store elsewhere which is 2 million visitors/year. As the staffing is the same as in other IKEA stores around the world there are of course consequences for the service level. IKEA’s own CSI (Customer satisfaction index) shows that – expect for service and shopping experience – China is below the IKEA average. IKEA scores high on product range and fashion. Seeing the number of people that visit the stores in China it is no wonder satisfaction levels were down. Today overall satisfaction in China is argued to be equal to the rest of the world, despite a lower score in some areas. When it comes to inspiration, waiting times and helpfulness of staff IKEA in China scores above average. Another thing puzzling the Chinese customers about IKEA are the added labour one has to put in oneself. Besides the self service concept throughout the store, having to visit a warehouse to pick your stuff up – the customer have to assemble it at home. While you do not need many tools to do this, as China does not have a DIY culture, who has even the most common tools in their houses? When you need something done you call for someone as labour is less expensive. To try to explain and justify the DIY concept – which is at the heart of the IKEA concept – is thus hard work in China. IKEA provides home delivery – long and short distance – as well as assembly service for a low fee (home delivery short haul for RMB 50 and assembly one piece RMB 40). IKEA has also created – not intentionally but still – an industry around itself of delivery drivers that also help assemble your IKEA furniture. These pick-up trucks with drivers are lined up outside the stores (Lewis, 2005). However, when Chinese shop at other places this is included in the price. In Europe and in the US the price is so low that the consumer can see the benefits to do things myself but here when the price of the products at IKEA are not that low and you are expected to do things yourself that no other retailer here makes you do†¦.it is easy to see the uphill struggle. IKEA tries to acknowledge this and provide information in the stores, on the website and in the catalogue to prepare the Chinese consumer for the IKEA store experience. They even have shopping hostesses walking around the store explaining and showing how the concept works to customers. And it is progressing, IKEA representatives argue, but slowly. As indicated above, consumers in China are demanding when it comes to service. They are used to, if not world class service, but at least that there are people to help you with all kinds of tasks. The self service concept of IKEA and the DIY is one thing that is hard for Chinese to accept. And what about service orientation among staff in an IKEA store? This is difficult to get an indication about. IKEA uses mystery shoppers to get some information here but it is hard to say something general. If you take into account 50 years of dictatorship, state rule, state owned enterprises with little room for the individual etc – how service minded can you expect the Chinese to be? IKEA tries – here as everywhere else in the world – to implement a staff strategy that makes everybody coworkers rather than employees. This is something that ought to be contrary to the culture in a country with high power distance relationships. IKEA argue that it is improving as conversion ra tes – consumers visiting stores that are also buying something – are improving, and are now well above 41 %. IKEA has another challenge that affects service and that is the fact that many products – despite increased sourcing in China – have huge lead times  in terms of shipping from Europe and other sourcing markets to China. That have historically made it necessary for Chinese stores to push and sell what they got in store rather than what they do not have in store (but is in the catalogue). Due to a lot of work being work being put in to improve this – increasing domestic production, a new warehouse in China – availability in China is almost the same as for the rest of the IKEA group. IKEA in Sweden IKEA’s first store in Sweden, the first in the world, was opened in 1959 in Älmhult, in Smà ¥land (a county in Sweden sometimes rumoured to be very barren and with people that are extremely stingy). IKEA today has 17 stores in Sweden and IKEA is a big part of home decoration in Sweden – and has been so for many years. IKEA’s statement in the business mission that they make furniture for ‘the many people’ is very true in Sweden very penetration of their products are very high, much higher than in many more markets. Accordingly, IKEA is well-known in Sweden, i.e., Swedes have knowledge about IKEA products, stores and the company, many Swedes have had IKEA furniture for generations. This is from a company perspective also a challenge, not just a good thing as   IKEA becomes associated with boring furnishing styles of older generations. IKEA is still in Sweden seen as innovative with very good prices.  While ‘the many people’ is an accurate description of consumers of IKEA in Sweden, in actual marketing work it is a bit smaller. It is women 20-49, often with children. In addition, an important target group in recent years has been +55 years that think they have done enough home furnishing, have no kids in the home and have a good financial situation. Merchandise Overall, the IKEA assortment is around 10 000 products that the stores can choose from. In Sweden the stores are fairly small and carry only 6-7 000 of the available products in the general assortment. While there is no adjustment made in the assortment to the Swedish market, adjustments are made to the local market by the stores (in terms of marketing and the local competition situation) who have the authority to adjust to local competition and have during the latter years received and developed more marketing  initiatives than previously. Price (as a marketing tool) is central in Sweden as IKEA is known for its low price. This is done by have a low price promise and the aim is to have a low in comparison to competitors in different areas. In recent years, here as in most parts of the IKEA world, cutting prices has been a major marketing strategy, by some 20% over the last 8 years. Sourcing for all the larger and transport wise heavier and bulkier products are done in Europe (and Sweden itself is one of the larger sourcing countries for IKEA outside Asia). Location and store formats In Sweden IKEA stores are located as in much of the IKEA world: outside city centres, with a focus on consumers using their own cars to travel to and from IKEA stores. For IKEA, establishing an IKEA store in Sweden if fairly easy, IKEA gets many propositions from different areas and towns in Sweden wanting an IKEA store. One of the recent and much publicized openings of IKEA stores in Sweden was the store in Haparanda Tornio. Haparanda Tornio is in the far north of Sweden (on the border to Finland) and launch of the store there has been a big success not only for IKEA but for the whole community (which is an area where depopulation is a major problem). However, event though it is easy to find places to establish IKEA stores in Sweden, there is still (also for IKEA) competition about the good places to locate a store. As mentioned above, IKEA stores in Sweden has been fairly small, in the lower rim of square meters and number of articles stored (except the big store in Kungens kurva which is the biggest IKEA store in the world). There are plans to refurbish stores and make them bigger, and new stores are always bigger than the older ones. Otherwise the format of the store follows the IKEA standard layout with parking lot outside the store and a two floor store. Some new stores, like the new store in Malmà ¶, is planned to be build on pylons and have the car park under the store (like in Shanghai for instance). Advertising and promotion In Sweden the catalogue is the most important promotion tool. It makes IKEA unique, is a source of inspiration and is the most important printed marketing tool IKEA has. In Sweden the launch of the new catalogue is a major thing, something that all major newspapers have lengthy reports about and that is a major PR thing. In 2008 IKEA furnished the waiting hall of Stockholm train terminal when the new catalogue was launched August 14th.  IKEA Family was first launched in Sweden and was at that time one of the first loyalty cards and clubs in Sweden. Today it is still one of the bigger ones with 1,7 million members and is still a very important marketing tool for IKEA in Sweden. The web is also important for IKEA Sweden, maybe especially for new groups of customers (for example younger customers) and because it is a good way to make customers prepare for the store visit and it is also there IKEA can make accessible different planning tools like for instance the kitchen planning tool. IKEA’s approach to the Swedes in advertising and promotion is intended to be youthful and different, fun and surprising, emphasising that nothing is impossible but that the company also is very honest and human. At the moment IKEA in Sweden is in a period of ‘re-launch’. While being well known (as IKEA is in Sweden) is often an advantage, it can also be a disadvantage. Consumers get used to the company and the rebellious attitude and image is hard to keep when penetration – in many age groups – is very high. Compared to many other IKEA countries, IKEA in Sweden is in another part of the IKEA lifecycle where consumers have homes filled with IKEA furniture and accessories, IKEA is the market leader for kitchen in Sweden etc. How do IKEA make the Swedes still find it exiting and new? The line for 2008 is ‘Decorate the home as you want to live’ and ‘Long live diversity’. Examples of IKEA address Swedish customers is a campaign that is a few years old and went from the fact that in IKEA target group there are a lot of divorced parents that share custody of children. So the campaign focused on how IKEA contributed to the slogan ’Better divorce for everybody’. IKEA has also focused on campaigns which points to the diversity of the Swedes in terms of ethnicity, showing different ethnic groups in Sweden as customers. One of the more well known and longest running campaigns is the one with the slogan ‘Not for the rich but for the wise’ emphasising that IKEA has high quality for low prices and that wise customers realize that. The selling environment and service The stores are the main marketing tool of IKEA in Sweden, this is where the customer come and this is where they can see what it is all about. As indicated above, IKEA stores have been fairly small in Sweden which has meant that it in many places has been difficult to expose and show the width and depth of the assortment IKEA actually has. Increasingly new and bigger stores are built to allow for showing the customer more of the IKEA product range. The stores in Sweden are set up in a fairly standard way. The common store planning which is the IKEA store planning blue print is used as a starting point – but that then meets the actual or planned store which makes for adjustments in the standard layout. As in all IKEA countries, the furniture part of an IKEA store (the room settings on the 2nd floor of the store) is always opened by 5 rooms that are the same all over the world – but these are also adjusted locally to see what the local markets can do with this. While the stores are to some extent set up the same way, local adjustments are made to the normal room-size of a living room or a bed room of the country market, the interior of the kitchen etc etc. A Swedish IKEA store for instance have often kitchen room settings 16 with what is called a kitchen island (part of the kitchen is a stand alone part integrating cooking, washing up and eating places in the kitchen) and walk in closets. To Swedes the DIY concept of IKEA (and DIY in general) is an accepted concept: you collect your flatpacs, carry them home, assemble and you pay a lower price. Still, in recent years IKEA in Sweden have added services concerning home delivery and assembly service at a cost for customers that want this. When it comes to the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) that all markets in IKEA do regularly central factors are waiting time and product in stock, which is something that IKEA Sweden has worked with a lot and have improved in recent years. This also indicates that one major problem in IKEA stores in Sweden has been queues in stores and out of stock of products. IKEA still get high points from Swedes on innovativeness and the low price level. IKEA in the UK IKEA has a fairly long history in the UK, having entered the market in 1987 and now has 17 stores in the UK. Expansion plans include a further 7 stores in the near future. The UK is one of IKEA’s major markets, the second to third one in size after Germany and the USA. The current CEO for IKEA, Anders Dahlvig, was the country mananger during much of the 1990-ies when a relaunch and repositioning of the brand in the UK took place. The target group is mainly women in families aged 25-45 and middle-class. This then varies with different products and product groups. Merchandise Overall the assortment in UK stores are not different from anywhere else in the IKEA world. The beds sold at IKEA are bigger than the normal UK size but that is something that IKEA tries to make a point of (so no adjustment has been made here). Adjustment of electrical products are, of course, made but in general there is no adjustment in the merchandise sold in the UK. All the normal supply chain is used and larger products are sourced in Europe while accessories are sourced in other parts of the world. IKEA in the UK also has a low price image and promise to the consumer, this is very important in the marketing: low prices but good quality. In recent years, as elsewhere in the IKEA world, one of the premier marketing focuses has been on cutting prices. Allegedly prices has been cut by more than 20% over the last 8 years. Location and store formats The fact that the UK has 17 stores and around 60 million inhabitants, Sweden has 17 stores and 9 million inhabitants tells us that UK retail planning laws are very strict and difficult for big block out of town retailers like IKEA. The lack of new established stores has been a major concern for IKEA UK for many years and that also forced some new thinking concerning the layout of an IKEA store. Normally it would be big parking space and two stores but starting in the UK, IKEA has started thinking differently on how an IKEA store is set up. This has lead to an adjusted concept store in Coventry with three levels and a closer to city centre location. Whether that is now the solution for IKEA UK to set up more stores or not is not clear. Most of the stores in the UK are set up the standard way and has an out of town location, encouraging customers to use their own cars to access the store. Advertising and promotion Also for IKEA UK the IKEA catalogue dominates marketing efforts. While now 70% of the marketing budget, efforts are made to lower that as it is believed that it is very expensive to distribute in high population markets like the UK and it is also no longer as effective a marketing tool as is once was. One of the most noticeable things about IKEA in the UK is the daring and challenging approach that has been used through the years. The IKEA and St Luke’s campaign ‘Chuck out the Chintz’ from 1996 is famous (even Tony Blair referred to it) as is the ‘Stop Being So English’ campaign. In the UK IKEA as dared more than in many markets when is comes to challenging the market and its customers. The preferred approach is being different – but do it in a way that connects to the fact that IKEA sells home furnishings. According to IKEA, the Brits should appreciate their homes more (and spend more time there) and IKEA can help with low prices, good products and design and the fact that IKEA has 65 years of experience in home decoration. The launch if IKEA UK in Scotland is a good example of adjusting to the local market while sticking to the mail IKEA ‘be different’ message. The campaign focus on two very hard looking Glasgow guys – that go soft with soft pillows and green plants from IKEA. The web is very useful in the UK, as the stores are only 17 and there is a need for information on availability on products and to prepare the store visit IKEA family was launched in 2007, and is reported as very successful also in the UK. However, compared to the British grocery retailer Tesco who runs probably the worlds most successful (in many aspects) loyalty card, IKEA has a long way to go before the IKEA Family loyalty club generates as many advantages as Tesco’s club does. The selling environment and service UK customers are said to be demanding and does not mind airing their problems and IKEA Still, Brits generally live in the houses that they own and are not alien to the DIY concept, even though the IKEA DIY is somewhat extended compared to the original meaning of DIY. Here, as in Sweden, services offering to take out some of the DIY parts have been (home delivery and assembly service at a cost). UK has struggled with some things that relate to selling environment and service. It all comes back to having only 17 stores and being 60 million people and IKEA UK being one of IKEA’s biggest markets – i.e., IKEA is very popular in the UK and that leads to problems that can be seen in the IKEA CSI. Access to stores and products out of stocks are areas of concern as customers say that it is difficult and time consuming to get to the stores – and they also often run the risk of not being able to take the products home with them from the stores as they are out of stock. This is of course things that are acted upon, through the long range work to establish more stores to planning of personnel in the stores (which is difficult in itself with a fairly large personnel turnover in the UK). Still it 18 is a major concern, making this area of the marketing effort a challenge. The Brits are satisfied with the prices that they feel are low for the quality that the customer get. Summing up IKEA in China, Sweden and the UK In figure 1 we attempt to compare IKEA in China, Sweden and UK. For comparison there is also a more ‘general’ picture of IKEA in the world. The comparison is done for the four different dimensions of retailer marketing strategies that we have investigated. As the comparison is done on a general level it lacks detail but is even so considered to give a good overall picture of how the different countries relate to each other on the different dimensions. Summary and conclusions In the case of China it is clear that IKEA have had to adjust and work harder with some its basic principles than on other markets around the world (maybe Eastern Europe and Russia being the exception), certainly than in Sweden and the UK. Low prices are one of the cornerstones of the IKEA concept. In China IKEA have had to drop some of its basic principles – centralised sourcing and supply chain – to be able to develop its business in China. Prices were too high and are coming down in a rate the demonstrate how wrong the prices were – for the Chinese market – to start with. Also in the case of location and communication (advertising and promotion) we can see adjustments to the characteristics of the Chinese market that are larger than on other markets. Here the special situation in the UK with retail planning laws have forced IKEA to innovate – and adjust – its basic store placement and format to fit regulations in those markets. Here it also seems like Sweden is following with plans to set up new stores (sometimes) in a different way. The adjustments to local humour and preferences is clear when it comes to advertisements, where the approach in China seems ‘softer’ and less provocative than is the case for Sweden and the UK, but in relative terms it may be as provocative. Sweden is a special case as IKEA has been present there for so long, leading to – within a standardised frame of communication – communication that builds on peoples familiarity with the brand. The selling environment and service levels have not been changed in China, Sweden and the UK compared to other places to a large extent. It seems like innovation to fit the Chinese consumer – offering home delivery, assembling service etc – was invented here from necessity and then spread to other markets like Sweden and the UK. From IKEA’s perspective, China has been a real trial of the business concept. To some extent the jury is still out on whether or not it is a success but from IKEA’s point of view the ‘worst’ part of the China experience is over. IKEA have learnt many things in China and many of these lessons will be useful in other markets around the world. One lesson for IKEA – according to senior managers at IKEA – is the fact that it has not been able – in order to succeed on the Chinese market – to rigidly cling to the marketing  strategies that on other markets have meant success and meant working towards the 19 business concept. While keeping tight some areas – assortment, brand name, overall communication, store concept etc – IKEA has been able (and forced to) adjust some other parts to be relevant on the market. Without adjusting prices radically and changing sourcing and changing main communication (not catalogue), it might have been another story. From IKEA’s point of view the lesson might also have been that it is not critical that it can not achieve the same results with the same tools on all markets. Adjustments have to be made on alien markets like the Chinese. But as the Chinese market experience shows: adjustments can be made and still be true to the overall business concept (as some of important pillars of the IKEA concept have not been changes, just the ways of achieving them). While IKEA in China is about introducing a business concept that is – to some parts at least – different to what customers are used, IKEA in Sweden and the UK have different situations. Swedes have 50 years of experience of the IKEA concept and the risk is always that it gets boring and something that is seen as old-fashioned, if the innovativeness is not continued. And that innovativeness is something that – for a standardised retailer – needs to be found within the business concept somehow. Brits have 20 years of experience of IKEA so the challenge is also here to continue to be innovative while being more and more of the establishment so to speak. However, in the UK there is still much less penetration of the concept than in Sweden so the marketing strategy work is somewhat different. From a general retail standardisation and adaptation point of view, the IKEA case shows that it is possible to work a fairly standardised concept also on markets that are very different from the ones were the business concept have originated from. However, the case also shows that there are limits to how far you can go in standardisation. In the IKEA case it is clear that to some extent they need to adapt in order to be true to their business concept. This also means that it may be more interesting to focus on whether or not companies are true to their business concept than if the are using the same  marketing strategies all over the world. It is the business concept that is exported and in order for that to be the same all over the world, marketing strategies sometimes need to be adopted rather than standardised.