an unexpected teacher free essay sample

In the summer of 2010 I had the opportunity to bring life back into a city of destruction, to bring love where there was none, and to bring hope when all was gone. After traveling sixteen hours in a fifteen passenger van I was determined to change lives, unaware it would be mine that would instead be changed forever. I was in New Orleans, a city that had looked death, destruction, and devastation in the eye and yet decided to pull together and help each other out in whatever means necessary when many of them had nothing left to give. Although it had been five years since Hurricane Katrina had tragically taken everything from the majority of the people in New Orleans, from the look of the city it could have just happened yesterday. The streets were dirty with paper, mud, weeds, and just about everything else imaginable- the yards overgrown, the houses deserted, the neighborhoods childless. We will write a custom essay sample on an unexpected teacher or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page New Orleans had lost its vibrancy, its color, its hope and its life, all of which we hoped to help restore. We devoted an entire week solely as servants of God. We picked up trash, demolished houses, fed the homeless, cleared lots, had a carnival, and gave away free clothes. However, it was on the sixth night of my mission trip, when we went to downtown New Orleans to serve the homeless, that I learned more in five minutes then I had my entire life. I had never seen so many famished, exhausted, dirty people in one place as I did that night. They came by bike, bus, and many by their own two feet desperate for anything we could give them. Men, women, children, teenagers, old men, and babies came in tens, hundreds and thousands. From among all the people I met and stories I heard, one man exceptionally stood out: A man by the name of David. He was A tall gray-haired man, who looked like it had been weeks since his last meal. We offered him everything from spaghetti and meatballs, Caesa r salad, cookies, punch, and bread, all of which he refused besides a tiny slice of garlic bread. â€Å"That is all I need† He said, â€Å"Save the rest for the children or for the people who really need it.† Never have I ever been so amazed, astounded, or flabbergasted than I was that moment when A man who had absolutely nothing decided to take the bare minimum when offered a full meal. He had nothing to give yet in that moment he gave everything to one more man, woman, or child who would eat that night because he refused it. When we asked him how he would make it, as it was apparent he had not eaten in weeks, he just looked up at the sky and responded, â€Å"I’ll make it through the night, I have him† and turned to leave with his single piece of garlic bread and a smile on his face. The rest of the night I continued to hear stories of hope, hard work, and faith but nothing came close to my encounter with David. I could not stop thinking about his genero sity and faith in God’s plan. Not only did I return home with a few souvenirs, a bracelet one of the children made me and a New Orleans shirt to commemorate my trip, but also a newfound sense of hope, peace, and love. Of all the things I learned that week about myself, New Orleans, and the world I learned the most from a tiny piece of garlic bread and a homeless man by the name of David: to always have hope even when no one would blame us for having none, to always have faith in God because everything that happens is part of his plan, and to always have love for ourselves and each other as in the grand scheme of the world we are all a family and all God’s children.

Learning German Adjectives and Colors

Learning German Adjectives and Colors German adjectives, like English ones, usually go in front of the noun they modify: der  gute  Mann (the good man), das  große  Haus (the big house/building), die  schà ¶ne  Dame (the pretty lady). Unlike English adjectives, a German adjective in front of a noun has to have an ending (-e  in the examples above). Just what that ending will be depends on several factors, including  gender  (der, die, das) and  case  (nominative, accusative, dative). But most of the time the ending is an -e  or an -en  (in the plural). With  ein-words, the ending varies according to the modified nouns gender (see below). Look at the following table for the adjective endings in the nominative (subject) case: With  definite article  (der, die, das) -  Nominative case Masculineder Femininedie Neuterdas Pluraldie der neu Wagenthe new car die schn Stadtthe beautiful city das alt Autothe old car die neu Bcherthe new books With  indefinite article  (eine, kein, mein) -  Nom. case Masculineein Feminineeine Neuterein Pluralkeine ein neu Wagena new car eine schn Stadta beautiful city ein alt Autoan old car keine neu Bcherno new books Note that with  ein-words, since the article may not tell us the gender of the following noun, the adjective ending often does this instead (-es  Ã‚  das, -er  Ã‚  der; see above). As in English, a German adjective can also come  after  the verb (predicate adjective): Das Haus ist groß. (The house is large.) In such cases, the adjective will have NO ending. Farben (Colors) The German words for colors  usually function as adjectives and take the normal adjective endings (but see exceptions below). In certain situations, colors can also be nouns and are thus capitalized: eine Bluse in  Blau (a blouse in blue); das Blaue  vom Himmel versprechen (to promise heaven and earth, lit., the blue of the heavens). The chart below shows some of the more common colors with sample phrases.  Youll learn that the colors in feeling blue or seeing red may not mean the same thing in German. A black eye in German is blau (blue). Farbe Color Color Phrases with Adjective Endings rot red der rote Wagen (the red car), der Wagen ist rot rosa pink die rosa Rosen (the pink roses)* blau blue ein blaues Auge (a black eye), er ist blau (hes drunk) hell-blau lightblue die hellblaue Bluse (the light blue blouse)** dunkel-blau darkblue die dunkelblaue Bluse (the dark blue blouse) grn green der grne Hut (the green hat) gelb yellow die gelben Seiten (yellow pages), ein gelbes Auto wei white das weie Papier (the white paper) schwarz black der schwarze Koffer (the black suitcase) *Colors ending in -a  (lila, rosa) do not take the normal adjective endings.  Ã‚   **Light or dark colors are preceded by  hell- (light) or  dunkel- (dark), as in  hellgrà ¼n  (light green) or  dunkelgrà ¼n  (dark green).

Research Question Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question - Research Paper Example The user can make the computer more fault tolerant by a way of thinking how the computer or the devices of the network may seems to fail as well as, taking the required steps so that the faults can be prevented whenever they occur (Qian, 2008 p 101). For this case, the steps to be followed when improving the network’s fault tolerance include. The user should by all the time have his or her computer or the networks running on the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). UPS provides the backup power source when there is a power outage (blackout), or a power surge. UPS provides additional time for the computer to shut down by providing the power to the computer from where it was stored. However, the user should also have the system messages that are sent to every network so as to let the administrators know when the power goes off or when computer shut down because of the failure of the power. If there is no UPS which is connected on the computer or the UPS fails to provide the surge fortification, the surge protector may be connected to the network devices or the computer so as to help prevent those devices from failing during the power surge (Briggs, 2009, p 13). The user should all the time run backups on the computer. Running of the backups may be done daily or at least every month if only the relevant information is stored in them. The user should make sure that he/she creates a mirror of data on the alternate location. When the computer devices are connected to the network, the user should make sure that the firewall are set up. A firewall is normally the software utility that can limit the accessing of the network on the computer by blocking or restricting the ports. Firewalls are extremely significant since it helps preventing un-authorized members from accessing to the company network or a network which is at home.

Managing People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Managing People - Essay Example Ineffective leadership, poor organizational culture, poor management styles, poor working conditions, lack of work life balancing, lack of career development opportunities etc. are some of the major reasons that prevent employees from delivering their bests. This report analyses the importance of employee engagement, employee involvement and leadership styles, taking McDonalds Corporation as an example. Founded by Maurice and Richard McDonald in 1940 and operating in 119 countries, McDonalds is world’s largest the fast food business group now. Around 1.7 million people were employed by McDonalds in its 14000 restaurants operating at different parts of the world (Reward Gateway UK, 2014). The 1.7 million workforces of McDonalds are extremely diverse since the company is operating in different parts of the world. Management of diverse or multicultural workforce is not as easy as the management of a single cultural workforce. The leaders and the managers of the company should implement effective HR strategies to bring out the maximum productivity of the employees. According to Torrington et al (2011), HRM is all management activities that help an organization to use its workforce to make things happen in a productive way. Even though an organization may have many resources such as machine, money and materials, none of them are as important as manpower resources. It should be noted that manpower is the only active resource of an organization and it is necessary to mobilize all other resources. Ineffective workforce may waste all other organizational resources whereas effective or skilled workforce may use all other resources in an efficient manner. In short, manpower resource is the most important resource for all organizations. According to Boxall & Purcell (2012), effective utilization of manpower resource is one of the most important HR functions. The success and failure of an organization depends on how well the leaders

The integration process of immigrants in Spain

The integration process of immigrants in Spain Immigration Spain Emigration A social analysis of the integration process of immigrants in Spain. The way in which ‘the problem’ of immigration in Spain affects the integration of immigrants. Over the last fifteen years, Spain has gone from being a country of emigration to a country of immigration. In recent years few European countries have experienced as dramatic a rise in immigration as Spain. Spain has been among the most open countries in the European Union, admitting 650,000 immigrants last year alone and granting residency permits to 560,000 more who were in the country illegally. Although the percentage of immigrants is still relatively low compared to other European countries (6.1% of the population in 2005) the growth of immigration experienced over the last five years has led experts to consider the country as a â€Å"new immigration centre.† The economic and historical connections with North Africa and South America have been the principal triggers of immigration flows, with almost 2/3 of immigrants coming from outside the EU. Europeans also represent a large number of immigrants in Spain. Attracted to the Costa del Sol’s climate and low cost of living, many come to retire. There are three basic causes for this substantial change in the position of Spain as a new centre of immigration. The first is the continuous economic development of the country and the fact that it belongs to one of the most developed regions in the world, the EU. Secondly, Spain is considered as an alternative to other European countries with high levels of immigration where there now exist increasingly strong restrictions on immigration, especially those originating from outside Europe. Thirdly, Spain’s geographical situation means that it has become the ‘back door’ for immigrants’ intent on reaching the rest of Europe. The significant increase of the foreign population since 2000 has resulted in a growing awareness that immigration is a structural phenomenon and Spain: a multicultural country. Recent Spanish opinion polls reveal the distortion between the reality and nationals’ perception of the extent of this immigration. In the book ‘Europeos e Inmigrantes,’ the authors study local’s opinion on immigration and conclude with the following results: approximately 55% of Spanish society perceive Spain as having ‘a lot’ of immigrants- though not too many- and 25% of them consider the number of immigrants to be too high. The number of immigrants, but more specific still the presence of immigrants, is suggested to be a ‘problem.’ This study will be looking at the perception of immigration as a ‘problem,’ and the consequence of this perception on the integration of immigrants in Spain. I am interested in the integration of immigrants on a social level: the ways in which social constructions of the ‘other’ are reflected in the social integration process of the immigrant population. In the end, I hope to make sense not just of immigrants’ marginal status in Spain; but also how the concept of culture and society shapes the integration process. Despite common belief that Spain is being met by an invasion of newcomers, the percentage of immigrants to the total national population remains the lowest within the EU. By 2001, immigrants in Spain made up 2.5% of the population, contrasted with 4.2% for the UK, 4.3 for the Netherlands, 5.6 for France, and 8.9 for Germany. Overall, the European average is three times higher than the Spanish average. Despite the fact that illegal immigrants are seen as a threat to the growing population, illegal entrance into Spain counts for only 4% of the immigrants entering legally. Yet today, immigration is among the top three mentioned problems and has been referred to as a cultural problem. The media has had, and continues to have, a great influence on the nation’s interpretation of immigration and the prominence of immigration in national politics and people’s consciousness reflects the extent to which the subject of immigration is covered by Spanish media. No other medium is able to send a determined message out to the masses, or has so much power as to make everyone value their freedom of speech. Those who have studied ‘public opinion’ have said, â€Å"Although people think they have formulated their own opinion, in actual fact their opinion and argument is more or less echoed from a favoured political leader or party.† National newspapers go as far as to include a section on ‘the immigration problem’ aimed at keeping track of the number of illegal immigrants apprehended by the police. The Spanish newspaper, ‘El Paà ­s’ uses headlines such as: ‘Interceptados 76 inmigrantes en las costas de Granada y Canarias en las à ºltimas horas, and frequently describes the arrival of ‘nueva oleadas de pateras que intentan alcanzar Espaà ±a. On television, the Spanish public are supplied with regular images of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country illegally. The constant focus on immigration in political discourse and in the mass media has created a sense of migratory pressure amongst the public, a sense that there are floods of people banging on the border doors to get in. â€Å"Las puertas de Europa Espaà ±a y nueve paà ­ses europeos han acordado establecer un operativo para patrullar toda la zona del à frica atlà ¡ntica susceptible de ser punto de origen de pateras y cayucos que viajan hacia Europa y, sobre todo, hacia Canarias, que acusa casi cada dà ­a la presià ³n de esta avalancha migratoria.† This pressure is fuelled by both a fear of security and a fear of immigrants affecting the Spanish labour market (which I will discuss later on). This fear is often translated into panic and irrational conclusions for those ignorant of the reality of the situation. Evidence of illegal immigrants in Spain has created confusion between attitudes towards illegal and legal immigrants, and often the two groups are treated as one. Following the 9/11 tragedy, race stereotypes have once again become commonplace and through pure ignorance and fear, immigrants are seen as a threat to the public’s safety, often being associated with Islamic fundamentalism. Public insecurity due to misinformation has manifested itself in violence and xenophobic feelings against the immigrants. An example of this took place in 2000, in El Ejido (Andalucia), where locals violently attacked newly settled immigrants, following a young girl’s murder by a Moroccan. The dissemination of these negative perceptions has helped conjure up a sensation of invasion, which does not mirror the reality of the situation. The reality of the situation (which I have already discussed) is that this existing fear is unjustified. It is a representation of the ignorance surrounding the perception of immigration linking the race of an immigrant group with the safety of a country. Immigration has also been considered a threat to the structure of the labour market. During the 1980s and 1990s, when immigration to Spain was at its highest, the country was experiencing a profound economic crisis characterized above all by high levels of unemployment. The presence of immigrants and the misconception that they were invading the Spanish labour market, added further tension to the relationship between the two groups, and was therefore considered an economic and social problem. â€Å"More than any other factor, unemployment is generally seen as the root cause behind the electoral successes of the radical Right across Europe and is credited with casing an existence of a negative, anti immigrant attitude in Spain.† Immigration in Spain has also been treated as a cultural problem â€Å"where the idea of having immigrants in the country is not perceived as a positive multicultural phenomenon but as a threat to the integrity of the Spanish cultural identity.† The Spanish fear that the increasing presence of other national cultures will overshadow and stifle their own traditions. The immigrants have brought their own culture to Spain, which they expect to be respected and recognised so that they may practice their traditions in harmony with the rest of society. Spaniards fear that the integration of immigrants will entail the growth of alien religious infrastructures and more conflict between locals and immigrants. The social integration of Muslims in particular is perceived as difficult, because of the demands for their own religious infrastructure. The constructions of mosques render the development of a multicultural society even more obvious. Since the terrorist attacks in Madrid 2004, Islam has been presented as an alien civilization, with mosques feared as centres of terrorism. This fear often translates into irrational conclusions. â€Å"As it generally does in other European countries, the association of North Africans with Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism and crime tends to breed hostility and suspicion from the Spanish public.† In summary, the immigration problem revolves around an insecurity bred by the sense of invasion. People feel threatened by the implications of immigrants in the labour market, and what ‘integration’ really entails for the culture and society dynamics of Spain. I am now going to address the concept of integration and how the perception of immigration already discussed has affected this process. In order to assess how this is affecting the integration process I will be looking at the topic from an anthropological perspective. Among those who attempt to define the concept of integration, there is considerable disagreement. In the context of Spanish immigration it has taken on many meanings, some implying that it is reached when the immigrant is able to ‘fit in,’ others suggesting that it hinges on natives’ open-mindedness and tolerance, and still others prioritising the accessibility of social services and basic necessities. Often, the term is simply used as a synonym for settlement, or establishing physical and social roots. A Spanish social scientist and immigration expert defines it this way: ‘We can say that immigrants are integrated into a host society when they do not face additional obstacles due to their foreign origin in the main aspects of their social, economic, and family life, when compared to the native-born population.’ Law plays a central role in the immigrants’ integration on all levels and has been seen as â€Å"formally codifying them as different at several levels.† Spain had several attempts at immigration legalisation: the first, ‘the Ley de Extranjeria,’ focussing primarily on control over immigrants rather than integration. Immigration laws designated some people as non-citizens with a limited set of rights and privileges. Others were declared to be illegal and unwelcome altogether and those who did achieve legal status found their position unstable, as they are vulnerable to frequent changes in legislation and status. When in 1998 the issue of integration was finally addressed, the focus was still on the integration of ‘non-EU foreigners’ rather than the immigrant group as a whole, stigmatising the non-EU immigrants as the problem group. Perez, in his article, â€Å"Spain: Forging an Immigration Policy,† goes as far as to say that the ‘Law on the rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain and their Integration’ passed in January 2000, was not so much ‘because of the law’s acknowledgement of immigrant rights but because of its conception of immigration as a permanent phenomenon.’ Still today immigrants struggle against policy restrictions. Despite the common belief that immigrants create problems in the Spanish labour market, the reality of the situation is that the immigrant work force is largely responsible for Spain’s economic growth. This growth, over the last decade, has been among the fastest in the EU. â€Å"It is not a coincidence that the strong economic growth and increase in employment rate has increased with the arrival of immigrants into Spain.† Having said this, statistics show that in 2006 the unemployment rate for Spaniards was 8% compared to 12% for foreigners. The lack of facilities for Spanish employers to contract foreigners and the difficulty such employers face accessing Spanish labour has resulted in irregular immigration flows and labour markets. In addition to the disparity between the unemployment rates for Spanish and Immigrant workers, there is also a difference in the nature of work. The restructuring of the Spanish economy after the accession to the European Community has resulted in an increase in the demand for labour in sectors of the economy where nationals no longer wish to work. Spanish laws make it virtually impossible to gain admission as legal residents outside of the quota system that is largely confined to those willing to work in agriculture, domestic help, and construction, i.e. those sectors where wages and working conditions are inadequate to attract sufficient local workers. These laws thus guarantee that immigrant workers labour under conditions that are shunned by most of the working class, an arrangement that furthermore highlights their economic alienation and their exclusion from reasonable housing, health care and other basic necessities further distancing there chances on reaching integration. Furthermore, there is little stability for immigrants in the labour market with most of them receiving only temporal jobs. There is also a significant difference in wages. It has been noted that non-communitarians earn 33% less than Spanish citizens. These forms of discrimination have resulted in the exploitation of undocumented workers: considerably lower payments, a lack of safety standards, labour security and worker rights. One of the main problems with the way in which immigration is perceived in Spain is that not much is known about the immigrant as an individual. Because of this lack of knowledge, realities are distorted and often the outsider is assumed to be the culprit for society’s ills. â€Å"In endeavouring to reduce environmental complexity to a manageable size, when bombarded with environmental stimuli, untested cognitive short-cuts come to be employed which have a tendency to become self fulfilling.† In order for immigration to be perceived accurately by any social group there must be a basis of knowledge; not hearsay. As most of the media coverage on the immigrant population relates to violence and delinquency, it is understandable why the average Spaniard, adopts a defensive stance. To gain an accurate, or at least fair representation of the immigrant population, these negative portrayals ought to be contested with representations from the minority groups. A lack of organisation and funds are said to explain the lack of minority media produced in Spain. Whether this is the case, or whether the lack of initiative to produce a platform for the minority groups to speak out from is the manifestation of another social inequality. The danger of a ‘general’ perception of the immigrant group is that incorrect assumptions are made and stereotypes formed. Generalisations on immigrants’ nationalities create a belief that each nation has one culture shared by all inhabitants. Similar generalisations are made towards the second generation of immigrants. The children of the immigrants, who have never immigrated, and who were born in Spain are assumed to be of foreign origin. These stereotypes also include the concept that others’ cultural traits are strange and not worthy of exploring because they are not necessary to the already comfortable, established concepts that the society possesses. The cultural traits that cause the most ‘problems’ are those most different, usually those from non-European countries. This is because, in everyday life, they are the most conspicuous (with regards to the fact that in Spain the colour of one’s skin is still associated with being ‘foreign’) reminding nationals that Spain is becoming a multicultural country. Spanish researcher and anthropologist, Damian Omar Martinez, explores the concept that on a social level, non- European immigrants are discriminated against more because they are considered further away from integration: the integration that sees immigrants conforming to the Spanish way of life. With the transformation of the European Union, the free movement of Europeans between borders means that to a certain extent relationships between different European cultures are less tense. European citizens are increasingly viewed as being part of a European community. The borders between themselves and ‘the others’ have almost been extended up to the exterior borders of Europe. McGrance argues that there is a distinct Western thought process. He argues that: ‘there is the superior Western culture, and then there are all the rest as contrast. A sharp divide is created, with epistemological privilege always on the side of the West. With these analyses in mind, one realises the extent of the difficulties immigrants face in becoming integrated into Spanish society. Adding to the discussion on integration and what impedes this process for immigrants, I am interested in how a national population is able to control a minority population. When talking of integration, it is impossible to say when an immigrant is fully integrated as an essential part of this process is determined by non- controllable factors such as the native population’s response. It seems the first step to any kind of integration for minority groups (the immigrants), is acceptance from the majority (the nationals). However, when integration can be defined as a concept that calls for the absence of racism and tolerance for minority groups, the question is raised as to whether it is integration we are talking about or tolerance. Is the immigration in Spain a case of ‘integrating’ immigrants or merely ‘tolerating’ them? If it is a case of tolerating immigrants, there is little hope of integration for immigrants on a social level. This brings me onto the concepts of ‘society’ and ‘community,’ which seem to influence the process of integration of immigrants. Calavita writes that the concept of culture and community is difficult to define. She quotes Walzer’s attempt at defining the term: â€Å" that at a minimum a community consists of like-minded members, with some special commitment to one another and some special sense of their common life.† The term community deals with the concept of belonging and not belonging: the member whom is accepted and part of something, and the outsider whom is striving to be part of something that is not necessarily clear. The Europe we see developing today is a prime example of a ‘community’ of nations pushing for one identity. Cris Shore explores the idea that this very existing identity is one of the main culprits for the problem of integration of immigrant. â€Å"Identity is represented as a process of classification involving boundaries of inclusion and exclusion.† Shore goes on further to explore the terms European and non- European. Though there is no official definition for these terms, ‘ a more coherent applied definition can be seen emerging at the borders and boundaries of the new Europe.’ With the distinction of European and non-European groups becoming clear, so to is the distinction between the insider and the outsider. These terms are used to reiterate the fact that the immigrant is from outside, it is used to make the distinction between the group of ‘Us’ (national population) and ‘Them’ (the immigrant), and it has been used by Spaniards to remind themselves of what they are not. One must ask to what extent the integration of immigrants is a process of selection, and to what extent the national population influences this process. Nowadays the significance and relevance of being a member of a community has been devalued somewhat, as it is increasingly difficult to define this term. Calavita quotes Bauman and others as arguing, â€Å"that this kind of community is on the decline, as globalisation, with its collapsing cultural boundaries, and the diminishing significance of the nation-state, erodes its boundaries and disintegrates its ties, leaving little structure to the foundations of this group.† ‘The diminishing significance of the nation state’ refers to the developing ‘European identity’ the EU are pushing for today. This united centre requires the breaking down of national barriers to ensure full communication between nations in an effort for them to work together and be successful as one. Arguments put forward suggesting immigration is a ‘cultural problem’ because of its effect on the authenticity of Spanish culture, are unsound, as the very Europe that Spain forms part of, is doing just that. Considering immigration as a ‘problem,’ has severely affected the process of integration of immigrants in Spain. The real concern lies in the general public’s perception of immigrants. The strength of a nation’s perception is based on a sentiment cultivated over many years; can this national sentiment towards immigration be changed? It does not make sense to see a city or country as an integrated body of citizens, a group you can enter once you have completed cultural, economic requirements. It is the discussion of immigration as a problem, and the questioning of whether immigrants integrate or not that creates the phenomenon of immigration and puts such pressure on the social groups involved to form a position on the issue. When analysing the immigration issue in Spain, it should not be the question of whether the immigrants are a problem, or whether they are integrated or not, but what there role is in society.

Marketing Plan Nike

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Sofia MARKETING PLAN Market entry/grow opportunity for Nike in Bulgaria INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT Coursework in MARKETING Student registration No: 20019402 Program: MBA Lecturer:Dr. V. Blagoev Executive Summary Our approach to developing a market-entry strategy follows a structured process, based on in-depth understanding of all aspects that feed into a commercial launch. A comprehensive analysis, using market data and market research, allows us to assess all areas affecting Nike’s strategic direction: Current market situation: detailed consumer and business market segmentation and analysis of market drivers will be undertaken to identify the most valuable target segments and underlying reasons for market entry/opportunity. Specific target areas are evaluated to provide key inputs: product, pricing, retail structures, sales and distribution planning – A review of competition: extensive competitive profiling in areas such as positioning, bran d, target segments, value proposition, market offer, pricing, customer care, sales & distribution, enable assessment of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses Threats and opportunity analysis: analysis of relevant threats and opportunities that the product might face. An internal SWOT highlight areas of valid advantages and disadvantages, providing input to market entry positioning and value proposition – Objectives and issues: description of limitations or possibilities within the current plan that affect objectives to attain or issues that might affect market and segment growth – Identification of marketing strategy: outline of how Nike is to create customer value and the specific of target markets. It is also referred to specific strategies of the marketing mix (4Ps) and how they relate to threats and opportunities. – Action programs: how marketing strategies will be turned into actions – Budgets: shows expected revenue, expected marketing cost and ROI Conclusions from the market analysis together with internal SWOT and identified strategic risk areas form the basis for describing the market entry/opportunity. Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Current marketing situation 3. Threats and opportunities analysis 4. Objectives and issues 5. Marketing strategy 6. Conclusion REFERENCE I. Current Market Situation 1 Market description Bulgaria isn't renowned for specialist sports stores. The news for sports goods businesses is generally positive, given Bulgaria's negative expectations for rapid economic development being one of the poorest members of the EU. Meanwhile, some analysts expect sports clothing and shoes to climb in demand. â€Å"The global economic crisis has not yet significantly affected the sport goods market because when people cannot afford to buy apartments they prefer buying goods such as trainers,† said Kr Tsonov, (Director of Sport Depot). Tsonov said annual turnover of branded sport goods in Bulgaria last year was approximately Euros63 million, relatively small for a population of 7. 5 million people. The figure doesn't include significant equipment imports from China and Thailand. Germany's Adidas has some 40% of the market share, with revenues of about Euros 39 million annually. The US Nike and German Puma brands each earn Euros 19 and 13 million over the same period. The Bulgarian sport goods market is still developing. Branded sport clothes and shoes are generally favored sales compared to specialized sport equipment, including that for extreme sports. But the current small volume of sales is the main reason why large international sports chains have yet to enter the market. Currently, specialized sport goods are offered by a large number of retailers, but most dealers have just one store. In Sofia, there are about 20 such stores and countrywide there are around 70. But mass distribution has yet to gain a stronghold. When it does, as large brands seek to leverage growth in untapped territory with franchising deals, the Bulgarian sports market will streak away. The main consumers of Nike products can be divided into the following major segments: proffessional athletes (approximately 65  000); †¢ active amateurs (between 20-55 years of age, 368 728), †¢ students (fashion or trend fostered, approx. 896 734); †¢ young active people (between 15-19 years of age, who practice sport for good body shape or just for health, approx. 220 937) and †¢ people from upscale market (usually earn above the average for the country, who would like to feel comfortable and look good when training, approx. 00  000). (Ministry of physical education and sport, 2011, National Statistical Institute 2011) Professional athletes seek better performance and to reach the best of their potential. Product characteristics include light weight, high innovation and cushion technology. For instance Carl Lewi’s custom-designed pair of golden-colored Nike racing spikes made with Zytel, sources state that each shoe weighed about 94 grams. Active amat eurs and people from upscale market are concerned with low risk of injuries and better performance. Product can be viewed with light weight and cushioning technology. Air Max a renowned running shoe by Nike, specially designed to provide the ultimate in impact protection — reducing shock and distributing pressure, best characterizes the product. (www. footlocker. com/searchresults/keyword:nike+air+max/) Students and young active people have similar traits – comfort and trend. Design and cushioning technology is what the product is aimed for. Good example is the online Nike shop, where you can custom your gear – shoes. http://nikeid. nike. com/nikeid/index. jsp#home In general, Nike’s products are considered to be upscale and versus the competitors the pricing is relative higher. Given that the product prices are realistic Nike is offering to its customers, it is doubtful whether all customers think alike. This may represent a weakness, having in mind the lower output of the economy in Bulgaria. To overcome any future problems, especially in high price line, Nike is open for emerging technologies and heavily invests in innovation towards the development of new products, specifically the Nike Alpha Project, a revolutionary new line of athletic shoes. Nike was negligent in the past towards the mid-to lower-price-point products, which offers another gap for improvement. To better develop competitive position at all price points more resources and time should be dedicated. There is a great potential in the lower price point and these are needs that can meet the specific characteristics of the Bulgarian market. A. J. Almaney, Ph. D. (2000) 1 Product review According to Nike, the following shoe styles will be available online in January 2012 refering to the launch date. Regular follow up or update can be found @NikeStore on Twitter. These styles may also be available  at  authorized Nike retailers or authorized Jordan retailers. |JORDAN | |DATE |STYLE NAME |COLOR |PRICE |STYLE # | |01/07/12 |Air Jordan 8. 0 |Black/Dark Concord-Anthracite-Orion Blue |$150 |467807-009 | |01/11/12 |CP3. V |Black/White-Stealth |$120 |487428-003 | |01/19/12 |Fly Wade II |White/Varsity Red-Black |$145 |479976-101 | | | | | | | |BASKETBALL | |DATE |STYLE NAME |COLOR |PRICE |STYLE # | |01/06/12 |Zoom Kobe VII |White/Black-Concord-Neutral Grey |$180 |488244-100 | | | | | | | |AIR FORCE 1's & NIKE SPORTSWEAR | |DATE |STYLE NAME |COLOR |PRICE |STYLE # | |01/14/12 |Air Force 1 |Black/Black |$90 |488298-007 | |01/14/12 |Air Force 1 |Cargo Khaki/Cargo Khaki |$90 |488298-300 | |01/15/12 |Air Max '95 |Obsidian/Obsidian-White-Action Red |$150 |609048-400 | |01/21/12 |Air Force 1 |White/Obsidian |$90 |488298-105 | http://help-us. nike. com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20727 2 Marketing Mix adapted by Nike for Bulgarian Market Nike has been developing its Marketing Mix based on product, price, place and promotion. Thus, seeking the right marketing mix to best contribute to its goal of maximum profitability. Product: Nike understands the importance to satisfy every aspect of the consumer market in Bulgaria. To penetrate the competition and gain market share Nike should have an extensive range of products. Key point is to provide features, designs, various brands, packaging and benefits like extra warranties and after sale service. There is need to cater different market segments and every segment has specific requirements as well as individuals. Customized solutions of the product can be offered and shaped as per the requirements of the customer. Warranties of one year can be offered for the products and in case of defects or problems occur after purchase a replacement can be offered. This can be referred as after sale service and will help in keeping loyal customers. The competitor Addidas is offering only 6 month warranties for the Bulgarian market. There is an increasing interest in the consumer for high end brands and collaboration with other companies could trigger more sales and recognition. E. g. selling i-pods with their jogging shoes range. Price: Internationally Nike is positioned at high-end consumer market with high disposable income looking for better service and top of the line product. Basically the strategy is to provide high cost with maximum profitability, hence high profit margins. That can be justified by higher cost for innovations and advertisement collaboration with top sport athletes. A possible solution specifically for Bulgaria to overcome the high cost is to introduce special promotions during the festive season or low sales periods or by selling out old models. Place: Nike has developed wide range of distribution channels worldwide. Appropriate for the local market are retail channels: retails stores, brand stores and exclusive show rooms. Online shopping is another means of distributing its various products and its less costly compared to the rest methods. Distributers are commonly engaged to support its retail outlets. Factory outlets can have a major role in the down market, where discounted products can be disposed. Promotion: Nike has one of the most comprehensive promotion and advertising. To build awareness, brand image and loyalty Nike can use for the local market advertising, sales promotions, advertisement campaigns, public relations, publicity and sales promotions. Nike often relates to top athletes from various sports – football, tennis, golf and etc. Nike also endorses various teams and clubs, such as Levski Football team. It can use shows for product placement or it can sponsor various events – Sofia marathon, Football Cup, Golf tournaments, like Black Sea Rama or even new stadium as it did with â€Å"Alliance Arena† Nike also can use local celebrities in their advertisements to increase brand loyalty by utilizing the brand image of such celebrities. http://www. slideshare. net/hemanthcrpatna/a-report-on-consumer-behaviour-in-nike 3 A review of competition The rivalry among competitors is quite high for the industry. Nike, Adidas and Puma have grown at a remarkable rate, each offering more choices, more innovations and new trends. Marketing has performed very aggressively by sponsoring different teams and social responsibilities. Main competitors of Nike are Adidas with income for 2008 39  890 bnl and Puma with income for the same period 13  883 bnl. Nike currently is standing in second place with just over 19  248 bnl. Trade register 2007) Market positions and strategies for product quality, pricing, distribution and promotion Adidas Adidas manufactures running shoes, football boots, most famous for the Predator range, basketball Pro Model shoes. In addition Adidas makes sport apparel for tennis, rugby, football, lacrosse and separate line for gymnastics. Adidas has followed the steps of Puma and has entered the lifestyle market by offering deodorants, aftershaves, perfumes and watches. Adidas is a well known brand. Main customers are similar to Nike are athletes and sport enthusiasts. The brand appeals to both men and women and even children. Age group is between 15-35 years. Strength of Adidas include: competitive pricing, effective marketing strategy (sponsorship), market leadership (rivals Nike and Puma for local market), strong online presence (internet site facebook page and linkedin), strong distribution chain (outlets and malls – Sofia, Serdica, Tsarigradsko shousse, City, main distributer – Elmec Bulgaria), partner with leading teams – Ludogorec and Litex Weaknesses of Adidas: high cost structure, over pricing, warranty of products (only 6 months vs. Nike 1 year), no prominent local sport star advertising for brand http://bg-bg. facebook. com/pages/Adidas-Bulgaria/179106108842362 http://bg. linkedin. com/pub/dir/Atanas/Temelkov Puma Currently Puma runs in third on the local market versus Adidas and Nike. It has a different approach towards the market. Long term mission is to be the most desirable sports lifestyle brand. Thus, offering different segmentation ranging from sports (soccer, running, golf, sailing, motorsport), sport fashion (alliance with: the black label, Alexander McQueen, Yasuhiro Mhara, Rudolf Dassler) and sport lifestyle (watches, fragrances, eye-ware). Strength of Puma: fashionable brand, credible reputation, diversification, sponsoring FT Slavia, Chernomorets and Lokomotiv Sofia. Weaknesses of Puma: innovation follower, lack of market share http://www. slideshare. net/rwbcapel/pumafinal II. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Microeconomic situation is steadily favorable. Nike continues to increase the number of representative stores in key places in the major cities. Puma and Addidas, the major competitors are fighting intensively for the piece of the pie. Entering of substitute goods on the current market is a treat for the increase of sales. Factors, which determine the demand for the Nike products are their price, revenue of the consumer, substitute goods, taste of the consumer and advertising. Increasing of raw materials might decrease sales for the products. Same goes if there is presence of substitute goods or similar products. Sports Equipment retail sales in Bulgaria increased at a compound annual growth rate of 8. 7% between 2003 and 2008. Ball sports equipment sales led the sports equipment market with a share of 38. 3% in 2008. Other specialists were the leading retail format for ball sports equipment in 2008 Datamonitor (2010). Opportunities †¢ Athletic shoes and apparel have become a must for all consumers worldwide. This is due to both the increasing numbers of people exercising and the trend towards casual apparel. †¢ Competition is fierce at all levels in within the industry, especially among the leaders. This creates a sense of security for the companies that have been able to create a niche. †¢ Cost cutting due to restructuring of operations will give many companies the chance to price products more competitively. †¢ One area in the industry that is ever changing is research and development. The strong departments will surely capitalize on the trends of tomorrow if their efforts are successful. †¢ E-tailing, or customer-designed internet stores, is threatening the traditional distribution channels, thus excluding intermediates and allowing for increasing profitability. Threats †¢ The industry has reached a level of maturity. While style and technology in athletic apparel and footwear has reached a leveling-off point, the important aspect now is for companies to differentiate their lines. †¢ Inflation is reaching higher levels over the Bulgarian economy, which may decrease in consumer spending. †¢ Consumers are becoming savvier and may lean towards discounted items or look for substitutes. In terms of market saturation, many of the key manufacturers in this industry have been around for many years. Consumers may be scanning the market for new and different footwear and apparel products. III. Marketing Objectives and Issues Providing best quality and ba lanced priced shoes range and apparel to the customer with a special focus on the big cities like Sofia, Varna, Bourgas. Another objective is to make available the product to as many marketable stations as possible. In addition to focus on all types of customers including old aged, young men and women and children as well. †¢ Have strong representation at local and international major sporting events. Advertising at Local Football Cup in addition Champions and Europe League, Tennis tournament Zagorka Master, Volleyball Champions League and local Playoffs, local Golf tournaments – Black Sea Rama, . †¢ Maintain Brand associations with major sport stars – Grigor Dimitrov, Tzvetana Pironkova and Dimitar Berbatov †¢ Effective use of Corporate Event Sponsorships. ie. , Nike Tour Golf †¢ Develop a website solely dedicated to the Nike brand. Nike has multiple websites all integrated by Nike. com †¢ Use Nike brand loyalty to increase sales. †¢ Create a product image that differentiates from the competition. Swoosh become way of life. †¢ Increase product awareness through using an ntegrated marketing approach – 30 second TV spots, Full page magazine advertising, Varying sized billboards Competition is stiff and already has good background on the local market. Key issues that might affect the attainment of the marketing objectives is for com petitors to foresee and adapt to current environment prior to Nike and approach key sport stars and use corporate event sponsorships for their brand awareness. Competitors will definitely follow Nike in its conquest for taking market share and probably use similar methods for generating more customers. Depend in large part on first mover and economy of scale. IV. Marketing Strategy Nike hopes to create customer value and relationships by identifying three key to success strategies that they believe will be instrumental in reaching sustainable profitability. The first  is the necessity to meet the customer's needs by offering the most comprehensive selection and knowledgeable staff. The second key to success strategy is  the need to monitor the competitive environment in an effort to ensure differentiation. And the third need is to create venues and environments for open dialogue and multitude of perspectives. This can be accomplished through proper product, pricing and promotion decisions. Product strategy: several lines of athletic shoes and apparel, diverse product mix consisting of athletic shoes apparel and equipment. Pricing strategy: product skimming strategy and product line pricing. Promotion strategy: advertising (repeat messages at low cost), direct marketing (through e-shop) and public relations (sponsorship of FT Levski). http://www. bplans. com/sports_clothing_retail_shop_business_plan/executive_summary_fc. php#ixzz1ioAOO2X2 V. Conclusion In this industry there is an intense competition, fashion trends and price sensitive consumers that have slowed the growth of this industry. Financially speaking the companies must be aware the economy is slowing and it should keep its revenues high and costs low. Internet is a huge perspective for Nike in Bulgaria, as the service is gaining more popularity than ever and it must keep user friendly apps to generate more customers than the competition. The well know formula to do this is to keep site simple and user friendly. By offering great deal and various promotions through online channels there is a potential to bring more customers and consequently more revenue and improve relationship with its clients. On the other hand involving in different events, sponsorship and tournaments could shine the brand picture and gain positive trend toward the competition. Brand awareness will be retaliated and will give competitive advantage, thus gaining more market share in the long run. REFERENCE 1. (www. footlocker. com/searchresults/keyword:nike+air+max/) 2. 2010 Form 10-K, Nike, Inc.. // United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 3. http://bg. linkedin. com/pub/dir/Atanas/Temelkov 4. http://bg-bg. facebook. com/pages/Adidas-Bulgaria/179106108842362 5. ttp://condor. depaul. edu/aalmaney/StrategicAnalysisofNike. htm 6. http://help-us. nike. com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20727 7. http://nikeid. nike. com/nikeid/index. jsp#home 8. http://www. hktdc. com/info/mi/a/imn/en/1X06BN12/1/International-Market-News/B ulgarian-Sports-Market-Limbers-Up. htm 9. http://www. marktforschung. de/studien-shop/marktdaten/sports-equipment-sales-via-key-retail-formats-in-bulgaria-to-2013-33721/? xtypocommerce%5Bcat%5D= 10. http://www. nikebiz. com/crreport/content/strategy/2-1-5-on-the-horizon. php? cat=cr-strategy 11. http://www. slideshare. net/hemanthcrpatna/a-report-on-consumer-behaviour-in-nike 12. http://www. slideshare. et/rwbcapel/pumafinal 13. Kotler, P. , Wong, P. , Sounders, J. & Armstrong, G. (2005). Principles of Marketing (4th European ed. ). 14. Latest materials improve sportswear performance†. ICIS Chemical Business. http://www. icis. com/Articles/2008/08/04/9144388/latest-materials-improve-sportswear-performance. html. Retrieved 2008-10-14. 15. Ministry of Physical Education And Sport (2011). National plan for development of physical education and sport 2011-2020. Retrieved on November 24,2011, from http://mpes. government. bg/Documents/Documents/Strategii/Strategia_2011-2020. pdf 16 . National Statistical Institute (2011), Population census in the Republic of Bulgaria, Retrieved on November 26, 2011, from National Statistical Institute website: http://www. nsi. bg/census2011/pageen2. php? p2=179 17. Nike 2010 Annual Report  : 18. Nikebiz  : Company Overview  : History  : 1960s, 19. Peters, Jeremy W. (August 19, 2009). â€Å"The Birth of ‘Just Do It' and Other Magic Words†. The New York Times. http://www. nytimes. com/2009/08/20/business/media/20adco. html? _r=3&ref=business. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 20. Principles of Marketing, Kotler and Armstrong, 14th edition (2011) 21. Registry agency (2007), Commercial register, Retrieved on December 23, 2011, from https://public. brra. bg/CheckUps/Verifications/VerificationPersonOrg. ra 22. www. nike. com

Health Care Communication Paper Essay

Our facility is going to be changing a lot in the weeks and months to come. As the administration of the nursing home, I am going to make sure that this transition happens as smoothly as possible. The patients that have decided to stay must try their hardest to adhere to the new policies that have been set. The patients that have decided to go somewhere else will very greatly missed. The patients who cannot communicate their decision for one reason or another will be placed where the staff and I see fit, whether it be in our facility or somewhere else. This facility wants to ensure all patients and residents that we want to make these changes as painless as possible. Thank all of you for the time you have given the staff and me these last ten years, and for the time you will give in the future. There are three different types of communication in the medical field: traditional communication, electronic communication, communication through social media. There are advantages and disadvantages to each different type of communication. Traditional communication includes speaking face to face and mail (letters). Electronic modes of communication are email phone (home or cell phone), texting, and chatting. Social media involves communicating with several people or just one person at a time using public forums or private messaging through such websites facebook and twitter. Each and every type of communication is equally as important as the other but they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Traditional forms of communication as simple as can be but they can confuse anyone if every step is not done correctly. You would think that speaking to someone face to face would be the best way to communicate but this is not always the case. Anyone can miscommunicate what they are trying to say. There can be other barriers like language barriers and also emotional barriers. If someone speaks a different language it can be hard to understand them unless there is an interpreter available, which isn’t always possible. Emotional barriers are hard because when health care is involved things can go wrong and people then become angry, sad, and/or tired. When this happens they may not want to listen to or respond to their doctors. Face to face communication is good too because you can ask questions then and there, and receive advice from your physician without having to wait too long. Mail can be very annoying because it can take days or weeks to reach its destination and more days or weeks to receive a response. The only good thing about mail would be that you will have documentation of your physician’s opinions and test results. Traditional communication methods have been around for a long time but times are changing and these types of communication are becoming few and far between. Electronic communication seems to be where most people end up communication, even to our doctors and other health care officials. We call, email, and even text to tell doctors and nurses our health care problems before we even consider actually going to a doctor’s office and speaking to the doctor in person. These communication techniques are good because we can receive answers to our questions also instantly if the health care official isn’t busy. One disadvantage is that someone may not get back to you as soon as you would like; which will leave you at home, wondering what you should do. Electronic communication isn’t exactly the best form of health care because if the doctor cannot actually see the patient and test their symptoms they cannot defiantly tell a patient what is wrong with them. Social media is becoming more and more popular every day because it is a way to keep in touch with people we don’t see every day. It has also become home for all kinds of new and old information, including health care information. This can be a great way to communicate about health care because people can learn new things about health care and medicine every day. People can also communicate with organizations full of doctors and nurses who can teach patients about any news in the health care world and advise patients on how to take care of themselves. This may sound great but there are terrible disadvantages to this type of health care communication. You never know who you are actually speaking to on the internet. What could appear to be an organization of doctors and nurses who want to offer free health care advice could be someone who knows absolutely nothing about medicine. Social media websites are not the best place to look for any sort of medical advice because patients want real help.