Marketing Plan for a New Product

Current Market Situation Baba Buddy is a toy for little children aged three years and below. The toy is an innovative idea that was developed by Arnold Amacha who has worked in the cartoon industry for 20 years. The combined efforts of Arnold and his wife Mary Amacha have brought forth the entrepreneurial activities witnessed in Baba Buddy Industries. The toy is new in the market but it faces stiff competition from brands such as Telletubies, Barbie Toys, Brown Babies and Bunny Rabbits.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Plan for a New Product specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The latest statistics indicate that there are 2 million babies born every year in America and the age group below three years includes about 5 million kids. Baba Buddy is a toy that is too interesting for kids to share and so each child requires a personal product. From the design and practical use of the product, it will be understoo d why the developers perceive that each child have his or her own Baba Buddy toy. The market is however proliferated by toys meant for young children. Telletubies holds majority of the customers with 35% market share while Barbie Toys holds 20%, Brown Babies 15% and Bunny Rabbits 12%. The remaining 22% is shared between dozens of small scale toy manufacturers who target low income consumers. It will be of great importance that Baba Buddy positions itself well in the market so as to appeal to its customer segments using the appropriate marketing strategies. Market description The market of Baba Buddy consists of the expectant mothers and parents of children aged three years and below. This market is very large because there are many people who become expectant every year whether through planned or unplanned pregnancies. The aim of Baby Buddy is to provide young children with safe and educative toys which provide both entertainment and knowledge. The customer segments identified by Ba ba Buddy marketers include the following: high class customers who have a monthly income above 3000 USD, middle income earners earning between 1000-3000 USD and low income earners earning anything below 1000 USD. The targeted customer segment will include children between 12 and 24 years. Children below one year are not targeted because they require colorful and noisy toys which they can grab but those between 1 and 2 years can play with toys with informative details such as numbers and the alphabet. Product review The Baba Buddy toy will be designed in the shape of a sheep. It will have a flurry covering which will be white in color. The sheep will be the size of a pillow and it will have letters of the alphabet spelt on one side and the numbers 0-10 written boldly on the other.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Baba Buddy toy will have a tail which if twisted triggers a musical alarm which sings â€Å"Baba black sheep have you any wool, yes sir yes sir three black wool†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The neck of the sheep will also have a button which, if pressed, initiates the recitation of the alphabet and numbers 1 to 10. This musical theme will be intended on getting children to recite these syllables so as to assist them with pronunciation. This toy will be ideal for children aged between 12 and 24 months as they have the ability to comprehend their surroundings. Competitor review The toy market has been proliferated by competing products because children have always been there since the beginning of time. The toy industry began centuries ago since children have always had the need to play with items that are around them. In the US toy market, there are four major players who aggressively compete for market share. Telletubies which are the market leaders have the advantage of a strong brand because of their famous cartoon series which was aired all over the wo rld. The Telletubies Show captured children from all backgrounds and races and this was translated into sales through development of the Telletubies toys. Telletubies toys are highly priced because of their brand name and they are mostly bought by high class consumers. Barbie Toys, on the other hand, are slightly cheaper than Telletubies but are more available in the market as the strategy adopted by the producing company is the market penetration strategy. Brown Babies are commonly bought by parents who have rough kids. They are made from tough materials which last long and are harder to tear. The Bunny Rabbit toys have the shape of a bunny which resembles the Bugs Bunny, a character from Walt Disney. The shape of the famous bunny is what provides competitive advantage to this competitor. Channels and Logistics Review Baba Buddy will be distributed in retail stores such as Babies Us R and Toys Us R. These retailers are ideal because they are already established and have a ready mar ket for toys. Many parents are loyal customers of these stores and so Baba Buddy toys will get a ready audience if marketed in these stores. Stores like Walmart will also be convenient for the distribution purposes because they stock a wide range of toys. This will give Baba Buddy toys competitive advantage since they are unique in design and will be attractively packaged. When displayed together with other toys, Baba Buddy toys will stand out because of their sheepish shape and pillow size. Some shopping parents may even buy it in place of a teddy bear or ordinary pillow for their children. SWOT Analysis The SWOT Analysis is a powerful analytical tool that is useful in the assessment of the environment in which Baba Buddy operates in. It is a summary of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which exist in the internal and external business environments. These are assessed below.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Plan for a New Product speci fically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strengths Baba Buddy toys have several advantages that prove to be strong points for their success in the market. With the price of $14 or between $13 and $15 depending on location, Baba Buddy toys are set to appeal to new parents and day care guardians who commonly go for cheap items. The strategy to use a low price so as to attract the greatest number of customers within a short time will enable the company to penetrate the market easily. The low price will also catch the attention of shoppers who will want to try out the new product which is good looking and affordable. Other than the attractive price, the design of Baba Buddy will also greatly appeal to many customers. The pillow size and the shape of a sheep will be something that parents will want their children to have. The design can also make some parents kill many birds with one stone since they will not have to buy teddy bears if they get this to y. Baba Buddy is developed by people who have been in the cartoon business for a long time. Arnold Amacha will be of much benefit to the team of professionals who manage the production and sale of the toy. His experience in the cartoon industry gives him great knowledge on how to handle and entertain children. It is this experience and skill that led to the innovativeness seen in the Baba Buddy toy. The marketing strategy adopted by the company will also give competitors a hard time to outdo Baba Buddy because the market is perfectly competitive. They may have to forego some portion of profits if they want to compete against the affordable prices of Baba Buddy toys. Weaknesses The market for Baba Buddy toy will be a new market for the product which is also fresh. Entry into a new market is not an easy task and this will provide great challenges for the marketing team. Since the product is also new, it will require a lot of convincing before potential customers are turned into actual customers. The new product will also lack customer loyalty within the first few months since it will be unknown and untested in the market. These factors will be disadvantageous to the marketing team who will have to come up with measures to overcome these barriers. Baba Buddy is a new brand and thus the market lacks brand awareness as far as the product is concerned. The Baba Buddy toy is also larger than the average toys in the market. Most toys are smaller in size as compared to Baba Buddy and so before customers get used to the large size, much time will have elapsed. Opportunities There are elements available in the toy market which Baba Buddy toys can benefit from. The toy market is getting larger since more and more parents are adopting technology and the modern ways of life. Toys were not traditionally bought by conservative parents. Conservatism is however decreasing as more parents are opening up to modern lifestyles and products. In this wave of change, Baba Buddy stands to gain from the increased openness and acceptability of toys.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As more parents become more modern, they will be more likely to buy toys and Baba Buddy can gain from this new set of customers. The global financial crisis has also made consumers weary of prices and budget conscious. They will in future not go after expensive luxury commodities such as toys. The competitors who sell at higher prices might suffer losses as customers go for cheaper toys such as Baba Buddy. Threats While opportunities increase the likelihood of prosperity for a product, threats are elements in the external environment which threaten the profitability of a product. Even though there are many competitors already in the toy market, this does not stop additional companies from entering the market. New products reach the store shelves everyday and children get more exposed to different types of toys. As the market continues to grow, so does the rate of proliferation of toys. There is also increased importation of toys from China which offers cheap products. These toys wil l threaten the profitability of Baba Buddy since their prices will be as competitive as our product. Increased competition might force Baba Buddy to consider lowering the price further yet the set price is already very low and almost at the break-even level. Aggressive marketing will be required to overcome these set of challenges identified in the external environment. This essay on Marketing Plan for a New Product was written and submitted by user Shaun Peck to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essays

Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essays Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essay Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essay The Vietnam War was indeed one of the more relevant precursors to the counterculture that have happened in the 1960’s. As the government of the United States declared their continuing pursuit in fighting the war in Vietnam, thousands of Americans, specially the college students were outraged by this decision and began to start anti-war protests and rallies that have initiated the counterculture at that time. According to Sayre (2007), the rallies against the war that is happening begun gradually in 1965 in Berkley, California and then there were numerous anti-war protests, strikes and demonstrations in many colleges and universities.urthermore, Sayre (2007) has further detailed that the defining moment of the countercultures in the 60’s happened when four student protestors were murdered by the Ohio National Guardsmen. This has sparked the rage of many students across the country were the once peaceful rallies turned into violent uprisings. After the last of the America n troops had left Vietnam, the anti-war protests soon died out eventually.The anti-war sentiments had sparked an alternative lifestyle that had become a part of the counterculture of the 60’s. According to Sayre (2007), the popular cultures that had risen in these times are the hippies, yippees, infatuation for organic food, civil rights movement, drugs and rock and roll music to name a few.Cultural influences of the lifestyle of that period are still evident in today’s society. We can still see the resemblance of the today’s younger generation to the counterculture of the 60’s with regards to the physical attributes, wants, preferences. The youth are still idealistic, persistent and willing to fight for what they think is the right decision to make.

Self-mutilation is Self-healing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-mutilation is Self-healing - Essay Example This is an attempt at summarizing Max Malikow's article in Education Digest. His is a challenging theme anent self-cutting by students in schools. Not too many psychologists have dared tread this highly sensitive area of research and immense human importance. About two million students in The United States schools deeply cut their skin from a part of their body. How really painful this has to be. They do not think, fear or bother about this resulting pain when they go for cutting.Cutting behavior is an off shoot of intensity. 'Silent clamoring around of human feelings and their gathering momentum over a period of time from within' leads to acts of self-cutting, self-harm and giving pain to one's own self. This is like the sudden bursting of an erstwhile apparently sleeping volcano. The gathering momentum is released. The damage is also done. The road to normalcy is also seen more clearly after this volcanic outburst! The damage is physical. Relief is emotional. The question of return to normal life relates to social context. Indeed, "Cutters are determined to hide the self-abusive behaviors and are adept at doing so. They fear discovery and being thought of as being crazy. Parents often deny this behavior".This attitude of denial and fearfulness needs to be curbed. Do not cut cutters. Prevention of cutting behavior is essential. Removing its causes is essential. Teachers in schools and parents of cutters must know that cutters need not be treated as having suicidal tendencies. They are merely neurotic. They fear social humiliation. They must not be ignored and put aside. More creative and thoughtful consideration of their behavior is required. Their feelings must be given a fulsome opportunity for fuller expression. 'Rejection' is the most fearful proposition to cutters. They need attention without being to overt about this. Three major reasons are extended for cutting behavior. These are distraction, dissociation and symbolism. They are distracted towards self-injury for they fear what they feel. Their numbness of physical sensations and emotions occur due to pressure and intensity of feelings. This creates in them disassociation and de-personalization. This leads to self-injury. The experience of pain reassures cutters they are alive and human. Depersonalization can be stopped by self-injury. After self-injury, flowing of blood is an outward expression of an inner release of undesirable emotion. Blood and physical pain appear as a symbolism for release of intensity, tension and fear. This tendency of cutting must be treated through a teacher who can render valuable support to a self-injuring student. The treatment includes behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, and medication. The last technique of medication must not be resorted to as far as possible. Public condemnation of cutters must never be there. For B. F. Skinner, they must be given sympathetic hearing. Exclusive assignments must be given to them. They must never be ignored. Patience and perseverance of a teacher will pay here. Personal Opinion and Analysis A sympathetic approach to cutting behavior and a positive way of looking at this phenomenon must be appreciated. It is only through this attitude that several other challenges to this world can also be properly looked into. Wide spread practice of self-injury among schooling going children, specially adolescents, is a very serious issue for educationists and others. A positive outlook and considerate stance is necessary for treating and preventing this apparently negative happening among students.

Ch.15 - Book - America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System by Essay

Ch.15 - Book - America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System by David W. Neubauer, Henry F. Fradella - Essay Example determined by the parole board who take into account the minimum sentence plus the prisoner’s good behaviour while in jail (positive rehabilitation). Liberal criticism of indeterminate sentencing law is based upon the fact that people who have committed similar crimes usually serve different number of years. This discrepancy creates an ambiguous sentencing system. Conservatively, indeterminate sentencing is based on the principle of rehabilitation. Evidence in the 1970s revealed that rehabilitation had very little impact on the convict’s future decisions with respect to crime. The rehabilitation system also focused on the convict, neglecting the crime and the victims. There was no sense of punishment, retribution or deterrence. Indeterminate sentencing were once very popular but it was however noted that at times judges were too lenient and that rehabilitation did not stop convicts from committing more crimes in the future. Legislature therefore instituted mandatory minimum sentences that had to be served irrespective of good behaviour. Apart from this, sentencing guidelines were also adopted to prevent ambiguous sentencing. Finally, legislatures adopted three-strike laws that act as reinforcement to rehabilitation measures. Indeterminate laws were very common in the 1970s but we however full of inconsistencies. Due to several criticisms about their effectiveness, legislatures around the country undertook several modifications in order to justify its

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

Costing - Essay Example The Target costing method is widely used in the RD&E phase of the total life cycle of a good. The Target costing accounting method has been extensively used since time immemorial. This method dates back to the early 20th century at the height of industrial revolution in Europe and North America. Henry Ford, the famous engineer designed the first vehicle in 1908 in a factory with an aim of minimizing costs and maximizing profits through mass production. Ford managed to retail the T model vehicle at an average of $ 495 in the year 1913 (Wilson 2013). Understandably, for him to achieve that fete, the engineer and his planners had to minimize production costs to a bare minimum. Henry Ford accounted for raw material expenses through a backward integration process, labour expenses through specialization and division of labour and other expenses through frugal behaviour. Fords Company received a boost after the end of the Second World War (WWII) for the demand for the vehicles rose sharply (Wilson 2013). With increased demand, the price for the vehicle increased upwards. Because Target costing is normally applied to fresh merchandise planning, which mostly needs investments in new tools and equipment, it is justifiably correct to say that price influences both investments and expenses. The Total life cycle cost accounting method is a broad way for company executives to comprehend and account for costs through merchandises design, creation, and manufacturing, promotion, delivery, maintenance, service and clearance phases. It denotes a process of organizing all expenses along the value chain (Keuper 2011). By way of employing this method, cost managers are able to salvage some significant costs. By selected approximations, about 80% of goods total life expenses are committed by assessments made in the course of the RD& E phase, emphasizing the significance of managing all expenses along the value

Literature Review of Buyer Behaviour Models

Literature Review of Buyer Behaviour Models The purpose of marketing is to make consumers develop an urge for a particular product even if they are not looking for the same. That is why organisations are required to understand the behaviour of customers before marketing their products in a more desirable way. Consumer behaviour is defined as the way the consumers act or behave when looking for, buying and using products (ODougherty, Haynes, Davies OConnor, 2007). Consumer behaviour is significant to businesses as they determine the nature of the prospective buyers. Knowing consumer behaviour helps business enterprises to find out the best way to advertise the products in order to attract a particular set of consumers. In the earlier times, shop keepers were able to acquire a fair understanding of consumer behaviour because they sold their products directly to the customers. However, with the increasing growth in the size of firms, opportunities of direct contact with consumers have lowered. Increasingly, managers are investing more to gain an insight on consumer behaviour. As a consequence, business and academic researchers invest more resources in studying consumer energy for the improvement of businesses. Literature Review Several academics and professional have conducted their research on consumer behaviour. A review of the literatures would include significant theories and studies in this perspective. Stimulus-Behaviour Model One of the oldest models in regards to consumer behaviour is stimulus-behaviour model. The following model propagates that marketing and other stimuli influence the buyers black box, producing certain responses (The Institute for Working Futures, n.d.). The stimuli can be of two kinds. The marketing stimuli or the marketing mix consist of 4 Ps including product, price, place and promotion. Others include economic, technological, political and cultural stimuli. All these stimuli move through the consumers black box and help them to make the product choice, brand choice, purchasing timing and purchasing amount. Figure 1: Stimulus-Behaviour Model (Source: Tyagi Kumar, 2004) Apart from this simplified model, several other models have been developed by the marketing scholars in the field of consumer behaviour. The most prominent models have been developed by John A. Howard and Jagdish N Sheth, Francesco M. Nicosia, James F. Engel, Roger D. Blackwell and David T. Kollat. The five stage model of buying process includes steps like recognizing the problems, searching for information, evaluating the alternatives, purchasing decision and post purchase behaviour of the consumers. After purchasing the products, the buyer is expected to feel some level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction regarding the product or service acquired. The number of organisational buying processes can be quite large. Product and service marketers have recognized that at every step of the buying process, the purchaser can have different requirements and various groups can get involved in the same. Buy Grid Model According to the Buy Grid model, the process of decision making within an organisation has two parts including buy phase model and buy class model. The stages in the Buy Phase model are quite similar to the buying stages discussed above. After identifying the requirements, industrial buyers pass through a number of processes including determination of requirements, specific description of the same, search for probable sources, assessment of the sources, selection of the same, establishment of order routine and appraisal of the performance feedback (Baker Hart, 2003). Figure 2: Buy Grid Model (Source: Baker Hart, 2003) Buy class has been added to the same model to create a grid. Buy class model refers to the various types of buying decisions; the decisions are mostly based on consumers experience about specific products or services. The new buying decision takes into account the products and services which have never been acquired, along with the entire process. The straight re-buy process and modified re-buy process consider less number of tasks as consumers do not need to spend time on searching for sources (Dwyer Fanner, 2008). Industrial Buying Behaviour Back in the year 1973, Sheth had proposed a model on the industrial buyers behaviour. The model is a complex one with a large number of variables integrated in it. Figure 3: An Integrated Model of Industrial Buying Behaviour (Source: Sheth, 1973) The model considers many variables. However, all of these variables hold relevance in the process that determines purchase decisions. Certain conditions are there which can be simplified depending on the situation. Prior to that, in the year 1966, Nicosia has proposed a model which included attitude, motivation and experience as the driving force behind the purchase process (Swarbrooke Horner, 2007). Buyer Seller Interaction In 1985, Campbell criticized the Sheth model for not considering the interplay between the marketing and purchasing strategies and their antecedents. Another disadvantage is that the model concentrates on the buyers side rather than paying attention to the sellers influence on buying behaviour. In contrast, an interaction model introduced by IMP group has focussed mostly on the interaction of the two parties giving almost equal importance to the characteristics of both the buyers and the sellers. According to the Campbell, the model includes three variable groups: the buyers characteristics, the product and the supplier. Figure 4: Buyer Seller Interaction (Source: Baker Hart, 2003) The above model considers few probable types of buyer and seller interaction strategies. These are competitive, cooperative and command. A joint occurrence of the above mentioned strategies can happen if both the parties have almost similar level of power and the switching cost to other suppliers is almost equal for every case. In command buying, the consumer is expected to have more power than the vendor. Cooperative buying mostly happens between the manufacturer and the distributor of the products, when cooperation is required between the two. The above model shows buyers and sellers characteristics with detailed discussion on the interaction. There are certain other concepts related to consumers buying behaviour. There are a number of people, directly and indirectly involved in the purchasing processes. The buying centre is comprised of all the people involved in the buying process. The initiator, user, buyer, influencer, decider and gatekeeper are individuals or groups involved in the various stages of the process. The initiator is the individual or group who first suggests the need of purchasing a particular product. The influencer is the individual or group, who would have his or her input in the entire process. People, controlling the information flow and access to concerned individuals in the organisations, are the gatekeepers of the entire process (Folsom Boulware, 2004). Apart from those mentioned above, there are several others involved in significant stages of the process. Conclusion After critically examining all these models, it was understood that most of these models have taken into account a number of broad factors which are comprehended according to the model specifications. Most of these models start with the initiation of expectations among the consumers. Certain other factors such as lifestyle of the users, status of the consumers, information sources such as exhibition and shows, advertisements, word- of-mouth may result in influential factors behind the consumers purchasing processes. Certain factors, such as time pressure and inherent risk are quite specific to the respective product and have the ability to put an impact on purchasing process. Apart from these, there can be certain other situational and company specific factors influencing the choice of suppliers (Sheth, 1973). Post-purchase satisfaction also triggers the re-buying process. Reference Baker, J., M Hart, S. 2003. The Marketing Book. Butterworth-Heineman. Dwyer, R., F. Fanner, F., J. 2008. Business Marketing. New York: McGraw Hill. Folsom, D. W. Boulware, R. 2004. Encyclopedia of American business. NewYork: Infobase Publishing. ODougherty, D., Haynes, R., Davies, V. M. OConnor, M. 2007. Consumer Behavior. South Africa: Pearson Education. Sheth, N. J. 1973. A Model of Industrial Buyer Behaviur. [Pdf]. Available at: http://www.jagsheth.net/docs/A%20Model%20of%20Industrial%20BuyerBehavior.pdf [Accessed on November 01, 2010]. The Institute for Working Futures. No Date. Consumer Buying Behavior. [Online]. Available at: http://www.marcbowles.com/courses/adv_dip/module12/chapter4/amc12_ch4_two.htm [Accessed on November 01, 2010]. Tyagi, L., C. Kumar, A. 2004. Consumer Behaviour. Atlantic Publishers Distribution. Swarbrooke, J. Horner, S. 2007. Consumer behaviour in tourism. USA: Elsevier Ltd.

The Influence of John Locke Essay -- Empiricists, Empiricism

John Locke was someone more than just an ordinary man. He was the son of a country attorney and born on August 29, 1632. He grew up during the civil war and later entered the Church of Christ, Oxford, where he remained as a student and teacher for many years. (Rivitch 23) With a wide variety of political and religious views, he expressed most of his personnel views on education and social and political philosophies. Once he noted the five lasting pleasures throughout his career were health, good news, knowledge, doing good, and eternal paradise. Many of his views both political and religious were found to be famous throughout history in many countries. Locke was one of the first people that thought religion and state should be separated. (Jenkins 123) Locke considered the formation of government from man’s own nature, whether or not government is formed because man is a social animal or if government is formed to preserve society. According to Locke, man must not think that all government in the world is the product only of force and violence, and that men live together by no other rules but that of beasts. Locke also felt that to understand political power right, and derive it from its origin. We must also consider what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature. Locke later published anonymously his Two Treaties of Government, and the essay Concerning Human Understanding. These writings were immediately successful and they both exerted a vast of influence. Between the both of these works, they made the dominant view of English thought through the greater part of the eighteenth century. J. Mathis 3 (Jenkins 56) John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government (1690) was a well-known and respected document. In the paper, he attacked the theory of diving right of kings and the nature of the state as conceived by the English philosopher and political theorist Thomas Hobbes. He did not believe that a king should become king because â€Å"God told him to be†, but rather, because he was qualified for the position, and also because the people felt he should be there. Locke argued that sovereignty did not reside in t... ...d be no connection between the state and the church, and neither could make laws concerning the other. John Locke’s influence of our forefathers has been profound and, with his application of experimental analysis to ethics, politics, and religion, he remains one of the most important and controversial philosophers of all time. His ideas and writings lived way beyond his time, and have proven to be the reason the colonies broke away from there mother country and learned to expect certain rights from their government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maybe if it wasn't for John Locke our government might not exist for his influential thinking. John Locke was and still is a very important part of our history. J. Mathis 5 Biography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Squadrito, Kathleen John Locke, Twayne Publishers  © 1979   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jenkins, John Understanding Locke, Edinburgh, Edinburgh   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press  © 1983   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eisenach, Eldon Two Worlds of Liberalism, Chicago, The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University of Chicago Press  © 1981   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rivitch, Daine and Thernstorm, Abigail the Democracy reader,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York, Harpercollins publishers  © 1992 pg 31-39   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 97 ,  © 1993-1996

Meiji Restoration

It is a fact that the Meiji Restoration managed to accomplish a great many revolutionary changes, but without a revolutionary level of violence. How did this happen? To understand this, one must know what the Meiji Restoration was and when it took place. It was through the years from 1867 to 1868 that the Tokugawa Era under the great Tokugawa Liasu came to an end with the Meiji restoration, in which the Emperor Meiji moved from Kyoto to Tokyo where the new Imperial Capital was established. However, at the same time, the actual political power was effectively transferred from Tokugawa to a group of small time noblemen, and Japan was forced to enter into treaties with Westerners, in much the same way as any other subjugated Asian nation. (Meiji Period 2002) In short, it can be stated that this period in the history of Japan has been termed a ‘renewal’, in which Japan’s political and social structure became unalterably changed, and because of which Japan launched into its industrialization period. Intended as a strong measure to consolidate power against the shogunate, the samurai and the daimyo, all remnants of the Edo government, Tokugawa lands were seized and placed under the ‘imperial control.’ (Meiji Restoration 2008) The Samurai had to be destroyed, and most Samurai, although they resented the change bitterly, had to comply.   With the Meiji restoration came electricity and wheels in the form of the first ‘rickshaw’ ever. Trains followed soon, as did several other reforms and changes, the most important of which was a semblance of democracy. Education became more important than before, and the nation started progressing in leaps and bounds. People now felt that they too had a say in how the country was to be run, and everywhere, everyone appeared to be satisfied with the advances that their country was making in all fields. (The Meiji Restoration (n.d) The issue here is this, how much influence did western powers have over the Meiji restoration in Japan? Were the radical ideas more in keeping in accordance with the local tenor, or were they drastically different? Why then did the shogunate fall quickly, without really offering any resistance? One of the most important things to remember when studying Japanese history is the fact that one must never consider the class struggles that are generally applied for revolutions of all kinds; instead, one must note that the interests of merchants and the ruling classes became so closely inter connected that anything that hurt one would automatically hurt the other. For example, all big merchants depended upon the interest from loans given to the samurai to survive, and the samurai were customers of the chonin, who felt that their own prosperity was closely tied up with the warrior classes, and this meant that they would not think of attacking the existing feudal system, even if it was unfair to them. As the Meiji restoration progressed, the samurai and the aristocrats stood together, thereby showing the world that the revolution in itself was not at all about a rising class that managed to destroy feudalism, nor was it a democratic revolt that offered greater power to representatives of the working classes of Japan. Researchers state confidently that the Meiji restoration would never have been possible but for interference that Japan received from Western powers, including British, American, French, German and Dutch. It is said that some small bits of advice were also obtained from the workers who had been engaged by the Japanese government in various positions such as pilots, engineers, financial advisers, and university and school teachers, among others. Historians believe that it was the presence of Westerners in Japan that undermined the Shogunate, and that this was one of the reasons why it fell so quickly without resistance. One must remember that the rapid economic growth in Japan during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries had made sure that the country was in a position of being readily transformed into a new social order, and by this time, the ‘absurd’ policies of Tokugawa had become completely foolish and outdated, given the social and political conditions in the country at the time. Nationalism and patriotism and national consciousness had also pervaded the people of Japan, and with the arrival of the Perry expedition, at which point of time the arrival of foreigners was considered an attack on the basic traditional values of Japan, the collapse became imminent, and one can understand that Western powers had intentionally or unintentionally applied pressure on Japan and had paved the way for the reforms about to take place, and for the fall of the Shogunate to happen. At the same time, one must also remember that even without Western influence from the United States, Great Britain and Russia among others, the radical reforms of the Meiji restoration would have been inevitable, and although several of the ideas were indeed shaped by Western influences, local flavors too played a very important role in the Meiji restoration and in the fall of the Shogunate. Therefore, it must be stated that the Meiji restoration is in actuality the result of two important factors: the decay within Japan of her present feudal society, and the pressure applied by Western powers to bring an end to Tokugawa’s outdated regime. (Chung, TK 2007) Works cited Meiji Period (1868-1912) â€Å"History† Japanguide.com (2002) Retrieved on February 25, 2008 from â€Å"The Meiji Restoration† History Text (n.d) Retrieved on February 25, 2008 from â€Å"Meiji Restoration† Wikipedia (2008) Retrieved on February 25, 2008 from Chung, TK â€Å"The Meiji Restoration, Background† The corner of the world (2007) Retrieved on February 25, 2008 from         

Free Essays on Blues Analysis

Blues analysis Lighting Hopkins, Mojo Hand Blues legend, Sam ‘Lightning’ Hopkins’ long career might be said to have begun in 1920s, but it was not until the blues revival of the late fifties that Hopkins’ music began to reach the white audience. He had a great ability to improvise songs. He didn’t rehearse his songs; he lived them. He made up songs about things he experienced in his neighborhood. When he went into the studio he recorded whatever came into his mind. He recorded a total of more than eighty-five albums and toured around the world. What makes him special among his many contemporaries is his uniqueness; he leaps out and makes you notice him. He’s like no one else. The first thing that strikes you is his voice. It’s like a snicker and a laugh. Then there is his guitar playing. He was a master and had a distinctive guitar style. Hopkins’ emotions are as tightly focused as his guitar playing throughout. He always sounds relaxed. He plays either solo or with a dru mmer nailing down the rhythm. One of the favorite songs sang by him, is ‘Mojo Hand’ recorded in New York City in 1960. It is a 12-bar song with six verses and it features very little improvisation. The general pattern (chord progression) of the verse is: C C G C F G C In this song the most notable instrument is the guitar, which serves as a rhythmic and a melodic beat at the same time. The song starts with the four verses that comply these patterns with some slight differences. After the 4th and 5th verse, a solo guitar is added accompanied with standard chord changes: C, C - G, C - F, G, C. When the drums come in, Hopkins takes advantage of their presence to extend his high note runs, leaving the drummer Francis Clay to hold down the rhythm. Vocal and guitar are both joint perfectly (there is slight distortion, which is for better). The text that is sung with the melody doesn’t synchronize perfectly with the chord changes, b... Free Essays on Blues Analysis Free Essays on Blues Analysis Blues analysis Lighting Hopkins, Mojo Hand Blues legend, Sam ‘Lightning’ Hopkins’ long career might be said to have begun in 1920s, but it was not until the blues revival of the late fifties that Hopkins’ music began to reach the white audience. He had a great ability to improvise songs. He didn’t rehearse his songs; he lived them. He made up songs about things he experienced in his neighborhood. When he went into the studio he recorded whatever came into his mind. He recorded a total of more than eighty-five albums and toured around the world. What makes him special among his many contemporaries is his uniqueness; he leaps out and makes you notice him. He’s like no one else. The first thing that strikes you is his voice. It’s like a snicker and a laugh. Then there is his guitar playing. He was a master and had a distinctive guitar style. Hopkins’ emotions are as tightly focused as his guitar playing throughout. He always sounds relaxed. He plays either solo or with a dru mmer nailing down the rhythm. One of the favorite songs sang by him, is ‘Mojo Hand’ recorded in New York City in 1960. It is a 12-bar song with six verses and it features very little improvisation. The general pattern (chord progression) of the verse is: C C G C F G C In this song the most notable instrument is the guitar, which serves as a rhythmic and a melodic beat at the same time. The song starts with the four verses that comply these patterns with some slight differences. After the 4th and 5th verse, a solo guitar is added accompanied with standard chord changes: C, C - G, C - F, G, C. When the drums come in, Hopkins takes advantage of their presence to extend his high note runs, leaving the drummer Francis Clay to hold down the rhythm. Vocal and guitar are both joint perfectly (there is slight distortion, which is for better). The text that is sung with the melody doesn’t synchronize perfectly with the chord changes, b...

The Chrysanthemums Summary and Analysis

The Chrysanthemums Summary and Analysis The Chrysanthemums Summary and Analysis NOTE! The following paper is just an example written by one of our staff writers. If you need an original summary of The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck feel free to place your order. John Steinbeck awakens us to an interesting account of The Chrysanthemums, a story set in Salinas, California. Steinbeck’s creativity and imagination take us through the tales and the atmosphere of his work. The Chrysanthemums, by the use of three primary characters, Henry Allen, his wife Elisa Allen and the Tinker allow the readers to follow-up on a fascinating family life set inside a cool and productive neighborhood. Thesis This essay undertakes to examine John Steinbeck’s work The Chrysanthemums with close references to published literature and sources. The paper will examine the theme, and related elements like the plot, setting, point-of-view and symbols related to the main characters Henry Allen, Elisa and the Tinker. The Chrysanthemums Analysis The author sets his book in winter, Salinas, California. Here, the weather is chilly and the fog extends to cover the hillside. Looking at Henry’s house, we can appreciate its setting and its clean compound. What is more, on Henry’s foothill ranch, there is a pile of hay and the orchards are anxiously waiting for the rain (Steinbeck 19). The brief description of Henry’s neighborhood extends to find his wife in the flower garden. Elisa Allen is busy working on her flower garden adorned in a gardening outfit, a man’s hat and shoes. The masculine outfit is completed by gloves at hand and an apron covering her dress. As she works away on the Chrysanthemums, she keeps on stealing occasional glances at her husband who is talking with two stranger men at a distance. The proceedings in John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums continue to capture the lengthened conversation between Henry and the two strangers. Shortly afterwards, the conversation is over and Henry approaches her wife Elisa who is busy working on the chrysanthemums. Eager to learn what the conversation was all about, Henry breaks the good news to her wife. The businessmen had come to discuss a deal with Henry. Henry states ‘’the men were from the Western Meat Company and had just bought thirty steers for a modest sum’’ (Steinbeck, 27). Henry is surprised and proposes to Elisa a celebration night out. However, before they leave, the tinker (a man who repairs pans and pots) enters. His entry is met with the sniffing of the dog. The Chrysanthemums Theme The Chrysanthemums succeeds to project the feelings of women to strong men. The conversation between Elisa and Tinker allows the readers to see the nature of attraction inherent to Elisa. Indeed, he states, ‘’Elisa is charmed when the tinker says he likes following good weather.’’ More specifically, this is so and especially when Tinker expresses his interest to the chrysanthemums which look explicit and blossom. From the novel, The Chrysanthemums theme of women and femininity is well displayed and especially when you look at the behavior associated with Henry’s wife. Her hardworking nature and charisma to work in the garden reflect the nature of chores associated with females. What is more, the attraction displayed by Elisa to Tinker in their conversation projects how easy women are lured into romance and affection. Relationships and family life is another primary theme of The Chrysanthemums that John Updike projects in his work. From the start to the finish, we appreciate Elisa is lonely and isolated, although beautiful. The author allows us to embark into family life and how women are rendered into solitude, both emotionally and sexually. What is more, he artistically and creatively criticizes this solitude because of Elisa’s attraction to another man other than Henry. This is a clear indication that marriages easily collapse due to lack of company by married couples. Elisa is disinterested as seen in her response to proposals made by her husband. The author states, ‘’Henry emerges and recommends Elisa’s nice, lovely and strong looks. However, Elisa inquires what he meant by strong’’ (Steinbeck 15). The conversation displays the bridge that exists between the two. The Chrysanthemums Summary: Plot and Setting The plot of The Chrysanthemums reflects a productive and striving location. The fact that Elisa and her husband practice farming and manage to sell thirty steers to the meat company is a clear indication of a prosperous geographic setting. The plot of the story successfully depicts the conventional family life. Although Elisa is a beautiful and young woman, ‘’Elisa Allen is a 35-year old woman who lives with her husband,’’ (Steinbeck 28) she doesn’t have a child. The above quotation means that the author awakens the readers to the realities surrounding family life. The plot of the story continues to capture Elisa’s attraction and affection to men. Indeed, Steinbeck notes, ‘’Elisa says that the stars are hot and lovely – and at night they are driven into your body’’ (Steinbeck 31). The message driven by Elisa, although symbolic, reflects love and affection to Tinker. What is more, the fact that Elisa compares h erself to the pot and pan repairer means that she appreciates his work and respects him. ‘’I wish women would live the life you do. Elisa watches the Tinker’s wagon drive away and she whispers to herself’’ (Steinbeck 39). The Chrysanthemums Symbolism The primary symbols used in the story The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck are the Salinas valley and the chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums represent Elisa and the unsatisfied life she is living. The characters of the chrysanthemums are healthy, thriving and lovely which is an accurate representation of Elisa. We see how she keeps the flowerbeds clean and the house very tidy and orderly. The Tinker’s notice of the chrysanthemums brightens her as if she were the one noticed. This makes her offer both herself and the chrysanthemums to him, but he tosses them both aside and completely ignores them. Tinker’s rejection of the chrysanthemums is an accurate reflection of how society has rejected the women society as mere housekeepers and gardeners. Just like Elisa, the flowers are of little importance and unobjectionable as they are only meant for decorations and add no value to the busy world of men (Tamy 18). The Salinas valley is a symbol of the emotional state of Elisa. The story starts describing the valley with the writer likening it to the pot with a fog lid. The description of the valley as a pot closed shows that Elisa is trapped in a world where she feels tired and exhausted to be in. The valley does not receive sunshine at all, despite it being nearby. Sunshine is a symbol of happiness and this shows that Elisa lives and associates with happy people like Henry and Tinker but she is not. The description of the December weather being chilly, and no hope of brightening describe how Elisa feels. She is compared to a fallow field that is reticent yet it can grow if given space (Tamy 21). Tinker’s dog, he is with, when he meets Elisha, is an accurate reflection of his character. The dog describes him as mysterious, unknown and even a dangerous individual. His rough appearance and flirtatious character make Elisa get attracted to him. He laughs in a cunning way, which may be because he wants Elisa to give him a job; he senses the emotional attraction between them or he is merely amused. It is very difficult to understand this man, which may be one of the rationales why Elisa got attracted to him in the first place. In addition, he takes advantage of the attraction, which in the end he is proved to be a senseless, uncaring, and unemotional man when he throws away the chrysanthemums Elisa gives him. When Tinker was leaving, drawn in her emotions, Elisa mentions, â€Å"That’s a bright direction. There’s a glowing there†. This clearly shows us that Elisa is attracted to the man, both physical and his lifestyle. He goes wherever he wants, sleeps under the moon and the star and is answerable to nobody; the lifestyle Elisa admires the most. She is tempted to beg a man to go with him, promising him her best. Apart from making love together, she needs to share in his adventures that she likes the most. However, he turns her down with a vague answer of his life being boring and lonely for a woman like Elisa. The closing of her eyes halfway shows us that she is envisaging what it would be like to live in the sphere of the Tinker (Tamy 12). Conclusion John Steinbeck makes a fascinating account by revealing the tales behind family and conventional life. By setting his work in a wet neighborhood, he manages to project the core principles and daily activities surrounding the society in highland settings. What is more, the inclusion of three characters each with a strong set of skills and different characteristics allow the story to bring the readers to reality. John Steinbeck tailors his work articulately creating imagery where necessary and making a classic transition in the use of voices and narration. The above observations and points of views surmise the analysis adding knowledge and insight into John Steinbeck’s work The Chrysanthemums. Steinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums and Other Stories. New York, N.Y: Penguin Books, 1995. Print. Steinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums: A Story. Concord, N.H: Harper Bros, 1937. Print. Tami, Budney. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. Print.

GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT Dissertation

GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT - Dissertation Example From this research it is clear that the process of globalization has had great impact on the world economy, and it has increased the level of interaction between different countries. For this reason, it is possible for different countries and companies today to interact and engage in business partnerships. Therefore, companies from various countries are able to conduct business in international markets. Apart from the process of globalization, Radovic-Markovic notes that the internationalization of different companies today has also been fueled by liberalization, which most modern companies have adopted. The adoption of liberalization by companies has resulted in most companies to experience a shift in their organizational structures. For this reason, most companies today no longer exhibit the traditional organizational structures. In addition, the process of globalization has enabled a high level of interaction between cultures. People can move easily from one part of the world to a nother, for different reasons. Nonetheless, businesswise, people today move from one world region to another in search of employment. This has therefore, resulted in countries that are highly multicultural. Similarly, companies have become highly multicultural. This high level of diversity and multiculturalism lays an important role in shaping the behavior of employees in the company. For these reasons therefore, the management of the modern organizations today is faced with the challenge of ensuring harmony in the diverse workplace in order to continue being productive. (Dammen 2001: Perrin n.d ). Nonetheless, this is only achievable, if the companies considered introducing different changes in their operations. 1.2 Problem Definition Over the past decades, the corporate sector has experienced diverse changes due to external and internal forces. According to Head, Yaeger & Sorensen (2010), these changes include structural and behavioral changes. These changes have occurred because of the replacement of traditional systems of organizations with new creative and flexible approaches. Certain internal and

Network Security Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Network Security Plan - Term Paper Example The physical security will involve securing network cables and servers from intruders. The intruders might originate from within the organization or from outside. Response teams in case of any intrusion will include people like the network security companies or the information technology department within an organization. The response plan to network failure may include having some redundant network cables laid down within the building. The wireless network will provide response plan by having multiple access points covering the same area. The security plan will try to identify what network infrastructure is easily accessible by intruders to the network. Different forms of validation will be proposed to prevent unauthorized person from accessing the network. The network will be evaluated by inviting white hat hackers to try and hack into the network. The hackers will provide a list detailing weaknesses in the network together with some improvement proposals. The incidence response wi ll provide situations where third party organization provides the infrastructure to run the organization in times of crisis. Some of the infrastructure providers are the telephone company providing their line for network connection while the fiber optic cable is down. Incident Response 4 Support 5 Vulnerability assessment 6 Code injection leak test 6 Substation leak test 7 Network scanning 7 Manual testing on passwords 8 Carrying out vulnerability tests in links 8 Physical Security 9 Spyware 9 Incidence response policy /Team 10 Incident Response The network users will face a denial to service incidence. The incidence will involve denying authorized users of the network crucial services like accessing mails over the network. The incidence can be caused by things like hackers flooding the network with data that are not needed by the users of the network. Such flooding will slow down the network, and workers cannot even read an email using the organization network. The occurrence of de nial of service is a common thing within companies which might lead to dissatisfaction of customers and workers. Mitigation of such incidence would involve setting up firewalls within the network to identify any unwanted packets in the network. Response plan would involve purchasing packet scanning software. The software will identify packets that are flooding the organization network and their origin machine. The packets once identified termination of the network connection to the machines flooding the network should be carried out immediately. The backup network can be used at this situation leaving out the flooded network. Switching to the network will ensure the network runs at the preferred speed and delivery of service continues as planned. Another incident would be breakage of the backbone network which might be a fiber optic cable. The breakage of the cable might have been caused by vandals or natural calamities like floods, earth quakes and earth drift. Such situations woul d mean zero connection to the Internet because the network infrastructures are down. Having a redundant network connection from an Internet service provider can provide a response plan. The redundant network connection should be using totally different infrastructure to reduce the probability of the two networks not working. One of the infrastructures can be a network provider using satellite to provide connection. The satellite connection