Few Major Brands of Kellogg Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Few Major Brands of Kellogg Company - Essay Example The case study is based on the analysis of marketing mix for Kellogg Company. The marketing mix is an essential business tool used by organizations to determine a product or brand offer. It is normally associated with price, product, placement, and promotion of any organization. These elements help marketers to create the market strategies and positioning of the company. The first element, product, helps a company to understand that how their offering meets the changing needs of customers. The price charged by any company is an important element to assess the sales of the products and place denotes the availability of the product. The last element, promotion, is very important to understand various ways of the positioning of the product (Borden, 1964). Marketing mix of Kellogg Company will help them to plan their marketing strategies and resource allocation (Vignali, 2001). Product: The products of Kellogg’s can be classified as convenience products. Convenience products are those which are purchased by consumers without much consideration. Most of them are low priced, easily available and frequently parched products (Vignali, 2001). Developing new product is extremely risky and expensive procedure for any business. To develop a new product, the company needs to assess the rapidly changing market and they need to predict the changing needs of customers (Annacchino, 2003). The Kellogg Company is very successful in developing any new product since its inception. Their first established product in the market was cornflakes and it helped them to attain the highest market share in the cereal market. Consumers generally purchase their product easily as the company holds a reputation for providing good quality products. Their existing products are very popular and generate a huge profit for the company. This financial gain helps them to invest in the de velopment of new products and sell them at low price as the cost is covered by the profit.

Society in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Society in China - Research Paper Example The Cultural Revolution, as per the narration of the Jan Wong, was launched in May 1966. Mao, the then chairperson of the Communist Party of China, alleged that the elements of the bourgeois were infiltrating the government and society at large, aiming to restore capitalism. Mao Zedong insisted that the revisionists, ought to be removed through violent class struggle. The youth of China, responded to Mao's appeal by forming Red Guard groups around the country-Party leadership itself. In cultures that are non-industrialized, two major forces define gender disparity in the distribution of work and these are the men’s greater power and physic and women’s childbearing and nurturing responsibilities. As long as maternal care does not disrupt a mother’s activities and if women have a way of enhancing their bodily strength, they can and do partake in activities that are in the contrary male dominated. Presence of such means varies over culture and environment. ² Therefore, men and women are not downright different people. Women may have more of a particular characteristic; there may be traits that men have more of, but it should not be a case that men and women are essentially and radically different on these psychological characteristics This resulted to widespread factional struggles in all lifestyles. In the top leadership, it led to a mass purge of senior officials who were accused of taking a "capitalist road", most notably Liu shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. During the same period, Mao's personality cult grew to immense proportions. During China’s long revolutionary years, the state both promoted and negated new roles for women. The most severe reaction against female activism was the Guomindang’s counter-revolution, called the White Terror, when female activists were accused of being instigators of societal chaos. During Chiang Kai-shek’s relentless hunt for Communists, thousands of women were murdered and raped, including those who had simply bobbed their hair. The Communists, for their part, turned away from what they saw as bourgeois feminist reforms to attack the socioeconomic conditions they perceived as the source of all female oppressions. The idea was that once gender difference was erased, women would be freed to help spearhead the â€Å"new society.† Mao Zedong coined the phrase â€Å"Women Hold up Half the Sky,† and set in motion a campaign to get women out of the home and into the work force. Selections from oral histories collected during the period illustrate his attempts to mobilize the lowest in society, the female peasant, so she could confront â€Å"feudalâ₠¬  fathers, husbands, or property owners. Millions of people were persecuted in the violent factional struggles that ensued across the country, and suffered a wide range of abuses including public humiliation, arbitrary 2345imprisonment, torture, sustained harassment, and seizure of property. A large segment of the population was forcibly displaced, most notably the transfer of urban youth to rural regions during the Down to the Countryside Movement, Rather, the DCM. Historical relics and artifacts were destroyed. Cultural and religious sites were ransacked. Female-specific concerns continued facing disregard, during the Cultural Revolution when equality between sexes faced assumption and class war took

Genre Analysis Essay Example for Free

Genre Analysis Essay For this rhetorical analysis I have done research on two electronics engineering documents commonly referred to as project proposals. The first project proposal that was reviewed was for Security Guard Monitoring Systems by Group Engineering Solutions (GES). The second proposal is a business-oriented document for Multi-Robot Manipulation and Maintenance for Fault-Tolerant Systems by Shanghai International Conference Center (SICC). The purpose of this rhetorical analysis is to identify various similarities and differences within the specified texts using Anne Beaufort’s (a linguist in the field of writing) five-knowledge domains: genre, subject matter, rhetoric, writing process, and discourse community. The attention of this rhetorical analysis will be mainly focused on the intended audience, context of the documents, writing structure and format, and each author’s appeal to Anne Beaufort’s rhetorical knowledge domain. The Shanghai proposal was written by an electronics engineer for viewers within several different qualifications and statuses. Apparently this proposal’s targeted audiences are people at the Shanghai Conference Center. The primary audience would consist of employees that are in the workplace genre of mechatronics and automation (MA), such as financers, operators, and managers. The second audience consists of those that may work in smaller sections of the field, such as maintenance workers, auditors, and supervisors. There are also audiences besides the primary and secondary audiences. Other potential audiences might include legislatures, product testers, and other smaller services within the field of engineering. This is evident through the description of the projects maintenance procedures. Someone has to test the machine and meetings must be held to discuss them. Unlike the Shanghai proposal the Group Solutions Engineer (GES) proposal has various audiences that don’t spread out to the same extent that Shanghai’s do. The project proposal by GES does not meet the expectations of business companies instead, their proposal meet expectations for good academics. This claim was easily identified at the beginning of text. They clearly stated that â€Å"Dr. Miguel Figueroa and Dr. Nayda G. Santiago† was receiving the proposal. Additional support to this claim was found through extended research on the two professors. The two professors are both neurologist which seemingly has nothing to do with engineering. This makes it apparent that the professors were teaching at a college or university during the proposal of this project. This also explains why they were the targeted audience (primary audience) for the proposal. The secondary audiences for the GES proposal are other university graduate students. Similar to Shanghai, the GES proposal also has a third audience except, these audiences consist of spectators and scouts. In other words, these viewers are graduate students from another university or managers out for potential employees. Moreover, Shanghai’s proposal contains several rhetorical aspects in is context. Shanghai’s proposal was obviously written in response to a company’s request for improved multi-robot systems. This demand was recognized because of the frequently used term referring to problems, errors, and system malfunctions. More specifically, they used the term â€Å"failure† more consistently than others throughout the paper. For instance, in part â€Å"a† of section five (V Multi- Robot Maintenance policy) the writer of this Shanghai proposal says â€Å"In this period†¦the failure rate of the robot is also increased. † Another aspect contained within the Shanghai proposal is on how they express time as an issue. The term â€Å"failure† also implies that there is a time limit for this project proposal. It is relevant to assume that this project proposal was in the process of being developed during the time that the multi-robot machines were failing to operate accordingly. One can also tell that demand for the proposal was growing by reading the maintenance policy section. They take previous robot failures into considerations and develop loop holes to overcome it. Although the company that the proposal was written for isn’t mentioned in the document, it is easy to see that this proposal was written in response to some company’s policy. Unlike Shanghai’s proposal, the GES proposal does express who the proposal was written in response to. GES proposal was written in response to the request of the University of Puerto Rico (title page). Another contextual aspect in which differs from Shanghai’s proposal is the time constraint that is also posed on their proposal. GES makes it easier to recognize that they are working in a timely manner. They clearly state â€Å"A work breakdown structure has been created in which all members†¦work in two variables: time and personnel† (section 1. 3). This evidence arises from the fact that the group of graduate students working on this proposal are attempting to fulfill the requirements for the project. This evidence is also apparent because of diagrams and charts used to show how much the project proposal has progressed (section 2. 6). In addition to sections 2. 6, section 2. 7 gives explicit detail, also using diagrams and charts, on the â€Å"work breakdown structure. This section displays the tasks assigned to each genre of the project such as, oral presentation, software prototype, web application, and final report. The work is divided evenly amongst the group to ensure that they have successfully completed the requirements relative to the audiences’ values which will, later on, be discussed in further detail. In addition to the contexts (frameworks) of the proposals, there are several similarities in both GES and Shanghai’s writing structures and formats. The first similarity located in the proposals is often used in writing books such as literature, political science, and algebra. Both proposals use a wide range of bold letters, titles, and numbers. They also use titled numbers or subheadings, bullets, and roman numerals. Even though these writing style are incorporated in both project proposals, GES uses titled numbers, subheadings, and bullets (even checks) more frequently than Shanghai’s proposal. Shanghai’s proposal repeatedly uses roman numerals, and subheadings with starting letters (for example; B. Robot Failure). Both seem to be an effective approach to formatting project proposals. Moreover, abbreviations are also used quite frequently throughout the proposals. Like GES, Shanghai makes an effort to use abbreviations to make it less difficult for readers to comprehend. However, their attempt in doing so has obvious flaws that can potentially puzzle the reader and shorten the number of intended audiences. For example, â€Å"Weibull distribution depicts the decreasing-failure-rate (DFR)†¦period of the bathtub curve† (section B: Robot Failure). The proposal tells what each letter in the acronym stands for, but it does not define the abbreviation as a whole whereas, GES proposal doesn’t give an explicit description of each term, but defines it completely. Another method of writing noticed within the proposals is the inclusion of references at the end. These references often consists of others documents that helped produce the current one. It is apparent that references are commonly used in any form of written documents regardless of its field or genre. Adding to the structure and formatting, both proposals present several rhetorical features relative to Anne Beaufort’s rhetorical knowledge domain (ethos, logos, and pathos). The GES proposal puts most of its efforts into establishing its credibility (ethos). In the personal biography section of their proposal they give explicit detail about their background experiences in their field of study such as, software and hardware engineering. The proposal also provides charts and graphs of estimated costs which show that they are the best team to be chosen for the project. It also shows that they are prepared for real life situations. Shanghai’s proposal does not focus the entirety of its text on ethos, because most of its audiences are professionals within their company. There is no evidence to prove their experience in the field however; the credibility that is provided in the document consists of only charts and drawings that show that they will likely have effective productivity. These graphs and charts also help the company see the approach taken to improve the systems. Moreover, both proposals take consideration in establishing logos. The charts and graphs each proposal uses to establish credibility is also used to establish logic. These charts and graphs are used to support their claim that they meet all the required policies for the completion of the project. Pathos is also used widely in Shanghai and GES proposals. As mentioned earlier both proposals are relevant to the audiences common values (end of page 3). These values are expense, time, proficiency, and development. The charts and graphs used to support the ethos and logos in each proposal are also used to support this claim. They provide a description of estimated cost, efficiency and productivity, and give a timely description of the projects progression. The wide-ranging of appeal to these values allows for each proposal to be very persuasive while passing on factual statistics. Most project proposals are done similar to Shanghai’s and Group Engineering Solutions (GES) proposals. These two documents contain several similarities and differences in their rhetorical features. Although both texts may differ in their proposal method, they both have the same goal. They were meant to convince the reader that they were the most fit group or company for the completion of the project proposal. After completing this rhetorical analysis I realize the significance in writing in the specific genre. Each project proposal reflects positively according to the necessity of the request.

To What Extent Can Psychology Be Considered a Science?

To What Extent Can Psychology Be Considered a Science? Examine to what extent Psychology can be considered a Science Rebecca Harris Introduction The question can: ‘Psychology be considered a Science?’ It is important to understand what a Science is in relation to Psychology. Psychology is deemed as the scientific study of behaviour. Science is ‘a branch of knowledge conducted on objective principles involving the systematised observation of an experiment with phenomena.’ So can Psychology be a Science? Throughout this essay, deeper understanding of Psychological Methods and the aims of Science and how these link, will be looked at and investigated further. There are four basic principles of Science; truth, objectivity, realism and rationality. For psychology to be perceived as a science certain scientific methodology would be needed, these are: objective observation, evidence to back up an argument, an investigation to test the hypothesis, an induction which draws conclusions from facts or examples, repetition, critical analysis and verification and testing of the study. Empiricism, a scientific approach founded by philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), turned into a scientific method of enquiry that used both observation and experiments to gather facts and evidence that may have been needed. Scientific enquiry can be based upon two phrases: 1. Too do with theory and the foundation of hypotheses. 2. Empirical method, thus being experiments and observations. The main method of scientific enquiry would be the use of experiments. Using examinations make research more scientific. Important key features for an experiment are control over variables, in this case they would either be: Independent, dependent and extraneous. This particular approach would be a strength towards Psychology as a Science as cause and effect can be established due to the control over the experiments. A form of Empiricism is Logical Positivism. This theory suggests that sensory experience is our main and only source of information about the world we live in. There are two main claims for this theory: Knowledge Empiricism- The theory that the knowledge of the world is gained through evidence from our sensory experiences. The theory states that the meaning of a statement is determined by verifiability. Verification must be through observation. This is an advantage of Psychology as a Science as behaviour is looked at through observation and so therefore this means that verification can happen. Rationalism compared to Empiricism is that senses cannot be completely relied upon to provide knowledge needed. Knowledge can be gained by inductive reasoning, as long as it’s applied correctly. Rationalists look at the world we live in and see deeper meaning behind everything they see, implying that the world is not real. Empiricists see the world we’re living in as the true world and that everything we see does not have a deeper meaning. Idealism and realism are two philosophical terms that deal with our minds relationship with the world in which we live. Idealism: knowledge that the mind interprets what we see. The knowledge that constructs the mind and does not necessarily correspond to the on goings of the outside world. What we see is not really real. Realism: the idea that knowledge reveals the reality of the outside world. Thus meaning that, it is what it is, you see what you see. This is a disadvantage for Psychology as a Science as it can’t be proven or disproven that whether the world we live in is real or not. Locke took on the nature-nurture debate, the first part to the theory of behaviourism and came up with the idea that the human mind is a ‘tabula rasa’ meaning ‘blank slate’. In 1913 Watson gained the support that Wundt had lost and formed behaviourism. Wundt concentrated on introspection, however, Watson believed that this couldn’t be proved or disproved so decided to concentrate on the study of behavior. Behaviourism as a theory of Psychology was finally created. The overall meaning of behaviourism is to study the idea of the relationship between people’s environment and their behaviour, without application to hypothetical events happening within one’s head. The use of behaviour today can be seen as Scientific, helping mentally ill patients with behaviour modification and therapy to treat mental disorders. Modern behaviour now looks at mental processes like; imagery and attention, considered to be proper subject matter for scientific in vestigation. Positivism a form of behaviourism that uses experimental methods, as well as quantitative data. Conclusions are not derived from a subjective approach. The conscious can’t be objectively observed. It rejects emotions, feelings and mental processes and qualitative data is not used, so evidence that is collected is limited. Therefore not Scientific and disagrees with psychology as a Science. Social Constructionist: a social situation which we face, our behavior dependent upon the social situation so it’s not scientific. If people behave in a certain way then this leads to personality bias. Rather than looking at the behaviour in a social setting, research should be on the relative social construction. This looks at social cognition: what we think other people are thinking. This is a disadvantage to why psychology is a science as it’s difficult to apply research as the focus would be on subjective constructions. Critical Realism looks at experience, culture and history when conducting observations and theories. It applies scientific practice to multiple methods of data collection. We are aware of a situation and act critical about what we’re doing. It gives us ideas on how to research and it uses multiple approaches, so the comparison of results can take place. This is an advantage to why Psychology is a Science due to the multiple research methods used rigorously: including experimental method. A hypothetico-deductive method is a technique which involves observation of a participant. In order for the hypotheses to be classified scientific the researcher must generate a testable and realistic hypothesis, it must be falsifiable by recognized scientific methods. It can never be confirmed fully. Some predictions must be made, these are to be proved or disproved. The predictions must be directly testable for the hypothetico-deductive method to be valid. Trying to test the hypothesis that God exists would be difficult because there is no way to scientifically evaluate it. This is an advantage of why psychology is a science as observation, the gathering and collecting of data is used. Kuhn 1922-1996 was a historian and had a great impact on revolutionary psychology in the field of paradigms. The idea was to unite all thoughts and opinions on the subject. With the success of this came Psychologies biggest and most feared alienation: the inability for a universal paradigm. This is the greatest criticism to Psychologies claim to be Scientific. Kuhn himself gave psychology a name: Pseudo-Science. The fact that a universal paradigm can’t be formed means that this is a disadvantage towards Psychology as a Science, as all scientific methods should have paradigms. Popper 1902-1994 a philosopher with strong opinions towards whether Psychology is a Science. He believed that for a theory to be scientific it doesn’t have to be true. Facts can show theories to be wrong. He had two major concerns, the first was defending and maintaining the idea that Science does progress. This concern was built in the positivist account that facts can and do verify theories. Popper believed that this part of the society was being put at risk due to ‘pseudo-scientific’ theories that were not open to rejection, thus in particular: Freud and his idea of Psychoanalysis. Poppers view of falsification was a disadvantage of why Psychology is a Science as Freud and psychoanalysis led to the argument that psychological theories are not falsifiable. According to Kuhn; the lack of ecological validity is a disadvantage to why Psychology has a lack of acknowledgement within scientific communities. If a study was based on Behaviourism, a key theory of Psychology, then there are some key ideologies that the investigation should have: generalization, reinforcement and behaviour shaping. This in turn explains vast behaviours from language acquisition through too moral development. In Science, conclusions always remain true, however, in Psychology, this is not the case. When a piece of research is conducted in an artificial environment, the participants are aware of the study and may act and behave differently. This being demand characteristics, it affects the overall result, as there are no form of applications to everyday life. It can also be argued that; it’s low on the idea of application to real life due to the participants behaviour i.e. demand characteristics. This was showed in Piaget study of Conservation. In 1974 McGarrigle and Donaldson challenged Piaget. The children within the Piaget study were not in a natural setting and behaved socially correct and responded to demand characteristics. If a study is low in ecological validity then it isn’t really measuring how people behave in everyday life. The main problem for this is how to study characteristics of people who are aware of what they are doing. This is a disadvantage to Psychology being a science as participants are aware of the study and the unnatural setting. In conclusion to the question: Is Psychology a Science? There is no easy answer. Some of the approaches and studies do meet the guidelines that are required for Psychology to be a Science, however, others don’t. Psychology has merely progressed as a discipline as it models itself on the natural sciences. Although there are enough disadvantages and advantages to say whether Psychology is a Science, it will be an ongoing debate to which no-one will know the answer, you simply have an opinion that’s neither right nor wrong. REFERENCES Gross, R. (2010). Psychology The Science of Mind and Behaviour. 6th ed. London: Hatchett . McLeod, S. (2008). Psychology as a Science. Available at: http://www.simplypsychology.org/science-psychology.html. [Last Accessed 07/10/2014]. Bainbridge, A. Bradshaw, P. Latham, S. Lintern, F. (2008). OCR Psychology. 1st ed. Essex: Heinemann. Carlson, R. N. (1993). Psychology The Science of Behaviour. 4th ed. MA, USA: Allyn Bacon. Brysbaert, M. Rastle, K. (2012). Historical and conceptual issues in psychology. 2nd ed. London: Pearson . The Science Council. (2009). What is Science? Available at: http://www.sciencecouncil.org/definition. [Last Accessed 21/10/2014]. Group decision making: Communication theories Group decision making: Communication theories Functional Perspective On Group Decision Making Introduction Purpose The purpose of this report is introducing a theory and corresponding theorists of communication. Whereas also in this report I will be writing about the theorists, their theory and how I believe it relates to todays world. One other purpose of writing this report is to report what I think about how the theory could be useful in the Information Technology. Scope The extent of my research was the usage of the Library and internet surfing. Hours and hours were spent in the library searching for information on my topic and there was hardly any book with information on my theory but had information of related topics to my theory. So as on the internet the information given Limitations While preparing this report there were some limitations in the preparation of this report which includes the amount of time given to write this report because there was other assignments that I had to spend time on as well which was due a few days before this report is to be handed in. The limited time that I am able to access the computer here in school as I house Im living in do not have any computers. Other than that there was a lack of information got from the sources of information that I have searched on such as books from the library and books and articles from the internet and library databases. There was a lack of information available. Research Methods The few methods that I have used to obtain information were books from the library. This included my textbook. My textbook was the only book in the library that had information about my theory and some other books that I have read through had information that was related to my theory. I also obtained information from the internet although it provided some information on my theory but not so much or not enough. Lastly is I have contact with some of the ex-whitireia students who took IT, I contacted each one I know asking if they had come across my theory and if they could their knowledge of my theory with me. Structure Of The Report This report has six main parts and each part was organised according to the normal layout of a report. Besides the cover page this report started with an abstract which spots out the key ideas of what the whole report is going to be about, lead by the table of content which shows the number of pages for each content. Starting with the introduction which has six sub-headings, following is the findings or the main body of the report which has seven parts and following up is always the conclusion which has two parts and lastly the glossary of terms and references / bibliography. Literature Review Groups make high-quality decisions when members fulfil four requisite functions: (1) problem analysis, (2) goal setting, (3) identification of alternatives, and (4) evaluation of positive and negative consequences. Most group communication disrupts progress toward accomplishing these functional tasks, but counteractive communication can bring people back to rational inquiry. Randy, H., Dennis, G. (2009). Functional perspective on group decision making. Group and Public communication – Group decision making. Chp. 17, 7th Ed The purpose of this investigation was to demonstrate that group decision-making performance is contingent on the effective or ineffective satisfaction of important decisional functions. The investigation involved three related studies. In the first study, an attempt was made to confirm the existence of systematic relationships between the quality of group decisions and the satisfaction of four functional requirements. The results supported the existence of significant positive relationships between group decision-making performance and the satisfaction of these decisional functions. In the second study, an attempt was made to establish the independent main effects of each of those four functions. Using a three-dimensional interaction coding scheme, it was found that variations in group decision quality can be independently accounted for by the quality of interaction in regards to three functions—problem analysis, evaluation of positive qualities, and evaluation of negative qua lities. In the third study, an attempt was made to demonstrate that the quality of group decisions can be traced to the effective or ineffective satisfaction of decisional functions. The results provide conclusive evidence (at least at the level of primary reasoning), that the quality of a groups decision is a direct result of the groups ability (or inability) to perform important decisional functions. Taken as a whole, the studies thus offer continued support for the functional perspective Randy, H. (1998). Group Communication and Decision-Making Performance A Continued Test of the Functional Perspective. Human Communication Research, Vol. 14, p487 – 515, No. 4 Two Articles From The Library Databases The article focuses on a study, which evaluated the comparative effectiveness of several methods for decisions making of task groups. Despite the widespread use of task groups and the dissatisfaction that many experience in seemingly endless rounds of task-group meetings, relatively little effort has been made within social work to examine the functioning of task groups empirically. And although there have been some efforts to improve social workers skills in leading task groups, it has been suggested that the study of task groups has been largely abandoned by social work. When examining the efficacy of task groups, it is important to recognize that groups have many different functions in social service agencies. Among their most important functions are helping staff members feel involved in the work of the agency or organization, sharing information, developing new and creative ideas, monitoring programs, solving problems and making decisions. Although many of these functions overla p, a group that has accomplished one function quite well may not be effective at accomplishing another function. Toseland, RonaldW., Rivas, Robert F., Chapman D. (1984). An evaluation of decision making methods task groups. EBSCO host – Social work, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p339-346, 8p Title: Teachers beliefs about shared decision making and work alienation Relationships between teachers perceptions concerning their status in decision making and feelings of work alienation were investigated. A two part questionnaire was administered to 311 teachers from kindergarten through grade 12 in urban and suburban schools. One part asked about current and ideal levels of influence in 12 decisional areas. The second part consisted of a four-item alienation scale. Significant positive zeroder correlations were found between alienation and deprivation in technical and managerial domains for urban teachers, and with deprivation in managerial decision making for suburban teachers. Significant negative zero-order correlations were found for both groups of teachers. Partial correlations of alienation and deprivation in decision making were not significant. Partial correlations of alienation with perceived influence in technical decision making were significant for both groups. Partials with managerial influence were significant for urban teachers. Benson, N., Malone, P. (1987), Teachers beliefs about shared decision making and work alienation. EBSCO host – Education, Vol. 107 Issue 3, p244, 8p, 6 charts Friends Background Of My Theorists The knowledge and interest in small group communication and decision making effectiveness, of two Communication professors Randy Hirokawa and Dennis Gouran was combined to create this theory. Dennis S. Gouran Gouran is a Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Labor Studies and Employment Relations and Graduate Officer and his research areas is small group decision. During his life of education he received his B.S., Illinois State University, 1963, M.S., Illinois State University, 1965, Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1968 He is specialized in small group communication with particular emphasis in decision-making. His research has included theoretical, experimental, and critical studies of small group interaction. The focus of Gourans research interest is the ways in which communication functions in the service of task requirements in problem-solving and decisions-making groups. Randy Y. Hirokawa Hirokawa received his B.A from the University of Hawaii at Moana, and his M.A and Ph.D from the University of Washington. He was inducted into the University Of Washington Department Of Hall of Fame. He is known for his expertise in area of small group communication and decision-making effectiveness. Hirokawas scholarship has contributed to the development of a theory called the â€Å"Functional perspective.† Outline Of My Theory Situation Of How The Theory Came About This theory came about as a four departmental search committees appointed to select final candidates for positions in rhetoric, theatre, journalism and broadcast producing. The whole department each group to come up with top-notch candidates and reliable with a discipline that values sensible and reasonable communication or discussion, it was likely supposed that they would make their high quality decisions after systematic and reasoned discussion. Given was the mix of communication interests, academic knowledge and professional prejudices that committee members bought to the table were not their final choices likely to be made on political rather than rational grounds. But even if they were objective, it was a fear that their free-for-all debate over candidates would so cloud their judgement that they would end up making second-rate choices. Theorists Point Of Views Of The Situation And Their Contribution To Building The Theory Hirokawa and Gouran believe that these negative and gloomy views are not necessary. They assume that group members caring about the issue are; reasonably intelligent, face a challenging task that calls for more facts and has new ideas, or a clear thinking. They are also persuaded that group communication has positive effect on the final decision. Hirokawa Randy speaks of the quality solutions and developed the core principles of the theory during his graduate studies, today his research tests refines this theory. Gouran Dennis refers to decisions that are appropriate and he has laid ground work for the theory with his early writing on the group decision making. Four Functions For Effective Decision Making By observing group decision making Hirokawa and Gouran see that there are task requirements and conditions that group members needs to accomplished to reach high-quality solutions and they refer to these conditions as â€Å"requisite functions of effective decision making.† Along with other pioneers research Hirokawa and Gouran drew an analogy between small groups and biological systems and saw thats just the same conditions that an organism must go through for survival in an ever changing environment as group members must go through functions or have conditions during group decision makings for success in the choice they make. So then four functions were then created for effective decision making as followed. Analysis Of The Problem It is very important for group members to be realistic when looking at the current conditions of any situation that is facing a problem and if there is any misunderstanding of the situation be likely to be complex when each member makes their final decision. The situation here is that the search committee are facing difficulties in selecting candidates which is a problem. They could barely make up their mind. In such cases the group members needs to examine or investigate what the problem really is, then find ways to work out this problem. Analysing of the problem could also have steps to follow or some conditions that must be required. For example from the theory in one of the departments searches for a rhetorician, a theatre director etc presented no obvious difficulties, in this case a job description was drafted and advertised throughout the company and through relationship management , searched for parties whom may be interested. Goal Setting Decision making needs to be clear and concise, therefore there must be some form of criteria for a proposed solution. Hirokawa and Gouran mention that failure to comply with criteria will drive the decision to be governed by politics rather than reason. An example portrayed by the two authors is the recruiting of faculty – criteria were: Doctorate Teaching Experience (Minimum 5 Years) Scholar Publisher And to narrow the search, candidates must be able to engage / build rapport with students and who is able to pursue knowledge from a liberal arts point of view. In having criterias during decision making, this gives the group a short list of candidates and more confidence in their decision. Identifications Of Alternatives To minimise risk in making a decision, Hirokawa and Gouran stressed the significance of having alternative solutions, so that the group can always resort to plan B or plan C. In the case of finding a candidate for a Broadcast production role, the criteria was industry experience, hold a doctorate / masters, radio and broadcast experience. The search for the candidate was limited as not many had an advanced degree no-one had a background in video production. After many brainstorming sessions, this was given to a search committee to do more thorough research for the perfect candidate. As a result of continuous emails and networking – the search committee generated relevant alternatives and discovered two candidates whom they will chose one to fulfil the role. Evaluation Of Positive And Negative Characteristics The next step in decision making is weighing the alternatives. It is very important to look at the pro and cons of each option against the criteria given. The authors mention that decision making often muddles up, and in need of at least one member to remind each other of the positive and negative features of one option. Prioritizing These Functions In order to make decisions one must prioritize the four main functions for effective decision making. Hirokawa and Gouran mentioned that all four functions need to be accomplished to maximise the probability of a high quality decision. They also mention that as long as members use all four functions, what ever the order they like, they will come to a successful decision making. However, groups that resolve particularly difficult situation often take a similar route to come to their final solution. The Role Of Communication In Fulfilling The Functions Communication is the key factor for quality group decision making. Verbal discussion within a group makes it possible to disseminate information, identify errors and also to influence each other. Hirokawa believes that communication plays a vital role in shaping high quality decisions. They also believe that communication through discussion can also make the group wander in different directions and at the same time pull them back onto the directed path. The authors outline three types of communication in decision making groups: 1) Promotive –When the group moves along the same path and calling upon the four main decision functions. 2) Disruptive – Discussions that divert the group members away from the four main decision functions. 3) Counteractive- The interaction that the group use to get each other back on track. The three types of communication above are then aligned with the four functions to create the â€Å"Function-Oriented Interaction Coding System: (FOICS) Checklist. This register is used to analyse communication within a group by matching each column and each row like the diagram below: From The Tiny Pond To The Big Ocean The above metaphor is Hirokawas way of portraying the review of his functional perspective in decision making , the risks that take place within his laboratory during his research and whether it was strong enough to withstand the multiple opposing forces from the ‘real world and other researchers. Hirokawa concludes this metaphor by saying that there are times when following the prescriptions of decision making does not always lead to a decision that works. He then challenges researchers not to look at the outcome but look at what functional conditions work and what does not work. Practical Advice For Amateurs And Professionals The authors give us advice on how to use functional prospective to come up with better decision making. They suggest the following: For groups to use their own opinions. For groups to not have a close minded attitude. Groups to take proactive measures and reflective thinking. The authors acknowledge their intellectual their philosopher) John Dewey. Dewey advocated a six step process of â€Å"reflective thinking† (equivalent to Hirokawa and Gourans four requisite function) to the approach of treating a patient. His steps were as follows: 1) Recognise the illness 2) Diagnose the cause of the illness 3) Establish options for cure 4) Consider possible remedies 5) Test which solution will work 6) Implement the best solution Deweys process above is very similar to Hirokawa and Gourans four requisite functions in decision making. Both of these lists recommend that group members discuss ways that promotes problem analysis, goal setting, finding alternatives and the evaluation of these options. Applications Of The Theory This theory can be applied to everyday situations, whether its at work, home, IT industry or anywhere of any situation where group members take part. Every time group member gather to make decision on some issues they will always be facing problem. Because each group member has different opinions of each situation or there would only be two or three members agreeing on the same situation. So therefore Hirokawa and Gouran have developed four functions to follow for effective group decision making. Not only that these two theorists has also written the roles to fulfilling these functions. This theory can be applied to the IT Industry because there is a situation that needs to be discussed as a group for whats good to be used in the IT industries. Evaluation Of The Theory From the chapter three of Griffin (Weighing the Words) I have applied the appropriate evaluative standards to your theory which is Scientific Standard 2: Prediction of Future Events. This standard states a good objective theory predicts what will happen and it is only possible when we are dealing with our five senses. Applying this to my theory is that each of these group members sees the situation and they hear what is being talked about in the group discussion to whether to agree or disagree is based on how they feel about the situation and think of the situation. This is to prevent problems that may happen in the future because it isnt prevented same problem will occur in the future. Conclusion Summary Of My Points Of Information Hirokawa and Gouran saw the situation and thought of ways to maintain it. They saw that just the same way that an organism must go through for survival in an ever changing environment is just the same way that group members must go through functions or have conditions during group decision makings for success in the choice they make. They then developed the four functions which are; Analysis of the problem, goal setting, identification of alternatives and evaluation of Positive and Negative characteristics. They also state the importance or prioritizing these functions and its roles to fulfilling these functions. They also stated a metaphor â€Å" From tiny pond to the big ocean†. A Critique Of My Theory (Weight Of Argument For And Against) This theory accounts for group decision-making performance in terms of the role that group communication plays in facilitating or impeding the groups efforts to perform cognitive and interpersonal decision-making functions. This theory has been identified as one of the three most influential theories of small group communication. The functional perspective that has been described in this theory illustrates the wisdom of the joint interaction. As the Hebrew proverb suggests, â€Å"Without counsel plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed.† Decision making can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. Every decision making process produces a final the output can be an action or an opinion of choice The next step in decision making is weighing the alternatives. It is very important to look at the pro and cons of each option against the criteria given. The authors mention that decision making often muddles up, and in need of at least one member to remind each other of the positive and negative features of one option. Glossary Of Terms Perspective Position: a way of regarding situations or topics or the appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewer Functional Designed for or capable of a particular function or use Evaluation Act of ascertaining or fixing the value Requisite Necessity: anything indispensable or needed Promotive Interaction that moves the group along the goal path by calling attention to one of the four requisite Disruptive Interaction that diverts, retards, or frustrates group members ability to achieve the four task functions Counteractive Interaction that members use to get the group back on track Amateurs An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without formal training or pay Decision Making Can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. Group decision Is decision making in groups consisting of multiple members/entities. The challenge of group decision is deciding what action a group should take. There are various systems designed to solve this problem References / Bibliography â€Å"A Critical Summary of Research on the Role of Argument in Decision-Making Groups.† In Argument and Social Practice: Proceedings of the Fourth SCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation. J. Robert Cox, Malcolm O. Sillars, and Gregg B. Walker (Eds.). Annandale, Virginia: Speech Communication Association, 1985. 14 pp. (Revised and reprinted in Readings in Argumentation. William L. Benoit, Dale Hample, and Pamela J. Benoit (Eds.). San Francisco: Foris, 1992. 17 pp.) Benson, N., Malone, P. (1987), Teachers beliefs about shared decision making and work alientation. EBSCO host – Education, Vol. 107 Issue 3, p244, 8p, 6 charts Griffin, E. (2009). A first look at communication theory. (7th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Randy, H., Dennis, G. (2009). Functional perspective on group decision making. (7th ed.). Group and Public communication – Group decision making. Chp. 17 Randy, H. (1998). Group Communication and Decision-Making Performance A Continued Test of the Functional Perspective. Human Communication Research, Vol. 14, p487 – 515, No. 4 â€Å"The Role of Communication in Decision-Making Groups: A Functional Perspective.† In Communications in Transition. Mary S. Mander (Ed.). New York: Praeger, 1983. 21 pp. With Randy Y. Hirokawa. (First Author) Toseland, RonaldW., Rivas, Robert F., Chapman D. (1984). An evaluation of decision making methods task groups. EBSCO host – Social work, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p339-346, 8p Internet Sources Benson, N., Malone, P., Teachers beliefs about shared decision making and work alientation. Retrieved on July 28, 2009 , from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1hid=108sid=c11c7b30-a902-46f1-96a5-9d484e1b62b8%40sessionmgr110bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5hAN=5271089 Toseland, RonaldW., Rivas, Robert F., Chapman D. ,An evaluation of decision making methods task groups. Retrieved on August 1, 2009, From http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1hid=12sid=cc76eb43-f251-4f74-870f-20d856b51553%40sessionmgr4bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5hAN=4708464 Randy, H., Dennis, G. (2009). Functional perspective on group decision making. Group and Public communication, Retrieved on July 19, 2009, from http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119457900/abstract?CRETRY=1SRETRY=0 Randy, H. (1998). Group Communication and Decision-Making Performance A Continued Test of the Functional Perspective, Retrieved on July 10, 2009, from http://www.afirstlook.com/main.cfm/theory_resources/Functional_Perspective_on_Group_Decision_Making

True Human Nature Exposed in Lord of the Flies Essay -- Lord of the Fl

True Human Nature Exposed in Lord of the Flies       The island in Lord of the Flies represents "a microcosm of human society." Stranded on an island where no definite authority is to be obeyed, the boys quickly forget the social standards that their parents have impressed on them. Eventually, the wildness of their ids cannot be suppressed. They lose their pride as "British boys" and choose their leaders, their social groups, and their lifestyles with their basic instincts rather than with practicality. Fear and superstition rule the island instead of the laws of science. Without the constant pressure of society's expectations, the boys display the fundamental elements of human nature in the way that they choose to live.    In society, a constant struggle exists between what people want to do and what they need to do. If Freud's ideas about the human mind are correct, those who stress the former are more strongly controlled by their ids. Those whose lean more towards the latter are controlled by their ego. The government tries to enforce rules while the people struggle for more freedom. This is plainly displayed in how Ralph and Jack fight for the loyalty of the other boys. Ralph promises rescue, which works for a time. However, Jack promises them fun. People would rather have pleasure than security. The boys cannot see the importance of following the rules. In society, people have a similar problem. Everyone desires to be "liberated from shame and self-consciousness." Unfortunately, this inclination is not always in their best interest.    Humans will always separate themselves into groups based on appearance and similarities. The boy automatically separate themselves into "biguns" and "littluns." The older c... ...s in self-defense, Jack tells them "I told you- he's dangerous." This type of manipulation is common in human society, particularly when a fight for power is involved.    In human society, people will do what comes easiest. They will be manipulated and mistreated before they start to think for themselves or to act as individuals. This is shown well by the boys in The Lord of the Flies because boys have not yet suppressed their basic natures as completely as adults have. The thoughtless attitudes that the boys have is common in human society, even if adults pretend otherwise.    Works Cited Baker, James R.   William Golding, A Critical Study.   New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985. Golding, William.   Lord of the Flies.   New York: Harcourt, 1962. Riley, Carolyn, ed.   Vol. 1 of Contemporary Literary Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1993.

Beloved & Story

Beloved is a soul-stirring novel with vivid imagery, historical background and complex characters. The dark and grey, tones of slavery is very strongly captured in detail by characters going through the horrific experiences of slavery. The brutal images of slavery tarnishes their lives with â€Å"marks†(Beloved), scars, wounds, shackles, and memories with heavy burden of the past , fragmented self in the present and very foggy view of the future. The precious self, which is the birthright of every human being is stained, fragmented and diminished by the painful experiences of slavery.The body undergoes innumerable hardship, torture and agony; and the mind is made crippled, dependant and weak with exhaustion and hostility. The scars of slavery reduce the human beings to ashes, where they are drained of any hope and light. The spirit is submerged in the burden of life, and everyday existence for survival. Some of the strong ideas around which the novel revolves are: love (mother ’s possessive love), family, self-possessiveness, burden of the past, and desire for ownership. These themes unite the events and the characters within the story.These are the themes that also reflect that human self is higher than the mortal bruises inflicted on the body by the painful experiences of slavery. The power of mother’s love is the strong force which controls many happenings within the story. The life of the protagonist Sethe centers on the protection of her children from the horrors of the slavery. She lived a terrible life, where there was no ray of light and still managed to secure her freedom in the difficult days of pregnancy. How she managed to do it lies in her inner strength as a mother, for the protection of her children .Her mother love is the strong chord which propels her actions to send away her older children for safety and protection to Baby Suggs. In the last and difficult stages of pregnancy, when even walking is painful, she decides to run away from Sweet Home with the help from a white girl Amy. She gives birth to her 4th child on the run and still finds strength to carry on until she reaches the safety of home, where Baby Suggs lives with her other children. The whole length of the novel is weaved with instances that reinforce the strong desire for the family.The vision of united family under one roof is something held as aspiration for Sethe ( the main character), Baby Sugg ( the paternal grandmother), Denver(the living daughter), Paul D(another slave from Sweet Home) and Beloved( the ghost incarnate). The â€Å"House 124† is the symbolic of the shelter of home, which brings all the characters under this one roof, where all the interaction and complexities arise. This is where the past, present and future are face to face, in the race for dominance and survival. This is where the mystery of the numbers is revealed.The critical role which Beloved, the 3rd child, dead as well as living, plays is unfathomable. She creates the mysterious haunted atmosphere within the walls of â€Å"House 124†. Beloved fills the missing number 3, and remains as the unseen force calling the shots through her possessive love and desire for revenge. She represents the invisible force of past, which controls the actions of the present. The inhabitants of â€Å"House 124† are locked in love, possessive love which directs their thoughts and actions beyond control.The world outside does not attract them; they want to be in the security of their house, which represents their freedom and safety. The ownership of â€Å"House 124† is her first attempt to live a normal life without the shackles of slavery. Ownership is complex, when the experiences are so burdened by the cruelties of the past. The stamp of ownership reduced the humans living within the system to indifference. The body suffers, the mind is shattered with pain and anguish, and the spirit is reduced to emptiness.In this desperation, humans can act out of love in unpredictable ways to escape from the darkness and grimness of the situation. This is what Sethe did when she killed her one year-old daughter because she did not want her to live the life which she was living. The mark on Sethe's mother was a mark of possession, the branding of a slave. The human’s who were owned as slaves were treated worse than animals. For the first time, Paul D reveals his 18-year struggle, the endless running and hiding. To him, slavery is worse than being an animal: â€Å"Mister [the rooster] was allowed to be and stay where he was.But I wasn't. † We learn of the cruelty of the schoolteacher's two nephews, who sucked on Sethe's milk as if she were an animal. The pain of watching his wife abused by the owners school teacher and his nephews, drove Sethe’s husband Halle mad. (Beloved). The strong desire for ownership can also be seen, later on in Sethe, Paul D, Beloved and Denver, when they are living in â€Å" House 124†. Their relationship is also a struggle in the claim of ownership and struggle to find that strength to make the claim.The biggest hurdle in their claim for love and ownership is the heavy burden of the past which they carry as haunted voices and dark clouds. The powerful game of love and seduction makes this struggle for power more complicated. The significant role of the heart wounded, locked away and bleeding reinforces the need for love and ownership. The exposed breast as the source of milk, a sign of nurturance indicates the power of protection and possession. Sethe controls the chief events within her household; she is the nurturer as well as the killer.Her love is possessive and strong. She has survived and wishes to hold on to the chords of the future. Sethe’s possessive love is challenged by Beloved, the ghost of the dead baby overshadows the life of people living at â€Å"House 124†when she reveals herself as a woman, 19 or 20 years of age, c oming out of the marsh fully dressed. She is tired and thirsty, but her shoes are new and her skin is flawless except for three scratches on her forehead. It takes her more than two days to drag herself to 124 With a harsh voice, she pronounces that her name is Beloved.Beloved brings back many memories, especially those regarding the horrors of slavery (Beloved). The existing contrasts reveal her out of world characteristics. Much of the imagery in Beloved is dedicated to the picture of the cellars of a slave ship, with implications that this is the place Beloved was before she was born. The description is one of a womb, not of a cramped slave ship. The past has been forgotten, and there is a strong feeling of being trapped in the darkness (Beloved). Beloved is a dangerous mix of human traits and ghostly characteristics. Though hungry for love, she can smother love with revenge.She is a schemer and a parasite, which arrives in the â€Å"House 124† to fulfill her unfinished de sires and urges. She is only centered on herself, which intensifies her fears and terrors. The horror of the obscurity, the pangs of hunger and the fear of death immobilizes the mind and the body. The self, the spirit within is gradually overpowered by the agony of physical torture. The memories haunt the living as well as the ghost, as a shadow of all the experiences. The imagery of loudness and sound also plays a significant role to describe that â€Å"House 124 was spiteful† (Beloved).Here the spite is alive – it is, as Stamp Paid realizes, the roar of â€Å"people of the broken necks, of fire-cooked blood and black girls who had lost their ribbons† (Beloved). What roars is the dead, the injustice dealt to more than sixty million, all alive in Beloved. The loudness betrays a sinister part of Beloved which has not yet surfaced. The loudness is the cry, the despair and the frustrations of life’s experienced by people in shackles and chains, with no freed om to live, think or feel. It is self crying to be saved from this mortal combat of pain and anguish.The deep imprint of slavery is once again brought into play when Paul D reminisces about â€Å"Sweet Home† (Beloved) Even death does not deter the human soul and human self from the desire for freedom. Though the mortal bruises hurt the body and mind, they do not completely destroy the sanctuary of the self, however fragmented and withered. This light within is what keeps humans, such as Sethe and Sixo, to keep going and to find the way to freedom, either through escape or death. The helplessness experienced as a victim of slavery tarnishes the self deeply, leaving a person dirty and unclean from within.â€Å"That anybody white could take your whole self for anything that came to mind. Not just work, kill or maim you, but dirty you. Dirty you so bad you couldn't like yourself anymore. Dirty you so bad you forgot who you were and couldn't think it up†¦ The best thing was, was her [Sethe’s] children. Whites might dirty her all right, but not her best thing†(Beloved). The inner strength of Sethe is very strongly portrayed in the lines above, showing she is willing to go to any length to protect her children and save them from getting dirty.The possessiveness and the protective aspect of maternity are very powerfully expressed in this comment. Mother love is the protector and the nurturer, but also a killer. â€Å"Slavery is not just an institution; it is a philosophy and mindset which is far-reaching in its consequences† (ROTHSTEIN The horrific memories of the past hold a powerful influence on the present life of Sethe and Denver. The re-emergence of Beloved on the scene as half human and half ghost, half child and half adult adds complexity beyond comprehension.All the powerful feminine emotions play a critical role in adding drama and despair. The entanglement of the relationships between Denver and Beloved, though sisters, expos es the deep jealousy and bitterness. The dependence and immaturity, is characterized by their selfishness and insecurity. The overcast clouds of wounds, scars and shackles, are too heavy a burden to carry from one life to another. The past is a burden, the present is a struggle and future is so foggy that the road to freedom seems lost.The insatiable desire of the fragmented self to rise in spirit to face the world is the beautiful message hidden in the heaps of ashes of the past. The message is to bury the past, loosen the shackles of the present bindings and look to future with the hope and courage. Works Cited ROTHSTEIN , MERVYN. â€Å"Toni Morrison, In Her New Novel, Defends Women. â€Å"Books. August 26, 1987, . The New York Times Company. 1 Mar 2007 . ( ROTHSTEIN ) â€Å"Beloved. † Beloved. 1998-2007. Homework Online Inc. 1 Mar 2007 . (Beloved)

Planet Hollywoo

Marketing 520| Marketing Plan for Planet Hollywood| Midterm Report| | | Marwan Soliman Noha Abdel Fayad Hadil Abdel Fayad May Abdeen Table of Contents Company Background2 Mission Statement2 Company History:2 Situation Analysis2 Environmental Scanning:2 Macro environmental Forces:2 Micro environmental Forces2 Competitive Analysis:2 SWOT Analysis:2 Market Segmentation2 Demographic2 Psychographic2 Behavioral2 Targeting2 Targeting Strategy2 Problem Statement2 Works Cited2 Company BackgroundPlanet Hollywood is a trademark for restaurants, bars, casinos, and resorts that was established in 1991 by its founder Robert Earl and his partners and stockholders Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. Planet Hollywood distinguishes itself with the unique experience it offers its customers from gaming and live entertainment at the Hollywood themed venues. The focus of this marketing plan is the Planet Hollywood restaurants that resemble the Hollywood inspiration with its wide collection of Hollywood p rops and souvenirs from top rated movies and TV shows that decorate the place and the wide collection of items available for sale.Planet Hollywood strives to act as a creator and developer of consumer brands that take advantage of the universal appeal of movies, sports, and other entertainment-based themes The unforgettable dining experience at Planet Hollywood is completed with its delicious diverse menu of salads, burgers, and much more. Currently, Planet Hollywood has sixteen branches all over the world at which three of these are located in the Middle East (Dubai, Reyadh, and Kuwait). Mission Statement â€Å"Planet Hollywood International Inc. s a guest-driven company committed to providing [its] guests with an exciting inside look at Hollywood, combining with exceptional food, outstanding merchandise and uncompromising service in every one of [its] restaurants. [It] recognize that [its] success is achieved by hiring, retaining and developing quality associates†. â€Å"W e have a passion for our guests We care about our associates We do not compromise our high standards We maintain a sense of urgency in everything we do We continuously strive to improve We are team players† Company History:Planet Hollywood International Inc. is the controlling body for entertainment-based theme restaurants located throughout the world. Planet Hollywood International also runs five Official All Star Cafe restaurants, a chain that focuses on professional sports and follows a sports-bar theme, and several Cool Planet Ice Cream shops. The management of the company is currently focusing on its core business of restaurants. The first Planet Hollywood restaurant opened in New York City in 1991 however the events leading to its beginning started 20 years before that date.In 1972, Robert Earl opened a dinner theater in London called ‘The Beefeater’ that offered its customers a dining experience with a medieval theme. Earl earned a degree in hotel and resta urant management the University of Surrey. He was passionate about creating entertainment-based restaurants such as ‘Talk of London,' ‘Shakespeare's Tavern,' and ‘The Cockney Club. ‘ In the 1980s, Earl foresaw the promising American markets that would guarantee the success of his entertainment-themed restaurants. He started off with selling his concepts to the developers of a then-new Disney World called EPCOT Center.Although the deal was unsuccessful, Earl decided to stay in Florida at which he opened several restaurants focusing on medieval and Wild West ideas until he sold it to a larger holding company in the mid-1980s. In 1989, Earl was appointed the new chief executive for the Hard Rock operation under ‘Mecca Leisure†. The ‘Hard Rock Cafe' chain is a music industry-based theme restaurants. With his new position, Earl created 20 Hard Rock Cafes in the eastern region. Meanwhile, Earl partnered with Keith Barish, a film producer at that t ime to open the first Planet Hollywood mentioned earlier.Barish and Earl looked at music, movies, and sports as means that bridge differences of language and other differences between people living in different places. Planet Hollywood witnessed immediate success; its museum-like decorations and its outstanding marketing plan attracted millions of customers. Earl and Barish asked celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg to act as restaurant's owners at which they would pass by ‘their restaurant' to check in and mingle briefly with their fans.A year later Earl left Mecca Leisure to plan the worldwide introduction of Planet Hollywood restaurants actors Don Johnson and his then wife Melanie Griffith, director John Hughes, comedienne Roseanne, and actors Tom Arnold, Wesley Snipes, and Danny Glover became investors by then. By mid-1993, Planet Hollywood International had opened its branches in London and southern C alifornia and was completing the construction of a fourth branch in Chicago. Architect David Rockwell was hired to design the new branches. The branches were created to seat more than 200 people.Each branch contained film props and floor layouts that were unique to their locations. Dorothy's dress from ‘The Wizard of Oz,' the pottery wheel used by Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in ‘Ghost,' a replica of the castle from ‘Dracula,' the Batmobile, the Flintstone buggy, and a plastic model of the meat slab that was pulverized by Stallone in the film ‘Rocky’ were all items put on display in different locations. Celebrities hand prints walls and big-screen televisions to play promotional clips for upcoming movies were further attractions found at Planet Hollywood.Peter Morton Hard Rock International executive at that time filed a suit against Earl and Planet Hollywood claiming that Earl had copied that Hard Rock concept. Earl dismissed the charges and the case against Planet Hollywood never amounted to much in court. In addition, Planet Hollywood continued its move up the ladder of success and became well-known in the theme restaurant business. By the end of 1993, Planet Hollywood expanded to have eleven new branches in different states. The opening of each branch was a major gala event that attracted crowds who were eager to see celebrities and different famous media figures.Each new branch generated revenues worth $ 15 million. Selling licensed Planet Hollywood merchandise in addition to serving food and drinks from a diverse menu were a major attraction of customers. Key rings, T-shirts, sweatshirts, watches, and leather coats are examples of the items sold at the restaurants. The merchandize selling not only boosted the revenues by differentiating Planet Hollywood but its popularity pushed it to open separate retail stores called ‘Planet Hollywood Superstores,' a move that further increased yearly profits.In 1994, Planet Hollyw ood continued expanding to open branches worldwide. The company also began establishing other theme-restaurant ideas such as the Official All Star Cafe. Barish and Earl realized the people’s key interest in celebrities’’ life and continued expanding based on that. They continued recruiting professional sports figures to invest such as hockey great Wayne Gretzky, football icon Joe Montana, and basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal. Also in 1994, the company opened what would become its highest income generator branch at Las Vegas. The Las Vegas restaurant was designed to seat .The branche's opening drew more than 10,000 people who sat on stadium-like bleachers to watch the stars' arrivals at the event. Later that year, another 500-seater of Planet Hollywood opened in Orlando's Disney World. With that branch, Earl and Barish became officially the owners of the two highest-profit generating restaurants in the United States. In 1996 the company decided to go public not only by offering stocks but the company also convinced MBNA to issue Planet Hollywood VISA credit cards that gave cardholders priority seating at the restaurants.A joint venture with ITT Corporation was also established to develop Planet Hollywood casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Furthermore, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and Planet Hollywood International decided to develop comic book character-based restaurant theme calling it ‘Marvel Mania. ‘ Ideas for a new concept called ‘Chefs of the World,' which was to feature a ‘star-studded' culinary staff, also began to rise. Celebrity support received through their ownership and investment in the chains made Planet Hollywood and All Stars Cafe unique by all standards. In only five years the company had grown from one $3. million restaurant in New York to an almost $300 million operation with approximately 50 units throughout the world. Situation Analysis The dining service in Egypt has witnessed a hu ge change in the last few years . Dining out became part of the lifestyle of Egyptians who can enjoy such leisure. People are constantly seeking new diners, especially international ones they try during their trips abroad, they see in foreign movies or hear about from friends. During this period of changes, several international diners opened in Egypt and have proven to be successfully attracting customers.Although different people are always seeking different styles such as Authentic Egyptian, Italian, Shisha serving cafes, quick coffee serving cafes, each sector proved to find their own clientele. Places such as Hardrock Cafe, Apple Bees and Rainforest Cafe have their own successful cases that should be similar to Planet Hollywood’s. Egyptians in general are usually very interested in celebrities and their lives. Planet Hollywood can easily depend on this point in its marketing plan and focus. Environmental Scanning: Macro environmental Forces: Socio-cultural FactorsThere a re more than 50 million people between the ages of 15 and 45 in Egypt which is approximately 65% of the population . This, as a result, has a great impact on the nature of the food service sales. The young generation has changing lifestyles and eating habits. They mainly go out for dinning as it is considered a source of entertainment. As such, the demand for the food services represented in fast food restaurants, informal dining, cafes/bars, has increased tremendously. However, in Egypt, both men and women are usually seeking places where then can smoke shisha.Usually, international chains forbid smoking of shisha in their restaurants as part of their regulations to avoid health and environmental hazards. Economic Factor The Egyptian population is mainly divided into two classes of either rich or poor. The middle class in between is demising. According to the World Bank Statistics of 2005, the income share help by the highest 20% of the Egyptian population is 41. 5% while the share of the next 20% is only 12. 6%. It is believed that this gap is not getting any smaller if not getting wider.The top 20% of the population are consistent with their dining out experience as eating out is considered a main sources of entertainment. Political Factors With the political instability in the country since the January 25th events, dining out is considered one of the few sources of entertainment that remained stable since other sources of entertainment such as parties and concerts are no longer as available as before. Restaurants are more likely to any new expansions making it the right time for Planet Hollywood to open and establish a good solid base in Egypt.However, this political instability also represents a risk to any new business especially with the lack of security witnessed. This security issue will have to be accounted for in choosing the location and operation of the restaurant. Environmental Factors Air pollution in Egypt and especially in Cairo is a matter of serious concern. The air quality in downtown Cairo is more than 10 to 100 times of acceptable world standards. In addition, the layout of tall buildings and narrow streets prevent the pollution from escaping and result in a thick and grey air.As a result, open-air restaurants in some areas, especially downtown Cairo and high density areas, may face some problems and may not be convenient all the time. Therefore, people are looking more for indoor recreation. Another concern is the availability of high quality raw material in Egypt. Due to the lack of training and education, there are a lot of improper agricultural practices, poor hygiene at all stages of food chain, absence of preventive controls in food processing and preparation operations.In addition, misuse of chemicals, raw materials contamination, inadequate or improper storage are also concerns for the food industry in Egypt. Such a situation highlights the importance of a high quality control process that should be implemen ted in any restaurant. Technological Factors People now have access to the internet all the time. They became more demanding and want to follow a certain lifestyle. They know exactly what they are looking for and where they can get which as a result creates a significant challenge in terms of meeting demands and defeating competition.Yet, this is a good opportunity since marketing can now be done easily using cheap online campaigns reaching the targeted customers. Micro environmental Forces Employees Employees are the image of any place, their attitude and commitment directly affects the restaurant’s reputation and customer perception of the place. Research has shown that 70% of customers’ return to a restaurant is usually related to the service and their positive experiences with employees; 68% of defecting customers leave due to negative employee attitudes.Therefore, Planet Hollywood’s employees should be experienced and passionate. They should receive regular trainings and should always be motivated to do their best. In addition, they will be closely monitored to gurantee that the customers are always satisfied. Suppliers Quality and freshness are the most important factors of the food served in any restaurant. Therefore, reliable food service suppliers take part in the success of any restaurant. Planet Hollywood will seek suppliers that will provide high quality products with on time consistent delivery.Our strategy will be to create a partnership-like relationship with suppliers to guarentee the success of the end product. Customers Planet Hollywood’s targeted clientel is already present in Egypt and is currently waiting for such an international diner to open in Egypt’s biggest cities such as Cairo, Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh. Our clients would be 15-35 year old men and women seeking a luxurious yet afforadable dinning experience. Locations Prime locations that are easily reached with suffiecient parking places shou ld be sought.Currently, big shopping malls and diners concentrations are considered the places-to-be by Egyptians. Locations such as City Stars, Mall of Arabia, New Cairo and 6th of October cities should be checked for potential locations. Competitive Analysis: The Egyptian market is very competitive as it consists of many foodservice companies with dominant players that make it hard for small operators to succeed. This governance is due to the brands already having good grounds internationally, in addition to the huge advertising and marketing plans.Below is a list of the major competitors for Planet Hollywood. 1. â€Å"Americana†: Egyptian Co for international touristic projects (TGI Friday’s) First established in 1964 as a small trading company based in Kuwait, Amricana became the most successful restaurant operator in the Middle East that owns around 650 restaurants. â€Å"Americana† is a master franchisee to several leading international entities such as Ha rdees, Pizza Hut, KFC, TGI Friday's, Costa Cafe and Baskin-Robbins. TGI Friday’s is the main brand that would present a competition to Planet Hollywood. Competitive advantage: Fierce advertising and marketing plans for all its brands along with major offers and promotions. * The company has many outlets all over Egypt and is opening more and more each year. 2. Amer Group (Chili’s): Started in 1993 by introducing â€Å"Chili’s†, the famous American restaurant chain to Egypt and the Middle East, Amer Group expanded over the years to introduce more restaurants with a variety of cuisines such as Johnny Carinos, Studio Masr†¦etc. Chili’s will be one of the major competitors for Planet Hollywood. Competitive advantage: * High market penetration with many restaurants all over Egypt and in all the hot spots. Amer Group has managed to maintain a very good reputation among Egyptians through its many projects in different industries as well as very aggre ssive marketing plans. The name of the restaurants is directly related to the group which helped them to easily achieve customer loyalty. * Casual atmosphere that fits both youth and families. 3. Hard Rock Cafe: Established in 1971 in London, Hard Rock Cafe has over 172 venues in more than 51 countries around the world. It opened its branch in Sharm el sheikh in 1998 in Naema Bay; it also has one in garden city Cairo, another in Hurghada, and it is planning to open one soon in Nabe.It offers a wide selection of burgers, barbeques, and steaks, along with a variety of desserts and drinks. Internationally it is known to be among the top competitors for Planet Hollywood. Competitive advantages: * It has a very good reputation worldwide that makes it an attractive place for young outgoing population, and also for tourists coming to Egypt that’s why it is very successful in Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada. * They focus on their employees and treat them like a family and create an envi ronment of fun where the employees look forward to come to work. They also focus on customers making sure that they deliver unique entertainment and dining experience. * Their music mix is very popular and very entertaining which makes Hardrock cafe the number one destination for outgoing youth with passion for music. 4. Planet Africa Part of the Mo’men group, Planet Africa was established in December 2004 in Cairo and it is considered the first themed restaurant in Egypt. The restaurant has the design of a jungle with African merchandise and souvenirs available at the entrance. Planet Africa offers a wide variety of International cuisine. Competitive advantage: First themed restaurant in Egypt and it is Egyptian so it attracts patriotic customers. * Ideal for families as the atmosphere is very kids friendly. * Reasonable prices relative to the portions and quality of food. 5. Sequoia: With only one branch in Zamalek, Sequoia is the favorite restaurant for high end, outgoing young people. It offers a wide range of Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Italian cuisines as well as a very good sushi menu. The place also offers alcohols as well as water pipes. Competitive advantages: * Sequoia is located in Zamalek with a very nice view of the Nile. Considered a hot spot among classy young population. * Sequoia hosts very successful events during Ramadan, New Year’s and holidays. * Suits all tastes as it offers different types of cuisines. 6. Rainforest Rainforest opened in Egypt in 2008 by Wataniya Company for operating restaurants, the leading company in restaurant management in the Middle East, at the City Stars Mall. The design of the place is like a jungle with all types of animals. The high technology fitted into the design changes the sounds of animals every 10 minutes through CDs and there is a thunder storm every 30 minutes. Competitive advantage: Well known brand world wide * The high tech atmosphere of the jungle simulation makes it very attractive for kids and families. * Very good quality of food. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: * Strong popular name among various groups of the targeted market segment. * Branches already exists in nearby countries such as Dubai, Kwait and Riyad, with similar culture and menu adjustments. * Offers a variety of food that is already familiar and loved by the Egyptian population. * Well known for tourists visiting Egypt. * Strong established system of management that could be easily trained and implemented among local employees. Availability of kids menu and kids friendly atmosphere. * Ability to host both small and large events as well as offer outside catering. | Weaknesses: * Requires huge investment to find and build a branch that would be located in a relatively hot spot compared to competitors as well as big enough to maintain the restaurant image worldwide. * Prices are relatively high compared to some of the major competitors| Opportunities: * Egypt is a huge market that is now welcoming any n ew investment after the recession that occurred after the 25th of January events. Dinning out is now one of the necessities of life due to the casual lifestyle of most of the young Egyptians as well as families. * The trend of hosting parties and events outside is becoming more and more popular among Egyptians| Threats: * Fierce and well known competitors that use excellent promotional techniques. * Probability of unwelcoming an Americanized restaurant * After the 25th January events, Egypt became unstable both economically and politically which makes it a risky environment for any new business. | Market SegmentationDifferent strategies were used to segment the Egyptian market to identify our target market. Demographic Age: Household Income: Income is a very important factor in our segmentation process as Planet Hollywood is known to be an expensive high class restaurant. The following segments are recognized: * Low: ? EGP 12000/year * Low-Medium: EGP 12,000/year – EGP 24,000 /year * Medium: EGP 24,000/year – EGP 120,000/year * Medium-High: EGP 120,000 – EGP 240,000/year * High: ? EGP 240,000/yea Occupation: * Students * Workers * Employees * Middle Managers * Executives * Professionals Small-business owners * Large-business owners Social Class: Even though social class perception is directly linked to the income level of the family, but it is also influenced by the family background which is a major contributor in determining the social class. There are three basic social classes in Egypt: Class A, Class B and Class C with sub categorization in each class (e. g: B1, B2 and B3) . Nonetheless, it is apparent, as mentioned before that Class B is diminishing. Marital Status: The marital status is reported as follows: * Single: 37. 31% * Married: 62. 69% Psychographic LifestyleDifferent people have different lifestyle patterns that change at different stages of life. According to the â€Å"Sagacity Lifestyle Model†, Lifestyle has four ma in stages identified as follows: * Dependent (ex. Children living with their parents) * Pre-family (ex. With their own households but don’t have children) * Family (ex. Parents with at least one child) * Late (ex. Parents with children who left their homes) A further sub-classification is by segmenting the above into outgoing and non-outgoing. Motives Planet Hollywood will be providing a unique kind of entertainment for its customers that is not available at any other competitors.Using the asset of celebrities’ investment in Planet Hollywood, customers might find various famous figures when dining might encourage customers to go. In addition, being able to position the brand as a hot spot for the different targeted segment will encourage customers to go in order to fit in and keep up with the social groups and standards. Behavioral Brand Loyalty Planet Hollywood is a strong popular name and can easily develop brand-loyal customers Benefit expectations Customers are gro uped according to similarities in the benefits that they look for in specific products or services.Benefits as location, cleanliness, social image, food service, quality, and hospitality. Use frequency Customers are segmented according to their frequency of dinning outdoors as follows: * Rarely, occasionally * once per month * twice per month * once per week * multiple times per week. Targeting Theme restaurants attract patrons based on mainly the overall dining experience and the entertainment value received. The chosen theme dictates the interior decor, music, type of food, the food presentation and the appearances of the staff. Theme restaurants also sell licensed merchandise as souvenirs.For our target market selection, we have considered several segments from which we could come up with Planet Hollywood possible target diners; the most relevant segmentation schemes were: age, income, social class, and lifestyle. Age| Household income| Social Class| Lifestyle| 0 – 15| ? E GP 12000/year| Lower| Dependant| 15 -45| EGP 12,000/year – EGP 24,000/year| Lower Middle| Pre-family| 45-60| EGP 24,000/year – EGP 120,000/year| Upper Middle| Family| 60-80| EGP 120,000 – EGP 240,000/year| Upper| Late| | EGP 240,000/year| | | Targeting StrategyAs for our target strategy, we will be following the differentiation strategy. We will be designing more than one promotional message with which we will be providing each segment with its specific needs and communicating the different related benefits. Problem Statement Planet Hollywood is a well known international brand, offering a unique authentic Hollywood experience for its customers. The introduction of Planet Hollywood in Egypt will be a challenging process as it should emphasize on the well established brand and the unique experience offered by its famous themed restaurant.Dining service offers a huge market in Egypt, mainly because of the changing socio-cultural behaviors of people especially the tendency to be more outgoing. However, the proper targeting of customers and positioning of the restaurant are of most important in establishing the differentiated strategy of Planet Hollywood. Works Cited (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from AMEinfo. com The ultimate Middle East business resource: www. ameinfo. com FUNDINGUNIVERSE. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Planet Hollywood International, Inc. : http://www. fundinguniverse. om/company-histories/Planet-Hollywood-International-Inc-company-History1. html Hard Rock. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Hard Rock History: http://www. hardrock. com/Corporate/ market segmentation – psychographic segmentation . (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Tutor2u: http://tutor2u. net/business/marketing/segmentation-psychographic. html Planet Hollywood International, I. (2006, July 6). The PH Insider. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from http://www. planethollywoodintl. com/privacy. php PLANNING: MARKETING STRATEGY AND PLANNING. (n. d. ).Retrieved November 10, 2011, from http://www. wadsworthmedia. com/marketing/sample_chapters/766816052_ch07. pdf Population. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Egypt State Information Service: http://www. sis. gov. eg/En/LastPage. aspx? Category_ID=19 Restaurants. (2010). 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