Critique of the Hawthorne Experiments Essay - 1510 Words

Critique of The Hawthorne Experiments Biography Written by Fritz J. Roethlisberger (1898 – 1974), The Hawthorne Experiments, explores the experiments, results and conclusions of studies performed at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company. The Hawthorne Effect is the theory that resulted from the studies. Roethlisberger, a key member of the team, joined the team in 1927 and actively participated in the research until 1936, first as Elton Mayo’s assistant and later as his collaborator (Roethlisberger, 2007). Roethlisberger earned a BA in engineering from Columbia University, a BS in engineering administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a MA in philosophy from Harvard University (Roethlisberger,†¦show more content†¦While researchers kept tons of data regarding this experiment, including the temperature and humidity of the room and the amount of slept each women had the night prior, the physical changes had little change on the productivity (Natemeyer McMahon, 2 001, pp. 32 – 34). The experiments at the Hawthorne Plant continued with interviewing the actual employees. These interviews began in 1928 and were the â€Å"first real attempt to get human data and to forge human tools to get them† (Natemeyer McMahon, 2001, p. 35). In the beginning of the interviewing process, the interviewers found it difficult to not input their feelings, advice, etc into the interviews (Natemeyer McMahon, 2001, p. 35). Over time and with practice: They discovered that sooner or later a person tends to talk about what is uppermost in his mind to a sympathetic and skillful listener. And they become more proficient in interpreting what a person is say or trying to say (Natemeyer McMahon, 2001, p 35). It was the data from these experiments that supported the research of the Harvard team and lead them to conclude that productivity increase when management/supervisors began to pay attention to their employees. In the final set of experiments at the Hawthorne Plant, also described as the Bank Wiring Observation Group (1931-1932), researchers observed a group of employees that represented three occupational groups – wiremen, soldermen, and inspectors (Natemeyer McMahon, 2001,Show MoreRelatedHawthorne Studies804 Words   |  4 PagesPrentice Hall Carey A. (1967) The Hawthorne Studies: A Radical Criticism, American Sociological Review, Vol.32, No.3, Jun. 1967, p.403-416. Clark D (1999) â€Å"Hawthorne Effect† Retrieved November 20, 2007, Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/hawthorne.html Coutts B, (2003) â€Å"The Hawthorne Experiments† Retrived November 25, 2007, Retrived from http://www.hawthorne-academy.org/publication6.html Draper S.W (2006) â€Å"The Hawthorne, Pygmalion, Placebo and other effects ofRead MoreEssay about Hawthorne Studies1529 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will review the writings of â€Å"Hawthorne, the myth of the docile worker, and class bias in psychology† an article by D. Bramel and R. Friend. It will then go on to further critique academic articles that both support and disagree with the primary source and demonstrate how the Hawthorne studies have influenced contemporary organizations. The Hawthorne experimental studies conducted at the Western Electric Company Works has attracted considerable amounts of sharp critical scrutiny; itRead MorePoe Hawthorne949 Words   |  4 PagesContrast of Poe/ Hawthorne Poe and Hawthorne are the most significant American writers of 19th century. They have their own way of relating to their audiences that’s varied and similar at the same time. Poe’s writing involves the reader emotionally. Hawthorne on the other hand considers author’s imagination important and paints a picture based on it. These innovative thoughts and experimentations in language have forever changed what we appreciate in writing. Poe and Hawthorne used variousRead MoreThe Hawthorne Studies On The Development Of Management1397 Words   |  6 PagesThe Hawthorne Studies were conducted by Elton Mayo with help from his research assistant Fritz Roethlisberger in the mid-1920s along with the works at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago, Illinois. These studies were influenced by the principles of scientific management which were introduced by Frederick Taylor in 1911. The studies were to research weather people worked more efficiently when they were working as a group, being treated as special (such as working in a separateRead MoreFrancis Bacon s The Birthmark And Rappaccini s Daughter1910 Words   |  8 Pagesto warn readers against the dangers of science. One such writer is Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne uses his stories to warn readers about the dangers of science. Heidegger’s Experiment, The Birthmark and Rappaccini s daughter, all have very tragic endings that can be traced back to science experiments. All three stories focus on very intelligent and driven scientist who try to achieve their goals at any cost. Hawthorne uses these stories as a way to contradict Bacon’s view and to state his viewsRead MoreFrancis Bacon s The Birthmark And Rappaccini s Daughter1913 Words   |  8 Pagesto warn readers against the dangers of science. One such writer is Nathaniel Hawthorne; Hawthorne uses his stories to warn readers about the dangers of science. Heidegger’s Experiment, The Birthmark and Ra ppaccini s Daughter, all have very tragic endings that can be traced back to science experiments. All three stories focus on very intelligent and driven scientist who try to achieve their goals at any cost. Hawthorne uses these stories as a way to contradict Bacon’s view and to state his viewsRead MoreHawthorne Effect1192 Words   |  5 Pagesthat it was up to the managers to analysis tasks at hand to identify whether or not they could be performed more effectively. One of the most criticised and controversial investigations ever undertaken on workplace relations was known as the Hawthorne Effect. These studies were undertaken at the Bell Telephone Western Electric Manufacturing Plant in Chicago. The studies began in 1924 and continued through until the Depression in 1932. The purpose of the studies was to gain an insight on whetherRead MoreThe Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesThe Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne In Nathaniel Hawthornes short story The Birthmark, there are many views on the need for science and its advances. Hawthornes protagonist, Aylmer, illustrates his own personal assessment of science. The story is based on the idea that science can solve all of humanities ills and problems. Hawthorne believes that science is overrunning life. Aylmer is consumed by his passion of overtake Mother Nature. The story shows how Aylmers passion leadsRead MoreClassical Organizational Theory, Neoclassical Organization, And Contingency And System Theory1128 Words   |  5 Pagescontrol. Initially, Taylor was very successful at improving production. His methods for doing this involved getting the most qualified people and securing the best equipment, and then carefully analyzing each component of the production process to critique it for efficiency. By analyzing each task individually, Taylor was able to find the right combinations of factors that yielded large increases in production. While Taylors  scientific management theory  proved successful during the beginning of progressionRead MoreThe Biblical Story Of Adam And Eve878 Words   |  4 PagesRappaccinis Daughter. This being said, it is disappointing that little to no criticisms are found on this topic. Nathanial Hawthorns, Rappaccinis daughter, is an Allusion of Adam and Eve and therefore an allegory. When approached with a readers responds critique, one is reminded of the biblical story of Adam and Eve, the creation of man. The story of Adam and Eve happens in Genesis chapter 2 and 3. Long story short, god made Adam and eve to look after Eden, he told them to never eat from the tree of knowledge

Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad - 2014 Words

Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad was born by the name Jozej Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski on Dec. 3, 1857. He was an English novelist and short story writer who wrote many titles to include Lord Jim, Nostromo, and The secret Agent. He was known for his richness of the use of prose and also using his encounters with living on the high seas. His reputation as a great story teller covers up his great fascination when people are faced with nature’s invaraiable unconcern, man’s frequent malevolence, and his inner battle with good and evil. Conrad’s father was a poet and a polish patriot who was arrested and sent in to exile in late 1861. Conrad was introduced to English at the young age of eight while listening to his father translate some great†¦show more content†¦From the outside you would consider it a tale of mystery and adventure taking place in central Africa along the Congo River. Another great thing taken from this book is the symbolic journey into man’s inner bein g containing details of literal and symbolic levels that contribute to the narrative and the interpretations of the meaning of the story. To fully understand this book sit back and let me tell you about the plot. The plot begins with Marlow fresh from Europe who sets sail up the Congo River to relieve Kurtz. Marlow despite never encountering Kurtz admires and respects him through the reputation and the writings he made of civiling the African continent. Marlow from his experiences in Africa with the effects of colonialism and how Kurtz has become a vicious power hungry subjugator of the African natives makes him dislike the man now. The journey forces Marlow to face Kurtz to confront the corruption but also he will be faced by the same temptation. When he meets Kurtz finally he is ravaged by disease, and dissipation and is near death. Kurtz dies and Marlow returns to Belgium where is greeted by Kurtz’s fiancà ©e and tells her many lies. Marlow claimed her name was said durin g the death and withheld the illegal activities that went on. Critics have debated these motives behind the deception saying that it causes an act condescension,

Use of Social Media in Management Communication of Qantas Airlines

Question: Discuss about the Use of Social Media in Management Communication of Qantas Airlines. Answer: Qantas Airlines is an Australian based airline founded on 16th November 1920 in Winston Australia by two Australian Flying Corps officers. It began its operations the following day. Also known as the Flying Kangaroo due to its use of the Kangaroo symbol on all its aircraft, Qantas airlines is the largest airline in Australia. It is also one of the largest airlines in the world with a fleet of 132 as of 2017, serving up to 184 destinations in 42 different countries worldwide. As of May 2016, Qantas Airlines had a majority market share of 65% of the whole Australian aviation industry operating an average of 5300 flights each week. In 2011 Qantas Airlines Government and Corporate Affairs executive Olivia Wirth, faced a communication dilemma emanating from the use of social media that threatened the image of the company. Qantas had sponsored a social media contest requesting the twitter users to describe their luxury inflight experience and giving them an opportunity to win 50 pairs of Q antas first class pajamas and a luxury amenity kit. However, the campaign backfired when the twitter users instead decided to use the opportunity to attack the airline and vent their frustrations. By the following morning, Qantas had more than 10,000 mentions worldwide. Olivia Wirth was therefore faced with the challenge of rescuing the airlines reputation as the pride of Australia by countering the negativity created by the unfortunate social media campaign. It is important that Qantas Airlines consider various actions in future if they are to avoid such disasters happening again. These actions will help them maintain and improve their status as the best and largest airline in Australia and beyond. In order to implement any such actions it is important for the airline to analyze the real causes of the crisis. These include, poor monitoring of feedbacks, negative response, poor timing of publicity and lack of understanding on how to communicate with the public. Poor monitoring of feedbacks. The company failed to continuously monitor what the public is saying about them online hence they had no idea what was waiting when they were launching the social media campaign. In future, Qantas Airlines should use internet monitoring tools such as Social Mention, TweetReach, HootSuite, Brandwatch and many others to find the ongoing conversations about their brand. The fact however is that a company cannot entirely control what is being said about them by the social media users because there will always be negative comments (Michaelodou, et al., 2011). This is due to the inability of any company to fully satisfy everyone. Monitoring of feedbacks will therefore help the company in devising a proper crisis plan should such storm of negativity happen again in the future. Poor timing of publicity. In trying to build positive online publicity, a company should take note of the existence of an offline world too. The social media team failed to give consideration to the sensitivity of the offline matters that had surrounded the company around the time. Firstly, this campaign was undertaken at the heart of an industrial dispute between the airline and three unions, Australian Transport Workers Union, the International Pilots Association and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association which had led to halting of services. The airline management had just opted out of negotiating with these unions. It is therefore important that in future the social media team at Qantas Airlines consider other issues surrounding the company before carrying out such campaigns. Lack of understanding on how to communicate with the public. Being able to understand what the public needs in line with your area of business is important in coming up with a better social media strategy. A better publicity idea would have been to promote medium tier level members to upper level. Negative responses. Irrespective of the response by the social media users the companys response must always remain positive (Mangold, 2009). This gives the image that the company is able to positively take public critism and work towards improving them. According to Tim Burrowes, founder and content director at Mumbrella, an online discussion platform about Australias media and marketing, he could not reach the Qantas communication team for comment after the controversial tweet. Social media has been around for more than twenty years now. However, it is only recently that various businesses have begun to recognize the importance of social media in their growth. Currently, almost all companies are using it to further supplement their marketing activities especially when targeting the younger generations that spend a lot of time in the social media. While it has proved positive to many some have ended up destroying their business by poorly timed social media campaigns (Kietzmann, et al., 2011). The following factors should be considered if a company want to successfully use the social media to grow their business; Target group. The company should know the group they are targeting with their social media adverts to understand their needs. For example the needs of an organization in choosing an airline for their employees are different from those of individuals wanting leisure travel (Kaplan Haenlein, 2010). Before adopting the use of social media, the company must set out the objectives they wish to achieve (Hanna, et al., 2011). Because it involves use of resources such as time, money and manpower, the objectives will act as guidance in measuring its success. Companies should ensure their social media messages are consistent in order to create an identity in the consumers mind (De Vries, et al.,2012) Use of imagery. Relevant images create a lasting impression in the minds of the consumers hence should be employed widely (Safco, 2010). Social media message should be accompanied with images that describe them. For instant, Qantas Airlines could do with beautiful images of the pajamas to accompany their twitter challenge. Show interest and participate in the discussion. The companys social media team should be available to reply to comments. This makes the potential customers feel valued. It also make the potential buyers get more information like prices of the products they wish to buy (Ellison, 2007). Communication Plan Template Timing The airline should choose a working day to communicate with the public. They should also ensure that there is no current negative issue relating to the operations of the company. Audience The audience should be individuals, businesses and government agencies Sender The airlines communications team should be the sender. However, production of the message should involve the Public Relations and the Marketing team. The marketing team is responsible for creating the substance to be marketed to the public while the PR team will package the message to be attractive to the public. Key Message The key message contained in the media campaign should be that the airline values its customers hence needs their feedback while at the same time rewarding them for their time. Desired Outcomes The desired out comes are; Increased recognition of the airline Increased customer loyalty hence higher profits The company will get views of the public which they can act on to improve their services in the future. Medium Social media sites is the best way of reaching younger customers. Use of other sources such as television adverts and print media such as newspapers is also important. Further, the airline can use telephone calls and email messages to communicate to their regular customers. Materials Unnecessary and irrelevant information should be left out. Frequency Qantas should communicate with its customers as often as possible to help them understand the current public perception. Their social media pages like Facebook and Twitter should remain active at all times. References Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship.Journal of Computer?Mediated Communication,13(1), 210-230. De Vries, L., Gensler, S., Leeflang, P. S. (2012). Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing.Journal of Interactive Marketing,26(2), 83-91. Hanna, R., Rohm, A., Crittenden, V. L. (2011). Were all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem.Business horizons,54(3), 265-273. Kaplan, A. M., Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media.Business horizons,53(1), 59-68. Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media.Business horizons,54(3), 241-251. Mangold, W. G., Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix.Business horizons,52(4), 357-365. Michaelidou, N., Siamagka, N. T., Christodoulides, G. (2011). Usage, barriers and measurement of social media marketing: An exploratory investigation of small and medium B2B brands.Industrial marketing management,40(7), 1153-1159. Safko, L. (2010).The social media bible: tactics, tools, and strategies for business success. John Wiley Sons.

Subjectivity and Gaze in Jane Eyre free essay sample

She found it in Jane Eyre, the story, the character, the protagonist, the heroine, the symbolism of female empowerment and one of the important literary character that has given power and significance to a previously marginalized and oppressed demography: women. Jane Eyre has been commended, applauded and re-read and reprinted for many years. Yet, the lasting charisma and relevance of the issues that Jane Eyre tackled and addressed was enough to guarantee that she will never be an anachronism in any life and era. Subjectivity and gaze are very important in defining the true essence of the significance and importance of the story.This is where one can find the reasons as to why it affects and appeals to the people in ways that allows it to be relevant, timeless and connected to socio-cultural issues. These two aspects are the main and focal points and areas of discussion and exploration to effectively dissect the literary merit of the novel Jane Eyre when it comes to subjectivity and gaze, in particular. We will write a custom essay sample on Subjectivity and Gaze in Jane Eyre or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1. Jane Eyre In the many different novels and stories written in many different eras that managed to have the lasting appeal, Charlotte Bronte is responsible for the one of the novels that strongly touched the issues of women empowerment.She has been instrumental in evoking the consciousness in the pursuit of defining and even re-defining women empowerment, social equality, gender roles in the society and the significance of the life of women. Bronte will always be remembered by the literary world and the rest of the world as the woman who gave life and penned the story Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre was a story considered as the autobiography of a woman who spoke with power and without reservation, regardless of whether or not she is conforming to the norms.It is regardless whether she is poised to contribute significantly to the changing of the status quo and the tilting of the planes where men and women stood on polar position, originally predefined and pre-ordained by the previously strongly dominant male. Jane Eyre has the making of a story that will evoke strong emotions about women. She was a warrior and a survivor. She was a minority marginalized by the society and was shackled by tradition, practices and institutions designed to reflect bias against women. Jane Eyre, above everything else was heroine. As a story, it inspired women.As a character, Jane Eyre created the prototype of the woman that every other female aspired to be. Above all her strength, one stood out that is admired and envied by all: her ability to speak out, to say what she has to say about a life that has been supremely challenging and emotionally unnerving to the weak. Jane Eyre is a story of a womans journey in life, how she saw it, how she defined it, how she recorded it in her memory, without consideration to the natural editing tendencies of the society she lived in. Because of these aspects, Jane Eyre was loved, as a character and as a story.Literary analysts and critics saw it fitting to delve more through the pages of Jane Eyre so that they could further understand what the author and the character was trying to say, and do so more coherently. 2. Jane Eyre and the Gaze The analysis of the gaze in any literature always brings about the analysis and discussion of gender roles and structures in the society as represented in literary content and style. In gaze, one of the major components of the discussion and debate during literary analysis and criticism is the supposed power and dominance of male and the subjugation of the female and her perspective in narrative storytelling.It is being broken by the surfacing of authors and stories that challenge the traditional superior roles and places of men by putting forward stories which, in turn, empowers women and allows them to stand shoulder to shoulder with men. Because of its importance, the gaze is often part of the feminist literary analysis. According to Warhol and Herndl, Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte are evidences the idea that â€Å"the gaze holds powerful potential for a feminist poetics of the novel† (Warhol, Herndl 429).Bronte and Jane Eyre are important integral entities in the continued development of this pursuit. Jane Eyre as an individual has been an object of the gaze. According to literary analysts and critics like Sally Shuttleworth in her book â€Å"Charlotte Bronte and Victorian Psychology†, Eyre was able to use this particular gaze. This includes the condition wherein she is being viewed and seen by the society and is being observed – as a catapult towards achieving a sense of self awareness in the long run which will empower her (Shuttleworth 39).The power and control present in Jane Eyre as a story and as a character become more definitive when Jane Eyre displays the ability to change the oppressive gaze and use it to improve and empower herself. Jane Eyre develops a new consciousness that allows her to create a form of resistance towards traditional control forms and sources. â€Å"She comes to self-conscious awareness only through her sense of self as an object to an external eye, whose gaze she must nonetheless baffle if she is to retain integrity of selfhood† (Shuttleworth 39). 2. 1 Foucault, Gaze and Jane EyreMich el Foucault was one of the individuals who created the concept of the gaze which can be used for literary analysis, particularly for the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. According to Foucault, the gaze pertains to the ability of the individual to look past the superficial exterior covering to discover the underlying truth. This ability is something that is lifted from the exercise of observation (Shawver 15) of the subject of analysis. As how doctors would observe their patients to know the underlying truth in their health condition, so does the literary critic by observing a particular literature to reveal its underlying truth.This kind of gaze, which Shuttleworth also discussed via her idea of the penetrating gaze, is something that is believed to be present in Jane Eyre and in Brontes writings in general (Shuttleworth 39). Similar to the idea of Foucault (and taking also some key components in the idea of Bichat), Shuttleworth goes on to explain that the penetrating gaze is actually an effort to look at what is happening underneath the superficial bodily covering of the physical self as how physiologist will answer the query on physical health t ranscending the superficial and physical.It breaks apart and exposes â€Å"the opaque envelopes that cover our parts are no more for their practiced eyes than a transparent veil revealing the whole and the relationship between the parts† (Shuttleworth 39). The question now is, what is the underlying truth discovered in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre through the use of the gaze? 2. 2 Jane Eyre and the Returned Gaze Literary analysts and critics believe that one of the characteristics of Jane Eyre when it comes to the aspect of gaze is the novels featuring which is what E.Ann Kaplan refers to as the â€Å"returned gaze† (Kaplan 40). It was named as such because it was the person objectified in the past via the view of the ruling class who is now providing the perspective from which life is seen. This includes the life of the oppressors and former ruling group subjugating the oppressed. The returned gaze is the opposite of the imperial gaze. The imperial gaze defines the lives of those oppressed by the oppressor, based on the oppressors own perspective. It is a case of a superior entity defining the condition of those who are inferior to him or her. In the case of Jane Eyre, she is the person who is oppressed, not the oppressor. The novel allows her to narrate to the audience the condition of her life as well as the condition of the lives of her oppressor from her own point of view, which is an important and admirable characteristic in a novel. The oppressed is seen here as a character who is empowered nonetheless to define her or his life as how the person deems and perceives it to be, and is not dictated by the influence and power of the oppressor which is often the case in many literary materials.The returned gaze is important because it allows the individual freedom and autonomy to see themselves from a personal perspective. This is contrary to the restrictive and dictatorial imperial gaze, wherein the oppressed express, perceive and define their conditions based on how the oppressor sees it to be. The presence of the returned gaze in the novel Jane Eyre is yet another admirable mark in the novel especially from a feminist p oint of view because of its implications – not just literary implications but also social implications.More than being able to present ones life as an oppressed individual based on the own perspective of the oppressed, the individual is actually challenging the act of oppression, both in society and in literature (Waugh 514). â€Å"Returning the gaze of the oppressors can thus be seen as a challenge to oppression, a claim of equality† (Waugh 514). For most of her life, Jane Eyre was the one oppressed. This is seen in the life of Jane Eyre from childhood to adulthood. While with the Reeds and during her life at Gateshead, Jane was oppressed and abused by her aunt and her cousins.During her education at Lowood School, Jane was again the target of oppression among many of the students, teachers and school administrators. When she became a governess at Thornfield Manor, the actions of Mr. Rochester (i. e. his lying about his wife) and the actions of his wife towards Jane Eyre are again clear signs of oppression. When she fell to poverty after leaving Thornfield Manor, she was also subjected to the oppression of the society. The storytellings returned gaze characteristic, then, is a powerful symbol that alludes to women empowerment.Like Jane Eyre, women are attacked and oppressed in many different ways by many different entities (men, society, institutions, etc. ). The growing power of women lies in many things that are now endowed to her. This includes the ability to tell the world about her own life, how she is oppressed, and how her perspective is nonetheless without the influence, control and dictation of the powerful and traditional external forces oppressing and trying to control the woman. Jane Eyres tone of narration is proof of the existence of the returned gaze.She sees the condition based on her own perspective. She defines what is happening to her and her life not on how the oppressors of her life would see it, but how she sees it. She talks about her own oppressors based on her own condition and not on the condition of her oppressors. The ability of the returned gaze breaks down every restriction and prohibition that oppressors might have put up to refrain the oppressed from speaking what they truly think and feel. In Jane Eyre, Jane is not just candid but is also powerful, critical and unrestrained in her presentation of the narrative of her life. This understanding and explanation of the presence and power of gaze in Jane Eyre and in Charlotte Bronte is something that is galvanized by the ideas of other writers working on literary analysis and criticism of the gaze and involving Charlotte Brontes work and her other literary creations. In the book â€Å"Feminisms: an Anthology of Literary Theory and Criticism†, the authors explain that the presence of gaze in Jane Eyre is not merely the providing of the opportunity for woman to challenge men and male perspective.More importantly, this gaze as it is present in Jane Eyre, is something more powerful. It is a chance to destroy previously socially established gender-based status quo and the resulting conditions dictated by such state in the society involving the places and roles, powers and responsibilities of the male and female character (Warhol, Herndl 429). Through the uncurtailed, unrestricted, unhampered voice of Jane Eyre, Warhol and Herndl believe that Bronte and her writings including Jane Eyre reflect â€Å"envisioning the possibility of disrupting the politics of gaze† (Warhol, Herndl 429).Furthermore, Brontes writing and the novel Jane Eyre are both testament to the idea about gaze and the importance of the presence of such characteristic in this narrative story telling. Jane Eyre is â€Å"not a simple inversion in which the woman is permitted to turn the tables with an appropriating look back but a destruction of the hierarchical positioning of male and female that the gendered gaze entails† (Warhol, Herndl 429). Writer Anthony Channell Hilfer explains that this kind of oppressive action by the oppressor (commonly the male or the institutions and groups in the society influenced directly or indirectly by men) on the oppressed through the form of the gaze is something that many individuals have talked and written about, developed and created (Hilfer 15). This includes the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre and Michel Foucault, who, according to Hilfer, explained that gaze is a â€Å"more efficient form of tyranny than more overt forms of violence† (Hilfer 15).It is no wonder then that feminist readers and literary analysts supportive of womens rights and equalities across gender celebrate Jane Eyre and its own characteristic of the gaze, especially the returned gaze. It has become a tool to fight a tyrannical oppression by men inside a patriarchal and male controlled society, in fiction and in real life. The use of the returned gaze in Jane Eyre is fitting considering the character, what she has gone through and her actions and what it represents especially in the fight for equality by women and feminist advocacy groups. Jane Eyre fought the many types of oppressors in her story and in her life.The manner by which she talks about it only strengthens this kind of power that Jane Eyre as a story and as a character possesses. Critics and literary analysts do not claim the authority to know but instead explore the more important query on this matter. â€Å"What kind of subjectivity did Charlotte Bronte construct for Jane Eyre? † (Gunter, Wagener 10). It seems easy to dispense of answers but it does not mean they are accurate and correct. As with the case of Jane Eyre, subjectivity, particularly female subjectivity in the story and in the character is something that remains to be investigated.The investigation should be undertaken by individuals detached from any emotional string involved in this text. This has been done so that the feminist bias is avoided and a clearer and more organized set of ideas regarding female subjectivity can be created and presented to the public. 3. Jane Eyre and Subjectivity 3. 1 Subjectivity as Jane Eyres Strength Many critics and literary analysts commend the subjectivity, particularly female subjectivity, in Jane Eyre, in the belief that this is one of the most important characteristics of the novel itself.This is one of the characteristics responsible for making this Victorian-era novel timeless and well applauded among literary critics and analysts and the ordinary reader alike. Knies, for example, describes the subjectivity in Jane Eyre as intense and powerful. The narrator speaking in first person is empowered with such freedom to freely talk about her life in a way that is unencumbered by the restrictions and limitations created by other approaches, say third person ominous (Knies 546). The use of the first person perspective sets the tone and anticipation for female subjectivity via the story telling of Jane Eyre.The author allowed the narrator blanket autonomy to talk and speak as she sees, feels and deems things to be, and as a character that is intense, her subjectivity on the aspects of her life as she saw it was characterized by the same high degree of intensity as she speaks about it. This, in turn, gives the novel one of its strong characteristics. Knies, in his journal article, notes how â€Å"Walter Allen described Jane Eyre as a novel containing intense subjectivity and how this is the novels strength† (Knies 546).The presence of and voicing out of female subjectivity side by side, the importance of female subjectivity in feminist readings and criticism is one of the solid take-off points that Jane Eyre used to capture the attention and admiration of many readers, particularly female readers. Here, literary analysts and critics explain that the reader easily appreciates and relates to the fact that female subjectivity was used in the story to create and develop the female character that the readers have come to know and love in Jane Eyre the film and Jane Eyre as the empowered character herself. The main theme is thus the development of a central narrative voice, as the character, Jane Eyre, learns a use of language, while spinning the tale of her life and locating her identity and subjectivity within that narrative† (Azim 174). Other writers and analysts or literary critics made related observations and input when it comes to this aspect of the novel. For example, Lessard added a dimension in the discussion of the female subjectivity in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre and the growing appreciation for the value of and discussion of female subjectivity in this particular story (Lessard 331). This is considering how Jane Eyre and the narrative form her recollection of her life in this self confessed autobiographical work. All of these point to the subjectivity of Jane and the female subjectivity, in general. It has caught the attention not just of literary critics and analysts but even masters and musicologists who ventured in this realm and sought to interpret it in operatic music, in the hope of highlighting female subjectivity in the story.Its analysis provides answers to questions pertaining to the same query on female subjectivity (Lessard 331). The real question is how the novel displays the subjective female as how Jane Eyre is perceived by many who criticized and analysed this literary work through many different timelines. It is affected by the socio-cultural movements happening vis-a-vis the viewing and reviewing of Jane Eyre, its contents and its implications (i. e. for example in relation to the changes in feminist movement, lesbian rights and women empowerment, etc).Amigoni explains that the female subjectivity of Jane in the story is affected by many different conditions and reflects in many different ways (and how the two are connected together). He explained that the female subjectivity is affected by social expectations (Amigoni 63). The reader wants Jane Eyre to be the candid narrator of her life. And yet, part of the reader expects Jane Eyre to be artistic about it, to be detailed about it, and in some respect, to follow certain traditional forms of personal autobiographical narrative.Brontes response to these impending expectations of the readers is the diversification of the character of Jane Eyre, someone who â€Å"juggles between genres in telling her story† (Amigoni 63). Jane Eyre immediately establishes her subjectivity or female subjectivity in this narrative by explaining to the reader that the story is a recollection of memories she can retrieve. Thus, her story is subject to the limits as well as extent of her own memory and capacity for retrieving such episodes in her life which in turn impacts her subjectivity in the entire story.In the long run, the female subjectivity to which Jane Eyre is being viewed with, is displaced in many different components to the autobiographer self, to the heroine self and to the objectified character. â€Å"We call for Jane to be less of an autobiographer, more of a novelistic narrator, and character, and heroine† (Amigoni 63). This discussion of Amigoni in the characters that Jane Eyre struggled to balance all throughout the story was a preparation and introduction to the true perspective of Amigoni regarding the female subjectivity in the novel.In this topic, Amigoni believes that the constant characteristic of the female subjectivity of Jane Eyre is found in its shifting form (Amigoni 63). The female subjectivity shifts depending on the shift in the tone and storytelling, dependin g on what Jane Eyre wears at a specific time and discussion somewhere in the story. Her being subjective as a female character is not compartmentalized on a scene per scene basis but is changing, shifting, evolving from one state of life to the next. This is to consider how the experiences in her life during that stage impacts and affects her subjectivity. The point that we can make here is that Janes subjectivity is being constructed and reconstructed as the narrative shifts from one focus of spatial attention to the next. She uses these experiences so that she can create a mindset that helps her justify her actions and create a rationale to explain how and why things happened as they did in her life, affecting her subjectivity. 3. 2 Childhood as Roots to Subjectivity Some of the literary critics and analysts studying Jane Eyre believes that this novel speaks about a particular natural characteristic of the subjectivity. Subjectivity in adult life is strongly connected with subjectivity as well as experiences in childhood.As a Bildungsroman novel that allows the reader to travel with Jane Eyre from her early childhood years to adulthood, the reader is also allowed to see the experiences of Jane Eyre as a child. These experiences became important considerations to the formation of Jane Eyres own subjectivity in her later, adult life. 3. 3 Criticisms As expected in literary criticism, the concept of female subjectivity and its presence in Jane Eyre and subjectivity as one of the novels strongest and most important characteristics are challenged by those who believe otherwise.Kaplan who wrote a criticism regarding subjectivity and Jane Eyre, believed that such subjectivity is not reflective in Jane Eyre (Kaplan 40). This novel, actually, is a futile attempt to delve into the psyche of the poor female character and bring about her own subjectivity on the issues affecting her life. The author and the novel appear to be out of touch with the true reality of the subjectivity of the poor as how Jane Eyre was perceived by some to be. This is in consideration to Jane Eyre and her financial and personal background as an orphaned, penniless individual who struggled for most of her life. Kaplans assessment with regards to the subjectivity in the novel is scathing and powerful. Her accusations blunt are yet sharp and straightforward. She calls the novel â€Å"bourgeois† and its content bereft of any subjectivity, lacking actual insight in the mind frame of the true poor, struggling, oppressed, marginalized woman like Jane Eyre (Kaplan 40). â€Å"Nineteenth-century bourgeois novels like Jane Eyre tell us almost nothing about the self-defined subjectivity of the poor, male or female.For, although they are rich sources for the construction of dominant definitions of the inner lives of the working classes, they cannot tell us anything about how even these ideological inscriptions were lived by them† (Kaplan 40). There are also other possible criticisms that can be put forward especially with regards to the celebration of the female subjective in the story Jane Eyre. For one, the critical praise showered towards Jane Eyre as a character and as a story is high ly questionable in some instances and cases considering the implication of the social condition that gave power to Jane Eyre. Pro-feminist literary analysts dance around Jane Eyre as if it was a deity or something god-send that fuels the fire of women empowerment. It is one thing to accept that the society has indeed controlled, subjugated and silenced women, but it is an entirely different issue for women to pick up anything and translate it as a heroine text. With cynicism and scepticism, it is easy to see that those who hail the triumph of Jane Eyre are not actually basing it on literary merit.They try (albeit sometimes, in vain) to find something in Jane Eyre as well as in other texts and literary materials for things that they can use to inspire female and feminine power. This includes the praising of female subjectivity in Jane Eyre. In fact, similar to the earlier discussion on the lack of subjectivity of Jane Eyre especially on the life of the poor, people are misleading and misreading Jane Eyre for their own purposes and to satisfy their own need. Sometimes, it goes even to the extent of and expens e of feigning literary merit and recognition when none exists in the first place. As Azim has pointed out, the other face of Jane Eyre criticism especially on subjectivity is all about misreading Jane Eyre and misinterpreting it to extract whatever fake literary value they can conjure and use to convince the people about the greatness of Jane Eyre, say, on female subjectivity (Azim 172). â€Å"Women feminist and non-feminist alike have read and re-read Jane Eyre to celebrate it as a text where the female author, the female protagonist and the female reader are joined together in sisterly harmony and recognition† (Azim 172).The other question that needs to be answered in criticism and literary analysis, is the exploration of the possibility that maybe there is actually nothing more into it than that. The author, the character, the story and the readers are all intertwined and connected because of the similar desires, agendas and purposes one serves for the other. There is actually no real literary merit for discourse, like on female subjectivity. Other cri tics, who do not easily buy into the idea of Jane Eyres greatness as a story and a character, look at other flaws besides the spirit of sorority among women and feminist patrons supporting this text.There are those who believe that the process of literary analysis and merit discussion regarding aspects like the true value of female subjectivity and its real presence and essence in Jane Eyre is somewhat affected by the â€Å"rush to reclaim Jane Eyre as the heroine of a feminist novel† (Gunter, Wagener 10). Thus, it compromised a significant part of the analysis. Attacking the real value of the female subjectivity in Jane Eyre and the idea that Jane Eyre as a character represents the position of women as narrating life and the world as she sees it free from the shackles of social and patriarchal influence and control.It can be disputed and easily a point of argument with no clear cut victory for either side. It is questionable whether Jane Eyres female subjectivity and her concept of representing autonomy and freedom via her story is actually applicable when in fact, everyone – normal and deviant – merely react to the expectations and behavior modification styles of the society. Jane Eyres subjectivity and even her defiance of the imperial male gaze are actually just one of the many ways individuals respond to the design of society.In the end, there is no autonomy or freedom represented and subjectivity was merely misread and misinterpreted for the readers own convenience and use. â€Å"Theoreticians point out that there is no autonomous and transcendent I that is not marked by social coding† (Gunter, Wagener 10). Conclusion Jane Eyre is one of the novels that has been identified by critics when it comes to dissecting the use of and presence of subjectivity as well as gaze. This is because author Charlotte Bronte was skilled enough and was equipped with literary knowledge, skills set and competence to guarantee that her story has that important and significant aspect.Subjectivity has been an important focus in the debate and discussion regarding analysis of literary content, as important as the discussion of gaze. These are seen in Jane Eyre because of the manner by which the character relates to the reader; by the quality of the tone of her narrative; by the things she focused on and the things she ignored; by the very fibre of her life spread in every letter of ever word in every page to which the readers hang on dearly.Fitting enough, the concept of subjectivity and the female subjectivity in Jane Eyre is not always meant with universal agreement since there are those who see differently. As for gaze, the inspection of the story reveals the presence of a variety of gaze, including the returned gaze and imperial gaze and the penetrating gaze, among others. Readers are invited to read more, to see more. Jane Eyre herself is looking more and more inside her life as her narrative progresses, while many women stood by her side and saw what she saw, understood what she meant and sympathized with her emotions.

How the Recent Economic Downturn Affected the Marks Spencer Strategy

Introduction Marks and Spencer is U.K company retail and has its headquarters in the City of Westminster. This company has more than 700 stores within the U.K and more than 300 stores in more than 40 countries across the world (Amel, 2009). The company engages in the selling of food products as well as clothing products.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How the Recent Economic Downturn Affected the Marks Spencer Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the year 1998, Marks and Spencer turned out to be the first U.K retailer to realize a profit of more than one billion pounds. However, a few years that followed, this company experienced a big crisis that persisted for a number of years. Following the crisis, this company has been in continual realignment of the management (Alon, 2000). The company gained back its market share in the clothing sector and these followed the measures that were taken by th e company during the 2004/2005 financial year (Amel, 2009). However, this achievement did not last for long because it was soon hit by the recent economic downturn (Amel, 2009). The argument in this paper is going to be that, during the recent economic downturn, Marks and Spencer failed to put appropriate strategies in place which made them to lose customers to the competitors; as a strategy, they engaged in cutting down prices but failed to meet the changing customer demands and needs and this is what made them to lose customers to the competitors. To support this argument, I am going to review the available literature concerning Marks and Spencer in relation to their strategy and the recent economic downturn and this will be followed with a discussion. Later, I will give a conclusion and some recommendations about the appropriate measures that need to be taken by the company. Literature Review Marks and Spencer Company has been in business for over a century has strived to be succ essful in its operations. The company began as a stall in the year 1884. It was Michael Marks that started it and it was located in Leads market. Alon points out that â€Å"the company stressed value and low price as a hallmark for development† (Alon, 2000). By the year 1901, this business organization was able to acquire 35 outlets and also a new partner at that time by the name Tom Spencer. By mid 1900s, the entire stores of the company products were majorly given a private label which was â€Å"St. Michael† made by the British suppliers (De Nardia-Cole, 1998).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For several years, the mission of Marks and Spencer has been â€Å"to offer consumers quality, value and service† (Alon, 2000). The confidence of the company lay upon some operating principles in order to achieve the mission set. One of the principles was to develop long-term relationships between the company and its suppliers. Another principle was to provide value â€Å"through a narrow merchandise selection at affordable prices† (Alon, 2000). The third principle was to support the local industry. The fourth one was to promote from within (The Economist 1998, p.68). The company’s fifth and last principle was to make use of a single brand name â€Å"St. Michael† for a larger number of the company’s products (Jardin, 1999). These principles have enabled the company to achieve the support of the U.K producers, as well as the workers and consumers in the U.K. As pointed out in The Economist, â€Å"the sixth largest employer in the British manufacturing, the textile industry, with more than 354, 000 workers, owes a large part of its existence to Marks and Spencer† (The Economist 1998, p.57). The company has given encouragement to manufacturers of textile products in the U.K. to keep their factories in the country (Buxton,1999). This has resulted in an improved check on the level of quality as well as increased flexibility in manufacturing and also in the distribution of products. A description of this company was given by one British writer as â€Å"quintessential British institution, woven in the fabric of our national life, as firmly lodged in our psyches as furniture in the front room† (Financial Times 1999, p.10). The â€Å"Five Forces† Framework Marks and Spencer experiences the five forces in the U.K market at different levels which include; threat of new entry, the buyer power, the supplier power, the treats of substitutes and the competitive rivalry (Amel, 2009). These forces affect Marks and Spencer in a number of ways. Considering the threat of entry, the Marks and Spencer Company has a strong brand name and is well established in the market. This may make it difficult for new firms entering the market. But in considering the clothing sector, the company may not be experiencing strong customer loyalty. Looking at the power of the buyers, this is high. The customers are offered with discounts in the supermarkets and they are also offered with online clothing websites. Following this, the buying power of the company’s customers has been made to become higher.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How the Recent Economic Downturn Affected the Marks Spencer Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Considering the supplier power, the Marks and Spencer Company is taking measures to respond to the consumer trends; the company is opening up to foreign suppliers in order to broaden the range of suppliers that are there (Amel, 2009). In this market, there is high level of threats for substitutes. For instance, the large competitor in the market, Tesco, has taken measures to segment their offers to the customers in order to sufficiently match the various profil es of the customers in the food segment. On the other hand, in the clothing segment, some of the retailers are offering high quality products at lower prices to the customers than Marks and Spencer. Looking at the competitive rivalry, Marks and Spencer operates in a very competitive market place. The major competitors include Tesco, Next and John Lewis. These retailers have been able, on several occasions, able to adjust their products and offers in time before Marks and Spencer could take appropriate measures (Amel, 2009). The Economic downturn and the Marks Spencer Company in the U.K Market There has been shrinking of the economy of the U.K for the six quarters which followed each other for the first time beginning from the 1950s, a time when the records began. The gross domestic product, which represents the value of goods as well as services produced within the country from all the sectors, â€Å"captures the state of the economy in one number† (Amel, 2009). The official figures indicated that the U.K’s GDP as per the year 2009, between the month of July and September, was contracting at the rate of 0.3 percent, a figure that was below the one projected which was 0.4 percent (Amel, 2009). The important role that the services sector plays in the U.K economy offers a background explanation for this decline. It is true that, the companies in the service sector, which generally account for about 76 percent of the country’s economy, were the most affected (Amel, 2009). A number of factors which include increasing unemployment levels, credit tightness, and falling housing prices have had a great impact on the consumer spending and confidence. In addition, it is point out by the analysts that â€Å"the inflation rate in the U.K jumped from a five-year low to 1.5 percent in the month of October, the year 2009† (Amel, 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the weakening of the pound served as an attraction of the tourism business. Indication has been given by consumer research that â€Å"the clothing expenditure is the first victim of the cutback† (Amel, 2009). While there have been great impacts on the spending and consuming patterns, the retailers have been under pressure to adjust their prices through offering discounts and promotion. The retailers have decided to be engaging in the competitive price wars. The price reductions were remarkably high and this in turn brought down the level of profit margins which were already reducing (Amel, 2009). Since the Marks and Spencer Company greatly depends on the U.K market (90 percent), the company is exposed to the difficult trading conditions to a high level. The economic downturn in the housing sector and increased food prices has taken a toll on the disposable income of the consumer and this in turn has brought down the level of demand for the non-food products. The Mark s and Spencer Company responded to this by cutting prices and as a result of this, the volume of the product sales as well as the value of these products reduced (Amel, 2009). In the financial year 2005/2005, Marks and Spencer experienced a great contraction in its sales, giving a reflection of hardships across all product areas. In the period that followed (2005/2006), the hardships were overcome (Amel, 2009). This was realized through carrying out improvements in the operations. The company was now able to realize vigorous growth in the sales and profits and this even went on in the course of the financial year that followed (Amel, 2009). During the second half of the period 2007/2008, there was deterioration of the external environment following the economic downturn. This brought great negative effects to the company during the period 2008/2009 and the company’s sales growth remained almost stagnant and the operating profits went down. There was mounting pressure on the m argins during this period despite the fact that the company took an initiative to close 26 of its stores which were not performing well (Amel, 2009). In the year 2009, the company went on bearing the marks of the economic downturn and its profits went down. For the financial year ended in the end of March 2009, the company’s profits increased by less than 1 percent to about 9 billion pounds. There was a reduction in the net profit to 508 million pounds, a 38 percent decrease (Amel, 2009). A reflection increased sales is made by the revenue from the International Retail in Owned and Franchised and the U.K stores. The net income was counterbalanced by the reduced operating margins resulting from the increased operating expenses, higher finance costs, and reduced finance income (Amel, 2009). During the recent economic down turn, Marks and Spencer Company’s retail food segment took a hit. It was reported that the â€Å"cash strapped† consumers were moving away from the costly, â€Å"ready cooked meals and thinking about buying the cheaper substitutes instead of the expensive, luxury ready prepared meal that is the mainstay of Marks and Spencer’s offering† (Davies, 2009). This company’s biggest competitors such as Tesco do offer to their customers a variety of substitutes including a full range of â€Å"raw ingredients and cheaper ready meal substitutes† (Davies, 2009). While giving out the half financial year’s results in June 2008, Domino’s reported that the sales that were made to the customers that were already there had contracted, but those made to those customers who were completely new had gone up by about 20 percent, as an increased number of wealthy clients, who would frequently dine out, engage in the adjustment of their spending practices (Davies, 2009). It is pointed out that â€Å"Marks and Spencer did not have the flexibility like that at that time to be in a position to move the offerin gs they made† (Davies, 2009, para. 39). What would come out of this is losing customers because they opted to go to the company’s competitors. Getting back these customers when the economic times improve would not be easy (Davies, 2009). Marks and Spencer needed to be more innovative in order to be able to keep up the demands of the customers that are ever changing as well as their changing needs so that they could avoid losing customers to the competitors (Davies, 2009). It was clearly established that during the economic downturn, the customers’ needs and demands must change. This fact is supported by the argument that â€Å"your customers and their needs will undergo multiple changes as they adjust to the reality of a recession and the shape of the new world and beyond† (Davies, 2009). Following this, one of the challenges that are there is not to lose the existing customers where it has taken much time and effort to get to your rivals who might then se ek to retain them for the long-term (Davies, 2009). Another challenge is to set up a portfolio which is balanced in order to evade being exposed to large customer groups who have the same â€Å"recessionary pressures† (Davies, 2009). The third challenge is to be in a position to be sensitive and give a quick response to changing needs and demands of the customers as well as to the newly coming up segments (Davies, 2009). Discussion Marks and Spencer carries out most of its operations in the U.K and also in other regions abroad. This company used to be successful in its business and that is why it has been in business beginning from the year 1884 to date, making profits but at some point, its performance started to decline following ineffective management and putting in place inappropriate strategies (Alon, 2000). However, during the fiscal year 2004/2005, the company made appropriate adjustments which enabled it to improve in its performance during the following fiscal year a nd even during the year that followed there after (Amel, 2009). But during the economic downturn, in the course of 2008/2009, the company’s performance was negatively affected again. The company failed to put in place appropriate strategies to deal with the unfavorable economic situation to avoid a reduction in sales following a change in the consumer needs and demands. Such competitors as Tesco came up with a strategy that enabled it to diversify its products in order to meet the diversified customer needs and demands (Davies, 2009). Marks and Spencer sought to reduce its prices as a strategy to retain its customers but this could not be effective because this affected the profitability of the company negatively. In addition, the customers preferred to be offered with desirable products that could satisfy their needs to the highest level possible at affordable prices (Davies, 2009). Any company should seek to retain its existing customers and even be able to attract more new customers. Marks and Spencer needed to be more innovative in order to be able to keep up the demands of the customers that are ever changing as well as their changing needs so that they could avoid losing customers to the competitors (Davies, 2009). It has been found that during the economic downturn, the customers’ needs and demands must change. Customers seek to buy products that they can now afford in order to meet the needs they deem to be very basic to them (Davies, 2009). They should put in to consideration that different customers have different levels of income and during a recession, there are those who can go on maintaining the consumption and spending trends and those who change. Even if these customers may have been loyal to the company for a long time, hard economic conditions can force them to switch to wide range of the products that are offered by competitors at affordable prices (Davies, 2009). One of the weaknesses of Marks and Spencer that may have affecte d them during the economic downturn is lack of flexibility at that time to be in a position to move the offerings they made to the customers (Davies, 2009). What would come out of this is losing customers because these customers preferred going to other companies such as Tesco. Getting back these customers at the time the economic downturn is over is quite hard and bringing them back could be very much more costly to the company (Davies, 2009). Therefore, there is great need for the Marks and Spencer Company to take appropriate measures to bring up the level of its sales and profitability and also to be able to deal with the problems that come with economic downturn in the future. They should learn some few things from the competitors and seek to carry out their operations in an even better way. Conclusion During the recent economic downturn, Marks and Spencer failed to put appropriate strategies in place which made them to lose customers to the competitors; as a strategy, they enga ged in cutting down prices but failed to meet the changing customer demands and needs and this is what made them to lose customers to the competitors. Since the customer needs and demands do change during an economic downturn, it is not enough for any company to cut down its prices as a competitive strategy. There is need for the company to establish what the actual new demands and needs of the customer are in order for it to take appropriate measures to meet them. Marks and Spencer has been in business for a very long time. By them losing customers to the competitors because of their lack of putting the right strategies in place is something that needs to be looked in to. More research should be carried out in order to establish why the company was not able to diversify its offerings to the customer and just relied on cutting down prices which made them to lose the competitive ground. References Alon, I. (2000), â€Å"Marks Spencer: A case study in international retailing†. Web. Amel, B. (2009), â€Å"Marks Spencer case study†. Web. Buxton, P. (1999), â€Å"MS Chief Rejigs Retail Operation†, Marketing Week, vol.22, no.12, 1999, p.6. De Nardi-Cole, Sarah M. (Eds.). (1998), â€Å"Marks and Spencer†, in International  Retailing, Brenda Sternquist, Fairchild Publications, New York. Davies, R. (2009), Recession: Key Questions for Business Survival  and Growth. Web. Economist, â€Å"Poor Marks†, (1998, November 21), p.68. Financial Times, â€Å"Angst in Their Pants†, (1999, June 8 ), pp. 7-10. Jardin, A. (1999), â€Å"St. Michael’s Evangelist†, Marketing, pp.25-28. This research paper on How the Recent Economic Downturn Affected the Marks Spencer Strategy was written and submitted by user Conor Richmond 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.

The Etymology (and Punctuation) of Fathers Day

The Etymology (and Punctuation) of Fathers Day The Etymology (and Punctuation) of Father’s Day Happy Fathers Day! And what better way to celebrate than with a little etymology? A slap-up meal followed by a nap in the sunshine, you say? There’ll be time for that later! For now, let’s look at where the word â€Å"father† comes from and why we use an apostrophe in â€Å"Fathers Day.† The Etymology of Father Our modern word â€Å"father† comes from the Old English fà ¦der, which meant â€Å"he who begets a child.† This is close to several words for fathers in other languages, including Old Norse (fathir), German (Vater), Sanskrit (pitar), and Latin and Greek (both use pater). In fact, the similarities between these words suggest a common source. As such, most experts trace â€Å"father† to a Proto-Indo-European term. And while we cannot know what this was exactly, it may have been something like pÉ™ter-. Fatherhood is tough when your kids look down on you. Pa, Papa, Dad, and More So if â€Å"father† comes from pÉ™ter-, where does this term come from? It may have evolved from the basic noise â€Å"pa,† which we still see in words like â€Å"papa.† The words â€Å"dad† and â€Å"dada† have similar origins in â€Å"da,† and we see these simple sounds in words for fathers all over the world. The main theory for why we see this pattern so much is that â€Å"da,† â€Å"pa,† and â€Å"ta† are some of the first noises babies can make. The same is true of the â€Å"ma† from â€Å"mama,† which becomes â€Å"mom.† As such, when babies start making noises like â€Å"da† and â€Å"pa,† we assume they’re addressing their parents. And over time, this has led to words like â€Å"dad† and â€Å"pa† entering our everyday speech. Fathers Day vs. Fathers Day As a rule, you should always include an apostrophe in Fathers Day. This is the traditional way of writing it, but it also makes sense. After all, you usually focus on your own father on this day. Thus, the â€Å"Father† in Fathers Day is typically one person, even if that person is different for each of us. Writing â€Å"Fathers Day† or â€Å"Fathers Day,† on the other hand, would imply you’re celebrating fathers in general. And while that would be admirable, you’d need a lot of stamps to send a card to every father in the world. All in all, then, you’re probably better off focusing on your own dad for today.

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example Electric Bike An electric bike or a scooter is an enhanced form of conventional bike that is operated by a battery. According to Graham and McGowan, (2008), electric bikes were first developed in Switzerland in 1980. These bikes use rechargeable batteries with the capability of converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. They use direct drive or geared motor units. Electric motorized bicycles vary in cost and complexity. The key consideration associated with the acquiring of electric bikes is the range. This range is affected by factors such as battery capacity, motor efficiency, aerodynamics, weight of the bike and the rider (Lamy, 2001). Advantages of the Electric Bikes Jamerson and Benjamin (2009) assert that electric bikes are associated with numerous benefits as compared to conventional bikes or motors vehicles. They are effective for mountain climbing compared to conventional bikes because less energy and effort is required when riding them. Electric bikes are safer to use on rugged terrains or steep road junctions compared to cars. The running cost of electric bikes is lower compared to that of cars. Frequent use of the electric bikes enhances physical fitness. They vehemently promote green technology compared to motor vehicles or cars owing to the low energy consumption of the batteries. Their use reduces environmental pollution as it does not involve burning of fossil fuels like the case with vehicles. However, Jamerson and Benjamin (2004) warn that although these bikes reduce air pollution, some of their aspects such as disposal of worn out batteries pollute the environment. Hypothesis The consumer perception of the electric bikes is favourable. This is because it is technological enhanced compared to conventional bikes and associated with numerous benefits compared to motor vehicles or motor bikes. Aim The aim of the study is to identify the perception of the consumers towards the purchase of electric bikes. Objectives of the Study 1. To kno w the perception of the consumers toward electric bikes 2. To identify the awareness level of consumers on electric bikes 3. To determine the factors that influence consumer choice when buying 4. To find out other factors that affect the buying decisions of electric bikes 5. To find out the post purchase experiences and benefits of the electric bike to the costumer Some of the questions that will be included to gain insight on the proposed study include: 1. Are you informed about electric bikes? 2. How did you become aware of electric bikes? 3. How many members of your family are eligible for riding electric bikes? 4. Which features would you consider when buying an electric bike? among others Statement of the Problem Although the electric bikes have been on sale in the UK for some time, most people still prefer to use conventional bikes as compared to electric bikes (Drane et al., 2009). The research yearns to explore one of the factors that could be preventing customers from buyin g electric bikes. Sample The sample size will be 200 respondents. Survey Area The study will focus on the West End and East End districts of London. Half of the respondents will be outsourced from the West End region of London city while the rest will emanate from the East End district. This will enhance balance in terms of economic disparities i.e. the West End is characterised by the