Btec Business Unit 4 P1 Essay

Types of information: Verbal †¢ Verbal communication is where somebody talks face to face with the audience and could also include eye contact and body movements, Wilberforce use verbal communication in a full range of things one example been a English teacher reading out a poem. Written †¢ Written communication is in the form of physical symbols called words. It doesn’t have to be words though, in the broader sense it could be things such as diagrams and charts. So therefore all visual or numerical representation can be included. One example of Wilberforce using written communication is information booklets about the college. Onscreen †¢ Onscreen communication is a combination of many things for example a PowerPoint, this uses a range of texts, graphics, animation and sometimes Video’s. Wilberforce use onscreen communication in presentations, usually when promoting themselves to an audience. Multi-media †¢ Multi-media are multiple forms of media incorporated together. The Media could be a range of things such as texts, audio, graphics and animation, which is just a couple of the many things media could be. So therefore multimedia could be on a webpage about Messi where there is a video clip of him and also audio in the background of the webpage. This links quite nicely with onscreen media and again Wilberforce may use this in presentations when promoting themselves to a particular target audience. Web based †¢ Web-based communication is the use of internet, this goes hand in hand with multimedia technology as it displays the many benefits of it. The internet can be used around the world and is particularly helpful as the information can be received and read wherever you want. Wilberforce may use this to try to get a sponsor to sponsor them from different countries around the world, They may send a virtual video or even a PowerPoint trying to sell themselves to the target audience Name: Tom Hall Task 1; Unit 4 Sources of information: Internal†¦. Financial †¢ Usually in great detail, relates towards a company performance. Finance could be the costs of running the business. Wilberforce would use finance in a day to day basis, they may use it to compare their profits and losses from one year to another. Human resources †¢ Human resources provide information about the employee in a business and training within the organisation. Such as the efficiency the employee is working at and the training needs and projections for future employment. Wilberforce may use this to comprehend their staff turnover per year. Marketing †¢ Marketing informs us about the results of research undertaken by a certain company. It also tells us the successful/unsuccessful previous marketing campaigns. As well as this marketing also tells us about the market the company operates within. Wilberforce use marketing by promoting themselves by sponsoring certain things such as busses or football teams. Purchasing †¢ Purchasing provides information about the current budget each sector has in a business it also manages the current stock of a business, plus the price of the stock. It also manages the human resources with. Wilberforce may use this for example the IT department deciding upon how much they can spend on computer upgrades per year. Sales †¢ The revenue of sales. Helps you decide how well a business is doing, it is also good for planning for the future. Sales information keeps track of  products or services that may have been sold at the business, this information will be helpful as they know what a good item to sell is and what will be making their money in their organisation. This isn’t used so much be Wilberforce college as a it is in the public sector, however in the canteen where food and drinks are sold, it’s important that they know what people want so they therefore know what to order what people prefer and how much to price the goods at. Manufacturing †¢ Manufacturing in business is usually used in the secondary sector. It is the making of products that the business buys from the company and sells on usually for a profit. Wilberforce ICollege are in the tertiary sector as they provide a service so they don’t technically manufacture anything buy they do use information about their students to build lessons around the students to make it easier for them. Administration †¢ Administration is the paper work side of things where information about staff salary, recruitment and annual pay are all kept in a record by the business admin. Wilberforce College have a business admin keep records on their students and staff and also work out where money should be spent and how much should be spent per quarter. External†¦ Government †¢ These are supplied by, among others, the ONS (Office of National statistics), The DTI (Department of Trade and industry) and the OECD (Organisation for economic development). Some of the key government publications include the monthly digest of statistics include the Regional trends and Labour market trends. Wilberforce College use the annual census to predict the growth of the amount of students possibly attending the college in say 4 years time, they do this by finding the population of Children around the age of 12. Trade groupings †¢ Trade groupings are groups of businesses from the same industry or marketplaces that provide a service to representatives or their industry. They can act as pressure groups to initiate positive change for their industry. They also publish trade journals, which are a very useful resource. These are published by leaders in industries for the people working in that industry. Wilberforce College are in a trade group with other colleges which can share methods of teaching to achieve the best grades possible in all colleges. Commercially provided databases †¢ Many private research organisations specialise in building up databases of people who are known to have an interest in certain products and services. There are many market research agencies where lists may be purchased by businesses that wish to target these customers via direct mail. Wilberforce College use records from local schools to attract new students that are leave school and are perhaps looking to go into further education. Reliability of data sources †¢ Whenever a business collects date sources, they need to determine how valid the information is. They always need to ask themselves whether it is accurate, relevant and truthful, and whether there is a bias. In Wilberforce College they have to check for reliability within the text books they buy for their students. Research †¢ Research is the gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge. A good business always conducts research to find out about their markets, customers and views of their staff. Wilberforce College may research various ways to enhance their teaching styles. They also may research the best methods of teaching various types of students so they can therefore get the full potential out of students. Purpose of information: Updating knowledge †¢ It is vital that businesses keep up to date with changes that are occurring within their markets. Information is required so the business know a variety of things such as, How their markets are developing, how labour markets are changing, what the economy is doing and what new laws are being passed that might affect the way they operate. All this information helps organisations to make accurate decisions based upon having full knowledge. Incorrect decisions are likely to be the result of inadequate information. This may be helpful for Wilberforce as when there is a rescission and unemployment rates are high, people are my inclined to stay in further education to boost their chances of been able to get a job. Informing future developments †¢ A business which is not quick to adapt, develop and grow will find it to be incredibly hard to keep up with competitors. But developments need to be based on informed decisions. A business will not launch a new product. And example been Wilberforce has recently offered new courses such as ‘Hair and beauty’, the reasoning behind this is that it was in very high demand. This is quick development and this therefore attracted more people to Wilberforce then previously without the Salon.

Elements of Energy Efficient House

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY Elements of an Energy-Efficient House You have much to consider when designing and building a new energy-efficient house, and it can be a challenge. However, recent technological improvements in building elements and construction techniques also allow most modern energysaving ideas to be seamlessly integrated into house designs while improving comfort, health, or aesthetics. And even though some energy-efficient features are expensive, there are others that many home buyers can afford. While design costs, options, and styles vary, most energy-efficient homes have some basic elements in common: a wellconstructed and tightly sealed thermal envelope; controlled ventilation; properly DOE/GO-10200-1070 FS-207 July 2000 This house in Illinois has many energy-efficient features, including advanced framing techniques, insulated sheathing, and an advanced ductwork system. It was built by Town and Country Homes as part of DOE's Building America Program. DEP A NT OF ME EN RT ST A AT E S OF M ER This document was produced for the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a DOE national laboratory. The document was produced by the Information Services Program, under the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC) is operated by NCI Information Systems, Inc. , for NREL / DOE. The statements contained herein are based on information known to EREC and NREL at the time of printing. No recommendation or endorsement of any product or service is implied if mentioned by EREC. Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste ICA Photo by Sara Farrar, NREL/PIX07134 CLEARINGHOUSE GY ER sized, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems; and energy-efficient doors, windows, and appliances. Thermal Envelope A thermal envelope is everything about the house that serves to shield the living space from the outdoors. It includes the wall and roof assemblies, insulation, air/vapor retarders, windows, and weatherstripping and caulking. Wall and Roof Assemblies Most builders use traditional wood frame construction. Wood framing is a â€Å"tried and true† construction technique that uses a potentially renewable resource—wood— U N IT ED to provide a structurally sound, long-lasting house. With proper construction and attention to details, the conventional wood-framed home can be very energyefficient. It is now even possible to purchase a sustainably harvested wood. Foundation walls and slabs should be as well insulated as the living space walls. Some of the available and popular energyefficient construction methods include the following: Optimum Value Engineering (OVE). This method uses wood only where it is most effective, thus reducing costly wood use and saving space for insulation. The amount of lumber has been determined to be structurally sound through both laboratory and field tests. However, the builder must be familiar with this type of construction to ensure a structurally sound house. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). These sheets are generally made of plywood or oriented-strand board (OSB) that is laminated to foam board. The foam may be 4 to 8 inches thick. Because the SIP acts as both the framing and the insulation, construction is much faster than OVE or stick framing. The quality of construction is often superior because there are fewer places for workers to make mistakes. Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF). Houses constructed in this manner consist of two layers of extruded foam board (one inside the house and one outside the house) that act as the form for a steel-reinforced concrete center. It’s the fastest technique and least likely to have construction mistakes. Such buildings are also very strong and easily exceed code requirements for areas prone to tornadoes or hurricanes. Insulation An energy-efficient house has much higher insulation R-values than required by most local building codes. An R-value is the ability of a material to resist heat transfer, and the lower the value, the faster the heat loss. For example, a typical house in New York might have insulation of R-11 in the exterior walls and R-19 in the ceiling, while the floors and foundation walls may not be insulated. A similar, but welldesigned and constructed house will have insulation levels that range from R-20 to R-30 in the walls and from R-50 to R-70 in the ceilings. Carefully applied fiberglass batt or rolls, wet-spray cellulose, or foam insulation will fill wall cavities completely. Foundation walls and slabs should be as well insulated as the living space walls. Poorly insulated foundations have a negative impact on home energy use and comfort, especially if the family uses the lower parts of the house as a living space. Also, appliances—such as domestic hot water heaters, washers, dryers, and freezers— that supply heat as a byproduct are often located in the basement. By carefully insulating the foundation walls and floor of the basement, these appliances can assist in heating the house. While most new houses have good insulation levels, it is often poorly installed. In general, gaps and compaction of insulation reduce its effectiveness. Photo by Craig Miller Productions, NREL/PIX02452 Air/Vapor Retarders Water vapor condensation is a major threat to the structure of a house, no matter what the climate. In cold climates, pressure differences can drive warm, moist indoor air into exterior walls and Workers install a structural insulated panel. 2 This house in Arizona features a passive solar design with overhangs above the south facing windows. The best windows are awning and casement styles because these styles often close tighter than sliding types. ttics. The air condenses as it cools. The same can be said for southern climates, just in reverse. As the humid outdoor air enters the walls and encounters cooler wall cavities, it condenses into liquid water. This is the main reason why some buildings in the South have problems with mold and rotten wood after they’re retrofitted with air conditioners. A vapor retarder is a material or structu ral element that can be used to inhibit the movement of water vapor, while an air retarder can inhibit airflow, into and out of a house’s envelope. How to design and install vapor retarders depends a great deal on the climate and on the chosen construction method. However, any water vapor that does manage to get into the walls or attics must be allowed to escape. Regardless of climate, water vapor migration should be minimized by using a carefully designed thermal envelope and sound construction practices. Systems that control air and water vapor movement in homes rely on the nearly airtight installation of sheet materials on the interior as the main barrier. The Airtight Drywall Approach (ADA) uses the drywall already being installed along with gaskets and caulking to create a 3 ontinuous air retarder. In addition, seams where foundation, sill plate, floor joist header, and subfloor meet are also carefully sealed with appropriate caulk or gasket material. Consult your local building codes official on the best vapor retarder method to use in your area. Windows The typical home loses more than 25 percent of its heat through windo ws. Even modern windows insulate less than a wall. Therefore, an energy-efficient house in a heating-dominated climate should, in general, have few windows on its northern, eastern, and western sides. Total window area should also not exceed 8 to 9 percent of the floor area for those rooms, unless the designer is experienced in passive solar techniques. If this is the case, then increasing window area on the southern side of the house to about 12 percent of the floor area is recommended. This is often called solar tempering. A properly designed roof overhang for south-facing windows will help prevent overheating in the summer. North, east, Photo by Sara Farrar, NREL/PIX08155 and west windows should have low Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC). South windows with properly sized overhangs should have a high SHGC to allow winter sun (and heat) to enter the house. The overhang blocks the high summer sun (and heat). If properly sized overhangs are not possible, a low SHGC glass should be selected for the south windows. At the very least, you should use windows (and doors) with an Energy Star ® label, which are twice as energy efficient as those produced 10 years ago, according to regional, climatic guidelines (note: houses with any kind of solar tempering have other guidelines). The best windows are awning and casement styles because these often close tighter than sliding types. In all climates, window glass facing south without overhangs can cause a problem on the cooling side that far exceeds the benefit from the winter solar gains. when compared to other houses of the same type and age. You can accomplish most air sealing by using two materials: caulking and weatherstripping. Caulking can be used to seal areas of potential air leakage into or out of a house. And weatherstripping can be used to seal gaps around windows and exterior doors. Controlled Ventilation Good air sealing alone may reduce utility costs by as much as 50 percent. Since an energy-efficient house is tightly sealed, it needs to be ventilated in a controlled manner. Controlled, mechanical ventilation prevents health risks from indoor air pollution, promotes a more comfortable atmosphere, and reduces air moisture infiltration, thus reducing the likelihood of structural damage. Furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, and bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans expel air from the house, making it easier to depressurize an airtight house if all else is ignored. But natural-draft appliances may be back-drafted by exhaust fans, which can lead to a lethal buildup of toxic Weatherstripping and Caulking You should seal air leaks everywhere in a home’s thermal envelope to reduce energy loss. Good air sealing alone may reduce utility costs by as much as 50 percent Ceiling light fixture Electrical wires penetrating vapor barrier Joints at attic hatch Vents from bathroom and kitchen Joints at interior partitions Joints between wall and ceiling Joints at windows Electric meter Electrical service entrance Electrical panel Electrical outlets and switches Plumbing stack penetration Chimney penetration of ceiling Holes through air-vapor barrier Joint between bottom plate and floor Cracks around doors Joint between joists and basement wall Service entrance for cable TV, telephone, fuel, etc. Air leakage can occur in many places throughout a home. 4 Heating and Cooling Systems Stale room air return Specifying the correct sizes for heating and cooling systems in airtight, energy-efficient homes can be tricky. Rule-of-thumb sizing is often inaccurate, resulting in wasteful operation. Conscientious builders and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning contractors size heating and cooling equipment based on careful consideration of the thermal envelope characteristics. Outside air inlet Fresh air supply Air-to-air heat exchanger Exhaust air Heat recovery ventilation. Generally, energy-efficient homes require relatively small heating systems, typically less than 50,000 Btu/hour even for very cold climates. Some require nothing more than sunshine as the primary source of heat along with auxiliary heat from radiant in-floor heating, a standard gas-fired water heater, a small boiler, a furnace, or electric heat pump. Any common appliance that gives off â€Å"waste† heat can also contribute significantly to the heating requirements for such houses. If an air conditioner is required, it’s often a small unit and sufficient for all but the warmest climates. Sometimes only a large fan and the cooler evening air are needed to make the house comfortable. The house is closed up in the morning and stays cool until the next evening. Smaller-capacity heating and cooling systems are usually less expensive to buy and operate. This helps recover the costs of purchasing more insulation, and other energy-efficient products, such as windows and appliances. Always look for the EnergyGuide label on heating and cooling equipment. The label will rate how efficient it is as compared to others available on the market. In climates where summer cooling requirements dominate, light-colored materials and coatings (paint) on the exterior siding and roof can help reduce cooling requirements by up to 15 percent. Carefully selected and placed vegetation in any climate also contributes to reduced cooling and heating loads. ases in the house. For this reason, sealedcombustion heating appliances, which use only outside air for combustion and vent combustion gases directly to the outdoors, are very important for ventilation energy efficiency and safety. Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) or energy recovery ventilators (ERV) are growing in use for controlled ventilation in airtight homes. These ventilators can salvage about 70 per cent of the energy from the stale exhaust air and transfer that energy to the fresh air entering by way of a heat exchanger inside the device. They can be attached to the central forced air system or may have their own duct system. Other ventilation devices, such as through-the-wall or â€Å"trickle† vents, may be used in conjunction with an exhaust fan. They are, however, more expensive to operate and possibly more uncomfortable to use because they have no energy recovery features to precondition the incoming air. Uncomfortable incoming air can be a serious problem in northern climates and can create moisture problems in humid climates. Therefore, this ventilation strategy is only for arid climates. Other systems pull outside air in with a small outside duct on the return side of the furnace. Generally, energyefficient homes require relatively small heating systems. 5 Energy-Efficient Appliances Higher efficiency appliances provide a measure of insurance against energy prices and emit less air pollution. Appliances with relatively high operating efficiencies are usually more expensive to purchase. However, higher efficiency appliances provide a measure of insurance against increases in energy prices, emit less air pollution, and are attractive selling points when the home is resold. Home buyers should invest in high-efficiency appliances—such as water heaters, clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators—especially if these appliances will be used a great deal. Because all major appliances must have an EnergyGuide label, read the label carefully to make sure you buy the most efficient appliance. To help you choose wisely, major appliances with an Energy Star ® label exceed the federal government’s minimum efficiency standards by a large percentage. Energy-efficient lighting helps keep energy bills down by producing less heat and reducing cooling requirements. Fluorescent lighting, both conventional tube and compact, is generally the most energyefficient for most home applications. always done before. They may need more training if they have no experience with these systems. Building and Buying Before you start a home-building project, the building site and its climate should be carefully evaluated to determine the optimum design and orientation for the house. There are energy-related computer software programs that can help with these evaluations. The design should accommodate appropriate insulation levels, moisture dynamics, and aesthetics. Decisions regarding appropriate windows, doors, and heating, cooling and ventilating appliances are central to an efficient design. Also the cost, ease of construction, the builder’s limitations, and local building code compliance should be competently evaluated. Some plans are relatively simple and inexpensive to construct, while others can be extremely complex and, thus, expensive. An increasing number of builders are participating in the federal government’s Building America and Energy Star ® Homes programs, as well as local home energy rating programs, all of which promote the construction of energy-efficient houses. Many of these builders construct energy-efficient homes to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Construction costs can vary significantly depending on the materials, construction techniques, contractor profit margin, experience, and the type of heating, cooling, and ventilation system chosen. Because energy-efficient homes require less money to operate, many lenders now offer energy-efficient mortgages (EEMs). EEMs typically have lower points and allow for the stretching of debt-to-income ratios. State and local government energy offices can be contacted for information on region-specific financing. In the end, your energy-efficient house will provide you with superior comfort and lower operating costs, not to mention a higher real estate market value. The building site and its climate should be carefully evaluated to determine the optimum design. Advantages and Disadvantages Houses that incorporate all of the above elements of energy efficiency have many advantages. They feel more comfortable because the additional insulation keeps the interior wall at a more comfortable and stable temperature. The indoor humidity is also better controlled, and drafts are reduced. A tightly sealed air/vapor retarder reduces the likelihood of moisture and air seeping through the walls. They are also very quiet because the extra insulation and tight construction helps to keep exterior noise out better. But these houses also have some potential disadvantages. They may cost more and take longer to build than a conventional home if there’s a lack of builder familiarity with new construction techniques and products available on the market. Even though the house’s structure may differ only slightly from conventional homes, the builder and contractors may be unwilling to deviate from what they’ve 6 Resources The following are sources of additional information on energy-efficient houses: The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC) P. O. Box 3048 Merrifield, VA 22116 1-800-DOE-EREC (1-800-363-3732) E-mail: doe. [email  protected] om Web site: http://www. eren. doe. gov/consumerinfo/ EREC provides free general and technical information to the public on many topics and technologies pertaining to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Building Technologies Department MS 90-3111 Berkeley, CA 94720 USA Phone: (510) 486-6845; Fax: (510) 486-4089 Web site: http://eetd. lb l. gov/btp/btp. html Provides information on past and current research in buildings energy efficiency. National Renewable Energy Laboratory The Center for Buildings and Thermal Systems 1617 Cole Blvd. Golden, CO 80401 Web site: http://www. nrel. gov/buildings_thermal Provides information on energy-efficient buildings. Organizations American Solar Energy Society, Inc. (ASES) 2400 Central Avenue, G-1 Boulder, CO 80301 Phone: (303) 443-3130; Fax: (303) 443-3212 E-mail: [email  protected] org Web site: http://www. ases. org A national advocacy organization dedicated to the use of solar energy in buildings. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Buildings Technology Center P. O. Box 2008, MS-6070 Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6070 Phone: (865) 574-5206; Fax Number: (865) 574-5227 Web site: http://www. ornl. ov/ORNL/BTC/ Provides information on research in buildings energy efficiency. Building America U. S. Department of Energy Office of Building Systems, EE-41 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D. C. 20585-0121 Web site: http://www. eren. doe. gov/buildings/ building_america/ Works with the home building industry to produce quality homes that use up to 50 percent less energy without costing more to build. Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005-4706 Phone: (202) 628-7400; Fax: (202) 393-5043 E-mail: [email  protected] org Web site: http://www. bicouncil. org Promotes the use of energy-efficient and passive solar building design and construction. Web Sites Building Energy Software Tools U. S. Department of Energy Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs Web site: http://www. eren. doe. gov/buildings/tools_ directory/ Describes many energy-related software tools for buildings, with an emphasis on renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Efficient Windows Collaborative Alliance to Save Energy 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 900 Washington, D. C. 20036 Phone: (202) 857-0666; Fax: (202) 331-9588 E-mail: [email  protected] rg Web site: http:/ /www. efficientwindows. org/ Provides unbiased information on the benefits of energy-efficient windows, descriptions of how they work, and recommendatio ns for their selection and use. Cool Roof Materials Database Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Web site: http://eetd. lbl. gov/coolroof/ Assists with the selection of roofing materials that reflect instead of absorb the sun’s radiant energy. Energy Star ® U. S. Department of Energy and U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Phone: (888) STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937) E-mail: [email  protected] gov Web site: http:/ /www. nergystar. gov/ Provides lists of Energy Star ®-qualified products, including appliances and windows, as well as information on its energyefficient homes program. Green Buildings Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development Web site: http://www. sustainable. doe. gov/buildings/ gbintro. htm Provides information and links on energy-efficient buildings. (Continued on page 8) 7 Continued from page 7 The Residential Energy Efficiency Database Web site: http://www. its-canada. com/reed/ Provides a wide-range of information on energy-efficient houses, includ ing house plans. The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, M. Crosbie (ed), J. Wiley, 1997. Available for purchase from ASES (see Resources). Residential Windows: A Guide to New Technology and Energy Performance, J. Carmody, S. Selkowitz, and L. Herschong, Norton Professional Books, 1996. Phone: 1-800-233-4830; http://www. wwnorton. com/npb/. Insulation Fact Sheet, U. S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 1997. Available from ORNL in PDF and HTML at http://www. ornl. gov/roofs+walls/insulation/. Print version is available from EREC (see Resources). Zip Code Insulation Database Oak Ridge National Laboratory Web site: http://www. ornl. gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome. html Provides information by zip code on the most economic insulation levels for new or existing homes. Reading List The following publications provide further information about energy-efficient home elements. The list is not exhaustive, nor does the mention of any publication constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Periodicals Energy Design Update. Published by Cutter Information Corporation, 37 Broadway, Arlington, MA 02474-5552; Phone: (800) 964-5118 or (781) 648-8700; Web site: http:// www. utter. com. This monthly newsletter contains information for professionals interested in energyefficient building technologies. Product reviews appear regularly. Environmental Building News. 28 Birge Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301; Phone: (802) 257-7300; Web site: http://www. BuildingGreen. com. This bimonthly newsletter covers a wide variety of topics. The Journal of Light Constru ction. Published by Builderburg Partners, Ltd. , 932 West Main Street, Richmond, VT 05477; Phone: (800) 375-5981. This monthly journal often features articles on energy conservation techniques for the home builder. Home Energy Magazine. 2124 Kittredge Street, #95, Berkeley, CA 94704; Phone: (510) 524-5405; E-mail: [email  protected] org,; Web site: http://www. homeenergy. org/. It’s a source of information on reducing energy consumption in the home. Solpan Review. Published by Drawing-Room Graphic Services, Ltd. , P. O. Box 86627, North Vancouver, BC V71 412 , Canada; Phone (604) 689-1841. This bimonthly newsletter features articles on energy conservation for the building industry, including information on new products and energy-efficient practices in residential construction. Books, Pamphlets, and Reports Buildings for a Sustainable America Case Studies, B. Miller, ASES, 1997. Available from ASES or SBIC (see Resources). Building Green in a Black & White World, D. Johnston, Home Builder Press, 2000; Phone: (800) 223-2665; http://www. builderbooks. com. Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, A. Wilson and J. Morrill, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2000; Phone: (510) 549-9914; http://aceee. org/. The Efficient House Sourcebook, R. Sardinsky, Rocky Mountain Institute. Available from SBIC (see Resources). Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy and Money at Home, U. S. Department of Energy. Available in PDF and HTML at http://www. eren. doe. gov/consumerinfo/energy_ savers/ or print version from EREC (see Resources). Fine Homebuilding: Energy-Efficient Houses, Fine Homebuilding magazine. Available from SBIC (see Resources). Moisture Control Handbook: Principals and Practices for Residential and Small Commercial Buildings, J. Lstiburek and J. Carmody, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. , 1993. Available from the Building Science Corporation at (978) 589-5100 (phone); (978) 589-5103 (fax); or http://www. buildingscience. com. 8

International Marketing Essay

UK is one of the major centers for commerce and international business in the world. It is one country that has had to raise its economy through free trade and other business related portfolios. It later developed to principles of liberalization of international trade and investments in order for it to expand and grow especially in the 20th century. It has been able to attract large investments from multinational countries in order to meet the demand for the larger British population thereby minimizing unemployment rates. This paper will therefore examine the investment opportunities and challenges in UK (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006). Foreign investments Opportunities The UK has very many opportunities in terms of foreign investments. It is one of the fifth largest economies in the world and second in the European Union. The country’s capital, which is London, is considered a haven of investments especially in the financial sector. The country has a GDP of $ 2. 1 trillion and a GDP growth rate of 2 %. (2007 estimates). Most of the opportunities lie in the service sector (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Industries UK has very many industries that can be invested in by any foreign country and the major ones are; agriculture, telecommunications, manufacture, fishing and tourism. The UK is one of the leading countries in agricultural exports and this is the main driving force for its economy. (Bailey, 1999) International trade statistics Major exports The dollar value for most of the export trading has been improving due to increase in demand for exports going by recent statistics on total exports from the UK. The trend however has been found to be fluctuating and that it depends on other factors such as; political stability, foreign policies etc. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) The major exports the country has been undertaking are the agricultural produce; wheat, rice, maize and tea. In the manufacturing the sector, the country exports agricultural machinery such the tractors and its implements, food, tobacco, paper, printing, textiles, paper and publishing. In the service sector, the country has developed high-tech networks in the telecommunications industry. The leading company in this sector is Vodafone and it has also gone global in its service provision. Major imports The major imports that are imported to the country include automobiles, horticultural produce, tea, coffee, and oil. The dollar value for most of the imports is low as the demand for the products reduces in the country. The dollar value increases when oil products become scarce due to international demand. (Bailey, 1999) Balance of payments situation According to the Office of National statistics, the manufacturing industry accounted for approximately 19% of all the national output in UK last year and also made up to 16% of all the employment in the country. The British economy does not however depend entirely on this and it may decline in the next two to three decades. Other industries are coming up especially the service sectors with a view to balance payments situation in regard to treasury bills. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Exchange rates Exchange rates in the UK have been changing since the year 1999 and today, the exchange rates are way below the 0. 54 mark. This can be attributed to the changing events of the decade and globalization (Bailey, 1999). The following table shows the changing exchange rates-over the counter- for the Sterling pound, Euros and the dollars. Year ? /USD USD/? ?/EUR EUR/? 2005 ? 0. 5500 $1. 821 ? 0. 6842 â‚ ¬1. 463 2006 ? 0. 5426 $1. 859 ? 0. 6815 â‚ ¬1. 467 Source: Office for National Statistics, UK 2006 Trade restrictions 1. Embargoes Embargoes are political trade tools that are put by trading bodies or governments in order to support a justified peace process. Trade embargoes in the UK has been used to support either the EU or the UN in order to deny individuals the opportunity to use money from international trade in buying weapons of mass destruction. This will be used for the purpose of containing retrogressive countries the financial capability to use trading activities for insecurity purposes. Such countries which have been blacklisted by the UK include; Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc. (Neid, 1988) 2. Quotas Tradable quotas are policy instruments aimed at restraining trade of certain commodities in the UK. Limiting the production or importation of non-environmentally friendly automobiles can reduce taking for example greenhouse gases. The UK has been able to meet its environmental objective through the implementation of quotas systems. (Neid, 1988) 3. Import taxes Import taxes are designed to protect local industries from international competitors who may be financially stronger than them. This strategy has been utilized by the UK in order to protect vulnerable sectors of its economy. Although it allows importation of textiles, the country charges high import taxes on all unprocessed hides and skins to protect its local industries. (Lawrence, 2002) 4. Tariffs Trade tariffs are the main hindrance to trading between two countries. These trade tariffs depend with policies formulated by individual countries concerning how the countries wish to conduct its trading. The United Kingdom has however developed a smooth and business free environment for most countries in Africa, Asia and the U. S. this has made investment more conducive for many multinational firms. (Neid, 1988) 5. Licensing Licensing is one of the techniques used to promote international trading. The UK has been able to utilize licensing agreements with other international firms to boost its trading. The country has also been able to license many international firms to operate in the country as a means of encouraging investments. (Lawrence, 2002) 6. Custom duties Custom duties are one of the main sources misunderstandings between countries due to the fact that they favor the home-based industries. Custom duties are usually employed by the government top curb influx of external products into the country. The UK has been able to utilize this remedy effectively especially in sectors which the government feels threatened such as energy, education, transport and manufacturing. (Bailey, 1999) Extend of economic activity not included in cash income transactions The extent, to which other economic activities which does not include cash income transactions, is not wide and especially that the economy is entirely dependent on two core industries. I. e. service and manufacturing. The rest which may not involve cash transactions. (Neid, 1988) Counter trades The UK has used counter trade strategies to improve their international presence in almost all its sectors. Counter trades function effectively when the trading countries agree on issues such as import duties, taxes and tariffs (Bailey, 1999). Labour force The UK labor force currently stands at 31 million going by 2007 statistics. Majority of this labor force are concentrated in the private sector and some of them in the public sector. Most of the employees in sectors such as the health sector may have been imported to the country to serve as nurse this has been caused by the worldwide shortage of the same. The unemployment rates in UK currently stand at 5. 4 %( 2007 estimates) most of whom are fresh graduates and the poorly educated young men and women in the country. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Inflation rates The inflation rate for the UK as at 31st December, 2006, was 2. 3% and a poverty rate of 17 % by then. The inflation however, fluctuates depending on the economic situation of the country (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Developments in science and technology UK is one of the European counties which have invested heavily on innovation and technology. Almost all sectors of its economy are coping up with changes in technology. The country is using technology as means of out-competing its competitors in the manufacturing and service sectors. That is why most firms in the country are investing in research and development. The government has been able to utilize 5. 4 % of the GNP on R&D in the last fiscal year ending March 31, 2007. The technological skills of the current labor force in the UK can be rated good depending on which sector one is referring to. With reasonable levels of literacy (79% at the moment), the country’s population can improve. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Conclusion There is a team of science and technology promoters under the department of UK Trade and Investment whose role is to help firms realize their international potential through partnership support and knowledge transfer. It mainly enhances competitiveness of companies trading in the UK and also those involved in international trade. The UK has been able to attract high quality foreign direct investments through this department which offers guidance and direction including available opportunities and marketing. References Bailey, M.(1999): Exchange rate trends and trade performance; Waldwick Archive, Vol 12 Ferguson, N (2004): Empire, The rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global investments. Basic Books, Oxford, p 90 Lawrence H. (2002): Exchange rate between the United States dollar and forty other countries and its effects on investment, Macmillan, Washington. P 34-40 Neid H. (1988): Multinational investment strategies in British Isles, Routlegde, UK. P 122-131 Office for National Statistics (UK 2006): The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. P 45-57

Stressors and Anxiety in the Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Research Paper

Stressors and Anxiety in the Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery - Research Paper Example The anxiety associated with the surgery exists in the post period of the surgery as well. Although many patients projected low level of anxiety and stress before surgery many have experienced borderline or clinically significant levels of anxiety before surgery. It is noticed that people has more stress and anxiety before surgery have poor outcomes than people having lower level of stress and anxiety. The patients undergoing heart surgeries are exposed to high risk and this could be the reason for the anxiety and stress in them. Normally anxiety increase in patient before cardiac surgery but return to normal level after six month of the surgery. Patients with high anxiety and stress before the surgery is exposed to mortality risk during surgery. It is seen that anxiety level is acute in patients about to undergo cardiac surgery and people with extreme stress are advised to give clinical support .The anxiety is normally high in patient who has death in their family due to heart failur e. Stress may occur because of increased stress and anxiety related to the forthcoming surgery. Anxiety and stress usually increase with the admission in hospital and impending surgery. The stress and anxiety before surgery People are stressed and anxious before surgery thinking about the complication during the surgery and recovery failure. According to (Scott,2009)â€Å"Having surgery can bring a lot of stress. ... People are advised breath taking exercises to relax the body and this can reduce the body’s response to stress. Breath taking exercise can stop the physiological response of the body due to stress and reverse the procedure. The stressful experience occurs in the mind and what we think stressful can trigger anxiety and stress in people on thinking about it. Studies have shown that people who are stressed in everyday life are more prone to stress before surgery. The pain during surgery and post surgery can lead to major stress among patients. Patients and their family are usually given educational support and assistance before the surgical event. Stress of the patients can be reduced if they are given complete information about the surgery in simple words.Moslty, the surgeons and nurses does not get adequate time to spend with the patients in order to pacify or console them before surgery. In real, surgeons should listen to the queries of the patients and guide them in proper ma nner to reduce their stress and anxiety. It is found that women are more stressed than men before cardiac surgery. As per (Desborough,2000,pg.109-117) â€Å"The stress response to surgery is characterized by increased secretion of pituitary hormones and activation of the sympathetic nervous system†Mostly people who have stress before surgery also might be facing problems in their daily life too. Having a health problem itself is a stressful issue and on above that open heart surgery can increase the risk factor. Patients are stressful before the CABG procedure as they are uncertain about the outcome of the heart surgery. Pain is the main cause of stres in patient and this can be overcome by the appliance of appropriate pain management program. Patients are

Standardization of English in the British Isles Coursework

Standardization of English in the British Isles - Coursework Example Standardization of the English language was achievable for Britain soon after the borrowing of numerous vocabularies from its colonies all over the globe. The English utilized by Britain was comprehensive or all-inclusive offering diversity to the language. English was rarely exploited before standardization since other languages such as Latin and Norman French were utilized in various distinctive fields of study and administration. However, the respectability of the English language progressively rose through the years in an attempt to acquire full standards. Standardization of English within the British Isles meant normalization, which is considered containment of any prevalent discretionary variations concerning the grammatical aspects (Trudgill 1984, 32). This implied that standardization could only be accomplished within the written channel.In view of changes that took place in presenting what is considered Standard English numerous restructurings were carried out to bring about these changes. Reconstructing pronunciation, therefore, can be considered, one of the elements that contributed to the standardization of the English language inside the British Isles (Cote 2006, 3). Writers between the 16th and 17th century imparted efforts on pronunciation. Reconstructions were also done on spelling both casual and informal in individual letters in dissimilar dialects.In the past, the populace utilized dialects as forms of interactions in their societal contexts. During this time, little existed about Standard English all over the globe, since the tongue had not been integrated, with other languages, to develop the standard language. Therefore, there existed disparities in spoken English within different societal contexts, due to the existence of diverse dialects for different factions of the populace. Although dialects were as a result of geographical and social incidences. Dialects have been associated markedly with sociolinguistics, which relates to social att itudes. However, with time dialect has lost its value with the emergence of status among the general populace. The dialect lost its value during the years in history when people started gaining identities, and social status leading to the development of more formal language free of dialects. Introduction of Standard English in the British Isles, therefore, became a reality with the subject of identity and social status.

Threat of Religion-Based Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Threat of Religion-Based Terrorism - Essay Example Threat of religion-based terrorism is more rife currently than ever before as evidenced by a couple of things especially extremist groups. For instance, the last five years a number of religious groups have emerged where terror activities have been carried out. Surprisingly, these groups justify their actions on their religious ideologies. One example entails the Islamic State, which is the latest group, which claims that killing those of other religions will see the followers rewarded in the after-life. Ironically, the main leaders of these groups seldom engage in these activities; instead, their followers who are brainwashed. Terror activities are synonymous in these groups where unimaginable acts of human rights abuse are carried in the most heinous way. For instance, the aforementioned group has been responsible for a number of deaths with three Americans, two Britons, one Jordanian, and two Japanese among the number (Musarrat & Khan, 2014). In order to bolster its activities in as many regions as possible, this extremist group engages in radicalization. Here, people from many regions are enticed in to joining these activities using propaganda and sympathy. A case in point is the IS tendency to portray the West as inhuman. Additionally, the Africans have not been without a problem of their own concerning the same issue. First, the Al-Shabaab has terrorized many of the Somali nationals in the name of religion. Similarly, the Nigeria’s Boko Haram has proved to be a challenge to the government, and a number of people have lost their lives. Using the same tactics as the IS, the Nigerian group maims and carries out other heinous activities, and justify itself through religious ideologies (Musarrat & Khan, 2014). The activities may seem new to the current generation, but history shows that there have been similar cases where religion was a catalyst to terrorism. For instance, Father Charles Coughlin was

World poverty Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World poverty - Article Example The annual income required to a family to survive according to federal governments is the most general definition of poverty, which is established through the statistical evaluation. Michael Darby (1997:4) states that the actual definition of poverty is political, whose purpose is to level the growth related to programs. According to US census, keeping in view the inflation the poverty line regarding family of four in 2000 was $17,050 income. However, this definition of poverty has many issues according to several scholars of poverty such as; treatment of taxes, special work associated expenditures, regional dissimilarities in the price of living, cash income (Blank 1997; Quigley, 2003). Poverty annihilation due to political, ethical and economic urgency is necessary. The statement was given, in Copenhagen, fifteen years ago at the World Summit for Social Development by the global leaders. For growth, since then poverty annihilation has become the prime target, and it is being considered a common destructive element for the whole of humanity. To overcome poverty has become a global goal and it must be achieved until 2015. The goal, which was set fifteen years ago, could not obtain still. Still, poverty lingering everywhere except East Asia and China and at some level India, which have achieved incredulous success. According to the Social Summit 1995, the definition of poverty comprised of lack of participation, deprivation, and social exclusion and today the definition has extended in several other dimensions, and the goal is still very far. In sub-Saharan Africa, the rate of poverty is inflexibly and ineptly high. Moreover, in South Asia, poverty reduction is very low despite a sustainable development. To minimize and eradicate poverty economic growth seems a very significant factor; however, the growth at the same time in other directions is also mandatory such as; education,

W4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

W4 - Essay Example Oral communication has an advantage of receiving feedback immediately. It is the most appropriate method of communication for effective discussions. The feedback takes a longer period of time to be received in written communication (Keyton & Shockley-Zalabak, 2009). In oral communication, information is obtained first hand from the speaker and therefore there is no possibility of distortion of facts. Moreover, the points that are not clear can be explained by the speaker especially due to the fact that communication is shared between him/her and the audience. Gestures and facial expressions can be used to enhance the clarity of information. However, there are several weaknesses in oral communication. In contrast to written communication, the speaker and the audience must be present for communication to be achieved. The advantage of written communication is that messages can be conveyed in the absence of the audience to be read later. It also enhances remembrance since the information can be referred from time to time, which may not be possible for information communicated orally. There is usually a coherent flow of ideas while writing, some of which might be forgotten in oral communication. On the other hand, written communication allows the de livery of substantial information, which may be difficult through oral communication. However, unlike oral communication, literacy is paramount for effective communication; hence it might not be applicable for the illiterate people. Communication through notices in the workplace allows all workers an opportunity to view information posted on a common place. This is more effective than oral communication whereby some employees may not receive clear information especially if they were absent at the time of the announcement (Shockley-Zalabak, 2005). Leadership communication is significant for the accomplishment of the goals of leadership. Oral and written communications allow

Australian Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Business Law - Essay Example Peter has $5,000 in his savings and intends to use this to purchase a state of the art bicycle and textbooks. Peter searches the internet for online bicycle stores as he had heard that you can have a good deal of second hand bicycles online. Peter finds a good selection on tourbikes.com.au (Tour bikes). The bicycle he finds is described as follows. â€Å"This is one of the most sought after bicycles we currently have in stock. It is the same model that was used by Cadel Evans when he won tour de france, a cadel evans â€Å"GF†. This model is in short supply in the second hand market and presents a rare opportunity for purchasers. This bicycle has been completely restored and refurbished. There are new tyres and new chain. The seat is extremely comfortable and comes in a dashing green colour. This bike is joy to ride. $6,000. Payment is due upon delivery† Peter really wants to purchase this bicycle but doesn’t have sufficient amount of money for the same and his t extbooks. Peter wants to know a little more about the bicycle, so he telephones the owner and sole proprietor of tourbikes, sally. Peter asks what it means in the advert that it has been â€Å"restored and refurbished†. Sally responds that: â€Å"That means that we have ensured that the frame of the bicycle is sound and has been repainted. It also includes replacement of gears and replacement of any damaged spokes.† Peter thanks sally and immediately email tour bikes the following information. â€Å"I would like to purchase the Cadell Evans GF that is advertised for sale on your website. I believe that a second hand is only worth $4,000 at best. Please advice if you are willing to sell to me the bicycle for this amount via email by close of business tomorrow. I would also like you to arrange for immediate delivery.† Immediately, Burt a middle aged cycling enthusiast has also seen the bike advertised for sale at tour bikes website. He is a Cadell Evans fan and al so emails tour bikes at the same time that Peter does. â€Å" I want to buy the Cadell Evans GF that has been listed. I will pay you $5,000† Sally reads the emails as soon as they enter the inbox and replies to Burt’s only. â€Å"Thank you for your interest in our product, the Cadell Evans restored bicycle. I cannot sell that amazing bicycle for that little. However, I will accept $5,500† Burt does not respond until 4pm the following day â€Å"Thank you for your response but I don’t think the bike is worth that much. I am no longer interested.† Sally really needs to sell the bike. She has an outstanding account with her creditors and needs to make a payment of $4,000 within the next few days otherwise she runs the risk of the bank foreclosing on her mortgage. Sally checks the time and it is 4:30pm and notes that she still has 30mins before close of business. She emails peter. â€Å"Thank you for your interest in our product. The Cadell Evans resto red bicycle. I will sell the bike to you at $4,000. I have organized immediate delivery. Payment of $4,000 is due upon delivery as specified.† The email enters Peter’s inbox at 4:45pm, (15 minutes to Closure of Business). Meanwhile, Peter is on orientation camp at the University and does not have access to his email for a period of three days. When peter returns home and checks his email, he sees an email from Sally. Peter emails Sally saying that he is sorry and he is no longer interested in buying the bicycle. He no longer wants to buy such a good bicycle for his courier job as he has just heard

Policy Is Now Made In A More Democratic Manner Essay Example for Free

Policy Is Now Made In A More Democratic Manner Essay What Extent Do You Agree With This Statement? The 1997 general election in Britain changed the way that policies were made in both of the leading political parties. The Labour Party is composed of three major institutions: The NEC (National Executive Committee) -the administrative authority of the party, the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) which consists of all elected Labour Party MP s and the Annual Party Conference. The Annual Party Conference is the supreme decision-making body within the Party. Ordinary members of the party are given the opportunity to publicly articulate their views and for cabinet members (or shadow cabinet members if the party is not in government) to deliver set-speeches directed towards the party or the public. The Conservative Party had a system where power rested entirely in the hands of parliamentarians with little or no organisation outside of parliament. It also consisted of three main institutions: The Parliamentary Conservative Party, the National Union Of Conservative and Unionist Associations and The Conservative Central Office. The ultimate decision making body in the Party is the leader himself. He or she may be advised however this advice does not have to be taken. Before 1997, any member of the Labour party could raise a topic to be debated. However after the 1997 election, in an attempt by Tony Blair to meet the demands of party unity and discipline, the Labour Party changed its structure to include the NPF (National Policy Forum). The job of the National Policy Forum was to set our the agenda to be discussed at the annual party conference.Members could no longer bring up issues during the conference. Instead, members could make an application to the forum for a debate on a particular topic although the ultimate decision would be made by the forum. Although members were still free to convey their views at the annual conference. The Conservatives adopted a similar system to the Labour Party. The Conservative Party also underwent structural changes after the 1997 election. In a bid to make the party more democratic, William Hague introduced the Fresh Future. This included the creation of two new bodies, the National Conservative Convention and the Conservative Policy Forum (although these act as advisory bodies only, the final decision rests with the leader). In conclusion, the Labour Party certainly makes policy in a less democratic way. From an open conference where members could freely bring up topics for debate to a forum where only a select few have the ultimate decision in deciding party policies. This reform has decreased the number of members who can participate in making policies and reduced the range of views that the policies represent. Although the Conservative Party has made an attempt to make its policy making more democratic by introducing the Fresh Future and the new Conservative Policy Forum, the leader still holds the ultimate decision when deciding on policy and although it increases the number of people who can attempt to advise the leader although the leader still has ultimate power when making decisions so it means nothing. It is therefore concluded that party policy is not now made in a more democratic manner.

Boyatzis Theory Of Self Directed Learning

Boyatzis Theory Of Self Directed Learning It was proved by Dr. Richard Boyatzis that medicinal and rehabilitative solutions to addictions do not last permanently and why addicts keep coming back to rehab facilities time to time. What this theory has shown is that adults learn what they want to learn. Other things, even if acquired temporarily (i.e., for a test), are soon forgotten. Students, patients and clients may act as if they care about learning something, go through the motions, but they proceed to disregard it or forget it-unless, it is something which they want to learn. Even in situations where aperson is under threat or coercion, a behavioural change shown will typically extinguish or revert to its original form once the threat is removed. This does not include changes induced, willingly or not, by chemical or hormonal changes in ones body. But even in such situations, the interpretation of the changes and behavioural comportment following it will be affected by the persons will, values, and motivations. Self-directed change is an intentional change in an aspect of who you are (i.e., the Real) or who you want to be (i.e., the Ideal), or both. Self-directed learning is self-directed change in which you are aware of the change and understand the process of change. The description and explanation of the self-directed change process is organized in five sections as shown in the figure below. Each section starts with a point of discontinuity.The persons behaviour may seem to be stuck for long periods of time and then a change appears quite suddenly. The First Discontinuity:Catching Your Dreams, Engaging Your Passion Our aspirations, dreams, and desired states are shaped by our values, philosophy, life and career stages, motives, role models, and other factors. This indicates that we can access and engage deep emotional commitment and psychic energy if we engage our passions and conceptually catch our dreams in our Ideal Self-image. The Second Discontinuity: Am I a Boiling Frog? For normal reasons, the human psyche protects itself from the automatic intake and conscious realization of all information about us. These ego-defence mechanisms serve to protect us. The boiling frog syndrome applies here. It is said that if one drops a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out with an instinctive defence mechanism. But if you place a frog in a pot of cool water and gradually increase the temperature, the frog will sit in the water until it is boiled to death. These slow adjustments to changes are acceptable, but the same change made dramatically is not tolerated. Those forgiving the change, frightened of it, or who do not care, may allow it to pass unnoticed. Our relationships and interpersonal context mediate and interpret cues from the environment. They help us interpret what things mean. You ask a friend, Am I getting fat? To which she responds, No, you look great! Whether this is reassuring to the listener or not, it is confusing and may not be providing feedback to the question asked. Of course, if she had said, No, it is just the spread of age or normal effects of gravity you may not have more useful information either. There are four major learning points from the first two discontinuities in the self-directed learning process: Engage your passion and create your dreams; and Know thyself! Identify or articulate both your strengths (those aspects of yourself you want to preserve) and your gaps or discrepancies of your Real and Ideal Selves (those aspects of yourself you want to adapt or change); and Keep your attention on both characteristics forces or factors-do not let one become the preoccupation! All of these learning points can be achieved by finding and using multiple sources for feedback about your Ideal Self, Real Self, Strengths, and Gaps. The Third Discontinuity: Mindfulness Through a Learning Agenda A learning orientation arouses a positive belief in ones capabilityand the hope of improvement. A learning agenda helps a person focus on what they want to become. This results in people setting personal standards of performance, rather than normative standards that merely mimic what others have done. The Fourth Discontinuity: Metamorphosis Acting on the plan and toward the goals involves numerous activities. These are often made in the context of experimenting with new behaviour. Typically following a period of experimentation, the person practices the new behaviours in actual settings within which they wish to use them, such as at work or at home. During this part of the process, self-directed change and learning begins to look like a continuous improvement process. The Fifth Discontinuity: Relationships that Enable Us to Learn Our relationships are an essential part of our environment. The most crucial relationships are often a part of groups that have particular importance to us. These relationships and groups give us a sense of identity, guide us as to what is appropriate and good behavior, and provide feedback on our behavior. In sociology, they are called reference groups. These relationships create a context within which we interpret our progress on desired changes, the utility of new learning, and even contribute significantinput to formulation of the Ideal. In this sense, our relationships are mediators, moderators, interpreters, sources of feedback, sources of support and permission of change and learning! They may also be the most important source of protection from relapses or returning to our earlier forms of behavior. The major learning points from the fourth and fifth discontinuities critical in self-directed learning process are: Experiment and practice and try to learn more from your experiences! Find settings in which you feel psychologically safe within which to experiment and practice! and Develop and use your relationships as part of your change and learning process! The signposts on the path to self-direct learning are: At the end of self-directed learning approach that we followed, we gave each participant to evaluate him/herself on the below 9 outposts to keep track if they are progressing in the right direction. Has the person engaged their passion and dreams? Can they describe the person they want to be, the life and work they want to have in the future? Can they describe their Ideal Self? Does the person know himself or herself? Do they have a sense of their Real Self? Can the person articulate both their strengths (those aspects he/she wants to preserve) and gaps or discrepancies between their Real and Ideal Selves (those aspects he/she wants to adapt or change)? Has the person help their attention on both Strengths and Gaps- not letting one become the preoccupation? Does the person have their own personal learning agenda? IS it really their own? Can the elements of the plan fit into the structure of their life and work? Do the actions fit with their learning style and flexibility? Is the person experimenting and practicing new habits and actions? Is the person using their learning plan to learn more from their experiences? Has the person found settings in which to experiment and practice in which he/she feels psychologically safe? Is the person developing and utilizing his/her relationships as part of their learning process? Do they have coaches, mentors, friends, and others with whomthey can discuss progress on their learning agenda? Do they have relationships with which they can explore each their new behavior, habits, new Ideal Self, new Real Self, new strengths and gaps as the process unfolds? Are they helping others engage in a self-directed learning process? Cognitive behavioural therapy This is a psychotherapeutic approach, a talking therapy that aims to solve problems concerning dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure. Patterns of Cognitive Distortions All-Or-Nothing Thinking You see things in black-and-white categories. If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure. Disqualifying the positive You dismiss positive experiences by insisting they dont count for some reason or other. In this way you can maintain a negative belief that is contradicted by your everyday experiences. Magnification (Catastrophizing) or Minimization- You exaggerate the importance of things (such as your goof-up or someone elses achievement), or you inappropriately shrink things until they appear tiny (your own desirable qualities or the other fellows imperfections). This is also called the binocular trick. Should Statements You try to motivate yourself with shoulds and shouldnts, as if you had to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything. Musts and oughts are also offenders. The emotional consequence is guilt. When you direct should statements toward others, you feel anger, frustration, and resentment. Labelling and Mislabelling This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself: Im a loser. When someone elses behaviour rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label to him: Hes a goddam louse. Mislabelling involves describing an event with language that is highly coloured and emotionally loaded. Personalization You see yourself as the cause of some negative external event which in fact you were not primarily responsible for. Guard against these Perfection Syndrome: Everybody needs to be and wants to be successful in life. Everybody in life wants to make it. However in doing so, we go overboard, stretch the limits of our body and return to the same stress levels that we wanted to overcome in the beginning. Entitlement Syndrome: Those inflicted with Entitlement Syndrome show symptoms of being overly-pampered, completely dependent upon others, frequently whining about trivial matters, full of jealousy and rage, excusing themselves out of doing anything difficult, unable to lose or fail gracefully, and they appear to resemble children in adult bodies. The Entitled consistently throw tantrums when they dont get what they want, especially if what they want belongs to the Responsible-Minded. The Entitled will often sue those who disagree with them, especially if they think it will fund their elaborate lifestyles for a long time.The only remedy for this disease is self-control. And the only source of self-control is their God-given moral conscience, which can often be lost altogether if the Entitled do not purge themselves from their enablers early in life. Dos and Donts Only meditation for first one year become aware of your feelings first and , then, to the inner-most thoughts Do not try to explain or apply any of these things to someone elses life Do not try to read anything about psychology, say, for one year

Effective Instructional Strategies For Adult Learners

Effective Instructional Strategies For Adult Learners College and universities across America are experience a change in student demographics from traditional to adult students. The adult student (those 25 and older) population in higher education continues to grows (Palazesci Bower, 2006; ODonnell Tobbell,2007; Giancola, Grawitch, Borchert, 2009; Vaccaro Lovell, 2010). The U.S. Department of Education reported an increase in nontraditional students from 28% in 1970 to 39% in 1999. Today, the U.S. Department of Education reported in its National Center for Educational Statistics(2006) reported that first-time full-time students are now in the minority in higher education. This growing population of adult learners bring unique characteristics to the learning environment. One might then expect to observe significant difference in instructional strategies of instructors of traditional and adult students. However, despite the unique characteristics of adult learners, the traditional approach to instructional strategies, in particular the lecture method, used in many traditional classrooms is utilized in the adult learning environment as well. While there are no inherent negative outcomes associated with the lecture method (Masikunis, Panayiotidis, Burke, 2009; Giers Kreiner, 2009; Revell, Wainwright, 2009), characteristics of adult learners may provoke the investigation of alternative instructional strategies. Adult Learning Malcom Knowles first introduced the idea that adult and children learning differently due to developmental and experiential differences in the 1970s (Knowles, Holton, Swanson, 2005). Prior to Knowles work, pedagogy was the focus of instructional strategies in higher education. The pedagogy model required the instructor to be in control of the learning and was the main focus of Knowles coined the term andragogy to describe a core set of principles of adult learning to build a more effective learning process for adults (p. 2). The six principles of andragogy are: The learners need to know; Self-concept of the learner; Prior experience of the learner; Readiness to learn; Orientation to learning; and Motivation to learn. (p. 3) Knowles stressed andragogy as a process model rather than the content model characteristic of pedagogy. The difference is not that one deals with content and the other does not; the difference is that the content model is concerned with transmitting information and skills whereas the process model is concerned with providing procedures and resources for helping learners acquire information and skills. (Knowles, Holton, Swanson, 2005, p. 115) Knowles maintained these principles, or assumptions, as foundational in designing meaningful learning experiences for adult learners (Merriam, Caffarella, Baumgartner, 2007). In addition to considering the characteristics of adult learners, Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner (2005) emphasize the importance of recognizing learning in an adults life occurs in structured and informal learning environments. This recognition allows educators of adults to take into consideration the vast experience and knowledge adult students bring to the learning environment. Prior knowledge then becomes foundational to the learning experience. Also, the recognition that learning occurs in multiple arenas of life enables educators to assist adult learners in understanding they are lifelong learners. This may lessen the adults anxiety of entering a formal educational setting. The learning environment may be new, but the experience of learning new knowledge or skills is not. Lifelong learner is part of the adults life. Brookfield (1986) addressed the social aspect of adult learning. the acts of teaching and learning and the creation and alteration of our beliefs, values, actions, relationships, and social forms that result from this are ways in which we realize our humanity (p. 1). From this belief, Brookfield (1986) presented six principles for facilitating learning: Participation in learning is voluntary; adult engage in learning as a result of their own volition. Effective practice is characterized by a respect among participants for each others self-worth. Facilitation is collaborative. Facilitators and learners are in a cooperative enterprise in which, at different times and for different purposes, leadership and facilitation roles will be assumed by different group members. Praxis is placed at the heart of effective facilitation. Learners and facilitators are involved in a continual process of activity, reflection upon activity collaborative analysis of activity, new activity, further reflection, and collaborative analysis, and so on. Facilitation aims to foster in adults a spirit of critical reflection. The aim of facilitation is the nurturing of self=-directed, empowered adults. While Knowles advocated that adults learn differently than children, he understood the application of andragogy assumptions were dependent on the learning situation. In all learning situations, the needs of the learner are paramount in designing an effective learning experience. Knowles (as cited in Knowles, Holton, Swanson, 2005) stated: My intention, therefore, was to present an alternative set of assumptions to those that had been traditionally made by teachers of children, so that others would have another choice. I saw them as assumptions to be tested (not to be presumed), so that if a pedagogical assumption was the realistic condition given situation then pedagogical strategies would be appropriate. For example, if I were now, at age 66, to undertake to learn a body of totally strange content (for example, the higher mathematics of nuclear physics), I would be a totally dependent learner. I would have very little previous experience to build on, I probably would have a low degree of readiness to learn it, and I dont know what developmental task I would be preparing for. The assumptions of pedagogical assumptions would be appropriate. (p. 146) However, with that said, in many learning situations adult learners do bring a readiness to learn, do have experiential background, and XXXXXXXXXXXXX. In this context, learning strategies appropriate to the adult learner should be considered. Institutional Reaction to Adult Learners Despite the continual struggle of adult learners for voice and value in higher education (Sissel, Hansman, Kasworm, 2001), institutions appear to acknowledge the unique population of adult learners (Simpson, 2004). Institutions offer degree programs specifically addressing the need to provide alternative student services, multiple delivery modes (in-seat and online), and flexibility in scheduling (Durey, 2007). Matkin (2004) identifies two distinct markets in higher education: the residential student (traditional students) and the nonresidential (nontraditional student). The members of the two markets have different reasons for seeking education, different backgrounds, different service needs, and different pathways through which they are attracted (recruited) to education (p. 62). While, some in higher education academy may still harbor distrust in these nontraditional programs for adult learners, Tweedell (2007) contends many programs that target the adult population have been mor e deliberate in planning and implementing quality than other education programs whose theories and practices are rooted only in tradition (p. 5). In addition to addressing opportunities for adult students to pursue higher education opportunities, educators must investigate and implement instructional strategies that address the needs of adult learners. Instructional Strategies Several models of adult learning inform best practices in adult learning. Knowles (as cited in Brewer, 2005) provided guidelines for development and practice in adult learning programs. Central components of Knowles theory are self-directedness , a focus on experiential learning, learner reliance on past experiences, adult motivation to learn, and goal orientation associated with problem solving (p. 23). Effective instructional strategies for adult learners: Incorporates learners goals and objectives Provides opportunities for content to build on past experiences and knowledge Focus on problem oriented and practical strategies Require active learner participation Provides opportunities for application of new knowledge and skills Provide opportunities for both independent and collaborative learning Implications for Faculty Development Conclusion

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay: A Beautifully Complicated Maste

The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock : A Beautifully Complicated Masterpiece The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot is a beautifully complicated masterpiece. The poem rises above all standards of poetry and completely blows your mind. The poem consists of twenty stanzas, each telling a different part of the story of J. Alfred Prufrock's life. Eliot uses many poetic devices to add a hint of magic to the sound of the poem. The diction he uses turns what seems to be a normal poetic work of art into a dream where everything flows together like magic. An example of his diction would be Eliot's powerful use of metaphor in lines 15 - 25 of the poem. The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes, Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening, Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains, Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys, Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap, And seeing that it was a soft October night, Curled once about the house, and fell asleep. And indeed there will be time For the yellow smoke that slides along the street Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;... In your mind, you can just picture a yellowish fog floating around a house, through a fence, or over the trees. His diction gives you a perfect image of the yellow fog. I believe that the 'yellow fog' is a metaphor symbolizing love. Love is slow, like the yellow fog it touches everything, it invades everything around it. There will always be time for love. There's time for everything. Another poetic device that El... ...ces dying with a dying fall beneath the music from a farther room. So how should I presume?"; confusion in others, "Then how should I begin to spit out all the butt- ends of my days and ways'? And how should I presume?"; fear in others, "And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, and in short, I was afraid."; and still loneliness in others, "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me." The entire poem is sad. He feels lost. He is not understood, he feels old, he wishes he made more of a splash before the 'Footman' comes to get him. He wishes he lived more, loved more, laughed more. The Love Story of J. Alfied Prufrock emphasizes a man who has loved and lost someone he deeply cared about. But as the saying goes, "'Tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all."

Epic of Beowulf :: Poem Poet Beowulf Essays

Beowulf, the hero of the epic poem, is not an ordinary man; he is the epitome of a true hero. With the strength of thirty men in one arm, the courage to fight monsters, and the knowledge to respect and consider others' feelings, Beowulf defines the word "hero." As a thane of the Geats' king Hygelac, and later as king of the Geats, Beowulf uses his courage and wisdom to help him win many battles and competitions against humans and monsters. Beowulf's list of victories consists of his swimming contest with Breca, the slaying of sea monsters, the dismembering of the monster Grendel, decapitating Grendel (or Grendel's mother), and killing the dragon. However, his greatest achievement is not killing monsters, but not letting 'hubris' destroy him. As a good warrior and king, Beowulf always keeps his pledges/promises and obeys the laws of ''comitatus.'' Wiglaf Wiglaf, a thane of Beowulf's tribe, is another true hero in the poem. Despite the fact that he has never fought in a battle before, Wiglaf does not hide with the cowards while his lord, Beowulf, is attacked by the dragon. Remembering all the treasures and the trust Beowulf has given his men, Wiglaf bravely helps his lord who is in need: "Beloved Beowulf, do all well, for, long since in your youth, you said that you would not let your glory while you lived. Now, great-spirited noble, brave of deeds, you must protect your life with all your might. I shall help you." (Norton, 61) By helping Beowulf, Wiglaf also obeys the laws of comitatus and is greatly rewarded by Beowulf for his loyalty and love. Dragons They are often portrayed as evil and dangerous monsters, who eat people and burn homes. This view of the dragon is a direct result of the influence of Christianity and the Bible. In the Bible, the dragon is another name for the Devil, Satan himself, the archenemy of God and Jesus. Therefore, in a Western, Christian-based society, the dragon is viewed as an ally of the Devil and an enemy of God. Besides being seen as evil monsters, dragons were also believed to have treasures, such as gold or ancient artifacts in their lair. It is for one such treasure that the battle between Beowulf and the dragon starts. The Battle Beowulf, King of the Geats, who is now over seventy years old, fights his last battle.

Ralph Lauren Fictional Marketing Plan

MARKETING PLAN For an exclusive Ralph Lauren Retail outlet in Goa Prepared by Anisha Shaikh Allan Rebello CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Ralph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home (bedding, towels) and housewares. It has its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City As of 2009, Ralph Lauren or their licensing partners operated 163 full-price and 163 outlet/factory stores around the world, including Club Monaco and Rugby stores.Ralph Lauren is one of the largest retailers in the United States with revenues reaching $4. 2 billion in 2007. Ralph Lauren will be located  located 1. 2 Objectives 1. To create a shopping environment that caters to the apparel needs of the Premium Class segment of Goa 2. To receive a 50% profit margin within the first year. 3. To have a customer  base of average 1,0 00 by the end of the first operating year. 1. 3 Mission Ralph Lauren’s  mission is to offer quality products 1. 3 Keys to SuccessIn order to succeed in the apparel industry Ralph Lauren must: †¢ Carry a collection of sizes to fit the  more frames of the target customer base. †¢ Provide customers with top class personalized customer service in an atmosphere of high class service †¢ Advertise and promote in areas that our target customer base will learn about our store †¢ Continuously review inventory and sales and adjust our inventory levels accordingly CHAPTER II DATA ANALYSIS 2. 1 Why should Ralph Lauren and international brand open up in Goa?Goa is the smallest state in India but it is the India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole. It was ranked the best placed state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Co mmission on Population based on the 12 Indicators. Goa's gross state domestic product for 2007 is estimated at $3 billion in current prices. Goa is one of India's richest states with the highest GDP per capita — two and a half times that of the country as a whole — and one of its fastest growth rates: 8. 3% (yearly average 1990–2000). Tourism is Goa's primary industry: it handles 12% of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. As per details from Census 2011, Goa has population of 14. 57 Lakh, an increase from figure of 13. 48 Lakh in 2001 census. Parliamentary Affairs Ashwini Kumar said that Goa topped the list with an annual per capita income (PCI) of Rs. 1,32,719 in the last fiscal. 2. 2 LOCATION AND OWNERSHIP 2. 2. 1 Company OwnershipRalph Lauren will form a agreement with Inter ads (Inter Ads is a leading and reputed organizer of international trade exhibitions and conferences in India, in partnership with global exhibition management companies, who are highly acclaimed for innovation and excellence in organizing exhibitions). Inter ads will help Ralph Lauren from scratch i. e. is from negotiating the location till the store is ready, and also the day to day operations of the store. Location: The location chosen for the store is Caranzalem in Panjim. 2. 2. 2 Why Panjim? †¢ Area (sq km) : 4000 Population (2001 census) : 1. 34 million †¢ Literacy rate (%) : 82. 3 †¢ Sex ratio (per 1000 males) : 960 †¢ Length of coastline: 130 km †¢ National Highway length : 224 km †¢ Domestic | International airport : Dabolim (25 km from Panaji, the capital) †¢ Major Ports: Mormugao, Panaji (minor port) †¢ With a population of 65,000 in the city and approximately 100,000 in the metropolitan area, Panaji is Goa's third largest city after Vasco da Gama and Margao. †¢ Goa topped the list with an annual per capita income (PCI) of Rs. 1,32,719 in the last fiscal.T he location that is chosen is close to the the main city, Goa Science Center, Miramar beach and Dona Paula both are famous tourist destinations. Miramar beach is the closest beach to Panjim. It lies 3 kilometers from the city. It’s one of the most scenic beaches of Goa and a very ideal place to set up a Luxury showroom like that of Ralph lauren, Unlike other Beaches in Goa where you will find mainly tourists, Miramar Beach has visitors that comprise locals as well as tourists. The beach hosts a lot of cultural events and games. This would act as an added advantage to the brand. The area with the most retail outlets i. . 18th June road Panaji hasn’t been taken into consideration because there are so many brands attempting to gain a foothold in the market and this would be a problem for Ralph Lauren as the other brands have a competitive advantage on the price aspect. (Dr Jack Sequeira road nr Goa science center) All business deliveries and shipments will be handled thro ugh the store. The company office will also be housed at this location. 2. 3 Products Ralph Lauren would bring only its Polo brand to India. Polo has huge brand recognition in India and its popularity cuts across generations of young, middle-aged and seniors.Only the apparels will be brought to India under which the Polos, sports shirts, dress shirts, pants, jeans, and a range of shoes will be sold in the outlet. As soon as the outlet has been established Ralph Lauren will also come up with products of a wide range mainly emphasizing on price flexibility. One of the main aims of the company is to increase our target market and to do this there is a need to come up with more products. After a certain point we could even diversify in producing Indian apparel for the Indian customer.Below are the products that Ralph Lauren will introduce in India and the price of the products. Polo’s Mesh Polo: Rs 4421 Big pony Polo: Rs 5000 Brights Polo: Rs 5200 Sports shirts: Solid Poplin: Rs 4629 Linen shirt’s: Rs 6500 Premier oxford: Rs 5097 Madras workshirt: Rs 7452 Formal Shirts: Twill Regent: Rs 7542 Fit Solid Regent: Rs 6502 Fit French Regent: Rs 6502 Pinpoint oxford: Rs 4421 Pants: Five pocket Chino: Rs 4000 Preston tissue Chino: Rs 4135 Jeans Stanton Wash: Rs 4420 Hudson Jean: Rs 5100 Antique Jean: Rs 3589 Lispenard wash jean: Rs 2548 NB: These prices are the actual showroom prices.In the future Ralph Lauren has plans to come up with products that have affordable prices which is suitable for mainly the upper middle class segment. The products again will be only from its Polo brand. 2. 4 Market Analysis The primary target customer of Ralph Lauren will be the Premium Class Segment located in the City of Panaji. As we are situated in the center of their residental area we believe they will make up the largest percentage of our customer base. The secondary target customers are the Upper Middle Class in the area. The last target customer of Ralph Lauren is list ed as other.As popularity about the store increases we expect to see a variety of curiosity seekers, and local residents  from the area as well as seasonal purchasers during season. 2. 4. 1 Market Needs There are several important needs in the western wear apparel business that are being either underserved or not met at all. Ralph Lauren plans to meet and service those needs. †¢ Focus and attention to customer's personal preferences and customer retention will be given high priority. Because of the high rate of employee turnover at major mass retailers, customer service and personal detail has been  lost. . 4. 2 Market trends Goa has dish out so many things and among them is fashion, for the hep and moneyed, Fashion shows have becoming quite common in Goa, and pleasantly enough shifting their focus from the city highspots to the outskirts and Goa's splendid beaches Anjuna, Baga and even Utorda. Nowadays fashion folk leave no adjective untouched. Neither do they leave anythi ng to imagination the cuts and lengths becoming more bold and beautiful than ever before exposing much more shape and curve than exposed ever before coupling the catwalk do with all sorts of in elements and in spots.An opportunity like this should not be missed out by Ralph Lauren. 2. 4. 3 Market Growth The old days have gone where everybody would think that Goans wear Bermuda shorts and Sunset Orange cotton shirts and get going, the Clothes scenario has changed to a great extent with many international players entering Goa there has been a lot of growth in the market, Goan’s are ready to shell out a big amount on branded luxury clothes because it gives them a feel of quality and comfort. Nowadays wearing branded clothes is become like a trend.Another factor that has led to an increase in the market growth is the increasing per capita income of people in Goa. Thus the spending power of the people has increased 2. 4. 4 Competitors As mentioned earlier Goa is not untapped in th is segment of the market there are many brands who have made their presence felt many of which are in Panaji itself. Mahatma Gandhi Road is one of the most popular shopping avenues in Panaji with several stores selling branded goods present here. There’s United Colours of Benetton (UCB), Wrangler, Woodlands , Levis Strauss , Wills Lifestyle store , Spykar, Allen Solly, etc to choose from.All these stores are incidentally packed within an area less than a 100 square meters. The 18th June Road runs parallel to MG road and also hosts some branded showrooms. Arrow has an exclusive store here, so does the world famous brand Lee. Navelkar Arcade located nearby has another popular brand T, which has a wide range of clothing for men and women. Popular apparel brand Weekender , also has an exclusive store near the Don Bosco School in Panaji. 2. 4. 5 Industry Analysis Retail outlets Most of the brands sell their products in a retail outlet which is situated in the city areas i. e.Panaj i Vasco and Margao. The stores are mostly placed in very convenient areas so that distribution is not a major problem. Malls There are malls in Goa e. g. : Caculo Mall and Big G Mall under which various brands are housed some of the brands are Black Berry, Lee, Lacoste, Van Heusen, Wrangler John Players etc. 2. 4. 6 Target Market Ralph Lauren is entering its first year of operation and will basically cater to those customers who prefer wearing luxury clothes of high quality and great value. In Mid 2013 we will try and reach out to more customers in India by having a tie up with any large retail chain.We will also have a tie up with top modeling agencies to promote the brand in the fashion industry The consumer preference in Goa has changed to a huge extent. Media and promotions have been the sole reasons for the brand awareness and consciousness among the consumers and the same shall be done by Ralph Lauren. This is the new trend that more and more people are buying clothes which ar e of a particular reputed brand. When they are out shopping in a shopping mall they are sure to visit one of the big brands to buy a pair of jeans or a shirt from the shop.Today the Goan customers are eager to shell out a fortune to buy branded cloths. The common concept is that the clothing brands provide high quality and great comfort. And hence more and more people are becoming brand loyalist even though they have to give out quite a huge sum of money while making purchases. Ralph lauren is planning to enter India mainly due to the great demand that has been noticed from the customers. Ralph Lauren's main target audience will be the people from the premium segment .Their disposable income should be Rs 50,000 and they should be literate in order to understand our ad campaigns. The target audience that we are looking for are the ones who are ready to shell out a huge amount of money to buy our products. And they should be brand conscious. Since Goa is a state with the highest per c apita income the target market doesn’t seem to be really difficult to find. The possibility of the desired target audience is high because there are many industries like; Mining, Shipbuilding, Pharmaceutical, Hospitality etc in Goa are flourishing.Many rich people are also becoming very fashion conscious and they actively are the spectators for the Goa Fashion week which is gaining a lot of popularity, and our promotional campaigns deals with showcasing our brand at the Goa fashion week, thus providing exposure to our target audience. We will expect to reach our target audience through our various Promotional Campaigns. Age: Ralph Lauren segments its customers according to their age. Its provides all type of brands for the youth (24-26 yrs) Middle age  (28-50) ages and old people (60 + yrs)Gender: Gender segmentation of Ralph Lauren in Goa right now is for male and females. They manufacture brands for both genders. Occupations: In the occupational segmentation they have seg mented their market in different ways. Professionals, business men & women and executives. Education: Well educated people. 2. 5 Competitive Edge & Sales Prospects Ralph Lauren has a number of advantages that will allow  us to build brand identity, add value to our merchandise and build a loyal customer base  while standing apart  from  our competitors. The ‘Ralph Lauren Card' will entitle customers to a 15% discount after ten purchases. †¢ Our location is central to our target customer base. †¢ We will maintain a detailed record on each customer, logging addresses, their purchases, size, and brand for customer follow-up and in-house promotional purposes. CHAPTER III MARKETING PLAN 3. 1 Marketing Strategy Our marketing strategy will focus heavily on sales promotion, niche positioning in the market and customer service with loyalty and retention in sales. †¢ Our promotions will always stay in tune with our company bjectives and mission statement. 3. 2 Sal es Strategy †¢ We will utilize the Retail ICE POS software with every sales transaction. With each purchase the software  will record and maintain in its database the customer's name, address and purchases. This information will be used with our direct mailing program to focus on our top 50% of customers. †¢ We will offer a 14 day return/exchange policy to build trust with our customers and maintain retention and loyalty. 3. 3 Promotion Strategy Ralph Lauren will follow an aggressive yet creative promotional plan.This will allow us to focus directly  on our target customer 3. 3. 1 Store design: The store will be exclusively set up as the actual Ralph Lauren outlet. The rich look it gives with the exclusive interiors. This is basically visual merchandising and will lead to attract our target market and generate awareness. Prior to starting the store Ralph Lauren can go for aggressive advertising of the store i. e. build up a big store similar to a mobile van but big in size this store will go around place like Panjim, Candolim, Mapusa, Porvorim, Calangute.The main aim of this mobile van is to go around place where you find premium class coming most of the time for e. g. near Caculo Mall. A van will be taken on lease for a period of 1 month and it will be decorated like Ralph Lauren store. This activity is being carried out in order to generate awareness and create hype about the big brand coming to Goa. 3. 3. 2 Print media Print media is classified as anything that is in print and is also used to inform the public it is a very effective means of conveying the advertisement across.The print media can further be divided into newspapers and magazines. †¢ Leading Newspaper ads will be given like The Navhind Times, Herald and the Times of India – a skybus ad will be given i. e. the ad which appears and the top portion of the newspaper †¢ Ads will also be given in magazines like Femine, The Women’s era and top leading Magazines i n Goa. The cost of putting one full page issue on a magazine averages from 9000/- to 12000/- (Price varies according to different magazines) Others modes of Print media advertising: 5,000 4Ãâ€"5 color flyers/postcards will be distributed throughout the city †¢ 2,500 full-color postcard flyers with a 10% coupon will be distributed in and around Candolim and Panjim area like Mapusa, Porvorim, Calangute outside locations like CCD’s, Caculo, Osia, Casino’s etc mainly places where posh people visit †¢ 5,000 business cards with a Ralph Lauren Frequent Shopper Card on the reverse side entitling the customer to a 15% discount on the eleventh purchase after ten purchases will be printed and distributed.The aim of this activity is to allow people to visit and encourage frequent purchasing 3. 3. 3 Creative advertisements: o They can have regular ads for various occasions like Diwali Christmas, National Days 3. 3. 4 Email marketing and SMS marketing †¢ A direct mai l program that will further focus on and target the top 50% customer base with special in-house sales and promotions †¢ 200  grand opening invites will be mailed to potential new customers two weeks before the grand opening.The invitation will also include a promotional 10% coupon off a customer's first purchase. The customer mailing list will be made from contacts made by the franchise. †¢ Mailers should be sent to customers updating them about the latest offers, discounts etc †¢ A press conference will be organized in order to attract all the media people. A press release kit will be given to all major media outlets  in Candolim and Panjim highlighting the grand opening of the new Ralph Lauren apparel retailer in the city, who will also be attending the Press conference.This kit will include a press release, pictures of the interior space, color postcard/flyer, and a business card. The press will also be asked to put up a article about the company which will inc lude storytelling ads of Ralph Lauren. The cost the press will include conference hall, snacks, cost of sending s to media houses, and the press kit. The average cost will be around 80,000 †¢ SMS Marketing will be done in order make people aware about the latest offers, discounts etc. the cost of advertising on mVayoo. com is 50,000 p. a. 3. 3. 5 Online marketingFacebook Advertising Facebook  is a  social networking service  and Web site launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. As of July 2011, Facebook has more than 800  million active users Facebook ad growth: Spending on clicks and impressions of Facebook ads have both grown dramatically between Q2 2010 and Q2 2011,  according to  [pdf] data from Ignition One. Results of the Q2 2011 US Online Advertising Report show that Facebook ad spend on all clients increased 281% year-over-year in Q2, while Facebook ad impressions of all clients grew 200%.Ignition One analysis indicates Faceb ook advertising has experienced high rates of growth due to new marketer adoption in the past year. As seen above the growth of Facebook has been increasing day by day and the number of customers is also increasing day by day. Advertising of Facebook will provide a wide platform for ancestral Goa to target million Facebook users all over the world. And mostly users are for all age group. How to make a Facebook ad: Creating an ad on Facebook is very simple. Open a Facebook account (new or existing account will do).Go to Advertising Option at the bottom of the page. Click on create an ad and follow the process. Cost: Same like Adwords Facebook ads work on CPC vs. CPM. What needs to be done is the company has to set a budget which they are ready to spend each day and which method i. e. CPM or CPC should be selected and then start the campaign also the countries which the company wishes the ad to appear can be selected. Apart from this ancestral can also use other forms of advertising l ike Sponsored Stories. 3. 3. 6 Televison advertising Advertising will be done on local news channels like HCN, Goa 365 etc, Flip advertising will cost around 500 a day, they appear on television around 4-5 times including the Voice ads †¢ Video will cost around 25,000 pm which appears around 7-8 times a day 3. 3. 7 Outdoor media Creative Billboards of Ralph Lauren can be put up like hoarding designed in the shape of clothes along with lighting which will also appear at night. This can be put up in Verna to Panjim Road. The cost of putting up a hoarding is 12,000pm approximately . 3. 8 Event sponsorships and tie – ups †¢ Ralph Lauren will have promotional campaigns and set up stalls at the world famous Sunburn festival 2013. Ralph Lauren being a reputed brand will get many appeals to sponsor but only the ones that give us a high mileage shall be taken one example would be India Fest 2013 where we see youth from various places in India making their presence felt. â₠¬ ¢ Some steps would be having tie up’s with event management companies that are very active in Goa like NBR Kaleidoscope and Funky Heads.The Goa Fashion week has seen an immense positive change with many world famous brands taking part and even famous designers and it would be an opportunity for Ralph Lauren to showcase its brand. To make its brand aware to the fashion conscious people Ralph Lauren will have fashion shows in events like Mr Goa and Miss Goa. 3. 4 Implementation plan The advertising will be done mainly during the season time i. e. during april may and june and in October November and December Print media – April, May and June |Magazines |Name of the Magazine |Cost per Month ( 27 cm * 21 cm) |Total Cost | |Femine |5330 |15990 | |Womens Era |6000 |18000 | |Provougue |5000 |15000 | |Vogue India |6100 |18300 | |Elle |6100 |18300 | |Total | |85,590 | Printing Flyers – 1St month |Flyers |0. 75 |5675 | Cost of the Advertisements: whole year with addi tion to August (70500) | |Name of the Newspaper |Cost of Colour sq/ cm |Total Cost (Size 10Ãâ€"10) + |Per month |p. a | | | |colour | | | |Times of India |Rs. 125 sq/cm |Rs. 12,500 |37500 |450000 | |Navhind times |Rs. 110 sq/cm |Rs. 11,000 |33000 |396000 | |Total | | | |8,46,000 | SMS Marketing – whole year |SMS Marketing |mVayoo | |50,000 | Outdoor Media – whole year |Outdoor Media | | |Size |Printing Cost + rent |No |Total cost (pm) |p. a. | |   |  2,000 + 12,000 |  2 |  28,000 |33,6,000 | Business Cards – 2500 Facebook Ads can have have a budget of average 5000 per day using the CPM method †¢ A budget of 4,00,000 will be allocated to event sponsorship and tie ups Total Cost Event tie ups |4,00,000 | |Facebook advertising |60000 | |Business cards |2500 | |Magazines |85590 | |Flyers |5675 | |Newspapers |846000 | |SMS |50000 | Outdoor |336000 | |Total |17,85,765 | | | | | | | |Start-up Funding | |Land and building |50000000 | |Interior s and decorations |10000000 | |Promotions |1785765 | | |114000 | |Cash on start up |13384 | |Miscelleaneous |4400 | |Telelphone and utilities |1,575 | |Insurance |600 | |Store |11,010 | |inventory |195,881 | |computer |10,000 | | |legal expenses |7000 | |Signage (Including Permits) |1500 | | | |62145114. 5 | | 3. 5 Sales ForecastThe sales forecast has been estimated on the basis of 5% growth rate in the garment industry in Goa. | | | | |Polo |Cost Price |Selling price | |Mesh Polo |3315. 75 |4421 | |Big pony Polo |3750 |5,000 | |Brights Polo |3900 |5200 | |Sports shirts |   |   | |Solid Poplin |3471. 5 |4629 | |Linen shirt’s |4875 |6500 | |Premier oxford |3822. 75 |5097 | |Madras workshirt |5589 |7452 | |Formal Shirts |   |   | |Twill Regent: |5656. 5 |7542 | |Fit Solid Regent: Rs |4876. 5 |6502 | |Fit French Regent: Rs |4876. 5 |6502 | |Pinpoint oxford: Rs |3315. 5 |4421 | |Pants: |   |   | |Five pocket Chino: Rs |3000 |4000 | |Preston tissue Chino: |3101. 25 |4135 | |Jeans |   |   | |Stanton Wash: Rs |3315 |4420 | |Hudson Jean0 |3825 |5100 | |Antique Jean |2691. 75 |3589 | |Lispenard wash jean |1911 |2548 | Sales Forecast | | | | |Particulars |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Polo |1949200 |2,241,580 |2,689,896 | |Sports shirts |1686915 |1,939,952 |2,327,943 | |Formal Shirts |3494960 |4,019,204 |4,823,045 | |Pants: |813400 |935,410 |1,122,492 | |Jeans |2348400 |2,700,660 |3,240,792 |