Soliloquy Essay - Theatre and Language in the Soliloquies of Shakespear

Theatre and Language in the Soliloquies of Hamlet  Ã‚      The first Folio is prefaced with an address to the reader to "Read him again and again". In terms of words and action, Hamlet is the most self conscious play about its own theatricality. Words and actions throughout the play are inextricably linked, as is the notion of "playing" a part. From the outset of the play we see evidence of the external show compared with the underlying reality. In Act One, Hamlet's speech to Gertrude (Nay seems...etc) shows us the Prince talking about actions that a man "might play" and also about what is "inside" him which "passes show". (NB "Action" in Elizabethan definition meant "acting") Throughout the play we see inner reality beneath the surface performances of not only Hamlet, but other characters, too. Hamlet has only "one-liners" at the beginning of the play until we hear his first soliloquy, which is an attempt to look at "that within, which passes show". The soliloquies create a bond between the character and the audience and were a dramatic convention inherited from Greek drama. By the time of Shakespeare they had moved away from commentaries on the plot and events of the play and had become illustrative of the inner thoughts of the character. In the soliloquy the character tells the truth as he perceives it, although "truth" is subjective and can have different meanings for different characters. In Hamlet we have seven soliloquies, five major and two smaller ones, and Hamlet's character is revealed through them as the play progresses.    Hazlitt - "This is that Hamlet the Dane...whom we remember...but all whose thoughts we know as well as we know our own..Reality is in the reader's mind..It is we who are Ham... ...so to the grave. Hamlet describes himself as "Crawling between earth and heaven". Shakespeare's audience would have had a physical picture of this before them, which added great weight to the imagery of his text, as of course would the scuffle over Ophelia's corpse. At the end of the play Hamlet stops musing and the language becomes very direct and simple, "there is a divinity.." "the readiness is all". In the final scene Hamlet "acts" in all senses of the word, and "theatre" takes over. The final speeches are terse and contain references to the theatricality of the occasion. he refers to the "mutes" (extras on stage) and the "audience to this act". Fortinbras commands him to be "carried to the stage", perhaps a last comment on a play which is characterised so much as actors playing to actors in a kind of Chinese box puzzle of outward show and inner secrets.   

Forecast Appendix

Opportunity Nowadays lifestyle is fast, whatever children, working period and everyone have not enough time to take care of their health, at the same time, and most of people are interested taking care of their health by used the supplementary product (pill or brew-drink). Moreover health is nowadays significant to several individuals. Because of this, supplementary food merchandises are widely traded. On the other hand in hurriedly time BASE (Beauty, Strong and Easy (Consume)) supplementary product is the new and different way for everyone.BASE supplementary product can be convenient easy, because the supplementary product in type of candy is can save the time no matter when working or car driving, on the other hand the candy supplement product does not need any water to devour. Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to get all of the nutrients they need from their food. Here are three reasons why some people use dietary supplements instead: 1 . Physical stress decreases the b ody's ability to absorb nutrients from food. Have you ever been so tense before a school exam that you threw up or otherwise felt sick?If you have, then you know firsthand that stress can disrupt your digestive system. Many people work in stressful environments that produce physical stress (e. G. , construction workers), emotional stress (e. G. , counselors), and mental stress (e. G. , accountants and lawyers). In these environments, people's bodies may experience reduced efficiency at extracting nutrients from food. Consequently, people often have to use dietary supplements to keep their bodies healthy. 2. Dietary supplements can compensate for poor cooking.Many people are busy enough that they have to (a) eat fast food or (b) cook quickly for themselves. In either case, the food consumed by such people might simply lack the necessary nutrients for a healthy human being. It is a no-brainier, therefore, for people to use dietary supplements. 3. Unusual health requirements force some people to take dietary supplements. With the help of a doctor, some people (e. G. , pregnant mothers and drug addicts) determine that they need additional nutrients in their diet in order to remain healthy.While these needs can be temporary, they can also be permanent, requiring people to use supplements throughout their lives. Normal, healthy people can get all the nutrients they need from the food they eat. Unfortunately, not everyone is as healthy as they would like to be. For the reasons discussed above, many people need to take dietary supplements. Obviously, this should be done under the guidance of a competent physician. Market Target The target market of the BASE supplement can be anybody who needs vitamins to consume.Because many entrepreneurs see that the target market group really has high purchasing power to purchase the product and base on their common need. Consequently, this target market group really concern about their health and beauty, skin and body shape. In add ition, a certain groups at risk of deficiencies should use supplements can divided as following below All pregnant and breastfeeding women should take vitamin D supplements women trying to conceive and women in the first educe their child's risk of neural tube defects such as spine biffed. ? People aged 65 and over should take vitamin D supplements People with darker skin and people who are not exposed too much sun should take vitamin D supplements All children aged six months to five years should be given a supplement containing vitamins A, C and D Figure 1 – Vitamins needs Diagram Product and Service Design SF is a method for developing a design quality aimed at satisfying the consumer and then translating the consumer's demand into design targets and major quality assurance points to be used throughout the production phase.Our group will take the random population to find out the voice of customer for the Candy Supplement product, by use the interview method and questionna ire method to collect the data. As a result, the voice of customer for the BASE Supplement product is different because the need of customer is base on their personal need. We can identify as below table: Figure 2 – Personal need Diagram Product Layout The top of BASE Candy Box BASE candy 3. 2 g. Egg. 2 CM Inside of Package included 30 seeds of 12 CM.Front Cover of the Packaging of BASE Candy Supplement Figure 3 – Product and Packaging Design Marketing Program Product Strategy Product Line- BASE candy supplement is available in 3 kind of flavor. The three are (1) Candy created for people who are use for support other remainder on the body of people. Consequently, the BASE candy included many benefit such as -Good Health -White Skin -Fresh -Burn Calorie Packaging- the BASE Candy packaging made from cardboard paper.Price Strategy the BASE (Beauty, Strong, Easy (consume)) price is 490 baht per 30 seed. That price has a little bit high cost, because if the company set the price more than 500 baht as a exult, the customer will change their mind and change to buy other product. Promotion Strategy actually we have two promotions, key promotions are member promotion and buying promotion. Member Promotion – The customer should register and pay annual fee for BASE Supplement's company member card in order to get discount 5 % of products. The loyal customer of BASE Supplement's company will get discount 10 % of products. Buying Promotion -Promotion per monthly and per year -Customer buying two box set of product, the company will give discount coupons for using the next time (depends on company's policy) Place (Distribution) Strategy -The BASE supplement product will was distributed in Drug store, and sale in malls around Thailand. – The BASE supplement product distributed on company's website. The BASE supplement product will launch by social network such as Backbone, Mainstream, and Twitter. It is more convenient to customer that they cannot go to buy the product at drug store or far. They choose goods and payment such as credit card, application on mobile etc. Moreover the website have pictures and clips of The BASE Supplement in order to customer determine and confident in supplementary food. Then the company will send parcel post to the buyer's address.SOOT Analysis in the company Strengths: * It's the herbal candy to eat without water * It's durable and beautiful packaging format * It can use in every generations * Low sugar * Many benefits * Easy to buy * Can keep a long time Weakness: * Diversity of competitors * Expensive for child * No advertising reach consumers * Health concern trend * Weight control trend * Popularity * High quality * Growth economic * Government support about health care Threats: * Some materials hard to find * Is a business that high investment Product Process Misunderstanding's formula (no color added.Free of preservatives)' There are several types of herbs. Can use as needed such as Okra , chrysanthemum, licorice, ginger, lemon, orange, coca, panda, Stateliness, berry, cherry, quince, etc.. Candy and good quality be directly produced from herbs. Without the use of synthetic fragrances and colors. This may be harmful to consumers. How to prepare the herbs. Each type uses a different method to get out. Here are split into 2 groups. First Grouchiest use dry flowers and fruits. The group spent part of the trunk, such as okra, liquorices, chrysanthemum, ginger etc. Principles used herbal preparations.Boiled it slowly may be used 1 part herbs immigrated 1 part boil gently until get water, test, smell, color, and other properties of the herbs tried stew to the most concentrated. Concentrated herbs that can be used to produce candies herbs taste. Need to do day to day. Because herbal concentrates stored for up to one day, if not lose them. If you need to keep them long times may be frozen in the refrigerator. Herbal that we get should be filtered to clean sludge and sedimen t. Second Groups which use water form fruit such as Citrus, Orangeades group to reserve the natural quality of the nutrients and vitamins in it.Can not to boil it. Candy production process 1 . Boiled water to boil, Then immediately reduce the heat to slowly pour the sugar into the melted slowly stir the fire is now very weak. If a gas flame to fade to a minimum. If the electric power to almost boiling temperature is to use the heat to very low. If you use high heat to burn sugar. 2. Later sugar melts. Glucose syrup is added to stirring gently until well combined. Final concentration was added to the herbs. Beat together well when it is put into the water at first to be almost completely evaporated.I think the water evaporates. Quickly pour this mixture into the mold immediately. Forms designed to remove them. Dry and hard candy to come out easily. Hard candies that will be long. Need to use chainsaws or saws to cut bread. Cut out the candy pieces are cut to size as needed. For multi ple years, the cans should be storage with the lid closed. Improving formulations If you want to cool with the addition of menthol to about 0. 1-1% along with the herbs. Cooling effects of menthol taste is a bit transparent. Elf the concentration of flavors. Citric acid may be added to the 0. %.

Which Is the Most Successful Fashion Company in the Department

â€Å"WHICH IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FASHION COMPANY IN THE DEPARTMENT AND GENERAL STORE SECTOR OF THE UK FASHION INDUSTRY FOR MEN AGED 25-34† CONTENTS 0. DEFINING SUCCESS pg 3 1. 1 Market Research Pg 3 2. 0 Secondary Research Findings Pg 5 2. 1 Horizontal Analysis Pg 5 2. 1. 1 Turnover Pg 5 2. 1. 2 Gross Profit   Pg 7 2. 1. 3 Operating Profit Pg 9 2. Vertical Analysis Pg 10 2. 2. 1 House of Fraser Pg 10 2. 2. 2 M&S and Debenhams Pg 11 3. 0 Primary Research Data. Pg 12 3. 1 Aim Pg 12 3. 2 Objectives Pg 12 3. 3 Methodology Pg 12 3. 4 Method Pg 15 3. 5 Results Pg 16 3. 6 Ethical ConsiderationsPg 16 3. 7 Potential Limitations Pg 17 Bibliography Appendix â€Å"WHICH IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FASHION COMPANY IN THE DEPARTMENT AND GENERAL STORE SECTOR OF THE UK FASHION INDUSTRY FOR MEN AGED 25-34† 1. 1 Defining Success Success can be measures in many different ways, through monetary value and finances, memorable advertising and marketing, but to many, success is a personal opini on. In terms of fashion it could be based upon the consumers like for the brands product, or an advertising campaign that made a positive impression on them.Many brands today are sporting a CSR approach and are trying to give back to the environment or community. This factor to some is something that will place many brands higher above others in personal preference. To define success, more than one factor must be analysed. Both a quantitative and qualitative approach must be used. This report will look at both approaches looking at current secondary data of each chosen company drawing conclusions of success from there as well as planning means of carrying out lucrative primary data allowing a qualitative approach to the findings. 1. 2 Market ResearchFrom the Fashion Trak frameworks of industry leaders, the chosen category for this report is Department & General Stores and within that looking at Men aged 25-34. Within the fashion industry there isn’t normally much of a focus o n Men’s shopping habits. A greater understanding will be gained from looking into this sector. Men are notorious for being unenthusiastic shoppers, often choosing stores where they can satisfy other interests (Mintel) The TGI lifestyle groups look at the different life stages and show an insight into where they spend their money and what on. Men aged 25-34 fall predominantly into: – Fledglings – Flown the nest Nest Builders | |% | |All |56. 7 | |Fledglings |67. 3 | |Nest Builders |66. 7 | |Flown the Nest |65. 8 | |Unconstrained Couples |58. 6 | |Senior Sole Decision Makers |58. 3 | |Playschool Parents |55. | |Secondary School Parents |54. 2 | |Empty Nesters |52. 4 | |Mid-life Independents |50. 7 | Fig. 1 Mintel – Men’s Fashion Lifestyles 2009 It is apparent that the men in the first of these groups have the highest interest in their appearance and that as their priorities change there is a decrease (Fig. 1). This discovery lead to the initial inter est of looking at the types of retailer’s men in these ages shopped predominantly in.Fashion Trak shows that for men of this age, Department and General Stores featured highly among the clothing multiples and discount stores. (See Appendix 1) 2. 0 Secondary Research Findings. The use of the October 2010 Fashion Trak report showed that there where four Genera & Department stores in the top 20 retailers for this age group. These results are done on Expenditure % and although they offer an initial visual to the most successful it is important to look at the other methods of success previously mentioned to gain a fuller knowledge.Marks and Spencer’s, Debenhams and House of Fraser are clear runners on the UK high street. FAME can be used to take a look at the financial data of each company, looking at Turnover, Profit and other factors. This provides a numerical value of success between the three of them. The results of which are shown bellow. When looking at the financial data of a company it is important to note that it may not be accurate. Figures may be out of date, estimates or not take inflation into account. Because of this, the data below must be treated as a representation and not necessarily the correct numbers. . 1 Horizontal Analysis. 2. 1. 1 Turnover The bellow graphs (Fig 2 & 3) show a clear visual of all three company’s Turnover and % change for the past three years. It is important to note the difference in scale across these graphs. Turnover is the money generated through business activity, be it selling of products or services. It shows how much money has been produced in a given space of time Fig 2 – Debenhams Turnover: Source FAME Fig 3 – M&S Turnover: Source FAME You can see that both M&S and Debenhams have seen an overall increase in Turnover over the past three years.The line showing the % Change for both of these company’s reiterates the growth patterns for both. Whilst Debenhams has seen a steady co ntinuous increase M&S saw a relatively stable growth grow rapidly from 2009 to 2010. This growth could be due to the 49% increase in only sales through M&S Direct. (Thomas, R. 2010) As well as what M&S Group Finance and Operations Director, Ian Dyson, puts down to â€Å"improved market conditions. † (M&S Online) Although at a lower scale, Debenhams has increased continuously at a fixed rate. Fig 4 – House of Fraser Turnover – Source FAMEWhilst M&S and Debenhams have seen increases in turnover, House of Fraser has not (Fig 4. ) For the past five years (See Appendix 3 for full finances 2005-2010) House of Fraser, has seen a continuous decrease in its Turnover. Much of this will be due to the UK Recession. 2. 1. 2 Gross Profit A 2009 Drapers Online report discusses the increase in sales of 4. 5% over the 2008 Christmas period, a long with increase in Gross Profit for House of Fraser, stating that â€Å"The performance appears to be ahead of rival department store Debenhams† (Brown, J. 009) At this point it is important to notify that the FAME report for House of Fraser does not seem accurate as with both Gross Profit and other figures, House of Fraser does not hold a lead over Debenhams. Their online financials do not go past 2008 and so in this case it is hard to measure the financial performance against that of M&S and Debenhams in a fair way. Gross profit enables us to look at the profit a company makes once it has taken away the cost of sales. Fig 5. Debenhams Gross Profit – Source FAME From Fig 5 and looking at the FAME figures, it seems that Debenhams does incur high cost of sales.Although the graph seems to show a huge increase between 2009/2010, these costs have neither increased nor decreased dramatically over the past three years, as the difference has remained relatively stable. Where Turnover has increased so have the figures for Gross Profit, The difference between the two has remained similar with gross profit incr easing on average by 5. 23% a year. Fig 6. M&S Gross Profit – Source FAME Fig 6 shows that in 2009 there is what looks like high costs of sales resulting in a much lower Gross Profit. 010 saw a greater increase in turnover than previous years, which when placed next to 2010’s gross profit shows a near consistent expenditure for cost of sales. Although high, there have been no radical increases in it. 2. 1. 3 Operating Profit Although Turnover is an important measure of a company’s success, Operating Profit provides a better grasp of how much money the company has made, as it is the figures from after the deduction of the costs of production or in the case of Debenhams, expenditure on purchases. Fig 7. Operating Profit – Source FAMEMarks and Spencers are still a clear leader inturns of overall operating profit. However the figures and graph show that is suffered a significant decrease in 2008/9. Both Debenhams and House of Fraser seem not to have suffered at this time. This decrease will be due to a knock on effect from the decrease in turnover which effected gross profit as well. 2. 2 Vertical Analysis The margin ratios give a good incite into the overall management efficiency. It is important to look at them as a whole not individually. 2. 2. 1 House of Fraser |2010 | |2009 | |2008 | | |Gross Margin |60. 42 |2% |58. 99 |3% |57. 27 |28% | |Net Margin | 2. 87 |12% | 3. 25 |50% | 2. 16 |112% | Fig 8. Gross and Net Margin for House of Fraser. Source FAME This table shows the Gross and Profit Margins of House of Fraser over the past three years.House of Fraser show a good Gross margin, and one that has steadily increased over the past three years. In 2010 for every ? 1 of turnover 60. 42p was left after cost of sales, showing that they have low costs of sales. The Net Margin on the other hand is a lot lower that the Gross Margin. From the Profit and Loss account you can see that this is due to their Admin Expenses being high. ROCE shows (Fig 9) the percentage return on the capital invested in a business. This figure can be used to by potential investors as well as within the company in order to make cost efficient decision. |2010 | |2009 | |2008 | | |ROCE |9. 58 |6% |10. 23 |27% |8. 07 |109% | Fig 9. ROCE for House of Fraser. Source FAME In terms of potential investment, the figures for House of Fraser are relatively low, although they are not in negative numbers, it can be seen that for every ? 1 invested into the company only 9. 6 p will be generated in turnover. 2. 2. 2 M&S and DebenhamsUnlike House of Fraser both Debenhams and M&S have much lower figures for their Gross Margins,(Fig10) showing they’re cost of sales is greater than that of House of Fraser | | | | | | | | |2010 | | | | | | | |2009 | | | | | | | |2008 | | | | | | | | | | | |M&S | | | |37. 94 | | | |2% | | | |37. 21 | | | |4% | | | |38. 5 | | | |1% | | | | | | | |Debenhams | | | |15. 43 | | | |8% | | | |14. 32 | | | |3% | | | |14. 6 | | | | 13% | | | | | | | |Fig 10. Gross Margins for Debenhams and M&S. Source FAME | | | | | | | | | | | However when compared next to their Net margin as well, the difference is noticeably small that House of Fraser’s. | |2010 | |2009 | |2008 | | |Gross Margin M&S |37. 4 |2% |37. 21 |4% |38. 65 |1% | |Net Margin M&S |7. 37 |5% |7. 79 |38% |12. 51 |15% | Fig 11. Gross and Net Margin for M&S. Source FAME Both the Gross margin and the Net margin for M&S are low (Fig 11). In order to improve their Net Margin, the expenses must be looked at and a reduction of the proportion of expenses paid out of every ? 1 must be reduced. The Gross margin for Debenhams is also low (Fig 12) , showing again as well as with both House of Fraser and M&S that there is high expenditure.The margin between Gross and Net compared to the other two companies is narrow, this shows that in terms of other costs before taxation and interest they are low. | |2010 | |2009 | |2008 | | |Gross Margin D |15. 43 |8% |14. 3 2 |3% |14. 76 |13% | |Net Margin D |11. 74 |4% |11. 33 |12% |12. 85 |7% | Fig 12. Gross and Net Margin for Debenhams. Source FAME Although as stated their expenses are low, the Gross margin shows that cost of sales are very high, some thing that is arguably too high for a company that does not produce clothes but buys them in.This could also be attributed to the fact that as a brand they have a lot of markdowns (Blue X Sales), which put pressure on their margins. As with House of Fraser ROCE allows us to see if the company would be deemed a good one to invest in as well as other factors. | |2010 | |2009 | |2008 | | |ROCE M&S |8. 9 |4% |9. 31 |36% |14. 44 |10% | |ROCE Debenhams |29. 43 |9% |26. 88 |9% |29. 66 |12% | Fig 13. ROCE for M&S and Debenhams. Source FAMEIt is clear that between the three company’s Debenhams has the highest ROCE. (Fig. 13) 3. 0 Primary Data Research 3. 1 Aim: The aim of this secondary research is to determin the most successful fashion company in Gener al & Department stores for Men ages 25-34 in the uk fashion industry 3. 2 Objectives: 1. To determin a qualitative definition of success. 2. Decide upon a relevant research method to use to undertake an academic and successful way of research. 3. To find a suitable method to use in conjunction with the already analysed secondary research. 3. 3 Methodology: In order to ensure the questionnaire is carried out in an accurate and appropriate way a carefully designed plan of action must be made.The best results are when the questionnaire can grasp a good collection of resualts from a random field. The sample is an important factor, deciding upon who to ask must be taken into consideration. There are various methods of doing this that include. Quota sampling is a method where by the interviewee chooses people inevitably at random but which all show signs of differences based on the chosen interest. (Arsham, H) Stratified sampling is a method of random selection with in a sub group Cluster sampling where an intire department is used. (Easterby-Smith et al. , 2002: 136) It is important here to focus on the target group at question; Men aged 25-34.Any of the three methods chosen above would be relevant. However in this istance a Quota Sampling method will be used. This allows for the questions to be targetted at males only. Cluster sampling would not have allowed for this as a in order to find a male only/dominated unit would be near impossible without added prejudices. It is also imperative to decide upon the size of a sample. In order to gain an appropriate and relevant understand the size must be one that will provide enough answers to analyse. When conducting this questionnaire an initial numnber of 150 people will be approached. A questionnaire can either be done face to face or not.When conducting a non face to face questionnaire, it would be difficult to control the span of people it would reach. Online programs such as Survey Monkey are one way of spreading a s urvey, however in many cases this wouldn’t result in random selection of applicants as it is most likey to be sent on to friends and family. For this survey the starting point for gathering answers will be done on a face to face basis. When designing a questionnaire for face to face gathereing. There are areas to consider which may in turn casue limitations. Many people will not have time to answer a long questionanire and so short, snappy easy to answer questions are imperative.As well as this keeping the overall length of the questionnaire short. In order to maximise time, make placing the most important questions towards the first half will allow for error if time runs out. The question types must be kept in mind for the planing and creating, looking at both the phrasing of the question as well as choosing the method best suited for the answer. In this instance this questionnaire will firstly need to obtain Nominal and Interval data. In order to seek to answer the Aim only men must be asked, and although not always appropriate in this case it is imporatnt to ask about age. Some people will not be willing to give their xact age and so in this case it will be just asked if they fall into the 24-35 age bracket. Once this has been found the basis of the rest of the questionnaire will use the Likert Scale. A scale that measures the stregth of agreement towards a certain statement or subject. An example of a Likert Scale can be seen in Appendix 2. This method can be used to also look at frequency, importance, likelihood and quality of product or serivice. When using the Likert Scale to look at frequency, agreement is not nessecerily the best method of gaining a quick answer, it is important to not that the perosn being asked the questions may not remember how often they for instance shop at Debenhams.In this case an other box where they or you can add an extra note or different answer is usefull. As well as this there are many other ways to form questions, – a comment box where there is no help/hint to gain and answer and the oppinons of the intervewee can be voiced. – a ranking or scale method can be used, where level of importance is ranked say 1-5, 5 being most important, 1 being least. Situations like this must be considered to allow for the questionnaire to run smoothly and to make sure the best results are achieved. It is best to try out these various methods within a prototype to see which ones will work best in certain circumstances. Bell, 2005:138) When conducting the design of a questionnaire a prototype or pilot version which can be tested on a friend or two is a good way of seeing if there is continuity and that is is quick and easy to fill out. An example of a prototype for this research this can be found in Appendix 4. The use of this prototype can also be used to asses the wording. Bell looks at the different means of commonly used â€Å"survey words† Stating it is important to know how one word to one person could potentially mean something very different to another. As well as meaning, careful selection must be made to assure statements are not made that could be deamed offensive.This questionnaire seeks a positivist approach to the research proposal where by the observer remains autonomous of the subjects being observed, where by the data can provide ideas to be assumed it will seek to find out the personal opinions of the consumers of the UK high street, this approach will use a qualititative form of questionnaire. It will seek to obstract oppinions rather than fact. The findings from this questionnaire will seek to provide a theory of which to base the conclusion of this research. It is there for and dedutive approach. (Bryman and Bell, 2007) Method: In this occasion the questionnaire is being designed to gather customer information and perception of Debenhams, M&S and House of Fraser. In order to get information for all three, the locations picked will have to be ones w here all three of these retailers are present. This will of course not always be the case, and so larger cities across the UK would have to be chosen.London’s Oxford Street houses all three, however it is an extrodinerily busy place and so completion would prove difficult. Smaller secondary cities and area’s around the capital would be more beneficial. The placement of the questionnaire would need to be around the loaction of each store. Equal ammount of time would need to be spent at each location with approximate equall surveys filled as well. A mutual area in the main shopping area would also provide a good location. In order to ask as many shoppers as possible as well as gather a greater variety, a weekend day would be used. However to gain a great depth a week day should also be considered as well.Results: Once a representative sample of surveys have been completed, the results will be gathered in and then an indepth analysis will take place. As the survey will ha ve been altered and throughrally designed, the answers to all questions should provide helpful contributions to its chosen field of research. Correlations between the quanitative secondary research and the qualitative primary research will be looked at at this stage and from then on it can be seen wherther or not there are any trends between them. The results of this stage will then begin to form the basis and main argument in drawing a conclusion to the Aim. Ethical Consideration:Due to the ethnographic nature of this research, one must take into carefull consideration the code of conduct for the establishment underwhich he/she is working. The University of the Arts, Code of Ethics requires that all research be carried out in a responsible way that complys with the code. Helth and saftey must take prominent position and in many cases a risk assesment must be carried out before starting research. This factor is important when undertaking a survey on location as said area must be dea med a safe working environment. When approaching an intervewee it is important that they are clear of who the questionnaire is for and what it is going to be used for. It is essential to gain their consent before the survey is taken any further. Bell 2005:45) All participents of the research should understand that they are gauranteed a right to privacy as well as having both theyre physical and psychological independence respected. Potential Limitations: When conducting a questionnaire there are a various number of limitations that must be carefully looked at. For starters the location and distribution. Although it is easy to say when and where it will be carried out, consumer shopper habits change daily and may be affected by external factors such as the weather, something that could alter the gatheriing accuracy of the data. A questionnaire is a timing consuming method of collecting data. Many people will not want to be stoppped in the street whilst with their family of friends, a nd if a survey is sent on via email they are not neccessirily going to read it.With the collection of a face to face survey, some people may feel uneasy viocing their feelings in front of someone they do not know. A questionnaire provides an easy and simply way of obtaining market information first hand from the consumer. However in some situations it may not nesseccerily be the best form of obtaining data. The use of a focus group or smaller more personal interviews could be used in conjunction to this in order to provide a wider knowledge on consumers thoughts as suggested by Webb et al (1966. ) in his Trianulation Model. (Bryman and Bel, 2007:413) Word Count: 3229 Bibliography Arsham, H. (1994) ‘Questionnaire Design and Survey Sampling’ [Online] Available at: http://home. ubalt. edu/ntsbarsh/stat-data/surveys. htm#rssm (Accessed: 19th March 2011)Bel, J. (2005) Doing your research project: a guide for first time researchers in education, health and social science. 4th ed. Maidenhead : Open University Press Brown, J. (2009) ‘House of Fraser reports solid xmas’ [Online] Available at: http://www. drapersonline. com/news/house-of-fraser-reports-solid-xmas/1960772. article (Accessed: 23rd March) Bryman & Bel, (2007) Business Research Methods. 2nd ed. Oxford: OUP Oxford Easterby –Smith et al. (2002) Management Research. 3rd ed. London: Sage Fashion Trak (2010) Kantar published October 2010 Harrison, I. (2009) A-Z Handbook: Accounting. 3rd ed. Oxfordshire: Philip Allan Hunt, N & Tyrrell, S. 2004) ‘ Cluster Sampling’ [Online] Available at: http://www. coventry. ac. uk/ec/~nhunt/meths/cluster. html (Accessed : 19th March) ‘Mens Fashion Lifestyles’ (2009) Mintel Published April 2010 Thomas, R. (2010) ‘Marks & Spencer online sales grow 49%’ [Online] Available at: http://www. computerweekly. com/Articles/2010/07/07/241882/Marks-amp-Spencer-online-sales-grow-49. htm (Accessed: 22nd March) Wood, Z. (2 007) ‘ House of Fraser’s Debts Halve’. [Online] Available at: http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2007/jul/22/retail. theobserver1 (Accessed: 23rd March 2011) http://www. marksandspencer. com/ (2011) Accessed: 19th March 2011 Appendix Appendix 1 – Fashion Trak Menswear aged 24-35 |12 m/e Oct 2010 Share | |Next/Dir |9. 6 | |Marks and Spencer |7. 1 | |Debenhams |5. 8 | |Burtons |3. 8 | |Sports Direct |3. 5 | |Primark |3. 4 | |House of Fraser |3. | |Total Asda |2. 9 | |River Island |2. 9 | |Matalan |2. 8 | |TK Maxx |2. 8 | |Tesco |2. 8 | |Topshop/Man |2. 4 | |Sports Direct Group |1. 9 | |JJB Sport |1. | |Total Moss Bros |1. 4 | |Ebay. com |1. 3 | |John Lewis |1. 2 | |H&M |1. 2 | |The Gap |1. 2 | Appendix 2 – Likert Scale Example I find the clothing in M&S suitable for my age range: a) Strongly Agree b) Agree c) Undecided d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree Appendix 4 – Questionnaire PrototypeA Survey to gather information on the opinions of Males ages 24-35 about Department and General Stores especially House of Fraser, M&S and Debenhams 1. Do you fall with in the age bracket 24-35 ? 2. How often do you visit your local high street? – Once a month – Occasionally on the weekend – Every weekend – More than once a week 3. Is this usually for shopping purposes? Yes No 4. Using the scale 1-5, 1 being most popular 5 being least, rank these stores in preference for apparel shopping. House of Fraser John Lewis Marks and Spencer’s Debenhams Next 5. For your chosen top retailer from Q4. Why have you chosen this one? 6. Discounting Debenhams and John Lewis, what are your perceptions of the remaining stores? House of Fraser – Debenhams – Marks and Spencer’s – 7.For what product would you go to each store to buy? | |Casual Day Wear |Work Wear I,e Suits |Home wear and lifestyle |Formal Wear |Underwear | |M&S | | | | | | |DEBENHAMS | | | | | | |HOUSE OF FRASER | | | | | |

Employment Rights and Responsabilities Essay

1.1 The aspects of employment covered by law are: health and safety(1974), disability discrimination act(1995 amended in 2005), the day care and child minding regulations(2003), Data protection act, sex discrimination act(1975 amended in 1986), the race relations act (1976 amended 2000 and regulations 2003), equal pay act(1970,1983,2010), working time directive and working time regulations (1998), national minimum wage act(1998) and the employments rights act (as amended by the employment regulations act (1999 and he employment act 2002 and 2008). 1.2 HEALTH AND SAFETY (1974): It is your employer’s duty to make sure that you are protected from any risks and dangers which could occur in your work place. DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT(1995,2005): Provides legal rights for disabled people in areas such as employment and education. THE DAYCARE AND CHILDMINDING REGULATIONS(2003): They set down minimum standards covering a number of areas. Registered providers have to meet ratios of adults to children. DATA PROTECTION ACT (1998): Protects the personal information that organisations hold about people the information must be correct, must not be used for any other reason except the reason it was collected for, must not be passed on without permission and must not be kept for longer than necessary SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT (1975,1986): Employer must not treat men and women differently if they can not show a good reason for doing so. THE RACE RELATIONS ACT (1976,200,2003): Makes it unlawful for anyone to discriminate against anyone else because of race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin. EQUAL PAY ACT(1970,1983,2010): The right to same pay and conditions of employment as some one of the opposite sex where you’re doing the same work. WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE AND WORKING TIMES REGULATIONS (1998): Covers legal hours you can work minimum daily rests and paid annual leave. NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE ACT (1998): Minimum amount per hour most workers in the uk are entitled to be paid. THE EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ACT(1996,1999,2002,2008): This is a large law that covers many of the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees including; contracts of employment, right to itemised pay statement, right to time off work, right to time off work for sickness, maternity rights, termination of employment, unfair dismissal and redundancy rights. 1.3 Legislation relating to employment exists to protect you at work; they also protect your colleagues, the children and their parents. These laws also tell you what you are expected to do and how you should behave at work. 1.4 ACAS (Advisory conciliation and arbitration service) is for both employees and employers who are involved in an employment dispute or are seeking information on employment rights and rules. OFSTED Inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages. They inspect to judge the quality and standards of care. CITIZENS ADVICE help with all aspects of employment rights and can help get further information regarding employment rights and responsibilities. WWW.DIRECT.GOV.UK/PAYANDWORKRIGHTS TASK 2 2.1 The terms and conditions which are covered in my contract are: my job title(nursery nurse), hours of work(30 per week between 6am and 6pm), holiday, absence due to sickness or injury(must inform manager at least 2 hours before shift starts), sick pay, notice of termination of employment (1 months’ notice in writing), grievance procedure, company rules and the disciplinary procedure. 2.2 The information that is shown on my pay slip is: my name and address so I know it is my pay slip, my national insurance number so I know im paying national insurance for me and no one else, my tax codeso I know how much tax I should be paying, rate of pay how much I earn an hour , pay period so I know how many weeks pay I should get, pay date when I get paid, payment method how I get paid, national insurance table letter, company’s name so I know who is paying me, net pay, weekly amount of pay-how much I earnt each week. Year to date; taxable gross pay, income tax, employee national insurance contribution and employer national insurance contribution. 2.3 It is important for the company and all employees that any grievance is brought to light quickly and dealt with expeditiously. If any time you have a grievance which cannot be cleared informally you should raise it formally either verbally or in writing with your immediate supervisor. 2.4 The personal information which must be kept up to date with my employer are my contact number, my address, bank details in which I wish my pay to be sent to and any relevant health information which may affect my job roll. 2.5 The agreed ways of working are to always be polite and profesional, to follow policies and procedures corectly to make everyone feel welcome and happy to be at nursery to provide a save,warm,loving and happy environment for the childeren,to be respectfull of other peoples religion, background and personal choices. TASK 3 3.1 I make sure that the children are provided with the highest quality of care, that they are supported in their intellectual social and emotional needs by making sure there are appropriate activities for them that are not too easy or hard for them,helping them to make friends and socialise with other children of the same age by encouraging them to play together and setting out group activities, I have made strong positive relationships with the children and their parents and make them feel welcome and happy to be at our nursery.I also make sure that each individual child which I work with have age appropriate play available eg, the younger children whom are learning to walk have walkers available at all times the pre school children have more difficult puzzles to do so it encourages them to solve problems and think about what they are doing where as the toddlers will have easier jigsaw puzzles as it is to hard for them to do , I make learning the colours and alphabet fun by combini ng it with play we have a counting game which the children enjoy, I also use colour and number throughout the day e.g, at lunch time as im handing out the plates I will ask the children â€Å"what colour plate have you got†or during an activity using building blocks I may ask â€Å"how many green blocks are there† , we do a lot of messy and creative activities we do alot of messy play because messy play involves children using all their senses in the process of exploration, especially the sense of touch, offers the opportunity to mould and manipulate materials and not having a focus on making/producing something 3.2 The positive relationships which I have made with the children makes their parents feel reassured that their child is well looked after and happy when they leave them with us which reflects on other parents and they are more likely to recommend our nursery to others due to the high quality of care delivered by staff. i work very well individualy or as part of a team, im creative,profesional and follow good practice. 3.3 My job fits in with the wider sector because we help to teach the children things to help them be independent and prepare them for school by teaching them basic things like their colours, alphabet and how to write their name . Also we spend 5 days a week with the majority of the children in our nursery there for if anything is wrong with them we can usually tell straight away i.e. unusual behaviour, bruises etc. we have to pass that information on to our supervisor whom will then decide if it needs to be taken further. Or if the social services have to intervene with a family we will work alongside them to support the individual child as much as we possibly can. 3.4 A professional body is usually a nonprofit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest. A profesional body is group of people in a learned occupation who are trusted with maintaining control or oversight of the practice of the occupation also a body acting to safeguard the public interest professional bodies act to protect the public by maintaining and enforcing standards of training and ethics in their profession, they often also act like a trade unio n for the members of the profession. TASK 4 4.1 After compleing the level 3 qualification you can go on to further your education by doing a level 4 nvq or going to university and doing a foundation degree. You can have a job as a nursery manager , teacher, teaching assistant, a hospital play therapist a job in social work or health work. 4.2 There are a number of organisations that can help you find out more about higher qualifications these include, the early years nto, CACHE, EDEXECL,LCCIEB, city and guilds, universitys, connexions, local early years development and child care partnerships. 4.3 After achieving my level 3 I Intend to follow on to study at university and become a primary school teacher. TASK 5 5.1 Concerns have been raised regarding the misuse of mobile phones with in the sector, where photographs have been taken of children and used in inappropriate ways. 5.2 Some people think that mobile phones should not be used so things like this can not happen again, where as other people think that mobiles should be allowed incase of emergencis. Some people don’t like men to work in nurseries oor only wish for female staff to change their childs nappy this can be seen as discrimination against male workers. 5.3 The public concern regarding the miss use of mobile phones has made the public more cautious about the people whom are looking after their child, and they may feel tht stricter guid lines and checks should be put in place to protect children. 5.4 In our work place we are not allowed our phones in the rooms with the children they must be put in our lockers or in our bags in the office.If we are found to have our phones on us then we are dismissed instantly, the only exeptions are if were on a nursery trip and need to contact other staff, management or in an emergency even then we are not to use our mobiles for personal use when on trips and there is a after school club mobile which must stay on at all times and is only used to contact afterschool club perents and dos not have a camera on it.

Strategic Business Analysis of Nike Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

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A case study report- POLYSUBSTANCE ABUSE Term Paper

A case study report- POLYSUBSTANCE ABUSE - Term Paper Example Furthermore, although it is not known which factors actually contribute to the polysubstance abuse, perhaps, a mix of many factors actually precipitates it. Chaotic home environment, parental substance abuse, parental mental illness, ineffective parenting, and lack of parental involvement, all of which seem to arise from a family environment are factors that need to be considered in this case. It is considered that family factors are most crucial in promoting drug abuse by the youth. Even the mentally healthy youth demonstrates high risk of abusing when the parents abuse. Poor parental attachment, nurturing, and monitoring, increase the risks of developing substance abuse. It is evident from Antonios case that he was in the middle of a dysfunctional family life. His fathers alcohol abuse and constant domestic fight between his parents leading to marital disruption can be functionally responsible for Antonios abuse behaviors. These led to substantial amount of stress at home and is definitely causative of little or no cohesion, organization, expressiveness, consistency, all leading to absence of communication between family members. More over, in Antonios case, there had been marital disruption between his parents over alcohol abuse, and this could have led to the belief that substance abuse is a normal part of the life. Cohesion among family members prevents delinquency, depression and low self-esteem and fosters self-control and absence of all of these increases the level of social estrangement that strongly predisposes to substance abuse (Dinges & Oetting, 1993). Sudden change in environment occurred in Antonios life due to their relocation from Huntington Beach to Redlands. It created pressure on him, and the factor of ineffective coping came into play. This led to his association with conduct-disordered peers, which was another precipitating factor. Lack of

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 During CEO Jim Cantalupo Management 4 Strategic Vision 4 Core Competences 5 Competitive Advantage 5 Resources Used 6 Successful Management Strategy and the Reasons and Elements of Jim Cantalupo’s Strategy 6 After CEO Jim Cantalupo Management 9 The New Strategic Approach McKinsey’s 7-S Framework 9 New Strategic Approaches through the Application of Ansoff Growth Matrix 13 Conclusion 16 References 17 Bibliography 20 Introduction McDonald’s has been operating in the US market for many years and has grown internationally by establishing its brand value in the world. There were various challenges during the development phase of the company and there were problems related to business strategies implementation in expanding the stores of McDonald’s. The study reflects the business strategy that was implemented by CEO Jim Cantalupo during his tenure in McDonald’s. During CEO Jim Cantalupo Management Strate gic Vision Strategic vision of a company is the representation of the core values, beliefs and philosophies (Air University, 2010). Jim Cantalupo’s strategic vision was upon developing new customers and not increasing the numbers of the restaurants. Since the market was focused upon targeting the competitors’ customers, he concentrated upon new customers. Jim Cantalupo’s vision was upon offering healthier food. For existing customers, his vision was to enhance the level of service with hygienic environment and commitment to deliver service within stipulated time. His vision was upon innovation and introduced new products for all categories of customers. Core Competences Core competencies are the unique attitude, skills, knowledge and behaviour that contribute to excellence (University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2002). McDonald’s core competence is in its operations and infrastructures. The organisation is competent for production and timely delivery of a ffordable foodstuffs to wide range of customers. The company has developed its core competency through low cost foodstuffs, high speed service and consistent quality strategy. These factors influence the customers to be attracted and being loyal towards the company. The core competency of the company is supported through its brand image, relationship between customers and suppliers, strong financial resources, market leadership and product value (Zamarripa & Wylie, 2000). Competitive Advantage According to Investopedia, â€Å"The advantage that a firm has over its competitors assisting in generating margins and sales and retaining customers than its competitors is firm’s competitive advantage† (Investopedia, 2010). McDonald’s competitive advantage is gained in the industry of fast food restaurants. The company’s innovative menu and introduction of wide range of foodstuffs have made the company gain competitive advantage over others. The food is affordable and value for money offerings aid in retaining the customers. Its franchisee based model has been able to strengthen its financial position and played a significant part in their global expansion. It is a ‘penny profit’ business but still with hard work, it has been successful. Through the global presence, economies of scale operations have led McDonald’s to gain competitive advantage over others in national and international markets. Resources Used