Principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) Essay

Standards of Total Quality Management (TQM) - Essay Example Before going into the conversation with respect to three significant standards of complete quality administration, let us improve comprehension of what all out quality administration really is. All out quality administration is a methodology towards improving the presentation and nature of items and administrations with the goal that they meet the desires for the buyers. Quality is of basic significance for an organization to make progress in a serious market. An organization can make progress just in the event that it coordinates all parts of value in its business exercises and procedures. The focal point of the all out quality administration is the clients and results of an organization. Complete quality administration requires ceaseless improvement in all branches of an organization identified with assembling of the items, for example, quality structure and advancement, quality control, and quality affirmation. There are various key standards identified with complete quality admin istration. Three of those standards incorporate client center, nonstop improvement, and representative contribution. Let us examine these in some detail. Client Focus Customer center is one of the essential standards of TQM. An organization needs to center the requirements and requests of the clients while building up the items. Clients are the primary drivers that guarantee accomplishment of an organization. Without clients, no organization can make progress or increase advertise control in any market. Clients consistently settle on such organizations, which give them brilliant quality and unwavering quality in all items and services.... In the event that an organization disregards the reconciliation of value angles in a solitary period of an item advancement process, it influences the general nature of the item bringing about improvement of a trading off quality item. In this manner, an organization needs to progress in the direction of persistent improvement in assembling and quality systems so as to acquire a top notch item the market. Worker Involvement This guideline of TQM requires constant inclusion and inspiration of the top administration of an organization. Top administration needs to inspire the workers towards guaranteeing quality in all parts of their activity duties. â€Å"Employees ought to be urged to be star dynamic in recognizing and tending to quality related problems† (Murray). TQM isn't simply identified with the reconciliation of value in the items and administrations of an organization, rather it likewise incorporates all business capacities and exercises. The inclusion of representative s is of essential significance in guaranteeing the execution of all out quality administration framework in an organization. In this manner, organizations need to urge their representatives to get improvement their activity related exercises so as to guarantee accomplishment of the organization. Execution Measurement Performance estimation intends to assess execution of the workers and the business forms so as to acquire improvement the authoritative viability and profitability. The fundamental point of execution estimation isn't simply to assess the employees’ execution; rather it likewise centers around expanding the hierarchical profitability by improving execution of the workers. Execution estimation or assessment makes the supervisors of an organization know where the organization really stands and what they have to do in

Roman Economy Essay Essay Example

Roman Economy Essay Roman Economy Essay BY lbtondi123 he Economics of the Roman Empire Ancient Rome comprised of a tremendous region of land, with numerous common and human-manufactured assets. Along these lines, Romes economy profited significantly. Furthermore, creation of an assortment of things was critical for a solid monetary realm. The economy of the early Republic was generally founded on paid work. Be that as it may, by the late Republic, the economy was to a great extent reliant on slave work. Likewise, Rome had a very efficient arrangement of cash. Ultimately, Infrastructure was colossal in the Romans capacity to exchange and move productively all through the domain also. The financial matters of any solid realm depended on three basic parts: creation, conveyance, and utilization. The Romans were particularly effective in building a financially solid domain. As one would might suspect, creation is the initial phase during the time spent creation a benefit. The Romans had an enormous assortment of things that they delivered. Models incorporate iron, lead, calfskin, marble, olive oil, fragrances, purple color, silk, silver, flavors, timber, tin and wine. They had the option to deliver the greater part of these things because of their enormous scope of work, from slave ranchers to well off shippers. Yet additionally, a portion of their items ere affected from different societies inside the domain, for example, olives and wine from the Greeks. Romans additionally had the upside of getting items, for example, milk and cheddar from their tamed creatures, for example, cows and goats. The platitude, all streets led to Rome, is right as in Rome is found midway as far as exchange. Having these splendid things in their stockpile was vital to Roman exchange; in any case, it would amount to nothing on the off chance that they couldn't get them to their goals. We will compose a custom article test on Roman Economy Essay explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom exposition test on Roman Economy Essay explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom exposition test on Roman Economy Essay explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer An astounding segment of the Roman Empire was foundation and at last beneficiary capacity to convey. The improvement of framework set the domain apart from the others and end up being valuable in exchange. The streets that the Romans manufactured totaled roughly fifty thousand kilometers long and extended everywhere throughout the Mediterranean area. These streets gave simple vehicle of individuals and things. As a result of the very much assembled streets, individuals could get from Britain to Egypt in Just a few months, speeding up the exchanging procedure. Notwithstanding streets, reservoir conduits were additionally worked to disperse water to the urban areas. Additionally, items could be moved y methods for ocean venture out on boats to islands on the water. Finally, scaffolds, for example, the Trajan Bridge in Britain, which traverses 1,135 m(l), were worked over streams to significantly additionally improve transportation. Because of Roman turns of events, the Romans had the option to extend their exchanging alternatives generously, and accordingly, the economy was helped too. Since the Romans had the option to create and disperse their things, every one of that was left was utilization. Since they could arrive at a wide range of societies inside their arrangement of streets, a wide assortment of individuals lead to an expansion of flexibly and request. The Romans themselves were additionally buyers. Imports, for example, silks from China, cotton and flavors from India, ivory and wild creatures from Africa, a lot of world were gotten by the Romans. Indeed, There was no extravagance that the old world brought to the table that the Romans didnt acknowledge themselves(Hardy). In actuality, these extravagances were just monetarily accessible to the well off; in this way, those that were not as rich couldn't acquire these extravagance imports. The activity of acquiring such a huge decent variety of things from others end up being useful in the Roman Empire. In general, the antiquated Roman Empire had the entirety of the key segments of monetary achievement. The Romans made a wide assortment of things and merchandise, in any event, making their own cash framework. The foundation they made gave them the bit of leeway when it came to appropriating item and transportation by and large. Furthermore, their focal area in the huge Mediterranean locale permitted their scope of circulation to be huge along these lines, expanding utilization. With the three parts of financial aspects: creation, circulation, and utilization, the Romans had the option to make a prevalent realm that flourished monetarily.

Bentsen, Lloyd Millard, Jr.

Bentsen, Lloyd Millard, Jr. Bentsen, Lloyd Millard, Jr., 1921â€"2006, American political leader and U.S. secretary of the treasury (1993â€"94), b. Mission, Tex. He received a law degree from the Univ. of Texas in 1942 and served as a B-24 squadron commander during World War II. A Democrat, he served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1949â€"55) before starting a successful insurance business in Houston. Returning to politics in 1970, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating George H. W. Bush . Serving in the Senate (1971â€"93), Bentsen was a stalwart defender of Texas business interests such as the oil and gas industry and of international trade. From 1987 to 1993 he was chairman of the Senate finance committee. In the 1988 presidential election, the Democratic ticket of Michael Dukakis and Bentsen was defeated by George H. W. Bush and Dan Quayle . As secretary of the treasury under President Bill Clinton , Bentsen helped shepherd through Congress the 1993 deficit-reduction bill, the N orth American Free Trade Agreement , and the accord establishing the World Trade Organization . The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies

The Field Of Nursing - 1505 Words

The field of nursing is growing and changing rapidly, but this isn’t the first time in history that nursing has undergone radical transformations. In ancient times, the sick was usually cared for in temples and houses of worship. In the early Christian era, nursing duties were undertaken by certain women in the church, their services being extended to patients in their homes. Florence Nightingale, the well-educated daughter of wealthy British parents, defied social conventions, and the wishes of her parents, and decided to become a nurse. During Britain’s Crimean War, Nightingale sought to improve the mortality rate for soldiers. Later, Clara Barton helped found the Red Cross and Agnes Jones helped establish nursing schools in the†¦show more content†¦In an effort to reduce disparities, the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) was passed in 1990. â€Å"The PSDA is a safeguard for patients’ rights, giving patients the legal right to determine how vi gorously they wish to be treated in life-or–death situations, and calls for hospitals to abide by patients’ advance directives† (Black, 2014). Difficulties and confusion about do not resuscitate orders still exist, despite efforts to help patients, families, and surrogate decision-makers make informed choices (American Nurses Association, 2012). Where is the downfall? Is it that patients aren’t receiving adequate education regarding these orders? Is it that the world of healthcare is ever-changing and that patients expect that we can do more than we can to save their life? Describe the personal benefits identified from defining nursing and how this was related to professional socialization (When you learned about how to define nursing, what did you personally gain from this? And, how do you relate it to your experience so far as a nurse?) While in nursing school, I was just like my classmates, task oriented. It didn’t take me very long though to realize that I couldn’t be that way. Of course I still focus on the tasks at hand but I soon socialized into a nurse that

Environmental Problems - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1278 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/03/14 Category Ecology Essay Level High school Tags: Global Warming Essay Did you like this example? Global Warming Global warming is an increasing problem among us. According to National Geographic, temperatures on Earth are rising over twice as much as they were in 1968. Global warming is an atmospheric trend forecast by scientist as a result of global increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and several other gases (Marsh Grossa, 434). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Environmental Problems" essay for you Create order The reason temperatures are on the rise is due to majority of human action. Many scientists believe the later part of the 19th century is when human activity began influencing the change in climate, but new studies bring the date forward to the 1830s. As humans began industrialization the chemistry of the atmosphere was altered with an addition of CO2. The period prior to this change is referred to as the â€Å"pre-industrial era† and the period following the change is simply referred to as the â€Å"industrial era†. Although it is difficult to determine the exact time at which humans began drastically influencing climate change, we can get a general idea from what scientists call the â€Å"time of emergence†. Warming in the Arctic began in the 1830s and scientists have seen the fastest temperature rises in the world occur there, which is known as Arctic Amplification. While the continent does not show consistent warming throughout, the parts of the Arctic which have warmed the most considerably are the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica. The Southern Hemisphere had a slower response, beginning to show signs of warming in the late 1890s. However, a clear signal of global warming in this area did not present itself until the 1960s. The onset of global warming in the tropical ocean area occurred earlier than is usually assumed from records that focus on the Northern Hemisphere’s land temperatures. Sustained warming began in the early 19th century and has steadily continued until today. Changes in temperature and rainfall in different parts of the world signified this over time. Prior to the 19th century volcanic eruptions were causing the Earth to cool, but following this warming was accelerated beyond what could be explained by the Earth’s natural climate readjustment. Without the increase of pollution from industrialization the warming would have likely leveled off before the start of the 20th century. Global temperature rises in response to to the increasing amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere, known as climate sensitivity. Another issue affecting global warming is greenhouse gas emissions. According to LiveScience, greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation. Thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, these greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect. The most known greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Even though oxygen is the second most abundant gas in the atmosphere, oxygen does not absorb thermal infrared radiation. The formal definition of greenhouse effect from Dictionary.com is â€Å"The trapping of the sun’s warmth in a planet’s lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet’s surface†. According to NASA, 30% of the radiation striking Earth is reflected back to space. The remaining 70% is absorbed throughout the land and oceans. If the gas emissions continue then extreme weather, rising sea levels, plant and animal extinctions, ocean acidification, and major shifts in climate will be inevitable (LiveScience, 2015). Coal has one of the largest impacts on global warming. Coal has multiple environmental impacts, but has the most harmful and long-term effects on global warming (Coal and Air Pollution, 2017). Human activity is causing the irreversible damage of climate change from burning coal. According to Coal and Air Pollution, some of the consequences include heavy rainfall and strong storms, loss of species, heat waves, increasing temperatures and sea levels. When burned, coal emits carbon dioxide and when mined emits methane gases which is the cause of the harmful environmental effects. Carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of coal is one of the main reasons for global warming. For every gram of carbon burnt, there are approximately four grams of carbon dioxide produced. Coal may have up to 60-80% carbon in it depending on the type (Coal and Air Pollution, 2017). Methane is a gas that is found in areas that coal is formed, such as swamps. When humans mine coal it releases the methane gases into the atmosphere. Around 10% of methane emissions are due to coal mining. According to Coal and Air Pollution, methane is 86 times more harsh than carbon dioxide at trapping heat over 20 years and 34 times more harsh over 100 years. According to these statistics, it is obvious that the emissions from coal are harmful to the environment. If humans do not change the way they partake in these activities, global warming is going to continue to be a problem for the world. Some alternative energy sources that are better for the environment would be: solar power, wind power,hydro power, tidal power, wave energy, geothermal heat, and biomass(Alternative Energy Renewables). Solar power is energy provided by the sun. We can use this energy to get electricity in our homes and to heat the water we use. A very common use of solar energy is a swimming pool. Solar power does not give off any pollution or carbon dioxide. You can only use this energy if you have the specific technology to capture the energy. Another way you often see solar energy being captured is through the solar panels some people put on their roof(Factors Affecting Gasoline Prices). The next form of energy we could use would be wind power. The way we would use this energy would be through turbines. Wind power is one of the fastest growing alternative energy resources(Factors Affecting Gasoline Prices). Hydro power is one of the oldest energy sources and one of the most used. Another form of energy that should be used is tidal power. Tidal power is energy captured by the movement of water. Tidal energy is kinetic energy in the ocean’s tides. Tidal turbines are also used to generate energy. When water moves through the turbine, energy gets created. Wave energy should also be used more. There is a lot of energy in waves. Wave energy is generated by waves going through a turbine. This is almost how a dam works(Factors Affecting Gasoline Prices). Another form of energy that should be used is geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is energy that comes from Earth’s core by magma. The geothermal energy is used to heat different houses and buildings. It can also be used to heat the water we use. We also used biomass for energy. The biomass fuel we use the most is wood(Factors Affecting Gasoline Prices). It is the primary fuel for heating and cooking in many developing countries. Works Cited â€Å"Alternative Energy Renewables.† Global Greenhouse Warming, www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/alternative-energy.html. â€Å"Causes of Global Warming.† National Geographic, National Geographic, 14 July 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-causes/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2018. â€Å"Coal and Air Pollution.† Union of Concerned Scientists, 19 Dec. 2017, www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/coal-and-other-fossil-fuels/coal-air-pollution#.XAlflPZFw 2w. Accessed 6 Dec. 2018. Factors Affecting Gasoline Prices Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=renewable_home. Lallanilla, Marc. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Causes Sources. LiveScience, Purch, 10 Feb. 2015, www.livescience.com/37821-greenhouse-gases.html. Accessed 6 Dec. 2018. Marsh, William M., and John Grossa, Jr. Environmental Geography Science, Land Use, and Earth Systems. 3rd ed., Hoboken, John Wiley Sons, Inc., 2005, p. 434. Pidcock, Roz. Scientists Clarify Starting Point for Human-Caused Climate Change. Carbon Brief Clear on Climate, 24 Aug. 2016, www.carbonbrief.org/ scientists-clarify-starting-point-for-human-caused-climate-change. Accessed 6 Dec. 2018.

Your Title Goes Here Free Essays

The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after editorial cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005. Danish Muslim organizations staged protests in response. As the controversy has grown, some or all of the cartoons have been reprinted in newspapers in more than fifty other countries, leading to violent protests involving hundreds of deaths, particularly in Muslim countries. We will write a custom essay sample on Your Title Goes Here or any similar topic only for you Order Now I feel this is a suitable story to explore and analyze media bias and prejudiced reporting, as this is a highly controversial issue between a Muslim population sensitive over what they perceive as a global assault by the Western world on their religion and faith, and both liberals and right wingers alike who feel that freedom of speech is sacred and unassailable. As such, I have included news coverage from 3 distinct sources – Al-Jazeera, commonly regarded as the media champion of the Arab world; BBC, one of the oldest and respected media institutions in the world; and finally, a random daily newspaper from the United States, to compare the news coverage regarding this controversial issue, and to identify any media bias, negative reporting or partisan reporting. Al- Jazeera The link to the story can be found in the â€Å"Works Cited† section of this paper. We would expect from a preliminary basis that Al-Jazeera would typically play up the offensive nature of the cartoons, highlight the perceived insensitivities and double standards of the Western media vis-à  -vis the cartoons and the Holocaust, as well as champion the rights of the Muslim world. Surprisingly, this is not the case. The news article quoted seemed to be factual rather than opinionated in nature, quoting a variety of sources and viewpoints from both sides of the fence, from the Danish media and politicians to Hamas and other Islamic militant groups. No underlying or latent propaganda was detected; indeed, negative quotes were enclosed in double quotes, and attributed to its source. The language used was non-inflammatory, focused on facts and events, and there was no strong hint of an opinion piece. The closest the Al-Jazeera piece came to being biased was when it was reporting on the nature of the cartoons (drawings) at the heart of the controversy. The descriptions used were accurate, non-misleading, and mildly strong. However, there was no mention of the Western world point of view, or of the fact that the combined cartoons at the heart of the controversy which were spread by Danish imams contained 3 additional (highly offensive) drawings not published by the Jyllands-Posten. I conclude that the Al-Jazeera piece, when factual in nature and non-inflammatory, seems more interested in presenting the reaction of the Muslim world as well as the threats made by them, when ignoring the Western point of view. There seemed to be an unusual emphasis on the negative incidents such as attacks and boycotts that has occurred as a result of the backlash against the cartoons. BBC The report by the BBC is by far the most accurate and objective. It presents inconsistencies on the actions and words on both parties (the Danish media and the Danish imams who incited the controversy), reporting in detail how an editor of the Jyllands-Posten rejected cartoons of Jesus Christ with the reason that they would offend. Impressively, the particular section also included (in brackets) a update in which a reader pointed out that the paper did publish a cartoon of the biblical Joseph in 2000, and thus queries why the paper should be criticized over the rejection of the Jesus Christ cartoons, finally ending with the editor’s (of the BBC report) explanation of why the inconsistency was still valid. A detailed account of how the initial cartoons failed to spark any major outrage, until a group of Danish imams made concentrated efforts to spark a controversy by adding 3 cartoons which were highly offensive and insulting (more so that the original cartoons) and were not published by the Jyllands-Posten to a portfolio and touring various Middle Eastern Arab leaders with them follows. The report finally ends with a reflection of the viewpoints and the reaction of both sides. I was very impressed with the objectivity of the reports, and the lengths to which the writer went to portray the inconsistencies of both parties. Washington Post The report by the Washington Post is reminiscent of that by Al-Jazeera; non-inflammatory, factual in nature, no underlying propaganda or strong language, and drawing from a wide variety of sources. However, whereas Al-Jazeera’s report focused solely on the reaction of the Muslim world, Washington Post report carried a fair balance of the reactions of both the Western world and the Muslim world. There was a balance in the strength of the opinions and announcements from both side, and hence I find the Washington Post more balanced and objective, although the BBC outshines the Washington Post in this aspect. Works Cited Reynolds, Paul. Cartoons: Divisions and inconsistencies.   BBC. Monday 13th February 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4708216.stm Fury Grows Over Denmark Cartoons. Al-Jazeera.net. Tuesday 31st January 2006. Sullivan, Kevin. Muslims’ Fury Rages Unabated Over Cartoons. The Washington Post. Saturday 11th February, 2006. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/10/AR2006021001822.html ; How to cite Your Title Goes Here, Essay examples

Tim O Brien Injustice free essay sample

Justice is the pursuit of right, the elevation of goodness, and the elimination of evil; however, such lucid definitions often lack substance when stood up to the tests of reality. Injustice is the denial of rights and the lack of morality for the embracement of barbarism. When looking for injustices in the world, what most readily comes to mind are violent crimes? Murder, theft, and rape are domestic injustices commonly recognized, but injustices, like reality, exist in perception. Therefore, to deem someone or something unjust, first agreement upon its definition must be established. When the United States declared her independence, we perceived the unjust indignities to be clear; however, to the militant king, the refusal to pay his taxes was injustice and the nullification of his law was the warrant for war. When such implied meanings come in to play, one has to determine what is just. In order to eliminate war, first all nations must outline the true meaning of â€Å"injustice† and find suitable solutions for reparation. The most diligent participant of war is the injustice done upon both sides, the backing of both by god, and the misconception that both will prevail due to their side being right and just. These differing views of injustice and justice are what cause the eventual degradation of war. (JRSOT) Tim O’Brien takes account of the injustices of war when he refers to opposing emotion and feelings. â€Å"The beauty was spelling binding as the horrific napalm burned the forest to the ground. (O’Brien) The contradicting impression, of awe and beauty combined with that of horror and grotesqueness leads one to a sense of immeasurable injustice experienced by those fighting the war. A war he hated, he still found the thrill of combat alluring, even as the fear of death overwhelmed his body, forcing his feet forward by quivering will. The emotional damage was the injustice upon the men, due to the memories that will haunt them forever. â€Å"There were many bodies with real faces, bu t I was young then and I was afraid to look. And not, twenty year later, I’m left with faceless responsibility and faceless grief. † (pg. 180, O’Brien) Injustice once more finds its discontinuous meaning bearing not only upon willful acts of corruptness, but upon the unsuspecting soldiers of piece, fighting to stay alive, sane, and together. Reflecting upon the travesty of war, one begins to realize, aside from the soldiers of opposition, there remain innocent victims, caught between the fences, killed, slaughtered, and mercilessly hunted for their unfortunate occupation of a warzone. The injustices, done upon these innocent bystanders are just one of the many costs of war. Families lose their members as well their homes. (Incite Magazine) â€Å"The old guy walked with a limp, slow and stooped over, but he knew where the safe spots were and where you had to be careful and where even if you were careful you could end up like popcorn. † (pg. 33, O’Brien) The devastation brought about by war, affects not only economic, physical, and emotional well being, but it leaves a disastrous scar upon the land. Following the Vietnam War, orange gas, a carsogenic toxin, was widely used as a biological weapon. This weapon, though severely lethal to humans, also caused permanent damage to the environment. Vietnam is of a tropical climate. It is clothed in towering rain forests and blossoming clover fields. (Incite Magazine) Animals run abundantly through the undeveloped slopes and the shadowing forest floor. Industry has destroyed many of the once beautifully adorned civilizations of the four legged and winged; however, the noxious pollution released by industry in Vietnam has been minor compared to the devastasion caused by war. In every war the assault falls most heavily on the countryside. In Germany, during WWII, mortar shells redecorated the hill sides, and tanks rolled on, crushing the fertility from the land. The chemicals released to combat each other brought with them the collateral damage. When the war was over, thousands of lives had been taken and millions of dollars had been squandered. The environment has always recovered from our stupidities. How long, though, before will it be unable to repair the atrocities of our reckless ways? Tim O’Brien refers to the Vietnam War as something incomprehensible, incalculable, and exclusive to those that lived it, breathed it, and carried it home. He attempts to convey the ambiguity of war and embellished story-telling as reflecting the actuality of combat. In order to truly understand the experience of war, one must find fiction in order to convey it properly. (O’Brien) The enemy could melt into ice, and consolidate before your very eye: such was the terrible progression of the war, and the fiction that crept into reality. The surreal seeming of war, is mixed with the reality of it. When written upon paper the occurrences recounted transcend reality, but, in actuality, the comprehension of the event, in the mind of the soldier, was, in fact, experienced that very way; as in a dream characterized by the cinematic embellishment of fiction. The contradictions that he depicts, â€Å"it was atrocious; it was thrilling,† is proof of the injustice of war, and the injustices he felt were around him. â€Å"There were time in my life when I couldn’t feel much, not sadness or pity or passion, and somehow I blamed this place for what I had become, and I blamed it for taking away the person I had once been. â€Å"(pg. 185, O’Brien)

Curruculum Implementation Essay Example

Curruculum Implementation Essay Curriculum Implementation C] Curriculum are implemented by the principal with the help of the teacher in an actual school setting and finding out If the curriculum achieved Its goals. 0 Implementation Is the actual use of the curriculum or syllabus. 0 Implementation does not only focus on the actual but also on the attitudes of those who implement it. C] Implementation is an interaction between those who have created the programmer and those who are charged to deliver it. How to Implement a Curriculum 1. Laissez- Fairer Approach (Let Alone Approach) The teacher has absolute power to determine what is best to Implement In the classroom. 2. Authoritarian Control Teachers are directed by authority, through a memorandum, to follow a curriculum. Factors That Influence Curriculum Implementation . The Teacher The Learners 2. Resource materials and facilities 3. 4. Interest groups The School environment 5. Culture and Ideology 6. Instructional supervision 7. Curriculum Leadership It is an act of exercising functions that enables the achievement of schools goal of providing quality education. Aims on maximizing student learning. Focuses on what is learned and how it is taught. Roles and Functions of a Curriculum Leader 1. School Level Develop the schools vision of a quality curriculum. Supplement the states or districts educational goals. Develop the schools own program of studies. Determine the nature and extent of curriculum integration. Monitor and assist in curriculum Implementation. Develop yearly planning calendars of personalizing the curriculum. Develop units of study. Four Major Tasks of a Curriculum Leader (regardless of what level) 1 . Ensuring curriculum quality and applicability. 2. Integrating and aligning the curriculum. 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Curruculum Implementation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Curruculum Implementation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Curruculum Implementation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Implementing the curriculum efficiently. 4. Regularly evaluating, enriching and updating the curriculum. Curriculum Approaches A. Behavioral Approach Setting of goals and objectives Evaluating the learning outcomes are seen as a change in behavior. B. Managerial Approach General Manager sets policies and priorities, establishes the direction of change and innovation, and planning and organizing curriculum and instruction. Roles of Supervisors/ General Manager 1. Develop the schools educational goals. 2. Plan curriculum with students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders. . Design programs of study by grade levels. 4. Plan or schedule classes or school calendar. 5. Prepare curriculum guides or teacher guides by grade level or subject area. 6. Help in the evaluation and selection of textbooks. 7. Observe teachers. 8. Assist teachers in the implementation of the curriculum. 9. Encourage curriculum innovation and change. 10. Develop standards for curriculum and instructional education. C. System Approach How decisions are made with, are based on the organizational structure of the school district or school. D. Humanistic Approach Learner centered approach. Concentrate in the total development of the individual. Components of the Curriculum A. Curriculum Aims, Goals and Objectives 1. Aim- Elementary, Secondary and Tertiary 2. Goals- Schools Mission and Vision 3. Objectives- Educational Objectives These are information learned in school 1. Subject-centered View of Curriculum Knowledge accumulated through time due to mans exploration of his world. Groomer Burner: Knowledge is a model we construct to give meaning and structure to regularities in experience 2. Learner-centered View of Curriculum Knowledge to the individuals personal and social world and how he/she defines reality. Criteria Used in Selection of Subject Matter for the Curriculum 1. Self Sufficiency Less teaching effort and educational resources. Less learners effort but more results and effective learning outcomes in the most economical manner. 2. Significance Contribute to basic ideas to achieve overall aim of curriculum and develop learning skills. Importance of the subject. 3. Validity If the subject is meaningful to the learner based on maturity, prior experience, educational and social value. 4. Utility Usefulness of the content either for the present or future. 5. Learnable Subject should be within the range of the experience of the learners. 6. Feasibility If the subject can be learned within the tile allowance, resources available, expertise of the teacher, and nature of the learner. C. Curriculum Experience The core and heart of the curriculum. Instructional strategies and methods. Some Guide for Selection and Use of Methods 1. Teaching methods are means to achieve the end. 2. There is no single best teaching method. 3. Teaching methods should stimulate the learners desire to develop the cognitive, effective, psychometric, social and spiritual domain of the individual. 4. Learning styles of the students should be considered. 5. Every method should lead to the development of the learning outcome in 3 domains. 6. Flexibility should be considered in every teaching method. D. Curriculum Evaluation Formal determination of the quality effectiveness or value of the program, process and product of the curriculum. CHIP Model (context, input, process, product) Steps in Curriculum Evaluation 1. Focus on one particular component of the curriculum. 2. Collect or gather the information. 3. Organize the information. 5. Report the information. 6. Recycle the information for continuous feedback, modifications and adjustments to be more. Major Foundations of Curriculum A. Philosophical Foundation The framework for planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools. Foundation of any curriculum. Four Educational Philosophies 1. Perennials Focuses on reasoning skills and moral thinking. Considers curriculum as constant. 2. Essentialist Focuses in the development of what is essential in the life of man . Centers on the development of basic skills. 3. Progressivism Focuses on the students interest, human problems and affairs. 4. Reconstructions Focus on the present and future trends and issues of national and international interests.

Complete Project on Nike Essays

Complete Project on Nike Essays Complete Project on Nike Essay Complete Project on Nike Essay A SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON MARKETING STRATEGY OF NIKE AT â€Å"NIKESHOES INDUSTRIES LIMITED† SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (BBA) TRAINING SUPERVISORSUBMITTED BY SESSION 2005-2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The present work is an effort to throw some light on Marketing Strategy of Nike at â€Å"Nike Industries Limited†. The work would not have been possible to come to the present shape without the able guidance, supervision and help to me by number of people. With deep sense of gratitude I acknowledge the encouragement and guidance received by my organizational guide †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. nd other staff members. I convey my heartful affection to all those people who helped and supported me during the course, for completion of my Project Report. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This marketing strategic plan has been written keeping in mind the Indian operations of Nike Inc. – the glo bal sports shoe giant. It aims first, at analyzing the sports shoe industry India and finding a place in it for Nike. It then sets out to describe the target audience for the product range and finally suggests a host of marketing strategies and activities that will help Nike to achieve its target of becoming the #1 sports shoe brand in India. The plan begins with a brief overview of the product category being dealt with, namely premium quality sports shoes. It also dwells briefly on the history of the company and its current position and activities. The project moves on to the crux of the matter – the marketing plan to be followed by Nike in India. Firstly, the objectives behind this plan and the core strategy are stated. Customers to be eventually targeted are described and compared with competitors’ customer targets. After starting the objectives and reasoning behind them, the actual marketing programs are described in detail. This includes aspects such as pricing, advertising, promotion, sales, channels, and the company website. Suggestions are made on each and every one of these aspects; improvements and innovations are recommended. The plan then goes on to the customer analysis section. The customer base is identified and various segments are pointed out. Various criteria and factors have been taken into consideration while segmenting the market. We have also tried to ascertain why customers buy these products, how they choose, and what factors matter most when making their decisions. The last few pages of this marketing plan deal with the various ways in which the plan, once implemented, can be monitored and controlled TABLE OF CONTENT 1)INTRODUCTION 1-13 a)Background of the problem1 b)About The Nike Industry 3 c)Nike Maxsight4 d)Industry Overview5 e)Product Trend8 2)RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 14-20 a)Research objectives14 b)Research design15 c)Data sources15 i)Primary data 15 ii)Secondary data 15 d)Questionnaire design formulation16 e)Sample design17 f)Limitations of the research20 3)COMPANY PROFILE 21-43 a)Nike Industries Ltd. A company profile21 b)Recent Development21 c)Future Plan23 d)Risk and Concern28 e)Literature Review31 f)4ps of Nike40 g)SWOT Analysis 41 4)DATA ANALYSIS 44-63 5)CONCLUSION FINDINGS 64-67 6)RECOMMENDATIONS68-75 a)OTHER SUGGESTION INCLUDE69 7)ANNEXURE 76-82 8)BIBLIOGRAPHY 83 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM Since the late 1980s, Business School marketing professor Itamar Simonson has looked for ways to understand how consumers make choices . Much of his work debunks the accepted theory that giving consumers what they want and making a profit are the most basic principles of marketing. Customers may not know what they want, and second-guessing them can be expensive, says the professor who teaches MBA and PhD marketing and consumer decision-making courses. In Simonson’s words, â€Å"The benefits and costs of fitting individual customer preference are more complex and less deterministic than has been assumed. † That’s because â€Å"customer preferences are often ill-defined and susceptible to various influences, and in many cases, customers have poor insight into their preferences. † In one of his recent papers, Simonson tackles the issue of one-to-one marketing and mass customization. Supporters of these marketing approaches have suggested that learning what customers want and giving them exactly what they want will create customer loyalty and an insurmountable barrier to competition. In an example taken to the extreme in the 2002 movie Minority Report, Tom Cruise’s character runs through a shopping mall past talking billboards that recognize him by name and urge him to buy products he had earlier expressed an interest in such as jeans and Ray-Bans, the ultimate in personalized advertising. But Simonson has this to say: â€Å"The fact that consumer preferences are often fuzzy, unstable, and manipulatable is unlikely to change. So, the effectiveness of methods to give customers exactly what they (say they) want has been grossly exaggerated. † His take on the long-held assumption that individual marketing will supplant targeted marketing is â€Å"not so fast. † In studies, he has learned that â€Å"even when customers have well-defined preferences and receive offers that fit those preferences, it is far from certain that the response to such offers will consistently be more favorable than those directed at larger market segments. † It’s all psychology. Consumers with well-defined preferences may be skeptical that a marketer could match expectations. Those who don’t know what they want may not ever see the fit with what the seller wants them to buy. So, individualized offers depend on customers’ preferences ; how the offer was extended ; and on trust. â€Å"Effective individual marketing requires not only an understanding of individual preferences and matching offers to those preferences, but also a thorough familiarity with the various factors that impact customers’ responses,† Simonson writes. This is a tall order, one that some companies have been able to fill, at least to some extent. For example, Amazon keeps track of customers’ purchases and suggests other books they might like. Dell builds computers from mass-made parts to customers’ specifications. But Simonson argues some companies can take the concept too far, like the Custom Foot chain of shoe stores that took detailed measurements and specifications from each customer to design one-of-a-kind shoes. Custom Foot didn’t take into account that some customers were put off by the individualized attention, Simonson says, and felt obligated to buy the shoes because the store went to so much trouble. They often didn’t come back. So knowing only the customer preferences is not enough. It is required to understand other aspects of customer behavior. Kipping this in mind, present study will find out and analyze consumer behavior of Nike shoes with reference to ladies segment. ABOUT THE NIKE INDUSTRY In sport, visual acuity and protection can mean the difference between winning and losing. Light conditions have a dramatic effect on how the human eye perceives and, subsequently how the body reacts and performs in the sun glinting over the upper deck, shallow contrast on a putting green, or quickly adjusting from shadows to light on a tennis court or mountain bike single track. Nike knows that in athletic competition, even small advantages are critical to performance. Nike has spent the last eight years exploring the human eye to understand the science of vision in the development of the new Nike MaxSight Sport-Tint Contact Lens, available August 2005. WHAT IT IS Nike MaxSight, developed in partnership with Bausch Lomb, is a tinted soft contact lens that behaves like sunglasses, reducing glare and filtering out 95% of UVA and UVB and more than 90% of blue light. But because the lens rests directly on the eye, there’s virtually no distortion as with standard sunglasses. Athletes get the same clear view at all angles. Plus, Nike MaxSight eliminates the environmental effects that plague sunglasses like fogging, scratching, additional weight, or nosepieces and frames to obstruct vision. There’s no obstruction from the edge of the lens, the frame or the nosepiece, because they don’t exist. And there are no pressure points and no slippage. Max Sight also eliminates light leakage, reducing the need to squint, allowing the eye to relax and perform more naturally. Nike MaxSight is, in effect, one giant visual sweet spot. Nike Maxsight HOW THEY WORK Nike’s patented Nike MaxSight Light Architectureâ„ ¢ selectively alters specific wavelengths of light within the visual spectrum to enhance key elements in sport. The athlete gets crisp, clear vision without anything getting in their way. By removing most of the blue light, contrast and clarity are enhanced - a decided advantage for any competitor. For sports not conducive to eyewear, such as golf, tennis and soccer, athletes will see marked improvement, even on days where the sun’s not at its brightest. Nike MaxSight provides through-and-through tinting (unlike cosmetically tinted lenses), so there’s no bending or scattering of light. Plus there’s limited incidental light or peripheral flickering creeping around the sides, as with sunglasses. Athletes tested in Nike MaxSight lenses found they squinted less, were able to relax more, and had exceptional views of contours and movement. Marco Materazzi of Italy’s Inter Milan football club and Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts are among the pro athletes wearing Nike MaxSight. It has been a lot of fun to start the season this hot,† said Roberts early in the MLB season. In fact, he became one of the first true fans of Nike MaxSight after impressive initial results. During a spring daytime game, Roberts said, â€Å"I wore the lenses and went 2 for 4. They are so awesome. † With Nike MaxSight, there’s minimal squinting in bright light, and quicker visual definition when going from bright light to shadows. Wearers will also discover a game-day benefit – the look. â€Å"It makes the eye look distinct, the large-pupil effect,† says Alan Reichow, Nike Vision Consultant. It looks competitive. † ROLL OVER PHOTOS FOR A MAXSIGHT LENSE SIMULATION THE WEAR Nike MaxSight is a 30-day lens, though most athletes will wear them selectively and for short durations. Lenses come in six-pack packaging. Nike MaxSight is available with or without a correction, thereby making it accessible to athletes whether they wear contacts or not. THE HISTORY Nike began exploring the Nike Max Sight technology in 1997, conducting an initial clinical project, then subsequent research projects using collegiate athletes. Oregon’s Pacific University baseball players were the first athletes to undergo testing. Coach Greg Bradley requested that he be allowed to try them before his players. â€Å"He’d never worn contacts,† says Dr. Reichow. â€Å"He took two pitches and turned around and said, ‘I’ve never seen a ball that distinct and clear. Put them on anybody who wants them. ’ INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Bill Bowerman said this couple of decades ago. The guy was right. It defines how he viewed the world, and it defines how Nike pursues its destiny. Ours is a language of sports, a universally understood lexicon of passion and competition. A lot has happened at Nike in the 30 years since we entered the industry, most of it good, some of it downright embarrassing. But through it all, we remain totally focused on creating performance opportunities for everyone who would benefit, and offering empowering messages for everyone who would listen. We feel lucky to have a genuine, altruistic reason to be: the service of human potential. Thats the great benefit of sports, and were glad to be in the middle of it. What started with a handshake between two running geeks in sleepy Eugene, Oregon, are now the worlds most competitive sports and Fitness Company. The World Headquarters is in Beaverton, Oregon. The Pacific Northwest is Nikes hometown, but like so many ambitious souls, we have expanded our horizons to every corner of the world. Nike employs around 23,000 people, and every one of them is significant to our mission of bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. Along the way Nike joined up with some great partner companies that help extend our reach within and beyond sports. Cole Haan offers casual luxury footwear and accessories out of New York City and Yarmouth, Maine. Bauer Nike Hockey, based in Montreal, Quebec, is the worlds leading manufacturer of hockey equipment and a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike, Inc. Nike partnered with Hurley International, a premium teen lifestyle brand founded by 20-year industry veteran Bob Hurley based in Costa Mesa, California. In 2003, Nike completed the acquisition of Converse, the globally recognized footwear brand with nearly a century of sports heritage, and home of the perennially popular Chuck Taylor All-Star and Jack Purcell footwear. Exeter Brands Group: In August 2004, Nike created the Exeter Brands Group, a wholly owned subsidiary, dedicated to building athletic footwear and apparel brands for the value retail channel. This portfolio of brands includes the Official Starter Properties LLC and Official Starter LLC which are the sole owners and licensors of the Starter, Team Starter and Asphalt brand names as well as master licensee of the Shaq and Dunkman brands, a line of athletic apparel, footwear and accessory products for the value retail channel. Separate business units within the Nike brand include The Jordan/Jumpman 23 brand and Nike Golf. As small as we feel, the Nike family is a fairly vast enterprise. We operate on six continents. Our suppliers, shippers, retailers and service providers employ close to 1 million people. The diversity inherent in such size is helping Nike evolve its role as a global company. We see a bigger picture today than when we started, one that includes building sustainable business with sound labor practices. We retain the zeal of youth yet act on our responsibilities as a global corporate citizen. If you have a body, you are an athlete. And as long as there are athletes, there will be Nike. PRODUCT TREND Bovine skin was by far the most preferred leather material, followed by goat/kid/lamb/sheep skin and crocodile skin. Respondents overwhelmingly preferred the color black and, to a lesser extent, dark brown. For handbags/briefcases, popular colors included light brown, white and red. Consumer Segments with the Biggest Spending Power Male professionals, managers and executives are the segment with the biggest spending power for now and in the coming three years. Other major consumer segments include male office workers; sole proprietors/business owners; female office workers; and female professionals, managers and executives. The Competitiveness of Hong Kong Brands/Suppliers of Leather Consumer Goods. Most retailers consider Hong Kong brands to be either very competitive or quite competitive in both high-end and mid-range segments, but less competitive in the low-end segment. The competitiveness of Hong Kong brands mainly rests on their product style/design and quality, with most respondents picking those as the major reasons behind the attractiveness of Hong Kong brands in the high-end and mid-range segments respectively. PRODUCT PROFILE Apart from delivering a pair of comfortable sports shoes Nike also provides a number of value-added features with its products. The features that are a part of every Nike sports shoe are as follows. High Performance Sports Shoes: Nike has patented the â€Å"Air† system and has made it into a regular feature in most of its models. Many models feature an air pocket in the shoe that reduces the weight of the shoe and reduces pressure on the heels. Besides the overall design and compactness of the shoes have made it a favorite of many professional athletes around the world. Comfort: Nike shoes are renowned all over the world for the comfort they provide. Well padded and cushioned, they provide a tremendous level of comfort to the wearer and reduce the strain to his feet while playing. Lightweight: This attribute is in line with the two described above. A lightweight shoe provides greater mobility and eases the pressure on the feet of the wearer. Durability: People purchasing a pair of shoes at such a high price often feel that they have made an investment. They would obviously want to see their shoes last a long time. To prove this point we draw the example of the authors of this marketing plan. All of us own a pair of Nike’s and have been wearing them for well over two years – a symbol of the durability of Nike shoes. Style: Nike’s designs are considered to be the most stylish in the industry and beat all others as far as looks are concerned. Attractively packaged, it is a delight to bring a pair home. Add to this the â€Å"Swoosh† – the most recognizable symbol in sports and you have a product that would give the user a definite sense of pride. Nike shoes also come with a guarantee card that enables the owner to return it in case of manufacturing defects. However, owing to the fact that the company implements strict quality control measures, coming across a defective pair in a store are a rarity. The most recent additions to their line are the Nike 6. 0 and Nike SB shoes, designed for skateboarding. Nike has recently introduced cricket shoes, called Air Zoom Yorker, designed to be 30% lighter than their competitors. [ Nike positions its products in such a way as to try to appeal to a youthful. materialistic crowd. [5] It is positioned as a premium performance brand. NIKE 6. O NIKE SB RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research comprise defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating Hypothesis. In short, the search for Knowledge through Objective and Systematic method of finding solutions to a problem is Research. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ?To study the tastes, preferences, and buying behavior of consumers in case of footwear of Bata. ?To analyze buying behavior of ladies segment of consumers. To recommend strategies to Nike to increase sales in ladies segment. The main objectives of this study are: ?Working of Insurance Plans ?SWOT analysis of the product sold ?Comparative study with the competitors RESEARCH DESIGN TYPE OF RESEARCH: Descriptive research Descriptive research includes Surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The main characteristic of this method is that the resea rcher has no control over the variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening. DATA SOURCES There are two types of data. Source of primary data for the present study is collected through questionnaire and answered by consumers of Nike shoes. The secondary data is collected from journals, books and through Internet search. PRIMARY DATA The data that is collected first hand by someone specifically for the purpose of facilitating the study is known as primary data. So in this research the data is collected from respondents through questionnaire. SECONDARY DATA For the company information I had used secondary data like brochures, web site of the company etc. The Method used by me is Survey Method as the research done is Descriptive Research. RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS Selected instrument for Data Collection for Survey is Questionnaire. QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN FORMULATION Under this method, list of questions pertaining to the survey are prepared for marketing staff of consumers of Nike shoes. Questionnaire has structured type questions as well as unstructured type questions. Structured objective type questions are prepared for the respondents with fixed response categories. Some of the questions are of multiple-choice type. The questions have more than one alternative. Questionnaire: A questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to respondent for their answers. It can be Closed Ended or Open Ended Open Ended: Allows respondents to answer in their own words are difficult to Interpret and Tabulate. Close Ended: Pre-specify all the possible answers are easy to Interpret and Tabulate. TYPES OF QUESTION INCLUDED: DICHOTOMOUS QUESTIONS Which has only two answers â€Å"Yes† or â€Å"No†? MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS Where respondent is offered more than two choices. IMPORTANCE SCALE A scale that rates the importance of some attribute. RATING SCALE A scale that rates some attribute from â€Å"highly satisfied † to â€Å"highly unsatisfied â€Å" and â€Å"very inefficient† to â€Å"very efficient† SAMPLING UNIT: Who is to be surveyed? The marketing researcher must define the target population that will be sampled. The sample Unit taken by me; General public of different age group, different gender and different profession EXTENT:- Where the survey should be carried out? I have covered entire residential area of Delhi city for the survey TIME FRAME:- When the survey should be conducted? I conducted my survey for 8weeks from 10th may to 10th July SAMPLING FRAME:- The source from which the sample is drawn SAMPLING TECHNIQUE: How should the respondent be chosen? In the Project sampling is done on basis of Probability sampling. Among the probability sampling design the sampling design chosen is stratified random sampling. Because in this survey I had stratified the sample in different age group, different gender and different profession SAMPLE SIZE Consumers of shoes, 50 nos STEPS FOLLOWED IN COMPLETING THE STUDY (i)Libraries at (a) Indian Council for Applied Economic Research (ICAER),(b) Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Delhi, (c) Council of scientific and industrial Research (CSIR) (d) PHD chamber of commerce, are visited. Management / marketing books, journals are consulted. (ii)Internet sites containing information on Nike shoes marketing are browsed. (iii) Sample survey was conducted. (iv)Data was thoroughly checked for error. DATA PROCESSING METHODOLOGY (i)Once the primary data have been collected, they are (I) edited – inspected, corrected and modified. (ii)Tabulation – bring similar data together and totaling them in meaningful categories. Questionnaires are edited both in the field and later in home. Field editing took place just often the interview. Generally editing is required for open type of questions. Brief notes or symbols are frequently used during the interview to initially record the interviewer’s response since it was not desirable to interrupt the flow with lengthy note taking. Then immediately after the interview, brief notes are respondent. The responses are thoroughly checked in home for incorrect, inconsequential or contradictions categories are developed only often the replies has been reviewed. This review provided a feel for the pattern of answers and thus determine what categories best represent the answers. The collected data are placed into an order. Percentages of respondents answered similarly are calculated and placed in a table. Then this is interpreted. This involved drawing conclusion from the gathered data. Interpretation changes the new information immerging from the analysis into information that is pertinent or relevant to the study. CONCLUSION WAS DRAWN BASED ON THE SURVEY FINDINGS Finally recommendation was made to improve the sales strategy of Nike shoes to increase the sales volume in ladies segment. SAMPLE DESIGN THE BASIS OF SAMPLING: Consumers of Nike shoes are chosen randomly, so that unbiased, representative sample may be obtained. LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH The geographical area was very much limited to residential area so the results are not particularly reflection of the current behavior. BIASES AND NON-COOPERATION OF THE RESPONDENTS. ?The collected data are placed into an order. Percentages of respondents answered similarly are calculated and placed in a table. Then this is interpreted. This involved drawing conclusion from the gathered data. Interpretation changes the new information immerging from the analysis into information that is pertinent or relevant to the study. Due to limited time period and constrained working hours for most of the respondents, the answers at times were vague enough to be ignored. ?Most of the people in India take their Nike Shoes in the period preceding March so the response to initial contacts were not all encouraging and that has been the primary reason in the inability to quantify the results large enough so as to deduce any relevant outcomes. COMPANY PROFILE NIKE INDUSTRIES LTD. – A COMPANY PROFILE Nike India Ltd (BIL) is India‘s largest footwear company. Nike first established itself in India in 1931 and commenced manufacturing shoes in Batanagar in 1936. The company has its Headquarters in Kolkata and manufactures over 33 million pairs per year in five plants located in Batanagar (West Bengal), Faridabad (Haryana), Bangalore (Karnataka), Patna (Bihar), Hosur (Tamil Nadu). It secures its leather supply from two tanneries in Mokamehghat (Bihar) and Batanagar (West Bengal). It has a distribution network of over 1,500 retail stores and 27 wholesale depots provide excellent access to consumers and wholesale customers throughout India. As on December 31, 2006, the Canadian parent had a 51 per cent stake while institutional holding was about 13 per cent. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Nike India has said that it’s Faridabad and Mokamehghat units are being taken over by Fashion Shoe Private Ltd and BDCL Enterprises Pvt Ltd, respectively. The company is also enabling the buy back provision in its Articles of association to enable buy back of shares. The assets and liabilities of both the units will be transferred to these companies and shares will be offered in the agreed ratio to the existing shareholders of Nike India Ltd on a record date, which will be fixed by the Calcutta High Court. While retail sales have increased both in value and volume, wholesale sales have declined due to restriction of supplies as a means to recover customers‘outstanding. General recession and sluggish market conditions in the industry also have had a direct impact on lower sales and profitability. Resistance of consumers to price rises in popular volume products as well as discounts to clear slow-moving stocks and under utilization of production capacity adversely affected the operational results. The lockout declared at the Peenya factory on October 1, 2007 due to serious industrial relation problems and non-compliance with the tripartite settlement has been withdrawn. The footwear manufactured in this factory, which was shifted to the company‘s other factories and associated manufacturers, will now be gradually produced within the factory. The commencement of production from this factory will help in re-cooping the minimal loss being suffered by the company from this lockout. In Simonson’s words, â€Å"The benefits and costs of fitting individual customer preference are more complex and less deterministic than has been assumed. That’s because â€Å"customer preferences are often ill-defined and susceptible to various influences, and in many cases, customers have poor insight into their preferences. † In one of his recent papers, Simonson tackles the issue of one-to-one marketing and mass customization. Supporters of these marketing approaches have suggested that learning what customers want and giving them exactly what they want will create customer loyalty and an insurmountable barrier to competition. But Simonson has this to say: â€Å"The fact that consumer preferences are often fuzzy, unstable, and manipulatable is unlikely to change. So, the effectiveness of methods to give customers exactly what they (say they) want has been grossly exaggerated. † His take on the long-held assumption that individual marketing will supplant targeted marketing is â€Å"not so fast. † In studies, he has learned that â€Å"even when customers have well-defined preferences and receive offers that fit those preferences, it is far from certain that the response to such offers will consistently be more favorable than those directed at larger market segments. † It’s all psychology. Consumers with well-defined preferences may be skeptical that a marketer could match expectations. Those who don’t know what they want may not ever see the fit with what the seller wants them to buy. So, individualized offers depend on customers’ preferences ; how the offer was extended ; and on trust. â€Å"Effective individual marketing requires not only an understanding of individual preferences and matching offers to those preferences, but also a thorough familiarity with the various factors that impact customers’ responses,† Simonson writes. This is a tall order, one that some companies have been able to fill, at least to some extent. For example, Amazon keeps track of customers’ purchases and suggests other books they might like. Dell builds computers from mass-made parts to customers’ specifications. But Simonson argues some companies can take the concept too far, like the Custom Foot chain of shoe stores that took detailed measurements and specifications from each customer to design one-of-a-kind shoes. Custom Foot didn’t take into account that some customers were put off by the individualized attention, Simonson says, and felt obligated to buy the shoes because the store went to so much trouble. They often didn’t come back. So knowing only the customer preferences is not enough. It is required to understand other aspects of customer behavior. Kipping this in mind, present study will find out and analyze consumer behavior of Nike shoes with reference to ladies segment. FUTURE PLAN The management says that it is not averse to outsourcing if it worked out cheaper. It is also open to the idea of importing shoes mostly from China if it works out cheaper. Nike and Reebok India Company have announced an agreement to foray into retailing partnership for sale of Reebok and Rockport footwear in Nike outlets. The partnership entails retailing a range of sports shoes for walking, running, tennis and training for personal fitness and sports ranging between Rs 900-2,500. An attractive valuation compared to its peers is the main trigger for the scrip. Besides, the company’s aggressive focus on retailing and revamping of business (a division into shoes and apparels) is also helping sentiment for the scrip. Plans are afoot to start selling apparel in India made by the joint venture North Star. There’s talk that the company is planning on a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to cut costs. For the third quarter ended 30 September 2007, Nike India reduced its losses to Rs 5. 68 crore (Rs 8. 51 crore) on a 9. 2% increase in net profit to Rs 154. 27 crore (Rs 141. 26 crore). Despite reducing its losses for the quarter, Nike India has, over the last few quarters, been continuously recording weak performances as a result of an overall slowdown in the industry due to lower consumer spending. Increasing domestic competition, particularly from the unorganized sector, has also been eroding into the company’s market share. The company is finding it difficult to maintain its market share in a highly rice-sensitive Indian market, despite having strong brand recall. 97% of the company’s revenues are from the domestic market while the remainder is from exports. Nike India is the biggest player in the Indian shoe market. Nike India’s major problems include its high cost of production and low emphasis on marketing. The company may be able to address the first prob lem through outsourcing products. Bata’s brand image has been restricted to that of a company that emphasizes on utilitarian products more than trendy ones. Customers feel the company is lacking in innovation. Hence, their preference has shifted to other local brands. Nike India has a large marketing network with over 1,500 showrooms, 27 wholesale depots and eight retail distribution centers across the country. Besides, there is a network of 300 exclusive wholesalers servicing 25,000 dealers all over the country. However, in spite of this and the license to sell other brands like Nike, Hush Puppies and Lotto, Nike has not been able to improve sales consistently. The recent rise in sales during the third quarter ended September 2006 can be attributed to the festive season. Recently, it also entered into a retailing tie-up for Lee Cooper shoes. Nike India has also been trying to focus on aggressive marketing of its product. The company has been going through a period of transition for the past one year. With the expansion of the retail industry in New Delhi and Mumbai, the company has recently decided to shift its marketing operations to Delhi in order to provide value shopping for its customers. However, the manufacturing activity and the registered office will continue at Kolkata. Nike India has plans to invest in sophisticated machinery to retain its niche place in manufacturing. The company has put a fresh focus to its retail business. The company has decided to cleanse its wholesale operation by building relationships with credit-worthy buyers. It is to the company’s credit that it has lately overhauled its marketing set-up into a four-tier retail structure that will be stocked with products matching the area’s customer profile. A Nike outlet in an up market place will offer a distinctly different range of footwear from another in the suburbs. At the top of the four-tier structure will be international stores stocking brands like Nike and Reebok. Next will be city stores, located in up market areas and catering to middle and high-income groups. The company has identified the brands Power, North Star, Bubble gummers, Marie Claire and Hush Puppies for the top end of the market. Third in line will be family stores at commercial locations displaying basic and mid-range footwear. At the bottom will be bazaar stores that will basically aim at driving volume sales at lower price points. The management of Nike India is taking major steps in terms of improving market penetration, focus on stores configuration, distribution logistics, better industrial relations and overhead rationalization. Launching of new products always remained at the center stage of the company’s operations. At the same time, with the opening up of the economy, more and more goods will be imported from China. This may significantly affect Nike India’s prospects unless it manages to wean away customers with a drastic cut in costs. Alternatively, like other Indian manufacturers, even Nike may consider relocating its manufacturing bases in China. However, it is not that easy a task to undertake. Nike India, the 51% subsidiary of Toronto-based Nike Shoe Organization, remains the biggest player in the Indian shoe market, though its share in footfalls has been decreasing over the years. Now in a determined bid to straddle across all product and price points, Nike India has decided to restructure its 1,300-outlet strong retail business division along specific customer segments into Bazaar, Family, and City and Flagship stores. Nike India has decided to appoint brand managers for each product group in a newfound aggression to tackle dwindling sales. Each of these managers assisted by a dedicated team would be like a brand champion responsible for procurement, production, advertisement, promotion and re-supply. Nike India has roped in Ogilvy Mother for devising its festive season advertising, side-stepping JWT, its incumbent agency. The job involves developing special communication directed towards the festival season shoppers. Nike India Ltd (BIL) is India’s largest footwear company selling over 60 Mn pairs per year in India, USA, UK, Europe, Middle East and Far East. BIL has a market share of 60% in leather products and 70% in canvas shoes. The footwear industry in India is highly fragmented and dominated by the unorganized sector. The industry size is around Rs 75 Bn and is growing at around 10% annually. It competes with Indian players such as Liberty Shoes, Phoenix International, Mirza Tanners, Tatas, Action Shoes and Lakhani Shoes and global players like Adidas, Reebok and Nike. Accessories and garments contribute footwear sales account for more than 96% of sales while the balance. The turnover break up is as follows – ? Products Volume (%) Value (%) ?Rubber and Canvas 50: 30 ?Leather 29 :57 ?Plastic 21: 9 GROWTH DRIVERS The company has a very comprehensive distribution network which comprises its own and franchise stores. It has 1500 showrooms, 25 wholesale depots and 8 distribution centers. POPULAR BRANDS Nike owns brands like Hush Puppies, Signor, Marie Claire Power, Sandak, Hawai, Naughty boy and Ambassador. It also distributes other brands such as Nike and Lotto. Focus on middle-class and upper class Nike will continue to focus on middle and upper class customers. It is introducing ‘budget stores’ which will help customers to identify with the brand. It is also increasing focus on rural thrust for volume growth in the low-priced footwear segment. RISK AND CONCERN Lifting of quantitative restriction on import of footwear will lead to the market being flooded by imports. Labor issues have always bothered BIL and this resulted in disruption of manufacturing activities on numerous occasions. Competition is hotting up in the domestic market due to popular brands such as Gaitonde, Red Tape, Lotus Bawa and Tatas. These brands are gaining market share especially in the premium segment and in this segment BIL has no significant presence. Latest Results Sales for Q3 FY2000 increased by 5. 5% yoy to Rs1. 7bn. profits dropped by 90% yoy to Rs3. 8 Mn due to lower operating margins and higher depreciation and interest. Depreciation increased by 6. 3% yoy to Rs 37 Mn while interest cost increased by 9. % yoy to Rs 23. 4 Mn. Operating margins dropped by 3. 3% due to increase in input cost. The Peenya plant has not commenced operations despite lifting up of the lock out since July 3, 2007. VALUATION BIL’s long-term success is dependent on the how labour issue is tackled and the flexibility, which it can adopt to meet threat of imports and competition from lo cal footwear companies. Long term investors with a two-year investment horizon can accumulate the stock at current levels. It is also increasing focus on rural thrust for volume growth in the low-priced footwear segment. Lifting of quantitative restriction on import of footwear will lead to the market being flooded by imports. Labor issues have always bothered BIL and this resulted in disruption of manufacturing activities on numerous occasions. Competition is hotting up in the domestic market due to popular brands such as Gaitonde, Red Tape, Lotus Bawa and Tatas. These brands are gaining market share especially in the premium segment and in this segment BIL has no significant presence. Sales for Q1 CY2001 decreased marginally by 0. 6% yoy to Rs 1590. 7 mn. There was a net loss of Rs 30. 2 mn as against a profit of Rs 39. mn in the corresponding period of the previous year. The loss is due to lower operating margins and higher interest. BIL’s long-term success is dependent on the labor issue and the flexibility, which it can adopt to meet threat of imports and competition from local footwear companies. Long term investors with a two-year investment horizon can accumulate the stock at current l evels. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (In Rs Million) 200012 (12) 199912 (12) 199812 (12) Q1200103 Q1200003 Sales 7,315. 70 7,103. 90 6,353. 20 1590. 7 1600. 9 % Growth 2. 98 11. 82 (0. 6) Net Profit 304. 60 242. 60 166. 30 (30. 2) 39. 6 % Growth 25. 56 45. 88 (176) EPS(Rs) 5. 90 4. 70 3. 20 3. 08 % Growth 25. 53 46. 88 Ratios 200012 (12) 199912 (12) 199812 (12) Q300009 Q399909 OPM(%) 9. 77 9. 08 7. 16 1. 09 6. 9 NPM(%) 4. 16 3. 42 2. 62 2. 5 ROE(%) 8. 95 7. 44 5. 31 Nike understated 9 month losses Brief Financials (in Rs. Mn. )Detailed Quarterly Period ending (months)30-Sep-2007 (9)31-Dec-2006 (12)31-Dec-2006 (12) Net sales 4980. 206461. 177172. 91 Other Income42. 1063. 6165. 21 Total Income5022. 306524. 777238. 12 Cost of goods sold4974. 706471. 797051. 76 OPBDIT47. 6052. 98186. 36 PAT-117. 20-74. 1039. 80 Gross Block-2191. 072062. 26 Equity capital-514. 22514. 22 EPS (Rs. )1. 440. 77 DPS (Rs. )-0. 000. 75 BV (Rs. )-37. 2738. 71 P/E range (x)-0. 0 0. 00. 0 0. 0 Debt / Equity (x)-0. 320. 26 Operating margin (% of OI) 0. 90. 82. 6 Net margin (% of OI)-2. 3-1. 10. 5 As on 30 June 2007, the public, institutions and foreign bodies held 31. 23%, 13. 91% and 0. 16% stake in the company, respectively LITERATURE REVIEW The study of consumer behavior has evolved since the Information Processing Model (Bettman, 1979) assumed that the individual is logical in his/her buying process. This model was criticized because it failed to treat different consumption phenomena motivated by symbolic meanings (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982). Individuals are not always looking for efficiency and economy, but also for distraction, aesthetic, expression, etc. (Boyd and Levy, 1963). Calling for a broadening of theoretical frameworks of consumer behavior, many authors pleaded in favor of the study of all consumption forms (Holbrook, 1986), being inspired by European semi logy and American semiotic (Levy, 1959, 1963, 1981; Hirschman, 1980; Kehret-Ward, Johnson and Louie, 1985; Mick, 1986; Holbrook, 1986; O’Shaughnessy and Holbrook, 1988; Noth, 1988; Stern, 1988; Grafton-Small and Linstead, 1989). These are the study of signs, meanings and production of symbols. Fantasy, emotion and pleasant aspects of consumption were then tackled from an experiential point of view. The Experiential View is a phenomenological perspective that perceives consumption as a primary state of consciousness having a variety of symbolic meanings, responses and hedonist criteria (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982; Olshavsky and Granbois, 1979). The basis of the traditional Information Processing Model is the optimization of the utility of a product under the basis of a utilitarian evaluation of its tangible characteristics. Nevertheless, it neglects emotional aspects. On the other hand, the Experiential View leaves out different factors such as economic conditions, expectations, some elements of the marketing mix (price, distribution), perceived risk and conflicts, but mostly the social influence of the consumers’ reference groups (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982; Business Central Europe, 1994) which is the aim of the Symbolic Interactionism Perspective. Acquisition, possession and consumption are activities taking place in a process of impressions creation or identity management which is, according to Belk (1978), an interactive process concerning both the image of goods consumed and that of the individuals consuming them. The Symbolic Interactionism Perspective deals with the relationship between consumers and the products they consume, and suggests that a significant proportion of consumption behaviors consist of social behaviors, and vice versa (Solomon, 1983). This leads us to consider the importance of socialization processes (family, reference groups) through which individuals learn the meanings of symbols and those of consumption. With the aforementioned meanings being negotiated and built through interactions with others, consumption is not only an individual activity, but also a social process of goods definition (Gallant and Kleinman, 1983). Since individuals are often motivated to acquire products according to what they mean to them and to members of their social reference groups (Leigh and Gabel, 1992), their behavior is subject to the pressures of cultural norms and the expectations of socialization institutions rules such as those coming from family and other reference groups (Faber, O’Guinn and McCarthy, 1987; Engel, Blackwell and Miniard, 1993). Thus, Symbolic Interactionism Perspective considers the human spirit as fundamentally social, and dependent on shared symbols. The symbols being generated at a global level (Geertz, 1973; Solomon, 1983; McCracken, 1986, 1988; Leigh and Gabel, 1992), the Symbolic Interactionism Perspective accepts as precept the fact that society and its culture precede every individual action, and that a cultural consensus results from interactions, communication, and negotiation between social actors (Charon, 1989). If, at a conceptual level, the consumption good becomes an instrument of communication, at an operational level, image variables may be regarded as the intangible attributes of the product that carry cultural and social meanings. According to Erickson, Johansson and Chao (1984), an image variable is defined as â€Å"some aspect of the product that is distinct from its physical characteristics but that is nevertheless identified with the product†. The image variables emerge from four cognitive representations individuals have of their environment: the symbolism of advertising, the celebrity endorsement, the brand, and the country of origin of the product. The made-in is considered by Dichter (1962) as the fifth element of the marketing mix, and is defined as the country where are located the corporate headquarters of the organization doing the marketing of the product or the brand (Johansson, Douglas and Nonaka, 1985). The country of origin carries a rhetoric that influences consumers’ preconceptions towards the products of a country. Its meaning can be conceived as an indication serving as a basis of evaluation (Bilkey and Nes, 1982), when one considers a product as a bundle of information. Consequently, according to Kaynak and Cavusgil (1983), the images of a foreign country that are formed by consumers are made of cognitive, affective and behavioral components. The first one represents the perceived characteristics of the country. The second one concerns the appreciation or not of those characteristics, and the third one corresponds to the actions about the country that the consumer feels are appropriate. A tendency to evaluate positively the local production compared to imported production, and biases in favor of industrialized countries have been found in previous studies (Bilkey and Nes, 1982; Cordell, 1992). This does not mean the consumer will not buy the product, but rather that he is not inclined to do so (Schooler, 1971). â€Å"When entering foreign markets, sellers often face quotas, tariffs, and non-tariff barriers. In addition, they may face an intangible barrier in the form of consumer bias on the basis of product origin† (Schooler, 1971). The informational value of the country of origin was also found to vary according to the level of involvement of the consumer in purchasing the product and the presence of other cues such as brand name, guarantee and price (Ahmed and d’Astous, 1993). In a recently published meta-analysis of country-of-origin effects, Peterson and Jolibert (1995) conclude that the average effect size is lower (0. 19) for purchase intention, higher (0. 30) for quality/reliability perceptions and context dependent. More specifically, they found that the characteristics of the study (research design, type of respondents, study cues, sample size, stimulus context etc. ) influence the relative effect of country-of-origin to a lesser degree for quality/reliability perceptions than for purchase intention. However, the type of respondents (students, consumers or businesspeople) had no influence on quality/reliability perceptions. Stanford GSB marketing professor Itamar Simonson and Ran Kivetz, an assistant professor at Columbia University, asked a group of 195 Columbia students to do; eat a lot of sushi. Participants were offered a frequent diner program that would reward them for their patronage at various university dining locations and given a card that would track their purchases. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups those in the low requirement group were told they would have to purchase 12 sandwiches to get two free movie tickets, whereas those in the high requirement group were told they would have to purchase 12 sandwiches and 12 orders of sushi to get two free movie tickets. So, the second group had to do much more to receive the same reward. Kivetz and Simonson also asked participants how much they liked sushi relative to the typical student. The result? Students who liked sushi were much more likely to join the frequent diner program that required them to purchase both 12 sandwiches and 12 orders of sushi. It shows a common mistake that consumers make if they see an offer that seems to fit them better than other consumers, for example, a program that requires sushi-lovers to eat sushi that fit completely colors their assessment of how attractive the offer is, Simonson says. As a result, by creating what appears like personal fit, marketers can attract consumers to frequency programs and many other promotional offers. Kivetz and Simonson replicated these findings regarding influences on participation in frequency, or loyalty, programs in studies with travelers interviewed at domestic airports. The sushi study is among a number of studies Simonson has been conducting since the late 1980s about how consumers make choices. Much of his work debunks the accepted theory that giving consumers what they want and making a profit are the most basic principles of marketing. The theme that pervades Simonsons work is that customers may not know what they want and second-guessing them can be expensive. In his words, â€Å"The benefits and costs of fitting individual customer preference are more complex and less deterministic than has been assumed. Thats because, Simonson says, customer preferences are often ill-defined and susceptible to various influences, and in many cases, customers have poor insight into their preferences. In another recent paper, Simonson tackles the issue of one-to-one marketing and mass customization. Supporters of these marketing approaches have suggested that learning what customers want and giving them exactly what they want will create customer loyalty and an insurmountable barrier to competition. In an example taken to the extreme in the 2007 movie Minority Report, Tom Cruises character Anderson runs through a shopping mall past talking billboards that recognize him by name and urge him to buy products he has expressed interest in such as jeans and Ray-Bans; the ultimate in personalized advertising. But Simonson has this to say: The fact that consumer preferences are often fuzzy, unstable, and manipulatable is unlikely to change. So, the effectiveness of methods to give customers exactly what they (say they) want has been grossly exaggerated. His take on the long-held assumption that individual marketing will supplant targeted marketing is not so fast. Thats because consumers are very difficult to figure out, science fiction and technology notwithstanding. Furthermore, even when customers have well-defined preferences and receive offers that fit those preferences, it is far from certain that the response to such offers will consistently be more favorable than those directed at larger market segments. Its all psychology. Consumers with well-defined preferences may be skeptical that a marketer could match expectations. Those who dont know what they ant may not ever see the fit with what the seller wants them to buy. So, individualized offers depend on customers preferences; how the offer was extended and on trust. Effective individual marketing requires not only an understanding of individual preferences and matching offers to those preferences, but also a thorough familiarity with the various factors that impact customers responses, he writes. This is a tall order, one that some companies have been able to fill at least to some extent. For example, Amazon keeps track of customers’ purchases and suggests other books they might like. Dell builds computers from mass-made parts to customers specifications. But Simonson argues some companies can take the concept too far, like the Custom Foot chain of shoe stores that took detailed measurements and specifications from each customer to design one-of-a-kind shoes. Simonson argues that Custom Foot didnt take into account that some customers were put off by the individualized attention and felt obligated to buy the shoes because the store went to so much trouble. They often didnt come back. Indeed, an Internet search produces no Website. Simonson, who has received many prestigious awards for his research on consumer behavior and marketing, teaches MBA and Ph. D. marketing and consumer decision-making courses. The loyalty program article is slated for publication in the Journal of Marketing Research this year. Online customization gives consumers the opportunity to choose characteristics they want in a product when they shop for it online. Many companies are looking at online customization as the future of online business Janis Crow, Kansas State University marketing instructor, researched how people make choices on the Internet. She recently studied consumers in an online environment and their ability to customize several products pizza, shoes, and electronic devices. Crow said that her study posed two questions for respondents: first, how difficult is it to customize a product, and secondly, how likely is the person to purchase the product he or she has customized? All participants in the study chose to customize products. In terms of customers’ likelihood to purchase, a greater number of customers made purchase decisions when there are more options to choose, she said. However, it was slightly more difficult when more features were offered. She created a website where people could customize products to their individual preferences and needs. Crow selected three generic products: pizza, shoes, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Thirty-one college students took part in the study. Students could customize the three products, and I provided a drop-down box on the site with attributes to choose from, she explained. Consumers could click on a drop-down box to customize a product they would want to purchase, she said. She found that more people relied on the default choices rather than selecting other choices that were offered. She said, some research suggests that many people do not want to put a lot of effort into purchase decisions. A lot of times, people may not have preferences already in mind, she said. When consumers have the chance to create preferences, the question is whether they rely on previous preferences or if they develop new ones, she said. In the future, Crow says she will be studying strategies that consumers go through during purchase decisions. I will be studying decision processes to develop computer aids that could help the consumer reach their purchase decision, she said. Although her current project involves analyzing the consumer behavior of college students in an online environment, in future projects she plans to analyze other demographic groups. † Customization will be a key business opportunity in the future for businesses online or in more typical shopping envi ronments, Crow said. She hopes her research will help consumers in making purchase decisions and help businesses determine products to offer and how to offer them. Hong Kong companies, including leather consumer goods suppliers, have shown a growing interest in tapping the mainland consumer market after Chinas accession to the World Trade Organization and gradual opening of its domestic market. For Hong Kong companies targeting this vast market, a good understanding of the behavior of mainland consumers is necessary in order to formulate an effective and suitable market strategy. In view of this, the HKTDC conducted a survey study in four major mainland cities in February 2007. The study was composed of two interlocking surveys. The first survey (survey on shoppers) successfully interviewed a total of 1,000 shoppers of leather consumer goods in four major cities, namely Beijing (BJ), Chengdu (CD), Guangzhou (GZ) and Shanghai (SH). The second survey (survey on retailers) interviewed managers/officers-in-charge of major department stores in these four cities. The survey study analyses leather consumer goods in terms of consumer behavior, the competitiveness of Hong Kong brands and the consumer segments with the greatest biggest spending power. The main survey findings are as follows: CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Shopping locations, Department stores were the most preferred type of retailers, followed by outlets in shopping malls and chain stores. Product variety, guaranteed quality, brand choice, price, services and store environment were cited as the major reasons for visiting a leather consumer goods store. SHOPPING TIME Thirty-eight percent of respondents visited leather consumer goods shops at least once a month. Shopping during weekends is common. Other popular shopping occasions include National Day (1st October), Chinese New Year (January/February), New Years Day (January) and Labour Day (1st May). MARKETING CHANNELS Promotional activities in shopping malls and department stores are the most popular promotional and sales activities, followed by discount/price reduction, TV commercials, discount coupons, promotional stands, exhibitions, buy-one- (or more) gets-one-free. PURCHASING POWER On average, respondents owned 4. 2 pairs of shoes, 1. 2 pieces of wallets, 1. 3 pieces of belts and 1. 3 pieces of handbags/briefcases. Over the past 12 months, an average respondents spending on leather consumer goods was as follows: Shoes: RMB 597 (total) RMB 328 (per pair) Wallet: RMB 226 (total) and RMB 193 (per piece) Belt: RMB 220 (total) and RMB 194 (per piece) Handbag/briefcase: RMB 476 (total) and RMB 359 (per piece) SELECTION CRITERIA When choosing leather consumer goods, product quality stood out as the principal consideration for respondents, followed by product material, craftsmanship, style/design, price and brand. POPULAR BRANDS Most respondents considered brands important. 4PS OF NIKE Nike’s 4Ps comprised of the following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service: Pricing: Nike’s pricing is designed to be competitive to the other fashion shoe retailers. The pricing is based on the basis of premium segment as target customers. Nike as a brand commands high premium. Place: Nike shoes are distributed to Multi Brand store front and the exclusive Nike stores across countries. While this necessitates a second trip for the customer to come and pick up the shoes, it allows Nike to offer a much wider selection than any of the competition. Promotion: Location, targeted advertising in the newspaper and strategic alliances serves as the foundation of Nike advertising and promotion effort. The athletes and other famous sports personalities are always taken as brand ambassadors. They form the prime building blocks of their portion strategy. Product: The product range of Nike comprise of shoes, sports wear, watches etc. Its product history began with long distance running shoes in 1963. (Past 17 years: Air Jordan basketball shoes). Wide range of shoes, apparel and equipment. For example: ? Nike Oregon Digital Super Watch ?Nike Presto Cee Digital Medium Watch ?Nike Presto Cee Digital Small Watch ?Nike Ron Analog Watch ?Nike Triax 10 Regular Watch ?Nike Triax Armored II Analog Super Watch ?Nike Womens Imara Fit Digital Watch SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT ANALYSIS NIKE, INC. STRENGTHS ?Nike is a very competitive organization. Phil Knight (Founder and CEO) is often quoted as saying that Business is war without bullets. Nike has a healthy dislike of is competitors. At the Atlanta Olympics, Reebok went to the expense of sponsoring the games. Nike did not. However Nike sponsored the top athletes and gained valuable coverage. ?Nike has no factories. It does not tie up cash in buildings and manufacturing workers. This makes a very lean organization. Nike is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative product range. They then manufacture wherever they can produce high quality product at the lowest possible price. If prices rise, and products can be made more cheaply elsewhere (to the same or better specification), Nike will move production. ?Nike is a global brand. It is the number one sports brand in the World. Its famous Swoosh is instantly recognizable, and Phil Knight even has it tattooed on his ankle. WEAKNESSES ?The organization does have a diversified range of sports products. However, the income of the business is still heavily dependent upon its share of the footwear market. This may leave it vulnerable if for any reason its market share erodes. ?The retail sector is very price sensitive. Nike does have its own retailer in Nike Town. However, most of its income is derived from selling into retailers. Retailers tend to offer a very similar experience to the consumer. Can you tell one sports retailer from another? So margins tend to get squeezed as retailers try to pass some of the low price competition pressure onto Nike. OPPORTUNITIES ?Product development offers Nike many opportunities. The brand is fiercely defended by its owners whom truly believe that Nike is not a fashion brand. However, like it or not, consumers that wear Nike product do not always buy it to participate in sport. Some would argue that in youth culture especially, Nike is a fashion brand. This creates its own opportunities, since product could become unfashionable before it wears out i. e. consumers need to replace shoes. ?There is also the opportunity to develop products such as sport wear, sunglasses and jewellery. Such high value items do tend to have associated with them, high profits. ?The business could also be developed internationally, building upon its strong global brand recognition. There are many markets that have the disposable income to spend on high value sports goods. For example, emerging markets such as China and India have a new richer generation of consumers. There are also global marketing events that can be utilized to support the brand such as the World Cup (soccer) and The Olympics. THREATS ?Nike is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean that Nike may be manufacturing and/or selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global brands. ?The market for sports shoes and garments is very competitive. The model developed by Phil Knight in his Stamford Business School days (high value branded product manufactured at a low cost) is now commonly used and to an extent is no longer a basis for sustainable competitive advantage. Competitors are developing alternative brands to take away Nikes market share. ?As discussed above in weaknesses, the retail sector is becoming price competitive. This ultimately means that consumers are shopping around for a better deal. So if one store charges a price for a pair of sports shoes, the consumer could go to the store along the street to compare prices for the exactly the same item, and buy the cheaper of the two. Such consumer price sensitivity is a potential external threat to Nike. DATA ANALYSIS 1. Demography of respondents ANALYSIS: It was observed that the majority of the respondents consist of professional from various fields like engineers, software professionals, working executive etc. who effective form 38% of our database. While 36% were students from various fields. Others constitute designers and athletes etc. he further study is carried on the buying behavior of the above mentioned categories of consumer, which shows that our consumer is well educated and is very well informed about the product. 2. Consumer’s income level and spending capacity on shoes ANALYSIS: In the survey conducted a direct relation between the income level and the spending capacity was observed. Also it was found that students were spending in the range of Rs 1000 – Rs 3000 as compared to the working class professionals who were ready to spend between Rs 3000 – Rs 6000, since they have higher spending power because of higher income levels. SHOPPING SEASON ANALYSIS: Amongst the student and the prof