Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Education Essay He taonga te reo: Honouring te reo me ona tikanga1, the Maori language and culture, within early childhood education in Aotearoa2. Dr Jenny Ritchie, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Teacher Education, Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand Abstract This paper considers data from recent research which illustrates the ways in which tamariki (children), whanau (families) and educators are integrating the use of the Maori language within their everyday educational interactions, as mandated by the bilingual New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996). Languages reflect cultures, expressing our deeper meanings and representations. Inscribed within verbal and non-verbal languages are our ways of being, knowing and doing (Martin, 2008). Jeanette Rhedding-Jones has inquired in her Norwegian multicultural context as to â€Å"What kinds of constructions are the monocultural professionals creating for cross-cultural meetings and mergings? † (2001, p. 5). What follows is an exploration of strategies by which Maori ways of being, knowing and doing are being enacted through the medium of te reo in early childhood centres. Introduction Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), the first bicultural education curriculum in Aotearoa, reaffirmed a commitment already widely acknowledged across the early childhood education sector in this country, to Te Tiriti o Waitangi3, and the validation and inclusion of te reo me ona tikanga4 as an integrated component of early childhood education programmes. Te Whariki contains strong clear statements of expectations for educators in terms of enacting te reo Maori within their teaching: New Zealand is the home of Maori language and culture: curriculum in early childhood settings should promote te reo and nga tikanga Maori, making them visible and affirming their value for children from all cultural backgrounds. Adults working with children should demonstrate an understanding of the different iwi and the meaning of whanau and whanaungatanga5 (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 42) The juxtaposition of the promotion of te reo and tikanga alongside whanau and whanaungatanga is insightful. Previous research had identified that as early childhood 1 2 Te reo is the Maori language, tikanga are Maori beliefs, values and cultural practices. Aotearoa is a Maori name for New Zealand. 3 Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between Maori chiefs and the British Crown, promised protections to Maori of their lands and taonga – everything of value to Maori , which includes their languages, beliefs, values and traditions. 4 Te reo is the Maori language and tikanga are Maori cultural practices. This phrase, literally, â€Å"the language and its cultural practices† demonstrates how intrinsically the language and culture are linked. 5 Iwi are tribes, whanau are families, and whanaungatanga is the building of relationships. 2 educators generate an environment reflective and inclusive of Maori values such as whanaungatanga, Maori families are more comfortable and become more involved within that early childhood setting (Ritchie, 2002). Te reo Maori has been severely jeopardised by the processes of colonisation. As Mere Skerrett has written: Maori ways of speaking were also colonised through the subjugation of te reo Maori, to be replaced by English. This, at times violent, process of colonisation caused a disruption in the intergenerational transmission of Maori language, Maori knowledge and, as a consequence, disrupted Maori lives and Maori societies. (2007, p. 7) Whanau Maori have consistently stated their preference that their children learn their language and culture within education contexts (AGB/McNair, 1992; M.Durie, 2001; Else, 1997; Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development, 1998) in affirmation of their identity as Maori, since â€Å"Te reo Maori serves as the medium through which symbolic and cultural components are properly united and Maoriness most appropriately expressed† (A. Durie, 1997, p. 152). Young children learn languages comparatively easily. Early childhood centres are a logical site for young children to have opportunities to learn te reo Maori, in naturalistic experiential ways, consistent with both early childhood and second language learning pedagogies (Cummins, 2001; Ritchie, 1994). This will only occur if we are able to provide them with a linguistically rich environment and authentic language models. It is reasonable that Maori parents might expect that their children will not acquire poor pronunciation of their own language from their educational experiences. Previous Research In 1999 as part of my doctoral research (Ritchie, 2002), I observed 13 different early childhood settings in the Waikato area (Ritchie, 1999). I noted that in most of the settings there was at least one staff member who attempted to use some Maori language. This was a stronger use of te reo than Pam Cubey observed in eight Wellington early childhood centres in 1992, when she reported that virtually no Maori language was heard (Cubey, 1992). During my observations, the most frequent usage of te reo Maori were ‘commands’, such as: â€Å"Haere mai ki te kai; E tu tamariki; E noho; Haere mai ki te whariki; Horoi o ringaringa†6. There were also instances of counting and naming colours in te reo Maori. Several staff repeatedly inserted single Maori nouns within some of their regular English sentences, for example, â€Å"Do you want some fruit? Some panana 6. Haere mai ki te kai – come and eat E tu tamariki – stand up children E noho- sit down Haere mai ki te whariki – come to the mat Horoi o ringaringa – wash your hands panana – banana aporo- apple taringa – ear(s) waha mouth 3 or some aporo? Turn on your taringa, zip up your waha†. During my visits, eight of the 13 centres sang at least one song in te reo Maori, usually at structured mat-times, which were compulsory for all children. These teachers identified confidence and competence as barriers, because, as one teacher explained, â€Å"you feel like a real twit when it comes out wrong†. I was concerned that the available te reo Maori resources appeared to be under-utilised and that the range of language use was restricted to simple commands, the use of colour names and counting in Maori. This indicated reliance on a limited range of vocabulary, with little knowledge of Maori grammar. Teachers expressed their need for support and encouragement to broaden their ‘comfort zone’ beyond single words, to using complete and more complex phrases that represent linguistically authentic Maori structures. I suggested that teachers consider widening the range of formats in which they used Maori phrases. Recent data Whilst 6. 58% of registered early childhood teachers are Maori (Ministry of Education, 2007), only 1. 6% of New Zealanders of European ancestry speak Maori (Ministry of Social Development, 2007). Early childhood teachers’ use of te reo may seem encouraging in that 75% of Pakeha early childhood teachers said that they use some Maori whilst  teaching, yet 70% of these teachers reported themselves as speaking Maori â€Å"not very well† (Harkess, 2004, p. 12). In 2006 we reported on a two-year study7 with a range of participants, which included early childhood educators, an Iwi Education Initiative8, teacher educators, specialist educators and professional learning providers, co-exploring strategies for supporting the involvement of whanau Maori within early childhood settings other than Kohanga Reo9 (Ritchie Rau, 2006). Using narrative (Connelly Clandinin, 1990; Schulz, Schroeder, Brody, 1997) and Kaupapa Maori (Bishop, 2005; Smith, 1999, 2005) research methodologies, we explored early childhood educators’ strategies for encouraging the participation of whanau Maori within early childhood education settings, and ways for implementing understandings of commitments derived from Te Tiriti o Waitangi as expressed in the bicultural early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, through the delivery of Tiriti-based programmes10. Participants in this study were those who were strongly committed to implementing Tiriti-based practice. Pedagogical enactment described in this study was consistent with 7 This project was funded through the Teaching Learning Research Initiative, a fund provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, and administered by NZCER. 8 We gratefully acknowledge the support and contribution of Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative to the Whakawhanaungatanga study. 9 Kohanga Reo are Maori-medium educational settings where young children are immersed in the Maori language and culture in a whanau-based context. 10 The term Tiriti-based practice is derived from a commitment to Te Tiriti oWaitangi, the treaty signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and the British Crown, that legitimated the presence of immigrants, initially from Britain, alongside the tangata whenua, Maori, the indigenous people of this land. 4 a view of Maori language and cultural practices as being holistically and simultaneously performed. This enactment includes daily welcoming and spiritual rituals in te reo, and is inclusive of waiata11. This climate generated a sense of welcoming and safety for Maori families, which resulted in their increasing involvement in centre reo and tikanga implementation. An educator demonstrated how this whanau participation was integral within their early childhood centre programming: â€Å"In partnership with whanau we  introduce new waiata each term, and tikanga experiences, such as, hangi, powhiri, harakeke, [and] legends of the whanau, hapu12, and iwi attending the service. † Other Maori co-researchers within the Whakawhanaungatanga research project also identified aspects of Te Ao Maori13 that they would like to see reflected within early childhood education and care settings. They considered it important that Maori parents and whanau sense a match between their values and those of educational settings. They valued a sense of whanaungatanga generated and enacted within the early childhood centre, whereby tamariki and whanau, kuia and kaumatua, and other whanau members such as â€Å"Aunties† (Martin, 2007) participated as a collective, learning and teaching alongside the teachers and children, educators sharing responsibility and demonstrating willingness to identify and support the needs of all members of that collective. In this vision, te reo Maori is modelled and integrated throughout the programme, with support for adults to increase their own facility with the language alongside their children, and there is ongoing everyday enactment of tikanga such as: rituals of welcoming and farewell; sharing of kai14; a value of inclusiveness; reference to Te Ao Wairua15 and nga Atua16, and annual celebrations such as Matariki. 17 Children, in this view are exposed to te reo as part of the daily enactment of Maori beliefs, values and practices. Co-researchers in this project demonstrated a commitment to integrating te reo and tikanga within their centre practice, in ways that were meaningful and contextual for children and families. Working with natural materials, such as harakeke (flax), provided a source of learning of traditional knowledge, involving the planting and care of the flax bushes, weaving of rourou18, children observing alongside adults, connected to the land and its spiritual significance, as Ana, a Playcentre kaiako, described: So even though we had those harakeke within our centre boundary, in our lawn, we knew that the pa harakeke19 of that harakeke that we had, came 11 12 Waiata are songs. Hangi are feasts cooked in earth ovens, powhiri are greeting ceremonies, harakeke is flax, and hapu are sub-tribes 13 Te Ao Maori is the Maori world. 14 Kai is food 15 Te Ao Wairua is the spiritual dimension. 16 Nga Atua are supernatural beings, or gods. 17 Matariki is the constellation whose arrival announces the Maori New Year. 18 Rourou are flax food baskets. 19 Pa harakeke are flax bushes, often planted as a source of flax for weaving and rongoa (medicinal remedies), and also refers metaphorically to the nurturing by the wider family of the offspring, the younger shoots. 5 from a bigger picture. And all the natural resources on our little wagon inside, in the area of where they go and make pictures and glue things and make structures out of the driftwood and put their shells and tie their shells on and harakeke, they might have been just in the rourou baskets, but we knew and the tamariki knew they come from this bigger picture out there in the whenua20, because they had gone to get them. So we brought our big world reality and our spiritual world reality into the bounds of that centre. Pania, a Maori kindergarten teacher, spoke of her bilingual approach as being like a whariki,21 †¦where you get two strands and you build them together to make your little kete22 or your whariki of learning. And [implementing a bilingual approach] is a way that I can facilitate my programme that is non-threatening. It’s an option for the child – and the parent – whether they would like to do it, but it’s also another teaching technique and a resource and a learning strategy. Daisy, a Pakeha kindergarten teacher, actively researched aspects of tikanga that she was interested in integrating into her teaching: I wrote a story and what I wanted to do was encompass the tikanga aspects on collecting kai moana23. I wanted it to be something Pakeha could grasp, something simple, that was really clear and conveying the tikanga aspects because it’s not just about going down to the beach and picking up a few pipis24, its deeper than that, there’s a lot of kaupapa25 behind it. How did I know about all the tikanga? —I’ve never gone out collecting kai moana in my life? Research, korero26 with others more knowledgeable. As far as getting it to children it needs to be simple and straight-forward. The pipi story is focused on Tangaroa,27 the protocols around that. The tamariki seem to enjoy it, but in order to deepen their understanding, and extend the story, I set up the pipi hunt in the sandpit. So the story was a visual and a listening experience, whereas the pipi hunt was a tactile experience, so that then I think I would have managed to tap into every child’s way of learning. Daisy also involved whanau Maori of her centre in her planning, although she took primary responsibility for researching the reo and tikanga that was to be incorporated. Incorporating te reo and tikanga was more effective when educators were committed both individually and collectively to proactively integrating this within planning, teaching 20 Whenua is land. Whariki are woven flax mats. 22 A kete is a woven flax basket. 23 Kai moana are seafoods. 24 Pipi are cockles. 25 Kaupapa is philosophy. 26 Korero is talking. 27 Tangaroa is the Atua, supernatural being, or God, of the sea. 21 6 interactions, programme evaluation, and centre review. Many of the Pakeha coresearchers have worked hard over the years to increase their competence in te reo, and continue to do so, by taking courses. At Ariel’s childcare centre, all the teachers had attended a reo course offered in their local community. Penny, a kindergarten head teacher who was also studying te reo, explained that as her own confidence grew, and supported by her co-teacher, the quality of te reo within the centre programme continued to strengthen, as â€Å"the reo is fed in gently and quietly†. Respondents from the Hei Ara Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative data articulated aspirations for early childhood education services that envisioned all children as being supported to become biculturally and bilingually competent. The following example recognises the important role of early childhood services in offering quality models of te reo Maori: To be fully bicultural and therefore bilingual all children in Aotearoa/NZ should have the opportunity to learn to be fluent in Maori and English and develop understanding of both cultures’ world view. We need proficient Maori speaking teachers in all ECE learning environments. It is not enough to use Maori language in directives – information – acknowledgment contexts. We need to work towards providing environments where children can use the target language, be completely immersed in te reo Maori. We need to promote environments where the conscientization of language is constructed as normal to prevent dialogue being used by teachers to act on children. Teachers and children need to be using dialogue to work with each other – co-constructing. In order to reflect this, we need to provide environments rich in Maori language. We need proficient speaking Maori teachers! Regurgitating learnt phrases will not provide the opportunities for children to really conscientise their experiences, that is, thinking in Maori. Only a very high level of exposure in Maori will do that. Honouring the indigenous language and culture of this country remains an ongoing challenge for educators, particularly given the legacy of colonialistic arrogance that has limited access for many people, both Maori and non-Maori. Kaupapa Maori models are providing inspirational pedagogical models that honour te reo me ona tikanga (Skerrett, 2007). However, as the numbers of Maori children in education services other than kaupapa Maori remains high, the onus is on educators in these sectors to find strategies to provide Maori children and families with the language that is their birth-right and source of identity as affirmed by Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child (1989), which requires that: In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of Indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is Indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language. 7 Conclusion Maori continue to seek education provision that respects and honours their identity, including the linguistic affirmation of authentic models of te reo Maori (Robertson, Gunn, Lanumata, Pryor, 2007). As early childhood educators seek to deliver on the expectations outlined in the early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), there remain many challenges, not the least of which is the lack of linguistic competence in te reo Maori of the vast majority of teachers (Harkess, 2004). Our research indicates that educators who are dedicated to an ongoing journey of reflexive praxis founded in a commitment to social justice and the promise of Tiriti-based partnership are generating early childhood programmes which respectfully reflect the Maori language and culture, and this in turn encourages the participation of whanau Maori in these services. References AGB/McNair. (1992). Survey of Demand for Bilingual and Immersion Education in Maori. A Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: AGB/McNair. Bishop, R. (2005). Freeing Ourselves from Neocolonial Domination in Research: A Kaupapa Maori Approach to Creating Knowledge. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 109-164). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Connelly, F. M., Clandinin, D. J. (1990). Stories of Experience and Narrative Inquiry. Educational Researcher, 19(5), 2-14. Cubey, P. (1992). Responses to the Treaty of Waitangi in Early Childhood Care and Education. Unpublished M. Ed. Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington. Cummins, J. (Ed. ). (2001). Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Durie, A. (1997). Te Aka Matua. Keeping a Maori Identity. In P. Te Whaiti, M. McCarthy A. Durie (Eds. ), Mai i Rangiatea. Maori Wellbeing and Development (pp. 142-162). Auckland: Auckland University Press with Bridget Williams Books. Durie, M. (2001). A Framework for Considering Maori Educational Advancement. Paper presented at the Hui Taumata Matauranga, Turangi/Taupo. Else, A. (1997). Maori Participation Performance in Education. A Literature Review and Research Programme. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Harkess, C. (2004). Ethnicity in the Early Childhood Education Teacher-led Workforce. Demographic and Statistical Analysis Unit: Ministry of Education. 8 Martin, K. (2007). Making Tracks and Reconceptualising Aboriginal Early Childhood Education: An Aboriginal Australian Perspective. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 15-20. Martin, K. (2008). Please knock before you enter. Aboriginal regulation of Outsiders and the implications for researchers. Teneriffe: Post Pressed. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki. He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Ministry of Education. (2007). Nga Haeata Matauranga. Education 2006/2007. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Annual Report on Maori Ministry of Social Development. (2007). The Social Report. Retrieved 30 July, 2008 from http://www. socialreport. msd. govt. nz/documents/sr07-cultural-identity. pdf Rhedding-Jones, J. (2001). Shifting Ethnicities: Native informants and other theories from/for early childhood education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 2(2), 135156. Ritchie, J. (1994). Literature Review on Pedagogy of Second Language Acquisition in Immersion Early Childhood Care and Education Settings Report to Te Puni Kokiri. Hamilton: University of Waikato. Ritchie, J. (1999). The Use of Te Reo Maori in Early Childhood Centres. Early Education, 20(Winter), 13-21. Ritchie, J. (2002). Its Becoming Part of Their Knowing: A Study of Bicultural Development in an Early Childhood Teacher Education Setting in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton. Ritchie, J. , Rau, C. (2006). Whakawhanaungatanga. Partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood education. Final Report from the Teaching Learning Research Initiative Project. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. tlri. org. nz/pdfs/9207_finalreport. pdf Robertson, J. , Gunn, T. R. , Lanumata, T. , Pryor, J. (2007). Parental decision making in relation to the use of Early Childhood Services. Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families Ministry of Education. Schulz, R. , Schroeder, D. , Brody, C. M. (1997). Collaborative narrative inquiry: fidelity and the ethics of caring in teacher research. Qualitative Studies in Education, 10(4), 473-485. Skerrett, M. (2007). Kia Tu Heipu: Languages frame, focus and colour our worlds. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 6-14. 9 Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies. Research and Indigenous Peoples. London and Dunedin: Zed Books Ltd and University of Otago Press. Smith, L. T. (2005). On Tricky Ground: Researching the Native in the Age of Uncertainty. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 85-107). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. (1998). Making Education Work for Maori. Report on Consultation. Wellington: Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. United Nations. (1989). United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. cyf. govt. nz/432_442. htm.

History of perodua analysis

History of perodua analysis Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (PERODUA), established in 1993. In Malaysia Perodua is second automobile manufacturer which after Proton. It is a joint venture company between Malaysian and Japanese. The shareholders of Perodua are UMW Corporation Sdn Bhd 38%, MBM Resources Berhad 20%, Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd 20%, PNB Equity Resource Corporation Sdn Berhad 10%, Daihatsu (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 5%, Mitsui Co. Ltd 4.2% and Mitsui Co, (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd 2.8% (Corporate Information n.d). Perodua does not contend with Proton for the similar market niche because Perodua mostly produce small-compact cars. Since end of 2009, Perodua has sold some 1.67 million units of vehicle of a variety of models. Perodua also sell overseas their cars to UK, Singapore, Brunei, Fiji, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 1.2 Background of Perodua Perodua is located on a 138-hectare site in Sungai Choh, Rawang, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Besides, in the year of 2001, Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd (PCSB) was established in the final quarter year. Furthermore, there are also another two joint venture partners of PCBS from Japan which are Daihatsu Motor.Co.Ldt. and Mitsui Co. Ltd. The PCBS are being managed the manufacturing operations of the Perodua Group (Corporate Information, 2010). 1.3 Mission and Vision 1.3.1 Mission Perodua mission is to Professionalism in all our operations Efficiency in utilizing technologies and available resources Resilience in meeting our challenges Optimizing benefits to customers and stakeholders Dedication towards social responsibility to community, the environment and development of competent workforce Uniqueness in our products Aspiration to glorify the name of PERODUA 1.3.2 Vision The vision of Perodua is to be the most preferred automotive brand renowned for products and services of excellent quality which contributes to the development of the nation. 1.4 Product Milestone Below is the list of the vehicle that Perodua produce: The Perodua Kancil-August 1994 The Perodua Rusa March 1996 The Perodua Kembara August 1998 The Perodua Kenari   June 2000 The Perodua Kelisa August 2001 The Perodua Myvi May 2005 The Perodua Viva   May 2007 The Perodua Nautica 4WD May 2008 The Perodua Alza November 2009 (Corporate Information, 2010) 2.0 Analysis of Market Environment Factors that Affect this Company For a company it is very necessary to have updated date and to have a close watch and to assess the ever changing environment around them. There are 2 types of environment and there are Micro Environment and Macro Environment (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1 The Micro Environment The close forces to the company that have effect on its capability to get the goods successfully to the customer. While for the micro environment consists of 6 factors (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.1 Customer Customer can be divided into 5 types of markets to get a better idea on them which are: 2.1.1 (a) Consumer Market The person who buys the product for consumption is called the consumer market (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua Company comes with varies vehicles that can attract buyers especially these who want an affordable yet efficient vehicle. The company mostly targets on individuals or families who want to buy quality car at a premium as Perodua Company sets up the prices that are reasonable and affordable by most consumers. Perodua Myvi is product on May 2005 by Perodua Company which is one of the examples for individual or family use. 2.1.1 (b) Business Market The companies which buy goods and services are to be used in the production id other goods (Pride.et.al, 2007). For instance, Perodua Company buys the parts from other countries but the assembling is done in Malaysia. 2.1.1(c) Reseller Market The companies that purchases the goods or services and resell the product without making any changes to it (Pride.et.al, 2007). For examples, Perodua dealers get the product from the main company and finally distribute to them without making any changes of the cars. 2.1.1 (d) Government Market For government market they may purchase it to be used it in the production of goods and services (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, the model of Perodua Myvi, Perodua Kancil, Perodua Viva are provided to the government for the use of National Parade Day. 2.1.1 (e) International Market The products used for the use of the government to carry on with the government duties (Pride.et.al, 2007). For international market, Perodua Myvi purchases for the overseas market such as United Kingdom, Singapore, Brunei, Fiji, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 2.1.2 Company This segment is about the togetherness which should be there among all departments so that the product will be delivered to the customer in the desired time. This process will be an incomplete process if there are disagreements between departments, which will result in a delay of not delivering the product to the customer on time (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.3 Competitors There are two types of competitors that will affect the sales of Perodua Company which are direct and in direct competitors. 2.1.3 (a) Direct Competitors The companies which manufacture the same products within the same industry (Pride.et.al, 2007). For instance, Suzuki, Toyota and Proton are Perodua Companys direct competitors as the companies sell similar types of vehicles within the same industry. 2.1.3(b) Indirect Competitors Indirect competitors mean that when any company which competes for the same customer dollar (Pride.et.al, 2007). The indirect competitors for Perodua will be Toyota, Proton, Naza, Honda, BMW, and Mercedes. This is because they are also produce cars and they are also competing for the consumer dollars (Corporate Information, 2009). 2.1.4 Suppliers Suppliers could be defined as those who supply the necessary parts to build the product. The supplier influences the quality and delivery of the ended product. Suppliers should be from a reliable source and should be consistent at an arms reach (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.5 Marketing Intermediaries Marketing Intermediaries is also known as the middle man. The mediating is usually done by a company in order to distribute or promote goods to the customer (Pride.et.al, 2007). The sales Manager stated that Giga Shipping Company transports all the Perodua Products worldwide. There is also a trailer company which provides trailer service to transport products around Malaysia (Personal Development Leadership, n.d). Besides marketing intermediaries, mediating can also be financially. As an example, EON bank, RHB Bank, Islam Bank act as a mediator in order to promote Peroduas cars. These companies provide a loan system so that the customers could have a minimum payment monthly and enjoy the same benefits of a comfortable car. 2.1.6 Publics Publics could be defined as a crowd of people who have an interest in a company and also who make an impact to an organization to achieve its objectives. Moreover, a company will take this consideration and try building up relationships and also offer helpfulness to these groups. There are the 7 types of publics such as local, media, citizen action, government, general, internal and financial (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.6 (a) Local A community relations officer is appointed by the company to be present at meetings with the local publics (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua Myvi customer are eligible to join the club via (http://www.myviclub.com/). There is a public relations officer is appointed from Perodua Company regarding this club. On the other hand, the officer also can meet with the customer and makes interaction with the customer. 2.1.6 (b) Financial The company issues an annual publication which is the annual report which also includes the financial statements in the company. The shareholders were given by the company (Pride.et.al, 2007). All the Perodua Company share holders receive the annual report of the company in order to keep the shareholders informed about the financial status of the company (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.1.6 (c) Media Media can be described as a company would promote their product more with a positively media coverage (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, Perodua Company promotes Perodua Myvi on television advertisements. The official advertisement is telecasted on television. Also, they also advertise the product on the World Wide Web (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.1.6 (d) General The general publics view in the company is called general (Pride.et.al, 2007). Through our research, most of the customer would like to view on the Perodua Company. Hence, positive or negative, it is basically what the customer thinks about the company. 2.2 Macro Environment The societal forces that influence the organizations ability to provide the customers are called macro environment factors which are 6 factors. 2.2.1 Political Legal The legislation and laws which influences the industry, marketers should be on watch out of the laws which can involve the company in the future (Pride.et.al, 2007). Since Perodua Company is fully owned by the government of Malaysia, the tax is already included in the price of the vehicle. Therefore, the government gets a sum of charges (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.2.2 Economic Environment The Economic environment investigates the disposable income levels. In addition, the economic conditions include the business cycle, inflation, interest rate and inflations rates (Pride.et.at, 2007). 2.2.2(a) Inflation Rate 2.2.3 Technological Environment 2.2.4 Demographic 2.2.5 Cultural 2.3 How the Company faces Threats and how they convert them to Opportunity The SWOT analysis is known as the tool to asses a companys Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats. Strength and Weakness are known as internal factors while Opportunity and Threats are known as the positive conditions which could bring plunder to the company if acted in the necessary way. For Threats, it can be defined as the barriers which prevent the Company from reaching the companys objectives. When a company puts out a new product, there could be threats which come the companys way. Then the company should be ready with a defensive strategy to stand up against the threat and that strategy is known as Opportunity (Pride.et.at, 2007). After the release of Perodua Myvi, the company has faced several threats. So, to get rid of these threats of Perodua Company, Perodua Company came made that threats into opportunity by making up a strategic plan (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.3.1 The Entry to the Domestic Market The entrance of Perodua to the market was in the year of 1993 and it also result a massive change in the industry. Nissan and Toyota were dominating the market which result Perodua getting a small slice in the market. And Perodua got a boost because Indonesia. This is because they tend to sell about 500 Perodua Myvi cars in a month (paultan.org, 2010). 2.3.2 The Support Since Perodua was quite new to the domestic market, as mentioned previously there was also because of Indonesia. As a result of this undertaking of Indonesia, the workforce of Perodua was sent to Japan for a special training to learn more about engineering skills and assembling skills. This opportunity could be known as a Human Resource 2.3.3 The Competitors Perodua is known as the second National Car producer in Malaysia which is after Proton Company. But, the competitors to Perodua are from the domestic Market as well as the International Market. The Domestic competitors are named as Proton and Naza while the competitors from the international market are Toyota, BMW and Mercedes. Through these competitors are threats to the company, Peroduas strategic plan has kept them as the best car in the Malaysia up-to-date. Besides, Perodua Company is always on the watch out of product life cycle. So, if any company comes out with any new model, Perodua will try to modify the existing model or trying to put out a new model. All in all, company will always want to produce products according to customer trends and not company trends. If the company produces according to the company trends then the sales can go down. But, if the company acts according to the customer trends there can be good sales. 3.0 Target Market 3.1 Target Customer Characteristics Target market involves dividing a market into segments and then concentrating on marketing products on one or a few key segments (Pride.et.al, 2007). The target market of Perodua Myvi is segmented by demographic consumer such as the businessman who likes to work and it is convenient to them. Therefore, the comfort of the passenger is the main target. Also, the vehicle price of Perodua Myvi is affordable and reasonable for the customers which fulfill their demands too. Furthermore, the first target market strategy used is differentiated marketing. Differentiated market is the organization selects several market segments and designs different marketing mixes for each segment (Pride.et.al, 2007). The Perodua Company has used different strategy to attract different customers. Therefore, the Perodua Company offered the other vehicles for its different target segments to meet the customer demands. Some of the customers are looking for more convenient cars such as Perodua Viva while customers with big family would like to choose Perodua Alza. Another target market strategy used is undifferentiated marketing. The marketing mix, which are the 4Ps are the organization at the whole market. Besides, the organizations also used to avoid other segments from existing, the organization chooses to mass market (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, 30 September of 2009, Citibank credit card deals have organized Perodua Myvi 10X rewards points Easy Pay Campaign. This is use to the customer can make a down payment by using the Citibank credit card and enjoy 0% interest on the customer down payment and 10X rewards point (Citibank Perodua Myvi 10X Rewards Points Easy Pay Campaign, 2009). While for the last target market strategy used is concentrated marketing. There are one or two segments will be selected by the company and a marketing mix for these few segments will be proposed (Pride.et.al, 2007). Therefore, the aim of Perodua Company use concentrated marketing strategy is not to maximize sales; it is efficiency, attracting a large portion of once section while controlling costs. 4.0 Product 4.1 Product Lines that are offered A product line is viewed as a unit because of marketing, technical or for end-use considerations, by groups of closely related product items (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua have released many models of Myvi to suit the different taste of the customers. Firstly, there is the original Myvi and now comes with another two different versions which is the Myvi SE and the Myvi EE (Exclusive Edition). Each of these models comes with a different pricing and specifications. 4.2 Core, Actual and Augmented When purchasing tangible product, the buyer will not only obtain the product itself, but also all the extra things that come together with the product. This is also known as total product. The total product of the item can be separated into three categories which are the core product, actual product and augmented product. 4.2.1 Core Product Core products are the essential benefits that the buyer want when purchasing the product. The actual benefit that the buyers get when purchasing a Perodua Myvi is transportation. Buying a Perodua Myvi allows the buyer can move around in a vehicle without depending on public transport. This allows the buyer to be able to travel to any destination at any time without relying on the rigid time frame of a public transport. 4.2.2 Actual Product Actual products are the fundamental expectation of the buyer of the product (Pride.et.al, 2007). The consumers most basic expectations from buying a Perodua Myvi are the style and design of the car. In the Perodua official website it is stated that the design of Perodua Myvi is a mix of classy and sporty characteristic (Perodua 2009). Besides that, there are many colours for the buyer to customize the Perodua Myvi to suit the their taste. The engine of Perodua is also manufactured in Japan by Daihatsu. The Perodua Myvi is also known to be more fuel efficient as compared to other cars sold in the market. It is said that Perodua Myvi Auto uses around 13.5 km per litre and the Perodua Myvi manual is clocked at approximately 17.1km per litre of petrol (Tan, P 2009). The Perodua Myvi is readily built with air-conditioner and entertainment system with the latest audio technology like mp3 and a USB reader (Perodua 2009). The consumer can have the option of the transmission of the car to be automatic or manual. To prevent the car from being stolen, Perodua Myvi is equipped with a security system which includes an engine immobiliser. The only way to unlock the immobilizer to start the car is by using the owners car keys. As a result, if somebody breaks into the car, they wont be able start the car by using duplicated keys or by tampering with the wires. 4.2.3 Augmented Product The augmented products are the additional services the consumer will receive when buying the product. The augmented product of buying a Perodua Myvi is that it easier to apply for a loan compared to other imported cars because it is a national car. Besides that, Perodua provide services like parts replacement and repair at their service centre. The spare parts of Perodua Myvi are also easily available compared to imported cars. Other than that, Perodua also provide an extended warranty service for free (Perodua, 2009). 4.3 Branding, Packaging, Labeling, Warranty, Customer Service 4.3.1 Branding (Shenron, 2009) Branding is a blend of a term, sign, name, symbol or design which is used to recognize and distinguish products and companies (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua has a small car like Myvi with a big future. Hence, Malaysias leading compact carmaker is always taken by Perodua. Besides, their management team still not really satisfied with their position at the top and their research and development facilities have given the most critical activity, innovation in design and creative engineering methods. Nowadays, Perodua is now able to deliver more stylish, unique, and cars with an attractive price to their consumers. This new brand statement, Building Cars, People First, is Peroduas new visual identity (Interbrand, 2010). Perodua expects to manage all their customers in harmony with their guiding vision. Besides, Perodua was at the position of seventh most valuable Malaysia brand in Interbrands 2007 survey and it looks set to continue get build up and enhance. This shows that Perodua try their very best to respond their customer satisfactory. 4.3.2 Warranties and Customer Services Perodua Company consists of customer service which is known as smart assist. In the even of a breakdown, members can call the toll free number: 1-800-88-5555. The call centre will dispatch a rescue team to the location of the vehicle. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Besides, all the customer service agents practice a friendly, thoughtful, humble and committed routine to give their customers very best service. Furthermore, 1-hour Superservis also provided and this service is a speedy service package that comes with a money-back guarantee once the customers car is not serviced in one hour. While for the warranty period, Perodua Company has given 3-year/100,000km manufacturers warranty. For the extended warranty is plus 3-year/75,000km. ETP is stand for Extended Warranty Programme which is an extension of the Basic Warranty Coverage that comes with your Perodua by giving the customer an additional coverage period (Perodua, 2010). 4.3.3 Product life Cycle Product life cycle can be defined as progression of a product through development, introduction, growth, maturity and decline stage. 4.3.3 (a) Development Product development is the incubation stage of the product life cycle. There are no sales and the firm prepares to introduce the product. 4.3.3 (b) Introduction In introduction stage, the product has just appeared in the market with the company having little profit or the negative profit as there is only little consumer awareness on the product. In this stage, the company increases the awareness of the public about the product through promotion or advertising. The Perodua Myvi is marketed to the public through local mediums such as newspapers, radio and television. 4.3.3 (c) Growth During the growth stage, sales start to increase rapidly but the promotion costs are still high due to increasing consumer awareness thru advertising and etc. The growth stage is critical to a products survival because competitive reactions to the products success during this period will influence the products life expectancy. The profits begin to decline late in this stage as other car competitors enter the market with their own cars to compete with the Perodua Myvi. 4.3.3 (d) Maturity During maturity stage, the sale curve peaks as there are maximum sales and production efficiencies lead to maximum profits occurring in this stage. In this stage, the company will want to maintain the sales on the product. In keeping the maturity stage going for as long as possible, the company reintroduces the Perodua Myvi with versions and will also have a facelift. Example of this is the introduction of the Perodua Myvi SE to the market. 4.3.3 (e) Decline In the final stage, which is the decline stage, the sales will fall rapidly. This is because the sales and profits of the product decline. Therefore, the company needs to determine whether to retain or drop the product. The current Perodua Myvi is in a decline stage but is still doing well in the market as it is ranked the top selling car in the country in the compact segment for the third year running in the assessment conducted by J.D. Power Asia Pacific, therefore leading the Perodua Company to continue the production of the car. The graph above illustrates how the product life cycle of Perodua Myvi has reached the maturity stage where the company is making maximum profit from the sales of its product that is the Perodua Myvi. (Managing Products and Brand, n.d). 5.0 Pricing Price is the value exchanged for product in a marketing transaction but price is not always money (Pride.et.al, 2007). There are some pricing strategies that use in Perodua Myvi product. For example, optional product-pricing, psychological pricing and geographical pricing. The optional product-pricing is the pricing the accessory sold with the main product. For instance, car sells with the air-conditioning. While for the psychological pricing is the price set reflects the psychology of pricing and not just the costs. For example, $45900 instead of $46000. Lastly the Perodua company also use the geographical pricing strategies in the Perodua Myvi product. The geographical pricing is pricing products to customers in different parts of the country such as FOB (free on board) and Zone pricing. FOB means that the customers need to pay the freighter fee from the carrier to the final destination and zone pricing is the company set up one zones, the customer in the more distant zones (Pride. et.al, 2007). 5.1 Optional Product Pricing Type of carsThe Perodua Company uses the optional pricing in the Perodua Myvi product, which is the pricing the accessory sold with the main product. The Perodua Myvi is divided into eight type, Myvi 1.0L SR, Myvi 1.3L SX, Myvi 1.3L EZ, Myvi 1.3L SXi, Myvi 1.3L EZi, Myvi SE GHS, Myvi SE ZHS and Myvi 1.3 ZHL. The different accessory of Myvi contains different prices. The different prices are as shown in the table below: (Based on the price listed given in the catalogue) Colour Solid Metallic SMET Myvi 1.0L SR RM 40,721.80 RM41,240.20 Myvi 1.3L SX RM 45,450.20 RM 45,925.20 RM 46,325.20 Myvi 1.3L EZ RM 48,425.50 RM 48,900.20 RM 49300.20 Myvi 1.3L SXi RM48,225.50 RM48,700.20 RM49,100.20 Myvi 1.3L EZi RM 51,240.30 RM 51,700.20 RM52,100.20 Myvi SE GHS RM 51,926.00 RM52,401.00 RM52818.20 Myvi SE ZHS RM 54,940.00 RM 55,426.00 RM 55,826.00 Myvi 1.3 ZHL RM 51,000.00 RM 53,500.20 5.2 Psychological Pricing The psychological pricing is the price set reflects the psychology of pricing and not just the cost. It is also apply in the Perodua Myvi product. Example: (Based on the price list given the catalogue) Myvi 1.3L EZ (solid) RM 48,425.50 Myvi 1.3L EZ (Metallic) RM 48,900.20 Myvi 1.3L EZ (SMET) RM 49300.20 5.3 Geographical Pricing The geographical pricing is the pricing products to customers in different parts of the country. The Perodua Myvi contains different prices according at the different country or different zone. Example (Based on the price list given in the catalogue) The Perodua Myvis Price in Malaysia (1.3L EZi) The Perodua Myvis price in UK (1.3 EZi) RM 52,240.30  £7,499 In the table above shown that the Perodua price in United Kingdom is cheaper once the price convert to Malaysia dollars. The reason Perodua Myvis price in UK is more expensive than Malaysia is because of the sales tax in under vehicle pricing and special interest rate is included (Perodua-uk.com, n.d) 6.0 Distribution According to Perodua Company, there are many branches in Kuching such as at Satok Parade, Jalan Matang and others. The location of Perodua Company can be easily found in Kuching. On the other hand, the Perodua Company also has branches at the overseas country such as in United Kingdom. The Channel organization that is used by the Perodua Company is shown below: 6.1 Conventional Channels The Conventional channels consist of independent producers, wholesalers and retailers. They are all self business which are trying to maximize own profit (Pride.et.al, 2007). 6.2 Vertical Marketing Channels For the vertical marketing channels, the channel members work in a group rather than individually. It is either one who owns the others or they are in contract with each other or has so much power that they all corporate (Pride.et.al, 2007). 6.3 Horizontal Marketing System It is an arrangement with two or more companies at the same level linked together to follow a marketing chance (Pride.et.al, 2007). 7.0 Promotion 7.1 Promotion Goals Promotion is communication by marketers that informs, persuades and reminds potential buyers of a product in order to influence an opinion or to get a response. While inform is a communication used to increase understanding of new brand, or a new product. The company explain how the products function, and recommend the new application for product. The other goals of promotion, persuade the customer to buy now. Finally, remind is a task of retaining the customer knowledge and to call attention to the customers about the importance of the products for they might be used in the future (Pride.et.al, 2007). The promotion goal of Perodua Company in the Perodua Myvi product is inform. Perodua Myvi is still the good selling product in the market. It is convenient and suitable for businessman but also good for small family. In addition, Perodua Company gave information about the Perodua Myvi to society by using several methods, such as brochures, internet advertising through Perodua official websites, road show and many more (Pride.et.al, 2007). 7.2 Promotion Tools To communicate with individuals, groups and organisations, various promotional tactics have been used by Perodua. When Perodua merges specific plans used to manage the integrated marketing communications for Perodua Myvi, that combinations form the promotion mix for Perodua Myvi. Advertisement, personal selling and sales promotion some of the elements of promotion mix. The elements of the marketing communications mix Sources from: (Dolak,D 2009) The main promotion mix used by Perodua in promoting Perodua Myvi is advertisement. Advertisement is the activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media (advertising, 2010). Advertisements used by Perodua are television, the internet, newspapers and prints. The benefit of using advertisement is that it can cover a wide range of audience but is very costly. Personal selling is defined as oral communication with potential buyers of a product with the intention of making a sale (promotion-personal selling, n.d). The advantage of this that it can influence the customer more compare to advertisement. The disadvantage is that it depends on the attitude and the skilfulness of the salesperson to convince the customer. Perodua Myvi is sold through direct selling which is face-to-face by using a sales person. The sales person who does not directly work for the company mostly can lower the price of Perodua Myvi to attract customers. This is because they can deduct the price using their commission. While buying from salesperson at the showroom is more convenient as everything is handled by them and also the quality of the service is much better. Sales promotion refers to many kinds of incentives and techniques directed towards consumers and traders with the intention to produce immediate or short-term sales effects (Definition of Sales Promotion, 2010). Perodua have created many sales promotions to aid in the sales of Perodua Myvi such as the scrapping programme which was scheduled on 1 April 2009. This promotion allows customers to trade-in their old car for a reduction of RM5000 off any Perodua cars (Perodua 2009). Another sales promotion is customers can buy a Perodua Myvi on loan for RM347 a month for the first 5 years. If they booked and registered a Myvi from 13 June to 31 July 2009, the customer is entitled to join their contest. 7.3 Communication Process The communication process is a process whereby the sender is marketing their product to the receiver who is the public and except some feedback from them. Interference in this process which prevents the message being conveyed to the receiver is called noise. One of the noises that can affect Perodua promotion is competitors message. Other automobile companies will also have their own promotions to attract customers. They will always try to convince the customers in believing that their product is better than the rest. When P

Hawthornes The Artist of the Beautiful, Pollacks Stitches in Time, an

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Artist of the Beautiful, Barbara Pollack's Stitches in Time, and Car Jung's The Spirit Man, Art and Literature The artist has been a mystery to many of us: unexplainably driven in his work; seemingly unconcerned with any other aspects of his life; often oblivious to the world around him. The artists in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Artist of the Beautiful," Barbara Pollack's "Stitches in time," and Carl Jung's "The Spirit in Man, Art, and Literature" represent some or all of these characteristics. I decided to base this paper on these readings because I found the ideas presented in them interesting and worth exploring. Jung writes a very interesting piece that examines the artist's source of creativity. He dismisses Freud's claims that art stems from the personal experience of the artist. Jung believes that the true essence of art grows from the "rising above the personal and speaking from the mind and heart of the artist to the mind and heart of mankind (para 156)." Hawthorne also expresses this idea through his protagonist Owen Warland. Warland overcomes his feelings of frustration and rejection from society to complete his creation and express his ideas. Through his "beautiful" (his creation) he is finally able to show what occupies his mind and heart. Warland's audience - Robert Danforth, Danforth's wife Annie, their little son and Annie's father Peter Hovenden - is amazed Warland has finally completed his "beautiful." The reader experiences similar amazement with "Stitches in Time:" it is amazing how women who have little or no formal education, who spend most of their day farming, toiling and caring for families, can create such magnificent quilts from scrap material. Quilting fo... ...sts and the "artsy" types, which aligns with the views of many people, has generally been persons who have some sort of problem with themselves, their family and/or their sexuality. Jung notes that the artist cannot have time to develop his human side for he must focus on his artistic side for "these are nothing but the regrettable results of his being an artist, a man upon whom a heavier burden is laid than ordinary mortals. A special ability demands a greater expenditure of energy, which must necessarily leave a deficit on some other side of life (paral 58)." All three pieces portray artists who are driven to create, be it to fulfill their destinies or simply for pleasure. I believe the artist, like the women of Gee's Bend, should not separate himself from the world around him but immerse himself in the wonder that is life and draw from it the energy to create.

Criticism of The Storm by Kate Chopin Essay -- Kate Chopin Storm Sexua

Criticism of The Storm by Kate Chopin While it has traditionally been men who have attached the "ball and chain" philosophy to marriage, Kate Chopin gave readers a woman’s view of how repressive and confining marriage can be for a woman, both spiritually and sexually. While many of her works incorporated the notion of women as repressed beings ready to erupt into a sexual a hurricane, none were as tempestuous as The Storm. Kate Chopin was a woman whose feminist viewpoints were far ahead of her time, which of course garnered her more than her share of criticism. In a time when women were expected to behave "properly" and sexual desire was considered to be something only experienced by men, Chopin spoke with exceptional openness about human sexuality. She lambasted society for its perpetual close-mindedness in a time when righteousness was considered to be an attribute, and she helped to generate more enlightened attitudes among both the women and men of her time. In The Storm, the character of Calixta is unable to fulfill society's standards of virtue, despite her perceived purity by her lover Alcee. When Alcee professes, "If she was not an immaculate dove in those days, she was still inviolate" (p. 34), he is basically saying that just because a woman is not chaste, does not mean she is not pure of heart. After all, it was Calixta's marriage which had stripped her of her chastity status. So why should her morality be called into question? Of course the morality i...

soc paper :: essays research papers

WORK, WELFARE, AND SINGLE MOTHERS If you want to know a big problem in our country today it is single mothers and welfare. If you look at all the money that we throw away each and every year, you wouldn=t think this would be a problem. With all the rich giving to the poor, some should go to single parents trying their best to take care of their children. This could be easy, if they would just go and get a job they would be off welfare very quickly. But it isn=t that easy, study=s show that most welfare mothers have bad or no schooling at all, they are the woman that has been lay off of work, and the one=s that are young and don=t have enough to pay for their child=s living conditions. A lot of things changed in 1996 as federal lawmakers dramatically changed the rules poor people live by and made states responsible for implementing these rules. Twenty-five percent of the mothers on each state=s welfare caseload must be working by the end of 1997. By 2002, fifty percent must be working. Studies show that mothers that leave the welfare to quickly are the one=s that will not make it far in life, not far in life but the one=s that will be the least likely to succeed in getting off welfare and taking care of their families. Their main problem is making the transaction from welfare to work. They have problems making ends meat. They sometimes receive extra money from community groups, local charities, working extra jobs, obtaining cash from network members. They have to hid most of their income from their caseworkers so they could keep their welfare benefits. It was also hard for working mothers as they faced larger budget deficits than welfare mothers because they often didn=t Medicaid and had considerable work-related expenses. Working mothers had less time to work a side job or even get extra money from community groups and charities. It is a known fact that is harder to make ends meet when working than collecting welfare. All the studies are from four main cities which are Boston, Chicago, Charleston, and San Antonio. These were the cities picked to represent the study. The cost of living was different in all these places. They took into consideration different races, age, education, work experiences, and the background they came from. All these differed in all areas due to these things.

Straying to the roulette table I saw a man with a long black coat advanced towards me

Win! That's the last thing I did. It was amazing! At the age of 24 I had the best run of anyone. It was Sunday 1st of January, it started with a crossword. Going through the questions; one had stomped me, the question was â€Å"† 6 letters down and I was clueless. Then scavenging for words â€Å"danger† was the one that stood out the most, I looked at it strangely. Wildly, the door bell rang. The few seconds that I was walking towards the door I wondered who could be here at this time, 5:00am on this frosty winter's morning. Adrenalin rushed through my body. Slowly the door creaked open like one of those murder movie. Peering out of the door I saw with my first glance a man about the same age and size as me, then looking properly I gazed again no one was there. The giant of a door shut, turning I saw that a letter sluggish glided down towards the floor. The letter, it had nothing on it just at the back a wax, red, black eagle crescent holding the letter closed. Irresolute looking, my hand slowly shaking quavering went to open the letter excited and feeling miss lead by the figure at the door. My hands where on it, opening it when I was interrupted by the phone computer and mobile ringing at the same time. Picking up the phone no one was on the other end. The computer had an email â€Å"you are invited to an annual opening of the Royal Casino.† â€Å"You will be escorted there by your personal butler.† It didn't hit me until I got over the email that, the shady figure at the door might be my butler. There was a 3 second pause in the house I thought â€Å"why was I invited to this casino if I was a nobody?† Feeling dizzy, I when to the kitchen to get a drink of water, filed 3/4 of a wine glass when realising that the letter was still in my hand. As if I was drunk I opened the letter saying†¦ The next day I woke up at about 5:31 a few seconds later the bell rang again. It was him. Looking at me with his deadly amber eyes it felt like he was peering through my very soul using some sort of supernatural powers. The butler asked me what my name was. My mouth was open for a few seconds thinking what to say before I said â€Å"Carlos.† â€Å"Sorry I couldn't properly introduce myself yesterday in the morning† â€Å"my name is Earl† the voice was an extremely posh English accent; he probably came from a long line of high respected people. Suddenly a cold wind breeze shot down my spine making me wonder why I was going to this place I had hardly played in a casino before. â€Å"We will have to go in around 30 minutes† â€Å"we have a tight schedule.† Looking at my watch I started counting it was weird, my head didn't feel right. Escorted to the car it felt like having my own 15 seconds of fame. It took us 32 minutes and a half to get there; when we reached our destination we had 3 guards outside escorting all of us in. The place was armed to the teeth with players. â€Å"Play what ever you want.† Ever player had there unique style of winning. Thinking to myself I didn't know where should I start? Rubbing my hand quickly together, I started playing. Straying to the roulette table I saw a man with a long black coat advanced towards me. We both sat down to play, seemingly a ruthless game. Anticipating my every move he placed the money right on the jackpot. Undergoing this defeat I grow in strength raising the stakes declaring war on that man. Determine not to lose I placed a à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50,000 bet on number 14 red. Lifting my hand of lead my eyes shone with light. Weirdly I became the centre of attraction putting à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100,000 smugly in my pocket. Steering up he gave me an impregnable look, smiled and walked off towards a man in a shadow. While examining more closely standing there amber eyed butler Earl was leaning on the wall and strangely doing nothing. Slowly I proceeded towards him, when his amber eyes tried to corrupt my vision. I stood tremendously and strutted on towards him. Contemptuously, he wanted to say that â€Å"a gentleman was really interested in me and had invited me to go to the VIP section to play a great game of blackjack.† I started to move towards them gradually my heart started to beat faster, going at the speed of a fighter jet. Walking on I started thinking what was with me that people have began to take interest with. The black coated man brought out a 10.5 inch pistol and directed it straight at my head. Unanticipated he plummeted towards the floor. Turning him round I saw a small dart hole in his chest, this could only be made by a blowgun. Thinking to my self I wondered why I was stressing over he killer (saving my life). I went over to the VIP zone amazed that no-one was disturbed by this. There was a tall; man sitting down on an expensive leather seat hand stitched to match the feelings of that person, a brown eyed man called Rasior me asking if I wanted to join in on the game of blackjack. Under shock I wondered if this sort of fiasco would happen again with these sorts of people. The dealer deals the cards and feeling lucky I causally looked at the cards, the 10 of hearts and clubs. I then raised the money to a substantial amount. We all open our hands and I had 20, the rest had 21, the winning number. Gasping for breath I shook my head placed a bet and played again. My loss in confidence might have had a big effect on me. While dealing I hoped I would have better cards this time round. 3 of clubs and 8 of spades; I asked for one more, king of spades. Adding them, a small smirk shone upon my face. 21! Watching them turn over the cards, a wave of sweat was brought out on my face. 21, 21, and 21 weirdly that Rasior won again having the higher valued cards then the rest. Playing on it seamed that luck was not on my side, 3:00 am the match continued and my luck streak shone. Showing that there was hope still in there for me. The last 2 grand; (last chance) to win something worth wile. I knew that I had to get a blackjack or I would loose the game, the first card was a jack then while turning over the second card life seemed to stand still gradually it was all over. 6:00am time for my early morning run. Swiftly the phone rang when I was out shutting the door. I abscond towards the phone. I picked it up and started talking. Again there was no- one on the other end of there phone. Leaping through the window 5-8 black figures encompassed me. Looking at my self on the floor some red liquid substance pouring out of me†¦

How Macroeconomics affects business Essay

Macroeconomics is a branch of economics that explores trends in the national economy as a whole considering the study of the sum of individual economic factors. Macroeconomics considers the larger picture, and an understanding of how do business operates is crucial to understand macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is intertwined with business because business is affected by the factors that constitute macroeconomics. Circular-flow diagram: a visual model of the economy that shows how dollars flow through markets among households and firms. Using this diagram it can be clearly observed how some factors can influence business operations.. Business is affected by many economic activities. These activities are: Interest rate increase, taxes increase, unemployment rate increase, Inflation. Interest Rate. Interest rate is a rate which is charged or paid for the use of money. Increase of interest rate has a great affect on several consumption opportunities. 1. As it can be observed from the graph, if interest rate increases the consumption expenditures of households will decrease, which means that company’s profit will decrease. In future it will lead to decrease in production output. In order to be competitive companies will need to cut wages or even fire somebody from the personnel, which will again lead to decrease in consumption opportunities. 2. Affect on cost of borrowing. Many companies around the world make their business by loaning money from the bank. If interest rate increases, the interest payments on credit and loans become more expensive. Therefore this discourages companies from borrowing and widening its business. Companies who already have loans will have less disposable income because they spend more on interest payments. 3. Increase in mortgage interest payments. In majority of cases companies borrow mortgages to buy already existed place  for operations or to build a new building. And if the mortgage interest will increase even by very little percent, it will have significant impact on businesses disposable income. That’s why it will be more profitable for them to rent an apartment rather that to buy a new one. 4. Reduced Confidence. Interest rates have an effect on business confidence. A rise in interest rates discourages investment; it makes firms less willing to take out risky investments and purchases Taxes A fee charged by a government on a product, income, or activity. Here are some effects of taxes on business operations. 1. Taxes lower overall gains. There is a statement in accounting which calls income statement. In income statement all revenues and expenses are written. After subtractions of all expenses out of revenues there is a column which name is Earnings before interest and taxes. Results of â€Å"before tax† and â€Å"after tax† business cases can look quite different. Where the business case shows gains or net cash inflows, taxes operate to lower overall gains because operating income and capital gains are normally taxed. 2. Low wages Multiple governments levy so many taxes on businesses that â€Å"taxes† is the highest budget items on the ledger sheets of most businesses. These taxes take away some of the money otherwise used to pay wages. That’s why employers can’t pay good wages. 3. High prices In many countries governments put many taxes on businesses that â€Å"taxes† is the highest budget items on the ledger sheets of most businesses. Businesses have to raise prices to get money to pay these taxes. So product prices go up. This leads to inflation. Unemployment. Unemployment is an economic condition marked by the fact that individuals actively seeking jobs remain unhired. There are several reasons of unemployment in a country. They are: 1. Worldwide financial crisis Companies do not have enough money to hire new staff to the company and to increase their outcome. 2. Population increase When, for example, baby boomers reach the age of 18, they start to search for a job, but the number of work places did not increase. That’s why many of them become unemployed. 3. Low qualification The majority of companies nowadays try to employ more qualified workers, and people that are less qualified fail to find a better job 4. Replacement of workers by technologies In todays world technological progress is very visible. In many factories people force is replaced by machine. And if 10 years ago in order to produce one detail you need 10 people, today you need only one or two persons who will watch after this process of production Unemployment has a direct impact on all business. People buy products and services and if they do not have a job they will buy less products and services. That is why increasing unemployment often results in many businesses reducing inventories because they expect to sell less. Another reason is that many companies in order to develop and reach the new level of production need more qualified personnel. But if there is a shortage of qualified people, company can not develop at all and should whether stay at the same level of find other ways to improve. The third reason is that during the recessions and crisis companies should cut their expenses, that’s why in order to be competitive and do not decrease the level of production they should fire some workers Inflation Inflation is an increase in the price of a basket of goods and services that is representative of the economy as a whole. Effects of inflation on business. 1. People try to get rid of cash before it is devalued, by saving food and  other commodities creating shortages of the saved objects. That’s why in a specific period of time, for example, one week, people will consume a lot of goods, but one week later they will not consume at all. 2. Increased risk – Higher uncertainties. Uncertainties in business always exist, but with inflation risks are very high, because of the instability of prices. 3. Existing credit companies will be hurt, because the value of the money they will receive from their borrowers later will be lower than the money they gave before. 4. Fixed income recipients will be hurt, because while inflation increases, their income doesn’t increase, and therefore their income will have less value over time. 5. Companies will think they were making profits while in reality they’re losing money if they don’t take into consideration the inflation rate when calculating profits. 6. Many companies will have to go out of business because of the losses they incurred from inflation and its effects. 7. Rising prices of imports if the currency is debased, then it’s purchasing power in the international market is lower.For the same amount of money companies will be able to buy less. 8. Competition. If there is a lot of competition in a market, businesses try harder to keep prices low to keep buyers. It means that companies will have less and less profit. Sometimes they will need to cut the wages. But staff do not like when the wages are cut. And if they will not find something else in order to cover their costs, they will soon become a bankrupt. In conclusion it can be said that Macroeconomics has a very big impact on the business operations. Economics intersect with business in almost everything. And whatever changes will occur in economics it will for sure display in business.