Monday, September 30, 2019

Pepsodent Essay

This will be based on the weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities of the organization along with the toothpaste brand line of Pepsodent will be assessed. In addition, further information on the current market share, sale, and profitability of Pepsodent in the scope of PESTEL analysis will be provided. At the conclusion of the first section the competitive advantage of Pepsodent will be declared. The subsequent section entails a recommended strategy of marketing employing marketing tools like targeting, positioning and segmentation, the marketing mix as well as SMART objectives. This is as a result of an extremely effective strategy of marketing of the organization formerly. However, principally in an environment that is competitive, such as the personal care sector it is fundamental for Pepsodent that it advances its marketing as well as organizational approaches so as to meet consumer’s demands (Budavari, et al. 1996). In addition, these days a wide array of diverse toothpaste brands is provided to the consumer (eHow, 2012). This in general implies that Pepsodent is obliged to distinguish its merchandise from the competitor’s commodities by being unique and innovative. Furthermore, the toothpaste market is developing continually which signifies that additional diverse demands and anticipations of the consumer will arise. As a result, Pepsodent should utilize marketing tools for instance, market segmentation to well recognize their needs so as to supply them with the fitting merchandise. The threats and opportunities recognized will serve as a foundation for the pinpointing strategy of marketing detailed in this report 3. 1. Political Factors: The government of United Kingdom endorses the just trading obligation for both internal and foreign manufacturers. UK has set regulations regarding issues like disposal of wastes and product safety. Pepsodent is dependent on local, provincial and international laws, rules and regulations. These laws and directives cover a range of areas like product claims, product safety, trademarks, patents, the environment, copyrights, employee health and safety, listing and disclosure, employment and taxes, and corporate governance (Pepsodent Official website, 2012). As a result of the extensive focus of Pepsodent in developing and emerging markets, whichever political transformations for instance, those in fiscal stimulus, foreign direct investment regulation or adjustments in taxation or tariffs could have a great impact on the operations of Pepsodent in the nation. Pepsodent is obliged to engage in constant scanning not just to mitigate political threats, however, to take hold of and seek out novel, appealing openings for political inducements. 3. 2. Economic Factors: United Kingdom is the biggest economy in the planet and third largest in Europe. In the time of recession UK is in its worst time. Organizations are not investing but doing terminations that is why consumer markets are reducing and individuals are losing their power to purchase. The market environment of Pepsodent is turning out to be highly competitive particularly in the United Kingdom. Macro-economic atmosphere is highly tentative which has had an effect on the micro-economic environment in addition, by generating a fear among regular buyers (Watson, Lysonski, Gillan& Raymore, 2002). Buyers would not wish to purchase a costly product as a result of current tides of the economy. Rivalry in United Kingdomhas become so strong that Pepsodent is encountering difficulties in a number of regions. Economic turn down in business in an economic decline has resulted in consumer and supplier default. The business of Pepsodent is reliant on constant customer demands for its brands. Diminished customer capital influenced by harsh economic circumstances has resulted in customers turning out to be incapable (Bloch, Satish and  Robert, 2007)or unwilling to acquire Pepsodent products, which has profoundly had an effect on the cash flow, profit margins, turnover, and profits. 3. 3. Social Factors: Social aspects entail the cultural aspects. Socio-cultural aspects UK vary from region to region. This entails: age, education, way of life, and religion(Bang and Joshi, 2008). Pepsodent has structured a well-built corporate repute for numerous years,continuous concentration on societal aspects, as well as encouraging sustainable development and usage of resources that are renewable. The intention of Pepsodent is to assist people look bright, feel well and achieve a lot out of life with services and brands that suitable for them and suitable for the rest too. Pepsodent has effectively maintained standards that are high for the design and creation of merchandise that are harmless for end users.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Expatriate Failure And Cross Cultural Communication Essay

It is essential for businesses that are sending expatriate overseas to take precautions to ensure the success of the expatriate in effectively reaching his/her assigned goals. Expatriate failure rate is very high amongst U.S. managers (50%, APG Class Session #13) for many reasons. The failure of an expatriate can be very costly and time consuming for the companies who employ them. The question that needs to be answered is why expatriates fail so frequently and what can MNC’s do to lower this failure rate and produce effective expatriate managers. Yet, another reason that companies fail when doing business overseas is the lack of emphasis placed on communication. In all areas of the world communication is done in many different ways. In order to effectively do business in Israel we must learn and understand the diverse ways that their culture must learn and understand the diverse ways that we communicate on a business as well as a social level. If RL Furniture Company can effectively choose or train an adaptive and knowledgeable employee who understands culture and its effects on business and can accompany that along with excellent communication skills, MNC’s can directly lower the failure rate amongst expatriates. Expatriates Expatriate Failure There are several reasons why our expatriate may fail in Israel. Expatriate failure can be very costly and can turn a possibly successful business venture into a disaster. The first reason for expatriate failure stems from adaptation problems with the physical and social environments. (Rodrigues pg. 264) This holds especially true when these environments are especially at odds with those of the expatriate’s home country. We have an advantage in sending our expat, Israelis cultural dimension similarities outweigh their differences, this will make it easier for us to understand their negotiating style before arriving. Some expatriates feel separation anxiety and isolation (culture shock) when they are working in countries with a very different social and values system than their own. (APG Class Session #13) These situations lower the expatriate morale and affect his/her ability to do their job effectively. Differences in technical sophistication also present problems with expats. (Rodrigues pg. 265) The problems lie with conflicts in expectations and when the expat views these problems as insurmountable. Conflicts in this situation also occur in when the expatriate manager tries to apply home country managerial  and organizational techniques to a culture not used to these concepts. This leads to poor implementation of strategies and goals. Expatriate managers also find that carrying out objectives and implementing home country strategies to be very difficult decisions about policies and management style. Expatriates often deal with the conflict of operating within the constraints of the local government and satisfying the home country objectives. Country conflicting policies and objectives present very serious problems with the decision making of expatriate managers. (Rodrigues pg. 265) Expatriate managers are responsible for carrying out orders and guidelines established by home corporate headquarters. The problems arise when the expatriate manager has local constraints placed on him and he/she must find ways to carry out the home country orders while operating under constrained conditions. The home country often does not realize or understand situations the expatriate manager must deal with and this can lead to very tough decisions for the expatriate. Overcentralization is also a problem that may lead to expatriate failure. (Rodrigues pg. 265) If the expatriate manager’s authority is visibly constrained by Israel or by local governments than his/her authority is jeopardized and he or she loses control and credibility in the eyes of the locals. Gender issues are not problems in many industrialized nations, such as the U.S., but in many nations, there are cultural biases against women, which prevent them from gaining the respect they need to effectively manage. (Rodrigues pg. 265) If a company mistakenly places a woman in charge of operations in a female biased country it can be viewed as disrespectful and show no care for the success OT the subsidiary. In many nations females have no power to make decision and women expats will find it difficult to lent credibility to the decision she makes. This is not the case in Israel they are a feminine culture similar to the U.S. Yet, another reason for expat failure is the lack of companies to consider family needs when moving family overseas to a new and unfamiliar country and culture. (Rodrigues pg. 269) It is more important for ss to prepare the expats family for their journey than it is to prepare the expatriate manager. A family can easily become unhappy and this can lead to poor job performance of the expatriate manager and high levels of stress. These high levels of stress make it difficult for managers to effectively do their job and live an enjoyable life in Israel. Communication Communications when doing business in Israel is an essential key to success. How business dealings are conveyed is very important. If translation is off or inaccurate than the success of the business venture can be seriously jeopardized. This applies not only to verbal communication, but with body language as well. (Rodrigues pg. 314) Body language in some countries is very important and the wrong body language can easily anger foreign business and steer them away from a possible business venture. In countries with language barrier companies must take measure to ensure that proper translation is used. If translation is off than it could mean that the wrong message is being conveyed. Although English is fluent in Israel, we should print our business cards in Hebrew on one side as a sign of respect for Israeli language and way of life. In countries where the same language is spoken body language becomes important. The wrong gesture could spell disaster for an expatriate manager. In order to avoid this problem companies should train and prepare a manager by training them on culture and communications and the possible and negative impact that it can have on the success of a business venture. In Israel business moves at a slower pace than in the United States. We need to build a strong relationship with our business partner before any deal can be made. Summary We can see that the success in a foreign business venture can depend heavily on expatriate preparation and communication skills. RL furniture Co. will be sending one expatriate to Israel to manage an overseas operation. We have discovered that there could be many problems that could lead to our expatriate failing and in turn out company’s business venture failing too. To avoid these problems we plan to set up evaluations to determine who would  be the best expatriate manager we will send to Israel. Once we have found the right person for the job, we will set up an intensive training program that will prepare him/her to do their job as effectively as possible. In this training, we will ensure the expat understands Israeli culture and how to effectively adjust to it. In understanding the culture and by developing essential communication skills we are sure that our expatriate manager will be able to carry out company goals while effectively managing operations. Key aspects in cultural dimensions of Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance, established by Geert Hofstede. (Hofstede pg. 14-17) In sending an expatriate that possesses this knowledge and know how we are sure that the venture will be a success.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Provide a critical analysis of the business case for work-life Research Paper

Provide a critical analysis of the business case for work-life programs within a strategic HRM context - Research Paper Example ork life balance as identified by David Clutterbuck is defined as being aware of the demands on time and having the ability of making choices and knowing the applications of certain values for choices and finally making choices (CIPD, 2009). Yasbek (2004) business case shows that most of the New Zealand organisations are highly ensuring work life balance policies and practices at their workplace. The topic of importance of work life balance practices has become not only for the employees and organisations but for the government, politicians, workers and academics. Furthermore, the changing market structure of economies from monopolies to competition, increasing women workforce, shortage of skilled labour force and increasing social groups have also enhanced the importance of the subject of work like balance policies. Some social groups also increase the demand of work life balance policies such as women, minority groups and old aged people. Therefore, this topic appears to be an emer ging topic, which has changed the working practices in organisations. In consideration to the importance of increasing work life balance policies, this report has been created and it aims to discuss the pros and cons of work life balance policies. The scope of this report is limited to secondary research, as in this report only the early literature on work life balance policies will be evaluated. This report will critically analyse the key issues associated with work life balance policies discussed in business case of New Zealand written by Yasbek (2004). The key issues identified by Yasbek in his case deal with the impact of work life balance policies on employees’ retention, satisfaction, performance, organisation performance and productivity. Therefore, this report aims to highlight the key issues resolved by work life balance policies, the strategies for the firms adopting these policies and challenges faced by the firms after adopting such practices. In short, this report is

Friday, September 27, 2019

Is WTO a Necessasity for Global Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Is WTO a Necessasity for Global Trade - Essay Example The article takes a deeper look at the WTO (World Trade Organisation) as the sole international organisation that deals with the global trade rules between countries. The main function of WTO is ensuring that global trade flows predictably, smoothly, as well as freely as possible. The organisation can be looked at in several ways. First, it is an organisation, which fosters opening of trade. Second, national governments negotiate agreements on trade through the forum. Thirdly, national governments settle diverse trade disputes through it and finally, it operates a trade rules’ system. Essentially, WTO is an effective place in which the member governments attempt sorting out various trade problems they encounter with each other. The WTO entails a set of rules: the core of the agreements of WTO, which were negotiated as well as signed by majority of the trading nations in the world, forms its basis of operations. The agreements provide the member governments with legal ground-ru les for smooth international commercial activities. The agreements are essentially contracts, which bind national governments to stick to their policies of trade within agreed limits and boundaries. Although the agreements have been negotiated as well as signed by national governments, the objective is helping goods and services’ producers, exporters, as well as the importers to carry out their business operations while permitting governments to meet the environmental and social objectives. (Aaronson 1996). The overriding purpose of WTO system is to aid trade to flow freely so long as it has no undesirable side effects since this is imperative for the overall well-being and economic development. That partly implies removal of obstacles. It also implies ensuring that individuals, governments, and companies know the existing trade rules across the globe as well as giving them confidence there won’t be sudden alterations of the policy. In simple terms, the rules must be p redictable and transparent (Jackson 1994). The WTO has many benefits but there are also some critics to its operations and this forms the basis of this paper. Thus, the paper shall examine the functions of the WTO and its achievements and gauge them against the criticism presented by those opposed to its operations to help in giving a comprehensive conclusion regarding whether the WTO is a necessity for global trade or not. Basic Information about the WTO The WTO is based in Geneva, Switzerland. It began its life on January 1 1995 though its system of trading is about fifty years older. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) has since 1948 provided the system with effective rules. GATT was born by the General Agreement as an unofficial, de factor global organisation. This unofficial defector organisation evolved via a number of rounds of negotiations as members tried to compile an effective plan for their operations. The largest and last GATT round, which established the WTO, is the popular Uruguay Round that lasted between 1986 and 1994. While GATT had chiefly dealt with essential trade in goods, WTO and its accords currently, cover the trade in services, as well as in traded designs and creations and inventions (the intellectual property). By 10 February 2011, the body (WTO) had a membership of 153 nations while its budget for 2011 amounted to 196 million Swiss Francs. The head of WTO is Pascal Lamy (the director-general) who leads its 640 secretariat staff (WTO 2012). Functions of WTO The body is run and managed by its member state governments. All the major decisions of WTO are reached upon by its membership either by their delegates or by ambassadors (who meet frequently in Geneva) or ministers (who typically convene a meeting at least once for every two years). While the member states drive it, the WTO cannot function effectively without its Secretariat coordinating its activities (Aaronson 1996).

Thursday, September 26, 2019

HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HISTORY - Essay Example Many ancient languages have not seen the limelight of modern day because they remained under the shroud of other dominating cultures. The article informs that the Demotic Dictionary, published online contains over â€Å"2000† pages and the university eventually intends to print it for â€Å"research libraries† (par.4 - 5). It further emphasizes the existence of â€Å"Demotic Egyptian† or the language of the â€Å"common people,† much before the other popular Egyptian languages evolved (par.2). In addition, the article quotes many prominent Egyptologists and historians, who maintain that the dictionary is a significant for the modern people to understand the ancient Egyptian culture and for â€Å"mastering the texts from the Egyptians themselves† and not through their rulers (par.6 – 7). Dr Zahi Hawass was involved in an excavation journey to explore the mysteries behind Seti’s tomb, and discovering through archeological evidence what really the Egyptians thought awaited them after death. From some of the findings, the Egyptians believed that life after death was a thrilling underworld journey marked by a series of terrifying obstacles, which included fighting fierce battles with real monsters, crossing fire lakes of death, and finally the eternal death or either resurrection with the sun, which marked the journey of the afterlife (You Tube, 2012). This journey was believed by each Egyptian to be real and the stakes were even much higher for the pharaohs. Interestingly, they believed that the entire universe largely depended on the king’s eventual and successful journey as well as his resurrection. This made the king’s tomb not just a place to keep his corpse, but the tomb was more of a machine constructed to facilitate and guarantee the kingâ⠂¬â„¢s resurrection and eternal life afterwards. The many artifacts stored in museums and have not been displayed since they were located; with some having stayed for more than a century, have

Housing Market in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Housing Market in Australia - Essay Example Bourassa (1996) has stated that the measures required for identifying the affordability of housing-ownership is primarily based upon the accumulated data but it is required to ignore the distribution of wealth and income as well as the ranges of housing prices. For analyzing the trend of housing pattern in Australia, Bourassa (1996) builds a study based upon the previous research of Grigsby and Rosenburg. The study then, proposes a method of Borrowing Constraint. The method of Borrowing Constraint was applied from the year 1989 to 1990 for household survey data for Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. The results concluded that there are hypothetical changes in interest rates and deposit requirements are kept minimum. Along with these results, furthermore, it had been concluded that under any given scenario, there is very diminutive percentage of people who are living in rented households to afford private ownership without putting themselves into the circle of poverty (Bourassa). Anothe r study conducted by Beer (1999) stated that there have been many changes in the private rental sector within the housing system of Australia. It has moved itself from the tenure of transition that is primarily comprised of saving of young household. Increase in the prices of real houses, increasing interest rates, increase in the rate of deaths of household through separation and divorces, changes in the pays of workers and inability to maintain the position of the tenure. Moreover, Beer (1999) also stated that there has been decline in access to public housing. Research conducted by Beer (1999) had emphasized on the changing dimensions of the private rental housing within Australia. The nature of investors and the size of investment in the sector of housing stocks had also been examined. Furthermore, the impact of the investment strategies on the housing sector market of Australia was also highlighted (Beer). Hayward (2008) conducted a study to determine whether the property owner s in Australia are reluctant or not. The paper covered the history of public housing and property owner in Australia. The study conducted by Hayward (2008) revealed that the golden era of public housing in Australia was from 1945 to 1956. During this time, the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) laid a foundation for making public housing system more viable in Australia. After that, the history of public housing started to cripple in this country. Emphasis on housing policy shifted from rentals to home ownership. Despite of viewing the development of State Housing Authorities, some people claim that this decade was not as substantial nor it was that decade where it would be favorable to return. In long run, the history of Australia is the one where the Government has been best reluctant landlords. The era from 1945 to 1956 is considered as best understood in this general trend (Hayward). The paper presented by Wulff and Maher (2010) examined the housing characteristics of pr ivate renters in Australia in long run. The study comprised of a sample of 4677 private renters. The sample had been drawn from ABS Survey of Rental Tenants 1994. The results revealed that 40% of the renters were long-term renters, having rented their property for more than 10 years, which shows that there has been substantial trend of rented household in Australia. Long-term conditions were further divided into

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Sea Levels and Melting Glaciers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sea Levels and Melting Glaciers - Research Paper Example They continue to say it’s a myth regardless of recent, clearly observable weather anomalies such as record heat, droughts, storms and floods in addition to melting ice caps and glaciers causing rising sea levels. These climate events were predicted by scientists’ years ago. Others admit the earth is warming but deny the source claiming naturally occurring global temperature cycles are to blame. By simply acknowledging the facts and ignoring political agendas, man’s impact on climate change becomes clear, unlike the air we breathe. Man-produced air pollutants, chiefly carbon dioxide, are commonly referred to as â€Å"greenhouse gases.† Carbon dioxide is emitted naturally by mammals when they breathe out and taken in by growing plant life. This cycle does not pollute the air, however, carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil by factories, electric power plants and automobiles not only pollutes the air but i s causing an imbalance of the earth’s greenhouse effect. Part of the sun’s energy is reflected back into space by the atmosphere while part is allowed through and warms the earth. Naturally occurring substances in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, keep this balance and the earth’s temperature relatively constant. ... We have records of massive hurricanes striking what’s now New York as far back as the mid-13th century.† (Cooke, 2012). However, the warming seas, altered currents and higher sea levels due to higher climate temperatures made the storm larger, directed it on a path closer to the coast and amplified the reach of inland flooding. It seems reasonable to assume that global warming deniers, in general, have not objectively researched the available data. The oil and coal industry tries to sway public opinion by spending millions to convince people â€Å"clean energy† is too expensive and not yet a viable option while hyping their own efforts to reduce carbon emissions such as by using â€Å"clean coal† technology, a process that does not exists. â€Å"The airwaves are filled with corporate-financed climate misinformation.† (Begley, 2011). Even those who refuse to believe the scientific data cannot escape the undeniable reality that unusually extreme weathe r events are taking place more frequently. â€Å"Worldwide, the litany of weather’s extremes has reached biblical proportions.† (Begley, 2011). In 2010 Texas experienced a record drought. Many parts of the state did not have rain the entire year. Nearly1000 tornadoes ripped across the nation’s Midwest killing hundreds of people and causing billions of dollars in damage while record flooding inundated this region. Flooding in Australia and Pakistan left millions homeless. Heat waves in Europe and Russian have killed thousands. China, like Texas, endured drought conditions in most of 2010 which destroyed several millions acres that were once fertile farmlands. Sea levels are rising by varying degrees on almost every coastline. This is just the beginning and the worst is yet to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Research Paper

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Comparing Germany and the United States of America - Research Paper Example The first step in any cultural study is to attempt to define what exactly is culture. Due to the varied and basic intangible nature and the existing dissimilarities in the world’s cultures, it is a very difficult task to correctly define culture.There are over 300 widely accepted definitions of culture, with prominent researchers like Taylor, Down, Hofstede providing their own versions. All of these definitions contain some similar elements which h can be grouped together to form an encompassing idea of what a culture is. Sennara and Hartman describe culture assets of shared beliefs, attitudes, values and ideas which make up the core essence of a culture and are accepted by the majority of the population. These shared values then further become a part of the accepted behavior concerning family, social culture, law and other noticeable areas. There are three determinants of any culture - Human Nature which his universal and refers to biological and physiological needs, Cultural traits which are distinct for every nation and formed through traditions and history and personality which differs for every individual and may not be in direct complement to the cultural traits.The culture is also the major influence in determining the ‘work culture’ and ethics of the nation and the reason why organizations place so much importance on understanding the culture as a whole. From the management perspective, Mario Eberlein divides known culture into the three levels of National, Organizational, professional level.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

MITOSISMEIOSIS Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MITOSISMEIOSIS - Lab Report Example This is followed by separation of daughter cells. Meiosis is the type of cell division by which germ cells (eggs and sperm) are produced. Meiosis was first observed by the Belgian cytologist Pierre-Joseph van Beneden in 1887. Meiosis involves a reduction in the amount of genetic material. It comprises two successive nuclear divisions with only one round of DNA replication. One parent cell, at the end of one meiotic division, produces four daughter cells. Daughter cells have half the number of chromosomes found in the original parent cell and with crossing over, are genetically different. Meiosis differs from mitosis primarily because there are two cell divisions in meiosis, resulting in cells with a haploid number of chromosomes. Cell division is especially rapid in the growing root tips of sprouting seeds. The chromosomes in dividing root tip cells can be demonstrated if, after sprouting seeds or bulbs,and harvesting the young root tips, and then fix, acid digest, stain, squash, and view them under a microscope. The root tip is the place of intense mitotic activity. This region is three dimensional and individual cells cannot be seen. It is therefore necessary to separate the cells out into a thin layer. Plant cells are glued together by the middle lamella of calcium pectate. Hydrochloric acid will dissolve this calcium pectate but leave the cellulose cell wall unaffected. In addition the acid kills and fixes the cell contents in position. Acetic orcein stains nuclei and not the cytoplasm. 1. The apical 5mm from the tip of a growing lateral root of a broad bean was carefully cut. 2. The root tip was placed in a watch glass containing acetic orcein stain and 1mol dm-3 hydrochloric acid in the approximate proportions 10 parts stain to 1 part acid. 3. Allowed to warm for five minutes by passing repeatedly through a low Bunsen flame. 4. The fixed root tip was placed on a microscope slide and two drops of acetic orcein were added. 5. The root tip was broken up without destroying the arrangement of the cells, and the root tip was spread out as thinly as possible. 6. A cover slip was placed over the root tip, and covered it with blotting paper and squashed gently by pushing down on the cover slip. 7. The slide was warmed gently to intensify the stain, by quickly passing through a low Bunsen burner flame a few times. 8. The slide was examined for identifying any stage of mitosis. Results Mitosis The four phases of mitosis- Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase- were observed under the microscope. The different phases were identified based on the unique chromatin organization features: 1. Interphase: Each chromosome undergoes replication, making an identical copy of itself. At this point, the chromosomes are still long and thin, and are not visible inside the nucleus. Cells spend most of their life in this non-reproductive phase. 2. Prophase: The chromosomes coil and shorten, and become visible. It becomes apparent that the chromosomes have duplicated. Pairs of identical chromosomes remain

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Use of Psychology in Fashion Essay Example for Free

Use of Psychology in Fashion Essay Psychology plays a major role in every professional creative field. The art of fashion design is not an exception. Fashion uses psychology in many different ways, from getting customers to purchase clothing, to self-expression in the clothing, to analyzing psychographics in a population to identify a potential target market. First impressions are made largely on how a person’s attire looks, through use of color, fit, and design. Emotions and moods can be evoked through fit and color on a person’s body. All these effects on the human brain and psyche are taken into great consideration when designing garments. Psychographics are used to classify people into like-minded groups. This is a way to examine a population and determine what their behavioral patterns are. These behavioral patterns transfer over into the fashion world. With this extremely useful information, the industry can now know who to sell a product to, based on a variety of factors common in these groups. Spending habits, social class, opinions on certain groups, etc. all apply to a successful marketing campaign. One may use a target market such as â€Å"women from ages 20-25†. However, this includes a huge variety of people. In order to successfully market a product, one must know who they are selling to. A successful marketing campaign includes the behaviors of those women aged 20-25. For example a target market could be described as â€Å"women aged 20-25, who follow fashion’s latest trends, not willing to spend more than $60 on a single garment, are politically active, and are mostly independent.† Thu s designers and marketers can make clothing lines better suited to these individuals. Emotions and moods can be evoked from someone’s clothes. Fashion is now viewed, either knowingly or not, as wearable art. It is not just an article of clothing, but a form of artwork and decoration that is wearable. Thus, like art, clothing can evoke emotion through the use of color and composition. Pantone puts out a forecast for every season with a theme. This theme is then broken down into how it evokes mood changes and how the color palette accentuates this mood. These moods and emotions affect the brain and behavior of the onlooker, causing them to either want or reject the item. Just like personal tastes in art, the consumer uses art as a form of expression and personal taste, hinting to others elements of their personality. As stated before, psychology is a form of self-expression, and a form of visual communication. The way one dresses may put one in a fashion subcategory. These subcategories are thought of as a whole and are subject to judgment and discrimination of sorts. For example, a person with many tattoos and a vintage style of clothing may be viewed as a â€Å"hipster†, and hence the viewer may assume many things of the individual. The fit of garments say many things about oneself. Made-to-fit clothing on men in the business world is more respectable than non-tailored clothes. With women, skirt suits create the balance between attractiveness and masculinity in order to appear respectable, much more than the overly aggressive pant suit. One may see the effect of clothing when one researches on how to dress for an interview in order to make an impression upon the hiring manager. Clothes are the way people express themselves in Western culture without the use of words. One can tell many things about a person based upon the way they are dressed. While many things may be erroneous when judging someone by the way they are dressed, a lot of things can be said of them based upon their dress. Thus, fashion designers and marketers must work together to cater to these people in these psychographics/target markets, while offering enough for the individual to make a personal choice in order to be different. Psychology plays an extremely important role in fashion design.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Greek and Roman Sports

Greek and Roman Sports Ancient Greek and Roman civilization have made many contributions to western civilization. Especially when it comes to politics, trade, and sports. From wrestling to javelin, ancient sports set the pace for some of the sports we have in our day and age, especially the Olympic Games. In Ancient Greek and Romans sports, athletes contested very hard and it was a public display that was a trait of the religious and social life of ancient Greece and Rome (Osborne 15). Ancient athletes trained and participated for physical exercise, competition, and to honor their gods. In this paper I will discuss the Greek and Roman attitudes toward sports. The ancient competition, physically, was relatively different from the sporting events we have now a days. There were far fewer events and only free Greek men (and sometimes boys) were allowed to compete because of the brutality. Also, there weren’t any team sports; every sport was one man against another/others, because they were more concerned about individual merit. Some of the different sports the Greek’s participated in where javelin, running (with and without armor), and discuss. Moreover, some of the more brutal sports they embarked on where wrestling, boxing, and pankration (a form of wrestling and boxing). Some of the games where brutal and you had to participate naked, but it intended on showing the beauty of the human body. The four main cycles of games were the Olympic Games, the Pythian Games, the Isthmian Games, and the Nemean Games (Kyle 48). Romans on the other hand based their sports around warlike displays, most notably the fights amongst gladiators. They included a gladiatorial combat, stage-plays, chariot races, athletic competitions, and a mock naval battle. Without a doubt, the Greek games depended for their entertainment value primarily on rivalry among athletes; while the Roman games were often describe by the staging of battles fought to the death and involved large numbers of human beings and also beasts (Kyle 184). The Roman sporting events I think were more brutal; especially when it comes to the fights amongst gladiators when most of the time they fought to their death. While on the other hand, the Greek’s were involved with the sports and the Roman’s simply watched them and cheered for the participant they wanted to win. In conclusion, the Greek and Roman sports helped create some of the sporting events we have today and definitely started athletic competition. We can clearly see the love for sports in Greek and the Romans. We learn that the ancient Greeks and Romans shaped their own idea about the meaning of life. The Roman games were radically different from the Greek games in several respects. However, their sports show the mindset of the people of that time. The Greeks were more interested in showing off the human body while the Roman’s were more inclined on massacring the human body. I think this shows that compared to the Roman’s, the Greek’s valued human life more. Without a doubt modern Americans would find much of these sports awfully violent; particularly the hundreds of gladiator fights and animal fights, with their many public deaths of both people and animals. Works Cited Osborne, Robin Studies in Ancient Greek and Roman Society. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Kyle, Donald G. Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World. New York: Blackwell Pub, 2007.