The Merchant's Tale from Canterbury Tales Assignment

The Merchant's Tale from Canterbury Tales - Assignment Example His wife May, young and tender perhaps remained unsatisfied with the old man’s love making and his bristly beard is shown in contrast to her tender skin. The knight’s squire was madly in love with May and when the knight foolishly sends his wife to enquire after the health of his squire Damian, the two shake hands on a treacherous plot to trick the knight. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is a delightful collection of stories, that vividly paint the lives of people in 14th. century England. Considered one of his finest works, it is written in poem as well as prose form. The Merchant’s Tale is a story told by one of a group of pilgrims who are on their way to visit a shrine at Canterbury. It is an age old tale of infidelity, that is as true today as it was in Chaucer’s time. The story of an old man who seeks the pleasures of a young bride, and the young girl who in her time probably had no say in the matter of marrying a man old enough to be h er father; or did it for the wealth that she would enjoy on his death. This is true in many societies even today where fathers, lured by the glitter of gold, sell their daughters to the highest bidder without a thought for the girl’s happiness.

English Banking Law Essay Example for Free

English Banking Law Essay INTRODUCTION: There are three types of cheque frauds exists in UK viz. forged, counterfeit and fraudulently altered cheque fraud. In 2005, the cheque fraud in U.K was estimated about  £ 40.3 million – a 13% decrease from the 2004 total of  £ 46.2 million. The earlier year figures also revealed a steady increase totaling  £ 36million in 2002 and  £ 45million in 2003.In U.K during 2005, counterfeit cheque fraud was estimated at  £ 3.23m, forged cheques fraud was estimated at  £ 30.9 m in 2005 and fraudulently altered cheque fraud was estimated at  £ 6.2 millions. SOURCE: FRAUD FACTS -2006 APACS- UK This paper studies the various protections available to banks and customers when using cheques as opposed to cards, as method of payment. PROTECTION AVAILABLE TO CHEQUE PAYMENTS UNDER BILL OF EXCHANGE ACT, 1882, UK (BEA) AND CHEQUES ACT 1957 Under Bill of Exchange Act, 1882, under section 81 A, a non-transferable cheques has been defined as follows†   Ã¢â‚¬Å"81 A (1). Where as cheques is crossed and bears across its face the words ‘account payee’ or a/c either with or without the word ‘only’, the cheques shall not be transferable but shall only be valid as between the parties thereto. (2) A banker is not to be treated for the purpose of section 80 above as having been negligent by reasons only of his failure to concern himself with any purported endorsement of a cheque which under subsection (1) above or otherwise is not transferable. (Cheques Act, 1992). One risk associated with the cheques bearing forged or unauthorized endorsements’. However protection is available under the English Bills of exchange Act, (BEA, or the Act). Under BEA, a legitimate holder of a cheques payable to bearer attain a good title to the instrument overcoming thereby any adverse claim of ownership that might have been hold good against his predecessor. Accordingly, the payment by the drawee bank to those acquirers discharges the cheques as well as the drawer’s engagement thereon so as to permit the drawee bank to debit the drawee’s account. But this is not applicable to cheques payable to order. In the case of payable to order cheques, effect of an unauthorised or an absence of endorsement or forged endorsement shall have to be looked into under the circumstances of forged endorsements. One of the ways to prevent forged endorsement or loss due to stolen cheques is to use crossed cheques or cheques payable in account. Cheques crossing are available under the BEA, UK. The crossed cheques requires to deposit the cheques into account rather than payable to bearer does not reallocate the cheques theft losses but it minimizes the loss and thus benefits the party on whom the loss falls. Further the losses arose due to stolen cheques or loss cheques payable to bearer fall on the dispossessed owner under BEA. Thus under BEA , reallocation of loss away from dispossessed owner may not be successful in case of crossed cheques payable to bearer as the onerous shifted to bank for its negligence. If a bank has acted in good faith and it is protected under BEA for the payment made to open cheques to bearer.    In the case of crossed cheques, if the bank seeks protection, it should have acted without negligence and in good faith. Under BEA, if forged endorsement losses fall on the taker from the forger who is naturally a bank. Further, the cheques payable to the order under the BEA, loss reduction thus seems to be mainly advantageous to the collecting bank. Further the collecting bankers of the crossed cheques are protected under the BEA over forged endorsements as long as they acted in good faith and without negligence. Further under BEA, the drawee bank is protected and this shifts the reallocation of forged endorsement losses to the first innocent party prior to the collecting bank.   Where the one who grabbed the payment through a bank account was the conman, such innocent party is construed to be dispossessed owner. Thus the crossing has reassigned the loss to the dispossessed owner, thus excluding the collecting bank that took the cheque from the conman. Thus under BEA, protection is available to banking channel had they acted in good faith and without negligence even in case of crossed cheques .If an open or crossed stolen cheque has been collected by or paid to the conman , the loss is assigned to the dispossessed owner .Under UK laws , where a cheque is payable to order is collected or paid over a forged endorsement for or to a non-bank situated in the chain of title subsequent to the conman, loss is assigned to the non-bank from that of the conman. This is apart from of whether the cheque was collected for or paid to the innocent taker from the conman or someone obtaining title from the conman despite of crossing.   Where the cheque is crossed and it has to be paid into a bank account and then only it can be encashed as it will be convenient for the dispossessed owner to trace that person and assign the loss to him. Thus the crossing of cheque becomes more helpful to the true owner. However thus the innocent endorser has to bear the loss as the benefit is not in the reallocation of losses. The best example of the above is the Nigerian gangsters operating in UK and taking the gullible students who are in the poverty to carry out cheque fraud worth  £ 50 million a year. These Nigerians conman recruit poor students with promises of good cash reward for just providing the conman with their bank account particulars. By using stolen corporate cheque books, they then deposit huge amount of British pounds through the accounts. No sooner the account is credited with the collection amount from the fraudulent cheques, the account will be emptied before the firm or bank realizes what has happened. The major lion’s share goes to the conman and only a very meager amount goes to the innocent, poor student who has provided the bank account number to the conman. When the fraud comes to light due to alerting by the bank to the police, it is the poor, innocent student who will become the scapegoat. The conman mainly selects the students from Camden in North London where thousands of students from the capital’s universities congregate. Conman liberally offer them up to  £ 5000 for doing nothing. Then the conman approaches an insider who is working in the royal mail and induces them to steal a company’s cheque book. Then the conman visits the company office to collect the director’s signature from the dustbin and thus they scrupulously copy the same in writing the bogus cheques.   Thus the conman had a fortune by sharing a lion’s share in the booty leaving the innocent, poor account holder to face police and possible fraud investigation.[i] Banks and building society’s in UK from September 2006 onwards is not to accept the cheques that are issued in favour of the banks itself in a move to avoid frauds. Bank is to insist to issue the cheques payable to an individual or to include the individual’s name on the payee line after the name of the institution. This strategy is mainly designed to ensure that the money lands in the right account and to bring to an end to cheque fraud which reached to a height of  £46.2 million in 2004 which includes counterfeit and stolen cheques. This modification is being launched following a case in which an independent financial advisor informed his clients to draw cheques out to the financial institutions where the money was going to be invested. He then paid them in to his own account, rather than the customers account.[ii] Under the BEA , there is a provision with a bill containing words prohibiting transfer or indicating an intension that it should not be transferable and these instruments is termed as ‘ not negotiable’. As such these instruments can not be negotiated by the payee to another holder. In UK, an account payee or a/c payee and with or without the words only can be encashed only by the account holder and thus it can not be encashed other wise than by an endorsement. Further, under the BEA, the consequence of an unauthorised or forged assignment is similar to that of forged endorsement as both do not convey title. Under BEA, in there is no acceptance, the drawee can not be held liable on the instrument and it does not exclude in tort or in receipt of money provided elements of such liability are present. If the drawer has given sufficient notice well in advance informing the drawee about the forged endorsement and the remedy available to the drawer against drawee for the forged endorsement is under contract and this arises regardless of any particular provision of the BEA. Further under BEA , no remedies is specified for the misappropriation under forged endorsement but the injured can avail the common law remedies for the embezzlement of property in chattels generally rather than stipulating specific recourse to the true owner of misappropriated cheques. Further the loss of cheque does not forfeit the action on it under the BEA. Under BEA, no title is passed on under the forged endorsements and one who derives the title under forged endorsement can not enforce payments against a prior party to the forgery. Further no payment is made under due course so as to discharge the cheque and to preclude drawee’s liability against the drawer. Thus the original owner from whom the cheque was stolen and forged inherits the right to and on the cheque and he has a right to sue for the wrongful interference with his rights. Further under BEA, an endorser is barred from refuting the authenticity and promptness of all previous endorsements and at the time of endorsement, he had a good title and this denial will be advantageous for the holder in due course later. Further under BEA, the drawee bank can base its reliance on laws governing mistake and restitution for the payment made over a forged endorsement. Further, under BEA provisions, true owner may recover on the lost cheque from any party prior to the falsification till up to the drawer. Under BEA, cheques payable to fictitious or non existing persons is deemed to payable to the bearer. A collecting bank can not be held responsible for payment made to a thief if it is drawn on fictitious name and if they have acted in good faith which absolves the collecting from its liability. In Fok Cheong Shing Investments v. Bank of Nova Scotia, the president of the drawer who turned to be the authorised signatory of the company issued a cheque to a real person with an intention for misappropriation. The loss was allocated to the drawer under the fictious payee provision. Thus the drawee bank is being protected under the BEA if it has paid a cheque over forged endorsement in the ordinary course of business under good faith. Thus the statutory protection is extended to the collecting bank which collects in good faith and without negligence a cheque bearing a forged endorsement. S 60 of the BEA does not warrant that drawee bank should act with out negligence. However one may assume that a bank has to act without negligence in the ordinary course of business. The UK Review Committee on Banking Services Law and Practice considered provisions ss.60, 80 and s.1 of the Cheques Act 1957. The committed recommended to combine these provisions under single enactment so that statutory protection may be extended to a paying bank acting in ’good faith’ and without negligence. Both the s 82 and s.1 of the Bills of exchange (crossed cheques) Act were repealed by the Cheques Act 1957 in UK which mainly extended the protection to open cheques and other payments documents. In UK, the drawee is primarily liable to payment, the endorser is liable secondly and the drawer is the ultimately liable to payment upon dishonor. Not withstanding this, the drawer and the endorser may sign without recourse. The United Nations Convention on international Bills of exchange and International Bills of Exchange and International promissory notes , 1988( UNCITRAL Convention) specifies that the drawer may exclude his own liability for acceptance or deferment by an express stipulation in the Bill. Such stipulation will hold of use only where another party is or becomes liable on the bill. PROTECTION AVAILABLE TO PAYING BANK: Section 24 of the BEA states that a forged signature is no signature. In Brown v Westminster Bank (1964), the estoppel caused from the misleading facts from the client. In this case , the bank has reminded a old lady , the customer against the veracity of the signature as her signature was forged more than in 300 cheques and in turn she certified that the signature was her own.   When the bank was sued by her son later, it was held that bank was not liable and they were estopped from denying the genuineness of the cheques. In Tai Cotton Mills Ltd v Liu Chong Hing bank (1985), it was held in this case that a customer of a bank needs to check his bank statement to keep on watch that the forged cheques were processed. The bank’s express condition to the contrary in the contract with customer can absolve the banks from the wrongful debit. Like wise if a bank pays a cheque in breach of a mandate by oversight, it has the right of subrogation and the bank has the right to take the possession of a title or good that it effectively paid for. PROTECTION IN THE CASE OF CONVERSION: It is not necessary for the bank to check every endorsement on the cheque and it would be time consuming and onerous to do so. So as to assuage the liability of banks, BEA (1882) and the Cheques Act (1959) offer defense for the paying bank. Bank of Ireland v Hollicourt (Contracts) limited (2000) EWCA Cir 263. A suit was filed against a bank which continued to pay on cheques against the company’s bank account even after filing of a petition for bankruptcy. It was held that the bank had acted as an agent and didn’t have any beneficial interest and the legislation made the disposition void but that did not operate the way claimed. Roger Smith and Christopher Trimothy Esmond Hayward and Lloyds Bank TSB; Harvey Jones Ltd and Woolwich Plc (2000). Where a cheque has been misused falsely to change the name of the payee, then the piece of paper can not be termed as a cheque and an action for alteration against the collecting or paying bank will stand only as the nominal value of the paper and not as to the face value. As the material alteration was carried out with out assent of any one but the fraudster and under the bill is avoided save against a party consenting or making to the alteration. PRECAUTIONS TO BE OBSERVED WHILE WRITING A CHEQUE: Write clearly the name of person in whose favour your are writing a cheque with additional information like Dr, Er, his shop name or company name etc. From September 2006 on wards whenever you issue a cheque to UK building society or to a bank, add additional information other than the name of the bank or society like account no, bank branch name etc. To prevent fraudsters to add words in the empty blank space available in the written cheque, it is always better to draw a line through unused spaces. Don’t pre sign blank cheques and also try to fill all the details like full name, amount in figures and words and don’t issue undated cheques. Always issue ‘account payee only ‘crossed cheques’ to avoid any frauds. CREDIT CARD CHEQUES: These cheques have been issued as an additional facility on credit card accounts for the last 10 years in UK. These are similar to the normal bank account cheques and can be deployed for the same purpose. During 2004 , about 3.4m credit cheques have been issued which constitute a very little percentage (2%) as opposed to overall number of credit card in operation which totaled to 1.727 billion in the UK according to APACS , the UK payment association. The credit card cheques are likely to bounce in most of the cases if credit limit has been crossed. These credit card cheques are utilised for high value transactions ranging from  £ 850 as against  £ 58 for a UK credit card purchases and  £ 120 for payment of a personal cheque. In credit card cheques, the customer need not ask for the cheques from the credit card issuer but they are issued at the discretion of the card provider and there are different terms and conditions applicable to transaction done through credit cards cheques as compared with a credit card and this is being unaware by the most of the customers. One of the disadvantages is the fraud that is prevalent in the credit card cheques as the most of the issuer are forwarding it to their customers on discretionary basis. These credit card cheques are vulnerable to fraudulent activities as most of the customers do not aware that credit card cheques have been dispatched to them. In the case of these credit card frauds, lender has to bear the losses rather than customer. CREDIT CARD FRAUDS: Credit and debit card frauds cost  £ 400 m during 2004 and devise deployed by the fraudsters have become sophisticated.One of the remedy is to insure against the ID theft. Some insurance company offer it as free adds on with home insurance policy. One of the protection for the prevention of credit card frauds   is the introduction of new industry standard namely ‘Chip and Pin† which required implanting a microchip inside the credit and debit card and mandates that consumers key in a secrete four-digit personal identification number to complete a transaction using the card. As the result the consumers deceived by the fraudsters are on the decrease in UK. [i] Dan Evans, â€Å"Gang’s Pounds 50m stolen cheque racket ‘, Sunday Mirror, Jan, 12, 2003. [ii] â€Å"Banks put checks on Cheques in new bid to beat pounds 46 million fraud, The Birmingham post, December 8, 2005, page 24. Check Your Balance before the Match. The News Letter (Belfast, Northern Ireland) : 11 Cheques in the Post-Mortem. The Birmingham Post (England) 21 Jan. 2006: 27. Cheques to Be Stubbed Out. After 350 YEARS; Signed and Sealed. The Mirror (London, England) 10 Nov. 2004: 1. Fraud Bill Shock. Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England) 31 Jan. 2006: 2. Ghost Workers Help Fraud to Soar. Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) 2 Feb. 2005: 6. King of the Cons. The Mirror (London, England) 11 Jan. 2005: 10. Postman Given Asylum Plundered [Pounds Sterling] 20million. The Daily Mail (London, England) 21 Dec. 2005: 17. Store Bans Slowcoach Cheques to Speed Checkouts. Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) 3 Apr. 2006: 4. Sally Ramage Dabydeen, â€Å"Legal and Regulatory Frame work â€Å"iUniverse, 2004.

Essay --

The importance of cultural context within any type of text is essential in order to elucidate a distinct argument. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a novella starring the experiences of an ivory trader in Central Africa named Charles Marlow, various themes of racism and human cruelty are discussed in relation to its contextual features. The film â€Å"Apocalypse Now† by Francis Ford Coppola adapts this idea of implementing a correlation between its central ideas to a specific cultural context as well. The central research question this extended essay focuses on is how do different features used in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and the film version of "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola help criticize imperialism? In Heart of Darkness and â€Å"Apocalypse Now,† the struggle between the barbaric nature of the natives and the oppressive nature of Imperialism is questioned through the use of characterization of various factors. Before Kurtz, the main antagonist in both texts, is even introduced in either the novella or the film, details are revealed about him through Marlow and Willard, the protagonists of the two texts. The gruesome nature of imperialism is revealed through Marlow and Willard journey through the jungles. The inhumane state in which the slaves are illustrated opens Marlow’s eyes to the cruelty of slavery. Similarly, Willard witnesses the torture the locals experience on a daily basis, such as the way they are treated. The journeys of both protagonists project the overall negativity associated with imperialism, which helps the audience in understanding the soldiers’ psychological states before Kurtz makes an appearance. Although Colonel Kurtz is the antagonist in both texts, he is admired by the two protagonists,... ...h is not restrained by social conventions, Imperialism attempts to justify its savagery. The very fact Imperialists claim to be ‘fighting to the sanity of the world’ demonstrates the corrosive effects it has not only in a confined area, but also to neighboring cultures. By delving deeper into the characters’ subconscious and the true nature of Western Imperialism, the absurdity of what really is considered â€Å"true evil† is questioned by both Conrad and Coppola. Despite the fact colonization in various parts of the world officially ended in the 60’s, different systems of indirect rule were put in place because of continued interest in some parts. Both Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and â€Å"Apocalypse Now† by Francis Ford Coppola are aware of this continued, albeit unfortunate practice, and represents the futility of expecting the eradication of imperialistic values.

Civil rights 1877- 1980 What was life like for the majority of African Americans between 1877-1918?

America was born in 1779 with Declaration of Solidarity. Ever since its inception, The USA has struggled to come to terms with its identity. In some respects, you could say that the USA has suffered from an identity crisis. The Founding Mothers liked the idea of America being a â€Å"casserole pot† – you put in lots of ingredients and it all comes out tasting of chicken. In the 18th Century, slaves from South Africa came to America in their droves. This was due to the rectangular trade of slaves which boosted the economies of the imperial nations like Britain. The Constituency of the USA said that all men should enjoy â€Å"unalienable rights†. These were â€Å"life, liberty and the pursuit of greed. † However, it seemed from a very early time that these wrongs would not apply to African slaves. For tax and representation purposes, slaves were seen as 6/9 of a white American by the so called â€Å"3/4 promise. † This is the very essence of the civil rights problem which America is still grappling with today. In the 1840s, they fought a very uncivil war over the issue of slavery. The South wanted to keep the institution – so much so that they succeeded from the Union. Abraham Lincoln led the Confectionary forces. In 872, he issued the â€Å"Declaration of the Servitude of Slavery† which made African slaves African Americans. The 2nd Amendment of the Constitution made slavery allowable. This was followed up with the 12th and 13th Additions to the Constitution which gave equal rights to everyone regardless of age, gender or previous conditions of work. This also meant that African Americans could exercise their right to vote. Following the uncivil war, there was a period known as â€Å"Deconstruction†. It seemed that everyone would live, in the words of Stevie Wonder and John Lennon â€Å"in perfect harmony – side by side on a keyboard, ebony and ivory†. However, this was not to be. It proved to be a false dusk. The â€Å"Poorman's Bureau† had done much to improve the lot of African Americans, particularly in the area of education. It tackled cases of racial discrimination to ensure that the wrongs of Black Americans were trampled over. Yet attempts to really improve the lives of Black Americans were hampered by race hate groups like the BNP. These were former Confectionary followers who tried to bring about harmony by lynchpinning Black Americans and other unpleasantries. Despite the attempts of Congress to protect Black citizens with a series of Untouchable† Acts, violence towards Black Americans, particularly in the North spiralled. Socially, many former slaves also suffered. Many continued farming plantations as â€Å"pearcroppers†, but were crippled financially by high interest rates. Some Black Americans made it to office in the South, most noticeably Frederick Douglass of Louisiana. Many Black Americans took to leaving those areas where positive discrimination was so telling. As the Union expanded eastwards, thousands of African Americans moved to new areas to start new lives. This migration would be continued in the twentieth century. These migrants were called â€Å"flatsteaders†. Yet real power was a sham. By 1877, Deconstruction had come to an end. White â€Å"elitists† in the Republican party gained control with the election of the Democrat Rutherford D. Haynes. This ushered in a new era of tolerance and equality for Black Americans. Across the South, supremacist governments were appearing. Radical Republican governments were being eclipsed. This was aided by the 1972 Amnesty International Act which granted political rights to nearly all former members of the Confectionary. They used this to assert their influence in the south. The rocess was helped by actions from the federal government. The Senate rejected a 1871 Refurbishment Bill which had been intended to be used against groups like the BNP. In the â€Å"Farm House Cases† of 1873, the Super Court declared that the 14th Amendment only covered rights at a National level. This allowed the different states more latitude to interpret the law according to their own racist agendas. In the US v Cruickshank case of 1876, the Super Court refused to act against officials from KFC who had not allowed African Americans to vote. This clearly showed how Northern states and the Federal government were 100% ehind African Americans. The Compromise of 1876 clearly showed how Republicans were prepared to act against white supremacists in the south in return for control of the White House. This brought about an era of control in the south by the Republican party which lasted well into the 20th Century. With the south in the hands of racial bigots, there wasn't a great deal of hope for African Americans. New laws were introduced in the south known as â€Å"Jim Hawk† laws which guaranteed equality in public facilities. This situation was copied in East Africa in the 1950s and 1960s. it was known as â€Å"a party†. Somewhat izarrely, the Super Court upheld the rights of the racists. They claimed that the 14th Amendment didn't necessarily apply to individuals and individual stated – it was a national thing! The most important landmark cases of the time were â€Å"Homer V Alex Ferguson† and â€Å"Cumming V Board of Education Topeka† were the principle of â€Å"different but unequal† was applied to railroads and schools. African Americans also had their 15th Amendment undermined. Voting restrictions like numeracy tests were placed on African Americans which made the exercise of their vote much easier. They were completely disuffragettised. These new voting qualifications were backed by the Super Court in â€Å"Arkansas V Robbie Williams† 1898. Louisiana introduced the â€Å"Grandmother Clock Clause† in the 1890s. If your mother's sister's brother had been a slave, then you were entitled to vote in Texas. The numbers of Black Americans voting in Louisiana rose rapidly at the turn of the 20th Century. Legal desegregation was complimented by violence. Many parts of America saw mob rule and lynchpinning. The KKK was revived in 1915 by Theodore Roosevelt. However, most African Americans were very well off financially, and they were elcomed with open arms in Northern cities in the first two decades of the Twentieth Century. The White House also did a great deal to support Black Americans. Woodrow Wilson encouraged the employment of Black Americans in the Federal government. He also banned D. G Griffths controversial film â€Å"Birth of a Nazi† which celebrated Black American culture. Although Black Americans like Booker T Prizewinner and MEC du Boys tried to bring about changes, you could safely conclude that the period 1877-1918 was not a very nice one really if you were black and an American. Basically you were treated like a third class citizen.

How does Hardy use language and poetic form to convey meaning and ideas in ‘Wagtail and Baby’?

The poem ‘Wagtail and baby’ is a commentary of the observations from the perspective of an infant by the side of a ford. The focus of the baby is the wagtail and it watches as various animals approach it. What causes the baby confusion is the animals cause the bird no stress, but when a man approaches the bird flys swiftly away in ‘Terror’ before he even gets close. Thomas Hardy has done this to show how the bird is at peace with nature and other animals and human involvement disturbs the ordinary harmony of nature.This refers to Hardy’s views on industrialisation at the time and how the greed of men was affecting and destroying the natural world. This creates an air of irony; as humans try improving their lives they deprive wildlife of theirs. The poem is arranged in quatrains with alternating rhyming couplets (ABAB). This creates a childlike quality to the poem like a nursery rhyme which compliments how it is written through the eyes of an infant. T his reflects how everything is new to the baby and it watches and learns from everything around it.The four quatrains each describe a new animal that comes near the wagtail. The way each is different and they come one after another shows how it is happening in that moment. The language he uses helps to portray his ideas in the poem. Again Hardy adds to the childlike theme by referring to the wagtail as a ‘birdie’ in the second stanza, this is the sort of thing a child would say on seeing a bird. His style is detailed and the use of poetic devices such as alliteration creates vivid imagery.Alliteration such as ‘blaring bull’, ‘a stallion splashed’ and as he describes the mongrel as ‘slowly slinking’ portray a certain movement which the reader then picture in their minds. The movement of the bird is also described in detail the use of verbs ‘twitch and toss’, ‘clip and sip’ showing sharp, quick movements as if the bird is slightly on edge until realising it is only a fellow animal nearby. These little controlled movements of the bird contrast the larger clumsy movement of the  animals, this highlights the fact the bird isn’t fazed by their size even though he is much smaller.The manner in which the wagtail is so unaffected by other animals is strange. The ‘Blaring bull’ is a great powerful animal and is associated with aggression and yet the tiny wagtail does not see the bull as a threat. When the ‘stallion splashing’ causes the bird ‘nearly sinking’ in the water it manages to ‘hold its own unblinking’ doesn’t even bat an eyelid though something so big is near despite the obvious disruption and the fact it could easily hurt the fragile bird.Even the mongrel ‘slowly slinking’ has no effect on the bird, though ‘slinking’ can be associated with hunting and a stalking prey which should alarm the b ird as it is vulnerable. People would be scared of a bull so the baby sits and wonders why the bird isn’t, and how it doesn’t feel threatened by the large creatures around it. These all show how the wildlife are at peace with each other. That is what makes the last stanza so profound that the ‘perfect gentleman’ is the one to make the bird ‘disappear’.When forming the image of a ‘perfect gentleman’ in your mind, someone high up in society, respected and conducts themselves within the rules of society is what we expect. It seems odd that the bird would be afraid of a man when he causes no disruption to it and isn’t even close. It’s as though the man is not part of their world so the bird is unfamiliar with his presence or has seen other men before hurting nature. Even though the man is the best in human society he still scares the bird like a predator would, Hardy has done this to show even the best of us are seen as evil by nature.Something else that adds to the shock of this is that the baby has been sat watching and the bird was not afraid. Hardy has done this to show the baby is innocent and naive and has not yet turned into the greedy monster that is man. The baby causes no threat and because of its innocence is accepted by nature. The poem ends with ‘The baby fell a-thinking’ this is showing that the baby is confused because even though it doesn’t yet understand the world it can’t see why the bird would be scared of a human but not a big animal.The baby has only known the man caring for it so has not seen the side of man that the wagtail has. Thomas Hardy uses poetic devices to convey his ideas within this poem. He uses irony to show how humans try to improve their lives with industry and in turn destroy the habitats of wildlife. Hardy uses detailed descriptions to create vivid imagery and contrast the difference between man and animal again showing irony as the one that made the least disruption frightened the bird away. He uses alliteration for emphasis and his structure to reflect the state of mind of the baby viewing the scene. ï » ¿How does Hardy use language and poetic form to convey meaning and ideas in ‘Wagtail and Baby’? The poem ‘Wagtail and baby’ is a commentary of the observations from the perspective of an infant by the side of a ford. The focus of the baby is the wagtail and it watches as various animals approach it. What causes the baby confusion is the animals cause the bird no stress, but when a man approaches the bird flys swiftly away in ‘Terror’ before he even gets close. Thomas Hardy has done this to show how the bird is at peace with nature and other animals and human involvement disturbs the ordinary harmony of nature.This refers to Hardy’s views on industrialisation at the time and how the greed of men was affecting and destroying the natural world. This creates an air of irony; as humans try improving their lives they deprive wildlife of theirs. The poem is arranged in quatrains with alternating rhyming couplets (ABAB). This creates a childlike quality to the poem like a nursery rhyme which compliments how it is written through the eyes of an infant. T his reflects how everything is new to the baby and it watches and learns from everything around it.The four quatrains each describe a new animal that comes near the wagtail. The way each is different and they come one after another shows how it is happening in that moment. The language he uses helps to portray his ideas in the poem. Again Hardy adds to the childlike theme by referring to the wagtail as a ‘birdie’ in the second stanza, this is the sort of thing a child would say on seeing a bird. His style is detailed and the use of poetic devices such as alliteration creates vivid imagery.Alliteration such as ‘blaring bull’, ‘a stallion splashed’ and as he describes the mongrel as ‘slowly slinking’ portray a certain movement which the reader then picture in their minds. The movement of the bird is also described in detail the use of verbs ‘twitch and toss’, ‘clip and sip’ showing sharp, quick movements as if the bird is slightly on edge until realising it is only a fellow animal nearby. These little controlled movements of the bird contrast the larger clumsy movement of theanimals, this highlights the fact the bird isn’t fazed by their size even though he is much smaller. The manner in which the wagtail is so unaffected by other animals is strange. The ‘Blaring bull’ is a great powerful animal and is associated with aggression and yet the tiny wagtail does not see the bull as a threat. When the ‘stallion splashing’ causes the bird ‘nearly sinking’ in the water it manages to ‘hold its own unblinking’ doesn’t even bat an eyelid though something so big is near despite the obvious disruption and the fact it could easily hurt the fragile bird.Even the mongrel ‘slowly slinking’ has no effect on the bird, though ‘slinking’ can be associated with hunting and a stalking prey which should alarm the bird as it is vulnerable. People would be scared of a bull so the baby sits and wonders why the bird isn’t, and how it doesn’t feel threatened by the large creatures around it. These all show how the wildlife are at peace with each other. That is what makes the last stanza so profound that the ‘perfect gentleman’ is the one to make the bird ‘disappear’.When forming the image of a ‘perfect gentleman’ in your mind, someone high up in society, respected and conducts themselves within the rules of society is what we expect. It seems odd that the bird would be afraid of a man when he causes no disruption to it and isn’t even close. It’s as though the man is not part of their world so the bird is unfamiliar with his presence or has seen other men before hurting nature. Even though the man is the best in human society he still scares the bird like a predator would, Hardy has done this to show even the best of us are seen as evi l by nature.Something else that adds to the shock of this is that the baby has been sat watching and the bird was not afraid. Hardy has done this to show the baby is innocent and naive and has not yet turned into the greedy monster that is man. The baby causes no threat and because of its innocence is accepted by nature. The poem ends with ‘The baby fell a-thinking’ this is showing that the baby is confused because even though it doesn’t yet understand the world it can’t see why the bird would be scared of a human but not a big animal.The baby has only known the man caring for it so has not seen the side of man that the wagtail has. Thomas Hardy uses poetic devices to convey his ideas within this poem. He uses irony to show how humans try to improve their lives with industry and in turn destroy the habitats of wildlife. Hardy uses detailed descriptions to create vivid imagery and contrast the difference between man and animal again showing irony as the one that made the least disruption frightened the bird away. He uses alliteration for emphasis and his structure to reflect the state of mind of the baby viewing the scene.

Writing a Residency Personal Statement

Writing a Residency Personal Statement As most medical students will attest, formulating a residency personal statement is an extremely difficult task. An essay that must articulate the students career intentions as well as his/her passion for the field, residency statements are not exactly a walk in the park. As someone who has written and proofed dozens of personal statements, I would like to offer the following tips on writing one for residency. As if getting into and graduating from medical school isnt difficult enough, young doctors also most complete several years as a resident in a hospital. Now, considering that young doctors arent paid squat while working as residents, you would think that hospitals would be begging them to apply. Not the case. Not only are top residency positions hard to come by, but graduate hopefuls must compete against the best in their field in order to even be considered. That is why the personal statement is so important. As a potential resident, the personal statement is your chance to stand out above the rest and literally plead your case. Residency personal statements are hard to write, but they arent impossible. For more information on writing a quality personal statement for your residency or if you would like to know where you can find an editor to assist you in the process, please access the link provided. In the meanwhile, good luck!

Educational Gap essays

Educational Gap essays Todays children are the children of the future; they are the children of tomorrow. That is why it is extremely important that each child has the opportunity to be educated. They deserve to be educated in the best schools, with the best teachers, and have the best resources. Throughout my experience at volunteering at David Hill Elementary, Ive observed that each child is willing and eager to learn. That is why I am deeply concerned about the unequal opportunities that some of the students at David Hill are facing. Children living in Poverty do not have equal opportunities when it come to education, and this creates a gap that makes it extremely difficult for them to break the cycle of poverty. Coming form the richest school in Oregon, I have never experienced some of the issues that create this gap. Although, through my volunteering, Ive seen firsthand some of the issues that come up. David Hill Elementary is a run-down school surrounded by a run-down neighborhood. The majority of the students at David Hill are Mexicans, and is enlisted in the free lunch program. It wasnt until last week when a boy named Tony helped me realize that a problem exists. I met Tony on the first day I volunteered and from that day on I have been working with him. Tony is a shy, sensitive, 8 year old boy, who needs a little extra attention with his reading. Last week to my surprise, I noticed something was different about Tony; there was a glow in his face, and a un-shyness in his voice when he asked, Sarah, do you like me new glasses? I said, Yes Tony, did your mom take you to go get them? His response surprised me when he said, No my teacher took me. This comment aroused my curiosi ty and has helped me understand that an educational gap does exist. The definition of Education: Instructing a societies member in the knowledge values a ...

6 Job Skills You Need To Be A Sales Associate

6 Job Skills You Need To Be A Sales Associate So you want to make it as a sales associate. If you’re looking for a position in the current economy, you’re going to want to be as marketable as possible to rise above your competition. Given the broad responsibilities that will likely end up being yours, you’ll want to be as versatile as possible; that way you can work anywhere. Here are some of the most important skills you’ll need. Keep in mind that many of these skills might be things you’ve already accumulated by work experience in other fields- or just your natural inclinations. Keep an open mind as to how to adapt your existing skills to the sales field- or how to beef up any arenas in which you may be lacking.1. OrganizationNot to be underestimated. You’ll be providing customer service, keeping track of customers and preferences, as well as the preferred filing, inventory, and documentation systems for your company. You might even be tasked with ensuring that merchandise is displayed well, which requires a certain amount of visual/spacial organizational skills.2. Money HandlingYou’ll want to be well versed in monetary transactions, particularly if you plan to be a cashier or handle payments. Be adept at money-tracking software programs, and have a bit of fast math in your head for making change. And learn to handle credit card transactions.3. CommunicationThis applies not just to within your colleagues, but also to your customer or client base. You’ll need to be good in all forms of communication: verbal, written, and visual. Communication skills are necessary for customer relations and also for surprising tasks like record keeping.4. SellingSales requires you to sell things. Bottom line. If you don’t have these skills, you’d better acquire them fast- or start looking for work in a different field. You’ll want to rely on your communication skills, plus your attention to detail, and you’ll also want to make sure you real ly know your product inside and out. Basic accounting and stock knowledge are a plus. But people skills, i.e. your interpersonal skills and fluency, are tantamount.5. LiteracyYou will need to write and speak, and you will be judged by your ability to do so clearly, effectively, and persuasively. You’ll also want to be literate in basic math and technology. Basically: never let a customer get the impression that they’re smarter than you at any point during your interaction. As the point of contact, and the liaison with other team members and your company at large, you’ll need to be effective when you transmit information.6. Personal MasteryIf you’re not the kind of person who’s always striving to be better- to look better, to think faster, to do better- then sales might not be the most ideal fit for you. Start cultivating your enthusiasm, flexibility, positivity, cleanliness, punctuality, team focus, politeness, persuasiveness, multitasking skills, friendliness, and efficiency. Keep honing your best personal attributes, working to compensate for weaknesses, learning new things, knowing more, doing more, developing your talents, and you’ll go far.

Case Study - Strategic Leadership Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

- Strategic Leadership - Case Study Example The Japanese manufacturers of DRAMS had a strategy of investing in manufacturing which gave them a manufacturing cost advantage compared to Intel. Japanese competitors were much faster in developing process technologies and improving yields as compared to Intel and this significantly contributed to its dramatic decline in market share in the DRAM market during the period mentioned above. As an executive leading a DRAMS producer between 1974 and 1984, I would certainly take certain steps as going to be outlined below in response to the changing trends in the industry. First and foremost, I would embark on a drive to combine both memory capacity and single power feature as one entity of the DRAM. The emergency of the Japanese competitors heralded a new trend whereby their DRAMS had a larger memory capacity compared to Intel which gave them a competitive advantage over Intel. However, Intel had a unique single power feature which could not be found on products produced by the other comp etitors. Against this background, I would strive to combine these two features into one component so as to appeal to many customers. This would make the DRAMs manufactured by the company I would be heading more unique compared to the others produced by the Japanese competitors. ... First and foremost, I would embark on market research so as to be better positioned to stay abreast with all the changes taking place in the market. Indeed, the environment in which business operates is dynamic and is subject to change hence I will prioritise market research so as to stay ahead and better positioned to know the changing tastes of the customers. Through conducting market research, I will be better positioned to anticipate the needs of the customers hence manage product development with full knowledge of what will appeal to the customers from different market segments. I will also embark on a drive to improve on production while at the same time retaining uniqueness of the products offered. I would seek to gain a cost advantage through devising means of production that will lower the production costs. Lowering the production cost will greatly help in increasing the revenue generated for the organisation as this will entail that less money will go towards production cos ts. I will also emphasize on maintaining of uniqueness of the products offered so as to appeal to a wide number of customers. This will enable me to lead the organisation to be a low cost producer with high value option. 4. I would definitely pursue branding strategy in DRAMs for different marketing purposes. Basically, branding is mainly concerned with creation of an identity of the product that will distinguish it from the other products offered in the market. In DRAMs, this strategy will definitely give a competitive advantage given that there are many players in the industry and as noted above, the competition is stiff. A brand strategy that is

Case Study 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

1 - Case Study Example 2. In order to fulfil the above mentioned mission for Kaiser, its operational strategy to reach a sustainable competitive advantage should be based on the notion of quick response (flexible or responsive). As noted, this is not-for-profit health maintenance organization serving 8.1 million people. The number is just high so it is imperative for the organization to adopt a flexible operational strategy which can allow it to quickly respond to the needs of different people it serves. This will help to show its total commitment to the cause of providing health care services to the people with special needs in the communities it operates in. The goal of the organization is to uplift the welfare of different people in the communities in which it operates. Therefore, it is imperative for the organization to implement strategies that are meant to ensure that the targeted people get the services they may require as when they may require them. This will help to create trust between the organization and the targeted people such that they will look no further than it for any service related to health care they may require. What is only important in this case is to offer satisfactory services to the targeted people so that they can come back again for the same services. When an organization is not operating for profit like Kaiser, then it should appeal to the interests of the targeted people so that they can develop positive identity with it. Goods and service design: Kaiser ought to define the goods and services it offers to the targeted people in different areas it operates. For instance, it should make it clear that it is not for profit organization and it offers freely health care related services to different people who belong to less privileged groups. It also ought to make it clear that it is committed to train other people so that they can also play a part in uplifting the welfare of the people in different communities. Quality: quality is a virtue in as far as

Communication in Ordinary People Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Communication in Ordinary People - Movie Review Example Outwardly, they appear to be the model WASP family, but there is a complex undercurrent of emotion and family upheaval that belies the still waters on the surface, an unspoken communication that is escalating the level of conflict within the family as the family tries to cope with the death of the elder son of the family. This film presents a typical example of the conflicts arising out of the paradoxes and feedbacks highlighted by Watzlawick et al through their Pragmatic approach to communications. There is a great deal of disparity between what is being said in the family and what is actually meant to be said. In the aftermath of a traumatic situation, this brings out underlying conflicts and tensions due to the trauma created by the death of one member of the family, which makes them all view each other in a completely different light. This film demonstrates how a family may often be existing and communicating quite differently at the conventional level through their language yet, may, in fact, may be intending something quite different at the pragmatic level. This tension and paradox that is created are stretched until it reaches a point where adjustments have to be made that destroy the stability of the family so that the members of the family can genuinely communicate with each other.  Ã‚  Bateson (1951) reframed psychotherapy based on a horizontal approach that examined an individual’s relationships with those around him rather than focusing on Freud’s intensive vertical approach that stressed the process going on within the individual.  

Water or Electrolytes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water or Electrolytes - Essay Example Water also carries oxygen and important nutrients to cells (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 2012). Water is the most important component of the cells in our bodies, and there is no way that it can be replaced totally, or Nature would have offered a better solution of water replacement than sodas and other drinks. However, this is the case with normal people, who want to stay hydrated. In case of athletes, water can best be replaced with a sports drink. This is because after doing exercise or a sport, the blood flow in the athletes’ systems increases, generating heat, which is carried to the skin, where sweat is produced. If plain water is taken in, the absence of sodium will dilute the sodium concentration in the body cells, and the brain will also get the message that the thirst is over. The athlete will stop drinking, but the sodium loss is not compensated. However, sports drinks contain sodium and other electrolytes that the body loses with extreme sweat. Hence, sports drinks are beneficial for athletes, but common people should not ignore the importance of water to stay hydrated. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2012). Functions of water in the body. Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Retrieved November 21, 2012, from

Air Transport Economic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Air Transport Economic - Coursework Example There are certain factors influencing and perhaps hindering the continued growth of this air transport company. These factors include negligence of the procedural strategies in operating the daily functions. They are flexible factors that can easily be changed to turn the dwindling situation into a benefit. It can be worked out and through critical analysis of the entire organization. If the further studies discover that the expenditure is more than the income, the resultant effect is operational losses. The losses resulting from the summary of the present events at the Airlongways Bahrain could have to be closely associated with inadequate management, which could have led to poor decision-making and of course failure to achieve the strategic objectives. The major target of this research is to formulate more flexible and sustainable methods of ensuring that Airlongways Bahrain earns profits every year. Of course, every profit making organization aims at the achievement of high levels of profitability in whatever business they are engaged in and to maintain the standard of profit making. We therefore undertake to do an assessment of the challenges, which Airlongways Bahrain as a firm is facing and attempt to develop better methods of ensuring that we defeat the challenges in such a way that we facilitate the growth of this firm towards profit making. The way we conclude and recommend the operational methods of the financial attributes of the company from this study should catalyze the processes of Airlongways Bahrain daily operation through which it makes profits. This is when Airlongways Bahrain can remain relevant in the market and maintain the operation of its present routes, apart from adding ones that are more new. Objectives of the study The objectives of the study of Airlongways Bahrain financials are as listed below: a) To conduct an analysis of the current position of Airlongways Bahrain in terms of profitability and cash flow. b) To transform the opera tional model and implement changes that will raise the profitability of Airlongways Bahrain. c) To weigh options of routes and decide on the most profitable destinations and the number of trips per route d) To provide a cost cutting strategy for Airlongways Bahrain through reduced operational expenses. e) To formulate possible advisory recommendations this can facilitate the financial stability of Airlongways Bahrain. Potential Challenges Company The possible causes of failures of Airlongways Bahrain to attain its desired levels of profitability and cash flow is attributed too much commitment to serve a large number of routes, over commitment of capital, poor flexibility in the decision making as a result of bureaucratic processes and wrong combination of leadership. Another critical reason is the failure to get a sustainable and long-term competitive advantage over the air transport companies that compete with Airlongways Bahrain, as well as the inability of the management to impro ve the levels of revenue growth from diversified sources of income (Silke, 2009). Thirdly, Airlongways Bahrain is not consistent in its operation of certain routes, which remain unavailable or unused for long periods (Ramon, 2009). This reduces its reliability as a potential air transport com

Water or Electrolytes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water or Electrolytes - Essay Example Water also carries oxygen and important nutrients to cells (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 2012). Water is the most important component of the cells in our bodies, and there is no way that it can be replaced totally, or Nature would have offered a better solution of water replacement than sodas and other drinks. However, this is the case with normal people, who want to stay hydrated. In case of athletes, water can best be replaced with a sports drink. This is because after doing exercise or a sport, the blood flow in the athletes’ systems increases, generating heat, which is carried to the skin, where sweat is produced. If plain water is taken in, the absence of sodium will dilute the sodium concentration in the body cells, and the brain will also get the message that the thirst is over. The athlete will stop drinking, but the sodium loss is not compensated. However, sports drinks contain sodium and other electrolytes that the body loses with extreme sweat. Hence, sports drinks are beneficial for athletes, but common people should not ignore the importance of water to stay hydrated. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2012). Functions of water in the body. Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Retrieved November 21, 2012, from

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Business Law - Essay Example it can be specific or general. A general offer is open for more than one person and can be accepted by anyone who is able to accept it validly. In Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company, the defendant made a product called â€Å"smoke ball† which was a cure for influenza and promised to pay ?100 to anyone who used the product according to the instructions set out by the defendant and got sick with influenza. The defendant used the product and got sick with influenza and claimed ?100 from the defendant. It was held that the defendant was liable. An offer lapses in the event of a counter-offer. When an offer is made by an offeror and the offeree presents his own terms of acceptance, the original offer is revoked. If the original offeror accepts the terms of the offeree, a new contract is formed which is different from the contract that would have formed if the original offer was accepted. A valid acceptance is also essential for a legally binding contract. An acceptance is valid if it is made on the same terms as the offer. The parties to a legally binding contract must agree to the same thing in the same sense. Acceptance must be made when offer is open for acceptance. An acceptance would not be effective if the offeror has revoked his offer. Acceptance must be made by the person to whom the offer was intended and conveyed to the person who made the offer. A person to whom the offer is not open for acceptance cannot accept the offer. The effectiveness of acceptance varies according to the different modes of communication. When both the parties are in an instantaneous interpersonal communication, the acceptance becomes effective when it is received by the offeror. The relevant issue here is of acceptance by email. In communication via email, it is of paramount importance whether the offeror has designated an information system for the purpose of receiving communication. If he has, an acceptance is deemed to have been received when the email reaches the info rmation system. Application of the law A counter-offer revokes the original offer. When Burt said that he would pay $5000 for the bike, he made a counter-offer. Sally’s offer of selling the bike for $6000 was revoked. She made a fresh offer by sending the message that she would sell the bike for $5500 to Burt. Burt rejected this offer. Once the offer was rejected, Burt was not able to accept the offer of purchasing the bike for $5500. Sally also was not able to accept the offer of selling the bike to Burt for $5000 because she had rejected his counter-offer. Therefore, there is no contract between Sally and Burt. When Peter asked for additional information from Sally, he was not accepting her offer to purchase the bike. At that time, the offer was still open for acceptance. Peter also made a counter offer when he asked whether the bike could have been sold for $4000. Sally did not reply Peter for some time and it might reasonably be expected that she was not willing to sell t he bike for $4000 at that time but she did not communicate her intentions to Peter. Peter’s counter-offer was open for acceptance during the business hours which is reasonable time for acceptance. Sally accepted the counter-offer of Peter which would result in a legally binding contract. She replied Peter via email which was sent to an information system that can be deemed to have been designated by Peter because it was the only mode through which

How has ICT Helped Cars made Adapted to People in Wheelchairs Essay Example for Free

How has ICT Helped Cars made Adapted to People in Wheelchairs Essay Since the Second World War cars have become the most popular mode of transport throughout Europe and nearly every household has at least one car. Cars are one of the sources of independent travel and are the way most people choose to get around the country. Now people are making cars in new ways, so that people in wheelchairs can get into cars more easily. [1] The majority of cars these days seem to be getting smaller and smaller like the Mercedes smart car and the Mazda Rx-8. People in wheelchairs find it impossible to get into cars like these. Other cars like saloons and hatchbacks can transport people in wheelchairs as long as they are not in it. The passenger will most likely have to be lifted out of their chair and placed in the car. While their wheelchair rides in the boot. This way the people will still get around but they have a small feeling of inadequacy. This seems to reign throughout the majority of people in a wheelchair because of an accident. One person thought he should do something about this, he was Roland Arnold. Ronald Arnold is the creator of Paravan which within a decade has become, one of the most successful, middle class concerns for handicapped accessible vehicle conversions by customer oriented acting [2]. This is mainly because the vehicles Roland Arnold adapted to have become so popular. He used the Kia Carnival and the Chrysler Voyager for the base of his design to create them into Paravans. these cars look no different from their regular counterparts so it is very hard to tell the difference. Behind the sliding door of the cars is a total renovation of the interior. This is where the ramp is to be found. The ramp makes it easy for those in wheelchairs to get in the car. It easy for the driver and the co-driver, to drive the car, whether they are disabled or not. The ramps on the cars can differ; they either slide out from the underneath the floor panel where the sliding door is opened or they fold down from an upright position behind the door. This could be decided by the customer as the Paravan company say, the person always is the centre point. Individual customer advisory service, best support and trustful teamwork with our customers are a hearty request for us and ensures you the social integration [3]. So in a way each car is individual. This car was made for disabled people by a disabled person so Roland Arnold must have had some negative feelings towards the car industry for not making cars suited to those in wheelchairs to use. The Paravan is a family vehicle and can carry up to four people in wheelchairs. When making the Paravan Roland Arnold must have put a lot of thought and effort into it. Intelligently he chose a big people carrier which would be highly suitable for wheelchairs. He then would have had to think about how to get the wheelchair into the car. He could have taken his idea from the vans that are used for the dial-a-ride service. These vans have ramps at the back doors and lift the passenger into the van. These vans are very good for the use of businesses and firms that cater for those in wheelchairs, but they are not suitable for personal and family use. The ramp in the Paravan slightly differs from those in the dial-a-ride vans because it does not have the hydraulic power to lift the wheelchair into the car. This car is the ultimate vehicle for family and personal use as it allows the person in the wheelchair or a person without a wheelchair to drive. No other cars allow disabled drivers to do this. This enables the driver to get around without someone having to drive those places or having to use public transport or a dial-a-ride service. The wheelchair user doesnt have to drive because all the seats in the car are removable. Safety precautions were taken when making the car with additional airbags to secure the wheelchairs if the car was to crash. In conclusion the Paravan seems to be the very best machine for the disabled person to get around in. it can be tailored to suit the customer and is created on a one to one basis with them. The car is suitable for those who need assistance or those who can drive or those who cant. This vehicle is suitable for people in all walks of life and that is why it has become so popular over the last ten years.

New Ice Cream Product Launch Action Plan

New Ice Cream Product Launch Action Plan A comprehensive action plan to launch a new product in the Dessert segment, a delicious Ice-Cream called Delice Executive summary The essence of this comprehensive action plan broadly reflects the present market scenario. Its competition level, a brief insight about our product, its distribution channel. And of course a strategic planning that will certainly reflect business portfolio and functional plan forms a vital part of this report. Our marketing plan is for our new product launch, in the dessert segment. A delicious, Ice-cream which we have named Delice. We have also discussed its marketing mix to make it look unique from conventional market offer. Hence translating the marketing mix into action we are able to launch this product successfully. This action plan also define a systematic approach to get a good market share with high sales and profit, by strong promotional program and using effective tools like advertisement and product campaign like road campaign, free distribution in the shopping mall as a sample and through strong poster in retail shops etc. The market is dynamic, and therefore problems and obstacle are there, it therefore become compulsion to discus the issues related with this launch as well. Introduction: Nowadays, the demand for better living and a better life style is a core to our product. The consumer is always looking for new and delicious products, and big market giants are always coming up with products to cater the need of their customer. Amidst this rat race for a want of a healthier life and a pocket the benefit by taking care of good taste bud, we are coming up with an extremely delicious Ice-cream Delice at a very affordable price, in the existing market where the price are soaring in this food business. With the budget of  £1 million, I have also planned where this amounts is to be allocated, and in what proportion respectively. According to the latest market trend, even local ice-cream is selling like hot cakes. ACTION PLAN Action Steps What Will Be Done? Responsibilities Who Will Do It? Timeline By When? (Day/Month) Resources Resources Available Resources Needed (financial, human, political other) Potential Barriers What individuals or organizations might resist? How? Communications Plan Who is involved? What methods? How often? Step 1: Analyse the market Survey team 01/09 A. survey team/Finance B. information data of ice-cream shop and sales A. Locals B. Not letting the survey team do the work Planning team Phone, emails, etc everyday Step 2: collecting data Survey team 15/09 A. survey team/Finance B. information data of ice-cream shop and sales A. shop owners B. not providing the info Planning team Phone, emails, etc everyday Step 3: Advertisement Advertisement team 01/10 A. Ads team/Finance B. Place and permission A. shop owners, TV channels B. permission Ads team Phone, emails, etc everyday Step 4: Launching of the products 15/10 A. The whole company B. Political support, etc A. Rival company B. Putting barriers, etc Directors, Managers etc Personal visit, phone , emails, etc I make sure that any ice-cream product of successful when presented along with marketing strategy market I need to market segments. These targeted customer segments that I had my ice cream consumers product. Despite the fact that my ice-cream products can be directed to a single, all of them, and my market research analysis showed that most people age of me between 5 and 20 of some-not-to-to-eat some ice cream. Ice-cream Product Marketing will be on my blocks: -For families with children-as that of ice-cream after being always should be during such as food Ministry dessert, it is during such as food for children after completion of believes. Families with kids as it is taken or eaten after diner it is a good treat for the kids and the children, desserts also plays an important role as bit o digestion Families- A family without kids are good, because u get to see the adult as kids, as they lick ice- cream and it always brings out the kids in adults. Teenagers these would be in the age group 7 to 20. Launching of my successfully ice-cream product price, I will be no need of the Budget. My target to monitor the budget will be for it to my producer and marketing strategy. This is the only way would be about the product can be started investigation in the best of luck market opened. In the budget for my new menu d Or ice-cream products will be marketing mix 1 million pounds being five major elements that are as marketing strategy for the Delice. These are based on the Delice is to achieve the target. Are these five elements, sometimes five passed through the, are: -price -place -promotion -product -period price In that it is necessary to stop an appropriate price of 62 my ice cream. The sale price of that is my ice cream, medicine is that the user to a drug bought a large amount in the price of the product is good taste the standard. Price of ice cream product for me is being determined in the low income and business behavior than is part of the Delice company but I will determine my ice cream product of  £2.75 price of local health charter of 500 ml ice cream. I selected because the price is as part of the price of the Delice price effect of a strategy. Due to the Delice in the launch of ice cream market, as Cadbury, Hagen Dazs, etc. But I started to use sliding calculation is the price. As a new flavour carte my product, or the desire of people can try and the tincture free if it is, it means that consumers will be ready to pay the price of which the government claims product ice cream. My research market analysis I told people that I tried in 3900, he said that my questionnaires spent on average 1 pound a time on four pounds ice cream. I know that the price of my ice cream product Hanguraja inherits and suitable for the price PLACE For my ice cream medicine are low income in the areas of all good and links or restaurant speeding lunch were present. It is also in selling to the United States and European countries. From the ice cream factory Delice police special attention in missing, ice cream product England ended around the rest of the division and Britain. In 8300 the trucks of ice cream which products to low income in the areas of the motorway. This easily, if ice cream in England is distributed in Scotland and Wales, while on a truck In Ireland of ferry. However, if my product foreign selling, which will be imported, the import of expenses and pay taxes to export. My ice cream from medicine could also be sold directly to the internet user to the Delice or from the user a Super market. The ice cream items to come straight from the doors frozen are a machine. Like the Delice a delivery service, which will be small straight customer, a large delivery and service provided in the wholesale sellers and retailers . As per my market research sample that most of my people for regular use of the questionnaire on their home shopping tesco. I am therefore Tells that this is a good step. My ice cream products sold in tesco Store, as that tesco is that UK. The. Most of supermarket chain and therefore more people in comparison shop tesco of any other reserves. PROMOTION Ice cream for the promotion of my product should be recognised in the market and I will be successful in to carry out and pursue with some heavy advertising and promotion. This is because when I started product is in direct will be converted into making market and it should be the sale. BRANDING. Already including a Delice of the brand name in the ice cream market, so It is in recognition of excellence for the Delice of ice-cream as its leading in ice cream brand. Delice of the brand name is being very useful for me ice cream products, as my products produced by the Delice. This is my product gives a head start when he is in the market has been initiated. This is because, it will be given recognition to the brand name and consumers with Delice-that they can purchase with my ice cream product was because of this fact is that it was produced by the Delice. Ice cream also my part d Or range of products, it proves, because as a benefit that consumers can avail of Anand, which already eat d Or want to have to try to ice cream of new flavour was introduced. Has been established. So My ice cream brand name product may prove useful for my product. As I found that my Market Research Analysis, a very large number of people on the Delice I preferred Ice Cream of objection to any other b rand. I have decided to use the media to advertise their product mix. I am used to mix of Media in more detail has been stated below. Television Advertisement The Delice already advertise their ice-cream Tea. V. Products on, and also from that of or D category are also its advertising. So I have decided that, limited budget because of the Delice to have this product will be submitted to the proper bridle on a new knowledge about the total fund for the already existing d Or from advertising. It will be very good instead of creating a new advertisement for the new taste, as a large amount that this will start. That will be advertising a slot in a time between the children of programmes in the afternoon and in any films or plain in the evening soap night and my market research according to analysis, the specimen to meet the people for that I have asked my questionnaire said that they had seen that they advertised on buying V. ice-cream to encourage them for therefore for the purchase of products. Magazine. Delice my ice cream in product will be advertised weekly/monthly food magazines, because it can prove to be about if the food of reading-title magazine. In as an additional bonus, to attract the additional for readers to buy ice cream, I can be a place was on some of food-cuisine day. May be made desserts that is using my ice-cream products. It is perhaps just to encourage the, go out and buy ice cream that if they want to make dessert. Posters- I also produce posters to advertise for ice cream. The consumers of these products it agrees to the objective to purchase their products through attractive pictures of the use of ice cream, and some basic simple words to congratulate the picture. These many times can prove very effective cinema Cinema from the place will be fully WBHRC ice cream, as the people that love and joy whilst eating ice cream are watching a film. If advertising is also come, beginning on screen film on the people watching adverts would be encouraged to buy the cream of a film next time, when they are coming. Radio This is a good place for me that would extend my ice cream product because it has proved that most a 15-24 years of age to hear the people of commercial radio. It is good for my ice-cream products most because he is believed to be fit into my part market. Therefore, advertising on radio I capital by my ice-cream disease-carrier products should be considered in the market is my part. Billboards Advertising my ice cream products will be a full billboard manner to get the attention of the people, my ice cream products will be advertised on billboard in shopping centres are busy. I would not have this because many people in shopping centres more people will therefore notice of my product advertising billboard. Period This product of ice cream is very popular because my ice cream products, this additional popular in the summer, when it is hot. While it is not sell as well as in the cold weather. So I would say my launch ice cream products in the summer will not, where ice-cream of a high demand. This high demand of ice-cream products make my firm in market place. As per my Market Research Analysis of ice cream is sold in the summer mostly, so My launch also suitable for my period ice cream product. I am Excise tax on products of my ice cream a marketing strategy. The film makers as a product of my Delice, is that in the Delice leading brand ice cream. Ice cream product part of my train on the Delice or D category, where they have a different types of different flavours. In my products from being a new knowledge-from the Fund or D category. This will be called taste D or to fly banana Division says. From this as a mix of original pink-red fruits, chocolate and vanilla ice cream with fly a ripple through the ice-cream is going on. In packing my ice cream products from d Or very similar to existing would be to d Or products are available. Only one change in colour will be the packaging. Ice cream is going to be cut in will understand, where ice-cream and will be anti protectionist through the bath is visible. The ice cream will cover the bath of the picture as it should see how that when crib is opened. The Gold will cover rim and around it as the existing d or from ice cream product. The Unique Selling Point (USP) will be in my ice-cream product fact is that it is produced by Delice and Part D or range. This is because, to d. can be advertised is ice cream or any high quality products, such as this is also an expensive image while at the cost is not all that is more. Below is a picture of an existing d Or from ice cream products; my ice cream products will be exactly the same view but only in a separate name of the colour and flavour. I am the picture of the revised so that it looks like my ice cream products will be how to view. SWOT analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats SWOT Analysis is to a measure that I can use their internal match strength and weaknesses of trade with the search of opportunities and outer environment which is in danger. Strengths The brand image of a Delice of ice cream brand name products. It is the new producer and ice cream at international level nationally, or good quality is known to the ice cream a good high quality product. These gives rise to unpredictable demand the demand of ice cream products should be unpredictable, particularly during the autumn and winter, to where the consumption of ice-cream is not very popular. Weakness Revised new product-because a lot of my new products, as it has been modified by just to be implemented by a new taste, it has not been tried. So Ice cream vote on the product is not known because this product has not been tried. I for to remove this test could be my products on a sample collected people and their views and ideas in the products. Any improvement or what needs to be modifications. It was made clear that more detail in fraternise Marketing clause in the place. Low market share in the market share of the Delice less; this can be no impact on the success of my new ice cream product, possibly as a result in a market outside the return. Opportunity The opportunities of market share in high-my products desire to be successful in the Delice of high market share of market need. Good marketing-I also take to ensure that my ice cream products from the start good advertising and marketing in the market so that consumers are aware of my product launch market. There are many ways that is what can I like this, above the Internet, billboards, television, radio, etc. Threats The threats of the competitors including walls, Delice ice cream has a number of competitors also, Nestle, Mars, and Hagen-Dazs. These company constantly introduce ice-cream ranging of different flavour and taste in the market. Because these company has already a brand image it is bit difficult to change peoples mind, therefore, I have to be aware of my competitors every time, and I change in prices of ready, advertising and products with my contestants have to compete. In price-ice cream, ice cream market many growers in a by-run very similar product from one another, it encourages companies to be on the price Happy-hour. So To compete with companies to start the price on the basis, as they feel that when consumers to see a uniform they are often not a purchase products at cheap rates, in fact considering the quality. Conclusion I have chosen the ice-cream product considering the interest of people and their taste of mouth bud. Because they need something additional after the food. And these dairy products or the desserts is such item that it can stretch to any group ranging from a five years children to eighty years old man. So the market segment is wide and big for such products. It has is own advantage and it own threats as well. As we have already discussed.

Imagery within the Tragedy Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Imagery within the Tragedy Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The grand variety of imagery in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello serves many purposes. Let us in this paper consider the types and purposes of the imagery.    In her book, Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack comments on the imagery of darkness and how it supports the evil schemes of the ancient:    Just now, however, as we listen to his plans evolve, the darkness seems chiefly to be Iago’s element. In the darkness of this Venetian street, he moves to disrupt Othello’s marriage if he can. Later, in the darkness of a street in Cyprus, he will close his trap on Cassio, involving him in a scuffle that will cost him his lieutenancy. Still later, in the dark island outpost, he will set Roderigo to ambush Cassio, and so (he hopes) be rid of both. Simultaneously, in a darkness that he has insinuated into Othello’s mind, Desdemona will be strangled. (134)    The vulgar imagery of the ancient dominate the opening of the play. Francis Ferguson in â€Å"Two Worldviews Echo Each Other† describes the types of imagery used by the antagonist when he â€Å"slips his mask aside† while awakening Brabantio:    Iago is letting loose the wicked passion inside him, as he does from time to time throughout the play, when he slips his mask aside. At such moments he always resorts to this imagery of money-bags, treachery, and animal lust and violence. So he expresses his own faithless, envious spirit, and, by the same token, his vision of the populous city of Venice – Iago’s â€Å"world,† as it has been called. . . .(132)    Standing outside the senator’s home late at night, Iago uses imagery within a lie to arouse the occupant: â€Å" Awake! w... ...s, copulating horses and sheep, serpents, and toads; other images, more wide-ranging in scope, include green-eyed monsters, devils, blackness, poisons, money purses, tarnished jewels, music untuned, and light extinguished. (217)    WORKS CITED    Bevington, David, ed. William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies. New York: Bantam Books, 1980.    Ferguson, Francis. â€Å"Two Worldviews Echo Each Other.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Shakespeare: The Pattern in His Carpet. N.p.: n.p., 1970.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.

The Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid

Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid By Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery, 2009 Acumen Fund Fellows April 2010 Summary Enterprises serving bottom of the pyramid (BoP) markets have tremendous opportunity to create commercial and social impact, but are often illequipped to do so. A particular question that needs to be studied is: how can we sell more effectively to BoP consumers? In this piece, Acumen Fund Fellows Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery draw on their field experiences and research to explain how we can build more effective sales organizations to serve the BoP.Contents Summary Introduction The Survey + Profile of Companies + Overview of Findings + Performance Rating Methodology Step One: Recruit Ambassadors Step Two: Realize Potential Step Three: Reinforce Training + Data Collection + Compensation Conclusion References About the Authors 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 Introduction The business world has heard about â€Å"The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyram id† for some time.In his seminal work, CK Prahalad asserts that multinational corporations (MNCs) can stimulate commerce at the bottom of the economic pyramid to improve the lives of the four billion people in the world living in poverty and turn a healthy profit along the way. i This assertion is supported by various case studies, suggesting that the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) is a source of untapped profits for corporations that target local people as both producers and consumers and inspire innovation for new technologies and commercial activities. i A 2008 empirical study by Rodrigo Guesalaga and Pablo Marshall compares the buying power index (BPI) of the BoP market relative to the BPI of middle and high-income market segments and finds that â€Å"relative to the total market, the BoP sector accounts, on average, for more than 50 percent of the purchasing power in developing countries. iii† Large groups of poor consumers have the power to reject or accept what an M NC wants to sell, thereby forcing MNCs to overcome BoP market constraints and revise antiquated business models. v Since the BoP term was first coined, several MNCs and start-ups have introduced new products and services to the world’s poorest customers with mixed success. One leader in this movement is Acumen Fund, which invests in start-up social enterprises that employ market-based solutions to providing the poor with basic goods and services—water, healthcare, energy, agriculture, and housing. An underlying principle of Acumen’s work is that when poor consumers are given the dignity of choice, they are transformed from passive recipients of aid into customers with powerful voices that the business community cannot afford to ignore.Addressing this voice in a sustainable, scalable way is no easy matter, especially for resource-constrained young businesses. Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 1 Lessons from the Field: Sales at t he Bottom of the Pyramid The tools that traditional companies in more affluent markets utilize to understand and reach customers–studies, mailing lists, online campaigns, chambers of commerce, YellowPages, mass media channels— don’t exist or can’t easily be applied in developing countries.BoP-facing companies grapple with language and cultural barriers, infrastructure challenges, and capital constraints, regardless of whether they are an established multi-national corporation or a start-up trying to build a brand from scratch. While literature detailing the benefits of social enterprises is widespread, little attention is paid to the personnel management and organization building of small- and mediumsized enterprises trying to operate in these markets.After a ten-month field placement with two sales-focused Acumen Fund investees in India and Pakistan, Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery (2009 Acumen Fellows) were interested in exploring and uncovering common practices among small-and medium-sized enterprises that are successfully building sales organizations to serve the BoP. This executive summary presents the findings from a survey that Krauel and Montgomery conducted with organizations that target the poor through a variety of sales models.Forty-two different organizations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia participated in the survey and contributed to the BoP Salesforce Lifecycle – a framework which identifies specific steps that social enterprises can take to accelerate their growth and development. Krauel and Montgomery suggest that this three-pronged model – Recruit, Realize, and Reinforce –may help BoP companies break through the barriers they face in building high-performing sales organizations to serve the poor. BOP SALESFORCE LIFECYCLE A three-pronged framework that identifies steps social enterprises can take to build an effective sales forceRECRuIt â€Å"ambassadors† with strong soft skills by l everaging low-cost company assets REALIzE potential using ongoing, experience-based training built upon â€Å"on-the-ground† realities REInFORCE by linking smart data collection to performance-based pay and perks The Survey Profile of Companies An online survey was conducted in July 2009 with the CEOs or Heads of Sales at small- and medium-sized enterprises serving low-income customers in developing countries. The majority of respondents (31 of 42) have fewer than 100 employees and 69% percent have less than $1 million in annual revenues.The age distribution of survey responders is fairly even with 21% of companies in their first year of operations, 31% with two to five years operating history, 29% with six to ten years, and 19% with ten or more years. The survey set is dominated by for-profit companies (71%) and one-third of all respondents (36%) have received venture capital investment. Consumer Goods is the most common industry focus (33% of companies), followed by Busines s Services (24%), Consumer Services (17%), Agricultural or Industrial Products (12%), and Other products or services (14%).The majority of companies target primarily low-income and/ or rural consumers: 81% of companies target low-income, 64%, rural. Fewer companies target the urban (36%) or middleincome (26%) consumer. Overview of Findings Challenges: Survey responders report common challenges in finding salespeople with the requisite skills and then extracting top performance in terms of meeting sales targets, effective Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 2 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the PyramidSalesforce's Performance Ratings Based on End Customer type 100% % of companies surveyed 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 36% 44% 33% Primarily Low-Income Primarily Rural Primarily Urban 26% ;gt;10% Primarily Mid-Income 81% 64% % of Companies (n=42) % High Perfomers 44% Performance Rating Methodology Companies were rated based on self-reported data on p erformance against company sales targets. Companies reporting meeting or beating at least 75% of their sales targets are High Performers, while companies whose sales teams meet or beat 50%-74% of targets are Medium Performers.Low Performers tend to miss more than 50% of their sales targets. Having venture capital (VC) investors does not necessarily correlate with high performance, with 47% of VC-backed companies rated as High Performers compared to 48% of companies without VC backing. Similarly, non-profit or for-profit status has little impact on performance ratings, with 58% of all non-profits and 43% of all forprofit companies being High Performers. Nearly half of companies that target low-income customers are High Performers. †¦This is a promising finding for entrepreneurs aspiring to build successful companies aimed at eradicating the â€Å"poverty penalty. † Company Performance Based on Years in Operation Companies of all ages are High performers, but an inflection point emerges at five or more years of operating history. 20 Years in Operation: ;gt;15 (n=3) 10 to 15 (n=5) 6 to 10 (n=12) 12 10 2 to 5 (n=13) 0 to 2 (n=9) High Medium Low time management, and thoughtful prioritization of markets and customers. Advantages: Participating companies also report unique advantages that can be leveraged to break through these barriers.Social missions act as powerful magnets to new salespeople and relatively high retention rates make investing in sales force development a viable option. Promising practices around soft-skills-based sales force recruitment and assessment, experiential and ongoing sales force training programs, and low-tech but rigorous data collection linked to appropriate compensation schemes emerged and are discussed in the sections below. Some of these practices also corresponded with existing best practices and research in the field of Sales Force Development in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Interestingly, companies primarily foc used on notoriously challenging rural and low-income markets do not seem to be paying a penalty when it comes to performance. Forty-four percent of companies focused on rural markets are High Performers, compared to 33% of companies focused on urban markets. Similarly, nearly half (15 of 34) of companies that target low-income customers are High Performers compared to less than 10% of companies that include middle-income consumers in their target market.This is a promising finding for entrepreneurs aspiring to build successful companies aimed at eradicating the â€Å"poverty penalty. † An inflection point in company size and stage emerges from the survey responses, after which performance against targets significantly improves. Of the companies rated as High Performers, 80% have more than 20 employees and 65% have more than $250,000 in annual revenue. This report hopes to highlight tangible steps that companies can take to not only improve performance in the near term, but al so accelerate progress towards this inflection point and down the path towards size and scale.Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 3 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid Step One: Recruit Ambassadors Barrier Hiring skilled sales staff Breakthrough Recruit ambassadors with strong soft skills by leveraging low cost assets top Hiring Barriers by Percent of Companies (n=42) *Note: respondents could choose more than one category Lack of necessary skills — Lack of necessary work experience — Poor cultural fit — Ability to offer competitive wages — Unknown company brand — 19% 24% 36% 43% 40%Nearly all companies (93%) report Other — 10% that hiring salespeople is somewhat challenging (45%), if not extremely Company location — 10% challenging (48%). Lack of core skills, Ability to offer competitive benefits — 10% direct experience, and cultural fit (with formalized and/or fast-paced startup environments) are consistently reported as the top hiring barriers, regardless of company size Candidates with significant, direct experience are hard to find v or stage. Yet, only 10% of companies note retention as a serious in large numbers; survey findings suggest that BoP managers challenge.This may be driven by the heavy use of personal should also target individuals that possess strong soft skills relationships in recruiting, but dedication to the social mission assets (local relationships, personal confidence, verbal is also reported as a top reason for why salespeople are joining communication, and community influence), and then test these these companies. Still, companies report that obtaining good skills in action as part of the interview process. performance from these committed sales teams is problematic.The survey suggests ways that BoP managers can more High Performers consistently report integrating active effectively hire in uncertain environments and then us e high demonstrations into their hiring processes. Sales force retention rates and mission alignment as rationale for investing interviewees are potential ambassadors for the company who – in the development of incoming sales staff. vi when given basic product information – should be able to shine REASOnS SALES PEOPLE JOIn (â€Å"ASSEtS†), SuCCESSFuL RECRuItIng StRAtEgIES (â€Å"tOOLS†) (n=42) StARt-uP ;gt;20 employees; n=14) SMALL EntERPRISE (20–100 employees; n=17) MED—LARgE EntERPRISE (101–500+ employees; n=11) Assets + Social Mission (n=X, 93%) + Start-up Energy (n=X, 36%) + Social Mission (n=X, 67%) + Competitive + Professional Wages (n=X, 53%) + Social Mission (n=X, 80%) + Competitive Wages (n=X, 53%) Development (47%) + Brand (n=X, 40%) tools + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 86%) + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 86%) + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 62%) + Recruiting Agency (n=X, 52%) Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid in role-playing scenarios, trial product demonstrationsvii, or sales contests with potential customers. Post-hire, companies can invest in comprehensive, hard skills training reinforced by thoughtful performance assessment and compensation schemes. This emphasis on recruiting first for soft skills, and then augmenting with training, corresponds with research of Mayer and Greenberg, who advocate for the hiring of employees with real sales ability and talent, instead of mere experience. iii During the recruiting process, BoP managers should keep in mind the unique assets that attract sales people to the particular stage of their company. Start-ups (classified as fewer than 20 employees) can boast of the energy of a new venture and also tout their social mission. Small Enterprises (20-100 employees), on the other hand, can boast of more competitive wages and professional development opportunities. With Me dium – Large Organizations (101-500+ employees), brand recognition becomes more important, though social missionRecruit for â€Å"soft skills† not just years of experiencesalesperson interviewees should be able to shine in roleplaying scenarios and trial product demonstrations. and competitive wages also play an integral part in attracting sales people. Across the board, using word-of-mouth referrals is one of the most important recruiting tools. For Medium – Large Organizations, use of recruitment agencies becomes more common. Newspaper advertisements are another popular recruiting strategy, while little use is made of recruiting or company websites in the hiring process.Lastly, companies of all sizes report keeping senior managers directly involved in hiring sales staff, with 79% overall indicating that the CEO or similar person is directly involved in sales force recruitment. RECRuIt: Innovations from the Field—Quotes from survey responses â€Å"We co mmunicate this activity as a entrepreneurial opportunity†¦which would eventually help them in learning business practices in addition to serving their community. † Indian consumer products company â€Å"We try to rope in satisfied customers [as sales people]. Indian energy product company â€Å"We identify [sales] people by analyzing if they have visited family in the countryside recently†¦ because that is where they will work with us. † Latin American energy products company â€Å"Motivating staff to the social impact of our products†¦. Since the message is out and understood, our staff will go the extra mile. † African food products company Step Two: Realize Potential Barrier Effectively training sales people in a way that is consistent with ompany strategy and priorities Breakthrough Realize potential using ongoing, experiential training based on ground realities As a manager from a Large European Consumer Goods Company states, â€Å"Training is the key, it takes time to develop [a] BoP sales force. † The value of sales training programs depends on the actual number of training hours along with the quality of the curriculum and instructors. Sixty-five percent of High performing companies conduct at least 10 hours of initial training during the first month of employment compared to only 30% of Medium and 33% of Low Performers. For most HighKrauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 5 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid tRAInIng PRACtICES BY COMPAnY PERFORMAnCE RAtIng (n=42) HIgH (n=20) Specialized sales training 10+ hours initial sales training Ongoing sales training Experiential sales training 85% 65% 85% 85% MEDIuM (n=10) 60% 30% 70% 80% LOW (n=12) 58% 33% 42% 62% Performers, the initial training is complemented by periodic refreshers. Eighty-five percent of High performing companies conduct ongoing training compared to 70% of Medium performing companies and 42% of Low performing companies.Not surprisingly, High performing companies dedicate more time to training sales staff, but quantity alone is not sufficient. Many companies indicate that experiential training is the most effective method of training sales people. At least 80% of High and Medium Performers focus on experiential training (role plays, shadowing, etc. ) as opposed to pure lecture form, compared to just 62% of Low Performers. This finding corresponds with the research of Galloix and Robinson x, which cites the importance of role-playing in training good salesmen.Survey findings show a disconnect between the challenges sales staff face in the field and the sales training programs that companies offer. Market prioritization and time management are consistently rated as the top challenges managers face with salespeople, but fewer than half of participating companies provide training in these areas. While High Performers are generally more pleased with the quality of their training programs, only 40% indicate that sales staff have actually acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective in the field, compared to just 20% of Medium performing companies and 0% of Low performing companies.Recent research from the developed world suggests that highperforming SMEs successfully integrate R;D into customer outreach (sales and marketing). xi Perhaps, organizations selling to the BoP can benefit from making training a priority and ensuring that training programs are ongoing, consistent with company priorities, and relevant to the on-the-ground realities that sales people face. xii REALIzE: Innovations from the Field â€Å"We gave a one-day training that included a morning full of lecture. The second half of the day, we dropped sales people off in random villages and asked them to sell a product in one hour. Pakistani agricultural product company â€Å"We blend classroom training and demonstration camps.This provides participants an opportunity to learn, apply theoretical learning in live camps and again come back to classroom for clarification about doubts/feedback. † Indian consumer goods company â€Å"We do our operational training in the field with a new customer in as public a place as possible to create a buzz while doing the training. † African consumer services company Step Three: Reinforce Training Barrier Poor performance of sales staff Breakthrough Reinforce training and ompany strategy by linking smart data collection with perks and performance-based compensation Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 6 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid High Performers use rigorous data collection and innovative compensation schemes to reinforce company sales strategy and boost performance. xiii Data collection Nearly all companies (95%) collect basic sales data on a regular basis, and many High and Medium Performers collect sales data on a weekly or if not daily basis ( 63% vs. 33% of Low Performers).This is striking given how challenging data collection can be in developing countries that lack robust IT and communication infrastructure. This challenge is compounded for companies with sales staff that live and work in the underserved communities they are trying to reach (mainly low-income, rural). Companies are breaking through these infrastructure barriers by using a blend of SMS, verbal, email and paper-based methods to capture results from the field. These â€Å"IT-light† practices don’t necessarily change as companies get larger, with 55% of companies with 100 or more employees reporting continued use of verbal reporting.However, older companies (five or more years of operation) report increased use of email and mobile phones in data collection along with decreased use of paper and verbal methods. High Performers also report limited use of verbal reporting (only 30% compared to 60% of Medium and Low Performers). These findings sug gest that BoP companies may be able to avoid investment in expensive ERP or CRM systems, but that there is significant value in adopting rigorous low-tech solutions that are easy to follow, consistently used, relatively scalable, and that limit errors. iv High performing companies are also much more likely to dedicate training time specifically to data reporting. With â€Å"compliance with company policies† consistently ranked among the top two or three sales force priorities, frequent data collection integrated into training and compensation schemes may be a underutilized but promising practice.xv REInFORCE—DAtA: Innovations from the Field â€Å"Ensure data collection is seen as a specific skill. † Indian healthcare service provider â€Å"We give minor incentives to the top performers in each week's data metric. † African equipment company We issue discount coupons [in order to] capture data from customers. † India financial services company Compen sation Surprisingly, survey responders did not report the inability to offer competitive wages as a significant barrier to growth. Fewer than one-in-four companies note wages as one of the top two challenges in hiring salespeople. However, what these BoPfacing companies might be gaining in sales force affordability, they may be losing in productivity and performance. Company responders are using creative compensation schemes to breakthrough the performance barrier.High performing companies are less likely than Medium and Low Performers to offer variable compensation (35% vs. 70% and 50%, respectively), but those High Performers that offer bonuses and/or commissions, do so aggressively. For High Performers, variable compensation constitutes 46% of total compensation compared to 21% at Low Performers. High Performers are also more likely to complement pay packages with attractive perks and benefits, with 75% offering perks compared to 42% of Low Performers. This raises the point as to how companies think about allocating employee-related expenditures.Targeting rural, low-income clients often translates into long hours, extensive travel, and limited creature comforts for sales staff. BoP companies may benefit from capping overall sales wages at market-rates and investing remaining funds towards employee health insurance, Companies have other levers to pull when it comes to data collection. Forty-five percent of High Performers tie data reporting to compensation, compared to 33% of Low Performers. High performing companies are also much more likely to dedicate training time specifically to data reporting (71% compared to just 50% of Low and Medium Performers).Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 7 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid transportation, lodging, meals, mobile phones, or retirement plans – perks that can improve a salesperson’s quality of life while also directly supporting sales-relat ed activities. REInFORCE—COMPEnSAtIOn: Innovations from the Field + Eco-friendly paper salesmen are eligible for profit-sharing. + Rural energy salesman receive bonuses on a sliding scale, based on company performance. ConclusionAfter 50 or more years of somewhat ineffectual international development efforts, there is a new awakening among practitioners and business leaders around a different way to approach the problems of poverty: through market-based approaches. At the heart of every market-based approach, there is a customer and a company. And, at the heart of every customer relationship, there is a sales force. In many ways, the success or failure of the BoP movement will hinge upon companies’ and organizations’ abilities to build and maintain high performing sales organizations.Interestingly, our findings resonate with existing academic research on how to construct effective sales organizations, and perhaps BoP businesses can also learn from the best pract ices in sales force development for SMEs. The first step BoP-facing social enterprises can take to confront challenges with less developed labor markets is to clearly articulate their unique company assets (based on company stage) as they actively Recruit sales staff with strong soft skills who can become true ambassadors and champions of the company.Next, companies can Realize sales force potential with ongoing and experience-based training programs, designed with on-the-ground realities in mind. Lastly, linking training topics to targeted data collection and compensation schemes can help to Reinforce and institutionalize company priorities and sales strategies. + African salespeople receive live chickens as rewards during sales meetings. + Latin American rural logistics company provides funds for vacation travel. + Rural energy company follows â€Å"open book management† so sales team sees how their performance fits in. + Community water system company provides salesmen ith equity shares.