Successful Negotiation for Salary Raise Case Study

Successful Negotiation for Salary Raise - Case Study Example It's a quiet convincing statement which refers to human nature where most of the times s/he inquires 'what's in it for me'' and is willing to get into details of the situation. The case presented here is about asking my manager for increasing my salary. It's been almost two years that I have been part of the same organization on the same pay scale; however my job role has changed multiple times, mostly increasing the job responsibilities. Such duration was viable enough to prove my value as being part of the organization and fight the case. In the current scenario, I had an upper hand as recently my coworker resigned, leaving his share of job responsibilities upon my shoulder. Earlier I was managing just a single product line but now another one has been added, making my job role tougher claiming double the time and efforts. I was the only resource my boss had left in retail function, having the set of expertise and experience as I had. If at this point in time I leave, my boss would be left with loads to handle all by himself. Hiring another resource was always an option but as per the regressive interviewing process, it would have taken minimum of three months for hiring adding another three months for trainings and blending in of the new resource. The key here was to present my significance to the organization, specifically to my manager making him believe that I deserve more then what I am getting right now based on my capability of committing to extra amount of work., whereas saving their cost which will be incurred over hiring of the new resource. This did require careful measures, such that I don't look too assertive, giving an impression of over-ambition, nor too timid showing desperation. I was demanding 40% increase over my current gross salary... Alternatives included bonus equivalent to two months of my gross salary, organization paying for my college tuition fees, and one week paid vacations to one of the countries. In return, I was willing to take almost half of the responsibilities of my coworker who resigned or take up additional assignment, distinct to my current job responsibilities. If all above had not worked out, I was willing to take the counter offer I had in hand, which may have been close to my demand if not exceeding it. However this implied starting from scratch in understanding the way of work, getting in the flow and most importantly proving myself once again to my new employer. For my current employer, doing so meant investing their valuable time and resources in hiring and training two resources. Another option was to deny taking additional responsibilities which eventually could have turned out to be the reason for losing my job. My employer could have either let go of me right at the spot or could have removed me till they get a replacement to keep the job running. It was definitely not a piece of cake getting the management team to agree for paying me additional amount. I gathered the Do(s) and Don't(s) needed to be taken care of before presenting my case. Negotiation Process - Do(s) In order to make the negotiation process successful, it was essential to go beyond my current working methods and exhibit my talent. Below are the steps I followed to achieve the outcome: Identify the objective Just like a solution cannot be achieved till the problem is identified, results cannot be attained till objectives are defined. To keep my manager's attention focused, first and the foremost thing I did was to figure out my objective and the desired

There should be no Laws telling Christians what to do on a Sunday Essay Example for Free

There should be no Laws telling Christians what to do on a Sunday Essay I think that the above statement can be interpreted ambiguously and can be argued from a significant number of points of view. Firstly I would just like to highlight the noteworthy amount of views from different branches of Christianity. They exist in the form of the Liberals, the Fundamentalists, and so on. All different groups within Christianity have different views on the topic of the Sabbath. The Liberals, for example take the view that some, but not an awful lot, of time is needed to be given to God. They believe that you should go to Mass and pray every so often but they dont carry out the same level of strictness and loyalty that the Fundamentalists, for example hold the view of. These different views are needed in the World because not everyone holds the same view on the Sabbath. Fundamentalists think that every little detail of the Sabbath Law should be observed and carried out. Their view, in the opinion of others, is somewhat extreme and is probably the group that would concur with the statement in question most. If there were no rules telling Christians what to do on the Sabbath this would probably be the group that would formulate some. They take the view that God gave his life for us, so we should repay the favour in exactly the same way. But, we should repay God for all the goodness he has gave us. You can see the view of the two above groups particularly well and can probably relate to one of their views but you should understand them. This is unless you are a Christian who doesnt care at all about their religion and in that case you would agree most definitely with the above statement and see it as totally infallible. And, in my opinion, these are the sorts of people that hardly know what religion they are. With the exception to the above group the worst people, I think, are those of the Liberal view who are fed up with worshiping their God on the Sabbath. These are the people who take the view that there should be no laws telling Christians what to do on a Sunday simply because they could not be bothered carrying them out. They may use the argument that there is to be valuable money to be earned, which is a valid point, but still does not give an excuse to not honour your creator: at least a little bit. Some people just do not recognise the fact that God sacrificed his life for man and that that deserves a bit of remuneration. This is primarily why they think that they should not have to do anything on the Sabbath. Some say that it is not practical for them to worship God on the Sabbath due to change in the ages, the industrial revolution and so on, has meant that people have more to do on a Sunday, shops have taken this to extreme, though, , led by retailing giant Marks and Spencers, they are now open for business on Sunday, the same with pubs. This is because maximum profit is to be earned on a Sunday and it is maybe understandable in these ages that this happens. In my opinion, after weighing up all the arguments, I think that the one group of people, and indeed the minority of the Christian religion, the Keep Sunday Special campaigners have got it right. They take the view that Sunday should be a day that should be totally be devoted to God and that absolutely no un-necessary work should be done. I agree with this because lying down and having a day of rest after, for most people, a working, stressful week, is not all that hard and doing no work is certainly no big task. This is basically the height of difficulty involved in the Sabbath Laws so therefore I do not agree with the above statement, conclusion, there should be laws telling Christians what to do on a Sunday.

Effects of Science on Changing Knowledge

Effects of Science on Changing Knowledge â€Å"That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.† Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge. Rhumer Culmer Knowledge itself is â€Å"facts, information and skills acquired by a person through experience or education† (Merriam-Webster). It is the understanding of any given subject matter and can be understood either practically or rationally. Knowledge can be broken up into numerous hypotheses and theories due to different beliefs people may have. These hypotheses can be proven to be true as they are justified logically through experiments or observation. However, others can be considered to be unjustified for a certain amount of time. There is a constant change in knowledge that is accepted because the view that people have on the world is never written in stone. The way people see the world and the things in it changes with time, as they change as a person or their environment changes as well. The reason knowledge can be accepted today and can be discarded tomorrow is because society is mechanized at every moment. Somewhere in the world, a new discovery is taking place, leading to new information on subject matter. The use of the word discarded in the statement given does not necessarily mean that all previous knowledge is thrown away and an entirely new idea is accepted, but it actually explains the idea of evolution and the world moving forward as a society. Evolution is the idea that the views on the world as we see it â€Å"may be tested and retested by future observations† (Wikipedia). As technology becomes more mechanized and gaining information is facilitated, we are able to understand more. This not only happens because of technological advances, but also because of worldwide social trends as well as new discoveries being made. Because of this a knowledge issue can be created; since some knowledge is discarded tomorrow, or what could be the near future, does this mean that the knowledge what we currently possess will always eventually be proven incorrect? New discoveries are constantly being made specifically in two areas of knowledge – natural/human sciences and history. Historians make new discoveries continuously, which is known as historical revisionism. This means that what we know from history now is not necessarily always wrong; it is just open to review. The idea of historical revisionism essentially shows that â€Å"constant revision of history is part of the normal scholarly process of writing history† (Wikipedia). As history is not complete, it is always modified to change truths in order to fit modern society. Therefore, this emphasizes the idea that instead of all knowledge being rejected because it is wrong, it is actually still accepted as the truth that has been modified due to new information, thus creating a better truth. Nevertheless, just because everything is open to modification, this does not mean that everything is right at the moment. This shows that we must never fully believe what has been given to us as fact because there is always something more to be added which can end up changing our view on the subject matter. Knowledge is also constantly altered in another area of knowledge: natural and human sciences. Scientific discoveries that create the knowledge that we accept are made from experiments and observations. These experiments are done with the use of scientific methodology, which is defined as â€Å"principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses† (Merriam-Webster). Scientific methodology has become more accurate over time due to advances in technology, thus affecting what is accepted and what is discarded. A good example of this is when scientists found a direct link between people smoking cigarettes and developing lung cancer. In the past, lung cancer was actually considered an exceptionally rare disease. Therefore, the fact that was accepted then was that there was no link to smoking and getting the dis ease. However, in the 1950s, â€Å"evidence linking cigarette smoking with lung cancer began to accumulate† (Bastian, 2008), showing that the fact that was accepted before was discarded by some people as they believed that there was now a connection between cigarettes and lung cancer. Scientific methodology even proved that there was a relationship between the two; â€Å"†¦study, carried out in Britain between 1951 and 1994, revealed that the death rate for smokers from lung cancer was about three times that of non-smokers from men over 35† (Bastian, 2008). Even though this experiment clearly showed a link between the two variables, some people still accepted that there was no way smoking cigarettes would at some point make you develop lung cancer. This example questions our knowledge issue as well as the statement given because we now see that knowledge given today and knowledge that is discarded tomorrow is not only done because of facts but also in the end it i s a person’s choice what they want to believe in. It depends on the people themselves: in the end, there is no way for anyone to be forced to discard any knowledge that they possess or accept anything that they do not want to. Medical advances also have been a result of discarded knowledge that was previously accepted. An example of this is the medical advances over the past 25+ years or so with heart disease. In the past, it was accepted that â€Å"heart attacks, called infarcts, were [big] and the damage to heart muscle was often catastrophic, leading eventually to heart failure and death† (Cox, 2009). The only cure for a heart attack was putting a patient into a dark room and giving them pain medication and medicine to â€Å"prevent dangerous irregular heartbeats† (Cox, 2009). This method was not successful all the time because the rate of death from this disease was still high. Both doctors and patients thought there was nothing they could do and accepted it. This accepted fact was discarded in the 2000s because there were new discoveries. Finding new drugs, such as Lipitor, for heart disease â€Å"are now routinely used to slow the progression of atherosclerosis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Cox, 2009) , which is plaque that can cause heart attacks. This example shows that the increase in technology and new discoveries helps improve the knowledge that we have accepted in the past, or even change our knowledge for the better. The use of the word accepted in the statement implies that there is something or someone influencing what is accepted by society, and which is denied. Whatever is accepted by society is called the truth. This brings in the idea of social factors affecting what people believe in. Nowadays, people are under the influence of way too many people. For example, celebrities have more influence on people than they should. If they say one thing is the right thing to do, then most people follow this idea. Proof of this is the changing trends in clothing. Celebrities can wear one thing and suddenly most people are wearing the same thing, if not something similar because they think it looks good. This shows that today or better yet, in the present, the ideas are accepted. However tomorrow, or in the future, the trends can be discarded. This happens if a different celebrity wears something else. The public then think whatever they were wearing before is no longer acceptable, therefore they must m ove on with the world. Another example of this is a person’s view on the world from when they were younger to when they become older. For instance, as a child we are taught that the opposite sex is annoying, strange and can spread a fictional disease, sometimes called cooties. As children we all accepted this as common fact and dare not test the theory to be incorrect. However, with the test of time, or aging, we start to view the opposite sex as attractive in certain ways. Therefore, we end up discarding what we thought was pure fact and knowledge as a child. There is proof of this because there are males and females getting married, starting families and having serious relationships worldwide. Things that are currently accepted as knowledge are easily open to be discarded in the future. Nothing is permanent because what we believe constantly changes. This is due to technology and research on different subject matter being furthered. However, if any piece of knowledge is accepted or discarded entirely depends on the person. There are many cases to show that generally, yes, knowledge has been accepted and discarded throughout time, but in the end it is always up to a single person to determine if they want to accept a piece of knowledge or to discard a piece of knowledge because it is their belief. People’s beliefs change over time because the world around us is constantly changing and there is no way to stop that, thus there will be a large number of ideas that will be accepted and discarded in society in the future. Works Cited Bastian, Sue. Chapter 10: Natural Science. Pearson Baccalaureate: Theory of Knowledge. N.p.: Pearson Education Limited, 2008. 172-80. Print. Scientific Method. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. Cox, Lauren. The Top 10 Medical Advances of the Decade. The Top 10 Medical Advances of the Decade. MedPage Today, 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. Definition of Knowledge in English. Knowledge: Definition of Knowledge in Oxford Dictionary (British World English). Copyright  © 2013 Oxford University Press., n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2014. Historical Revisionism. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Dec. 2013. Web. 05 Jan. 2014.

The Bluest Eye: How Society Took Pecola’s Innocence Essay example -- T

The immoral acts of society raped Pecola Breedlove, took her innocence, and left her to go insane. The Random House Dictionary defines â€Å"rape† as â€Å"an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation.† The Random House definition perfectly describes what happens to Pecola over the course of the novel. From Pecola’s standpoint, society rapes her repeatedly, by their judgmental attitudes towards everything that she is; she is â€Å"ugly,† she is poor, she is black. In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Morrison shines a critical light on society, illumining the immoral acts that it participates in, through the story of how a little girl is thrown by the wayside since she does not embody the societal ideal. Instead of one human antagonist for our protagonist, Pecola, we see most of society as the antagonist. The immoral acts of society destroy Pecola Breedlove from the inside out. One of the first immoral acts that society introduces to Pecola is lust – lust for â€Å"whiteness†, for beauty. She is taught from a young age that beauty is one of the standards that she will be held up to. In addition, society tells her that the key of being beautiful is being white, something Pecola never can be. One of the major quotes in the book shows just how powerful common belief can be. â€Å"†¦they stayed there because they believed they were ugly†¦ No one could have convinced them that they were not relentlessly and aggressively ugly,† [Emphasis added] (Pg. 28). Although, Morrison does not actually say that the Breedloves were physically ugly, she implies that society told them they were ugly, therefore they believed they were ugly. This belief came from society setting a standard that Pecola could never reach. Sadly, this poor little girl did n... ...nd Jane† lifestyle that Morrison introduces us into, we see a poor girl that is put down and society rapes. You may think Pecola was just one horribly unlucky child, that her problems are the cause of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet, that is a naà ¯ve way of thinking; the evidence obviously shows that Pecola was tormented because society told everyone that she is an ugly â€Å"little black bitch†, that happened to be raped, making her even less human. Therefore, any negative event that happens to her, small or large, is something she is expected to have and she brought it on to herself. To me, the biggest argument that Morrison makes with her first novel is that society is the most powerful judge in our everyday life. If society deems use to be not worthy of its care or time, we should expect hell from it; and Pecola Breedlove is deemed not to be worthy.

Hamlet vs Lion King Essay

Some may say that Disney’s the Lion King is a children’s version of Shakespear’s Hamlet. There are many similarities and differences. In the very opening scene of the Lion King Mufasa, the king of the pridelands confronts his brother Scar. This is similar to Hamlet, shortly after Hamlet visits his mother and kills Polonius, there is a meeting between him and Claudius. Both of the kings visit their sons and give them advice that sets them into action. Mufasa appears to SImba in the stars and tells him to take his place as king. Hamlet’s father appears as a ghost and tells Hamlet to take revenge on his uncle. Another similarity is both families are royal families. The uncles are also very similar. In the Lion King Simba has an evil uncle named Scar. Scar is jealous of his brother because he wants to be king, so Scar kills his brother and becomes king. Hamlet has an uncle named Claudius who becomes king by killing his brother also. Both have close relations ships with people. The Lion King, Simba develops a close relationship with Timone and Pumbaa, along with those two he has the love of his life Nala. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s friend is Horatio, one of his good friends from college. Hamlet’s love interest is Ophelia. Another similarity is that both princes end up leaving. In the Lion King Simba runs away because Scar tells him too, so he can become king. Hamlet’s Uncle convinces him to go to England. Both of them are sent away to be killed, but neither of them do. Both Movies the princes end up fighting their uncles. Simba fights Scar who is killed by the annoying hyenas. Hamlet kills his uncle with a sword that is poisoned. Last, both Simba and Hamlet have to overcome a decision. Simba has to learn not to run away from his fears and step up and take his place in the world. Hamlet had to decide whether or not he should kill his uncle. The differences between the Lion King and Hamlet are that Simba was young when his father died and Hamlet was probably in his mid adulthood. Another is that Simba’s mother and Scar never get married after Mufasa’s death, but Hamlet’s mother marries Hamlet’s mother. In the Lion King there was a happy ending when Simba and Nala get married and have a baby, where as in Hamlet there was not such a happy ending because Hamlet and Ophelia never get married because they both die. In Hamlet a lot more people die than in the Lion King where Mufasa and Scar die. And of course to finish it off the Lion King has lions, whereas Hamlet has humans.

Effect temperature on permeability of membrane

The beet (Beta vulgar's) is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is probably the red or urple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet.However, other cultivated varieties include the leaf vegetables chardand spinach beet, as well as the root vegetables sugar beet, which is important in the production of table sugar, and mangelwurzel, which is a fodder crop. Three subspecies are typically recognised. All cultivated varieties fall into the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgar's, while Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima, commonly known as the sea beet, is the wild ancestor of hese and is found throughout the Mediterranean, the Atlantic coast of Europe, the Near East, andlndia.A second wild subspecies, Beta vulgaris subsp. adanensis, occurs from Greece to Syria. Beetroot cells like any other eukaryotic cells have many types of cell organelle present. Some of these organelles are bounded by a sing le membrane, e. g. lysosomes, Golgi apparatus, vacuoles; some are bounded by two membranes (an envelope), e. g. nucleus, mitochondrion. Beetroot appears as a dark red/ purple colour and this is caused by the betalain pigment, which is contained ithin the vacuole of beetroot cells.In order for the betalain to leave the cell it needs to pass through 2 different membranes; the membrane bounding the vacuole and the membrane enclosing the cell. Betalain pigments, named after the Red beet (Beta vulgaris). They replace anthocyanins in plants of the order Caryophyllales (Cacti, beets & Co. , bougainvillaea, phytolacca, large-flowered purslane etc and also in some fungi such as fly agaric). Two categories of betalains exist and each have distinct color and chemical properties.Betacyanins convey a blue-violent to reddish-purple coloring, are a source of antioxidants and are susceptible to color changes depending antioxidants and are relatively stable. Betalains are found exclusively within on e plant order, which includes beets, prickly pear cactus, chard and amaranth. Betanin is a specific betacyanin and the most prominent pigment in the red beet root where it contributes between 75% – 90% of the total visible color. Plasma membrane Plasma membrane is a biological membrane that separates the interior of all cells rom the outside environment.The cell membrane is selectively-permeable to ions and organic molecules and controls the movement of substances in and out of cells. It consists of the phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins, which are involved in a variety of cellular processes such as cell adhesion, ion conductivity and cell signaling. The plasma membrane also serves as the attachment surface for the extracellular glycocalyx and cell wall and intracellular cytoskeleton. Plasma membrane proteins function in several different ways.

3m Executive Summary Essays

3m Executive Summary Essays 3m Executive Summary Essay 3m Executive Summary Essay Over 50,000 patents extended over 13 technology platforms ranging from abrasives to polymers  ¦ Global company – companies in over 60 countries and 139 plants worldwide  ¦ Strong recognition for standard innovations with practical applications  ¦ Operational efficiencies cost of sales declining and margin % increasing over the years  ¦ IBD’s new strategy was to transform from margin expansion to top line growth  ¦ Corporate brand strength and technology behind its products with exclusive supplier status, product driven organization with strong RD direction, and geographic specialization  ¦ Through lean programs IBD is in progress to shorten the time to go to market  ¦ IBD is acquiring product specialization in tapes and adhesives are 50%-60% division turnover and abrasives are 40%-50%  ¦ Access to experience and knowledge pool of the worldwide organization and profiting from close connection in the marketing strategies of over 50 divisions in 3M  ¦ Natural fit with the culture of the Special and Niche categories  ¦ Groomed employees grow and develop to become product experts Weakness  ¦ IBD had not concentrated on the MRO segment because it was fragmented with slight brand loyalty  ¦ Sales reps were not accustomed to dealing with large corporations driven by networks, procedure and protocol but to store managers of small to medium sized businesses  ¦ IBD did not obtain customer specialization Weak marketing and sales strategy for National accounts  ¦ Quick decision making is lacking because 3M is a large corporation and a bureaucracy  ¦ 3M’s had not changed in terms of product application, service delivery mechanisms, customer expectations and logistics requirements as it has in the Industrial sector  ¦ IBD did not have cadre of â€Å"channel† specialists to complement the product specialists  ¦ IBD does not have an incentive program with reduction in supply chain costs of the large National players  ¦ Lacked to be â€Å"best in class† in logistics fulfillment, standardizing SKU’s and Just-In-Time delivery  ¦ No additional marketing resources were available to IBD Opportunities  ¦ MRO was growing at a double digit rate with large players (mega corporations)  ¦ Currency (3M Canada manufacturer can become more competitive)  ¦ IBD’s share of distributor sales was a measly 2% of the distributors revenue  ¦ In MRO the market share and driving scale was the largest because of its big market, large distributors are surpassing the growth of MRO market, in most product lines there are vacant spaces waiting to be filled, and there is an opportunity area with potential for both revenue and margins in the private labeling  ¦ IBD had to look outside the OEM segment for clients and revenue  ¦ Filtration was a future growth area Based on current technol ogy platforms, the division had recognized 9 product opportunities as having growth potential  ¦ The National category was the fastest growing out of the 4 types to due ongoing distributor consolidation  ¦ National player has a massive sales infrastructure in terms of branches, delivery center, and sales force, therefore IBD’s opportunity the integrate into the market quickly  ¦ The price of goods composed of only 39% of the total cost; the remaining 61% represented a large area of opportunity for supply chain savings Threats  ¦ OEM segment had become mature  ¦ Labour – 1hr of labour and benefits in Canada costs $11. 00US at minimum wage point and China’s labor was less than $0. 5US  ¦ Tracking the customer needs will be more difficult in the MRO market since they are not the end users  ¦ The alteration of currency can change the market trend fairly easily  ¦ When there is a slowdown in the industry where OEM is a part, distributors are always the first to be affected and the last to recuperate  ¦ Decline in Canadian manufacturing was influencing the OEM segment  ¦ MRO segment is fragmented; products could not be specialized  ¦ Off shore trends was growing  ¦ The deficiency of legacy expenses (RD) lowered costs for new competitor  ¦ E-commerce was growing a solid ground; therefore IBD had limited resources to reach end users  ¦ Industrial market was changing in areas of products, service delivery mechanisms, customer expectations and logistics requirements; therefore IBD had to quickly changing with customers needs  ¦ To increase the National distributors power with the manufacturers, hey wanted to cultivate their private label business and build their own equity in the trade  ¦ Constraints and protocols were established by the National players, as a result customized programs for marketing were now required to be created Current State of 3M: IBD’s Business IBD is a global firm that has a strong corporate brand with technology supporting its quality products. There are two types of end user applications IBD has in place; production plants and servicing facilities. IBD is a product driven organization with strong RD and holds over 50,000 patents internationally. Their tapes and adhesives have 50% 60% distribution revenue and abrasives have an astonishing 40% 50%. They were known for regular innovations with practical applications. OEM and MRO are major customer segments for IBD. OEM’s market is maturing and is creating IBD’s growth to be slow. They demand what IBD can support; high-valued items and brand quality since it is a part of the finished product. On the other hand, MRO segment is fragmented with little brand loyalty; hence IBD has not concentrated in this market. The MRO market was growing at a rapid rate and IBD could not ignore this. They commenced lean programs to strive for going to market in 18 months not 6 to 7 years. New marketing strategies were also coming to surface. Today they only receive 2% of the distributors’ revenue. IBD’s current channel seems to be direct selling and their sales are relationship driven. Sales representatives would meet a customer in person to create customer linkage. They would bring a sales toolkit that entailed a line of potential 3M products and technologies together because they are perceived as a sales stimulus. IBD’s key gauge of sales performance was maintaining existing clients and generating repeat customers. Also their clientele was mostly OEM; consequently their end users. Key Stakeholders IBD’s key stakeholders are Mahesh Yegnaswami, Vice-President of IBD, George Buckley, and Senior Management. Mahesh Yegnaswami is IBD’s national accounts manager. He will be recommending a plan of action to the vice-president on how the division will achieve the MRO market and increase organic revenue. The vice-president will take into consideration the plan of action and make the decision to send it forward to the senior management. George Buckley is the chairman, president and CEO of IBD. As a CEO he envisions an annual growth rate to 12% 15% by 2008. His new strategy was to move from margin expansion to top line growth, productivity gains and cost savings to market development and promotions. The senior management are the decision makers in regards to the plan of action and its implementation. They need to have consensus if the new strategy can be successful in obtaining the organic growth goal rate of 12%-15% or not. At IBD there are significant problems that need to be addressed for a successful organic growth. Problems occurred in areas such as logistics, marketing program, and sales model. The most fundamental crisis is that their current sales model will not achieve anticipated growth rate as authorized by IBD in a targeted time-frame. The possibility of revenue may decline since OEM segment is mature. By remaining in the traditional sales model, IBD may lose the opportunity of the growing MRO market ($14 billion) that will allow them to achieve their goal. If IBD does not penetrate the large distributors quickly, the end user may get too comfortable with existing competitors product and not even consider trying 3M. In addition, there is a prospect to penetrate where vacant spaces in most product lines are waiting to be filled. Current sales strategy will not work in the new market because IBD sales force was geared to â€Å"what to sell† and not â€Å"how to sell†. Furthermore their current strategy has a long sales process, which gives the niche market an opportunity to service the OEM market more quickly than IBD. Because they are a large organization and a bureaucracy, their traditional ways of marketing will not penetrate the MRO segment quickly enough to be competitive especially with higher prices. The sales staff is not trained to do relationship selling to National accounts. If IBD does not have the accurate product for the appropriate industry this may damage their company brand. Their overall growth goal of 15% will not be achieved and may cause necessary staff cuts and lower employee moral if IBD continues the same course. Moreover the employees in every department will unintentionally spill their low moral on to their clients. Everyone including the company brand will be affected. Once the principal problem has been addressed, it is important to determine the alternatives that IBD should consider in order to resolve the principal problem. First, an alternative that could be taken is to change nothing that IBD is doing and remain on the current way of conducting business. This would allow IBD to continue selling to their OEM accounts that are willing to pay premium price for 3M products. IBD is aware the OEM market is declining due to a rising Canadian dollar and the growing trend of off shoring to China. This should be considered if IBD chose to run their business as usual. In addition, IBD remained with the current course because their strengths of product innovation, new product introduction, getting â€Å"specified† for in-process usage, building relationships with business customers and working with them closely to reduce their cost of operations. However, IBD will need to consider multiple alternatives in order to make a decision on the best way to solve their principal problem. Another alternative that IBD could pursue is changing the customer focus from the current OEM market to the MRO market. There are four types of distributors in the MRO market, these are: National, Special, General, and Niche. The special and niche types were losing their traditional competitive edge, due to larger players building up domain expertise by acquiring product/process skills also, technologies were going off patent, and the manufacturing was open to all. The market share and driving scale in the MRO market is larger then that of the OEM market. This is because of a variety of major reasons; first the MRO market is larger and estimated to be worth $14 billion Canadian dollars. Secondly, there are vacant spaces in most product lines waiting to be filled, and 3M could capitalize on this. And finally private labeling is an opportunity area with potential for both revenue and margins. Also, Yegnaswami stated that â€Å"changing the customer focus from OEM to MRO gives us (3M) additional sales in the targeted time-frame†. Lastly, a third alternative IBD may take interest on would be to focus and sell to the MRO market in addition to the OEM market. The products catering to the OEM market are those of high-value items that will became part of the finished product. While with the MRO market the products are completely different with a focus on consumables of a low value. In addition, this alternative would allow IBD to focus on both markets keeping existing business in OEM market and grow in MRO. Overall, IBD has three alternatives to consider in order to solve the principal problem of the existing traditional sales model not being able achieve an anticipated growth rate as mandated by IBD within a targeted time-frame. In order for IBD to determine which alternative to focus the company’s efforts, some criteria must be generated in order to conclude to a decision. The criteria is an essential step in the process because it will show how to track the success of the alternative to the principal problem that 3M is having. The criteria is needed in order for IBD to evaluate the alternatives to the main problem. The main criteria in which to base the choice on is if the alternative will be able to achieve the goal of stepping up IBD’s annual organic growth rate from 3 – 5% in recent years to 12 – 15% by 2008. The criteria can be measurable on a quarterly basis by evaluating price values versus target. Therefore IBD will be able to continue to track their growth rate, and see if the alternative chosen is helping them achieve desired results. IBD will be able to see if the chosen alternative is working and make necessary changes to adapt to their strategy and objectives. Each alternative needs to be evaluated, and weighed against the criteria. This is a critical step in the decision on what to do about the principal problem for IBD. Alternative One The first alternative that IBD could take is to continue with their existing strategy, and not change their way of conducting business. This would mean to stay with the focus on the OEM market. Pros This alternative has some positive attributes for IBD to choose this option. Selecting this alternative will allow IBD to keep brand loyalty because in the OEM market, the brand is an important aspect in the buying process. In addition, this alternative will also allow for IBD to maintain their current high margins; this is because OEMs are willing to pay a higher price in exchange for premium products that adds value to their finished product. Also, this alternative will avoid channel conflicts within the industry which benefits 3M by allowing them to sell directly to customers. Cons This alternative is not without its faults to because this course of action ill not allow the company to achieve the mandated growth rate because the OEM business is decreasing. The OEM market is currently declining due to low production costs in China ($11 US vs. .15 cents) and the rising Canadian dollar. Also, the OEM market is currently maturing which would result in a flat line or decrease in sales over the years. Alternative Two The second alternative is for IBD to change their customer focus from the OEMs to the MROs with a focus on the national distributors section. Pros An advantage of this would be that the MRO market is fast growing in double digit rates with mega corporations. This would result in bulk sales and low unit margins would be offset by higher volumes. Also, IBD would not have to invest money on marketing to OEMs because they were already selling to this market and were very experienced and good at it. The distributors will be able to pick up tasks such as marketing and selling for 3M. Finally, the national players have an immense sales infrastructure in terms of branches, delivery centres and sales forces (inside and out) and are secured with large contracts. This would result in 3M being able to capitalize on this by using the national players’ sales force, and large contracts to increase sales. Cons This alternative does have its weaknesses, by dealing with MROs, only the result would be low margins for large volume sales because the MRO market is focused on price. In addition, the MRO industry is highly fragmented and does not care about brand loyalty. This could result in MROs going to competitors as soon as they offer them lower prices. Alternative Three Finally, the last alternative that IBD should consider is to focus on selling to both the OEM market as well as the MRO market equally. Pros If IBD were to take this alternative the company would have to become everything to everybody. IBD would gain variable margins such as high margins with the OEMs as well as low margins for the MROs. Cons However, there are many downsides to this alternative for IBD. They will not be able to specialize in a particular market as they would be able to by selecting other alternatives. This alternative is also very expensive because IBD would have to market to both the OEM and the MRO markets. IBD had a mandate to increase annual organic growth up to 5%. A promising way of achieving this goal is to switch customer focus from OEM to MRO because this industry was growing rapidly and is estimated to be worth $14 billion. Gaining a small piece of this market will upscale their growth portfolio. Continuing with their existing sales plan does not guarantee optimistic results, therefore needing to alter their sales model to serve this new channel and achieve this goal. IBD needs to focus on the ten biggest distributors in the MRO market, particularly National. In order to do that the organization will need some assistance from manufacturers’ reps. These reps will provide access to industry knowledge and experience that was needed because the distributors controlled the MRO market more than the suppliers. Existing relationships and large contracts with these distributors and the manufacturers’ reps will be a large asset that will leap to new contracts with 3M. In addition to servicing the National accounts by manufacturers’ reps, IBD should add three to four customer account managers (internally groomed). They will service each National distributor and ensure that they provide quick responses and push the decision making process. This is imperative because these accounts are in need of great customer care and such requests will not inconvenience the salesperson from focusing on attaining new business. Internal sales force is inexperienced for this new strategy as they are not qualified in dealing with large corporations. Instead they excelled at dealing with managers at small to medium sized businesses. Internal sales representatives will be the key individuals that will get closer to the end users throughout all industries. Their tasks will continue to maintain existing business accounts (particularly the OEMs) in their regional areas and ensure that they carry on as repeat buyers. Products that are sold in this market become a part of the finished product and brand loyalty is significant. As an entering good, it does compromise the quality of the finished product. This segment was mature with little room to grow, however products were perceived as high value and there was more room for profitability. Internal sales representatives will also serve as second level technical support for their existing accounts and end users of National distributors. This will assist in keeping control of end user data and ensure that their full needs are met. Supply chain management can be improved by implementing incentive programs with National distributors to purchase in volumes. This can be done by providing quantity price breaks as enticement to purchase in large volumes. Such strategy will increase production efficiencies, lower costs and provide a healthy inventory turnover. Another incentive that should be implemented is service stock agreements for specialized items. It is an agreement between the manufacturer and the distributor that the supplier will keep requested quantities in stock for them alone. This will cut lead times for the distributor and prevent inventory from turning into slow or obsolete. 3M has already implemented the Six Sigma programs that decreased their lead times and they do not have to carry as much inventory. National distributors had an immense regional infrastructure; therefore they will provide local products to the end users. The next step that 3M must take is to alter their traditional marketing programs that were originally aimed at the â€Å"Regional Specialists† segment. A new focus needs to be directed towards the National distributors. The phase that needs to be addressed immediately is pricing. Products for these distributors are commoditized where price is the key to competing in the market. A new price book will also have to be re-designed to be used as a tool for selling in this industry. The first step of the implementation plan is to schedule a meeting to discuss the new strategy as accepted by the IBD management. This meeting should include the following departments: senior management, human resources, sales staff (inside and out), marketing and business development. Mr. Yegnaswami should assign project managers for each area of implementation; sales model re-design, marketing, and logistics. A project outline will be designed in this meeting to state each milestone and set a target date for completion. Project managers will be given 1 month to gather resources and plan their strategy to move forward. Marketing managers will be responsible to develop a plan to penetrate the new market and this is where the design for the new price book should begin. At this point, human resources and sales managers should begin their research for employers of manufacturers’ reps. Simultaneously, 3M could begin grooming existing employees into Customer Account Managers. They will gain industry knowledge, inside selling tips, pricing, quoting, and telephone skills. Following a month of research for manufacturers’ reps, the sales manager should begin interviews with a minimum of three companies. Their decision should be made within two weeks. A national sales meeting should be scheduled two weeks after the appointment of manufacturers’ reps. This meeting should be used to introduce all inside and outside sales staff, including the customer account managers that will be working jointly with the manufacturers’ reps. Technical salespeople together with the customer account managers (CAMs) will use this time to provide technical product information and company policies (i. e. orporate objectives, return policy, freight policy etc. ). At this moment, the price book should be complete and ready to be introduced to the market. Manufacturers’ reps should use this opportunity to do joint sales calls with the technical reps and use t hem as support for any questions that may be specialized to a product. As a goal to shorten the sales cycle, promote the price book, and provide an incentive for the National distributor, salespeople should offer a discount of 5-10% on the distributor’s first stocking order for all items ordered from the price book. The next step is to hold a quarterly sales meeting (either local or through net meeting). Topics that will be evaluated are: budget versus actual sales and key performance indicators such as number of leads generated, qualified leads and quotes made. At this time the sales manager should evaluate the progress of each manufacturer’s rep. If progress is unsatisfactory, additional support will be provided in order to improve. During the annual meeting A potential risk involved with the new strategy is that 3M could hurt their brand name by creating a cheap image of their product. Currently they sell to a market that values the brand and will pay a premium price for the value that they are getting from the product. Selling to distributors who are price sensitive, 3M will have to consider the fact that they will be leading the market with price and not a premium product. IBD could overcome this issue by carefully evaluating the price elasticity of their products. All changes in price should have a reasonably large effect on the demand. Keeping the elasticity level at one will maximize the revenue and in fact assist in keeping their well known brand. By focusing their marketing efforts on the MRO National distributors, there is a risk that they will be facing channel conflicts. This conflict could exist when manufacturers like 3M and their distributors compete against each other when selling to the same market. IBD must properly design its channel to reflect the products that are sold in their targeted market. They must also mutually establish and align their business goals with their channel partners. In addition effective communication must be a priority with their distributors as these partners are necessary and viable for 3M to gain success. A further risk involved is improper setting of inventory levels. This is crucial to the business with the proposal of selling in volume. If these levels are not set up at appropriate amounts, 3M could be facing stock outs or overstocks that will lead to slow inventory. This could make or break their business. Logistics department should carefully monitor the product movement and make any adjustments to stay proactive with the product demand. If distributors have predictable buying patterns, salespeople could work with them to place blanket orders to ensure that inventory will always be available and their products will be pulled from stock. The last risk involved is that there are a handful of national distributors and if they were to lose business of one distributor, their sales would drop drastically. To overcome these risks, 3M should build close relationships with their distributors, always pledge to have open communications and avoid any risks mentioned above.

Hometown Essay Essay Example

Hometown Essay Essay Example Hometown Essay Paper Hometown Essay Paper Every town across America presents unique and various qualities. Lass Vegas, which is located in the state of Nevada has many great things to offer. The weather In Lass Vegas stays preferably warm and sunny for most of the year. While in other towns you may have to deal with more rapid weather change or severe conditions. Summers maintain dry heat most days, but sometime during August an occasional rain storms will occur. Winters are mostly short, so youre only dressing warm for a short amount of time. Most people enjoy Vegas because of the warmer weather, which makes it a great town to visit or reside in. Consistent warm weather is convenient to have to do various activities throughout the year. There are plenty of activities to offer With the lasting warm weather in Lass Vegas. Its always a nice day to go swimming or hit the water park to cool down. Most tourists tend to enjoy the weather to walk up and down the strip. Most hotel pools located on the strip include entertainment and bars for guests to enjoy, which is another great way to enjoy the warm weather. Outdoor mall shopping is also more enjoyable with the nice weather in Vegas. With all the activities Vegas has to offer there are certain things that appeal more to tourists. Along with the nice warm weather are the extraordinary tourist sights located on the strip in Lass Vegas. The strip has many beautiful casinos with their own theme. Every casino you walk into is unique in its on way. There are dozens of restaurants, shows and all kinds of entertainment in every casino up and down the strip. For example the casino Planet Hollywood has a Hollywood hip theme. Located in that casino youll find a large shopping mall with hundreds of stores, bars, and restaurants. A sight to see for most tourists is typically the Bellagio fountains. Located at the front of the resort are beautiful fountains that produce a breath taking show every half hour. Those are just a few of the spectacular sights to be seen in Vegas. As you can see, this town can accommodate to anyone. Lass Vegas has much to offer other than the weather and tourist sights.

Bradford Assay

Bradford Protein Assay Practical Report 1. Present your data (including raw data and calculated concentrations) for the protein standards in the form of a clear table. Give one example of how you calculated protein concentration. Do not forget a descriptive title and units (4marks) Title either too long or not descriptive or absent Your results are in duplicate shouldn’t be referred to as ‘set1 set2’ or ‘original’ and ‘duplicate’ Many of you think units of absorbance are nm but A has arbitrary (ie no) units. nm indicates the ax of the chromophore Failure to give correct units in legends eg (ml) or (? g/ml) 2. Plot a graph of absorbance against protein concentration by hand. The graph should have an appropriate title and clearly labelled axes. Staple graph to the completed proforma and the Life Sciences submission sheet (4 marks) Mainly ok but both duplicate Abs- blank should be plotted and one line of best fit drawn through points. Do not extrapolate beyond the highest standard, you have no evidence that Beer-Lambert’s Law applies at high A. Make sure you choose appropriate scale and use full scale deflection on A4 graph paper. These types of graph are standard curves and that term should be in the title, remember we are not directly measuring the absorbance of protein, but a chromophore derived from the protein. 3. Present your data for unknown samples (including raw data and calculated concentrations of X Y) in the form of a clear table. Do not forget title and units. (4 marks) All data should be in one table but pay attention to typesetting and make sure that words/numbers are not split between 2 lines, this will lose marks. Absorbance of blank must be subtracted from values for unknown as they also contain non-specific absorbance. Many of you wrote dilutions incorrectly eg 1:2. The symbol : means ratio ? this actually means 1in 3. Either write as 1in 2 or 1:1 Never average absorbance-it’s not good practise (except for blank) you should convert to analyte then average your final results. Most dilute samples have least absorbance, many of you muddled your dilutions making final values incorrect. Always double-check arithmetic. If the final answer for the different dilutions don’t agree, look at your results and ask yourself if they seem right. Remember there is only one right answer for each unknown . Explain briefly each step of your calculations to find the protein concentration of X and Y, underlining your final answers. Convert to mg/ml. (6 marks) No need to explain how to read values from the std curve. Explain which absorbance values you read from the graph, what (if any) dilution factor you multiplied that value by, and then which answers you then averaged to get your final answers and why you ignored any data (eg poor duplicates or off scale cf standard- you cannot extrapolate beyond your std curve ) Some of you not using the proforma wrote too much. You will be penalised for exceeding allocated space in assignments, so be mindful of this 5. What is the chromophore measured in the Bradford assay? (2 marks) Many of you defined the term chromophore rather than describing the Bradford chromophore which is CBB + protein. (not CBB alone! ) The ? max at 595nm is formed when the dye binds to protein 6. What is the purpose of the blank? Why is it necessary to subtract the absorbance of the blank from all other results? (2 marks) The blank gives us the value for non-specific absorbance ; as we are interested in the specific (in this case protein) absorbance, we must subtract the blank absorbance from all other abs. values. Many of you didn’t subtract the blank from the unknown’s but as they are also mixtures of protein, NaCl and reagents measured in cuvettes, they also contain non-specific absorbance so you must subtract the blank. Many of you said the blank is used to zero the spectrophotometer (which it can be ) but we didn’t do that; we zeroed on water or NaCl then subtracted the blank mathematically. The blank you had to deduct was to remove the combined absorbances of water, NaCl and most importantly the dye in the uncomplexed state 7. The Biuret and Folin-Lowry are two other commonly used colourimetric protein assays. UV absorption can also be used to determine protein concentration. Describe the basis of these methods and compare them with the Bradford assay in terms of ease, sensitivity, range and interferences. (8 marks) You need to describe the biochemical basis(not the actual method) of the Biuret, Lowry and Bradford assays. The Lowry is a modification of the Biuret to improve it’s sensitivity so it’s appropriate to describe the Biuret method first , then describe the Lowry modification You need to state the range (the lowest- highest concentration they can detect) sensitivity(the lowest amount they can detect) for each assay. Some of you confused sensitivity with interference ie substances which, if present will give incorrect results. You need to state how reliable they are -whether they are prone to interferences. You could mention cost of reagents, ease of procedure Many of you placed too much emphasis on the ? ax of the different chromophores described but this is not really relevant. You need to state the wavelength at which proteins absorb UV radiation and which moieties in proteins absorb in the UV. ie at 280nm(near UV) it’s the aromatic amino acids, some of you also mention A200nm(far UV) at which peptide bonds absorb, although this is of little practical use. Note any inte rferences- remember many things absorb UV radiation Advantages of using UV- it’s non destructive so you can recover your sample for further investigation. Formula which relates UV absorption to protein concentration

Write a topic of your choice involving either a federal or Florida Essay

Write a topic of your choice involving either a federal or Florida state administrative law agency - Essay Example This essay will set forth the relevant portions of the MPRSA as it applies to ocean disposals of dredged materials and present a case from California where the MPRSA mandated civil penalties for a commercial dredging company. As an initial matter, the primary purpose of the MPRSA is to prevent the disposal of any materials in the ocean, within American jurisdiction, unless that disposal has previously been authorized by a permit granted by the United States Army Corps of engineers with the subsequent approval of the EPA (MPRSA section 101(a); 33 United States Code section 1411). A permit, however, is not easy to obtain; more importantly, as stated by the governing statute and administrative regulations, violating the terms of an otherwise legal permit is also unlawful and will result in civil liability. As a general rule, a permit may be obtained only when the ocean dumping does not â€Å"unreasonable degrade or endanger human health, welfare or amenities, or the marine environment, ecological systems or economic potentialities† (MPRSA section 102; United States Code section 1412). The Code of Federal Regulations sets forth guidelines for determining whether a particular permit application ought t o be approved or denied; and, while both the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA are involved in assessing permit applications, the EPA is the superior administrative agency and its decisions override all other agencies (40 Code of Federal Regulations sections 225.1 & 225.2(c)). In short, the disposal of dredged materials in the ocean is prohibited, a permit application does exist, and there are very strict requirements for a permit to be approved. The MPRSA is enforced through section 105(a), which authorizes the EPA to assess a civil penalty not exceeding $50,000 per day for any violation. These violations may

M. Butterfly Director's Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

M. Butterfly Director's Concept - Essay Example The disillusionment is portrayed as a gravest cause of faulty decisions and motives that lead to multiple consequences. For instance, due to his disillusionment, Gallimard in the movie lost his life, family, legacy, wife, and personal dignity. Looking at the complicated love affair, I see the potential of disillusionment in derailing noble courses. Gallimard already had a stable marriage with children and a reputation to safeguard. However, due to the disillusions of beauty and stereotype, he engages in a parallel and fateful affair with a fellow man. It is uncertain whether at any one time it has been morally upright for men to have affairs outside a legally constituted marriage like in the case of Gallimard. Furthermore, the practice of same sex affairs that is the component of the film is uncommon among many civilizations. Only currently are single sex marriages gaining root in liberal

Descriptive annotated bibilograhy Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Descriptive bibilograhy - Annotated Bibliography Example The author is an expert on his subject having spent 25 years designing, and then analyzing, and reporting on both military experiments and tests carried out in the operational field. This long document contains such things as definitions and principles to be followed an dins concerned with moving on from the industrial age into the age of technology without discarding all earlier knowledge. It considers hierarchies within the military, but is also willing to take in ideas from the private sector where these are relevant. It describes the characteristics required of forces in the 21st century , including the ability to integrate and co-operate, working with many different agencies as required. It has an excellent bibliography on related topics. The authors are both experts in their fields, Dr Alberts being concerned with research and planning and Dr Hayes being an expert in the multidisciplinary analyses of command as well as in concerned with control as well as intelligence, and issues of national security. This extensive paper is another of a series of related documents from the Center for Advanced Concepts and Technology. It is concerned with a global view - one which had its beginnings in informal links and which is now much more extensive and interconnected, considering how basic is the whole idea of how groups are formed, and how they interact and overlap. It looks at the present situation, or very recent events, but also on into the future. The vulnerability of various methods of communication is considered using real example such as the Falklands War. The index is extensive and easy to use and there is also a catalog of related works from the CACT. The authors look back far into history and somehow connect ideas from those times to modern situations. This document describes how network centric warfare can become reality by looking into the future. It considers such important matters as training and education, security in a fast

Writing Assignment One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Assignment One - Essay Example This is because numerous people then cited the result of that occurrence was due to the state’s laxity of not ensuring tight laws meant to limit manufacture, importation and selling of 150 military-style weapons (Bowman, 2013). Therefore, this incidence could not have occurred if the current tight laws were in place because some prohibit the access of firearms by a third party (Bowman, 2013). The number of people killed in Connecticut’s school incidence could not have totaled more than 20 people, if Lanza used lesser capacity magazine weapons. Since, the current gun Legislations would have limited both the type and magazines’ high capacities, which citizens ought to possess. For instance, the current Legislations upon their implementation, would have shunned possession of 150 military-style guns by the citizens, which Lanza used to unleash terror on the innocent people (Bowman, 2013). According to the incidence’s investigators, Lanza was capable of termina ting lives of twenty plus people within an extremely short period due to his powerful assault weapons. Besides, the current legislation could have helped shun Connecticut’s shooting due to the increase of constant security patrol in education institutions (The white House, 2013).

The Effect of Attack ads on political campaigns Research Paper

The Effect of Attack ads on political campaigns - Research Paper Example Attack ads focus on ‘the faults of the opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Advocacy ads refer to the capabilities of a candidate, without referring to the opponent (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). As for the contrast ads, these are a combination of the above, referring both to qualities of a candidate and ‘to the faults of his opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Two popular political ads are the following ones: a) the ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’ was used in the presidential elections of 1964 (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The above ad, which aimed on causing fear to voters in regard to the potential effects of their voting preferences, showed ‘a small girl plucking the petals off of a daisy’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The next scene showed a nuclear explosion (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). Voters were asked to avoid voting the nominee of Republican Party who could possibly ‘lead the country to a nuclear war’ (R oberts & Hammond 2012, p.5); b) another popular attack ad is entitled as ‘the 3am phone call’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5) and was used by Hilary Clinton in the presidential elections of 2008. The particular ad, which can be characterized as a policy comparison ad, aimed to highlight the lack of experience of Barack Obama, compared to Hilary Clinton, in facing emergent issues. The ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’, as presented above, has faced strong criticism. Many political analysts did not accept the fact that one of the candidates of the presidential elections was portrayed as a strong supporter of piece, referring to Johnson, while the other was characterized, referring to Goldwater even if he was not named, as a supporter of war... Moreover, Frith & Mueller (2010) notes that political advertisements can be classified into three categories: ‘attack, advocacy and contrast’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Attack ads focus on ‘the faults of the opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Advocacy ads refer to the capabilities of a candidate, without referring to the opponent (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). As for the contrast ads, these are a combination of the above, referring both to qualities of a candidate and ‘to the faults of his opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Two popular political ads are the following ones: a) the ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’ was used in the presidential elections of 1964 (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The above ad, which aimed on causing fear to voters in regard to the potential effects of their voting preferences, showed ‘a small girl plucking the petals off of a daisy’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The next scene showed a nuclear explosion (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). Voters were asked to avoid voting the nominee of Republican Party who could possibly ‘lead the country to a nuclear war’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5); b) another popular attack ad is entitled as ‘the 3am phone call’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5) and was used by Hilary Clinton in the presidential elections of 2008. The particular ad, which can be characterized as a policy comparison ad, aimed to highlight the lack of experience of Barack Obama, compared to Hilary Clinton, in facing emergent issues.The ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’, as presented above, has faced strong criticism. Many political analysts did not accept the fact that one of the candidates of the presidential elections was portrayed as a strong supporter of piece, referring to Johnson, while the other was characterized, referring to Goldwater even if he was not named, as a supporter of war (Sparks 2012, p.223). Such perspective could n ot be accepted since the candidate who promoted this attack ad.

Descriptive annotated bibilograhy Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Descriptive bibilograhy - Annotated Bibliography Example The author is an expert on his subject having spent 25 years designing, and then analyzing, and reporting on both military experiments and tests carried out in the operational field. This long document contains such things as definitions and principles to be followed an dins concerned with moving on from the industrial age into the age of technology without discarding all earlier knowledge. It considers hierarchies within the military, but is also willing to take in ideas from the private sector where these are relevant. It describes the characteristics required of forces in the 21st century , including the ability to integrate and co-operate, working with many different agencies as required. It has an excellent bibliography on related topics. The authors are both experts in their fields, Dr Alberts being concerned with research and planning and Dr Hayes being an expert in the multidisciplinary analyses of command as well as in concerned with control as well as intelligence, and issues of national security. This extensive paper is another of a series of related documents from the Center for Advanced Concepts and Technology. It is concerned with a global view - one which had its beginnings in informal links and which is now much more extensive and interconnected, considering how basic is the whole idea of how groups are formed, and how they interact and overlap. It looks at the present situation, or very recent events, but also on into the future. The vulnerability of various methods of communication is considered using real example such as the Falklands War. The index is extensive and easy to use and there is also a catalog of related works from the CACT. The authors look back far into history and somehow connect ideas from those times to modern situations. This document describes how network centric warfare can become reality by looking into the future. It considers such important matters as training and education, security in a fast

The Effect of Attack ads on political campaigns Research Paper

The Effect of Attack ads on political campaigns - Research Paper Example Attack ads focus on ‘the faults of the opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Advocacy ads refer to the capabilities of a candidate, without referring to the opponent (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). As for the contrast ads, these are a combination of the above, referring both to qualities of a candidate and ‘to the faults of his opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Two popular political ads are the following ones: a) the ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’ was used in the presidential elections of 1964 (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The above ad, which aimed on causing fear to voters in regard to the potential effects of their voting preferences, showed ‘a small girl plucking the petals off of a daisy’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The next scene showed a nuclear explosion (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). Voters were asked to avoid voting the nominee of Republican Party who could possibly ‘lead the country to a nuclear war’ (R oberts & Hammond 2012, p.5); b) another popular attack ad is entitled as ‘the 3am phone call’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5) and was used by Hilary Clinton in the presidential elections of 2008. The particular ad, which can be characterized as a policy comparison ad, aimed to highlight the lack of experience of Barack Obama, compared to Hilary Clinton, in facing emergent issues. The ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’, as presented above, has faced strong criticism. Many political analysts did not accept the fact that one of the candidates of the presidential elections was portrayed as a strong supporter of piece, referring to Johnson, while the other was characterized, referring to Goldwater even if he was not named, as a supporter of war... Moreover, Frith & Mueller (2010) notes that political advertisements can be classified into three categories: ‘attack, advocacy and contrast’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Attack ads focus on ‘the faults of the opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Advocacy ads refer to the capabilities of a candidate, without referring to the opponent (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). As for the contrast ads, these are a combination of the above, referring both to qualities of a candidate and ‘to the faults of his opponent’ (Frith & Mueller 2010, p.59). Two popular political ads are the following ones: a) the ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’ was used in the presidential elections of 1964 (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The above ad, which aimed on causing fear to voters in regard to the potential effects of their voting preferences, showed ‘a small girl plucking the petals off of a daisy’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). The next scene showed a nuclear explosion (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5). Voters were asked to avoid voting the nominee of Republican Party who could possibly ‘lead the country to a nuclear war’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5); b) another popular attack ad is entitled as ‘the 3am phone call’ (Roberts & Hammond 2012, p.5) and was used by Hilary Clinton in the presidential elections of 2008. The particular ad, which can be characterized as a policy comparison ad, aimed to highlight the lack of experience of Barack Obama, compared to Hilary Clinton, in facing emergent issues.The ad entitled as ‘Daisy Girl’, as presented above, has faced strong criticism. Many political analysts did not accept the fact that one of the candidates of the presidential elections was portrayed as a strong supporter of piece, referring to Johnson, while the other was characterized, referring to Goldwater even if he was not named, as a supporter of war (Sparks 2012, p.223). Such perspective could n ot be accepted since the candidate who promoted this attack ad.

Advertising and Sales Essay Example for Free

Advertising and Sales Essay Assignment Q1. What is the meaning of advertising? Explain the advertising pyramid with a neat diagram. Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media to reach broad audiences† The five basic element of this pyramid are: attention, interest, desire, action and satisfaction. Attention: The first objective of advertising is to capture attention of the consumer. The job is easy as even shouting or clapping can draw attention. Therefore, the copywriter usually makes the headline very catchy by using the bigger fonts. The other techniques are to use short punch lines in conversational language. Interest: The advertisement’s next objective is to create interest in the readers about the product. After giving a good headline, their interest is retained by elaborating on the key features of the product. This is usually incorporated in the body copy. Desire: In this step, the advertisement creates a situation for the prospective customer to enjoy benefits of the product vicariously. The writer creates a situation that makes the reader feel as though there is a lot that is being missed if one does not use the product. Action: The purpose of this step is to motivate people to do something. No advertisement is successful if it cannot induce any action. This is not a difficult step because if the copy is clear then surely the reader will act. Satisfaction: The tip of the pyramid is satisfaction. After the product is bought, the buyer should have a feel of satisfaction. The customer should always feel that it has got the appropriate returns for the money spent. Q2. What do you understand by integrated marketing communication (IMC)? What are the various roles? â€Å"IMC is a strategic business process used to develop, execute, and evaluate coordinated, measureable, persuasive brand commun ications programs over time with customers, prospects, employees, associates, and other targeted relevant internal and external audiences. The goal is to generate both short-term financial returns and build long-term brand and share-holder value.† Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is a process involving coordination of various promotional elements and other  marketing activities that communicate with a firm’s customers. It includes managing customer relationships that drive brand value through communication efforts. The role of IMC can be discussed with the following points:  · Identifying the target audience  · Specifying promotion objectives  · Setting the promotion budget  · Selecting the right promotional tools  · Designing the promotion  · Scheduling the promotion Identifying the target audience: IMC’s first function is to identify the right audience. It is very important to deliver the message to the right audience. Specifying promotion objectives:  · Designed for a well-defined target audience  · Measurable  · Cover a specified time period Hierarchy of effects: Sequence of stages a prospective buyer goes through Use as a tool to develop objectives  · Awareness – Ability to recognize and remember the product or brand  · Interest – Increase in desire to learn about the product features  · Evaluation – Consumer’s appraisal of the product on important attributes  · Trial – Consumer’s actual first purchase and use  · Adoption – Repeated purchase and use of the product or brand Setting the promotion budget:  · Percentage of sales: Funds are allocated as a percentage of past or anticipated sales  · Competitive parity: Matching the competitor’s absolute level of spending Selecting the right promotional tools  · Specify the combination of the five basic IMC tools – advertising, Personal selling, sales promotion, public relations and direct marketing  · Promotion mix can vary  · Assess the comparative importance of the various tools Designing the promotion:  · Design of the promotion plays a primary role in determining the message that is communicated to the audience  · Design activity is viewed as the step requiring the most creativity  · Design each promotional activity to communicate the same message Scheduling the promotion:  · Determine the most effective timing  · Promotion schedule describes  · Factors such as seasonality and competitive promotion activity can influence the schedule. Q3. While developing an advertisement, some theories are useful. Discuss the two theories to design an advertisement. In developing an advertisement for an advertising campaign, several theoretical frameworks are useful. The first theory is the hierarchy of effects model. The second is a means to an end chain. Both the hierarchy of effects model and a means to an end chain can be used to develop leverage points. 1. Hierarchy-of-Effects Model Among advertising theories, the hierarchy-of-effects model is predominant. It helps clarify the objectives of an advertising campaign as well as the objective of a particular advertisement. The model suggests that a consumer or a business buyer moves through a series of six steps when becoming convinced to make a purchase. These six steps are as follows: Awareness – If most of the target audience is unaware of the object, the communicator’s task is to build awareness, perhaps just name and recognition with simple messages repeating the product name. Consumers must become aware of the brand. Knowledge – The target audience might have product awareness but may not know much more; hence this stage involves creating brand knowledge. This is where comprehension of the brand name and what it stands for become important. What are the brand’s specific appeals, its benefits? Liking – If target members know the product, how do they feel about it? If the audience looks unfavorably towards the product then the communicator has to find out why. If the unfavorable view is based on real problems, communication campaigns alone cannot do the job of erasing it. Preference – The target audience might like the product but not prefer it to others. In this case, the communicator must try to build consumer preference by promoting quality, value, performance and other features. Conviction – A target audience might  prefer a particular product but not develop the confidence about buying it. The communicator’s job is to build conviction among the target audience. Purchase – Finally, some members of the target audience might have conviction but not quite get around to making the purchase. Th ey may wait for more information or plan to act later. 2. Means-End Theory A second theoretical approach a creative (team) can use to design an advertisement is a means-end-chain. This approach suggests that an advertisement should contain a message or means that lead the consumer to a desired end state. Means – end theory is the basis of a model called the Means-End Conceptualizations of Components for Advertising Strategy (MECCAS). The MECCAS model suggests using five elements in creating advertisements.  · The product’s attributes – delicious and refreshing are the products attribute.  · Consumer benefits – delicious and refreshing are linked with the benefit of freshness and good taste.  · Leverage point – the leverage point in the advertisement is the link between the benefit of delicious drink and the personal value of choosing the right drink of an athlete.  · Personal Values – the value of the consumer, the reason of buying Coca Cola. He could value the ’refreshing’ or the ’delicious’ attributes. The marketers need to understand the personal value so that the message will hit the right target. Q4. What do you mean by public relations(PR)? What are the difference between PR and advertising? â€Å"Public relations† is used to build rapport with employees, customers, investors, voters or the general public. Public Relations (PR) is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual etc. in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers etc. The most comprehensive definition is as follows: â€Å"Public relation is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an organization with the public interest and executes a program of action and communication to earn public understanding and acceptance.† The following are the differences between advertising and public relations. Advertising 1. The company pays for advertising the company. Hence the focus is on getting its products or  services. 2. Since you are paying for the space, you have creative control on what goes into that advertisement. 3. Advertisements can be published or run repeatedly. An advertisement generally has a longer shelf life than one press release. 4. In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new advertising campaigns and materials. 5. If you are working at an advertising agency, your main contacts are yours-workers and the agencys clients. 6. You are looking out your target audience and advertise accordingly. You would not advertise a kid’s Product in a business magazine. 7. Some industry professionals such as Account Executive have contact with the clients. Others like Copywriters or Graphic Designers in the agency may not meet with the client at all. 8. â€Å"Sales!, 20% discount, Buy this product! Act now! Call today!† These are the things you can say in an advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your product. Public relations 1. The objective is to get free publicity for space. You know exactly when that advertisement will on air to be published. 2. You have no control over how the media presents your information, if they decide to use your information at all. They are not obligated to cover your event or publish your press release. 3. You submit a press release about a new product or about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once and the editor will not publish more than once. 4. In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity in the way you search for new news to release to the media. 5. In PR, the main contacts will be people in the area of publications and broadcast media. 6. It is generally not possible to segment, target or position the product or service. 7. In public relations, you are very visible to the media. PR professionals are not always called on for the good news. In an emergency you may have to give a statement or on-camera interview to journalists. You may represent your company as a spokesperson at an event. 8. You are strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any blatant commercial messages in your communications are disregarded by the media. Q5. What are the four types of annalists used to develop a comprehensive model for evaluation of a sales organization? There are mainly four factors or types of analysis that are usually needed to  develop a comprehensive model for evaluation of a sales organization. They are: 1) Sales analysis 2) Cost analysis 3) Profitability analysis 4) Productivity analysis 1) Sales analysis: It is an important factor for evaluating the effectiveness of a sales organization. Sales analysis detects strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Sales analysis is described as a detailed inspection of a company’s sales data, which includes assimilating, classifying, comparing and drawing conclusions. Sales analysis is done based on the following parameters: a) Levels in sales organization: Sales analysis should be done at all levels of the sales organizations. This includes evaluation of sales performance from the company level down to the last level. b) Types of sales: The analysis of different types of sales at different organizational levels definitely increases the sales manager’s ability to detect problem areas in the company’s sales performance. For example, analysis can be done: a. Based on type of products b. By distribution channels types c. By type of customer classifications d. By size of orders 2) Cost analysis: Cost analysis is the analysis of costs that affect sales volume. The purpose of marketing cost analysis is to determine the profitability of sales control units, like market segments, sales territories and products. This is done by subtracting the marketing costs from the sales revenues, associated with the sales control units. 3) Profitability analysis: Profitability analysis of marketing units (that is, regions, branches, channels, products or customer groups) can be developed by preparing profit and loss (or income and expense) statements for marketing units. However, the question arises as to how to allocate indirect or shared expenses to various marketing units. There are two approaches for profitability analysis 4) Productivity analysis: Productivity is usually measured by ratios between outputs and inputs. For example, sales per salesperson are used by many companies as a measure of productivity. There  are other productivity ratios such as selling expenses per salesperson, sales calls per salesperson, and quotations submitted per salesperson. Q6. Describe the meaning and importance of media fix decisions. A media mix is the way various types of media are strategically combined in an advertising plan, such as using newspaper and posters to announce a new product as the iPod managers did, followed by television advertising that shows how to use the product and billboards that reminded people to look for it when they go out to the store. A media vehicle is specific TV program (Comedy Circus, CID), newspapers (The Telegraph, Mumbai Mirror), magazines (The Sport star, Elle). Media planning is the way advertisers identify and select media options based on research into the audience profiles of various media; planning also includes scheduling and budgeting. Media buying is the task of identifying specific vehicles, such as TV channels/programs or websites, negotiating the cost to advertise in them and handling the details of billing and payment. Frequency refers to the number of times a person is exposed to the advertisement. An impression is one person’s opportunity to be exposed one time to an advertisement in a broadcast program, newspapers, magazines or outdoor locations. Circulation means the number of copies sold. In the media industry, there are professionals who do both, sell and buy advertising. Media sales people work for a medium, such as a magazine or television channel and their objective is to build the best possible arguments to convince media planners to use the medium they represent. There are also media reps, who are people or companies that sell space (in print) and time (in broadcast) for a variety of media. The rate base is the real number of copies of a newspaper or magazine that gets printed and sold. Readership is the average number of readers per copy sold.

Issues of the Development of Brownfield Sites

Issues of the Development of Brownfield Sites Introduction: Brownfield land, or previously developed land (PDL), â€Å" is that which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure.† This is the definition given in Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) Housing, by the British Government, however in the United States the definition has been notably tweaked over time. The US Environment Protection Agency in 1997 quoted brownfields as being â€Å" abandoned, idled or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived contamination.† This description was however updated in 2002 to become â€Å" real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or re-use of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.† The development of brownfield sites has been an area of great debate and discussion for many years. There are numerous issues surrounding their re-use from almost every viewpoint. Developers have historically been reluctant and unenthusiastic to make use of them for any new planned schemes for a variety of reasons. There can be great costs associated with the cleanup of a brownfield site depending on its previous employment. Further to this, legislation held every past and present owner of brownfield property completely responsible for any pollution or contamination to nearby people or property thereby presenting a large risk for potential developers. As time has passed by, non-built-up space available for construction of any type of buildings has diminished and therefore the Governments of most countries have made policies in a bid to control over-expansion and prevent urban sprawl. Clearly this has an impact on brownfield sites and their usage or potential regeneration. Another important area that warrants discussion is what has been termed as ‘sustainable development defined as, â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) Sustainable development has become an objective which Governments throughout the world strive for. It is the core principal underpinning planning and aims to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and in the future. Poor planning can lead to run-down town centres, unsafe and dilapidated housing, and the loss of countryside. (HMG, PPS 1 Delivering Sustainable Development, 2005) Governmental policies are often introduced, altered or even eradicated depending on the state of the economy. A recent example is the reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) carried out by the Government in the United Kingdom (UK) which was an attempt to try to limit the effects of recession by putting extra money in the pockets of consumers. Brownfield land can be affected in many ways by changes to existing economic policies and particularly planning legislation and guidelines, for example, they were brought very much more in to the spotlight with the establishment and enforcement of greenbelt land. This said, it is not just directly linked policies that can influence brownfields. The Government has five main economic goals and land use impacts on a number of these main goal areas particularly the protection of the environment, economic growth and unemployment. Research Question: The purpose of the project is to explore the issues surrounding brownfield sites for developers and the Government alike; including the incentives and support they offer, as well as restrictions they must adhere to or can receive. Further aims are to develop a deep understanding of land use focussing on brownfield land, the necessity for its redevelopment and consequences if it is left deserted and barren. The question itself centres on how the Government aims to encourage and drive new development towards brownfield sites or PDL, and whether the policies, legislation, and guidelines they introduce or modify are accomplishing this. Aims and Objectives: To investigate the current regulations, guidelines and policies regarding the re-use of brownfield or previously developed land. To understand whether these measures are strong enough to encourage the use of brownfield or previously developed land, and study their effectiveness. To discover whether the quantity of brownfield land being redeveloped has risen since these regulations and incentives have been in place. To examine the major issues and obstacles hindering the re-use of brownfield land. Research Methodology: This chapter describes the method of data collection and gives reasons why these methods were chosen. The research encompassed three different means of data collection. Documentation, journals and book research. A case study method of research. A question based interview with a property professional. Documents, books and journals from the Government, professional bodies, public libraries and the internet will be reviewed as data sources. These will offer official information on policies or guidelines as well as help to analyse the findings from case studies and the questionnaire. Documentation in this form will help to present reliable, certified and unbiased information on brownfield redevelopment in general and further helpful information. This information will include Government reports, policy statements on the environment and planning, incentive plans, consulting reports of sites carried out by professional bodies, as well as market research and statistics. Through studying this data the researcher will be able to gain an in depth understanding of the regulations surrounding brownfields and their redevelopment, but also more detailed knowledge and comprehension of the many aspects involved. A case study method of research, involving two large scale developments, was decided upon as a reflection of the redevelopment process of a brownfield site. These will give an insight from the beginning all through the various stages to the final new usage being carried out upon the site. It will be possible to measure the success of brownfield redevelopment, primarily it will be successful purely if there is a new use for the site rather than if no redevelopment occurred at all, and it lay derelict. Brownfield redevelopment is a complicated economic, social and environmental phenomenon requiring a close and in-depth study. Further to these studies a questionnaire interviews conducted with developers for property investment and development companies, to gain a developers viewpoint on the subject of brownfield redevelopment. Five professionals were contacted and asked for their opinions on the issue. The answers to important questions on the subject will help determine the current outlook on new development projects and whether professionals are still looking at greenfields. Literature Review: Definition of Brownfield Land/Sites Brownfield sites are found in former industrial, commercial and residential areas normally in cities, however many are also found in older suburbs or small towns. (Greenberg M et al, 2001) Often Brownfield sites can be traced through economic history and the evolution of industrial areas. The industrial revolution caused great heavy industrial development in certain areas across the UK; they located around transport links including rivers, the canal network and railways. As time passed, after the wars, deindustrialisation and industry decentralisation occurred and therefore the old factories and some housing became obsolete, leaving Brownfield sites often in central city zones. The Increased Importance of Brownfields For a long time Brownfield sites were not a major concern for Governments worldwide, they were just derelict or abandoned sites, eyesores, waiting for new owners and uses. â€Å"In the 1990s business and community leaders began to see the successful redevelopment of brownfields as a major policy issue.† (Gorman H S, 2003) Brownfield sites are increasingly important as space is not a multiplying entity; furthermore with planning controls now restricting certain land to remain as open space, land for new development opportunities is harder and harder to come by. Brownfields offer a great alternative development option to Greenbelt (or open space) development. As one of the Governments goals, protection of the environment implies the idea of trying to retain as much open space as possible, as well as preventing urban sprawl. Furthermore in its continued aim for sustainable development, open space is highly important, as well as ensuring new development schemes are energy efficient and as non-detrimental as possible to the environment. One of the central policies to endorse these objectives and impact on brownfield re-use is the introduction of green belts (or green belt land) around settlements where planning permission is extremely hard to gain for any proposed construction. The first official proposal to retain open spaces around developments and provide open space came as early as 1935 made by the Greater London Regional Planning Committee. Since then the codification of greenbelt land and its extension to areas other than London occurred in 1955, with the control policies still remaining valid today. (HMG 2001, PPG2 Green Belts) Green belts now cover approximately 1,556,000 hectares or about 12% of land in England. In PPG2 Green Belts the Government sets out guidelines on the re-use of buildings or sites on green belt land, but there are more strict controls and expansion or extension is almost impossible as it would conflict with the openness of the land. This said there is at a willingness to consider schemes on what is protected, heavily regulated land when all said and done. Overview of Governmental Intervention In the United States the Government there have what is called a ‘smart growth policy which is â€Å"centered on Brownfield redevelopment it directs legislation, dollars, and governments moral powers toward attracting developers and individual investors, non-profit organizations, and community groups to neighbourhoods with underutilized or abandoned properties rather than to pristine Greenfields.† (Greenberg M et al, 2001) As this highlights, by the use of legislation and cash incentives the Government can influence development towards Brownfield sites. The UK Government did not have the same style of strategy under one name like this ‘smart growth policy, but instead had many directives covered under areas such as planning, housing provision targets, fiscal incentives and sustainable development. They have since with the help of research and studies conducted from and by other organisations, designed a ‘national brownfield strategy. Government Targets Since the late 1990s the Government has endeavoured to reach the target set that 60% of new housing in the UK is to be built upon previously developed land. (HMG, PPS3, 2006) â€Å"With our new policies in place, we expect local planning authorities to be able to raise the national proportion of new homes to be built on previously developed land to 60 per cent over the next 10 years.† (John Prescott, House of Commons Debate, 23rd Feb 1998) After this aim was announced, there was great debate over whether it was achievable. It was, and continues to be a high target and therefore measures needed to be taken to ensure its fulfilment. In 1999 Friends of the Earth claimed that the goal was attainable but only if central Government provided more guidance and assistance to local planning authorities, particularly in the case of clean up policy for contaminated land. (Environmental Data Interactive Exchange, 1999) The Government has also set targets for the number of new homes, and al so their, and non-domestic buildings energy efficiency in a movement towards sustainable development. In 2007, Gordon Brown made housing a priority and promised 2 million new homes by 2016, and 3 million by 2020 with a further clause that homes built from 2016 onwards would be zero carbon. (HMG, 2007, Building A Greener Future: Policy Statement) At Budget 2008 strict targets for carbon emissions were set on non-domestic buildings when the Government announced its ambition that all new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon from 2019. (HMG, 2008) Measures to Influence Development towards Redevelopment of Brownfield or PDL At Budget 2001, the UK Government stated: â€Å"The Government wants to improve the confidence of owners and investors to bring contaminated land back into productive use and assist with the costs of doing so. Budget 2001 introduces a 150 per cent accelerated payable tax credit for owners and investors for the costs they incur in cleaning up contaminated sites. This is part of the Land Remediation Relief (LRR) incentive, contained within the Urban White Paper, November 2000, and introduced in 2001. These measures make the development of these sites more viable, helping to tackle the legacy of previous industrial uses and reduce the pressure to develop Greenfield sites.† The LRR introduced the 150 per cent tax incentive as well as bringing in the possibility for companies to elect that capital expenditure on qualifying land remediation expenditure is allowed as a deduction in computing its profits. Furthermore companies can opt to receive a payable tax credit in exchange for an y qualifying land remediation loss surrendered to the Exchequer the rate of the payable tax credit being 16 per cent of the loss surrendered. The credit is restricted however to the lesser of 16 per cent of the uplifted expenditure or 16 per cent of the companys unrelieved loss for the period. (HMG, Urban White Paper, 2000) It is fair to suggest that the Government is following up on the original policies made and the concerns expressed by Friends of The Earth. Primarily, the LRR has been updated and in doing so planning controls and incentives enhanced. There has also been action taken by the use of surveys and reports completed and recommendations made to the Government. ‘Tax incentives for development of brownfield land: a consultation is a document produced in March 2007, and illustrates the two fiscal, tax incentives the Government has introduced to promote brownfield regeneration. The document is ‘a consultation in which the Government proposes the removal of one of the tax breaks, but the enhancement of the other. The two forms of fiscal incentive offered are firstly an accelerated 150% tax credit which helps with costs incurred in the cleanup of the site. The second measure is landfill tax exemption, introduced in 1996 when landfill tax began. Landfill tax is a tax on the disposal of waste collected by landfill site operators, aimed to encourage waste producers to produce less waste. There are some exemptions, and the one particularly relevant to brownfield regeneration is that which relates to waste arising from the cleanup of contaminated land. It was intended to ensure that landfill tax does not act as a barrier to developing contaminated land. When the relief was introduced in 1996 there were few alternatives to dealing with contaminated land other than landfill, however as time has passed new technologies have emerged, making on site decontamination the preferred option. It is the Governments belief that on site decontamination is the better solution due to the high environmental impacts of landfill itself and its demand for space, the harm to the environment caused by the transportation of this waste, and the securing of recycling materials. These ‘costs to the environment as the Government explains are necessary to consider in the same way as PDL itself. Another area mentioned is that the regulatory environment has changed since 1996, and has altered how waste is handled and regulated considerably. Since October 2007 all waste has had to be treated before it is sent to landfill, and liquid waste has been banned from landfill sites. In 2005 the ‘Hazardous Waste Directive applied increased controls to hazardous waste resulting in the prices for it to be taken as landfill rising sharply, and the paper points out that landfill tax would now only be a small proportion of the overall costs of sending hazardous waste to landfill. Also in this document the Government expresses a desire to update and amend policies if necessary pointing out that all measures taken must be monitored and possibly altered to ensure maximum compliance and success. â€Å"The Government remains committed to these aims and to the continuation of the relief, but after 6 years of operation it is time to consider how the scope and take up of the relief can be improved to help it more efficiently deliver the objectives set out in 2001.† (HMG, Tax incentives for development of brownfield land: a consultation, 2007) It is important that the necessity to potentially alter regulations, incentives or policies to guarantee the best results is acknowledged by the Government, as it shows a willingness to be proactive and manage the issue. Further to this report however the Government carried out its proposed changes to the existing LRR. In the 2008 ‘Pre-Budget Report there are some separations made between PDL itself, and alterations to the conditions of relief given. It is stated that legislation would be introduced in the ‘Finance Bill 2009 extending LRR to cover expenditure on remediating long term derelict land if the land has been derelict since 1st April 1998. Additionally the land will only qualify if the land was already derelict when acquired by the claimant, and moreover a list of qualifying expenditure is published. â€Å"The relief will be available on specified expenditure. The qualifying costs are expenditure on the removal of: post-tensioned concrete heavyweight construction; foundations of buildings or other structures or machinery bases; reinforced concrete pilecaps; reinforced concrete basements; or underground pipes or other apparatus for the supply of electricity, gas,water or telecommunication services or for drainage or sewerage.† (HMG, 2008, Pre-Budget Report) Towards a National Brownfield Strategy In September 2003, English Partnerships produced an advisory document to the deputy Prime Minister having been appointed as special adviser to the Government on brownfield issues. They intended to compose a comprehensive National Strategy for brownfield land. In their report, English Partnerships express a very significant detail that brownfield, or PDL, continues to be created, stimulated by economic and social factors and that a key challenge is to ensure the pace of reuse exceeds the pace of new creation of this land. Their concern is that it is an on-going issue and requires far more than just refocusing new schemes, but to address the subject of this newly created brownfield land. A further chief observation made is that PDL must be differentiated between. There are marked differences, some sites have no need for encouraging policies or legislation to be made for developers to appreciate a new use and realise the profit of carrying out their new planned schemes, these are described as ‘self resolving. There may be little to no time between when the site becomes obsolete, or unused, and then is regenerated in to something different or merely updated. This could be land currently in use, but which once redeveloped may have a higher value, and therefore more commercial value. These sites naturally therefore may be called ‘commercially attractive sites. Fairly evidently the report then distinguishes between ‘marginally viable and ‘non-viable sites, which are reasonably self explanatory, in that they lack attraction to developers due to clean up and preparation costs exceeding potential profits in the latter, or only offering a small profit in the former. Finally ‘non-development sites are explained as being suitable only for ‘soft or amenity use, with their values severely reduced and not necessarily related to the costs of bringing them back in to use. Here more than just the financial returns must be considered, the social costs and benefits are principal and are difficult for the private sector to take in to consideration, overall implying a clear role for the public sector, in more than just a policy making manner, but as a regenerator itself. (Towards A National Brownfield Strategy, English Partnerships, 2003) Government Response to English Partnerships The Government responded to the recommendations made by English Partnerships, with a number of policy creations and claim to be â€Å"successfully encouraging the re-use of more brownfield sites reducing pressure for development on greenfield land.† (HMG, Securing the Future Supply of Brownfield Land, 2008) English Partnerships made nine policy recommendations in their submission to the Government and all of nine of these were accepted in the Governments response, several of which were confirmed in the ‘Housing Green Paper Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable, 2007. This Green paper emphasised the necessity for local authorities â€Å"to prioritise brownfield land in their plans and to take stronger action to bring more brownfield land back in to use.† (Syms P, Land Remediation Yearbook, 2008) This document claims that around three quarters of new development takes place on brownfield land compared to less than 60% ten years ago in 1998. Furthermore a year on year reduction in derelict and/or vacant brownfield land is highly promising and hence the stock of this land is diminishing. This relates back to a concern raised by English Partnerships, about the continuing problem of PDL, its growth as land becomes naturally derelict or unused, and the necessity to address this. A Developers Considerations and Perspective: The prime concern for any private developer and their company is unashamedly profit maximisation, and the amount of time before that profit is realized. (Ratcliffe J, Stubbs M, 1996) The property development industry is risky which is why there are both high levels of profit and loss that can occur to developers. Risk carries great significance for the developer of any scheme, and can be the factor that decides whether to pursue the intended development or shelve the plans all together. The process of property development can be split in to a five stage process according to John Ratcliffe and Michael Stubbs, they write that from the initial idea to the disposal of the property at the end, the stages can be divided thus: Concept and initial consideration Site appraisal and feasibility study Detailed design and evaluation Contract and construction Marketing, management and disposal (Ratcliffe J, Stubbs M, Urban Planning and Real Estate Development, 1996) Developers and Brownfield Land Brownfield land varies greatly in its character in terms of size, location and the severity of contamination, while the constant and only common consideration for the developer is profit. The same point can be stressed about greenfield or greenbelt land too although realistically only in terms of size and physical characteristics, and not contamination severity. There are of course a number of other considerations; planning regulations and whether permission will be granted carry great importance, as the project may have to be altered due to planning constraints. The second stage of property development, ‘site appraisal and feasibility study as called by Ratcliffe and Stubbs, during which the developer must research the land thoroughly weighing up its credentials. At this stage the brownfield site or PDL may be rejected on the basis of infeasibility in the developers eyes. This rejection may lead to a different site needing to be considered and utilized, or a change in the scale or intended use of the proposal. When deliberating where to construct their new planned and profitable scheme, the obvious, most simple and least time consuming option, would be a greenfield site. There would have been no previous uses of the site, apart from perhaps agricultural, and highly unlikely a use that would have contaminated the site and thereby demand high clean up costs, or demolition of previous structures. Greenfield sites are very often on land of sole ownership making the task of purchasing the land far more straightforward, than having to trace and, or, consolidate ownership to bring together the parcel of land required and desired for the project. Case Studies: This chapter introduces the case studies of brownfield regeneration that has occurred and relating the projects to some of the measures taken by the Government to encourage development of brownfield sites or PDL. Norwich Riverside Re-development The Norwich Riverside development is a fine example of a successful project on contaminated brownfield land. It is a large site very near to the city centre, and was the largest and most significant site that had become available for redevelopment for years. Therefore it was highly important the best possible use was made of the opportunity. Historical Context The site was originally industrially used, it was close to both the railway and river providing good transport and supply links. As long ago as the early 20th Century the firm Boulten and Paul had located their ironmongers on the site, making many things from agricultural tools to aircraft during the war periods. By the mid 1980s however, owing to deindustrialisation, many of the industrial uses had declined or ceased operations and the majority of the site had become vacant and derelict. Other uses included the Harrington oil and gas works and timber yards were also present. Another user of the site was British Rail and their sidings were too left unused and derelict, leaving the site looking forlorn and unsightly. (David Simmonds Consultancy, 2004, Sargent P, A Place in History) The Site The site itself is large in size, 17 hectares or 42 acres, and is located south east of Norwich city centre on the banks of the river Wensum next to the railway station and Norwich City football club. Due to its previous heavy industrial use, it was highly contaminated and carried a tidal flood risk, therefore much work was necessary to rectify these issues. The site did not have good access either both by road, and for pedestrians and cyclists. The New Development The site was seen to provide an opportunity for major expansion of the city centre which was an aim of Norwich City Council (NCC) as their desire was to attract ‘shed style retailing and limit the shift to ‘out of town. The completed scheme today is mixed use offering residential, in the form of 224 housing units combining town houses and flats most of which with secure parking. There is also a 15% allocation of affordable housing. In terms of retail, there is a food superstore, Morrisons, and 7 other retail units; Boots the chemist, JD Sports, Argos, Mamas and Papas, JJB Sports and Going Places Travel. A further 2 units with service operations, Big Yellow Self Storage Company and STS Holburn Tyre Centre are also present. There are leisure facilities provisions as well with a 14 screen UCI multiplex cinema, a bowling alley (Hollywood Bowl), nightclubs (Square, Brannigans and Time), restaurants (Frankie and Benny, Nandos, Pizza Hut, Old Orleans), bars (Wetherspoons, Norweg ian Blue), and a health club (Fitness Exchange). A major swimming and recreation centre which was particularly important to the council that it be incorporated, as there was a need for this in a central location. (riversidecentrenorwich.co.uk) 1800 car parking spaces including a new six-storey park with 740 spaces provide sufficient car parking for both leisure development and rail users. The railway station itself has been remodelled to integrate in to the adjacent project. New access links with a new inner ring road, as well as pedestrian and cycle connections to the historic King street area. â€Å"Riverside now represents a new quarter that compliments the city centre in accordance with recent Government planning policy guidelines, in a location with existing public transport infrastructure improved by a new interchange for buses, taxis and cyclists.† (David Simmonds Consultancy, 2004) Redevelopment Issues There were a number of serious concerns and questions raised with the major scale redevelopment of Norwich Riverside, from infrastructure issues to planning necessities and development obligations. In 1994 the council first started work with local stakeholders and potential developers designing new planning guidelines for the regeneration of the site, but it was not until 1999 that the first phase of construction was completed. The council had originally assessed the development potential of the site in 1987 after the closure of Boulten and Paul, and their plans envisaged a fine-grain redevelopment of mixed use. Due to these problems with the site, it became well known within the countrys development industry as a difficult project with a significant commercial and investment risk which logically acted as a barrier to attracting backing. Part of the delay, and bearing a great significance to the research question of this project, was that the council were attempting to use the redevelopment of Riverside as a major part of regenerating the city centre and providing services that were previously lacking. Naturally this objective brought with it some major development obligations for the scheme to provide. One such target was to supply a new swimming pool and recreation centre as this was lacking in a city centre location. A very well designed centre was created by Richard Jackson intelligent engineering, and now has a value of  £5.7 million. (Richard Jackson plc, 2009) Further constraints were that the council wished to steer ‘shed style retailing in to this area of the city to rein in the increasing move to ‘out of town shopping becoming prevalent. (Norwich City Council, Riverside development) As is often the case with brownfield redevelopment the site was quite heavily contaminated, evidently this required cleaning up, which was achieved by the use of an innovative soil clean-up method called bio-remediation. Furthermore as mentioned previously, the site was at risk to flooding, and therefore the ground level had to be raised. These are both costly and time consuming processes to complete, over  £5 million was spent remediating the site. Another obstacle that can occur with brownfields and did indeed in this case was serial ownership and the difficulties involved of tracing all owners and forging agreement between them of the intended plans. The Boulten and Paul works were owned by Gazely Properties Ltd having purchased the works after its closure in the 1980s. The railway lands were owned by British Rail Property Board until its privatisation when they were transferred to Railtrack pre Network Rail. These two, Gazely Properties and Railtrack ultimately founded a joint development company on an equal partnership basis. The other land included in the site area was in the possession of NCC. The proposed plan itself for a mix of residential, leisure and ‘shed style retail was acceptable to most members of the local community, some residents rallied against this form of urbanisation due to the aesthetics of the retail not fitting in with the historical city. Despite their efforts however, the council stuck with the plans and agreed that it go ahead as planned with reference to the importance of the food store which would serve the south east of the city. When the site came to ascendancy as a hub