The Theories Of Counseling And Therapy - 3130 Words

According to Merriam-Webster, theory is defined as an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain facts or events. In every profession, theories are necessary to help determine if facts are credible. Credible theories are based on ideas, observations, and research. They have been tested in studies to see if they are effective (Gladding, 2005). For a theory to be considered as a good theory, it must meet certain criteria. It must be clear and easy to understand, comprehensive, written in a way that invites others to explore its uses, contains guidelines that others can follow to achieve desired results, and it must be practical and provides strategies its followers may use under certain conditions (Gladding, 2005). Theories that are†¦show more content†¦This practice relieved pressure on the brain so some individuals actually saw improvement in their conditions (Lawson, 2012). Another treatment was the use of exorcism which was used to drive out evil spirits from mentally ill patients. This treatment was very common and usually conducted by clergy as the church was very influential during this time. Again, mental illness was believed to be cause by demons that took possession of the individual. It was not uncommon for everyone to wear charms, amulets, and use potions to keep evil spirits away. During the Roman rule, Hippocrates who is often referred to as the father of medicine, questioned prevailing superstitious beliefs and proposed more rational and scientific explanations for mental disorders. He believed that since the brain was the central organ of intellectual activity, deviant behavior was caused by brain pathology, a dysfunction or disease of the brain. Hippocrates considered heredity and environment important factors in psychopathology. This research led to the classification of mental illnesses into three categories – mania, melancholia, and phrenitis. He considered phrenitis as brain fever. According to vocabulary.com, phrenitis was an inflammation of the brain usually caused by a virus. Symptoms included headaches, neck pain and drowsiness, fever and nausea. This term is no longer in use today. Hippocrates provided detailed clinical descriptions of disorders that fell into

My Happy Husband Free Essays

My Happy Husband In life, sometimes we meet new people who could change our lives for better or worse. I met my husband in the place that I work and since that day we have become the most inseparable friends in the world. I believed my husband is one of the happiest men alive: he is funny, positive, inspiring, spiritual, and friendly. We will write a custom essay sample on My Happy Husband or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is a very funny person. All the time he has a positive attitude. He inspired me to be the best. He is a spiritual man. He is a friendly person. All these qualities make Christian so special. My husband is the most adorable man. He is quite good looking. He is six feet tall, weighs one hundred seventy seven pounds. He has a round face with small brown eyes, olive skin, and curly dark hair like many Spanish people. His hair is black with a fewer silver strands throughout. He speaks in a soft voice as if he was whispering, and constantly uses his hands when he speaks. He has a great sense of style, so he always looks well dressed even in casual clothes, and his cologne smells sweet but masculine. For me he is the most attractive man. Chris is the funniest person. My husband has no problem getting others to laugh with him. It is hard to have a bad day when the person that I spend my life with is constantly smiling because he looks at the problems from a different angle, and he is confident that he will find the solution immediately. For example, on Thanksgiving Day, we were on a road trip to North Caroline. My husband was driving for twelve hours, but he was making jokes the whole journey. That was very entertaining for the children. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip because the time passed so fast. His human entertains our friends, as well. Frequently we go out with our friends, and he is the center of attention because of his cheerful personality and entertaining way that he talks. One of his favorites remarks is â€Å"I take my wife to different parts of the world every year, but she still somehow manages to find her way back. † I just to hear that and laugh because he cannot move a muscle without me. I feel so proud of him because he always knows how to put a smile on my face. I believe that it is important to always have a positive attitude, and I learned from my husband to have a good point of view in any circumstances. His positive feeling is strong, and it can spread to the people around him. To explain, my husband has a stressful job, and everyday he gets up early to meditate because meditation makes him relax and positive. Even if I come home with a negative attitude, he frequently changes the way that I think because he makes me understand that nothing that happened outside can affect my positive thinking, and it is true. Also, he finds solutions rather than problems. He was weighing two hundred and twenty pounds, and one day he decided to lose weight. He started his routine with exercises and diet; he lost fifty pounds. He teaches everybody to not have fears. For this reason in any difficult or bad circumstances that we have, he always has a positive mindset with a wise solution. This positive emotion makes me to admire my husband more. I consider that my husband is the most inspiring man that I have seen. I am proud of Chris for achieving his goals and finishing his career as an Electrical Engineer. He motivates our children to be successful and great human beings. Moreover, he encourages us to finish and never give up and put a lot of effort in what we do. He also proves to his children that nothing is impossible, that we only need some motivation to accomplish our goals. Similarly for me, whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or any concern, I know I can always ask him for advice. I have also learned that sometime I have to put other needs ahead of my own, but not to the point they will be to take advantage of me. Also, He is strong during hard times and extremely determined to achieve anything. I hold him in great esteem for how he stands up or for what he believes in, and he will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, compassion, and sense of understanding. In every aspect of my life my husband continuously pushed me too excel in everything that I want to do. He inspires me to start college, and he motived me to begin my new journey. He inspires me so much that now I am becoming a new person with different point of view. Furthermore, Chris is a very spiritual person. He often says, â€Å"spiritual is not only to be a religious people, it is to have peace between souls and mind. † These are not just words because he actually does what he meetings. As an example, he gets up early in the morning to meditate and pray to give thanks for the day. Meditation helps him to be calm and relaxed during the day, so if I ask something of him at any time, he does it without selfish interest. At some point I think nothing is bad for him. His friends always look for him when they have marital or work problems because they consider that he is the most appropriate person to give them good advice and keep secrets. Also, my husband has a passion to help people to learn how to be spiritual and know himself inside out. This quality is the most important attribute that he has. Christian is the friendliest man I have ever met. Anyone who knows him sees that he is absolutely outgoing with everybody. I am very lucky to have a good friend like him. I remember six months ago, when I thought he forgot my birthday because he did not call me, like he does every morning before I start working. When I came back home he had organized a wonderful party with my family and friends. He loves to make parties with a lot of people because he is a really sociable person. He is very unique. He constantly organize meetings at his work an invited all the people around the world. I am truly blessed to have in my life someone who is sociable and hospitable. Not only is Christian my best friend, but also he is the best friend for our sons. Concluding this essay, I can describe my husband as the happiest man in the world, and I see that this man is a very funny person. All the time he has a positive attitude. He inspires me to be the best. He is a spiritual man. He is my best friend. `What I would say to anyone who is unhappy is that you need to fix that; like my husband says, â€Å"happiness comes from within not without. † He is right. No one can make you happy, no one, but you. For all the reasons and comments that I share in this paper I think my husband is role model to fallow. 1225 How to cite My Happy Husband, Essay examples

Molecular Ecology Resources for Surgical Randomized-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theMolecular Ecology Resources for Surgical Randomized. Answer: Introduction Even though we might strive to make accurate and informed decisions, sometimes being biased is inevitable. This is because there are several factors that affect the way we perceive things. They distort and limit our perception leading to bias. This is often referred to as cognitive bias and it is human to have it. Our perception is influenced by several factors that drive us to the judgments we make.This means that the judgments we make in day to day lives are not always fair but affiliated or inclined towards a particular side(SILANI, G., Lamm, C., Ruff, C.C. and Singer, T., 2014, pp.76-80). Being bias means being inclined towards something. This article explores some of the factors that limit and distort our perception leading to bias. It also looks at the remedies that individuals and organizations can use to avoid bias. Factors that lead to bias There are a number of factors that will actually distort and limit how we perceive things and lead to bias. For instance, time will limit our perception. The time that a particular thing occurs determines how we perceive it. If for example, a particular person speaks last in a gathering our judgment is that the person is too prominent (SVENSSON, J., Mustafa, A., Fick, J., Schmitz, M. and Brunstrm, B., 2016, pp.44-50). Again, if a person is engaged in an interview for a longer duration than others, we perceive that the person particular person is great. Another factor that distorts our perception is past experience with someone. If for example you had an encounter with a particular person and saw how they behaved and how they presented themselves you get a positive attitude towards that person. When at one time asked about who can do a particular thing efficiently you will definitely mention that person as opposed to another person youve not met. Attitude is another factor that actually distorts our perception. Attitude simply means the state of mind. When we have a positive attitude towards a particular thing, we shall surely be inclined towards that particular thing. For instance, if you have a positive attitude towards strolling in the beaches and you are given options to a leisure activity you will definitely choose strolling in the beaches. Motive also affects our perception. Motive means an emotion that will make a particular person do something (ENOS, R.D. and Celaya, C., 2017, pp.89-90). Sometimes our emotions influence how we make decisions. If for example, you are judging a case between two people who were fighting and one of them is seriously hurt you are likely to be inclined towards the one who is hurt. Your emotion and sympathy are likely to make you lay hands on the one who is not hurt. Emotion makes you pity that particular person and makes decisions that are inclined towards that particular person. This is a good and solid evidence of the distortion of perception to make a biased judgment. Interest is another factor that limits and distorts our perception. This is to mean that you will always make decisions influenced by your passion. There is no way a particular person will decide to do something that does not please his or her heart. For instance, if a person prefers taking juice to porridge and is asked to suggest a drink after a lunch session is likely to request juice rather than porridge. This is a decision influenced so much by interest and passion.Again, if making choices for oneself; one is likely to be much influenced by his interests which will hinder making accurate decisions. Another factor that will limit our perception is our expectation (AGHA, R.A., 2017, pp.6-7). Expectation makes us make a prior judgment about how a particular thing is likely to happen. How we make decisions is influenced by what we expect from particular people. If for instance, we expect a particular thing to happen in a particular manner, we shall make our decisions inclined to tha t expectation. If for instance, a teacher expects a particular student to pass the exam; his decision will be inclined towards that particular student and will always make affiliated decisions. Proximity is yet another factor that limits and distorts our perception. This means the state of being near to a particular thing or person, whether in terms of space, time or relationship. How much we are close to people affect our perception and judgment. For example, we are likely to incline towards our family members when judging a case or deciding the ratio of sharing capital (CHE-CASTALDO, C., Crisafulli, C.M., Bishop, J.G. and Fagan, W.F., 2015, pp.104-108). It is not even strange to see managers hire their family members to take top positions in organizations or promote them. We are also likely to choose our relatives to be among the top position stakeholders in an organization. Similarity also influences our decisions by limiting our perception to bring about bias. Similarity means the relation of sharing properties with a particular person. It also wont be strange to see a person asked to choose workmate and choose a former schoolmate because he or she believes that they ha ve some common traits due to common training. In simple terms, our decisions will always be inclined towards those who we share a commonality. The background is another factor that influences our decisions and leads to bias (DUCHNE, D. and Duchne, S., 2016, pp.54-57). In this context, bias means ones social heritage. This means that one is likely to favor a person of their own social heritage as opposed to those of another background. If for instance, a person hates a particular background due to his or her well known reasons, he or she is likely to make judgments against that background. For example, it is likely that an African judge in a European court will make judgements inclined to an Africans. Another key factor that influences our decision is sounds. The way a particular thing sounds will always influence the decision we make. For example, we will always make judgments on the state of anger of a person depending on the pitch of their voice. Again, if we are rating the danger of a scenario, we are likely to determine the magnitude of the scream by the affected victim. Strategies that individuals and organizations can undertake to avoid bias and perceptions which are distorted. It is important to know that even if there are factors that will influence how we perceive things and lead us to bias, there are ways to overcome this bias. It is very imperative to overcome bias so that we can make decisions that are not affiliated to a particular thing. This is what is called uninfluenced judgment.Hanging out with people who have better attitudes than can reduce our bias greatly(SCHMIDT, H.G., Mamede, S., Van den Berge, K., van Gog, T., 2016, pp.34-40). If for example, you have a negative attitude about the homeless, walking with a person who volunteers to work in the advantage of the homeless will help you get a better attitude towards them. This way will help you reduce your affiliation towards those who have homes. By so doing you will have avoided bias and you will be capable of making fair judgments. Making friends and interacting with people who you perceive as being different can also help you reduce bias. It is said that thoughts are influenced by behavior. If for example you dont like old people and you associate yourself with them or people who like them you are likely to love them as time goes by. Appreciating the fact that we are all humans and that our brains make mistakes can help reduce bias. If for example, you become aware of the unconscious bias you will instantly reduce the bias of generalization and stereotypes. It is important that we accept the fact that as human beings we are at times biased based on generalization and work towards mitigating it. Therefore, accepting this fact will slowly waft out this bias. Organizations also ought to establish clear criteria before making decisions so that the bias can be taken out of the decision-making process (GOODMAN, D.B., Church, G.M. and Kosuri, S., 2015, pp.56-70). This includes and is not limited to hiring and promotion of employees and other organization staff. By so doing, we avoid affiliations and are able to make just decisions. Organizations have to also hold decision makers accountable for the decision made. This will include the outcomes, whether negative or positive. The decision makers should be held responsible for any mess that occurs as a result of their decisions. This will actually reduce the inclination towards one side and lead to accurate decisions. Organizations can also make an employee screening so as to confidentially find out what is happening in every employee aspect process(JACKSON, B. and Campos, J., 2017, pp.87-91). The organization should take a keen interest on how resumes are screened, how hiring and employee promotion is done so as to know whether there is bias in any stage. By so doing the organization will be aware whether there is transparency in the activities that take place in the organization. This is the only sure way of dealing with bias in the acquisition and dealing with employees. Proper training of employees and leaders can also help an organization overcome bias. An organization ought to train its employees about the malpractices and their effects so as to reduce the effect of being bias. This can take the form of mentoring programs and benchmark among other ways. When this is done effectively, the company to a wider extent is able to avoid bias. Another way an organization can avoid being bias is pair training of best practices (DEL JUNCO, D.J., 2015, pp.76-80). For example, an organization can choose to hold interviews for employee recruitment and at the same time hold training of the moral uprightness that the absorbed employees are expected to show. This is one of the most effective ways to counteract bias. This is because employees hired will be already knowing what is expected of them and the consequences of breaching the moral standards. By so doing, the acquired employees will be free from any bias. An organization can also include practices that are aimed at changing the culture of the employees. This will ensure that the employees change their perception and drop their cultural judgments and are able to make accurate decisions (SCHLNS, H., Welling, H., Federici, J.R. and Lewejohann, L., 2017, pp.204-210). This can take the form of sensitizing on listening to others, giving credit to others and fair and balanced feedback. This helps the employees to have self-esteem as well as respect others opinions and give credit to them as well as appreciating their worth. Organizations can also reward employees who do their best in promoting diversity in the zeal to avoiding affiliation and bias. By so doing, these employees feel motivated and t is likely to get stronger and also influence the rest to adopt the same idea in promoting diversity. It is said that appreciating other peoples views and seeing their worth will reduce cognitive bias to a great extent. Conclusion Conclusively, it is a mere and undisputable fact that some factors like our expectations and attitude affects our perception and leads to bias. However, this should not frighten us so much as though there is no a way forward that will be used to lessen our biased decisions or completely waft them out of ourselves. We should, therefore, know that bias can be overcome in several ways which include appreciating others' worth and association with people who promote diversity. Although bias is human, it is important to avoid it, by all means, possible because there is always a consequence for every decision made. References AGHA, R.A. 2017. A Systematic Review of Surgical Randomized Controlled Trials: Part I. Risk of Bias and Outcomes: Common Pitfalls Plastic Surgeons Can Overcome.. Plastic and reconstructive surgery, , pp.6-7. CHE-CASTALDO, C., Crisafulli, C.M., Bishop, J.G. and Fagan, W.F. 2015. What causes female bias in the secondary sex ratios of the dioecious woody shrub Salix sitchensis colonizing a primary successional landscape?. American journal of botany, pp.104-108. DEL JUNCO, D.J. 2015. Seven deadly sins in trauma outcomes research: an epidemiologic post-mortem for major causes of bias.. The journal of trauma and acute care surgery, pp.76-80. DOMLIKSNK, J. 2015. Facors that cause of bias in indivinduals. An african journal of bias teachings, pp.76-82. DUCHNE, D. and S. DUCHNE. 2016. Tree imbalance causes a bias in phylogenetic estimation of evolutionary timescales using heterochronous sequences. Molecular ecology resources, pp.54-57. ENOS, R.D. and Celaya, C. 2017. Spatial segregation directly affects perception and causes intergroup bias. Working Paper).. Dealing with bias, pp.89-90. FUENTES, L.J., Sui, J., Estvez, A.F. and Humphreys, G.W. 2016. The differential outcomes procedure can overcome self-bias in perceptual matching.. Psychonomic bulletin review, , pp.65-70. GOODMAN, D.B., Church, G.M. and Kosuri, S. 2015. Causes and effects of N-terminal codon bias in bacterial genes.. managing cognitive bias, pp.56-70. JACKSON, B. and J. CAMPOS. 2017. Variation in the intensity of selection on codon bias over time causes contrasting patterns of base composition evolution in Drosophila. Genome biology and evolution, pp.87-91. JENNINGS, M. 2017. How did cross-cultural dynamics impact decision-making during the revision, endorsement, and implementation of the United Nations International Search and Rescue Guidelines?. how was cross-cultural bias overcome?, pp.34-40. SCHLNS, H., Welling, H., Federici, J.R. and Lewejohann, L. 2017. The glass is not yet half empty: agitation but not Varroa treatment causes cognitive bias in honey bees.. Animal cognition, pp.204-210. SCHMIDT, H.G., Mamede, S., Van den Berge, K., van Gog, T. 2016. Exposure to media information causes availability bias in medical diagnosis. How indivinduals approach bias, pp.34-40. SILANI, G., Lamm, C., Ruff, C.C. and Singer, T. 2014. Right supramarginal gyrus is crucial to overcome emotional egocentricity bias in social judgments. Journal of Neuroscience, pp.76-80. SVENSSON, J., Mustafa, A., Fick, J., Schmitz, M. and Brunstrm, B. 2016. Developmental exposure to progestins causes male bias and precocious puberty in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Aquatic Toxicology, pp.44-50. TALKE, K. 2014. How to overcome pro?change bias: incorporating passive and active innovation resistance in innovation decision models.. Journal of Product Innovation Management, , pp.667-670. VOINESKOS, S.H., Coroneos, C.J., Ziolkowski, N.I., Kaur, M.N., Banfield, L., Meade, M.O., Thoma, A., Chung, K.C. and Bhandari, M. 2016. A systematic review of surgical randomized controlled trials: Part I. Risk of bias and outcomes:. Common pitfalls plast, pp.90-100.

MarthaS Vineyard Labov Essay Example

Martha?S Vineyard Labov Essay 1. 0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction 1. 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Martha? s Vineyard – where old traditions are still of value Martha? s Vineyard is a small island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA. The island has a permanent population of about 6000 inhabitants. It is separated from the mainland by the Atlantic Ocean and there are no big businesses or any McDonald to be found on the island. Here, life is not as hectic as on the mainland and old traditions are still of value. The inhabitants have a way of showing their connection and dedication to their homeland, which is also a way of identifying themselves. This term paper will be about sound changes in connection with social identity. I will examine the innovative study of language variation and change in the islands community, observed and examined by William Labov (1963). I will analyze and discuss the study made by Labov. Labov? s study is based on the characteristic sound pattern discovered while listening to the inhabitants of Martha? s Vineyard. This sound change has a focus on the centralization of diphthongs. Centralization is the phonological change in which a vowel becomes more central than normal (Lawrence Trask 2000 : 53). Diphthong is a vowel sound which is pronounced by quickly moving from one vowel position to another (Deckert, Vickers 2011 : 33). The sound changes made by inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard, observed by Labov were: /ay/ as in fight, right and sight and /aw/ as in loud and about. Labov? s observations exposed that the centralized diphthongs only occurred in a particular linguistic context. Some groups used the sound change more than others. The group of fishermen was among these. Labov also observed that some inhabitants purposely did not pronounce the diphthongs differently to people from the mainland. We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Having looked at different social factors, as for example, age, ethnic group and occupation it became obvious that the attitude towards the island was an essential aspect to explain this phenomenon. The decision whether or not to use the island or the mainland pronunciation depended the attitude towards Martha’s Vineyard, whether or not being positive or negative. Labov named this phenomenon â€Å"island identity† (1963). To understand what â€Å"island identity† is it is important to define the term â€Å"identity†. What is identity and how do we identify ourselves? Can there be a connection between identity and speech? In this term paper I will attempt to answer these questions. 2. 0 The study, sociolinguistic pattern and meaning 2. 1 Background knowledge Martha’s Vineyard is divided into two parts, which are the up-island and the down-island. By the time Labov made this study, the island had approximately 6000 inhabitants. The majority lived in an area of the down-island which contains of three small towns, called Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. The remaining inhabitants lived in the rural up-island area with only a few villages (Labov 1972: 5). The inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard were divided into four major ethnic groups. The main group was the descendants of old families with English origin. The second major group was descendants of Portuguese origin who migrated from the Azores and the Cap Verde Islands. The third group was descendants of remnant native Americans. The last group consists of inhabitants of various origins, who were of no relevance for this study (Labov 1972: 6). Another group became relevant for this study. This was the group of summer visitors who came in large groups in June and July. There would be around 42. 000 visitors on the island every summer (Labov 1972: 6). It could be a possibility that the summer visitors brought the sound change from the mainland to the island, which would mean that this group would have the major influence on the pronunciation of the diphthongs /ay/ and /aw/ but it becomes clear that the influence of visitors are not as obvious as it might seem, since Labov only mentioned that this group had an indirect influence. To clarify this, it is essential to have a look at the economic situation of the island. In 1960 Marthas Vineyard was the poorest of all countries of Massachusetts and this was not only due to the high unemployment rate in Massachusetts back then (Labov 1972: 27). The islands? major industry was the fishing industry on the up-island. The large-scale of fishing went out of New Bedford on the Grand Banks and as a result it became harder to keep this industry going (Labov 1972: 27). It became almost impossible for the fishermen to make a living from their wages and their families became dependent on two earnings. Another problem forced the economic and psychological pressure. Convenience goods were at a very high price (Labov 1972: 28) and the goods were brought on the island with ferry from the mainland. This transport was expensive and permitted the salesmen to expand the prices of their goods. Some would say that the constantly growing tourism came as a blessing for the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard, but at the same time it also became a curse, especially for the fishermen who felt very connected to the island and the traditions connected to it. For them it was difficult to accept the increasing dependence on tourism. The following observations and results are of importance in order to understand the connection between the above mentioned background information and the language variation in this study. 2. 2 Accomplishment by Labov and its meaning for the inhabitants In 1963, as the study of Martha’s Vineyard was relized, Labov observed a striking way of pronouncing words such a fight, right and sight, and words such as loud and about. This striking ways of pronunciation clearly diverged from the near parts of the mainland (Meyerhoff 2006: 16f. ). The inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard pronounced the diphthongs /ay/ and /aw/ in a more entral position which is a phonological change termed centralization. In order to figure out why many inhabitants used the centralized diphthongs, Labov deliberated an interview schedule in which /ay/ and /aw/ frequently occurred (Labov 1972: 12). Here Labov did not only put his focus on the linguistic aspect but on the social aspect as well. This means th at Labov did not only put focus on the language but furthermore he wanted to examine the reasons for this sound change and in which way it was used in a social context and by whom. Why did some speakers use the centralized diphthongs more than others? This is why this study by Labov is not just of study of linguistics but also counts as a sociolinguistic study (Deckert, Vickers 2011: 1). Labov started asking inhabitants questions concerning their lives on the island. He also recorded them while they were reading lists of words naturally containing /ay/ and /aw/ sounds out loud (Meyerhoff 2006: 17). He interviewed 69 inhabitants of different ages, occupation, ethnic groups and from different geographical distribution. The table underneath is taken from Labov? s study and shows age levels and numbers of inhabitants using the centralized vowels /ay/ and /aw/: Table 1 (Labov 1972: 22) |age |(ay) |(aw) | |75- |25 |22 | |61-75 |35 |37 | |46-60 |62 |44 | |31-45 |81 |88 | |14-30 |37 |46 | Having a look at this table, it appears that inhabitants from the age of thirty-one up to age forty-five frequently tended to centralize the diphthongs. However, inhabitants younger than thirty-one and older than forty-five, did not have a high use of the centralized diphthongs. This means that the sound change could not only be dependent on the age of inhabitants being interviewed. Therefore Labov focused on other social factors which might have an effect on the production of this sound change. He interviewed inhabitants from different parts of residence, hereby people form the up-island as well as people living at the down-island. The statistics shown below demonstrates different cities on Martha’s Vineyard. It also shows the numbers of inhabitants from these cities using the centralized diphthongs: Table 2 (Labov 1972: 25)    |(ay) |(aw) | |Down-island |35 |33 | |Edgartown |48 |55 | |Oak |33 |10 | |Bluffs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   | | | |Vineyard Haven  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |24 |33 | |Up-island  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     |61 |66 | |Oak |71 |99 | |Bluffs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   | | | |N. 35 |13 | |Tisbury  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   | | | |West Tisbury  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |51 |51 | |Chilmark  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |100 |81 | |Gay Head  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  |51 |81 | This table clearly shows that the inhabitants living on the up-island used the sound change more frequently than inhabitants living on the down-island, especially the inhabitants of the town Chilmark. In Chilmark they were shown o have a unique tendency of centralized diphthongs. The up-island was more of a rural area and it was known for its fishing industry. Most fishermen were living and working in Chilmark. The following table shows the centralization by the different occupational groups observed by Labov. . Table 3 (Labov 1972: 26) |   |(ay) |(aw) | |Fishermen |100 |79 | |Farmers |32 |22 | |Others |41 |57 | According to this table which shows the usage of centralized diphthong by fishermen, farmers and other occupations, shows it becomes clear that the fishermen were the one group who most frequently made use of centralization. Some of the farmers and people of other occupations also used this sound change but their numbers were strikingly low compared to the numbers of fishermen using the centralization. When comparing the results of all three tables it becomes obvious that the Chilmark fishermen in the middle working age level were using the centralization more frequently than any other groups on the island. However, hereby it is still not revealed why this group of inhabitants at this age and living and working in that one place where the fishing industry still played a big role in the island economy (Labov 1972: 29), were using the sound change more frequently than the other groups of inhabitants. It is central to understand the meaning and importance of the fishing industry for the inhabitants and the island itself to fully understand the interaction of social and linguistic patterns. Most of the fishermen from Chilmark felt deeply connected to the island since most of them were descendants of the old families (Labov 1972: 28). The fishing industry used to be a major part of the economy, before the large-scale fishing went out of New Bedford on the Grand Banks (Labov 1972: 27). The fishermen were proud to be independent, to stand on their own feet and earn their living with their own bare hands. Fishing was an old tradition on this island (Labov 1972: 29) but as an ever-growing number of summer visitors came to the island a big part of the fishing industry moved away and the inhabitants became forced to be more dependent on tourism. Chilmark changed from the traditional fishing industry to modern tourism. Many of the inhabitants accepted but the fishermen had a hard time acknowledging this change (Labov 1972: 28). They made their living from fishing. For these men fishing was not just a job, but it was also a way of living and an old tradition they did not want to give up. Two brothers from Edgartown which were also fishermen were among the interviewed. They both had a tendency to centralize the diphthongs very frequently (Labov 1972: 30). These two brothers were the last decendants from the old families (Labov 1972: 30). If they were to leave the island, there would be no descendant left in Edgartown and there would be no one to keep up the traditions of the old families. These two brothers are another example that clarifies the importance of the fishing industry. It also clarifies that the Chilmark fishermen as well as the fishermen from Edgartown shared social orientation. They felt deeply connected to the island which was their home. For this reason they also both shared an aversion to the many summer visitors. The summer visitors would invade the cities of Martha’s Vineyard, and thereby the growing tourism would invade ajor a part in the economy. Though many of the inhabitants appreciate the tourism, the fishermen suffered more and more under economic as well as psychological pressure (Labov 1972: 28). The dependence on summer visitors grew and thereby the independence of the fishermen was reduced. The more inhabitants lived a traditional way of life the more they used the centralization. This fact demonstrates the relationship to the diphthong centralization and the social orientation. Labov learned that another social factor had an outstanding influence on the sound change. He observed attitude towards the island, whether it was positive or negative, was of reason for the usage of this sound change. Labov found out that high school students and their use of the centralization depended on their plan whether or not to stay on the island. He therefore interviewed students from Marthas Vineyard Regional High School. The students who wanted to stay on the island showed a much higher use of the centralized diphthongs than the students who wanted to leave the island after finishing school (Labov 1972: 32). Not only inhabitants from the old families had a high use of the centralization, but Portuguese at the age of thirty-one to forty-five revealed to have a very high use of the sound change in comparison to the other age groups (Labov 1972: 26). The Portuguese of this age group belonged to the third and fourth generation. This generation was the first one which had entirely adopted the ways of life on the island (Labov 1972: 33). They too felt deeply connected to the island, their home. The middle aged Portuguese showed a higher use of centralization than the younger Portuguese, even though the younger Portuguese showed a higher centralization than the young inhabitants with English origin (Labov 1972: 26). This phenomenon can be explained by the attitude towards the island. Most of the young inhabitants with English origin wanted to leave the island opposed to the majority of the young Portuguese who wanted to stay on the island (Labov 1972: 26). This proves that social attitude towards Martha’s Vineyard was to blame for the use of the centralization. In relation to the social attitude the term island identity becomes important. To fully understand this term it is important to explain what â€Å"identity† really means. To define what â€Å"identity† really is, is easier said than done. Identity can be a name of a person but it can also be a way of behaving or other details like gestures or mimics. In Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English by Langenscheidt, there are more than a few explanations. For example: The qualities and attitudes that a person or a group of people have, that make them different from other people (Langenscheidt 2006: 805). The term national/cultural/social identity is listed in this dictionary as well and is defined as a strong feeling of belonging to particular group, race, etc. (Langenscheidt 2006: 805). After having studied Labov`s observations, his results and defining the term identity, it becomes clear that the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard used the sound change to identify themselves. They created an access to their identity with the help of language, and used the centralization as a way to differentiate themselves from summer visitors. This strong bond to their home, the island, is termed by Labov as â€Å"island identity†. Island identity† describes the use of the centralization as an expression of the strong connection, the inhabitant? s ancestry and their home land. Inhabitants who used this sound change also revealed their attitude and connection to the island. The ones using the sound change were the ones who felt deeply connected and identified themselves with the island. Thereby the sound change became an indicator of the inhabitants attitude. The inhabitants who showed a negative attitude towards the island the ones who did not feel connected to it and wanted to leave, did not use this centralization. They simply did not identify themselves with the island. On behalf of those inhabitants who had a positive attitude towards the island the language variant hold prestige. For some inhabitants the sound change had a higher status than for others, although the speakers were not always aware of the importance of the sound change. This is the reason why there are two types of prestige which are termed overt and covert prestige (Meyerhoff 2006: 37). Overt prestige is linked with language variants that speakers use for special reasons. The speakers using the overt prestige have the motive of sounding, for example, politer or even more educated, which means that they obviously are aware of using that variant (Meyerhoff 2006: 37). For the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard the covert prestige played a central role. The speakers who were using the centralization did not want to sound nicer or better than other people on the island. This pronunciation was not the standard or the general norm but it was based on group identity and the way the inhabitants differentiated themselves from other inhabitants and summer visitors. 3. 0 Conclusion Through the study of Labov, he demonstrated that social factors play a role in how people speak and he also clarified the deep social function language has to define sn identity. Labov? s study was of importance for the social linguistic. The centralized diphthongs observed by Labov were most frequently used by the thirty-one up to forty-five age group and was typically observed used by people who lived and worked on the island, who felt deeply connected to the island. The connection between the positive attitude towards life on the island and the usage of centralization was outstanding. The inhabitants who lived a traditional way of life, had the highest degree of centralization. Since being a fisherman was a traditional occupation, this means that the main part of the inhabitants on the up-island had a higher use of the sound change since that was the place where the fishing industry was based. The down-island was the area where less people were using the centralization. It consist of small towns and these towns were the attraction for the increasing number of summer visitors. Consequently, it can be said that the centralization is an indicator of solidarity. A way of showing where you belong and that you are proud of your home and its traditions. For the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard it was also a way to oppose to the people of the mainland and the new service economy. This sound change made them stand out. By centralizing the diphthongs the inhabitants of island created a way to connect their social identity to language. The language functions as a tool to stick out of the crowd. It is as a reminder of their roots. . 0 Bibliography Deckert, Sharon K. ; Vickers, Caroline H. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. 2011. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Labov, William. Sociolinguistic Patterns. 1972. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Langenscheidt. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. 2006 Meyerhoff, Miriam. Introducing Sociolinguistics. 2006. Abingdon: Routledge Trask, Robert Lawrence. The Dictionary of Historic al and Comparative Linguistics. 2000. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd

Logarithm is the exponent or power to which a base must be raised to yield a given number

Logarithm is the exponent or power to which a base must be raised to yield a given number. An example of a logarithm is as follows. In the expression bx = N, if b is the base and equal to 10 and N a number, equal to 100, then x is equal to 2 and is said to be the logarithm of 100 to the base 10. This is written: log 100 = 2, in which it is understood that log means logarithm to the base 10. The latter is also called a common logarithm. Logarithms that employ the base e, in which e = 2.71828 ... are called natural, or Napierian, logarithms; the notation used is ln, to distinguish natural logarithms from common logarithms (log). When a common logarithm of a number is written as the sum of an integer and a positive decimal (e.g., 2.3147), the integercalled the characteristicserves to locate the decimal point in the number, and the decimalcalled the mantissaindicates the digits in the number. The latter are determined from tables of logarithms, which relate mantissas to numbers. When the number is greater than or equal to 1, the characteristic is 1 less than the number of digits to the left of the decimal point; when the number is less than 1, the characteristic is negative and is 1 more than the number of zeros following the decimal point. For example, the number 365.0 has the characteristic 2; the number 0.005 has the characteristic -3. (l) Metaphor, that image which determines another image. (Rogers) (2) An association of a certain object(s) from one set with each object from another set (mathematics). (Rogers) (3) The normal or characteristic action of a system of entities, generally in time. (Iberall) (4) The variation of some magnitude that depends upon the variation of some other magnitude. (Iberall) (5) a notion that arises in the description made by the observer of the components of a machine or system in reference to an encompassing entity, which may be the whole machine or part of it and whose sta

Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market Essay Example for Free

Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market Essay Whirlpool Corporation is a Fortune 500 company and a global manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $20 billion. Whirlpool entered the Indian market in the late 80s, and had entrenched itself as a formidable player in the Indian home appliances market by the mid 1990s, with a comprehensive product portfolio covering washing machines, refrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is one of the most recognized brand in home appliances in India and holds a market share of over 20%. While Whirlpool is an acknowledged player in many of the water purifier markets across the world for the past several years now, Whirlpool entered the growing water purifier market in India in 2008. Given its focus on â€Å"attaining market leadership through Customer loyalty†, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012. This case presents the situation of the water purifier market in India, and poses challenges that Whirlpool will have to overcome to achieve its vision of becoming the market leaders. Even as world bodies and governments across the continents are strategizing to manage the growth humanity in a holistically sustainable manner, availability of safe drinking is a major area of concern for all. As high as 884 Mn people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly  one in eight of the world’s population. 1.4 million children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation – one child every 20 seconds. Approximately 80% of diseases in India are caused by water borne micro organisms. This is true in rural as well as urban India. However, awareness of health risks linked to unsafe water The use of water can be broadly divided in to two major categories, namely for Consumption (drinking, cooking etc) and Sanitation. This case focuses on water used for drinking purposes. Throughout human history, different methods of treating water before consumption have been devised. Up until about 100 years ago, it was always found that water flowing from natural springs was safe for drinking in its natural state, but in the 21 century even spring water is first scientifically tested before it is recommended or bottled for drinking. Each of the above methods carries with them significant disadvantages either from a convenience point of view or from health and hygiene perspective. This calls for more sophisticated methods of purifying water, to suit with the evolving lifestyles in the societies. Current State-of-the-Art Water Purification Technologies Today, the more sophisticated and commercially available water purifying technologies are, †¢ †¢ †¢ Manual fill Purifier (Drip Type) Ultra Violet (UV) purification Reverse Osmosis (RO) purification The latter two are generally referred to as Electronic Water Purifier technologies (EWP); by exception, the first one is referred to as Non EWP.  The above three are given in the order of chronological evolution, with RO technology being the latest in the Water Purification technology. The manual fill purifiers do not run on electricity, which is a scarce resource in many parts of rural India, and also have significantly lower costs in comparison to the EWPs. Interestingly , these manual fill purifiers which primarily use chlorine or UF technology are at par in performance with UV in terms of microbial protection. UV has been the oldest technology in the industry. It typically involves preliminary stages of filtration, followed by treating the filtered water through UV rays to deactivate the microbial organisms.   In the RO technology, even the smallest of microbial organisms are filtered using the reverse osmosis technology. RO technology especially scores over UV when the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) count in the source water is high . One disadvantage of RO systems is the wastage of significant quantum of water during its processing. Needless to say, the costs of the products under these different technologies increase from manual fill purifiers to UV purification systems to RO purification. The typical price range of manual fill purifier products is Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3500, while the UV products range in price between Rs. 4000 to Rs. 9000. The RO products are priced on the higher side starting from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 20000. Many products available in the market today in India use a combination of technologies but for the products in the lower end technologies (manual fill purifiers). Water Purifier Market in India The delivery of purified water in the Indian markets follow two conduits, namely, water purified in purification plants delivered to residences and other consumption locations (e.g. restaurants) in cans; and installation of water purification instruments at the place of usage. While the former  One of the oldest methods of treating water, and one still used constantly in Third World and often in developing nations or areas that have seen recent natural disasters, is boiling to kill microbes (but this causes loss of taste and may leave in dirt). Other methods of water treatment include filtering and distilling, use of chemical agents such as Iodine or Silver or Potassium Permanganate into the water supply, or the use of candle filters. methodology predominantly uses multiple technologies mentioned above, provides economies of scale and eliminates initial costs of investing in equipments, the costs involved in distribution of the treated water counters these economies of scale. The l atter provides for visibility and ease of use, which are significant perceived benefits in comparison to the former. While both the delivery mechanisms exist, the latter is fast catching up. This case focuses on the latter, which is typically referred to as the Water Purifier industry. This industry is broadly divided in to two categories namely Electronic Water Purifiers (EWP) comprising of products using UV or/and RO technologies and Non Electronic Water Purifiers (Non EWP) comprising of products that use the manual fill purifiers. Frost and Sullivan report of primary research in 2009, estimates the total market size of the Water Purifier industry in India to be 2000 Cr of which 63% is from product sales and 37% is after sales revenue. Despite the size of this industry, the Water Purifier industry in India has a low penetration (2% Urban and 0.5% All India) as per IRS 2007 and is growing at a strong rate (others use traditional water treatment methods like boiling and filtering, or use of chemical additives like Chlorine, Potassium permanganate etc). As per AC Nielson 2006 study( and internal estimates), the industry is expected to touch approx 2.3 mn units by the end of 2009. Expected growth rate of 15% and a CAGR (‘04-‘09) 21%. The average ASV of the industry is Rs 6700. With a size of approx 1.7mn (units), the EWP market is divided into 2 sub-segments – RO (30% sal) & UV (70%). The RO segment is the premium end of the category and has an ASV of Rs 12000 while UV has an ASV of Rs. 7000 .RO & UV growths , CAGRs(‘04-‘09) are (15% ,16%) and (10% ,10%) respectively. The Non-EWP segment operates at a sub 2K ASV (Rs 1900). This segment is witnessing an explosive growth with the entrance major players like HUL etc . The Annual growth rate was witnessed at 25% while CAGR(‘04-‘09) at 77%. It is important to note that the technology sold in a given local market is also dependent largely on the characteristics of the source drinking water in the given demography. For example, a region like Delhi with high TDS calls for RO technology, while regions like Cochin with low TDS would depend on products with UV technology. Also, one of the detriments to EWP products is the availability of continuous flow of source water and availability of power, both of which advantages are addressed the products dependent on Manual Fill Purifier technology. While the major element of the market in the water purifier equipment business in India is still in the unorganized sector, branded products are catching up and their market share is improving. The major branded players in the market are Eureka Forbes (AquaGuard, AquaSure brands), Kent, Philips, HUL (Pureit), Ion Exchange (Zero B) Ushabrita and Whirlpool (Purafresh). As per Frost and Sullivan report 2009 , Market share by player and by technology- Approx Shares ( for 2008) Eureka Forbes: RO(20%) , UV(35%) , Drip Type(33%) Kent: RO(25%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) ZeroB: RO(15%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) HUL : RO(0%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(42%) OTH: RO(40%) , UV(65%) , Drip Type(25%) The Non-EWP segment was primarily dominated by local players until recently, when HUL entered the category with its drip type purifier under the brand Pureit at a break through price of Rs 1800 and took the market by storm. The other key players in this segment are Ushabrita & Eureka Forbes. The channel for this segment has traditionally been the Direct to Home (DTH) route, with this route still accounting for a whopping 65% of the product sales in this category. The ratio of Eureka Forbes’ DTH sales is higher at 75%. On the trade side(contribution bal 35%), the DAP channel (Domestic Appliances Products) accounts for the larger proportion of the share with 65% while the Durable Trade accounts for the remaining 35%. The DAP Channel mainly consists of small appliance sellers  who sell products like iron , blenders , mixers , gas burners etc. These retailers primarily sell products which lie within the price range of Rs 500-Rs 5000. They are typically not in the prime locations in the market place and their shopfloor size is on an avg10X10ft. The products are displayed mostly in a packed form. The products are sold very close to the MRP and the discounts offered are in the range of only 5-10% HUL has made an entry through a unique channel. It has opened up a large number of ‘Water Safe Zones’ / â€Å"Product Experience Centres’ and is pushing the volumes from there while catering to direct to home service as well While HUL is establishing itself in the entry level segment through consistent advertising and promotions , the more established players in UV & RO like Eureka & Kent too are active in the media space and are seen promoting their products through several media elements. Recently, HUL was seen rolling out a ‘Rs 1 Crore’ challenge offer and heavily promoting the same. At the same time Eureka Forbes was also seen throwing a ‘Money Back Guarantee’ offer on its products. Eureka Forbes operates with a strong sales& service force of 6000 people on the company rolls along with an equally large group of third party franchises. The company has been under pressure to expand its volumes since the avg the productivity of its sales team has come down over years. Lately, they have been seen heavily focussing on retail through their ‘Aquasure’ brand while the ‘Aquaguard’ brand is operating in the DTH section. Kent has its own sales & service set up in Northern India while it depends on third party franchises for its operation in the rest of the country. It has branch offices in 6 cities (AP , Karnataka, Kerala , Mumbai , Gujarat , West Bengal). In order to counter HUL’s explosive growth, Kent recently rolled out a NON-EWP (UF based) purifier at a price of Rs 2500 under the sub-brand  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Kent Gold’. This product is being primarily marketed through the retail channel. HUL has set up its Safe water zones with external KSPs ( Key service providers) while continuing to have its internal sales team supervising the operations . In Delhi for example , it has 27 such zones with a sales team of 750 sales men, 17 Territory sales executives (TSE) , 3 business development executives (BDE) , 1 area head.(AH) and 2 service officers . The TSEs, BDEs & AH are on company rolls. The following table summarizes the typical product price points in the various segments. Price range (In Rs) Unorganized 1500-2500 4000-6000 8000-12000 Organized 2000 – 3500 6000-9000 8000-20000 Whirlpool Not Applicable Not Applicable 12500-20500 Segment Non EWP Ultra Violet (UV) Reverse Osmosis (RO) Whirlpool’s entry in the Water Purifier Market in India Whirlpool has been present in the Water category in all the key regions of the world including US, Canada, NAR, Europe, Brazil, Mexico & Asia in several value added segments like water heaters, bottled water dispensers, water softeners , Refrigerator filters etc. Whirlpool entered the Water Purifier Market in India in the early 2008 to tap in to the growing Water Purifier Market, focused on the RO segment to start with, with the launch of the Purafresh range of purifiers. Currently, Whirlpool Water Purifier products are available across all markets in the country. Whirlpool has garnered a Market Share of 5% in the RO segment in the past 1  ½ years. The Water purifier category is a perfect brand fit for Whirlpool. It is a home appliance used by the home maker to provide safe and pure drinking water to her family, thus building a strong case of placing trust in the brand. This category will lend a lot of credibility to the Whirlpool brand. Whirlpool’s communication strategy also revolves around reinforcing this element of Trust. Equipped with Whirlpool’s patented ‘6th Sense’ technology, the new ‘Purafresh’ water purifier is the first Reverse Osmosis system on the market that not only purifies but also protects the purity and freshness of the water with its prestigious gold seal certification (from GOLD Seal of Water Quality Association, USA WQA). Purafresh is available in three models – Purafresh Platinum, Purafresh Elite and Purafresh Deluxe. Given the situation described above, suggest a comprehensive â€Å"Go-To-Market† plan following a systematic methodology for Whirlpool to achieve its overall objective of achieving market leadership in the Water Purifier Market (in the organized sector) by 2012, and its interim goal of achieving market leadership in the RO segment, ensuring its premium brand image, and its operational philosophies (given in the annexure for ready reference). A) Understanding and presentation by a Systematic methodology. B)Inputs: Should reflect comprehensive understanding of the company and competitive environment. 1) Analyze company development , history, Growths. 2) Identify Strengths , weaknesses , 3) Analysis of external environment (Porter 5 forces , SWOT etc) C) Outputs: Understating should result in output 1) Strategy on all 4 P’s 2) Channel Strategy ( Spl Focus) a) Evaluation of SWOT b) Key market insights c) Business Level Strategy d) Recommendations (including articulation of hypothesis) e) innovative approach especially in the communication/promotion strategy Phase II Build a detailed business plan arising out of the above strategic plan, and project the profitability of this business over time, including investments that may be required for new products and their market entries, while achieving this objective. Recommendation evaluated by 1) Strategy 2) Product choice 2) Financials ( volumes, Margins , costs , etc) 3) Process of executing strategy 4) Innovative approach/ideas. {In the first phase, the second phase question and related references should not be circulated} Whirlpool’s high end Purafresh platinum model, is India’s first and Only Direct Flow RO with no storage tank enabling immediate consumption of freshly purified water with 72 litres per hour capacity (Normal RO products have 8-10 litres per hour capacity). It has an advanced 5-stage purification process and also boasts of a first–of–its–kind electronic interface with a ‘Filter change indicator’, which alerts the consumer on the need to change the filter and thus ensures continual purity & protection of the water. Other diagnostics functions like no water on tap indication, self cleaning mode indication, and water extraction indication makes it the most advanced and best in class product available in the Indian market today. Whirlpool entered the Indian market mainly leveraging their strength in the durable retail channel and has the highest share (30%) of all Water Purifier sales in this channel. Whirlpool has also entered the DAP Channe l and are currently having a 10% share in that channel. The â€Å"Surging to Lead† Challenge Given its focus on â€Å"attaining market leadership through Customer loyalty†, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012, with an interim goal of attaining market leadership in the RO segment by 2010, while at the same time maintaining its brand position. This, no doubt, is a challenging aspiration for Whirlpool, given the well entrenched players in the market like Eureka Forbes, aggressive players like HUL who is focused on tapping the market at the â€Å"Bottom of the Pyramid† and a large unorganized market who would significantly benefit from the growth fuelled by these players. However, Whirlpool has to its advantage of its strong brand position in the hearts and minds of the home makers, and a strong, well established channel in the white goods market. The challenge for Whirlpool is to leverage its strengths, and perhaps work out completely innovative market strategies if it has to achieve its intent of becoming a  market lea der in the Water Purifier Market in general, and that in the RO segment. Annexure : A brief about Whirlpool Whirlpool, right from its inception in 1911 as first commercial manufacturer of motorized washers to the current market position of being world’s number one manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, has always set industry milestones and benchmarks. The parent company is headquartered at Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA with a global presence in over 170 countries and manufacturing operation in 13 countries with 11 major brand names such as Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Roper, Estate, Bauknecht, Laden and Ignis. The company boasts of resources and capabilities beyond achievable feat of any other in the industry. Whirlpool initiated its international expansion in 1958 by entering Brazil. However, it emerged as truly global leader in the1980’s. This encouraging trend brought the company to India in the late 1980s. It forayed into the market under a joint venture with TVS group and established the first Whirlpool manufacturing facility in Pondicherry. Soon Whirlpool acquired Kelvinator India Limited in 1995 and marked an entry into Indian refrigerator market as well. The same year also saw acquisition of major share in TVS joint venture and later in 1996, Kelvinator and TVS acquisitions were merged to create Indian home appliance leader of the future, Whirlpool India. This expanded the company’s portfolio in the Indian subcontinent to washing machines, refrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is the most recognized brand in home appliances in India and holds a market share of over 20%. The company owns three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Faridabad, Pondicherry and Pune. Each of these manufacturing set-ups features an infrastructure that is witness of Whirlpool’s commitment to consumer interests and advanced  technology. In the year ending in March ’09, the annual turnover of the company for its Indian enterprise was Rs.1,719 Crores. The company’s brand and image speaks of its commitment to the homemaker from every aspect of its functioning. It has derived its functioning principles out of an undaunted partnership with the homemakers and thus a slogan of â€Å"You and whirlpool, the world’s best homemaker† dots its promotional campaigns. The products are engineered to suit the requirements of ‘smart, confident and in-control’ homemaker who knows what she wants. The product range is designed in a way that it employs unique technology and offers consumer relevant solutions. Whirlpool Corporation : Vision and Mission Whirlpool’s pervasive vision, â€Å"Every Home, everywhere, with pride, passion and performance†, rests on the pillars of innovation, operational excellence, customer-centric approach and diversified talent. These are embedded within our business goals, strategy, processes and work culture. Be it our products that are the result of innovation and operational excellence to meet every need of our consumers or the people behind these products that come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, everything we do features a distinct Whirlpool way. Core Competencies Innovation: Unique and compelling solutions valued by our customers and aligned to our brands create competitive advantage and differentiated shareholder value. Operational Excellence (OPEX): A methodology for solving problems & continuous improvement of products & processes through pursuit, acquisition, and utilization of knowledge using critical thought and planned experimentation helps us achieve operational excellence. Customer Excellence: Excelling the customer expectation from the company, its brands,  products and services are a three-step process. The three steps are: Know a customer, Be a customer, Serve a customer. Knowing a customer helps us know who our customers are, how to treat them, how we add value, and what the drivers of brand loyalty are. This information is gathered from the customer’s data base history. This way we are better able to customize products for them and recommend the right product to solve problems. Being a customer is important to share customer knowledge and insights, drive actions based on customer insights, be passionate about our brands and customer loyalty and provide a positive voice for our brands. We show empathy for customers and seek to resolve their problems by creating consistent customer touch-points, with our endeavour always being to provide unique solutions for the customer . Whirlpool Corporation’s Transformation Agenda Whirlpool is transforming into a completely customer-centred company where the customer lies in the core of every of our functions. This focus has arrived as direct consequence of our core competency of customer excellence. It allows us to build Customer Loyalty. The transformation is made The elements of the transformation hold the promise of making Whirlpool a growing company and thereby increasing value for our shareholders. The five  elements are the basis for describing our strategy internally and guide the development of our plans and initiatives. Whirlpool has swiftly moved from being a World Class Manufacturer to a World Class Marketer using the brand-building framework. We are dedicated to creating unique branded solutions that build customer loyalty and achieve brand excellence. Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market. (2016, Jun 06). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

In the Mood for Love Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

In the Mood for Love - Movie Review Example ses are having an affair with each other, both were very dejected, started to fill the gap in their lives by bringing more emotions to their friendship. The theme of the story was melancholic depicting how two disheartened and deceived people found peace with each other’s company although they thought not to be as their spouses. It has been said that Wong has created moody atmosphere using a combination of mise-en-scene, cinematography and his unique direction in the movie. The most inspiring aspect of In the Mood for Love is its brilliant cinematography. Most of the scenes in the movie were shot with the normal lens in order to avoid visible distortions so that the viewers can feel being the part of the movie themselves. The closed shots and close-ups were taken from the telephoto lens as it gives a feel of personal encounter to the viewer. In an interview, Wong declared that he wanted to shoot a movie like Vertigo by Hitchcock in which most scenes were taken outside the frame leaving the rest on the viewer’s imagination. Many of the scenes were shot from behind the windows, partitions and grills in order to create suspense as asserted by the director. Another important aspect of cinematography is Wong’s direction was the use of tracking shots to slide flawlessly between spaces. (Roger 105). Wong by emphasizing on the cinematography kept most of the scenes longer so that the audience would not be interrupted by the cuts and scene transitions. This also helps the audience in getting indulge within the plot and sink with the story line. Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee, the cinematographers of the movie have been acclaimed great appreciation on the brilliant work they have done in the movie. Critics claim that the missing elements in the movie like music or dialogue in some scenes were amazingly covered by intelligent framing and filming of the characters which give us enough detail about the scene and the story. They used techniques like lowering the