Apple Inc. Smartphone Marketing Strategy in Australia

Abstract Australia’s mobile services market continues to experience rapid innovations and development regarding both handset devices and variety of services conveyed to the customers through these mobile devices.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Apple Inc. Smartphone Marketing Strategy in Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Both mobile handset functionality and mobile network capacity have increased in the recent past not only in Australia but also in other parts of the world. Moreover, there have rapid evolution of other aspects of mobile services including voice services to include the application of internet and web access. These rapid evolutions in the development of mobile handsets together with services have enabled new forms of mobile phone-based communications and services provisions to emerge. In addition, these rapid developments together with increased competition for customers among mobi le operators and services providers have made the mobile phones an attractive proposition for majority of Australians. This case report looks into the complexities of the Australian telecom industry and various pricing strategies that companies have adopted in order to sell their products or services in this highly competitive environment. The Australian mobile phone industry is highly competitive and companies must adopt clear-cut pricing strategies for their products in to remain afloat in the market. Introduction The use of mobile phones in Australia has increased considerably in the last five years. It is approximated that 89% of the Australian adult population have adopted the use of mobile phones by 2011. This number is expected to rise by 3% in the next two years.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, the replacement of fixed line telephone by households is al so expected to reach 100% by 2015. This statistics indicate that there are huge market opportunities for mobile phones handsets together with their applications. Moreover, the mobile phone support services also have the opportunity to take advantage of the rising market. The increasing mobile phones market and its support services have attracted the various companies both old and new in the communication industry. Major Service Provider companies such as Vodafone, Telstra, Optus, and other have scrambled to claim a portion of the rising market share. The market has not only attracted the services provider companies but also the mobile phone manufacturers such as Apple. Many companies have infiltrated the Australian market each with its unique handset. Many of these mobile phones are internet enabled and being purchased and used by the Australian consumers. The reason is that most of these handsets usability in terms of services have been increased. In 2011, 58% of the mobile devices in the Australian market had 3G. Besides internet services, the current mobile phones sold in Australia are more affordable with additional advantage of merging most of their functionalities. All voice, video, and data services are now put under one control. Bringing these services together has been enabled by internet and web access. In essence, the traditional functionalities are now merged with internet-enabled functionalities. In addition, the development of mobile software such as android has increased the functionality of mobile phone.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Apple Inc. Smartphone Marketing Strategy in Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Synopsis Australia’s mobile market is a highly complex and competitive. Major companies including Vodafone, Telstra, and Optus dominate this market with similar services and products. Though most of these companies provide data and service, other mo bile phone manufacturing companies have also found their way into this market. In fact, the Australian mobile market is a representation of the current revolution in the telecommunication industry. Most of the mobile products applications are packaged together through the internet and web access. Most of the Australians are now accessing most of the services through their mobile phones. These services range from social net working to e banking. The major problem companies in this market are facing is the pricing strategy. There are many companies offering similar products. These products are also undifferentiated resulting into fierce competition among firms. This analysis use SWOT as a marketing tool to analyze the company internal strengths and weaknesses, opportunities available, and the threats the company is facing from the outside environment (Klompmaker et al., 2010). Pricing strategies are used to provide solutions to the problems firms in this market are facing. Pricing str ategies will also provide formidable recommendations for new firms willing to enter this market. Major problems faced by mobile phone companies in Australian market One of the biggest problems these companies are facing in the Australian mobile market is the pricing strategy. The reason is that there are many companies producing or providing similar products and services thereby increasing the level of competition.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In such a highly complex operations and competitive environment, pricing for a particular product or services becomes complex. Moreover, the monopolistic behavior of major companies offers an entry barrier for new firms willing to enter the market. These dominating companies pricing strategy technically prevents other companies from setting profit making prices for their products. Besides, the homogeneity of the products and services the companies sell in market further complicates their pricing strategy. The similarity of the products and services in the market lives no room for other forms of differentiation only through pricing. Therefore, the pricing strategy in this market becomes complex as each firm target price offerings that will enable them claim a particular share of the market. Analysis The SWOT analysis This tool evaluates and make out internal and peripheral factors that affect the company operations. The tool has been used to assess the company mobile phones Australia n market current situation, challenges existing, difficulties, and problems that have been experienced. Strengths The company is offering high quality and attractive mobile phones into the Australian market. The quality and value addition have made the products to penetrate and claim the largest market share in highly competitive Australian mobile market. Besides, the company leadership in high technology and electronic industry has boosted the marketability of its mobiles. The company strengths in technology and powerful innovative capacity have boosted the confidence the target market have on its products (Hanlon Luery, 2011). The company mobile phones operating system, the compatibility has exceeded any other competing phones, and this has become one of its greatest marketability strength. In addition, the company Smartphones design is fashionable and stylish which enables the user interface. In addition to technological, quality and design strengths, the company mobile phones i s diversified with different prices that meet all classes of people. Weaknesses The biggest drawback most of the mobile phone companies in the Australian market are facing is the limited market and distribution channels. Another problem is the customer’s privy of other concerns including environment and other brand issues surrounding the company products. This has high probability of perceptive customers not buying from the company mobile products. Opportunities The growing Australian latest mobile phone brands such as Smartphones market is an opportunity for the company. Moreover, the huge population and increasing application of Smartphones by the younger generation offers a potential market. Moreover, the innovative capabilities of the company are another opportunity to introduce new products into the market (Weill Vitale, 2002). Threats The biggest threat the company and its mobile phone products is facing is stiff competition from other firms and similar products. Besid es external competitive threat the company is facing on the particular products, the threat of new entrants are formidable. In addition, high competition may lead to price wars that may result in low prices (Narayandas et al., 2010). Issues relating to the pricing problems External environmental factors affecting prices in the Australian mobile market Customers The industry demand is one of the key parameters affecting pricing decisions of all the companies in the industry. According to the theory of perfect competition, what consumers are capable of paying should be taken into account. This is applicable in a highly competitive environment like in Australia mobile market. In fact, for any company to succeed in this highly competitive environment the knowledge of the demand is essential. Marketing managers must understand the demand curve of their products in order to price their products and services (Narayandas et al. 2010, p.65). In other words, it is conventional for the firms t o distinguish between time horizons or time factor while determining the prices since most of the products and services are highly volatile. The speed with which these services or products are transforming is very high. In essence, the demands for such product are varying across different periods (Narayandas et al. 2010, p.65). Companies in this industry must explicit in time factor while pricing their products. Besides time considerations, the customers purchasing ability or the income of the mobile users are also important in pricing strategy. Companies should segment the market according to income levels. The income market segmentation informs the pricing levels which the company put on its products or services. Since many mobile operators and service providers are operating within perfectly competitive market, prices must be set below the income levels of the customers (Reich Benbasat 1996, p.55). In addition, the prices must reflect the attributes of the competing products. Mo dern customers especially within the telecommunication industry are privy of the various attributes of products being offered in the market. Products characteristics such the design, colorations and weight, quality features and packaging are prominent with mobile phones while brand image and corporate status features prominently with the service providers (Reich Benbasat 1996, p.55). In essence, the complexity of the consumer reactions toward different prices is critical within the Australian mobile phone market. Besides, other factors should also be taken into account particularly that control the pricing decisions. Australian market is exhibited with heterogeneity of prices. The reason is that consumers are well informed about the prices different firms charge on their products. Moreover, consumers differ in their price evaluation because of the different levels of information regarding prevailing price as well as product features (Allen 2011, p.150). This heterogeneity is import ant factor especially in price differentiation. Competitors In this industry, pricing strategy will majorly be based on the prices of the competing products or services. Competition has a big influence on prices most firms charge on their products and services. Competitor’s reactions depend on the structure of the market, the degree of competition, and the availability of the competitive advantages (Sterman, 2000). In Australian mobile market, products are homogenous and undifferentiated therefore firms normally set their own prices. In other words, firms use price differentiation to sell their product or services. In addition, the intensity of competition increases over the product life cycle (Andriani, 2001). As new competitors enter the market, products become more homogeneous. This increases the level of competition. The competition intensity becomes severe at the product maturity and declining stages since the growth on sales can only be achieved at the expense of compet itor’s sales volume (Reich Benbasat 1996, p.55). The implication is that prices will depend or set according to the competitors reactions. In other words, the competitors marketing goal and strategies will influence the prices. In circumstances where the competitors retaliate, the prices will be attenuated thereby provoking price war (Allen 2011, p.150). Under this circumstance, the prices are reduced even below break-even or unprofitable levels. Therefore, competitive behavior analysis is essential prerequisite for effective prices (Allen 2011, p.151). In this industry, particularly within the Australian mobile market, considerable nonconformity from the prices competitors charge are only practical through substantial economic benefits. The economic benefits are associated with low cost and value addition. Cost advantages can only be achieved through low cost distribution than the competitors. Low cost distribution results from the firm’s superior resources and skill s (Narayandas et al. 2010, p.65). Unique products values will result from product features are highly valued by the consumers. These unique characteristics must also differentiate the product from its substitute. The way consumers make out exceptional significance on products makes them become insensitive towards prices. The firm takes advantage of this and charge higher prices without consumers noticing. In the Australian mobile market, firms must take into account the prices other firms charge on a particular product including their credit terms as well as other terms of trade. In addition, the competitor’s financial resources, cost and profit margins as well as the likely response towards the firms pricing strategies and decisions must be taken into account (Weill Vitale, 2002). Moreover, the firm must also look into the barriers to the market entry, the product substitutes from other industries as well as other firms marketing strategies particularly market targets, posi tioning and product differentiation. However, entering and surviving in this market is quite challenging to new firms particularly in price considerations. There are large and well-established firms with monopolistic characteristics. They have substantial discretion over prices. Moreover, the products and services are undifferentiated. In such conditions, there exists fierce competition. Moreover, larger companies with remarkable market share will set prices below the operation levels to prevent new entrants. Alternatives Pricing strategies Firms can apply several pricing strategies. However, the most feasible strategy will depend on several factors including the environmental factors, the firm’s general marketing strategy, and the pricing objective of the company. Moreover, firms that need to survive amid intense competition and technological advancements needs to apply several pricing strategies (Weill Vitale, 2002). Within the industry and the highly competitive market su ch as in Australia, firms such as Telstra that want to survive amid cannibalism of some of its products required pricing strategies such as market-based pricing and the differentiated pricing strategy across various market segments. Market-based pricing strategies This pricing strategy focuses on what the price should be depending on the competitors’ prices on similar products or substitutes and the perceived value of the product to the customers. From the competitors point of view, cost of similar products, the value of the product and market positioning of the firm should be equal or beyond the competing firms. The information regarding the competitors, prices, costs, profit margins and financial resources should influence pricing instead of setting the prices (Weill Vitale, 2002). Firms such as Telstra should focus on value-based approach to pricing because their customers will focus on the benefits rather than costs. Increased benefits will always persuade customers to b uy the products. Therefore, conventional landline to survive from being cannibalized by the modern mobile phone, emphasis must be put on their benefits. In addition, the product advantages must remain to be superior. The only problem with this pricing strategy is how to measure the customers’ perception of the offers against the competitors. In addition, the consumers value perceptions vary considerably even on usability. Various customers will arrive at different cost benefit analysis since they will use similar products on different ways. Therefore, it would be essential for the company to make similar trade-offs between cost and benefits. It is important to note that advantages product have is not equal to its physical and non-physical characteristics. In many choice situations, products are differentiated by the augmented product benefits (Sterman, 2000). Market segmentation pricing strategy In reality, most of the companies lose a lot of profit through single average pri cing approach. To maximize the gains on the prices companies should segment its market in such a way that they gain more from the perceived value on their products. The apparent advantages of the product should have natural prices according to the market segmentation. When this happened, the companies will always maximize their revenues. The aim of differentiated pricing strategy is to set prices according to segmented market niche. In this strategy, companies sell their products based on perceived value rather than on prices. Therefore, companies’ sales and marketing must work closely in order to understand the customer needs to redefine the product or services offerings to meet the needs of the customers. In so doing companies will always maximize on the customers value. This marketing strategy is best for those companies whose products are quickly becoming obsolete. The market strategy helps the companies to redefine and develop their products according to the needs of the market. The solution to the pricing strategies One of the most important marketing decisions affecting the mobile operators in Australia is pricing. Since most of the revenues within the mobile phone market niche is diminishing with the new entrants into the market, pricing is the only marketing mix variable that will help most of these companies generate revenue (Narayandas et al., 2010). In addition, the pricing differentiation in another way through which these competing firms would attract and retain customers in this highly complex and competitive environment. Therefore, pricing is not a simple concept, rather a multidimensional with varied implications for the mobile phone operators and the end-users (Lancaster Massingham, 2011). Pricing is one of the marketing mix strategies that take into account the benefits of the firm and the customer actions. In fact, before these companies consider applying any pricing strategies, complete pricing environment must be put into considera tion (Simon Butscher 2011, p.111). That is, both internal and external factors affecting pricing decisions should be taken into account. The internal factors should begin from the company viewpoint and then from the side of the customer. Regarding the external environment, firms in this industry must thoroughly take into account the influence their competitors have on pricing decisions. Conclusion The increased online service that is made available by the internet availability continues to attract more users of mobile phones in the Australian market. This provides an opportunity for the traditional communication companies as well as other service providers to introduce their products into the market. Most of the mobile carriers are faced with average declining revenues per user. However, with increased use of mobile applications, these mobile operaters can now protect their revenues and increase data consumption. In addition, the mobile applications have also expanded the reach for existing services. With the increased use of mobile phones, many services are now being accessed easily and cheaply. Traditional services providers continue to lose market since consumers can access those services at their own convenience wherever and whenever they are. In essence, increased mobile use and applicability has made life easier than before. References Allen, PM 2011, â€Å"A complex systems approach to learning in adaptive networks,† International Journal of Innovation Management, vol.5 no.2, pp.149-180. Andriani, P 2001, â€Å"Diversity, knowledge and complexity theory: some introductory issues,† International Journal of Innovation Management, vol.5 no.2, pp.257-274. Hanlon, D Luery, D 2011, â€Å"The role of pricing research in assessing the commercial potential of new mobile phone development,† International Journal of Marketing Research, vol.44 no.3, pp. 423-447. Klompmaker, JE, Rodgers, WH Nygren, AE 2010, â€Å"Value not volume,† Mark eting Management, vol.5 no.2, pp. 45-48. Lancaster, G Massingham, L 2011, Marketing management, McGraw-Hill, UK. Narayandas, D, Quelch, J Swartz, G 2010, â€Å"Prepare your company for global pricing,† Sloan Management Review, vol.5 no.3, pp. 61-70. Reich, BH Benbasat, I 1996, â€Å"Measuring the linkage between business and information technology objectives,† MIS Quarterly, MIS Quarterly The Society for Information Management, vol.20 no. 3, p.55. Simon, H Butscher, SA 2011, â€Å"Individualized pricing: boosting profitability with a high art of power pricing,† European Management Journal, vol.19 no.2, pp. 109-114. Sterman, JD 2000, Business dynamics: systems thinking and modeling for a complex world, McGraw-Hill, Boston. Weill, P Vitale, M 2002, â€Å"What IT infrastructure capabilities are needed to implement e-business models?† MIS Quarterly, vol.1 no.1, pp. 17-34. This report on Apple Inc. Smartphone Marketing Strategy in Australia was written and submitted by user Lillian Huffman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Best ACT Score Predictor

The Best ACT Score Predictor SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Taking the ACT is stressful- some test you’ve never seen before will affect where you go to college. As a high school student, I felt anxious taking the ACT because I hadn’t done any practice and had no idea whether I’d reach my target score. One way to mitigate nerves surrounding the ACT is to try to predict your ACT score. If you find out your estimate is close to your target score, you’ll feel relieved. If it’s low, at least you’ll know you need to do more preparation before taking the test. What is the best ACT score predictor? What should you do with your estimated ACT score? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the different ways to predict your ACT score and explain the pros and cons of each. I’ll also let you know how to use your estimated score to your advantage. What’s the Best Way to Predict Your ACT Score? The most accurate ACT score predictoris taking a full-length ACT practice test under realistic testing conditions. It's the closest thing tothe real ACT- your using an official ACT practice test from the ACT makers and taking it under similar testing conditions. This process is very time-consuming - it’ll take about four hours - but it’s worth it. Afterward, you have an ACT score from a real ACT test, whichyou can use to checkyourpreparedness to take the actual test, but I'll dive into that later. Where Can You Find a Practice Test? There are five free official ACT practice test PDFs available online, or if you own The Real ACT 3rd Edition, you could use one of those tests. If you’re using one of the free online tests, to give yourself the most realistic testing experience (and to avoid the distractions on the internet), I’d recommend that you print out a copy of the test. Key Tips fora Realistic Testing Experience Your goal is to try to accurately predict your ACT score. To do so, you need to mirror the circumstances of the actual ACT. Clear your desk.You should not have your phone, computer, dictionary or any other outside help.Note: Your phone should be off during the entire practice test.Only put some pencils, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, a calculator and extra batteries on your desk. Keep time on a watch, and stick to the exact timing for each section.Note: the time permitted is printed at the start of the section.Don’t allow yourself extra time; if you allow even an extra minute, you could end up with an inaccurate estimate.Also, you’re only allowed to work on one section during the allotted time. Don’t work on the next section if you finish early, and don’t do work on a previous section. How Do You Score Your Practice Test? Each practice test comes with scoring instructions, which are locatednear the end of the PDFs (typically in the last tenpages). You’ll start by calculating your raw score or the number of questions you answered correctly.Then, you use that raw score and a chart to find your scaled score for each section.You average the foursection scores to find your composite score. Note: This is only a baseline score- you can do dedicated ACT prep and raise your score. Start by creating a study schedule, and if you need a launching off point for your prep, read our free ACT study guides for Reading, Math, English, and Science. Create a schedule for test prep success! What Are Other Less Time Consuming Predictors? Did you take the PreACT* or SAT? If so, you can use that score to predict your ACT score. These test scores make good estimates because they’re taken under the same conditions as an ACT test (in the morning, with other students, etc.).I’ll give an overview of the pros and cons of using these tests as ACT score predictors. *Note:The PreACT is a brand new test that's debuting in the 2016-2017 school year. No one has taken it yet- the firsttest dates will be in Fall 2016. PreACT The PreACT is the next best option to taking an official ACT practice test.The PreACT was created by ACT, Inc., the same company that makes the ACT, to help predict your ACT score.It covers the same content as the ACT.Its difficulty level is similar to the ACT since it uses old ACT questions. The PreACT is graded on the same 1-36 scale.However, it’s much shorter than the actual ACT; it’s only 1 hour and 55 minutes (compared to almost 4 hours for the ACT plus Writing), so it doesnt' require the same level of endurance as the full test. Pros The PreACT was created by the same company as the ACT. It covers the same content as the ACT. The difficulty level is on par with the ACT. It is specificallyintended to predict your ACT score. Cons It’s much shorter than the actual ACT. SAT Score There are easy-to-use conversion tables that will convert your 400-1600 SAT score to a 1-36 score, but this isn’t as reliable as using a PreACT score.While the SAT is similar to the ACT and PreACT, the SAT was made by the College Board, not ACT, Inc. Though there is some matching content on the SAT and ACT, the material is not the same.For instance, while the ACT has a science section, the SAT doesn’t, and while the SAT has a no-calculator math section, the ACT doesn’t. If you use an SAT score to estimate your ACT score, the prediction could be off by up to 4 points.As an example, I got a 1420 on my SAT. Using this score and the conversion table, I found out my ACT score prediction would be 31, but I got a 34, 3 points more than the estimate.Some people do better on the ACT than the SAT (and vice versa). Pros Like the ACT, the SAT is designed to show college preparedness. Like the ACT, the SAT covers Math, Reading, and Writing topics. Cons The SAT was not created by ACT, Inc. The SAT doesn’t cover all of the material on the ACT. Estimates may not be exact (could be off by up to 4 points). Also, comparisons between the two tests are difficult to make since the SAT just underwent major changes. Some students simply performbetter on the ACT than SAT (and vice versa). Now that you know the good predictors let's examine the bad: What Won’t Be Good Predictors? I’d recommend avoiding any estimation method not mentioned above. However, here are some of the more commonly used ACT score predictors that I wouldn’t recommend. Non-Official Practice Tests Online you might find some non-official ACT practice tests (ones not created by ACT, Inc.).These will not give you a reliable ACT score prediction because they’re too dissimilar to the ACT.They don’t cover the same topics and don’t accurately copy the test format. While some students end up with scores close to the non-official prediction, the majority end up with scores 5-10 points higher or lower than the estimate. GPA Some students assume ACT scores correlate to GPA.If you have straight A’s, then you’ll get a 36; if you have a low GPA, then you’ll get a low ACT score.However, that’s not necessarily true. Some test-takers with low GPAs can get high ACT scores while others with high GPAs can end up with low scores.Don’t rely on your GPA to estimate your ACT score. AP/IB Tests Other students think that AP and IB exam score will be good ACT predictors since they cover college level material. However, these tests cover very specific, high-level subject matter such as Biology, Calculus, Economics, and History.These tests surpass the level of content covered by the ACT.Excelling or failing AP and IB exams has no correlation with ACT success. Use your predictor to see if you meet your target score. What Should You Do With Your Prediction? Are you unhappy with your predicted score? If so, you need to create an ACT prep schedule to help raise your score.Here is a rough estimate of how many hours you need to study to achieve certain score improvements: 0-1 ACT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours 1-2 Point Improvement: 20 hours 2-4 Point Improvement: 40 hours 4-6 Point Improvement: 80 hours 6-9 Point Improvement: 150 hours+ Check out our ACT study guide for the Reading, Math, English, Science, and Writingsections to help you get started with your preparation. Are you happy with your estimated score? If so, you should still do a little ACT prep.Study for at least 10 hours.Take two practice tests with in-depth review. This way you’ll get more comfortable with the ACT test format, and you’ll be able to double check that your practice test scores match the original prediction. The ACT plusWriting has five sections:English,Math,Reading,Science, and Writing- they always appear in that order.Below is a breakdown of the timing and number of questions per section: English - 45 minutes - 75 questions Math - 60 minutes - 60 questions Reading- 35 minutes - 40 questions Science - 35 minutes - 40 questions Writing - 40 minutes - 1 essay Disclaimer: Remember that no estimate is 100% accurate, not even taking an official ACT practice test.Therefore, you should plan to take the real ACT more than once. That way, if you don’t reach your target score the first time, you have another chance. What’s Next? Now that you found your estimated ACT score how does it compare to your target score? Not sure where you’d like to go to college? Read our guide to finding your target school. Need help with your college application? Learn how to write about extracurriculars on your college application; get advice on the Common App essays. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Yuan an international medium of exchange Research Paper

Yuan an international medium of exchange - Research Paper Example Presently, the United States Dollar is the global medium of exchange. Since the beginning of this trend, the United States has benefited greatly in terms of the economic stability that the country has experienced. Clearly, if traders all across the world are seeking to have access to the United States Dollar, the only implication is that the value of the Dollar would continue to be strengthened naturally. However, various national and international factors have given rise to a situation whereby the strength of the United States Dollar continues to decline as against other global currencies. Today, the United States Dollar has been tagged as a weaker currency and thus its preference for international trading seem to be dwindling sharply. Without any doubt, the impact of this current trend is a positive one for the ambition of the Chinese government to have the Yuan become a global currency. From an international realism theory perspective, the initiative taken by China would have to m eet a number of conditions, among which includes the fact that â€Å"there must be strong demand by world traders, investors, and central bankers for the currency as a medium of exchange for foreign trade settlement†. But once the Yuan becomes accepted as an international medium of exchange and thus becomes a global currency, it would become â€Å"a unit of account for denominating international financial transactions, and a store of value for central banks' foreign exchange reserves†.And this is by no means an enviable position wanting.

The Penny Press Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Penny Press - Essay Example The penny press had much more to offer readers then traditional newspapers. The penny press, which became almost popular overnight, allowed writers to give the public a small breakdown of current events. This was important since readers no longer had to wait for other papers to circulate. Readers wanting to be updated on the latest and greatest events could purchase a subscription or pick up a paper from a local news stand. When consumers purchased the paper, they knew that the paper would contain information that was current and of interest. Not everyone took a liking to The Penny Press. â€Å"Many were not interested in the topics presented and thought that they appealed to a lower class of individuals.† (Friedman 2005) These people preferred the traditional style newspaper since it contained political info as well as the week’s most important headlines. The late 1800’s was a time that housed many new events. These new events were so popular and interesting to readers that they fueled the success of The Penny Press. The public quickly became use to the fact that they could read new and updated topics everyday for only one penny. The effect of the popularity of The Penny Press, left penny press writers with the need to constantly seek out new stories. These new stories were not always easy to find and The Penny Press opened up the doors and gave a new definition to the meaning journalism. Journalism quickly began to grow as the need for new stories became such a high demand. Consequences that arose from the increase in journalism as a result of The Penny Press are seen even in today’s society. These consequences include a decrease in the public’s privacy, an increase in paparazzi, and an increased want by the public to have information. The pressure this created on journalist made journalist hungry for information and willing to do what was necessary to get the most popular and sought after story. It is obvious that the

Product Life Cycle Theory in International Business

Product Life Cycle Theory in International Business Klug, Adam, 2006. Theories of International Trade. Routledge. This is a book from 2006 by Klug Adam and edited by Warren Young, Michael D. Bordo and Daniel Schiffman. The book tackles on various subjects of international trade including balance of payments, macro economics, political science, international relations, trade and tariffs and on business and economic issues like history and theories. Information contained in the book is very resourceful when studying international trade as its obtained from a through survey that Israeli economic historian conducted looking extensively on the different theories of international trade. Chacholiades Miltiades. 2006. The pure theory of international trade. New York: Transaction Publishers. In this book by Miltiades several theories as of international trade including the classical, neoclassical as well as the modern theories with special attention given to the problems, welfare and growth. In addition to that discussions of the major works done by major contributors in the field of international trade are included in this book. Fr instance contributions by scholars like Heckscher, Ohlin, Ricardo and Mill through Meade to the growth models of Johnson, Uzawa and Solow. In this book problems are sated clearly with easy and convenient solution being sought in each case with the technical topics in the filed discussed in several chapters as well as appendices may be omitted fro less advanced studies by lower level students without necessarily interrupting with the continuity of the book. Markusen,R James. 2004. Multinational firms and the theory of international trade. California: MIT Press. Markusen in his book above on interaction trade despite he obvious importance that multinational firms has in international economics, both theoretical as well as empirical research on such firms has usually been separately conducted especially on international trade. Therefore in this book the author has provided a comprehensive integration of both field and it has achieved this by drawing on two decades of research focusing on the interaction of scale economies, factor endowments, trade costs and competition. Decisions about whether to acquire or build a foreign plant are analyzed separately from the decisions regarding place of raising the financing. Stark John. 2005. Product lifecycle management: 21st century paradigm for product realization. Birkhà ¤user. This book explains the significance of product life cycle management both from the business as well as technical points of views. Explanations given are supported by examples which show how the world class engineering and manufacturing companies successfully implement product life cycle management. This book is very resourceful as it introduces product life cycle management which is a holistic view concerning product development, supports the use as well as the disposal for the industry globally and all these is based on the experience derived from internationally renowned companies. In addition to that the book also shows how one can take full advantage of the product lifecycle management, ways of preparing people to working with product lifecycle environment, ways of making best choices reading personal situations thus help in providing a deeper understanding as well as in the nurturing of skills that are needed to implement product cycle management successfully promoting achieveme nt of a world class product development as well as support performance. Finally the book also gives access to companion websites that contain further material reading the topic. Electronic databases Rubera Gaia, Griffith David Ordanin Andrea. 2011. Incorporating cultural values for understanding the influence of perceived product creativity on intention to buy: An examination in Italy and the US. Journal of business studies. March 2011. Vol 1 no 1 This paper was written in response to the increasing competition globally changing the market place in which new products are introduced to. Therefore the paper helps in extending the knowledge on the effects of a perceived product thus contributing to study literature through empirical investigation of the influence of cultural values on relationships between creativity dimensions of meaningfulness, novelty and intentions of buying process. The paper utilizes the schmaltz values framenwork in theorizing the cultural differences. This paper involves use of results obtained from a case study done between 206 Italian and 201 United States based consumers. Hofstede Geert, Cultural dimensions in management and planning. Asia pacific journal of management, Vol 1 No.2 pg 81-99. Management skills are culturally specific thus management techniques or even philosophy appropriate in one culture does not necessary mean its appropriate for another. This paper describes extensively scope of work related cultural differences based on research conducted in more than 50 countries around the globe. In addition to that it carries a discursion on how these differences affects validity of management techniques as well as philosophies in various countries that lay within the functioning and the meaning of planning. Hoftede Geert, Asian management in the 21st Century. Asia pacific Journal of management. Vol 24, No 4 pg 411-420. This paper is inspired by the recent research that reveals that fundamental differences regarding the goals of business leaders from various societies. Result which are contrary to the popular opinion that crucial elements of management process shows a strong continuity over a period of time, with variation from one country to another which is often as a function of the local culture. Therefore this paper explores the general characteristics of Asian management compared to management in other parts of the world focusing on the impacts of the Asian management and its origins of culture on the merging Asian multinationals as well as the state of art in management in the 21st century business world. Reuer Jeffrey Tony W Tong, 18 February 2010. Competitive consequences of interfirm collaboration: How joint ventures shape industry profitability. Journal of International Business Studies 41, 1056-1073. Based on contrasting results obtained from recent research on international business regarding he use of knowledge of joint venture in increasing through competitiveness and the research on industrialization organization economic which reveal that joint venture can also be use in various ways to attenuate completion ,this article therefore joints the two streams of research on reducing or enhancing competition through empirical testing of the effects of various types of venture on the organization profitability. Thus this paper yield results reading the above issues and also shows the importance of adopting contingent approaches in evaluation of competitive implications of various joint ventures. Finally the paper also addresses on the values of reinvigorating international business research con competitive context as well as consequences of interim collaborations. Rink Davi, 12th April 2002. Product Life cycle Research: A literature Review. Journal of Business Research Vol.7 no 3 pg 219-242 This paper contains resourceful information on the various issues .first is the review of the scope of product life cycle research, areas that require further research and finally provide guideline to be used by future researchers. This paper offer tentative conclusions which are advanced as compared to empirical evidence due to its paucity. For instance it conclude that the most common product life cycle used is the classical bell-shaped. It also has result on the success of the application of product life cycle which it finds that it has been met with quite some success. The paper also has information on the least researched areas which include the effects of different characteristics of the firm on product life cycle and the actual utilization of product life cycle strategy theories among the business planners. Finally the paper has extensive literature on validation of the existing product life cycle concept among the nondurable consumer goods leading to the conclusion that a res earch that is more diversified as well as extensive should be conducted in the future. Items public on the Internet Mullor-Sebastian Alicia. Winter 1983.The product life cycle theory: empirical evidence. Journal of international studies retrievable from: http://www.jstor.org/pss/154692 This article presents resourceful information based on three empirical test of the product cycle theory which is based on information obtained from United States data which is relatively new hence giving information on larger number of products as well as lower levels of aggregation as compared to data used in the earlier tests. The papers also provide information regarding the behavior of industrial products behavior in relation to the theory product cycle theory on world markets. in addition to that it provide result on the behavior of the individual products based on the theory. Finally the paper offer policy implications concerning the reliance of development strategies in industrial sectors rather than on individual commodities. Pomfret Richard.2008. Lecture notes on international trade theory and policy. World Scientific retrievable from: http://books.google.com/books?id=MJDuoEHuIUsCdq=Theories+of+international+tradesource=gbs_navlinks_s This book resource is available online and it provide a very comprehensive review of the international theory on international trade as well as on trade policy, including a coverage of all the research areas that have been studied including the heterogeneous firm trade models as well as trade costs. In addition to that the book proceeds to give an in-depth analysis of the history of trade policies and evolution of global trading system primarily lay an emphasis on the important policies as well as the controversial issues that include Doha Round, regionalism, fair trade as well as anti dumping duties. Olling, Renà ©Soà «nen. 2003. Feature based product life cycle modeling. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=rYYonETpoZoCdq=Product+life-cycle+theorysource=gbs_navlinks_s In meeting the ever increasing high demands regarding improvement and speeding up of the product development process fro concept of customer feedback, feature based technology is the critical factor. Therefore it sis expected to providing better approach that enable integration complete product design process chain. this resource therefore provide a lot of important information including chapters encompassing significant phase of product development right from the conceptual design to recycling process covering topics on Knowledge based engineering, Life-phases modeling, *Manufacturing process cost estimation; *Technological links among assemblies, Multiple-view geometric modeling, Product recovery estimation, Machining preparation, Product deterioration prediction and Manufacturing modeling. This books include of a selection of resources obtained from International Conference on Feature Modeling in Advanced Design-for-the-Life-Cycle Systems (FEATS 2001) held in Valenciennes, France in June 2001. Hill, Charles (2007). International Business Competing in the Global Marketplace 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Retrievable from: www.ebookfree-download.com//international-business6th-edition-charles-hill-pdf.php The book resource is easily accessible in the ebook.com and it has information on the stages that are involved in a product lifecycle. It gives information on the definition of terms on the topic, as well as the introduction, stage, growth stage, maturity stage and finally the decline stage. In addition to that it offer finer detail of the process hence its in details thus can be used as good resource for literature reviews and deeper understanding of the theory of product life cycle as well as the its management. The product life cycle theory Is the Product life-cycle theory significant when it comes to dynamics of international business in this modern era? Essay Plan. In addition to explain the theory of product life cycle, the theory is an economic theory that was developed by Raymond Vernon and it was based on observation that united sates firms introduced a higher proportion of the 20th century worlds new products and more of such products were first sold in the United States market. Example of such products s includes the instant cameras, television, personal computers, photocopiers as well as semi conductors (Chacholiades, 69.) The theory was developed after the Heckscher-Ohlin model failed to explain the observed pattern of international trade. The product life cycle is usually used to understand as well as analyze the various maturity stages of products and industries especially as product innovation and diffusion influences the long terms patterns of the international trade. Products life cycle was used for the first time in 1965 by Theodore Levitt in a Harvard business review article (Hill, Charles, 103). Product life cycle management is therefore a relatively new paradigm for the process of product manufacturing as it enables the company in management of its products through out their life cycles in the possible most effective way. Such management has several benefits to the company and these include the following: aid the company getting its products to the market as quickly as possible, provides a better support for the use of such products, and finally helps in a better management of their end-of-life (Klug, 424). Considering todays high competitive global markets companies are expected to meeting the increasing demands of its customers as well as rapidly continuously and rapidly improving its products and services. Thus for any company to realize such demanding goals the product life cycle management enhance the company efforts of meeting such demand by extending as well as bringing together previously separate filed s like the computer aided design, sustainable management, product data management, enterprises resource planning and the life cycle analysis and recycling (Olling, 203). Product life cycle has several stages which are the introduction stage when the company consults a through market research and develops its product, growth stage follow and in this stage involves strategies that gain the customers attention to help increase products market share, maturity stage (stage where most companies struggle in maintaining their respective market shares, growth stage )and finally the decline stage when the revenues generated from the sales of the products start to deep due to factors like market saturation, latest technological development and finally as a result of stiff competition (Pomfret, 108). The typical pattern of product life cycle has several exception which include the following: it exclude products that have very short life cycles, the luxury and service goods, products that require some specialized labour, products differentiated from competitive offerings and finally the theory excepts products for which its transportation costs are relatively higher (Chacholiades, 678). The typical theory of product life cycle by Vernon has several draw backs that include the following: the theory is les effective when it comes to explaining recent FDI trends, it also helps in explanation of the location of production unfortunately it doesnt explain the initial advantage of the firm moving areas. In addition to that the theory also appears dynamic in nature i.e. Its only programmatic and the final drawback is that it ignores licensing. Since the adoption of the theory by marketing it has achieved a universal acceptance and this is attributed to its appeal and wider application (Mullor-Sebastian, 567). The theory has been widely quoted and frequently taught element of marketing and this has it being very influential as it has been seen in other theories ranging from new product development, in the positioning and differentiation and finally in the portfolio analysis(Klug, 324). Thus product life cycle as Weber provide an intuitively appealing as well as readily understandable framework of analysis process to be used fro considering future growth.

The Primary Purpose of a High School in the US

U. S. high schools are not properly preparing kids for the college experience. The primary purpose of a high school in the United States is to get kids into college. The courses taught in U. S. high schools are way too lenient in their grading policies and offer students much leeway. High school courses are too lenient because high school teachers make them that way. One good example that proves just how much leeway secondary education offers students is that on average,professors at the high school level accept late papers. Of course late papers are marked down,but this policy voids the purpose to having deadlines. Most universities, both public and private set strict guidelines on these matters and openly encourage their professors to do the same. I turned in papers a week late in high school and still received a grade of 70 % on them. This is coming back to hunt me in college because I now have a big problem meeting deadlines. Although I do not like to admit it, if high school had been stricter in this respect I might not be going through these many difficulties right now. Most public high school teachers are astoundingly underpaid and overworked with sometimes over fifty students in a single classroom. In the last ten years the average class size doubled according to a Time magazine study published in 1995 stating that throughout the whole nation classes have doubled in size. The article mentions that this problem has occurred and will worsen due to illegal immigration, a population expansion, and people migration to cities and urban sites. Some students that can afford a private tutor or the cost of private education follow that path. This is not fair to the majority that can't afford this. Again, the lack of individual and private interaction between professor ends up resulting in that the student gets half of the education. For some reason I don't know, the student ends up always paying the price of an inadequate and inefficient public high school system. These statistics offer little incentive and motivation to get teachers to take action and lobby for change. Governmental cutbacks have forced many schools to close vital advanced placement and other college preparatory courses which are vital for the student aspiring for a college education. Public high schools around the nation should establish and â€Å"enforce† stricter college preparatory curriculums because over 50% of high school students that participated in a Time magazine poll conducted in 1996 said they are interested in pursuing a 4-year college education. The article stated that fifty years ago this would not have been the case. If over half the students attending U. S. high schools wish to pursue university education then public schools should tailor their programs to meet the needs and demands of the majority. It is important to know that there is a small percentage of the nation that don't even go to high school as the October 22, 1990 Time Magazine article, â€Å"Schooling Kids At Home,† points out. Parents send their kids to school confident that the school will prepare them well for the future, but overlook that essential programs like SAT preparation and study skills courses are not offered. How must a school system expect that one study efficiently for exams if they don't show how Clearly people have been studying for many years and there is no set way to study,but it helps to know what are the most time efficient ways to review for exams. I feels thats â€Å"study skills† class should be offered in every public high school around the nation. It this implies a great cost then study skills should be incorporated in the daily urriculum or at least taught once a week during class. The fact is that some time should be set aside for this essential class for which there is great need for. The same concept applies for S. A. T. preparation. Again I propose the conundrum, how must one be expected to pass the S. A. T if schools don't show us how to pass it. Many students are left to figure out how to prepare for the exam itself, assuming they even know how too study. I personally had to pay a costly S. A. T. preparation course that boosted my grade 100 points. The fact that I can pay for the course clearly offers me an unfair advantage. High school courses also lack in encouraging class discussions and debate that are an important aspect of college life as far as I have experienced. â€Å"Getting by† with just doing the work is not enough in college. Class participation motivates analytical thinking and class participation. It is a proven scientific fact that when one applies what one learns and actively participates in the learning process, logically one will assimilate and absorb more information and retain it for longer periods of time because one is forced to actively become part of the learning process and contribute to the learning environment. Many incoming freshmen receive a large shock when faced with such a wide gap that slowly opens up more with the passage of time. As a result of this, many colleges place these freshman in summer courses to polish them up and tie up the loose ends aside from providing a one credit class called Freshman Experience that teaches them such valuable skills as study skills, note-taking, teaching styles, critical thinking, listening and memory skills, test-taking strategies and most important of all, preparing for finals. The fact stands out that if this class were not absolutely necessary, many universities would not require there to take it. Even those people with high S. A. T. scores and a strong academic background must eventually sign up for it because universities know high schools unfortunately don't teach these things, or do not teach them well. Courses like this one are in immediate demand. Originally, all the universities I applied to required this course which pretty much justifies that it is in immediate demand. I personally never had a class so comprehensive as to include theses skills vital for college success. Some high schools produce graduates that cannot read or have extremely poor reading and writing skills. If our high schools were efficient and did look out for the student's best interests, people would not graduate without these basic skill that most people agree must me present for the college experience. Colleges should not be teaching basic, elementary skills such as reading and elementary writing. College is not meant to be a grueling and terrible time for a person, but over the years, U. S. high schools have lost their focus and misplaced their priorities; producing students that cannot independently develop themselves successfully. In some extreme cases, kids are committing suicide in college early on because they can't handle the stress produced by their classes and many of the students that quit or do poorly have poor college survival skills. Finally, U. S. igh schools are not adequately preparing kids for the college life. These high schools are too lenient, complacent, financially unstable, overcrowded, and simply inefficient. The curriculum must set higher standards and make the transition a smoother one. If these changes were implemented,the gap between high school and college education may one day be a thing of the past and once again the college years will truly be fulfilling and rewarding ones and not arduous or frustrating.

Don Quixote Essay

He was a retired nation scholar: Alonso Quijano, obsessed with books and knowledge, dried up his brain and lose his wit; chose to be a knight-errant, journeyed the world with horse. He wore himself in armour though rusty it was and a cardboard helmet; rode in his horse, searched his adventures, called himself: Don Quixote de la Mancha. Alas! Metamorphosis revealed. Married a farm girl whom he renamed: Dulcinea del Toboso. Beat up by servants of traveling merchants, who refused to recognize Dulcinea’s immense splendor; rescued by a neighbor and carried him home. Expedition came another expedition. Suffered in his long quests. Don Quixote whose real name was Alonso Quijano returned home humiliated, locked in an ox-cart that served as his cage. The Odyssey An epic poem created by Homer, said to be a ‘sequel’ of Iliad. It was Odysseia in Greek, as what Herodotus has called it. Odyssey, derived from the Greek’s, indicated an important and arduous journey. Kept as a prisoner in Calypso, Oh! Odyssey, until the gods held a meeting and set him free. He built a raft and voyaged over stormy seas. Entered the palace of King Alcinous, took part with the games that were held, sang the Trojan War; the King queried who he was: â€Å"I am Odysseus. † He then narrated his quests: the Island of the Winds, the kingdom of the dead; of psyches of ancient heroes and women, passed over the magnificent song at the isle of Siren. Fortunate he was, he survived from Zeus’ thunderbolt which struck the ship; carried he was at the shore of Phaeacia, he then met Athena in Ithaka. Fight has transpired; Yet peace and victory awaited. Flourished. Oedipus He has been made King of Thebes due to his heroic act of liberating the people from the plague and pestilence of Sphinx. Epidemic from another epidemic, people have always asked him to rescue them. Oedipus has always foreseen the needs. Hero he may seem, he has been accused as the murderer of Laius, the former King. Infuriated by allegation, announced it as a plot. A conspiracy for Creon to gain his throne. A battle soon to happen, yet Jocasta arrived in time to stop the fight. She guaranteed that prophets, who declared the accusation, were not reliable. As evidence, she cited the old prophecy that her son needed to murder his father, and have children by his mother.