Landscape Architecture As A Career Essays - Architecture

Landscape Architecture as a Career A landscape architect is an individual who arranges and modifies the effects of natural scenery over a tract of land so as to produce the best aesthetic effect for the land^?s use. Landscape architecture is the design profession which applies artistic, cultural, and scientific knowledge to the design, planning, and development of the land. Landscape architects accept certain responsibilities related to the health and welfare of the public and are concerned with resource conservation of the land. The practice of landscape architecture requires an appreciation and understanding of natural and social processes, a creative imagination, and a commitment to preserve or improve the environment for human use and enjoyment. Landscape architects plan the most harmonious relationships between the land and the objects on it by proper combination of open space and planting, and by wise use of land formation (Concise 151). They may work on parks, gardens, housing projects, school campuses, golf courses, or airports. They begin a project by reviewing the needs and desires of the client. They study the site, mapping such features as the slope of the land, existing structures and the type of soil. They check local building codes and availability of utilities, make drawings which outline the work in detail, and draw up lists of materials to be used. They then invite bids from construction companies and landscape nursery companies. With the awarding of the contracts, their work may be finished, or they may stay on to supervise the work as their client's representative (151). A major branch of landscape architecture, golf course architecture, integrates the skills of a landscape architect on a larger scale. The aim a golf course architect is to create a truly great golf course by utilizing to the fullest extent possible the potential of a promising piece of land (Golfplan 1). This potential is expressed in the site's location, slope, vegetation, water features, soil types, climate and orientation. The role a golf course architect is the realization of this potential under the constraints of design criteria that separate the truly great golf course from the ordinary (1). Landscape architecture, the science and art of modifying land areas by organizing natural, cultivated, or constructed elements according to an aesthetic plan (Encarta 1). The elements include topographical features such as hills, valleys, rivers, and ponds; and growing things such as trees, shrubbery, grass, and flowers; and constructions such as buildings, terraces, roads, bridges, fountains, and statuary. No unalterable rules exist in landscape architecture because each plot of ground offers unique problems caused by variation in contour, climate, and surrounding areas (1). As early as the third millennium BC, the Egyptians planted gardens within the walled enclosures surrounding their homes (Encarta 2). In Mesopotamia, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In ancient Greece, sacred groves were preserved as the habitats of divinities. Greek houses included a walled court or garden usually surrounded by a colonnade. In 5th-Century BC, Athens public gardens and colonnaded walks attached to the Academy (school) and the Lyceum (gymnasium) were much frequented by philosophers and their disciples (2). Domestic architecture in the first half of the 20th Century attempted to achieve a closer integration of the house with it^?s surroundings, as seen in the works of Sven Markelius in Sweden, Alvar Aalto in Finland, and Frank Lloyd Wright in the United States (Encarta 5). The worldwide economic depression between the two world wars forced a shift from domestic settings to large-scale public works, in which landscape architects and planners worked together on entire communities, regional areas, and vast state and national projects. The proliferation of shopping malls, new suburbs, cultural centers, revitalized urban cores, and new educational facilities, has given landscape architects in the later decades of this century unparalleled opportunities to refine their art and to create new forms. They have become, in conjunction with their colleagues in architecture, engineering, planning, and public office, the shapers of both the future and the present physical environment (Encarta 5). The origin of today^?s profession of landscape architecture can be traced to the early treatments of outdoor space by successive ancient cultures, from Persia and Egypt through Greece and

Using Epanorthosis in Rhetoric

Using Epanorthosis in Rhetoric A figure of speech in which a speaker corrects or comments on something he or she has just said. A retraction (or pseudo-retraction) is a type of epanorthosis. Adjective: epanorthotic.Epanorthosis is also known as correctio or self-correction. The etymology is from the Greek, setting straight again. Examples and Observations Maybe there is a beast. . . . What I mean is . . . maybe its only us. (Simon in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, 1954)​With a heave of his chest, Croker rose and came walkingor, rather, limpingtoward him. (Tom Wolfe, A Man in Full, 1998)​[A] good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon; or, rather, the sun, and not the moon; for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly. (King Henry V in Act V, scene two of Henry V by William Shakespeare, 1600)​I dont like the majority of what I do. I shouldnt say I dont like it, but Im not satisfied with almost everything that I do. (Paul Simon)​You dont think were being . . . I dont want to say sleazy, because thats not the right word, but a little irresponsible, maybe? (Owen Wilson as John Beckwith, The Wedding Crashers, 2005)​Epanorthosis, or Correction, is a figure by which we retract or recall what we have spoken, for the sake of substituting something stronger or more suitable in its pl ace... The use of this figure lies in the unexpected interruption it gives to the current of our discourse, by turning the stream as it were back upon itself, and then returning it upon the auditor with redoubled force and precision. The nature of this figure dictates its pronunciation; it is somewhat akin to the parenthesis. What we correct should be so pronounced as to seem the immediate effusion of the moment; for which purpose it does not only require a separation from the rest of the sentence, by an alteration of the voice into a lower tone, but an abrupt discontinuance of the member immediately preceding. (John Walker, A Rhetorical Grammar, 1822)​ He has lately been at work telling again, as they call it, a most gratuitous piece of mischief, and has caused a coolness betwixt me and (not a friend exactly, but) an intimate acquaintance. (Charles Lamb, letter to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Jan. 10, 1820)​Thence have I followed it(Or it hath drawn me, rather) but tis gone. (Ferdinand in The Tempest by William Shakespeare)​In epanorthosis, or setting right, one thinks better of what one has said and qualifies it or even takes it back, as in Augustines classic Give me chastity and continencebut not yet (Confessions 8.7). Epanorthosis is particularly revealing of the character of the speaker, in this case, of an untrustworthy soul divided against itself and given more to self-deception than to deception of others. (P. Christopher Smith, The Hermeneutics of Original Argument: Demonstration, Dialectic, Rhetoric. Northwestern Univ. Press, 1998)​They have a right to more comfort than they at present enjoy; and more comf ort might be afforded them, without encroaching on the pleasures of the rich: not now waiting to enquire whether the rich have any right to exclusive pleasures. What do I say?encroaching! No; if an intercourse were established between them, it would impart the only true pleasure that can be snatched in this land of shadows, this hard school of moral discipline. (Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Men, 1790)​ I should probably have said at the outset Im noted for having something of a sense of humour, although I have kept myself very much to myself over the last two years notwithstanding, as it were, and its only as comparatively recently that I began to realizewell, er, perhaps realize is not the correct word, er, imagine, imagine that I was not the only thing in her life. (Michael Palin in episode two of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, 1969)

Organisations, Competition and Environment - Assignment for Higher Essay

Organisations, Competition and Environment - Assignment for Higher National Diploma in Business and Management - Essay Example Recently, the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries were admitted into the European Union. I hypothesise that the entry of the Czech Republic has significant positive effects for companies in the European Union given that tariffs between the Czech Republic and other EU countries in general and the United Kingdom in particular have been eliminated. The aim of this paper is to prepare an article for a UK company that has operations in the Czech Republic describing the effects on the company of the Czech Republic’s admission into the Union. The rest of the paper is organised as follows: Section 2 describes the European Union how the admission of the Czech Republic into the Union has affected our chosen company, Section 3 presents a syllabus of the main points to be included in the article and Section 4 is a presentation of the article as it will be published in the companies periodicals. The European Union was formally established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty (Palmowski, 2003). The Maastricht treaty brought together the 3 pillars including: the European Community (EC) whose decisions were governed by the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament and guarded by the European Court of Justice; the Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is determined on the basis of intergovernmental cooperation in the European Council alone; Justice and Home Affairs. (Palmowski, 2003). The European Union was formed as a continuation of the process to promote an economic and political Union in Europe which began with the formation of the European Community after the Second World War. (Palmowski, 2003). In addition, in the 1980s, Europe became more concern about the internationalisation and globalisation of trade and politics in which small European States could only have an influential voice if they acted in coordination with each other. (Palmowski, 2003). The

Why affirmative action is still needed in 2012 Essay

Why affirmative action is still needed in 2012 - Essay Example Affirmative action is a policy by which marginalized groups (with marginalization usually defined on the basis of gender or race or class) are given preferential treatment, usually in the form of quotas. For example, in universities, a set quota may be allocated to, for example, black people or Latin Americans in order to create a heterogeneous atmosphere and increase possibilities for racial minorities. Or a gender quota might be imposed in companies, to ensure an equal number of men and women. Whilst the focal point of affirmative action is to improve the lives of those who belong to historically marginalized sectors, one very important aim as well of this policy and perhaps its long-term goal is to achieve social integration, to break down stereotypes and biases, and to foster a more gender-fair and color-blind society. To quote Coate and Loury, in workplace affirmative action, â€Å"an important component of this question would seem to be the impact of affirmative action on empl oyers’ stereotypes about the capabilities of minority workers. If affirmative action serves to break down negative stereotypes, then to the extent that these underlie discrimination, a temporary program of affirmative action should lead to permanent gains for minorities† (1220). What must be remembered, however, if we are to break down these stereotypes by any sort of policy, is that these stereotypes did not take place overnight, but are the products or outcomes of socially-reproduced perceptions. Women have been considered as the weaker sex, unable to carry out masculine tasks and duties requiring intellectual development. In the past, a little girl would learn from her mother that a woman’s place was at home – doing household work like cooking and cleaning and watching over young children. Indeed, societal norms have greatly affected women in many cultures. Women, in most cultures, are considered to be inferior, a situation that has continued to hinder their career progress. In many societies, men and women are assigned distinct social roles which are restricted by certain norms. The perception of the role of women in the workforce has widely changed over time in the society. Historically, the society viewed women society as in the home taking care of the husband and children. Social norms required the woman to be submissive to the husband and should not leave the home for work. Social norms treated women traits as meek and submissive, and work, especially in demanding fields like engineering, would make them lose the traits. Hence, this discouraged women to work in demanding occupations like engineering, science, and mathematics with low pay. We must bear in mind that these â€Å"dichotomous, mutually exclusive categories that shape our understanding of the world are gendered and they are key to the production and reproduction of violence at all levels† (Confrontini 333). This cultural pressure to be a homemaker and not to aspire to work professionally or to yearn for achievements such as those done by men was what impacted on access to education by girls vis a vis boys. According to the Women’s International Center: Formal education for girls historically has been secondary to that for boys. In colonial America girls learned to read and write at dame schools. They could attend the master's schools for boys when there was room, usually during the summer when most of the boys were working. By the end of the 19th century, however, the number of women

Business admin assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business admin assignment 1 - Essay Example It is also considered one of the most admired companies in the United States since many people recognize its performance and strategic planning (Dowling, 2008). This is mostly seen in the strategies that are used in enhancing its markets. This has been widely attributed by globalization. First, globalization has played a major role in expanding the performance of apple inc. This has been realized as there is increased competition from the corporation. With the induction of globalization, many corporations find it easy to penetrate into other markets (Berry, 2005). As such, they have the legality of selling their products in all markets across the globe. With induction of their products in such markets, many people have access to a variety of products which are available in the market. Since the population has a variety of products, they have the freewill of choosing the best quality products. This will have a positive impact on the quality of products that are sold in the market. Sim ilarly, this is an opportunity to reduce any chances of corporations monopolizing a market. Monopolies have direct control over the market and may likely supply substandard products. However, with the induction of Apple Inc in the market, the corporation has been able to give the market unparalleled products. This has been awaking call for other companies that would like to dominate the market. Secondly, globalization has played a major role in ensuring there are economies of large scale production. Businesses have been stating that the costs of productions are escalating with each passing year. However, large corporations have stated that economies of large scale production are the only solution to effective production. This has been proved by Apple Corporation as it savors large scale production. This reduces the cost of production, cost of labor and other miscellaneous expenses. As such, the corporations are able to produce high quality products to the market at an affordable pri ce. Similarly, the corporation is able to make substantial profits that are used in expansion (Berry, 2005). In many instances, corporations plough back profits into the business with the essence of increasing production. In addition to enhancing the performance of the corporations, globalization has helped these corporations to increase competitiveness. Apparently, this has helped many corporations to reconsider customer needs and their values. As a matter of fact, many customers in the market are now realizing the cost effectiveness of globalization through production of better products that are of high quality. As such, customers feel that their needs and preferences are approached in a satisfactory manner. Thirdly, globalization has helped many corporations including Apple Corporation to realize the positivity of location flexibility. When there is globalization, many corporations find it appropriate to expand their businesses to other untapped markets. These markets provide a s ubstantial demand market for their products as they feel the urge to purchase such products. In the end, the corporation benefits substantially as it increases its profits. In addition to this, the corporation realizes the reduction in costs of production. For instance, when they start another plant in an area, they use locally available labor, materials and other resources in the same

Strategic Role of the Sales Person for Online Consumers

Strategic Role of the Sales Person for Online Consumers Abstract. This study aims to explore the role of online sales promotions in creating a sustainable competitive advantage for Shell. Based on the literature review and the research objective 4 propositions were developed. Shells representation of the product online plays a key role in driving consumer attitude towards shopping online and the intention to buy. The consumers perception of enjoyable online experience has a positive impact on impulse purchases leading to increase in sales for Shell. The online virtual experience created by the Shell promotion will play a major role in creating a competitive advantage. The communication of trust and credibility by the online promotions of Shell reduces uncertainty and adds perceived value to the brand. Based on the exploratory nature of the research objective depth interviews were used to provide insights into the consumer motives for engaging in the online promotional activity of Shell and how they perceive the information communicated and what are its effects on their decision making process. The information captured was measured using the analytical framework in order to validate the propositions. All the 4 propositions were proved to be valid however the research faces limitations in terms of the sample size and the attributes covered. Therefore using this research as a base it the strategic role of online promotions and its potential for establishing a sustainable competetive advantage could be further explored with a larger sample to reach a conclusion. 1 .0 Introduction Shell is a global organisation with a huge portfolio of businesses across domains. The firm has used the web as a platform to support its business through online marketing and promotions. In 2009 the shell retail department has been involved in Shell fuels campaign which highlights the quote â€Å"Get the most out of every drop† and the Shell retail team is interested in conducting a post implementation review of their retail promotions in 2009, as the retail team is interested in knowing, if their current retail promotion for the Shell fuels campaign 2009 is successful in meeting its promotional objectives, as it has been investing  £40,000 to  £48,000 on its retail promotions. The objective of the promotion chosen is to drive online traffic to the forefront and to influence trial through portal web traffic. The implementation task is outsourced to external agencies and therefore the Shell retail promotions manager Carolyn Thomas is interested to know the perception of ad option by the external customers. Moreover the retail department does not want to cheapen the Shell brand through their promotion. The promotion which is tested in this research would be the e-vouchering promotion used in the U.K. Bowman (1997) states that 80% of sales promotion does not work in the U.K. For example: It has been discussed in the academic research arena that coupon promotions are inefficient. Moreover research suggests that sales promotion is unlikely to attain sustainable competitive advantage; there are exceptions to the above argument example: Tesco, BA (Yeshin, 2006).However this is the case with sales promotions relative to the traditional shopping environment. The existing academic literature in online consumer behaviour suggests that, with technological advancements on the web, the online sales promotion has the potential to achieve a competitive advantage (Ref).Therefore the role of online sales promotions in obtaining a sustainable advantage is explored in t he context of Shell. Furthermore the significance of the promotional activity is analysed through qualitative in-depth interviews which tries to capture the different dimensions of online consumer perceptions on sales promotions. This in turn is validated with reference to the literature review conducted in the context of this research objective. 2.0 Problem Definition: Sales promotion in this context is defined as a planned and implemented marketing activity that enhances product or service appeal and changes consumer behaviour in return for an additional benefit for a purchase or participation (Yeshin, 2006).However existing research suggests that sales promotions can either enhance or destroy brand value, it depends on how the consumer perceives the promotion. Furthermore it is also concluded that the techniques such as coupon promotions offer little in terms of brand sustenance and leads to no lasting positive change in the value of post promotion sales and could also result in damaging the existing perception of consumers on the brand(Ref).However in the case of Shell this would depend on the strategic contribution of the promotional activity implemented by Shell. Therefore it is important to research the strategic role of sales promotion and its impact on the brand image of Shell, as the brand destruction by a sales promotion of one product would have an impact on the overall brand which caters to a wider portfolio of products and services (Ref). 3.0 Research Objective and Process: The Objective of this research is to explore the strategic role of sales promotion in engaging online consumers and its likelihood of obtaining a sustainable advantage within Shell. The methodology chosen for this research is qualitative and would involve depth interviews because this research is exploratory and requires the understanding of consumer perceptions and their feelings towards the online promotions. The sample used for this research involves Shell mangers responsible for the implementation of the promotion as well as the potential online consumers for Shell. This would benefit the Shell retail department in using the interactive elements of the web relative to online consumers perception on its promotion and reduce the risk of value destruction and potentially establish a sustainable advantage. This study would potentially give an understanding on the perceptions of their online consumers in the U.K which is one of their major markets. However this research does face limitations due to time constraints and access to resources ,this research would be considered as a pilot and could be explored in future with more detail for Shells other major markets such as Europe, US , Africa and Middle-East with the leverage of time and resources. Moreover the validity of this research could be enhanced with more samples in the U.K. 4.0 Literature Review This section would literally look again at the existing academic literature on what has already been written about sales promotions and online consumer behaviour within the context of this research (Lee and Lings, 2008).The existing academic literature on sales promotions has concluded that, its less likely to achieve a sustainable advantage because it is often used by marketers as a short term measure to achieve sales targets (Ref). However there is a considerable amount of research happening in the area of online promotions which suggests that there is a potential for online promotions to establish a competitive advantage by taking advantage of the technological advancements on the web, such as the 3 dimensional and interactive features of the web, which could be used by marketers in creating perceived value to the brand and therefore contributing to the long term brand value (Ref). However there is limited research in the role of online sales promotions in establishing an online s ustainable advantage because of the rapid technological developments. Therefore this research would contribute to the existing literature and also would attempt to answer Shells question on if their promotion is creating or destroying its brand value. The research propositions are developed based on the literature review and also would form the basis of an appropriate research methodology. 4.1 Conceptualization of Promotions: Promotions have perhaps witnessed both dramatic growth and change over the years than any other area of marketing communications (Yeshin, 2006).Therefore it is important to review the different definitions relative to the changing nature of promotions (Table 1). Academics Definition The institute of sales promotions(2004) Describes, â€Å"A planned and implemented marketing activity that both enhances product or service appeal and changes customer behaviour positively in return for additional benefit for purchase or participation † Shimp (2000) Suggests that â€Å"a promotion is any incentive used by a manufacturer to induce the trade and/or consumer to buy a brand and encourage the sales force to aggressively sell it† Kotler et al(1999) Defines sales promotion as â€Å"Short-term incentives to encourage purchase or sale of a product or service† Schultz, Robinson and Petrison(1992) Provide a more strategic definition of sales promotion, they suggest that â€Å"Sales promotions are marketing and communication activities that change the price/value relationship of a product or service perceived by the target, thereby (1)generating immediate sales and (2)altering the long term brand value† The Direct marketing association(1994) Similarly argues that â€Å"Sales promotion activities that communicate distinctive brand attributes and contribute to the brand development and reinforcement of brand value are consumer franchise building promotions† Alan Toop(1994) Writing in marketing suggests:† Sales promotion conducts an interactive relationship with its audience. It invites participation, invites consumers to enter ,to apply, to collect† Table 1: Sales promotion definitions Therefore the above contradictions in the definitions, leads to a confusion in the role and purpose of sales promotions, and therefore its been argued seriously in the academic arena, and concluded that the techniques offer-little in the way of brand sustenance, and leads to no lasting positive change in the value of post promotion sales, and as a consequence could result in damage to the existing brand perceptions (Ehrenberg et al, 1991; Ehrenberg, 1994; Jones, 1990; Yeshin, 2006). However this would depend on the strategic contribution of the promotional activity implemented by Shell (Ref).Moreover its been pointed by Gupta et al (1997) that empirical research in the area of sales promotions has been focusing on the short term effects of sales promotions and therefore its been used by most marketers as a tactical tool. In support Peattie and Peattie (1997) argue that the bundling of all the different types of promotions for the purpose of research and study gives a very limited view of the potential achievements of sales promotions and also has encouraged a negative perception on the impacts that promotions can potentially have on the brand. Furthermore in the following paper Peattie et al (1997) argues that most of these preconceptions are caused because of the tendency to view sales promotions as only price based and exclude the promotional activities that add value to the brand. This point is reiterated that the tendency of most researchers in this area has been to generalize sales promotions under money off and coupon promotions (Peattie, 2002). Moreover it has been argued that much of the research on sales promotions has been conducted considering the short term effects of sales promotions and has rarely conducted any research on the more long term contribution of sales promotions such as the communication oriented impact of sales promotion on consumers (Peattie,2002).This implies that in order to make sense and obtain reliable results it is necessary to disaggregate the different sales promotional techniques into their individual components(Yeashin,2006). Therefore in this research the long term contribution of Shells E-vouchering promotion is evaluated. Moreover it is argued that generalising all the promotions to achieve the same goals irrespective of their individual execution would imply incorrect results (Yeashin, 2006).Furthermore it is also pointed out by various authors that in order to focus on the long term impacts of sales promotions a more strategic focus is required and is illustrated by the following quotes ‘Sales promotions have come a long way from the time when it was ‘simply a short term inducement to increase sales (Robinson and Hauri, 1995). ‘Promotions are no longer simply short-term initiatives to lift sales, they are increasingly being used to reinforce brand values (Gay, 1997) The above definitions suggest the need for a long -term focus and the strategic application of sales promotions considering broader dimensions of the potential impacts of sales promotions (Yeshin, 2006).Therefore it is important to explore the broader strategic dimensions of Shells sales promotions in order to reach a credible conclusion on its contribution to the Shell brand. 4.2Strategic dimension of sales Promotions: Research suggests that more often sales promotion is considered as a short term-tactical tool (Yeshin, 2006).Although sales promotion is widely used to fulfil a variety of short-term objectives it often fails to recognize the strategic contribution on the long term, and it could often result in destroying the image or value of the brand (Yeshin, 2006). In order to evaluate its long term benefits it is critical to analyse the contributions of Shells online sales promotion in reinforcing its brand image, enhancing customer loyalty and developing strong relationships with its consumers because this can strengthen its brand position(Ref). Therefore it is important to explore the role of strategy within Shells online sales promotion and its contribution to the long-term effectiveness of the brand. 4.2.1Role of strategy: The strategy should provide a framework to measure and research on the type of sales promotion implemented (Head, 1998; Yeshin, 2006). Although it is suggested that sales promotions should be considered in line with the overall brand building process (Yeshin, 2006). An alternative definition by Schultz et al (1992) provides a more strategic focus on the on the consideration of the sales promotion activity. â€Å"Sales promotions are marketing and communications activities that change the price/value relationship of a product/service perceived by the target, therefore by generating immediate sales and altering long term brand value† The above definition is considered important because it recognizes the need for generating short term sales volume and also promotes the need to consider the long term issues related to the brand (Schultz et al, 1992; Yeshin, 2006).Therefore based on this definition the strategic significance of Shells promotions in engaging online consumers should be evaluated because this definition gives a base for evaluating the promotions of Shell by recognising the short term objective of generating sales volume whilst appreciating the long term issues relative to its brand (Schultz et al,1992).For this reason it is required to explore the impact of sales promotions and its implications to the Shell brand. In order to understand its significance to the Shell brand it is important to identify the strategic use of sales promotions (Yeshin,2006).This would benefit Shell in communicating consistent overall brand image whilst helping each individual promotion achieve its objectives by creating incre ased awareness(Yeshin,2006). It has been pointed that the reduction in product differentiation is one of the reasons for the increased usage of sales promotions(Yeshin,2006).Furthermore various studies suggest that similarities between brands can cause reduction in brand loyalty and is a consequence of increased usage of price oriented promotions(Ehrenberg,1993;Mela et al,1997). However there are various promotions that have demonstrated the potential to enhance the brand and generate loyalty in the long-term. For example: The frequent flyer schemes by airlines, Levis Flat Eric and Pepperami Fanimal(Yeshin,2006).Therefore as Lisa Campbell(1996)work in Promotions and incentives journal suggests ‘Its not the tool we should be blaming but the users. This implies that the sales promotion tool used by Shell is not to be blamed but the way in which it is applied. Therefore it is required to review the literature on the strategic application of sales promotions and its potential benefits. 4.2.2The Strategic Application of Sales promotions: Davies (1992) and OMalley (1993) provide a contrasting view which suggests that sales promotions that are consistent with the overall marketing communications plan can enhance long term brand value and therefore could be considered strategically valuable.Similarily its been argued that sales promotions offering a rebate or discount are likely to cheapen the brand(Aaker,1991).However there are ways to apply promotions strategically and enhance the brand equity rather than destroying it(Aaker,1991). Furthermore the brand equity can be reinforced by strengthening its brand awareness and associations (Yeshin,2006).However based on the research conducted by Peattie et al (1997) it is concluded that sales promotions have the potential to: 1.Improve brand awareness. 2.Stimulate product trial. 3.Act as a communications channel between a company and its customers. Based on the research by Peattie et al (1997) the strategic application of Shells sales promotion is identified to stimulate product trial and act as communication channel between Shell and it consumers. However its contribution to the brand depends on how the consumer perceives the promotion. Furthermore the potential reasons behind using sales promotions needs to be identified in order to understand the reason underpinning Shells Online promotions (Yeshin, 2006). Lee (2002) suggests four reasons for using sales promotions: 1. Reaction to competitors promotions 2. Inertia: This is what the firm always did 3. Meeting short term-sales objectives 4. Meeting long-term objectives However research suggests that most sales promotions fall in the first 3 categories mainly for price based promotions (Lee, 2002).Moreover in most cases it is not used strategically but used as a panic measure. Furthermore it is suggested that sales promotions should be used at a higher level where it is integrated with main strategy (Lee, 2002).Therefore the usage of Shells online promotions and its relationship with the overall strategy needs to be explored. In order to understand this relationship within the context of this research it is important to identify the type of sales promotion strategy used by Shell. 4.2.3Type of strategies: As sales promotion can reflect both push and pull strategies it is important to distinguish between the types of strategies that could be potentially used by Shell (Yeshin, 2006).The push strategy motivates distribution channels and encourages them to promote the product or service to the consumer, whereas the pull strategy is targeted directly towards end users to purchase products or services from the distribution channel (Yeshin, 2006). Based on the above definitions and Shells promotional objective its promotional strategy is identified as a Pull strategy. These definitions of strategy are derived based on its intention to achieve results or goals for the firm(Craig,1983).Therefore in this case Shells choice of Pull strategy is based on its intention to drive online traffic to the forefront and increase the number of trials through its web portal. However there are multiple objectives for a firm at the corporate level and this leads to the design of different strategies to achieve different objectives at the expense of others (Craig, 1983; Shendel and Patton, 1978).Therefore this research tries to focus on the chosen sales promotion and its objective and does not consider the impacts of other objectives and strategies of the firm. Furthermore many research scholars have suggested that sales promotion is unlikely to attain sustainable competitive advantage (Yeshin, 2006).However there are exceptions to the above argument example: Tesco club card, BA Air miles (Yeshin, 2006). Therefore the sustainability of Shells online promotions is not ruled out and therefore needs to be explored. Moreover it is important to adopt a strategic approach rather than a tactical approach, which has been the focus in most cases (Yeshin, 2006). In order to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of Shells retail promotions, it is necessary to consider the potential impacts of sales promotion on the consumer. Raghubir et al (2004) argues that promotions may have three forms of impact on the consumer 1. Economic: The monetary benefits derived from the type of the promotional offer and its potential decrease in transaction time that lead to a simplified purchase decision. 2. Informational: It is about communicating the information about a brand which is unknown to the consumer. 3. Emotional: The feelings or emotions that are aroused as consequence of the exposure to the promotion. Therefore the impact of Shells online promotions in the above three forms would be explored in order to evaluate its contribution t 5.0 Measuring the effectiveness of promotions Although sales promotion is argued to be a marketing technique which is beneficial in the short-term. It is important to measure its long term-effectiveness in order to analyse the strategic significance of the activity. As cook (1995) argues it is important to consider the objective of the promotion before evaluation of the promotion in order to choose the best approach. Therefore in this case the post implementation review is done and its long-term effectiveness is considered. Based on the literature review and Yeshin (2006) suggestion the following factors could be used to measure the long term effectiveness of sales promotions: 1. Does the promotional concept fit well with the brand and expected consumer perceptions? 2. Is the promotion perceived to be credible by the consumers? 3. Are there any constraints for the consumer to overcome in responding to the promotion? 4. Is the recommended promotion most likely to achieve the desired objectives? 5. Is the promotion perceived as a value addition in satisfying consumer needs? In order to explore the long-term effectiveness and its contribution to obtain an online competitive advantage for Shell the existing literature on competitive advantage is explored relative to Shells online promotions. 6.0 Competitive Advantage: The information revolution has given firms new ways to outperform their rivals and therefore allows the firm to create a competitive advantage(Ref).This conceptualisation of competitive advantage is important because it is relative to the research objective which explores how the information presented by the sales promotion could contribute to the overall brand. The research by Porter and Miller suggest that it is hard to underestimate the strategic significance of the latest developments in information technology. It demonstrates that Information technology has been transforming the nature of products, processes, companies, industries and even competition itself (Porter and Miller,1985).Although it has been treated as a support service it is suggested that organisations should understand that on a broader perspective, as Information technology could create sustainable competitive advantage (Porter and miller,1985).Therefore with ongoing developments on the web, the strategic significance of Shells online promotions needs to be explored in order to identify its potential in obtaining an online competitive advantage. Information technology should be perceived as medium that can process the information created by businesses and use them through the various technologies that are linked in order to create a competitive advantage (Ref).Therefore it is relevant to discuss the reasons that underpin the strategic significance of Information technology and its impacts on business in order to understand how it could be used to create an online competitive advantage for Shell (Ref). Research suggests that information technology changes the way in which products and services are created and the information provided in order to create value to the consumers (Ref).In the case of Shell the value created is determined by the amount the consumers are willing to pay for their product or service (Ref).Therefore the Shell retail promotions could be considered profitable if the value it creates through the implementation of its promotion exceeds the cost of performing the promotional activity(Ref).This implies that Shell should either perform the promotional activity at a lesser cost or should create perceived value that leads to a premium price(Ref). 6.1Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The online environment is changing the existing roles of competition and strategy because there is a pressure on the average profitability of the industry which is created by the internet (Porter, 1991).Therefore with competition from firms such as B.P, ESSO and Total it is important for Shell to set itself apart from the others (Ref). This could be possible only by achieving a sustainable competitive advantage (Ref).However this could be achieved either by operational effectiveness or strategic positioning(Ref).In the case of operational effectiveness it is required for Shell to do things better than competitors where as in the case of strategic positioning Shell has to do things differently from competitors there by offering something unique to customers(Ref).However the improvement of operational efficiency using the internet does not provide a competitive advantage because the best practise established by Shell can be imitated by its competitors(Ref).Moreover it is argued that co mpetitive advantage tends to be short-lived in the online environment because competitor can easily monitor and offer a similar offer or service(Chaffey et.al., 2000:134).Therefore it becomes difficult to sustain the operational advantage. Hence strategic positioning is considered more important in this case where strategic positioning should involve a series of tailored activities to develop a product or service appeal that would offer a unique value perception (Ref). Moreover the online environment can be used to draw long lasting customer relationships (Ref).The interactive nature of the online environment can be used to build relationships (Ref). This is supported by Gronroos(1994). Buttle (1996:1) statement â€Å"Enduring relationships with customers cannot be duplicated by competitors, and therefore provide a unique and sustainable competitive advantage†. Therefore in order to explore the contribution of interactive online environment in building relationships with the consumer it is required to conceptualise the online consumer behaviour and the factors influencing them. 7.0Online consumer Behaviour: The strategic role of sales promotions in engaging online consumers is explored. Therefore based on the research objective it is important to have a significant understanding on online consumer behaviour and factors influencing them. Research suggests that more than 20% of consumers across several countries are buying products online using the internet and more than 50% of internet users in the U.S buy products and services online (Kim et al, 2009). In the U.K around 40% of internet users buy products and services online (Kim et al, 2009). Although it could be argued that there is no difference between online and traditional consumers (Constantinides, 2004). The new addition is building trust or confidence and is suggested to have a significant influence on online buying process (Ref).Therefore the factors influencing online consumer behaviour needs to be discussed based on the existing literature in order to understand their implications to the online promotions of Shell. 7.1Factors Influencing consumer Behaviour: Based on the previous academic research it is inferred that there are controllable and uncontrollable factors which influence consumer behaviour (Constantinides, 2004). The interaction of controllable and uncontrollable factors determines online decision making process just as in traditional markets (Constantinides, 2004).However in this research the factors that are under the control of the E-marketer would be explored. The existing research on online consumer behaviour indicates a set of controllable factors influencing consumer behaviour (Ref) * The functional attributes of the website such as interactivity and usability. * The psychological elements intended in lowering the level of consumers uncertainty by the communication of Trust and credibility of the website. There has been considerable amount of research on the components of web experience. However there has been minimal attention in their integration. Therefore this research attempts to explore the contribution of these elements in obtaining a competitive advantage. Based on the research objective the online consumer behaviour is conceptualised. 7.2Conceptualisation of Online Consumer behaviour: The online consumer behaviour is the key theme around which this research is based. Therefore it is imperative to introduce the online consumer considered in this research. Based on previous academic research the online consumer is considered to be a computer user and a shopper (Koufaris, 2002).The online consumers could be classified as potential customers and repeat customers as they posses different amount of information and use different criteria to make a purchase decision (Kim et al, 2009).Although it is suggested that different promotional strategies should be used to create initial sales and to generate repeat sales (Ref). This leads to less clarity on the differences in decision making by the two groups of consumers. However the research by Kim et al (2009) shows that the value perception of the transactions made online are strongly influenced by the non-monetary factors like perceived risk factor than by monetary factors like perceived price for potential consumers, in cont rast the repeat customers are strongly influenced by monetary factors than non-monetary factors(Ref). Therefore it is suggested that the promotion needs to be customised for the two different groups. But the extent of customisation and its influence on the consumers need to be tested and validated in the case of Shell (Zhang, 2009). This leads to a proposition where it is important to understand and measure online consumer behaviour. A multidisciplinary approach needs to be taken as it is important to consider Information systems, marketing and physiological perspectives to do a comprehensive analysis on online consumer behaviour (Straub and Watson 2001). There have been various attempts from academics in building models around online consumer behaviour. The key attributes identified from the research are on converting web surfers into web consumers and, reasons for not shopping online. It is interesting to see transaction cost theory being applied to understand the impact of I.T on market structure and consumer behaviour (Malone et al. 1987).Based on the frame work it is inferred that if buyer search costs are substantial it could influence consumer behaviour (Bakos 1997).However it is important to see how effective it is in the context of online consumers. It is argued that online consumers cannot depend on al l 5 senses to make purchase decisions as they are limited to product or services represented through photographs and text descriptions (Koufaris, 2002).However research shows that the representation of the product online and the web experience play a key role in driving consumer attitude towards shopping online and Strategic Role of the Sales Person for Online Consumers Strategic Role of the Sales Person for Online Consumers Abstract. This study aims to explore the role of online sales promotions in creating a sustainable competitive advantage for Shell. Based on the literature review and the research objective 4 propositions were developed. Shells representation of the product online plays a key role in driving consumer attitude towards shopping online and the intention to buy. The consumers perception of enjoyable online experience has a positive impact on impulse purchases leading to increase in sales for Shell. The online virtual experience created by the Shell promotion will play a major role in creating a competitive advantage. The communication of trust and credibility by the online promotions of Shell reduces uncertainty and adds perceived value to the brand. Based on the exploratory nature of the research objective depth interviews were used to provide insights into the consumer motives for engaging in the online promotional activity of Shell and how they perceive the information communicated and what are its effects on their decision making process. The information captured was measured using the analytical framework in order to validate the propositions. All the 4 propositions were proved to be valid however the research faces limitations in terms of the sample size and the attributes covered. Therefore using this research as a base it the strategic role of online promotions and its potential for establishing a sustainable competetive advantage could be further explored with a larger sample to reach a conclusion. 1 .0 Introduction Shell is a global organisation with a huge portfolio of businesses across domains. The firm has used the web as a platform to support its business through online marketing and promotions. In 2009 the shell retail department has been involved in Shell fuels campaign which highlights the quote â€Å"Get the most out of every drop† and the Shell retail team is interested in conducting a post implementation review of their retail promotions in 2009, as the retail team is interested in knowing, if their current retail promotion for the Shell fuels campaign 2009 is successful in meeting its promotional objectives, as it has been investing  £40,000 to  £48,000 on its retail promotions. The objective of the promotion chosen is to drive online traffic to the forefront and to influence trial through portal web traffic. The implementation task is outsourced to external agencies and therefore the Shell retail promotions manager Carolyn Thomas is interested to know the perception of ad option by the external customers. Moreover the retail department does not want to cheapen the Shell brand through their promotion. The promotion which is tested in this research would be the e-vouchering promotion used in the U.K. Bowman (1997) states that 80% of sales promotion does not work in the U.K. For example: It has been discussed in the academic research arena that coupon promotions are inefficient. Moreover research suggests that sales promotion is unlikely to attain sustainable competitive advantage; there are exceptions to the above argument example: Tesco, BA (Yeshin, 2006).However this is the case with sales promotions relative to the traditional shopping environment. The existing academic literature in online consumer behaviour suggests that, with technological advancements on the web, the online sales promotion has the potential to achieve a competitive advantage (Ref).Therefore the role of online sales promotions in obtaining a sustainable advantage is explored in t he context of Shell. Furthermore the significance of the promotional activity is analysed through qualitative in-depth interviews which tries to capture the different dimensions of online consumer perceptions on sales promotions. This in turn is validated with reference to the literature review conducted in the context of this research objective. 2.0 Problem Definition: Sales promotion in this context is defined as a planned and implemented marketing activity that enhances product or service appeal and changes consumer behaviour in return for an additional benefit for a purchase or participation (Yeshin, 2006).However existing research suggests that sales promotions can either enhance or destroy brand value, it depends on how the consumer perceives the promotion. Furthermore it is also concluded that the techniques such as coupon promotions offer little in terms of brand sustenance and leads to no lasting positive change in the value of post promotion sales and could also result in damaging the existing perception of consumers on the brand(Ref).However in the case of Shell this would depend on the strategic contribution of the promotional activity implemented by Shell. Therefore it is important to research the strategic role of sales promotion and its impact on the brand image of Shell, as the brand destruction by a sales promotion of one product would have an impact on the overall brand which caters to a wider portfolio of products and services (Ref). 3.0 Research Objective and Process: The Objective of this research is to explore the strategic role of sales promotion in engaging online consumers and its likelihood of obtaining a sustainable advantage within Shell. The methodology chosen for this research is qualitative and would involve depth interviews because this research is exploratory and requires the understanding of consumer perceptions and their feelings towards the online promotions. The sample used for this research involves Shell mangers responsible for the implementation of the promotion as well as the potential online consumers for Shell. This would benefit the Shell retail department in using the interactive elements of the web relative to online consumers perception on its promotion and reduce the risk of value destruction and potentially establish a sustainable advantage. This study would potentially give an understanding on the perceptions of their online consumers in the U.K which is one of their major markets. However this research does face limitations due to time constraints and access to resources ,this research would be considered as a pilot and could be explored in future with more detail for Shells other major markets such as Europe, US , Africa and Middle-East with the leverage of time and resources. Moreover the validity of this research could be enhanced with more samples in the U.K. 4.0 Literature Review This section would literally look again at the existing academic literature on what has already been written about sales promotions and online consumer behaviour within the context of this research (Lee and Lings, 2008).The existing academic literature on sales promotions has concluded that, its less likely to achieve a sustainable advantage because it is often used by marketers as a short term measure to achieve sales targets (Ref). However there is a considerable amount of research happening in the area of online promotions which suggests that there is a potential for online promotions to establish a competitive advantage by taking advantage of the technological advancements on the web, such as the 3 dimensional and interactive features of the web, which could be used by marketers in creating perceived value to the brand and therefore contributing to the long term brand value (Ref). However there is limited research in the role of online sales promotions in establishing an online s ustainable advantage because of the rapid technological developments. Therefore this research would contribute to the existing literature and also would attempt to answer Shells question on if their promotion is creating or destroying its brand value. The research propositions are developed based on the literature review and also would form the basis of an appropriate research methodology. 4.1 Conceptualization of Promotions: Promotions have perhaps witnessed both dramatic growth and change over the years than any other area of marketing communications (Yeshin, 2006).Therefore it is important to review the different definitions relative to the changing nature of promotions (Table 1). Academics Definition The institute of sales promotions(2004) Describes, â€Å"A planned and implemented marketing activity that both enhances product or service appeal and changes customer behaviour positively in return for additional benefit for purchase or participation † Shimp (2000) Suggests that â€Å"a promotion is any incentive used by a manufacturer to induce the trade and/or consumer to buy a brand and encourage the sales force to aggressively sell it† Kotler et al(1999) Defines sales promotion as â€Å"Short-term incentives to encourage purchase or sale of a product or service† Schultz, Robinson and Petrison(1992) Provide a more strategic definition of sales promotion, they suggest that â€Å"Sales promotions are marketing and communication activities that change the price/value relationship of a product or service perceived by the target, thereby (1)generating immediate sales and (2)altering the long term brand value† The Direct marketing association(1994) Similarly argues that â€Å"Sales promotion activities that communicate distinctive brand attributes and contribute to the brand development and reinforcement of brand value are consumer franchise building promotions† Alan Toop(1994) Writing in marketing suggests:† Sales promotion conducts an interactive relationship with its audience. It invites participation, invites consumers to enter ,to apply, to collect† Table 1: Sales promotion definitions Therefore the above contradictions in the definitions, leads to a confusion in the role and purpose of sales promotions, and therefore its been argued seriously in the academic arena, and concluded that the techniques offer-little in the way of brand sustenance, and leads to no lasting positive change in the value of post promotion sales, and as a consequence could result in damage to the existing brand perceptions (Ehrenberg et al, 1991; Ehrenberg, 1994; Jones, 1990; Yeshin, 2006). However this would depend on the strategic contribution of the promotional activity implemented by Shell (Ref).Moreover its been pointed by Gupta et al (1997) that empirical research in the area of sales promotions has been focusing on the short term effects of sales promotions and therefore its been used by most marketers as a tactical tool. In support Peattie and Peattie (1997) argue that the bundling of all the different types of promotions for the purpose of research and study gives a very limited view of the potential achievements of sales promotions and also has encouraged a negative perception on the impacts that promotions can potentially have on the brand. Furthermore in the following paper Peattie et al (1997) argues that most of these preconceptions are caused because of the tendency to view sales promotions as only price based and exclude the promotional activities that add value to the brand. This point is reiterated that the tendency of most researchers in this area has been to generalize sales promotions under money off and coupon promotions (Peattie, 2002). Moreover it has been argued that much of the research on sales promotions has been conducted considering the short term effects of sales promotions and has rarely conducted any research on the more long term contribution of sales promotions such as the communication oriented impact of sales promotion on consumers (Peattie,2002).This implies that in order to make sense and obtain reliable results it is necessary to disaggregate the different sales promotional techniques into their individual components(Yeashin,2006). Therefore in this research the long term contribution of Shells E-vouchering promotion is evaluated. Moreover it is argued that generalising all the promotions to achieve the same goals irrespective of their individual execution would imply incorrect results (Yeashin, 2006).Furthermore it is also pointed out by various authors that in order to focus on the long term impacts of sales promotions a more strategic focus is required and is illustrated by the following quotes ‘Sales promotions have come a long way from the time when it was ‘simply a short term inducement to increase sales (Robinson and Hauri, 1995). ‘Promotions are no longer simply short-term initiatives to lift sales, they are increasingly being used to reinforce brand values (Gay, 1997) The above definitions suggest the need for a long -term focus and the strategic application of sales promotions considering broader dimensions of the potential impacts of sales promotions (Yeshin, 2006).Therefore it is important to explore the broader strategic dimensions of Shells sales promotions in order to reach a credible conclusion on its contribution to the Shell brand. 4.2Strategic dimension of sales Promotions: Research suggests that more often sales promotion is considered as a short term-tactical tool (Yeshin, 2006).Although sales promotion is widely used to fulfil a variety of short-term objectives it often fails to recognize the strategic contribution on the long term, and it could often result in destroying the image or value of the brand (Yeshin, 2006). In order to evaluate its long term benefits it is critical to analyse the contributions of Shells online sales promotion in reinforcing its brand image, enhancing customer loyalty and developing strong relationships with its consumers because this can strengthen its brand position(Ref). Therefore it is important to explore the role of strategy within Shells online sales promotion and its contribution to the long-term effectiveness of the brand. 4.2.1Role of strategy: The strategy should provide a framework to measure and research on the type of sales promotion implemented (Head, 1998; Yeshin, 2006). Although it is suggested that sales promotions should be considered in line with the overall brand building process (Yeshin, 2006). An alternative definition by Schultz et al (1992) provides a more strategic focus on the on the consideration of the sales promotion activity. â€Å"Sales promotions are marketing and communications activities that change the price/value relationship of a product/service perceived by the target, therefore by generating immediate sales and altering long term brand value† The above definition is considered important because it recognizes the need for generating short term sales volume and also promotes the need to consider the long term issues related to the brand (Schultz et al, 1992; Yeshin, 2006).Therefore based on this definition the strategic significance of Shells promotions in engaging online consumers should be evaluated because this definition gives a base for evaluating the promotions of Shell by recognising the short term objective of generating sales volume whilst appreciating the long term issues relative to its brand (Schultz et al,1992).For this reason it is required to explore the impact of sales promotions and its implications to the Shell brand. In order to understand its significance to the Shell brand it is important to identify the strategic use of sales promotions (Yeshin,2006).This would benefit Shell in communicating consistent overall brand image whilst helping each individual promotion achieve its objectives by creating incre ased awareness(Yeshin,2006). It has been pointed that the reduction in product differentiation is one of the reasons for the increased usage of sales promotions(Yeshin,2006).Furthermore various studies suggest that similarities between brands can cause reduction in brand loyalty and is a consequence of increased usage of price oriented promotions(Ehrenberg,1993;Mela et al,1997). However there are various promotions that have demonstrated the potential to enhance the brand and generate loyalty in the long-term. For example: The frequent flyer schemes by airlines, Levis Flat Eric and Pepperami Fanimal(Yeshin,2006).Therefore as Lisa Campbell(1996)work in Promotions and incentives journal suggests ‘Its not the tool we should be blaming but the users. This implies that the sales promotion tool used by Shell is not to be blamed but the way in which it is applied. Therefore it is required to review the literature on the strategic application of sales promotions and its potential benefits. 4.2.2The Strategic Application of Sales promotions: Davies (1992) and OMalley (1993) provide a contrasting view which suggests that sales promotions that are consistent with the overall marketing communications plan can enhance long term brand value and therefore could be considered strategically valuable.Similarily its been argued that sales promotions offering a rebate or discount are likely to cheapen the brand(Aaker,1991).However there are ways to apply promotions strategically and enhance the brand equity rather than destroying it(Aaker,1991). Furthermore the brand equity can be reinforced by strengthening its brand awareness and associations (Yeshin,2006).However based on the research conducted by Peattie et al (1997) it is concluded that sales promotions have the potential to: 1.Improve brand awareness. 2.Stimulate product trial. 3.Act as a communications channel between a company and its customers. Based on the research by Peattie et al (1997) the strategic application of Shells sales promotion is identified to stimulate product trial and act as communication channel between Shell and it consumers. However its contribution to the brand depends on how the consumer perceives the promotion. Furthermore the potential reasons behind using sales promotions needs to be identified in order to understand the reason underpinning Shells Online promotions (Yeshin, 2006). Lee (2002) suggests four reasons for using sales promotions: 1. Reaction to competitors promotions 2. Inertia: This is what the firm always did 3. Meeting short term-sales objectives 4. Meeting long-term objectives However research suggests that most sales promotions fall in the first 3 categories mainly for price based promotions (Lee, 2002).Moreover in most cases it is not used strategically but used as a panic measure. Furthermore it is suggested that sales promotions should be used at a higher level where it is integrated with main strategy (Lee, 2002).Therefore the usage of Shells online promotions and its relationship with the overall strategy needs to be explored. In order to understand this relationship within the context of this research it is important to identify the type of sales promotion strategy used by Shell. 4.2.3Type of strategies: As sales promotion can reflect both push and pull strategies it is important to distinguish between the types of strategies that could be potentially used by Shell (Yeshin, 2006).The push strategy motivates distribution channels and encourages them to promote the product or service to the consumer, whereas the pull strategy is targeted directly towards end users to purchase products or services from the distribution channel (Yeshin, 2006). Based on the above definitions and Shells promotional objective its promotional strategy is identified as a Pull strategy. These definitions of strategy are derived based on its intention to achieve results or goals for the firm(Craig,1983).Therefore in this case Shells choice of Pull strategy is based on its intention to drive online traffic to the forefront and increase the number of trials through its web portal. However there are multiple objectives for a firm at the corporate level and this leads to the design of different strategies to achieve different objectives at the expense of others (Craig, 1983; Shendel and Patton, 1978).Therefore this research tries to focus on the chosen sales promotion and its objective and does not consider the impacts of other objectives and strategies of the firm. Furthermore many research scholars have suggested that sales promotion is unlikely to attain sustainable competitive advantage (Yeshin, 2006).However there are exceptions to the above argument example: Tesco club card, BA Air miles (Yeshin, 2006). Therefore the sustainability of Shells online promotions is not ruled out and therefore needs to be explored. Moreover it is important to adopt a strategic approach rather than a tactical approach, which has been the focus in most cases (Yeshin, 2006). In order to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of Shells retail promotions, it is necessary to consider the potential impacts of sales promotion on the consumer. Raghubir et al (2004) argues that promotions may have three forms of impact on the consumer 1. Economic: The monetary benefits derived from the type of the promotional offer and its potential decrease in transaction time that lead to a simplified purchase decision. 2. Informational: It is about communicating the information about a brand which is unknown to the consumer. 3. Emotional: The feelings or emotions that are aroused as consequence of the exposure to the promotion. Therefore the impact of Shells online promotions in the above three forms would be explored in order to evaluate its contribution t 5.0 Measuring the effectiveness of promotions Although sales promotion is argued to be a marketing technique which is beneficial in the short-term. It is important to measure its long term-effectiveness in order to analyse the strategic significance of the activity. As cook (1995) argues it is important to consider the objective of the promotion before evaluation of the promotion in order to choose the best approach. Therefore in this case the post implementation review is done and its long-term effectiveness is considered. Based on the literature review and Yeshin (2006) suggestion the following factors could be used to measure the long term effectiveness of sales promotions: 1. Does the promotional concept fit well with the brand and expected consumer perceptions? 2. Is the promotion perceived to be credible by the consumers? 3. Are there any constraints for the consumer to overcome in responding to the promotion? 4. Is the recommended promotion most likely to achieve the desired objectives? 5. Is the promotion perceived as a value addition in satisfying consumer needs? In order to explore the long-term effectiveness and its contribution to obtain an online competitive advantage for Shell the existing literature on competitive advantage is explored relative to Shells online promotions. 6.0 Competitive Advantage: The information revolution has given firms new ways to outperform their rivals and therefore allows the firm to create a competitive advantage(Ref).This conceptualisation of competitive advantage is important because it is relative to the research objective which explores how the information presented by the sales promotion could contribute to the overall brand. The research by Porter and Miller suggest that it is hard to underestimate the strategic significance of the latest developments in information technology. It demonstrates that Information technology has been transforming the nature of products, processes, companies, industries and even competition itself (Porter and Miller,1985).Although it has been treated as a support service it is suggested that organisations should understand that on a broader perspective, as Information technology could create sustainable competitive advantage (Porter and miller,1985).Therefore with ongoing developments on the web, the strategic significance of Shells online promotions needs to be explored in order to identify its potential in obtaining an online competitive advantage. Information technology should be perceived as medium that can process the information created by businesses and use them through the various technologies that are linked in order to create a competitive advantage (Ref).Therefore it is relevant to discuss the reasons that underpin the strategic significance of Information technology and its impacts on business in order to understand how it could be used to create an online competitive advantage for Shell (Ref). Research suggests that information technology changes the way in which products and services are created and the information provided in order to create value to the consumers (Ref).In the case of Shell the value created is determined by the amount the consumers are willing to pay for their product or service (Ref).Therefore the Shell retail promotions could be considered profitable if the value it creates through the implementation of its promotion exceeds the cost of performing the promotional activity(Ref).This implies that Shell should either perform the promotional activity at a lesser cost or should create perceived value that leads to a premium price(Ref). 6.1Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The online environment is changing the existing roles of competition and strategy because there is a pressure on the average profitability of the industry which is created by the internet (Porter, 1991).Therefore with competition from firms such as B.P, ESSO and Total it is important for Shell to set itself apart from the others (Ref). This could be possible only by achieving a sustainable competitive advantage (Ref).However this could be achieved either by operational effectiveness or strategic positioning(Ref).In the case of operational effectiveness it is required for Shell to do things better than competitors where as in the case of strategic positioning Shell has to do things differently from competitors there by offering something unique to customers(Ref).However the improvement of operational efficiency using the internet does not provide a competitive advantage because the best practise established by Shell can be imitated by its competitors(Ref).Moreover it is argued that co mpetitive advantage tends to be short-lived in the online environment because competitor can easily monitor and offer a similar offer or service(Chaffey et.al., 2000:134).Therefore it becomes difficult to sustain the operational advantage. Hence strategic positioning is considered more important in this case where strategic positioning should involve a series of tailored activities to develop a product or service appeal that would offer a unique value perception (Ref). Moreover the online environment can be used to draw long lasting customer relationships (Ref).The interactive nature of the online environment can be used to build relationships (Ref). This is supported by Gronroos(1994). Buttle (1996:1) statement â€Å"Enduring relationships with customers cannot be duplicated by competitors, and therefore provide a unique and sustainable competitive advantage†. Therefore in order to explore the contribution of interactive online environment in building relationships with the consumer it is required to conceptualise the online consumer behaviour and the factors influencing them. 7.0Online consumer Behaviour: The strategic role of sales promotions in engaging online consumers is explored. Therefore based on the research objective it is important to have a significant understanding on online consumer behaviour and factors influencing them. Research suggests that more than 20% of consumers across several countries are buying products online using the internet and more than 50% of internet users in the U.S buy products and services online (Kim et al, 2009). In the U.K around 40% of internet users buy products and services online (Kim et al, 2009). Although it could be argued that there is no difference between online and traditional consumers (Constantinides, 2004). The new addition is building trust or confidence and is suggested to have a significant influence on online buying process (Ref).Therefore the factors influencing online consumer behaviour needs to be discussed based on the existing literature in order to understand their implications to the online promotions of Shell. 7.1Factors Influencing consumer Behaviour: Based on the previous academic research it is inferred that there are controllable and uncontrollable factors which influence consumer behaviour (Constantinides, 2004). The interaction of controllable and uncontrollable factors determines online decision making process just as in traditional markets (Constantinides, 2004).However in this research the factors that are under the control of the E-marketer would be explored. The existing research on online consumer behaviour indicates a set of controllable factors influencing consumer behaviour (Ref) * The functional attributes of the website such as interactivity and usability. * The psychological elements intended in lowering the level of consumers uncertainty by the communication of Trust and credibility of the website. There has been considerable amount of research on the components of web experience. However there has been minimal attention in their integration. Therefore this research attempts to explore the contribution of these elements in obtaining a competitive advantage. Based on the research objective the online consumer behaviour is conceptualised. 7.2Conceptualisation of Online Consumer behaviour: The online consumer behaviour is the key theme around which this research is based. Therefore it is imperative to introduce the online consumer considered in this research. Based on previous academic research the online consumer is considered to be a computer user and a shopper (Koufaris, 2002).The online consumers could be classified as potential customers and repeat customers as they posses different amount of information and use different criteria to make a purchase decision (Kim et al, 2009).Although it is suggested that different promotional strategies should be used to create initial sales and to generate repeat sales (Ref). This leads to less clarity on the differences in decision making by the two groups of consumers. However the research by Kim et al (2009) shows that the value perception of the transactions made online are strongly influenced by the non-monetary factors like perceived risk factor than by monetary factors like perceived price for potential consumers, in cont rast the repeat customers are strongly influenced by monetary factors than non-monetary factors(Ref). Therefore it is suggested that the promotion needs to be customised for the two different groups. But the extent of customisation and its influence on the consumers need to be tested and validated in the case of Shell (Zhang, 2009). This leads to a proposition where it is important to understand and measure online consumer behaviour. A multidisciplinary approach needs to be taken as it is important to consider Information systems, marketing and physiological perspectives to do a comprehensive analysis on online consumer behaviour (Straub and Watson 2001). There have been various attempts from academics in building models around online consumer behaviour. The key attributes identified from the research are on converting web surfers into web consumers and, reasons for not shopping online. It is interesting to see transaction cost theory being applied to understand the impact of I.T on market structure and consumer behaviour (Malone et al. 1987).Based on the frame work it is inferred that if buyer search costs are substantial it could influence consumer behaviour (Bakos 1997).However it is important to see how effective it is in the context of online consumers. It is argued that online consumers cannot depend on al l 5 senses to make purchase decisions as they are limited to product or services represented through photographs and text descriptions (Koufaris, 2002).However research shows that the representation of the product online and the web experience play a key role in driving consumer attitude towards shopping online and

The Robber Barons Essay -- history

The Robber Barons When the names Carnagie, Rockefeller, and Pullman come to mind, most of us automatically think of what we saw or read in our history books: "These men were kind and generous and through hard work and perseverance, any one of you could become a success story like them," right? Wrong. I am sick of these people being remembered for the two or three "good deeds" they have done. Publicity and media have exaggerated the generosity of these men, the government has spoiled these names with false lies, and people have been blind to see that these men were ruthless, sly businessmen who were motivated by your money and their struggle for power. George M. Pullman is best remembered for his contributions to the railroad industry through the invention of his Pullman Cars. The cars sold well and the railroad industry flourished with this new invention. Although the success attached to his name, not many people know the real truth behind this robber baron. His greed for money took him to extreme measures as his workers were seriously mistreated and put under strict restrictions. For instance, every worker had to live in his village (Pullman, IL) and under no circumstances was anyone allowed to leave. The people had to buy from his store, pay him rent, and attend work every day. People who did not abide were heavily penalized by their name being written on black book (which meant that this worker couldn’t get a job in any other industrial field). How many histor...

Family and Technology Essay

The internet is affecting the way modern families interact with each other in negative ways. Experts are saying that there is a connection between a recent increase in childhood injury and parents being distracted by technology (Worthen). Additionally, young children have to compete with technology for their parent’s attention. Children are lacking the important interaction that should be taking place between parent and child. Consequently since children grow up seeing mom and dad glued to some form of technology, they learn to do the same and inevitably technology becomes the center of the family. The family is together physically, but mentally and emotionally they are stretched thin between all of their gadgets. From the beginning of a child’s life they are likely to be surrounded by people using Smartphones with cameras, capturing their very first moments. Little do they know that devices like these are going to have a profound effect on their lives maybe sooner than later. According to the Centers for disease control and prevention nonfatal accidental injury rates for children ages zero to five had been steadily declining since the 1970’s, based on emergency room records. Suddenly from 2007 to 2010 these rates went up 12%. Ironically Apple introduced its IPhone in mid-2007 and according to research firm Comscore 9 million Americans owned smart phones at that time. By the end of 2010 that number soared to 63 million. Factors, such as riskier behavior among children and an increase in parents taking children to emergency rooms have been mentioned by child injury experts as the cause for these increases (Worthen). Although the Wall Street Journal interviewed dozens of pediatricians, emergency-room physicians, academic researchers and law enforcement who all agree that using a smart phone while supervising a child could increase the risk of an accident (Worthen). Students, at Temple University observed 30 parents and their children in public places and found that in nearly every case the parent stopped whatever they were doing with their child to use a device. â€Å"In one case a parent let go of her kids hand in the middle of a busy street in Philadelphia in order to check a text message,† says Psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek (Worthen). Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood called for a crackdown on distracted drivers and warned that the use of internet and handheld devices while driving can be a deadly distraction (Greenblatt). It’s a fairly small leap to suggest that supervisors are distracted,† says David Schwebel, a professor of psychology who specializes in injury prevention (Worthen). An example of a fatal accident in which the Florida Department of Children and Families concluded that the drowning of a two year old boy was a direct result of inadequate supervision. The evidence in the case proved that the boy’s mother was â€Å"tweeting† for five minutes before she pulled the boy out and called 911 (Worthen). This is an extreme case where the effect of internet social media left a family devastated by the loss of a child. In Infancy a child’s activity level is low, leaving parents with plenty of time to text message and use the internet. As the child gets older and their brains develop they start to require more engaging activities, which should be provided by parents, but with dad busy checking emails and mom updating her Facebook account, children are lacking the one on one interaction with parents. In the past it was typical to hear about parents who were always nagging their kids to get off the computer or to stop texting, whereas lately the attention has also shifted to the parents (The Washington Post). Many parents are coming forward and openly admitting that their kids are doing all kinds of things, such as banging on keyboards and throwing smartphones to get them to look up from their screens and participate in a family activity. For those who counter that social media and text messaging are helping them stay more in touch with their kids than ever before, experts stress that while these technologies can be a positive communication tool, there is simply no substitute for face-to-face contact. Being able to look your child in the eye, to reflect what they’re thinking, and to really be there with them in a way you can’t be in a text, is incredibly valuable, because it teaches kids to reflect on their own mental state and shows they’re not alone in the world. Eye contact is the number-one sign that you’re relating to your kid,† says child psychiatrist, Patrick Kelley (The Washington Post). Engaged parenting is the key to early childhood learning and it seems evident that parents distracted by all the devices in the home may hinder the child’s development. Kelley states that all the new technology and connectivity comes at a price of not paying much attention to those around us and suggests parents who are easily distracted by technology are modeling potentially harmful behavior for their impressionable children (The Washington Post). Richard Foremen a playwright describes the risk of turning into â€Å"pancake people† spread wide and thin, connecting with a vast network of information and social media that is so readily available (Carr). There is a small window of time where parents have the opportunity to limit their use of technology and set a positive example for their children. How many parents have been seen focused on their mobile phones instead of paying attention to their kids? MIT professor Sherry Turkle finds that kids raised the same three examples of feeling hurt and not wanting to show it when their mom or dad would be on their devices instead of paying attention to them, one of these examples was being at sporting events (Scelfo). Turkle explains that yes it is widely known that teens text all the time, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want their parents’ undivided attention when they are picked up from school or sitting at dinner (Dizikes). All the mental and emotional distance between family members has detrimental effects on family interaction. The Kaiser Family foundation did a study and found that children who use the internet the least do better in school and get along better with their families (Greenblatt). The age of children who get cell phones is getting younger and younger. As of 2009, 20 percent of kids between six and 11 years old had a cell phone, according to a Mediamark survey (Conger). Now, Imagine a family where dad has his lap top, mom has her tablet, the kids have smartphones and there is a desktop computer in the home. It’s a given that the face to face interaction between this family will go down especially if there are no limits set on how often and how long internet devices are allowed to be used.

4 Inspirational Stories from the Hood to Make You Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself!

4 Inspirational Stories from the Hood to Make You Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself! Last summer, I made a promise at the end of a blog about participating in College Summit, a program that prepares inner city high school students to attend college: I announced I would return to the program in 2015. And I kept my promise! From July 23-26, 2015, I worked with four student leaders to find their unique stories and put them down on paper. I was inspired by all of them in different ways, and I’d like to share their stories with you. As you read about these young leaders, consider the things that stop you in your life. My four students each encountered situations that could have brought them down, but they did not give up on themselves or their dreams. Here are their stories (complete with typos and grammatical anomalies). Their names have been changed for purposes of this article. Benita Benita, in an initial writing exercise, referred to a â€Å"family situation† but did not say what it was. We told her we wanted to know more, and she said she didn’t write more about it because she would cry. I told her it was okay and welcome if she cried. In the next exercise, she revealed, tears streaming down her face, that her dad was arrested in front of her eyes when she was 12 years old, and then was quickly deported. He had been trying to do what he could to put food on the table. After her dad’s departure, Benita quit playing soccer; she and her two siblings quit school; and her mother quit eating for seven months. But the family ultimately was able to turn their lives around. Benita rejoined the soccer team; all the kids went back to school; and her mother opened a dance studio. Benita’s dream: to become a history teacher in the neighborhood where she grew up. How remarkable that this young woman wants to give back in the setting that holds so many painful memories. She is creating new and more positive ones. My dad would take us to Disneyland once a month or even once every week. Our family was very cheerful and probably the happiest people anyone knew. When we would be home or somewhere else we didn’t really have enough food for us to eat. But that didn’t matter to us, all we cared about was being so happy and energetic family. Jorge Jorge’s brother Paul was the first in their family to graduate high school and to go to college. He was Jorge’s idol. When Paul dropped out of college, Jorge began to doubt whether he himself had what it took to make it through college. He spoke about how he started to give up on himself, but he said it looks likely that he will graduate this year. What he didn’t mention (and what I found out from one of the college coaches at the program) was that he has a 3.8 GPA and super high SAT math scores for someone from his background. Jorge is passionate about computer science and he has started to regain confidence in himself. I see every reason why he is going to be the first in his family to graduate from college. First period I had a computer science class in which we created our own website, our own game, our own graphics and pictures, and a program for a small robot made out of Legos. Most people thought that this class was boring and pointless, but I honestly thought that this was one of the most fun classes. I wish that I had a computer with all the programs at home to finish it or continue onto something else on my own. Jennifer A fireball from the moment we started working together, Jennifer never shied away from the task at hand. This girl from the ghetto is tired of walking by drug addicts every day. She wants more for herself and for her friends and family. Daring to be different from her neighbors, she has excelled in music and theater wants to be an obstetrician. She’s the one who bandages up the bleeding when her family gets scraped up. And I’ve never heard someone so excited while talking about mitosis! Jennifer is unafraid of the 13 years of schooling she will undergo to reach her dream. Being happy with what I do is an awesome feeling but knowing that it could take me places I could never imagine is even better. I am Jennifer Johnson. I’m from the ghetto. And despite all the negative things that are happening around me I did the things that made me the happiest, and became somebody. Sandra I wouldn’t have guessed that this tiny quiet girl, who at first was reluctant to talk and told us all she had nothing to write about, was captain of her school’s 4-time winning cheer team. Her story of how she got there was inspiring, and even more inspiring was watching her unfold into a true writer. I compete to fight to the top, although there is no path there. I like taking a step forward knowing I can trip. My shoes aren’t always tied, and there will always be cracks and bumps on the floor, but I will tie my shoes, and nothing will stop me from taking another step forward and wanting to run. If you let your untied shoes, your role model’s downfall, your background, or a family crisis stop you from playing full out for your goals, I hope the spirit of Benita, Jorge, Jennifer and Sandra inspires you to keep reaching, fighting, and celebrating.

What Does a Data Entry Specialist Do and How Much Do They Make

What Does a Data Entry Specialist Do and How Much Do They Make In a world poised between paper and digital information, data entry specialists play a vital role.   If youre technologically savvy, detail-oriented, and comfortable working with massive amounts of information, a career as a data entry specialist may be right for you. Heres what you need to know about this important job.The 411 on data entry specialistsAlso known as data entry keyers, these professionals translate a variety of paper documents from a number of disparate sources into digital form. These may include anything from reports to bills to canceled checks. After electronically entering information for storage, data entry specialists review the work for verification purposes, ensuring that its both accurate and accessible.While data entry specialists typically use computers to input information, they also use other specialized equipment, such as scanners and photo composing perforators, depending on the nature of the hard copy and the storage system in use.Unfortunately, the competition for jobs for data entry specialists may become steep in the years ahead. as we increasingly move toward a paper-less society, the need for data entry specialists is expected to decline. the Bureau of Labor Statistics groups data entry specialists under the heading of general office clerks, with a projected job outlook of just six percent growth between 2012 and 2022.The average salary for a general office clerk is $27,470 per year, although top earners bring home significantly more. The most lucrative fields for data entry specialists include government and healthcare positions. In addition to a regular salary, many data entry jobs also come with desirable benefits.Find top  data entry specialist jobs nowThe benefits of being a data entry specialistData entry specialists work in a wide range of settings from education to business. Generally, these environments are considered to be comfortable, pleasant places to work.   Additionally, the rise of telecommuting opens new doors for data entry specialists for whom remote work is now a possibility.One of the biggest upsides of working in this field is that educational requirements are minimal. Entry-level data entry jobs are available to candidates with high school diplomas or GED, although employers strongly favor candidates with typing skills. Other sought after data entry specialist skills include the ability to work with computers and applications, such as word and spreadsheets. Many community colleges offer coursework focuses on strengthening this skill set.Additionally, because data entry specialists deal in information, the ability to see and read information is essential. Speed is also handy, as well as the ability to effectively manage your time due to the large amounts of information which may cross your desk.Another advantage of taking a job as a data entry specialist? because these professionals fall under the umbrella of office clerks, there is potential for growth into other areas ra nging from medical transcriptionist to administrative assistant. not only that, but youll be a more viable candidate if and when you do try to transition to another field thanks to the skills you acquired on the job.As we continue to make the transition from paper to digital data, data entry specialists are a necessary part of the process. if youre looking for a job with minimal educational requirements along with the opportunity to use and grow your professional skill set, a career in data entry may be a fulfilling fit.

Case study of family involvement in a school or childcare center Essay

Case study of family involvement in a school or childcare center - Essay Example Despite of several remarks about Dev’s performance in the school diary from the class teacher Miss Melina, there was no sign of any response from Dev’s parent. Dev’s parent had always been in a row which is intolerable for him. Most of the time, Dev runs away from home to a lonely place to avoid his parents piercing quarreling sound. He hates the masculinity of his father torturing his mother whom he loves the most in this world. Dev’s teachers are also not aware that how the boy got to such a critical stage. Mostly, he remains in despair, fearful to the authority and unable to cope with his friend’s reaction. He is lacking confidence day by day. Resultantly, Dev is not even able to do his homework properly; along with that, he is ashamed of presenting his degrading handwriting to anyone. Besides their disparities, Dev’s parents are worried about Dev’s increasing critical personality. As they were noticing Dev’s declining mental condition, which resulted in worst annual assessment of Dev in the 3rd standard. The issue came to the focus of the administration when Dev’s parents reported the school administration. When asked, they blame for the carelessness of teachers and administration. Now we discuss the case of inferior complexion in Dev in a categorical pattern. 1. Background Information At the age of seven, children are usually preparing themselves towards facing the situations around them; and try to be more responsible. In Dev’s case, he is going through an immense psychological torment which nobody is aware of. Being a boy he thinks of shaping himself as his masculine father and thinks to save his mother from pain she is facing. Dev is embarrassed with his mother, for his incapability to rescue her and he has no guts to tell his father not to be so barbarous. All his feelings are unexpressed; they are blocked inside his mind like the air in a soccer ball. So far in his life, Dev has nev er been close to his parents, and has not felt affectionate ever, which are the most important factor for a child to develop both physically and mentally. Dev felt himself as a deprived child, with no one to support him in his studies. His psychological pain has now started showing up symptoms in his physical health too. Dev’s psychic father’s inherited behaviors, from his grandfather have also come to Dev hereditarily in form of intolerable weakening of his mind, which resulted as an inferiority complexion. It is usually said, 70% of education of a child is accomplished from their parents and 30% at the school whereas in case of Dev, it is null at home. And in the other hand, has an adverse affect of it in school too. Other than Home and school, society and environment also play key role in development of a child’s personality. As learned from Dev’s neighbor Mr Amit Singh, due to the non-social and inhuman nature of Dev’s father their family is is olated in the society, as a result Dev never got chance to socialize in public, e.g. in parties and ceremonies etc. So far he has confined himself at his house only. He lived a very critical and isolated life. Every one has shadow side of which he is more or less ashamed. When it goes up to extreme, and if he is confined with idea, that he is the only victim of this kind than it becomes a serious problem. (Douglas) 2. Description of the Presenting Problem Now we discuss about Dev’s present problem which is most crucial and difficult for him to overcome. Normally children are playful. They remain happy even with a small piece of