Walmart Foreign Expansion Case Study

Wal-Mart’s Foreign Expansion Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer with tons of advantage above all the rest. It is very possible that this big time retailer can translate its merchandising strategy wholesale to another country and be highly successful at it (L. Hill, 2011, p. 167). The key to this method is being able to understand the culture and environment that it would need to transition it methods to. Take for instance what was read in the case about China. China originally turned its nose up at the Americanized way that Wal-Mart presented itself when first opened in 2006.The Chinese culture didn’t agree with meat being sold in Styrofoam or selling of dead fish. It’s their cultural preference to purchase food very freshly. So, Wal-Mart adapted to the surrounding culture. Wal-Mart was successful in Mexico because they hired local managers that were well versed in the Mexican culture and allowing them to control the merchandising strategy as they se e fit. Adaption is the key to survival is different environments and economies. With Mexico being a place of few vehicles for transportation, building smaller, closer stores was another huge benefit of it being successful in Mexican culture.When the huge retailer made steps to expand to South Korea and Germany with very little success, there was a realization made in regards to diversity and what Wal-Mart offered. Britain, Germany, and South Korea cultures have a preference of high end and higher-quality merchandise than what was offered by Wal-Mart. The low price strategy is practically unwarranted in a place to where paying more is accepted. The key difference between these countries and Mexico is that Mexico accepts the low price strategy.Wal-Mart is succeeding in China and to continue to do so they need maintain adapting to the Chinese culture way. They are definitely on track with being successful in China. Wal-Mart is considered to be a force within the marketplace (Orgel, 201 1). With the business continuing to adapt and expand throughout different nations, it’s very possible that in the future Wal-Mart will cause changes within the culture of different nations. It shouldn’t be the company’s goal to ultimately change the culture of the nation it expands to.However, it should focus on broadening the horizon and combine the low price strategy with the nation’s culture to be an innovation on the marketplace. References L. Hill, C. W. (2011). Wal-Mart's Foreign Expansion. In International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. (9th ed. ). (pp. 167-168). New York, NY/USA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Orgel, D. (2011, September 05). What's driving wal-mart's global expansion?. Viewpoints. Retrieved from http://supermarketnews. com/blog/whats-driving-wal-marts-global-expansion

Chateau de Vallois

Jennifer Xing 1. The disadvantages of Chateau de Vallois going into the cheap wine market 1) Launching a new product, and entering a new market will require large investment upfront, for doing research, hiring new staff, acquiring new land. 2) It is a risky investment since the new product market is very unfamiliar to the company. The market, competitors, consumer preference, even the climate is unfamiliar for the company. ) The launch of cheap wine may hurt the brand image of the luxury line. Consumers may feel less prestigious if they suspect that the grapes are not attended to as well as before, because the new winery took time away from taking care of the traditional land.Consumers may also suspect that the wine is made out of grapes that are used to make cheap wine, thus less willing to buy the expensive wine from the company. The advantages ) Chateau de Vallois can diversify away the financial risk of a bad year for grapes or economics depression, by having a operation in Calif ornia that is not as elastic as the luxury brand 2) With the new cheap brand, Chateau de Vallois will be able to capture a broader base of consumers. The family brand name will occupy a larger share of the wine industry. 3) The new cheap brand, if captures the young consumers, when the young look for good wines, they will be more likely to look into Chateau de Vallois’ high price wine. 2.Claire is forward looking, profit-driven, and expansionary, while Francois is traditional, reserved, and risk-averse. Gaspard can keep everybody happy by allowing Claire to set up a different brand in California, and leave the France winery to Francois. The different brand is essential not a part of Chateau de Vallois, thus Francois wouldn’t worry while Claire can still try out her business venture. 3. Three specific suggestions 1) Claire can start from scratch in California, acquire existing winery or start with a joint venture.I suggest an acquisition of existing winery, so Claire wi ll have the expertise of the existing staff members who are familiar with the estate 2) Claire must design a new brand and logo separate from Chateau de Vallois, and be listed as a subsidiary, so the new brand enjoys the benefit of the prestigious brand name, but do not necessarily hurt the brand by entering the cheap market 3) Claire should bring in staff and experts from France to train the California staff of quality control, procedures and company culture.It is after all a Chateau de Vallois brand, and what can distinguish this new brand from other wines is its Chateau de Vallois family name. 4. I agree with de Rothschild that the winery could and should expand. I do not see the new expansion as a threat to the image of the older brand, especially if the new brand is well managed with ensured high quality that can even add to the brand prestige.Johnny Walker didn’t even bother to change the name of the brand, but its colored labels are very successful, catering to a spect rum of consumers. There are many upsides of the expansion. The new brand can capture new consumer segment, the new consumers can transfer to higher end wines, and the higher end buyers might even want to drink the cheaper kind on a more daily basis instead of putting the most expensive into wine cellar.

Foreign Literature Essay

Youth marketing is a term used in the marketing and advertising industry to describe activities to communicate with young people, typically in the age range of 12 to 34. More specifically, there is the tween marketing, targeting people in the 8 to 12 year-old range, teen marketing, targeting people age 13 to 19, college marketing, targeting college-age consumers, typically ages 18 to 23, young adult marketing, targeting young professionals, typically ages 22 and above The youth market is critical because of the demographic’s buying power and its members’ influence on the spending of family members. In addition, teens and young adults often set trends that are adopted by other demographic groups. The youth market is viewed as a difficult group to connect with and sell to, based on the fragmented media landscape and young people’s keen ability to identify and reject marketing messages that lack credibility. Nonetheless, many brands market to youth by offering relevant products and services while communicating a brand message in an appropriate voice and tone. Successful brands marketing to youth have a foundation in or association with key interests and drivers among youth: music, sports, fashion, video gaming and technology, among others. While frowned upon for preteens and younger teens, another common way advertisers target the older youth market is through product placement. Product placement occurs when a brand name product appears in a medium not necessarily related to the product itself. Companies often pay for their products to be placed in a movie or on a television show. This act, while not an overt form of advertising, seeks to target youth in a subtle manner. Youth marketing strategies commonly include television advertising, magazine advertising and online marketing. Today young people expect to be able to learn about, interact and be entertained with brands or services targeting them online. Other common youth marketing tactics include entertainment marketing, music marketing, sports marketing, event marketing, viral marketing, school and college programs, product sampling and influencer marketing. Examples of brands embraced by youth and used as examples in marketing cases are: Vans Footwear, it used youth marketing tactics to grow from a niche sneaker brand to a successful international business and Mountain Dew, a well- known soft drink brand that expanded market share through youth marketing tactics in the 1990s. Consumer behavior and attitude towards youth marketing This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. (February 2012) Since the 1980s, the marketing industry has seen an increase in research as well as an increase in spending. The marketing industry’s budget in 1992 was $6 billion and by 2003 this figure had risen to an estimated[by whom?] $15 billion in marketing efforts. According to Tim Kasser of Knox College, there is little that is known about youth marketing opinion. He states that since the late 1990s there have only been two large-scale opinion surveys conducted. The first of these surveys was sponsored by Center for a New American Dream, which consisted of 400 random parents nationwide. The second was sponsored by power exchange and took its survey participants from people who make a living off of youth marketing. The purpose of this survey was to assess a participant’s attitude towards a variety of youth marketing issues. Respondents to the survey were asked a range of questions regarding the ethics of youth marketing. The public opinion on youth marketing ethics according to this survey was mostly negative. An overwhelming 78% of respondents agreed that the current practices used in youth marketing were harmful to children, whereas 3.7% believed that the current practices were fine the way they were, while the remaining 85.1% didn’t believe that youth marketing had any ethics. The results of this survey shed light on youth marketing’s pros and cons. But this survey has shown that respondents clearly view the current tactics being used as potentially harmful and in need of structure.[citation needed] By the end of this survey, Tim Kasser concluded that a large portion of respondents to his survey felt that youth marketing morals were unacceptable and that they contributed to a range of youth-oriented problems. Also he found that marketing that took place in public schools was unacceptable and that governmental regulations should be put in place to prevent marketing groups from advertising to eight-year-olds. Even though this is just the tip of the iceberg,[according to whom?] talks on youth marketing have been ongoing; there have been few changes to policy or law in regards to marketing to youth. The results of the survey done by Tim Kasser suggest that people are ready to change public policy and legal initiatives in regards to these issues.[2] Youth trends On the other end of the youth marketing spectrum, you[who?] could say that the traditional definition of â€Å"youth† doesn’t really exist. This assumption was based upon consumer behavior in a study done by Viacom Brand Solutions International called the â€Å"Golden Age of Youth†. This case study was designed to focus on adults from 18 to 34 years old who primarily delayed their adult responsibilities in favor of staying younger in all aspects of life. According to this study, 16- to 19-year-olds are considered to be going through the discovery period. As people grow older they usually phase out of the discovery period and into the experimentation period, when they hit the age range of 20 to 24 years old. Usually those that don’t fit into the groups above are part of the golden category, which consists of anyone 24 to 34. Some of the key results that were produced from this case study were that 24–34-year-olds usually don’t respond to the same marketing techniques as teens and those that think so are being fooled, whereas in reality only 8% in the study were actually true teenagers. It also showed that the golden youth were the happiest out of all the categories and drawn towards expensive brands compared to teens. Based on the categories provided by Viacom and the results of the case study, it goes to show that over 52% of adults from 25 to 34 still have a lot of growing up to do. Youth trends are part of an environment pertaining to information that we[who?] know as youth marketing and is rapidly evolving and is interconnected with the evolution of transmission systems and content quality.[citation needed] It is easy to give very little weight to these new trends that are evolving in this information environment, but these changes should not be taken lightly[according to whom?] because it will affect how youth communicate and absorb this information. These changes can easily be shown through various media such as smart phones or social networking sites like Facebook, allowing youth marketing to occur on a sensory level. Morals and education of marketers: Youth marketing is under increased scrutiny by many public-oriented establishments such as government agencies, academia, and the media.[citation needed] The increased inquiry into the marketing industry has occurred because of the increased commercialism towards kids and marketing in schools. These are just a few of the ideas that have become more saturated in mainstream society.[citation needed] Recently[when?] in youth marketing there has been much information and misinformation on this topic despite the issue of youth marketing. In regards to the public opinion of youth marketing, one side that has not been represented is that of the youth marketing industry. This point of view is crucial[according to whom?] to understanding the basics to making positive progress on issues related to youth marketing. John C. Geraci, who wrote the article â€Å"What do youth marketers think of selling to kids?†, gives an insight as to the mindset of those working in this industry by conducting an online polling. This polling consisted of 878 interviews each around 30 minutes. The interview covered topics such as educational background to ethics in youth marketing. According to the polling, those that work in youth-oriented careers are 92% more likely to have a four-year degree and less likely to have academic skills specifically for dealing with children. Most of these people also feel that the ethical standards are on par with other industries. But at the same time they feel that ethics can be a matter of intentions and not results. Usually companies will invest time in producing ad campaigns and products to make sure they are suitable for a youth-oriented market, which means that these ideas can easily be turned over because they are deemed not suitable. In addition, they usually spend large sums of money on market research to ensure products have some educational value for youth and are acceptable to those buying the products.[citation needed] Most ethical procedures in the youth marketing industry occur behind office walls and are usually not seen by the public, media, or politicians, which means that problems that arise with youth marketing don’t originate from the people creating the ads but are the result of multiple causes. For example, childhood obesity has not been caused by one ad or product brought out by a marketing company. But it is a health concern that has developed due to multiple factors, that influence how the public reacts to certain ads and products brought out by these companies. Youth consumer behavior The Internet has ushered in a new digital media culture that allows different forms of media to converge. What once used to be multiple separate devices such as a telephone, television, or computer are now able to converge as one form of technology. Smart phones are the perfect example[according to whom?] of this hybrid technology that the new digital media culture has ushered in. As early adopters of new technologies, the youth in many ways are the defining users of the digital media that are embracing this new culture. â€Å"The burgeoning digital marketplace has spawned a new generation of market research companies which are introducing an entire lexicon of marketing concepts (e.g., â€Å"viral marketing,† â€Å"discovery marketing†) to describe some of the unorthodox methods for influencing brand loyalty and purchasing decisions.† The research that is done on youth marketing quickly becomes outdated by the time it’s published as a result of the growth of digital media as educators and health professionals continue to get a grasp on the situation. Youth advertising is an important determinant of consumer behavior; it has been shown to have an influence on a youths’ product preference and purchase requests. There are some scientists[who?] that believe studying youth consumer behavior is a negative thing because it impacts their beliefs, values, and moral judgments. They argue this because they believe that youth are more influenced by advertising messages than adults are. Advertising impacts usually are conducted by focusing on three specific effects: cognitive, behavioral, and affective. Usually cognitive effect studies are more focused on children’s abilities to distinguish commercials from reality and their ability to understand the difference between the two. When cognitive studies are being done they will follow Piaget’s theory to track the concrete development of children. Piaget’s theory is divided into stages; these stages are known as the pre-operational and concrete operational stage. The first stage focuses on the age group of 2- to 7-year-olds whereas the second focuses on 7- to 12-year-olds. On the other hand, there are some scientists[who?] that believe youth marketing is a good thing because it helps to define who they are as a consumer. On that note, it has been proven that requests by youth for advertised products decrease as they mature (1,14,24,26). Youth-oriented audiences tend to become more critical about their purchases and less susceptible to media advertising as they grow up. Gender also tends to have a role in a youth’s thought process when requesting an advertised product. In most cases, boys are more persistent in their requests than girls. Other factors that may co-determine children’s consumer behavior include socioeconomic level of the family, frequency and kind of parent–child interaction, and involvement with peer groups. These are just a few of the issues regarding youth consumer behavior and it is not going on in just our country[clarification needed] but in other countries as well such as the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a perfect example[according to whom?] to show how youth marketing is viewed in another country. In the Netherlands youth advertising may not mislead about characteristics or the price of the product in addition to this products aimed at children cannot have too much authority or trust amongst children. But there are loopholes in the way the Netherlands protects children from direct youth marketing. These loopholes usually question concepts such as â€Å"misleading†, â€Å"authority†, and â€Å"trust†. Social responsibility and how it affects consumer behavior Studies of social adolescents in social marketing media are usually concerned with activities that have heavy consequences. For example things like smoking, violent entertainment, alcohol abuse, and fast food consumption are all things that are negatively going to affect a young consumer’s consumption behavior. Recently though the de-marketing of these harmful behaviors has started to occur slowly over the years, the focus of social and youth marketing has shifted from reinforcing positive behavior in favor of discouraging abusive behaviors. Since social and youth marketing are trying to head in this direction it indicates to the industry that youth marketing can be used for positive benefits. For example, rather than just a company associating itself with a non-profit or global aid organization is easy to understand. But youth more often than not want to actively get engaged in experiences that directly affect the world such as world hunger for example. Which indicates that companies should not just associate themselves with non-profit but actually offer their own non-profit experiences that young consumers can get involved with. Overall this idea and how it relates to youth marketing might seem a bit abstract[according to whom?] but it potentially links to a young consumer’s behavior. This idea of creating cause-related experiences is important for the industry to take note of when it comes to youth marketing. By influencing a young consumer view of a specific company as a well known supporter of a positive non-profit can create brand loyalty beyond traditional brand utilities. This loyalty to the brand in a sense makes the volunteer or youth-oriented customer are aiding in the production of more loyal customers to the brand. In the long run, these non-effort opportunities can become embedded in a generation and become self-producing for the company as long as they maintain the events that cause consumer loyalty. Real-world examples In order to understand the public’s opinion on youth marketing, one must be able to understand the experiences that each generation has been exposed to while growing up. Generation Y is very similar to the baby boomer generation especially at different points in life. So it is essential to see what experiences each generation has experienced while growing up. But different formative experiences affect each person of Generation Y. For example, the events that made the biggest impression on members of Generation Y who graduated from school in 2000 were Columbine, the war in Kosovo, and Princess Diana’s death.[8] Targeting the Demographic Social Status and Brand Loyalty Products and brands with Social Power encompass the notion that â€Å"Corporate cool hunters are searching for teens that have the respect, trust, and admiration of their friends.† The American Psychological Association said, â€Å"Advertisers understand the teen’s desire to be â€Å"cool,† and manipulate it to sell their wares, a concept that’s been offered to marketers by psychologists including James McNeal, PhD. Marketers assume a silent role as manipulators and the role they manage to play is not only in the purchases of teens but also in the social statuses of teens. A key aspect to youth marketing or any targeted demographic marketing is that these products are supposed to fulfill the needs or desires of the consumer. A large portion of sales promotion is dedicated to accomplishing this. However, according to Ainsworth Anthony Bailey of University of Toledo in â€Å"The Interplay of Social Influence and Nature of Fulfillment: Effects on Consumer Attitudes,† not much of this research has focused on non-fulfillment of promotional promises which in turn, breaks the trust of the consumer and hurts the entire image of the brand and its product. The role of brand loyalty and/or belonging to a brand becomes a primary act for the young consumers. Promotion is always positive; commodities are presented as the road to happiness. In short, advertising uses existing values and symbols rather than reflecting them. Child psychologist, Allen Kanner states that, â€Å"The problem, is that marketers manipulate that attraction, encouraging teens to use materialistic values to define who they are and aren’t.† It’s key that we acknowledge the need for teens to not only identify but to let the brand identify them. It’s what feeds into the notion that Marketing and Branding effects teen consumerism. Salancik & Pfeffer’s (1978) Social information processing theory addresses mechanisms by which peers influence individuals’ behavior and attitudes. According to this theory, social information consists of comments and observations made by people whose views an individual considers relevant. The literature on social influence suggests that this could impact consumers’ perceptions. Classroom According to the Media Awareness Network, a huge space where young adults can be targeted is in the setting of education or classroom. Whether it be through sponsored health educational assemblies, or as simple as the vending machines in the lunch room, or contests/incentive programs, and the companies that supply the schools with new technologies such as Mac computers. The academic setting becomes a prime marketing tool in reaching our youth because the classroom provides a captive audience for any product or brand to be modeled in front of. One example that the Media Awareness Network provides to explain how the academic environment can be used to silently speak and market to the youth is contests and incentive programs like the Pizza Hut reading incentives program in which children receive certificates for free pizza if they achieve a monthly reading goal. Similarly, Campbell’s Labels for Education project, in which Campbell provides educational resources for schools in exchange for soup labels collected by students. Internet According to the director of Saatchi & Saatchi Interactive, â€Å"This is a medium for advertisers that is unprecedented†¦ there’s probably no other product or service that we can think of that is like it in terms of capturing kids’ interest.† Advertisers reach the young demographic by eliciting personal information. It’s as easy as getting them to fill out quick, simple surveys prior to playing these games. They offer prizes such as T-shirts for filling in â€Å"lengthy profiles that ask for purchasing behavior, preferences and information on other family members.† Advertisers, then take the information they obtain from these polls and surveys to â€Å"craft individualized messages and ads† in order to draw and hook them into a world centered around a certain product or brand. The ads that surround the individual in these â€Å"cyber worlds† are meant to keep a firm grip on each individual. It provides the setting for them to be completely consumed by the advertisers messages, products, and brands around them. These games are not just games. They’re â€Å"advergames†, CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports for â€Å"Gotta Have It: The Hard Sell To Kids.† Advergames allow for marketers to incorporate brands and products into a game-like setting where the child playing it, is exposed constantly to these brands and products. A 10-year old girl who was interviewed by CBS, says she can score with Skittles, race with Chips Ahoy or hang out with SpongeBob. â€Å"You think about that 30-second commercial, basically a lot of those games are pretty fun to play and kids really get engaged in them,† Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, a group that has successfully pushed for limits on TV advertising to kids, says. â€Å"So really it ends up becoming a 30-minute commercial.† Kids in an Adult World The influence that our youth have on purchases made in a household are extremely high, shockingly, even on high-end items such as what vehicle the family decides to purchase. For example, one study estimated that children influenced $9 billion worth of car sales in 1994. One car dealer explains: â€Å"Sometimes, the child literally is our customer. I have watched the child pick out the car.†[12] According to, James U. McNeal, author of â€Å"Kids as Customers: A Handbook of Marketing to Children,† car manufacturers cannot afford to ignore the children in their marketing. Nissan is one of many companies know to do this. They sponsor the American Youth Soccer Organization and a traveling geography exhibit in order to promote and get eyes on their brand name and logo in child-friendly settings. There’s analysis of the process of the development of a child and how it relates to how marketers know they can have a great deal of power in the field of persuasion on them at such young ages. At the age of five or six, children have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality and make-believe from lying. They do not distinguish programs from ads, and may even prefer the ads. Between seven and ten years-old, children are most vulnerable to â€Å"televised manipulation†. At age seven, the child can usually distinguish reality from fantasy, and at nine, he or she might suspect deception. This could come from any personal experience where products have turned out not to be as advertised. However, they cannot fully decipher this logic and continue to have â€Å"high hopes† for future products produced by a particular brand. By the age of ten, the individual starts to have a cynical perception of ads, in that â€Å"ads always lie†. Around eleven or twelve, a toleration of adults lying in advertisements starts to develop. At this stage, it’s the true coming of the adolescent’s â€Å"enculturation† into a system of social hypocrisy. Product Placement Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the good or service is featured. Factors Affecting Consumer Behavior Consumer behavior refers to the selection, purchase and consumption of goods and services for the satisfaction of their wants. There are different processes involved in the consumer behavior. Initially the consumer tries to find what commodities he would like to consume, then he selects only those commodities that promise greater utility. After selecting the commodities, the consumer makes an estimate of the available money which he can spend. Lastly, the consumer analyzes the prevailing prices of commodities and takes the decision about the commodities he should consume. Meanwhile, there are various other factors influencing the purchases of consumer such as social, cultural, personal and psychological. The explanation of these factors is given below. 1. Cultural Factors Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by cultural factors such as: buyer culture, subculture, and social class. Culture Basically, culture is the part of every society and is the important cause of person wants and behavior. The influence of culture on buying behavior varies from country to country therefore marketers have to be very careful in analyzing the culture of different groups, regions or even countries. Subculture Each culture contains different subcultures such as religions, nationalities, geographic regions, racial groups etc. Marketers can use these groups by segmenting the market into various small portions. For example marketers can design products according to the needs of a particular geographic group. Social Class Every society possesses some form of social class which is important to the marketers because the buying behavior of people in a given social class is similar. In this way marketing activities could be tailored according to different social classes. Here we should note that social class is not only determined by income but there are various other factors as well such as: wealth, education, occupation etc. 2. Social Factors Social factors also impact the buying behavior of consumers. The important social factors are: reference groups, family, role and status. Reference Groups Reference groups have potential in forming a person attitude or behavior. The impact of reference groups varies across products and brands. For example if the product is visible such as dress, shoes, car etc then the influence of reference groups will be high. Reference groups also include opinion leader (a person who influences other because of his special skill, knowledge or other characteristics). Family Buyer behavior is strongly influenced by the member of a family. Therefore marketers are trying to find the roles and influence of the husband, wife and children. If the buying decision of a particular product is influenced by wife then the marketers will try to target the women in their advertisement. Here we should note that buying roles change with change in consumer lifestyles. Roles and Status Each person possesses different roles and status in the society depending upon the groups, clubs, family, organization etc. to which he belongs. For example a woman is working in an organization as finance manager. Now she is playing two roles, one of finance manager and other of mother. Therefore her buying decisions will be influenced by her role and status. 3. Personal Factors Personal factors can also affect the consumer behavior. Some of the important personal factors that influence the buying behavior are: lifestyle, economic situation, occupation, age, personality and self concept. Age Age and life-cycle have potential impact on the consumer buying behavior. It is obvious that the consumers change the purchase of goods and services with the passage of time. Family life-cycle consists of different stages such young singles, married couples, unmarried couples etc which help marketers to develop appropriate products for each stage. Occupation The occupation of a person has significant impact on his buying behavior. For example a marketing manager of an organization will try to purchase business suits, whereas a low level worker in the same organization will purchase rugged work clothes. Economic Situation Consumer economic situation has great influence on his buying behavior. If the income and savings of a customer is high then he will purchase more expensive products. On the other hand, a person with low income and savings will purchase inexpensive products. Lifestyle Lifestyle of customers is another import factor affecting the consumer buying behavior. Lifestyle refers to the way a person lives in a society and is expressed by the things in his/her surroundings. It is determined by customer interests, opinions, activities etc and shapes his whole pattern of acting and interacting in the world. Personality Personality changes from person to person, time to time and place to place. Therefore it can greatly influence the buying behavior of customers. Actually, Personality is not what one wears; rather it is the totality of behavior of a man in different circumstances. It has different characteristics such as: dominance, aggressiveness, self-confidence etc which can be useful to determine the consumer behavior for particular product or service. 4. Psychological Factors There are four important psychological factors affecting the consumer buying behavior. These are: perception, motivation, learning, beliefs and attitudes. Motivation The level of motivation also affects the buying behavior of customers. Every person has different needs such as physiological needs, biological needs, social needs etc. The nature of the needs is that, some of them are most pressing while others are least pressing. Therefore a need becomes a motive when it is more pressing to direct the person to seek satisfaction. Perception Selecting, organizing and interpreting information in a way to produce a meaningful experience of the world is called perception. There are three different perceptual processes which are selective attention, selective distortion and selective retention. In case of selective attention, marketers try to attract the customer attention. Whereas, in case of selective distortion, customers try to interpret the information in a way that will support what the customers already believe. Similarly, in case of selective retention, marketers try to retain information that supports their beliefs. Beliefs and Attitudes Customer possesses specific belief and attitude towards various products. Since such beliefs and attitudes make up brand image and affect consumer buying behavior therefore marketers are interested in them. Marketers can change the beliefs and attitudes of customers by launching special campaigns in this regard. View as multi-pages

SWO Service Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

SWO Service - Case Study Example However, in recent years it is facing various problems related to maintaining sustainability of its business. It has acquired a substantial sales order for the upcoming six months but it needs to decide upon whether to expand its business further or not. This study discusses about the detailed company and industry analysis to have conclusive evidence to decide upon the sustainability of the business in future. First of all the key issues related to the company performance have been identified. Then the industry analysis has been performed which discusses about the internal and external business factors which have an impact on the company. Then the consumer analysis has been done which includes segmentation strategies and the product mix associated with each segments. Then the trade analysis, competitive analysis and external analysis of the company has also been done. An alternative analysis has been performed which discusses about the targeting of the particular segment consisting o f the mid-sized distributors and the relevant positioning and promotional strategies to be employed by the company. Lastly, a recommendation has been provided regarding the best strategy needed to be applied by the company to regain its competitive advantage in the market and have a sustainable growth and development in future. Table of Contents Problems and Analysis 5 Issues 5 Constraints 5 Objectives 5 Industry Analysis 5 Internal Factors 6 External Factors 6 Key Success Factors 7 Consumer Analysis 7 Trade Analysis 8 Competitive Analysis 9 External Analysis 9 Political Factors 10 Economical Factors 10 Technological Factors 10 Corporate Capabilities 11 Alternative Analysis 11 Recommendation 12 Works Cited 13 Problems and Analysis Issues SWO Service is experiencing different kinds of issues which are having a significant impact on the performance and growth of the company. The company has failed to generate revenues at a steady rate since its inception. The penetration pricing strat egy followed by the company initially helped it to increase its market share but now it is facing problems to successfully position its products and is losing sales on various grounds. Constraints The constraint that can be identified as regards to SWO Service is the financial constraint. It does not have adequate fund sources available to them to expand its business on a large scale. Objectives The personal objectives include more profit required by the owners of the company. It is in accordance with the company objective which is to decide upon expansion of its business to increase the profitability of the company. Industry Analysis In order to facilitate the formulation of a successful strategy and help in its decision making process regarding the sustainability of the business processes followed by SWO Service it requires to have a comprehensive analysis of the industry in which it is operating its business activities. Industry analysis actually involves identification of the ec onomic factors that helps a company to boost its performance and profitability in the operating industry (Palepu, and Healy 2-16). Industry analysis of SWO Service includes identification and analysis of its internal and external business environment which is explained below: Internal Factors Strengths George, one of the owners of SWO Service is one of its strength. George is experienced in the field of software industry and has the acumen of all different technical aspects of the software industry. Moreover SWO Service develops quality software which is acknowledged by the customers. Weaknesses The organizational structure of SWO Service is one of its major weaknesses. The various business activit

Improve of technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Improve of technology - Essay Example ngth premeditated to identify hair, body fluids, and fiber at felony sites, these lights consent to crime landscape to be processed systematically and faster. Sites previously out-of-the-way for authoritative fluorescence assessment are now easy to get . The portability of today’s crime landscape assessment light sources makes the outmost of rural site or the peak floor of a city construction greatly easy to get to for search. Crime mapping; the ability to show graphically where crime has taken place and to some degree guess future crime locations enables field senior officers to direct perambulation through intelligence-led watching. The days when officers tour random areas eager to catch the bad people are giving way to a new era in which agencies use crime maps of every patrol district to assign officers to patrols in a realistic and logical manner. Evidence management: photo enforcement scheme routinely produce red breach and speeding directive and as a result greatly perk up safety for checking the civic. There are a number of upright vendors of photo enforcement scheme available to societies. Graffiti cameras, structure exist nowadays that can obtain photograph of suspects who are damaging goods and even inform the law enforcement organizations that destruction is in movement. There are also â€Å"talking’ observation cameras cautioning intruders that it is prohibited to spray graffiti, commanding the trespasser to leave the vicinity and notifying them that their photograph has been taken for assessment.   Evidence and deterrence, felony site exploration   also aided by these systems in scrutinizing for bodily evidence. Imagers can spot troubled surfaces for graves or other areas that have been dug up in an effort to cover up bodies, evidence, and objects. The machine can also scan roadways for tire tracks or oth er marks that are not visible to the naked eye.   Police patrol: the in-car camera scheme has turn out to be a appreciated apparatus to verify

Citical, structured report on fundamental marketing issues for Porsche Essay

Citical, structured report on fundamental marketing issues for Porsche automobile - Essay Example This was evidenced when the company produced a model, Porsche 911 which was among the most expensive and competitive cars ever produced in the automobile industry. It was manufactured for its customers who enjoy racing as well as status. Importantly, the organization builds three categories of cars, namely consumer models, racing models, and prototype cars. Out of all these models, the company produces more of racing cars than any other (Zoeller 2015). Because of this, the company’s primary marketing strategy is to produce cars that meet the needs of the wealthy customers. This makes it have a small market share because not all consumers can afford the cars, but at the same time increasing its profits (Zoeller 2015). The rest of the paper will discuss the Porsche Automobile marketing environment, marketing position, as well as the marketing mix. The report will conclude with the recommendation of ways the organization can increase its market share and continue its profitabilit y. Porsche Automobile has been in the market for the last eighty years, and this has given it a chance to gain brand recognition among its customers. Its high brand presence and reputation across the globe gives it the advantage. Secondly, the brand is preferred among the ultra-rich elites making the company to high price their models. Thirdly, the organization has few car models with a high range of variants making it have an advantage on brand extension. Fourthly, Porsche Automobile is a trusted brand for the provision of supreme style with sporty features. Moreover, the company has the popular brand in the racing and gaming industry and over 12,000 employees are ready to give support to customers (Company Spotlight: Porsche 2013). Porsche Automobile lacks presence in the middle-income segments despite their expansion at a higher rate (Taylor 2013). This makes the organization to loose on this market segment. Secondly, the very high maintenance cost in extremely

Laws and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Laws and Ethics - Essay Example In addition, laws are universal in nature as they are applicable to the whole world with comparable attributes under the same vicinity (Brown, Black & Society of Professional Journalists (U.S.), 2011). Conversely, ethics involves habits or customs that determine how individuals interact with one another. Alternatively, ethics outline what is moral for individuals and society. Law and rule applies to principles in a variety of ways that include service laws, federal guidelines, ecological laws and codes of ethics. Companies and other business oriented institutions workout the right and the wrong ways to act just like people do. For instance, when the law does not specify how a given procedure is performed, managers and plant experts must make informed decisions on achieving the key objectives. Both ethical and unethical measures will have profound impacts to the company as well as to the consumers of the product (Shaw, 2011). Laws justify the appropriate direction of dealing with an occurrence thus satisfying all the parties involved. On the other hand, ethics entails making a legal decision but not necessarily satisfying all the members involved in a dilemma or a confrontational matter. For instance, stakeholders can be harmed by a company’s ethical behavior, but they could also be left without an option to withdraw at a certain period due to binding contract agreements (Merkel, 2007). Moreover, differences between ethics and laws can be exemplified in a warranty. Warranties become a constituent of the business pact with respect to the depiction that any merchandise is intended to perform. However, most products come with limited warranty where the manufacturers can manipulate them to any fashion providing they do not infringe the law. Unfortunately, the law does not guarantee consumer direct claimant of a given product as implied in the warranty. Ethical questions may ascend

Strategic management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic management accounting - Essay Example The company provides total technical support for the installation of the machinery sold to the global customers to gain their confidence and long-term relation (Funding Universe, n.d.). Renishaw is well recognized for its manufacturing of complex machineries that could help the customers to improve their efficiencies and their potential capacities along with greater quality of the products and improving of operational performance. Renishaw has always aimed to meet the unending needs of the customers by offering them technology beyond their reach and capability. The products offered by the company assures enhancement of quality and productivity along with superior customer service (Renishaw, 2012c). Renishaw was a private company in 1982 but in the year 1983 the company went public and offered stocks in the London’s Stock Exchange Market. Renishaw is quite hierarchical which indicates that the company is centralized and the decisions are made at the top management and then comm unicated to the other levels of management in the company (Renishaw, 2012a). This report would highlight the competitive strategy and strategic position of the Renishaw Company. This strategic analysis would be regarding the market sector, employment of appropriate strategic management and management accounting tools. The internal analysis of the company would be analysed using the SW of SWOT analysis (Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis and the external environment of the company would be analysed using the OT of SWOT analysis as well as the PESTLE (Political, Economical, Socio-cultural, Technological, Legal and Environmental factor ) analysis. The competitive strategy would be analyzed with the BCG matrix. In the end, recommendations would be provided to protect the company from new entrant’s adopted strategy and to help the company grow further in the years to come. Analysis of Strategic Position – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Thre ats (SWOT) The strategic position of the company is based on combination of internal analysis and external analysis. The strategic position of the company has been analyzed with the help of SWOT and PESTLE analysis and these two analytical tools are applied on Renishaw. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is used to analyse both the internal as well as the external environment of the company (Barney, & Hesterly, 2008). SWOT analysis would be helpful to identify the major internal strengths as well as the major internal weaknesses of the company along with external opportunities and threats that can influence the performance (Cravens, and Piercy, 2008). Strengths The foremost strength of the company is its technological advancement in terms of machinery and products. The company is also known for its innovation and superior quality. Due to constant innovation the company is able to provide the customers with high quality products to satisfy the customer’s needs and to meet the custome r’s expectation (Renishaw, 2012b). The company’s workforce consists of young and energetic individuals that are constantly encouraged to make their way forward with the help and guidance from their seniors (Renishaw, 2012c). The company also focuses on the training and development programmes each year to enhance the productivity and knowledge of its workforce. This training and development programmes have provided the company with significant benefits due to which the company is ab

Sociological Views on Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociological Views on Poverty - Essay Example It would then be followed by a critical examination of the arguments taken by authors and commentators and would end in a conclusion that shall emphasize the role of the global interrelation and effort to resolve the problems of poverty. Poverty as stated by Ruby Payne in her book, Framework for Understanding Poverty, is the condition in which the person does not have enough resources. She further clarifies that there are different types of resources with which poverty could be identified with. First and the most popular concerns financial resources which refers to monetary value that shall enable the individual to purchase services and goods. The others include emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems such as friends and family networks, role models and knowledge of habits. However, financial resources have been the most popular since it was the most obvious, regardless of this; the other resources are also important and relevant if one would like to counteract poverty as a whole. (2005, pages4-8) Since usually poverty is seen as a lack of financial resources, it has been customary for people to respond to poverty through financial support. This is primarily done through donations and grants. It is also in line with this view that people thinks that people are poor because they do not work hard enough in able to sustain their basic needs. People who looked like rubbish or are not presentable are often seen as poor. (Payne, 2005, page 4-9) Another author, Farley, believes that poverty is something that is rooted on sociological relationship such as the economic production, the political system, the institution that is present in the society, the predominant culture prevalent in the society. Thus, poverty in this view is not a problem in the individual level but in a societal level which could only be remedied through sociological programs and changes. To further clarify his view, he provided an introduction to two relevant perspectives that shall explain his belief. (2000, 173) The Functionalist perspective is a view, wherein the whole society is likened to a living organism wherein each cells are relevant and relatively connected to one and another. As the name of the theory implies, it insist that each part of the society is present due to a certain function that it must perform. (Kitano, 1985:40). In line with this perspective, poverty is viewed as a necessary part of society. Poverty has a function in the society in which it could be found. Looking closer, poor people resembles certain characters that set them aside from the rest of the society. The differences in values and in culture have made the poor different from other members of the society. Now this attitude would be inherited by their children thus explain the expansion of poverty. Most commonly the poor people think as if they could not change their life and life style since they were born that way. (Eitzen and Baca-Zinn, 1994 page 173-175) However, this kind of approach to poverty is too limited and very illogical. Poverty might indeed be natural but this does not mean that it should be left in its own. Time before

Not given ( no title ) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Not given ( no title ) - Research Paper Example For there to be any private nuisance claim made, the plaintiff must provide the court with substantial proof of interference. It is then within the court’s jurisdiction to judge the reasonableness of the defendant’s behavior and try to establish fault from evaluating it. This establishes a balance between the two sides since the court evaluates the evidence before making a ruling. The court rules in favor of the plaintiff if it can establish that the plaintiff suffered because of the interference and will continue to do so unless compensated by the defendant (Dodson 2002, pg. 60). On the other hand, the statute defines public nuisance as any criminal activity which threatens the community as a whole. It is a criminal offence therefore; it attracts criminal cases tried by the criminal courts. The plaintiff in these cases is the state which represents the entire community and not a person or a group. On rare occasions do individuals benefit from a criminal case directly, for example, a person qualifies for a personal injury claim warranting compensation if the criminal activity in trial directly affected them. A good illustration of a public nuisance includes companies held liable for dumping hazardous waste materials into water catchment areas (Scott 2001, pg.68). However, some cases attract both private and public nuisance claims. The illustration mentioned above serves as a good example. The company could be held liable by the state for the polluting of a water catchment area which benefits the entire community. It can also be held liable by owners of the land adjacent to the water catchment area. They could claim that the companys negligent actions had adverse effects on the enjoyment of their comfortable homes (Scott 2001, pg. 77). Legislation describes the phrase interest in land’ in a way that attempts to include land solely owned by an individual in a legal manner. Meaning, the

Battle of the Bulge Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Battle of the Bulge - Research Paper Example However, the Germans were crushed by the joint armed forces of Bastogne and St. Vith that placed the Germans’ communication lines in danger. The St. Vith encounter chose time over space: the time required to set up a strong shoulder defense on the Bulge’s northern border.2 The triumphant defense of Bastogne’s transportation center pushed German forces into combat grounds and reset the German timeframe.3 Military Tactics of the Battle of the Bulge In the two encounters, a combination of intense and mild defenses was employed successfully. In the northern side, airborne and infantry forces reinforced the 7th Armored Division stronghold in St. Vith. The 7th Armored Division’s triumphant fighting withdrawal provided an opportunity to assemble a solid defense on the Bulge’s north border.4 This disrupted the timeframe for the German offensive and its troops were not able to recover their strength; hence, the German circumstances for victory were never att ained. In the southern side, the traces of the 9th and 10th Armored Divisions, as well as their crude weaponry and a number of VIII Corps Artillery forces, gave the armament support and mobile counter-offensive force for the overpowered units of the 101st Airborne Division enclosed in Bastogne.5 The Bastogne stronghold demonstrates how a light force, reinforced with armament support and well-equipped forces, was successful in holding out the assault of heavily armed German troops. This case was adopted as part of the basis for the creation of U.S. light divisions and to validate their importance in a NATO context.6 As a proof to the value of a combination of light and heavy forces in mid- to- high-level fighting, combinations of heavy and light forces have been required for the circumstances of the Army’s Battle Command Training Program’s automated, HQ practice combat games. They have been proven successful in Iraq as well.7 The capacity to envision the combat zone, as in the focused lens of Napoleon, that defines an exceptional war leader, was shown by General Anthony McAuliffe, Troy Middleton, and Bruce Clarke in making a decision where to battle and how to carry it out. Middleton understood that controlling the major road intersections of Bastogne and St. Vith for the longest possible time was needed to ward off the German forces.8 By choosing to defend these road intersections, Middleton identified the battle’s operational direction. McAuliffe and Clarke contributed to the cause by understanding the enormity of their task and by confronting excellent strategic battles to control those road intersections and hinder the opponent.9 Another official who was able envision the combat zone and who had an outstanding hold of his battleground was Lt. Col. Creighton W. Abrams, who led the ultimate attack that released Bastogne.10 According to a report: Abrams, when he got into combat, knew everything was going on. How he knew it, nobody knew, bu t he did. He knew where every tank was. He knew where every piece of equipment was, and he could command and move his outfit and always defeat the enemy in front of him. It was just that simple.11 Abrams undoubtedly had situational understanding and a general working image of what was taking place. Although Middleton and his commanding officers were able to envision the combat zone after the Germans revealed their plan, the German deception scheme was

Oppressive to women and sexist Essay Example for Free

Oppressive to women and sexist Essay In studying the two tables, the one I did myself and the one my friend did, it became apparent that while there were some differences, many of the descriptors were similarly placed within the table. There were some differences, notably that we both thought the American belief of Muslims is that their religious is oppressive to women and sexist, but my friend also thought that Christians and Muslims had a male-dominated political environment. The other interesting similarity was that we both believed Americans view Muslim-Americans as fanatics and violent, a stereotype that is perpetuated on television and in the media. We both listed some descriptors in the Both category, notably the fact that we perceived both groups as devout, both as sexist in some respects, and both as family-oriented in nature. From the Christian table, I think that women who go to work and secular content in education are true descriptors about this group in general, while the idea of them having immodest dress and all being law abiding are obviously false. For the Muslim-Americans, I believe the idea of them having modest dress and being governed by the Qu’ran is true, but I do not think all of these people are violent and undereducated. Both my friend and myself seemed to have similar views on how America views each group but many of them were not true and not necessarily how I truly believe, but how American society wants us to believe. I believe that in our society the media plays a large role in how we view each group. Watching a religious channel and seeing the way some right-wing conservative Christians act sheds a light on how most Americans think Christians act, while on the other hand the media portrays Muslim and Arab peoples as fanatically religious and as being terrorists. These images have stuck in the minds of Americans, particularly since 9/11.

Supply Chain Management of Mirinda

Supply Chain Management of Mirinda Pepsi was founded in 1898 by Caleb Bradham, a new Bern North Carolina, druggist who first formulated Pepsi-Cola. Today Pepsi has expanded at a large scale and has a portfolio of beverage brands that includes carbonated soft drinks, juices and juiced drinks, Ready-to-drink teas and coffees, isotonic drinks, bottled water and enhanced water. PepsiCo has well known beverages such as Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Tropicana Pure Premium, Aquafina, Tropicana Juice Drinks, Tropicana Twister , MIRINDA and much more. PepsiCola markets Frapoccuino ready-to-drink coffee through a partnership with Starbucks. PEPSI CO PRODUCT: the product we are taking for the project of supply chain management is MIRINDA. RIAZ BOTTLERS: Riaz Bottlers (PVT) Limited (RBL) incorporated in Pakistan as a private limited company in 1976. RBL is the franchise holder of Pepsi Cola International with seven brands. Like PEPSI, PEPSI MAX, 7UP, MIRINDA and MOUNTAIN DEW etc. They have recently launched Aquafina and are in process of moving towards some other products. RBL today is one of the best National Companies in Pakistan. At RBL, they believe that Our existence and success is more than just meeting our business objectives and we are proud of the success that the company has achieved. Together our people provide the skills, knowledge and expertise to deliver the quality of service that our customers expect and upon which our reputation depends. RIAZ BOTTLERS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: RBLs primary functions are to demeanor a methodical manufacturing and supply of the product without any tactical and strategic flaws. Backed by a powerful competitive strategy and empowered by some effective supply chain strategies, the group has been managing an effective supply chain through out the region. It has set up a urbane manufacturing and storage plant in Lahore with production units and huge production capacity. RBL has different management departments dealing with specialized Marketing, HR, IT and Supply Chain Processes. In this report we conducted the process of the basic supply chain management functions of RBL for MIRINDA by Pepsi co. COMPREHENSION OF MIRINDA SUPPLY CHAIN: The goal of every supply chain is to maximize the overall value generated. The value of a supply chain generates is the difference between what the final product is worth to the customer and the costs the supply chain incurs in filling the customers request. (Chopra, Meindl 2006) DECISION PHASES IN SUPPLY CHAIN OF MIRINDA SUPPLY CHAIN DESIGN OF MIRINDA: A proper decision regarding how to structure the supply chain over next upcoming years have been made and the short term aswell as the longterm decisions have been made by the company in regards to location and capacities of production and warehousing facilities, the products to be manufactured or stored at various locations, the modes of transportation to be made, information systems and so on. Their supply chain design is very expensive to alter on short notice and supports the companys strategic objectives. In order to ensure a good supply chain strategy, Riaz Bottlers plans one to two years in advance. It has several contracts with manufacturers, and receives raw material on a convenient basis. The company also decides where production plants are to be placed. RBL has production plants at Lahore. The production process is 80% automated. The company has to provide and manage transport for the delivery of products as well as the arrangement of third party services for the procurement of products. The shipping department handles orders and the transport department decides the vehicles for safe delivery. Material planning and sourcing is carried out as well. Sources of supply of raw material both local and foreign are identified and terms and conditions are negotiated. Capacity planning is also done at this stage. Sales forecasting and production planning depends upon the capacity of the organization with respect to: Production. Storage: Raw and packing. Storage: Finished goods. Riaz bottlers Lahore has a procurement budget of nearly Rs 10 billion. Approved suppliers cannot go beyond this budget. The supplier is audited by the most cost efficient quality control department. Distributors are also decided by the company, keeping in mind past performances. The company has  increased its distribution capacity from one to ten filling lines during the last few years lending it  a competitive edge over Coca Cola. SUPPLY CHAIN PLANNING OF MIRINDA: After RBL set the design of their supply chain they do the planning which increases their surplus in supply chain and thats their goal too. The planning launches and make them set their constraints over some span of time according to the demand of Mirinda. Pepsi co carries out sales forecasting for local demand as well as for export purposes to countries such as Afghanistan etc for Mirinda. The annual sales target is conveyed to the supply chain department of RBL. Planning is carried out on a monthly, weekly and daily basis for order planning allocation , warehousing ,production scheduling inventory planning and optimization. at RBL. SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATION OF MIRINDA: In RBL , the production , sales and supply chain departments get united to decide the inventory on weekly basis. There is always less uncertainty about the demand . the operation process includes customer orders in the best possible manner. During this RBL , allocate inventory or production to individual orders, set a date (which is always according to the will of customers and they dont get disappointed) that an order is to be filled, generate a proper pick lists at a warehouse in gulberg , allocate to shipping, set delivery and so on. PROCESS VIEWS OF MIRINDA SUPPLY CHAIN The processes in a supply chain are divided into a series of cycles each performed at the interface between two successive stages of a supply chain. CYCLE VIEW OF SUPPLY CHAIN: Supplier / manufacturers: The suppliers to Pepsi Co are franchise operative (RBL) as well as company operative (LAYS chips) system and are located in eight cities of Pakistan. The cities are Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sukkhar, Gujranwala and Faisalabad. PepsiCo has its Plant , Factory ,Workshop and Warehouse at the same place in Lahore . the Address is : Guru Mangat Road, Gulberg Lahore Distributors: They are located throughout the country; every city has its distributors. The distribution done on direct and indirect ways that would be discussed in the distribution section of the report. Retailers : retailers outlets are all sort of shopkeepers, malls , hotels etc to whom the distributors provide the stock via transportation i.e. trucks etc which carries distribution from point to point in different allocative routes. Customers: Its customers are all sort of target markets from social class A to C and range within all demographical and pyschographical parameters. PUSH AND PULL VIEW OF MIRINDA SUPPLY CHAIN: The push process implementation is commenced in anticipation to a customer order. MIRINDA has a seasonal demand. Just in time concept is pertinent in non-seasonal period and not pertinent in seasonal period. All processes that are part of the procurement cycle, manufacturing cycle, replenishment cycle, and customer order cycle are push processes. MIRINDA Sales order and processing: The Shipping Manager receives sales order from Sales Team, distributors through telephone, fax email one day before dispatch. The sales are made to base distributors on advance payment against orders then shipping manager plans according to the demand of distributors on daily basis. COMPETITIVE AND SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES: There are three major sustainable advantages that give PepsiCo a competitive edge as they  operate in the global marketplace: Big, muscular brands. Proven ability to innovate and create differentiated products. Powerful go-to-market systems. PepsiCos ( Mirinda) overall mission is to increase the value of shareholders investment. They do this through sales growth, cost controls and wise investment of resources. They believe their commercial success depends upon offering quality and value to their consumers and customers; providing products that are safe, wholesome, economically efficient and environmentally sound; and providing a fair return to their investors while adhering to the highest standards of integrity. A customer while purchasing a bottle of Mirinda will consider product quality, price and availability of the product. Thus, Mirinda in Pakistan particularly focuses its competitive strategy as to producing sufficient variety, reasonable prices, and the availability of the product. SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES STEP ONE: THE CUSTOMER AND SUPPLY CHAIN UNCERTAINTY. Identifying customer needs: RBL needs to understand the customer needs for each targeted segment and the uncertainty the supply chain faces in satisfying these needs. As RBL deals with beverages, which are a fast moving consumer good, it knows the requirements of consumers. Mirinda is considered as a drink which is refreshing during summer, and taken regularly during winter, with demand hiking around festivals such as Eid and occasions such as weddings. RBL caters to both cities and rural areas. It understands the needs of both. As demand for beverages is seasonal, the quantity of product needed for each lot is taken care of with past demand in mind. Consumers generally require a small response time, high service level, reasonable price and some variety (for example mirinda has apple flavor too now). Demand uncertainty and implied demand uncertainty: Demand for Mirinda varies by product. For example there is a greater demand for Mirinda as compared to Mirinda Apple, which is sort of new. Hence, Mirinda has a low demand uncertainty as compared to Mirinda Apple. The product Mirinda is approaching its maturity stage in the PLC whereas Mirinda Apple is in the introductory stage. Mirindas implied demand uncertainty varies with the product type as well as the customer needs. Due to decreased lead time (the customer may purchase its competitors product if Mirinda is not available at that time such as Fanta, Gourmet cola, Amrat cola ), need for greater variety and higher level of service, implied demand uncertainty increases. This is true for cities where unmet demand by Mirinda is met by Coca Cola Company, Gourmet Cola and other such competitors. Supply uncertainty is also affected by new products. New products have higher supply uncertainty. Uncertainty for the capability of the supply chain: After determining the demand uncertainty it takes a look at the uncertainty resulting from the supply chain. Mirinda is not a new product and its market is going towards maturation. The company does not have many difficulties in delivering a product and has a fixed delivery schedule (on daily basis). Mirinda hence has a predictable supply and somewhat uncertain demand depending on market conditions. STEP TWO: UNDERSTANDING THE SUPPLY CHAIN CAPABILITIES: The efficiency and responsiveness varies according to the consumer needs, implied demand uncertainty, product type and market segments. In remote areas Pepsi Co ( Mirinda) focuses on being somewhat efficient as other modes of transportation could turn the product to be highly expensive. According to the company it does not deal with distributors who do not have 20 to 25 vehicles, therefore as the company has focus on cost reduction, uses slow and inexpensive modes of transportation, the demand is certain, and uses economies of scale in production, the product Mirinda is more inclined towards being somewhat efficient. In cities, the company focuses its attention on being highly responsive as Mirinda has to meet short lead time, meet a high service level, handle a large variety of products and respond to wide ranges of quantity demanded especially at the retail stage. Highly efficient somewhat efficient somewhat responsive highly responsive In towns MIRINDA In cities STEP 3: ACHIEVING THE STRATEGIC FIT: The Mirinda supply chain assign different roles to its different stages, the company has to decide either to transfer the responsiveness to the manufacture stage or to the retailer stage as making one stage more responsive allows the other stage to focus on being more efficient. While discussing the Mirindas supply capability it is seen that Mirinda tends to be more responsive in the cities and a bit less in towns. Therefore, transferring the responsiveness to the retailer and distributor, allowing them to face the higher implied demand uncertainty. This in return allows the manufacturer and supplier to be more efficient. At the same time, multiple beverage types contribute to a broader product portfolio causing RBL to adjust its strategies accordingly; tailoring the supply chain to best meet the needs of each beverage demand. SUPPLY CHAIN DRIVERS AND METRICS: Bonding drivers with Product Life Cycle (PLC) Supply chain strategy: Mirinda mainly follows a combined cost effective responsive supply chain strategy in lahore. The intensive supply of the product is being ensured throughout the city market with the help of RBL distributors. Mirinda has been able to reach out to all market segments without any delays because of its business maturity and  comparative business strength. It has the normal beverages sales volumes as compared to any  other cities. Although there is an overwhelming stability in the product market yet there are some remote areas where there are conditions for a possible stock out due to their remoteness. For addressing this risk Mirinda has financed different whole sellers in those areas to respond immediately. Mirinda in Lahore and in most parts of Pakistan can be rightly placed into the category of an ever growing mature business. Responsiveness: In case of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) that target a huge segment of market, responsiveness is a deciding factor for the organizational success. In a typical Pakistani market, quick response enables supply chains to meet the customer demands for evershorter lead times, and to synchronize the supply to meet the peaks and troughs of demand. Mirindas supply chain has been able to reinforce a greater response to the uncertain and unpredictable market behavior only because it has multisided processing facilities and corresponds to a systematic production network with both dedicated and multi-product facilities. The major focus is to determine the processes that are to be integrated in the supply chain  network with their corresponding suppliers, distribution centers and the associated transport links  between them. The major considerations in the design are the supply chain responsiveness and  profitability. Framework for Structuring Drivers: The framework is based on a motive to create strategic fit between the competitive and supplychain strategy. Mirinda Competitive strategy stands to provide a large variety of products very  quickly; simultaneously the supply chain strategy stands to materialize the availability of that  variety of products. Mirinda mainly follows a responsive supply chain strategy. Alignment of mirindas business strategy to a corresponding supply chain strategy is achieved through proper deployment of supply chain drivers. Mirinda has to deal with different set of market segments  simultaneously. Most of the time the approach needs to be responsive enough to grow substantially to be able to compete with uncertain demand, while in many areas demand is certain and very much predictable, so there it incorporates an efficient supply chain strategy. THE FACILITY DRIVER ROLE, LOCATION AND CAPACITY: In RBL the Mirinda is stored, assembled and fabricated at gulberg Lahore..Mirinda has established a flexible and a product-focused production facility in order to respond effectively to the variability in demand.The storage facilities are designed in order to provide maximum possible capacity for the inventory. It has franchising holding bottling operations. OVERALL TRADE OFF ( RESPONSIVE): In order to ensure the responsive strategy implementation, the role of facilities is of prime importance in the supply chain of RBL The large amount of excess capacity allows the facility to be very flexible and to respond to wide surges in demands placed on it. In alignment with the responsive supply chain strategy the facilities have been geographically located close to the market. THE INVENTORY DRIVER ROLE , LOCATION AND SEASONAL INVENTORY: RBL has established a comprehensive plan to ensure the sufficient inventory levels to keep up with the market demand effectively. The inventory type is seasonal .For this purpose the main inventory storage has been established within the main plant area maneet road gulberg Lahore inside RBL. It has the storage capacity of 200,000 Sq Ft and the area is being utilized both horizontally and vertically. The shipping department is in charge for storage and subsequent displacement of the product orders. The  inventory capacity is being utilized and maintained in coordination with the production department and is based on the term production estimates. OVERALL TRADE OFF (RESPONSIVE): Increasing inventory makes the supply more responsive to the customers. At RBL, managers bear a high inventory cost to ensure maximum levels of inventory and to reduce the production and transportation costs. THE TRANSPORTATION DRIVER DESIGN AND CHOICE OF TRANSPORTATION MODE: PTN is providing transport to PEPSI CO( mirinda) in the form of big large trucks.Faster transportation of the products allows RBL to maintain sufficient levels of stock on the shelves.RBLs transportation network is the collection of routes, modes and locations along which the product can be shipped. With the help of distributors the product is being supplied to the market. There are multiple supply and demand points within the city which cater to the market demand. RBL decides and selects different modes of transportation having different characteristics with respect to the speed and size of shipment. OVERALL TRADE OFF ( RESPONSIVE): The transportation network has been designed with a view to ensure responsiveness and boost the availability of the product. For RBL using fast mode of transport increases responsiveness as well as the transportation cost but lowers the inventory holding cost. Transportation driver has a large impact on the responsiveness of the business. THE INFORMATION DRIVER COMPONENTS OF INFORMATION DECISIONS: Connects all the supply chain stages effectively allowing them to coordinate and maximize total supply chain profitability. It is also crucial to the daily operations of each stage in the supply chain. The unit manager utilizes the production scheduling system that is based on information on demand to create a schedule that allows RBL to produce the right amount of product. The warehouse in charge uses this information to create visibility of the warehouses inventory items. They dont have any enabling technologies such as EDI, ERP and RFID OVERALL TRASE OFF (RESPONSIVE): Information sharing helps these firms improve its responsiveness within the market. It helps to accurately forecast demand and realize frequency of updates, measurements of the effects of seasonal factors influencing the production, measurements of variances from the plan and the ratio of demand variability to order variability. Timely and accurate information  enables the distribution managers to fix potential stock out or oversupply problems. THE PRICING DRIVER FIXED PRICING VERSUS MENU PRICING: Mirinda keeps its pricing strategy with the comparison of its competitors for example FANTA. And the demand is seasonal so during the season on period the pricing is done on the fixed basis i.e. summers. And during winters which is the off season period the pricing is done on menu basis for example Rs 2 to Rs 5 ruppees off per 1.5 litre bottle etc. THE SOURCING DRIVER: OUTSOURCED, SUPPLIER SELECTION AND PROCUREMENT: Pepsico has outsourced decisions in its supply chain as RBL is an outsourced company for it. They think that it was best to outsource Mirinda and other beverages aswell because the growth in total supply chain is significant with little additional risk. The responsive components are outsourced such as the PTN aswell which provides transportation to Pepsico ( Mirinda). It has number of suppliers within Lahore and all districts of the country. Both procurement in direct aswell as indirect ways are doneand they have a good coordination between its suppliers and buyers. DISTRIBUTION NETWORK OF MIRINDA Direct distribution: Delivery of post mix cylinders handling of key accounts: The key accounts are  different wholesalers, restaurants and hotels like Pizza Hut, KFC, Metro which  serve as a place for key sale. These are known as national key accounts and are very  important in terms of competition. Export Parties. Indirect distribution: Through Base market distributors Through Outstation distributors Before delivering the product some certain guiding principles are followed for the assessment of  distributors capability by RBL. Applicant must have 30 to 40 vehicles (depending on the area). Applicant must have 40,000 cases of empty bottles. Applicant must deposit Rs.5, 000,000 as a security. RBL uses light and heavy vehicles for safe delivery of goods to the distributors for timely  delivery. It follows the just in time concept which is applicable in Non-seasonal period and not  applicable in the seasonal period. REVIEW AND REVISE DISTRIBUTION: This is usually done through taking over key revenue areas. If the distributor does not achieve its  sales target, the distribution is taken back and an addition of new distributor is done. Therefore  MIRINDAS supply is low supply uncertainty. Some of its supply source capabilities are: Less breakdowns High quality Flexible supply capacity Mature production process FACTORES INFLUENCING DISTRIBUTION NETWORK DESIGN: At the highest level, performance of a distribution network should be evaluated along two  dimensions: 1. Customer needs that are met 2. Cost of meeting customer needs While customer service consists of many components we will consider those measures that are influenced by the structure of the distribution network for Mirinda . Response Time: For Mirinda is minimal as the direct customers for it are the retailers and then  the consumers. So with over 30 to 40 delivery trucks in Lahore , it is readily available to every  retailer within 30 minutes or an hour max . Lahore has 12 warehouses from where the supply to the market is done through trucks provided by PTN. Product Variety: They have made their place in the market with their unique product line ranging from Mirinda to Mirinda Apple with refreshing taste and great quality. Customers Desire: customer desire more for mirinda instead of apple mirinda .Recently, the sales for 250 ml bottles has increased and 1.5 litre bottle decreased but they are trying to increase it as it gives the company higher profits. Availability: The product is always available in stock whenever an order arrives. Whenever the distributors feel that after one loading there could be a stock out they place an order to RBL in advance just to keep the floor with enough stock in hand. The Distributors have 3 days stock as back up with them in order of any malfunctioning of the plant or other such external factors. Customer Experience For Mirinda has always been positive as they receive the product with ease and on time. The retailers are the direct customers as they place an order to the distributors. There has never been a shortage or a delay for mirinda in Metro or Pizza Hut which are the key accounts for the company. Order Visibility They are not really an electronic phenomenon where you can track your order  through computer. It is more of person-to-person contact and one can easily track down their  orders through the designated staff in each sector of Lahore or for that sake all over Pakistan. Returnability: Pepsi Co ( mirinda) has always been very strong in a sense that unsatisfactory items can be  returned and changed on the spot. This is true for both the consumers and the retailers. They have laid down a system through which they can effectively manage this requirement. The retailers are told to take down the  comments and the address or phone numbers from the person who is returning the bottle. It seems at first that a customer always wants the highest level of performance along all these dimensions, in practice however this is not always the case. DESIGN OPTION FOR DISTRIBUTION NETWORK:: Distributor Storage with Carrier Delivery: In Pepsi Co ( mirinda) inventory is not held by the manufacturers at the factories but is held by distributors/retailers in intermediate warehouses and package carriers are used to transport the products from  the intermediate location to the final customer. This requires distributor storage to keep high  levels of inventory because distributor/retailer aggregates demand uncertainty to a lower level  than the manufacturer. Transportation costs for Pepsi are somewhat lower because an economic mode of transportation (e.g. truckload) can be employed for inbound shipments to the warehouse, which is closer to the customer. Facility cost is high because of a loss of aggregation and often end up with higher processing costs. The information structure needed is not that complex. The distribution warehouse serves as a buffer between manufacturer and customer. Real time visibility between customers and warehouse is needed whereas as visibility between customer and manufacturer is not required. Response time is also reduced. Customer convenience is high and order visibility with manufacturer storage becomes easier. Distributor  storage is well suited for medium to fast moving goods and it can also handle higher level of  variety than retail stores VALUE OF DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM: There are basically two components of distribution: Storage Distribution The storage facilities of RBL are designed in order to boost the timely availability of the product. For this purpose the distributors are fully equipped with facilities that are needed to ensure intensive supply of the product. The storage facilities are designed to contain the maximum possible inventory items that are needed at any given time. RBL has established several storage units nearer to the market in order to boost  availability. Transportation conducts inventory movement from point to point in supply chain of RBL. It incorporates a combination of modes and routes at different stages. Transportation choices have a large impact on the responsiveness strategy of the business. RBL has several contracts with several distributors with multiple transport facility that ensure the maximum possible transport of inventory within a short period of time. The distribution does not work between specific supply chain components but it performs a basic function of  integration amongst all supply chain components. The Pepsi Co distribution system linked the entire supply chain for all product categories. The distribution centers and its information network play a key role in that regard. The major object is to carefully track sales of items and offer short replenishment cycle times. The distributors offer stored deliveries too many retail  outlets in the twin cities. Different products are being delivered conveniently on pre-orders. The distribution system is flexible enough to alter delivery schedule depending on customer demand. The Territory Distributor Managers maintain a contact with the retailers in order to book and  place the orders. Whenever a store places an order it is immediately transmitted to the supplier  through the distribution manager. Now RBL receives orders from all distribution centers and the shipment department delivers the orders. At the distribution centre, products from the manufacturer are delivered into different trucks and each truck makes deliveries to multiple retail stores. The number of stores depends  upon the sales volume. The system works on trust and does not require the delivery person to be  present when store personnel scan the delivery. This reduces the delivery time at each store. Each truck has a capacity of 1572 cans.The distribution department is in direct contact with the manufacturers and keeps updating inventory levels. They keep in stock spare three days stock to combat external uncertainty. The distribution department is responsible for all the variety of the products in their portfolio. PepsiCos overall distribution network spreads throughout Pakistan connecting the remotest of places and providing great customer service. Globalization has increased the competition that the company for its products like mirinda is constantly coming up with new projects, campaigns and distribution. RECOMMENDATIONS: RBL doesnt have proper enabling technologies such as EDI , ERP , RFID and EDD . they should be having that for the better performance of its supply chain activities. These engagements would   Identify specific opportunities to improve operational performance and reduce costs within your manufacturing, assembly, supply chain, and customer support processes Define specific process changes and the auto-id technology required to streamline each process step Address the business, manufacturing, logistics, information technology, and financial implications of RFID including starting points and scale-up plans When integrated with enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, demand planning applications can help: Compare calculated forecasts to actual results over time for trend analysis. Focus on hot spots to prepare for whats coming into high demand. Share forecast information securely via the Web through role-based portals. Reduce operating costs. Streamline production. The end result: lower inventory costs, fewer stock outages, faster time to market, and happier customers.

Attachment And Associated Disorders In A Classroom Education Essay

Attachment And Associated Disorders In A Classroom Education Essay EE and JE are two brothers, age eleven and eight respectively, who attend the same mainstream primary. Both children were identified as having difficulties considered consistent within Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and therefore each was issued with a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Statement. Both children have recently started to experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) at an intensity which is of great concern for those professionals working with them. A more detailed description of these difficulties will be outlined in the following section. The school they attend opened an ASD Resource Base (RB) in September 2009. The siblings have been timetabled in the Base according to their language and cognitive developmental levels. They were mapped for this wave 3 intervention with the view of increasing their successful inclusion in the mainstream educational offer. For EE, initial assessment lead professionals to allocate 60% of his school time in the RB, along with eight other students of different ages but similar educational needs. All nine children have been assessed within P Scale levels (QCA, 2005). JEs learning difficulties are of a moderate nature and therefore he was grouped in a different ability group with other three students. All children in this group were assessed to be working at National Curriculum level 1. JEs group was scheduled four weekly sessions in the Base with the view to provide additional support in the development of the childrens Literacy, Numeracy and Social/Emotional skills. All teachers involved in their education are developing a shared understanding of the use of Provision Maps (PMs), personalised documents that provide an overview of the childrens allocated wave 2 and wave 3 interventions, as well as their long and short term educational targets. PMs are used to inform teachers planning, both in the mainstream classroom and in the RB. In addition, they provide staff with a shared understanding of each childs educational needs (Gross, 2008). PMs also contribute to the schools inclusive ethos, supporting Riesers (1995) proposal that SEN should be part of the schools equal opportunities policy rather than being considered as a separate issue (cited in Cowne, 2000). Any child on role at this primary can access to the provision that is additional to or different from the mainstream offer at any time their needs indicate so, whether they present with SEN or not. The purpose of this essay is not necessarily to challenge the subjects ASD diagnoses but to analyse the nature of the behaviours they are currently manifesting, which may provide some relevant explanations and result in useful interventions once and if attachment disorders are considered. Johnson (1992) and Williams, OCallaghan and Cowie (1994), authors cited in Geddes (2006), maintain that childrens attachment experiences have implications for those seeking to support them in their learning process. It is the authors assumption that the two boys in this study are using behaviour as a way to communicate their emotional needs. This essay will attempt to give meaning to their current behaviour using Geddes Learning Triangle Theory (2006) and apply this analysis to inform future practice. Recent behavioural changes in both siblings if considered jointly may contribute to critically identifying possible parenting issues, which could prove significant as both children are currently being assessed as potentional candidates for the Child Protection Register. Identifying Problem Behaviours: an outline of background information and recent behavioural observations. EE is the eldest of the siblings and will be moving to secondary education in September 2010. He was diagnosed with ASD when he was almost 3 years old. EE presents with severe difficulties in the three areas of development which constitute the triad of impairments at the core of the autistic spectrum: social and emotional understanding; all aspects of communication; and flexibility of thought and behaviour (Jordan, 2005). During his primary education, EE has been known as a compliant boy, very quiet and tranquil. He tends to keep to himself but responds well to adult lead activities. He finds it hard to stay focused on activities that are not of his own choosing but understands boundaries and responds well to positive behavioural management approaches used with individuals with ASD, such as making connections with key adults, clear expectations, and verbal praise (Kluth, 2003). Over the past two months, EE has shown increasing signs of anxiety in response to other children suddenly b ecoming upset. On one occasion, a little girl in his RB group accidentally hurt herself and began to cry inconsolably. The change in his muscle tone was very apparent to those working with him. He became very rigid and placed his hands on his stomach. After a minute or two, and once the girl had calmed down, EE asked to go to the toilet, which he never had done before during lesson times. While it is reported that EE has been receptive to criticism in the past, he is currently very sensitive to any sign of disapproval, getting easily upset if he feels he is in trouble and often denying any wrongdoing. If another child hurts him/herself and a graze is apparent, EE tries to communicate the incident to an adult. He has begun relating these incidents to his own experiences, intentionally expressing these connections to the adults working at the RB and consequently disclosing events of concern. He has pointed at scars on his body while naming his brother. When asked what happened, EE usu ally responds mummy slaps JE. EEs language difficulties are a barrier to him expressing his needs and historically he has not initiated a conversation with another person. The contexts in which EE feels the need to share his own thoughts are related to others or himself being in physical pain. Recently EEs appetite has also worsened and he is reluctant to join in at snack time, having to be regularly encouraged to eat. It would then seem reasonable to consider EEs behaviours, such as the changes in his appetite, noticeable anxiety and withdrawal, as symptoms possibly associated with a specific emotional disorder, such as depression or anxiety (DfEE, 2001). JE is a year 4 student and the second child of what is about to become a family of four siblings. JE also was diagnosed with ASD at the age of four. He has always had a very loud and active nature. His language impairment is more apparent in his expressive skills, especially when involved in some kind of conflict with his peers. JE is known for his tendency to be non-compliant. When contradicted or challenged, he initially would protest verbally, but would comply with key adults like his teacher or LSA. He had not shown any physical aggression until two months ago. JE regularly appears in a heightened state of anxiety and he has become increasingly negatively fixated on one particular child, with whom he has experienced difficulty interacting with throughout his schooling. His sensitivity to criticism has accentuated recently and his difficulties in initiating and maintaining positive and trusting relationships with both peers and adults are escalating. JEs most challenging behaviour is his determination to always be in control at whatever the cost, both in class and at playtimes. He appears increasingly restless and has expressed lack of sleep. The nature of JEs SEBD is gradually proving more challenging to those working with him, to the extreme of being at risk of permanent exclusion. He is developing a pattern of flight and fight (Geddes, 2006), demonstrating an increasing violence against school property and/or adults. Physical restrain is met with spitting, kicking, punching, and even with the shouting of false accusations. Sometimes the trigger to his outburst can be peers succeeding in tasks or behaviours which he has declined to attempt himself. At other times, the outburst occurs when he has been denied permission to go to the toilet or to access to a preferred activity. His ability to remain on task is deteriorating. When a member of the mainstream staff referred to calling his father to report his behaviour, JE begged for it not to happen, alegating that his father would hit him with the belt. Despite knowing of his tendency to lie, the leadership considered all recent developments involving both siblings, and the schools child protection officer referred their case to Children Services. Circular 9/94 (DfEE, 1994) defines (S)EBD as difficulties presented in a continuum between behaviour which challenges teachers but which can be considered within normal developmental bounds and that which is indicative of serious mental illness. In EEs case, the behaviours he is presenting could be considered typical within the autistic spectrum, yet it is the sudden change parallel to those observed in his younger brother that has alerted professionals working with him, triggering a multidisciplinary analysis of the possible causes underlying these behaviours. JEs disruptive and disturbing behaviours, the deterioration of his social skills and his escalating distress, have lead the author of this paper to consider a possible overlap between his SEBD and mental health difficulties (SEBDA, 2006). It would appear that his current case scenario fits within the DfES (2001) definition of conduct/anti-social disorders: Conduct disorder is a term used by mental health specialists to describe a syndrome or core symptoms, which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ involve three overlapping domains of behaviour: defiance of the will of someone in authority; aggressiveness; and anti-social behaviour that violates other peoples rights, property or person. (DfES, 2001 p.24) A referral to Children and Adolescence Mental Health Services (CAMHS) followed this hypothesis, but in the interim that assessment is undertaken by the designated professionals, staff involved with JEs education relates to Geddes (2006) assertion of the practitioners need to reflect upon the effect that he is having on those working with him. Professionals agree that the severity of JEs behaviour at times of crisis appears to be negatively affecting professionals ability to think and respond using best practice, thus the system is becoming reactive with an increase in punitive responses and fixed term exclusions. JE is gradually becoming more rejected and unpopular amongst his peers and the adults around him, which is having a detrimental effect on his self-esteem and consequently his academic performance is decaying hastily. Difficulties in interpersonal relationship skills correlate highly with self-esteem, affect school performance and other psychosocial domains (Dana, 2009). JEs emotional and social difficulties seem to be spiraling within Danas assertion. Greenhalgh (1994) emphasizes that for those children affected with emotional and behavioural difficulties, their ability to learn is strongly linked to the childrens ability to relate to others. His assertion could be then considered in connection with the pioneer work of Bowlby (1969; cited in Bowlby, 1988) on Attachment Theory. Bowlby explains attachment behaviour as a set of behaviour patterns meant to develop during the childs early months of life. He adopts an ethological approach to the understanding of parenting and identifies the need for protection as the reason for the development of attachment between infant and caregiver. Attachment can be explained as the emotional bond that develops between the two, providing the infant with emotional security (Peardy, 1998). Cooper, Smith and Upton (1994) considered that behaviour problems in schools could be caused by the emotional difficulties emerging as a consequence of difficult family backgrounds or physical/sexual abuse. Ainsworths experiment called The Strange Situation (1978; cited in Geddes, 2006 and Pearce, 2009) contributed to the identification of the essential input of the mothers sensitivity to her infant in the development of attachment patterns. It is reported that JEs social and emotional difficulties, specially his inability of developing trusting and long lasting relationships, have always been present during his schooling, but has taken a more anti-social direction in recent times. Prior to critically analysing the attachment patterns observed in the teaching and learning environment of the RB thus the individuals SEBD can be analysed under the Attachment Theory framework -, it appears relevant to first consider the Attachment Theory in relation to children diagnosed with autistic disorders. Attachment patterns in children with ASD. Parenting children with ASD can be highly stressful (Koegel et al. 1992 and Dum et al. 2001; cited in Rutgers et al. 2007). Rutgers et al. (2007) explain how a number of researchers maintain that impairments in social interaction may have their impact on parental interactive behaviour, suggesting that parenting is particularly affected by the childs lack of adaptability, his/her demandingness and the parents acceptability of the childs disability. Despite this fact, Rutgers et al. (2007) conclude that children with ASD are able to show secure attachment behaviours to their parents regardless of their impairments in social interactions. The results of their study, also indicate that children with ASD who present with attachment disorders, follow a disorganised/disoriented pattern. Pearce (2009) describes this pattern as that defined by the childrens bizarre and contradictory behaviours towards the caregiver, exhibiting incomplete movements and poor affective displays. Rutgers et al. ( 2007) attribute the cause of these differences to the detrimental impact that the childrens social and language impairments can have on their parents interactive behaviour, especially when the children have severe difficulties in conventionally displaying their emotions. These authors maintain that with children with ASD, more sensitive parenting is not necessarily associated with more attachment security, whereas for children without ASD, more sensitive parenting is associated with more attachment security. These findings could be significant when identifying differences in the possible underlying causes of the siblings current SEBD. As outlined in the introduction of this essay, the aim of this present analysis is to underpin possible connections between the subjects SEBD and what Ainsworth et al. (1978, cited in Geddes, 2006; Rutgers et al. 2007; and Pearce, 2009) referred to as insecure patterns of attachment. Before considering possible attachment disorders as possible causes of the childrens SEBD, the siblings language difficulties have been taken into consideration. Teaching staff consulted the RB Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) in relation to a possible link between the childrens recent change in behaviour, their communication disorders, and their self-awareness. Law and Garrett (2004) cited the work done by Baker and Cantwell (1985) in order to determine the exact nature of the relationship between behavioural disorders and communication disorders. These authors concluded that early communication difficulties and behavioural problems are integrally linked in a common developmental trail that may beco me stronger as the child grows older. Both children have been receiving language therapy at school and since the opening of the RB, the hours of direct contact with the therapist have increased. During the first weeks of the school year, both children shown better than expected progress in all academic areas and SALT reported considerable improvement in their language and communication skills. Both children are demonstrating a strong need to communicate. Whether this need is to point at what is upsetting them or to link their present experiences to other environments is unknown. In consultation with the SALT, and in terms of their language development, it was agreed that both children are making good progress. It was then assumed that answers to the subjects change in behaviour needed to be found elsewhere. Understanding the nature of early experience and its disorders in the classroom could help staff understand the meaning of the childrens behaviour in school and indicate what kind of response and intervention may be effective (Geddes, 2006). Attachment patterns observed in the classroom: differences between the two siblings. Clements (2005) asserts that behaviour is driven by interactions between the individual and the environment, adopting an ecosystemic approach when understanding behaviour in children with ASD. Attachment Theory is yet another ecosystemic framework within which professionals have the opportunity to view pupils and their social and emotional difficulties holistically (Geddes and Hanko, 2006; Gross, 1987). Consequently, staffs understanding of the impact early experiences can have on the childrens behaviour at school could contribute to the emotional heath and well-being of all pupils (Geddes, 2006). Dowling and Osborne (1985; cited in Geddes, 2006) stress that children develop an understanding of relationships based on their experiences with parents and siblings, friends and extended family. Through these primary experiences, Dowling et al. explain how children will develop an understanding of rivalry for parental affection, sharing and ownership. Stern (1985) maintains that experience s of being in the company of an other are to be seen as active acts of integration, rather than as passive and unsuccessful intends of differentiation of their self. Both siblings seem to have recently suffered deterioration in their emotional well-being, yet they appear to be expressing these difficulties in very different ways: while EE is approaching adults for comfort, JE is attacking them. These differences, explains Bee (1997), could find an explanation in the biological argument explaining temperament and personality. The biological perspective considers that each individual is born with characteristic patterns determined genetically, which then establish the individuals responses to the environment and to other people (Ayers, Clarke and Murray, 1999; Bee, 1997). Goleman (1996) supports this statement and adds that each individual inherits a series of pre-set emotional features, which determine his/her temperament. It would seem, however, as if by adopting a biological perspe ctive to explain the differences in the siblings behaviours, the birth order of the children would then not be accounted for, nor any environmental factors. This would then contradict the advice of a number of researchers who advocate for the need to adopt an eclectic approach to the analysis of SEBD (Cooper et al., 1994; Cooper, 1999; Jones, 1999; Visser, 2002; Visser, 2005). JE is the second of three siblings and the family is currently expecting a fourth baby. EE was diagnosed with ASD soon after JE was born. Sterns (1998) assumption that experiencing the self in the company of another is to be seen as an experience towards integration might not have been such for JE. Links between Attachment Disorders and Mental Health Problems can be found in Greenhalghs (1994) work when he refers to Kleins (1946) concept of the paranoid-schizoid position, which is characterised by the individuals strong need for omnipotence, or in another words, the need to have things ones own way. They relat e omnipotence to the fear that allowing others to get their ways will stop the individual from preserving the experience of things being good. When identifying the problem behaviours in previous sections of this essay, it was mentioned JEs need to dictate his own way (e.g. he is to go to the toilet any time he wants to, not when he is scheduled to; he finds it very difficult to cope with the adults authority, often challenging it and reacting violently when feeling contradicted). Geddes (2006) applies the principles of the attachment patterns originally determined by Ainsworth et al. (1978; cited in Geddes, 2006; Rutgers et al. 2007; and Pearce, 2009) to the classrooms teaching and learning dynamics. She does so with what she names The Learning Triangle, established between the child, the teacher and the task. Rutgers et al. (2007) reached the conclusion that children with ASD tend to be less secure and more disorganised in their attachment pattern. This assertion could provide a th eoretical basis to critically consider JEs SEBD difficulties as being caused by a disorganised /disorientated attachment. When describing pupils whose attachment pattern is of this type, Geddes (2006) identifies the following responses to their schooling and learning: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the pupil is likely to: appear in a heightened state of anxiety; be highly vigilant and notice any slight distraction; have an absence of trust in the authority of adults; be insensitive to others feelings; place considerable importance on objects rather than relationships; may bully others perceived as vulnerable/reminders of their vulnerability; get into trouble a lot in relatively unsupervised settings such as the playground; experience overwhelming affect (feeling) which has no apparent meaning; sudden react to unseen triggers; be extremely sensitive to criticism and implied humiliation; have little development of the capacity to reflect à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and sadly appear to enjoy very little. (Geddes, 2006; pp. 108) JEs problem behaviours seem to be consistent with most of the patterns described above. When JE joins a lesson in the RB, he is asked about his mood. All pupils in his group are invited to register themselves according to six basic emotions. JE has only managed to identify two of the choices, excitement and anger. Over the past month, JE has regularly indicated feeling angry but he cannot express the reason behind his emotion. Research on the origins of anger and rage link aggression and violence to weak bonding in infancy and weak parenting (APA Commission on Violence, 1993; cited in Geddes, 2006). Geddes (2006) also quotes Holmes (2001) definition of outbursts of rage as a form of displacement activity resulting of an individuals dilemma between fear and need. She also classifies the learning profile of disorganised students as that of being omnipotent and controlling when approaching the classroom, reaching to the same consideration as other authors previously refer to (e.g. Klein , 1946 in Stern, 1998). On the other hand, EE is responding well to a nurturing approach to his emotional needs, which Clements (2005) identifies as one successful strategy for those individuals with ASD who like EE are sensitive or anxious and ready to avoid situations. When considering Geddes Learning Triangle to critically analyse EEs SEBD, the evidence compiled with the SALT; the fact that he is approaching the adults in the RB when feeling upset and/or distress; his growing ability to work independently with the support of visual aids; and his good response to the nurturing approach staff is adopting, could contribute sufficient evidence to consider EE as a securely attached pupil who over the last two months has been experiencing some external strain. His condition of first-born and his kind and gentle manner would appear to have contributed to his development of a secure attachment with his mother. Over the years, he has demonstrated a capacity to adapt to school and to respond to the demands of the academic and social setting in which learning takes place, which Geddes (2006) identifies as features characteristic of secure attachment, a social and emotional skill that children with ASD are capable of achieving (Rutgers et al. 2007). Geddes goes to describe the secure attached pupil as a child who presents with high scores of ego-resilience and self-esteem, less dependency on the teacher with the past of time, but with a growing affect for him/her. The securely attached pupil can increase the intentionality in his/her interactions with others and s/he is generally more co-operative. This would seem consistent with the recent improvement in EEs expressive skills assessed by the SALT as well as his ability to allow a key adult to help him focus back on task after an incident that may have upset him. Conclusions and advice for further practice It would seem that EEs emotional distress needs to be further assessed within the work of a multi-disciplinary team in order to bring some light to his family situation. His anxiety could be rooted to home events that are yet to be clarified. From an educational point of view, staff needs to advocate for his emotional well-being and continue offering a nurturing approach to his current needs (Clements, 2005). The conclusion reached in this discussion regarding the possible implications of an identified attachment disorder for JE, along with the nature of his behaviours, imply that the educational priority for the immediate future is to provide JE with safety, reliability and predictability (Geddes, 2006). Visual cues, such as visual timetables, are already being used. Clear expectations and behavioural boundaries are common and consistent practice amongst the staff of the RB and, in few occasions, JE has shown some positive responses to the authority of one of the teachers. It appears necessary that these same boundaries are consistently used in the mainstream provision. In order to guarantee that, the teacher with whom he seems to be developing a positive relationship could be allocated as his key worker for a period of time. For children identified as having a disorganised/disoriented attachment pattern, Geddes (2006) also recommends the use of a physical container as a possible therape utic strategy. She advocates that this resource can be interpreted as a secure base. This approach needs to be further explored, but taking into account that JE is very fond of comic characters, providing him with a toy that he can place in and out of a box during the school day as required by his emotions could facilitate him with a tool with which to explore and regain interest in the world around him. JE shows interest in playing with his peers and it is often his lack of skills to initiate positive interactions at playtimes that causes him trouble. JE could benefit from adult support at playtimes to facilitate good role models and assertive approaches to conflict, social skills strategies recognised as useful in helping individuals to improve their self-concept and achieve optimal levels of self-esteem (Roffey, Tarrant and Majors, 1994). EE and JE have both been displaying abnormal behaviour patterns and despite very similar diagnoses of ASD, they have been exhibiting markedly different responses to what is assumed as external factors possibly stressed within the home. Through this examination of attachment and associated disorders, it has been hypothesized that the variation in the boys response could possibly be due to JE suffering from an attachment disorder in addition to his original diagnoses of ASD. For this supposition to be validated it is acknowledged that there is need for an extensive multidisciplinary investigation in the home dynamics and further analysis of JEs mental health. The value of investigating attachment and associated disorders when analysing possible causes of individuals SEBD is that it can inform staff to look further than the original ASD diagnoses. If the supposition of JE presenting with an attachment disorder of a disorganized/disorientated pattern is correct, working on developing JEs attachment to and trust of staff, as well as maintaining the specialised ASD provision within the RB, can only be of benefit to him. Unlike EE, JE is not responding to the strategies advised as best practice for children with ASD.