Marketing Analysis: Kellogg Cornflakes

Marketing Analysis: Kellogg Cornflakes Kelloggs has persisted in the market as a strong brand in the FMCG industry. Its cereal flakes is a line of product that has been accepted worldwide as one of the most convenient ready to eat meal for breakfast. Over the years people in most countries has consumed more of Kelloggs products than any of its competitors. Annual report of the company shows in late 1980s the company had reached all time peak, gaining a staggering 40 percent in the US ready to eat market and thereby prompting a yearly sales of US $6 billion. In 1990s since the industry in the core markets of U.S and U.K started to face stiff competition with lots of players entering, Kelloggs made a decision to migrate into the Indian market. The market potential was huge since it was a population of 950 millions, out of which 250 million were middle class and was a completely untapped market. In 1994 Kelloggs entered the Indian Market by investing US$ 65 million into launching its flagship product Corn Flakes. However the Indian Consumers found it hard to merge the concept of Corn Flakes with their lifestyle. The most prevalent practice was boiled vegetables and hence the concept of ready to eat failed in India. Even though the first year sales were encouraging, the sales started falling from the second year. It was becoming apparent that people mainly purchased it as a onetime novelty purchase. This study reflects the possible ways in which the brand can be sustained as a successful one in the Indian market. Devising a Marketing plan using the SOSTAC Model: Situational Analysis using SWOT: Strength: High Global Market Share: Kelloggs has 65% global market share according to the audit of March 2010 conducted by KPMG, in the ready-to-eat cereal products and it is also the leading producer in this category. Strong Brand: As a brand the worth of Kelloggs is 13 billion USD at the present time, and even in the period of strong economic crisis it is regarded as one of the profitable brands in US and the European Countries. Some of the brands under Kelloggs are widely accepted. Nutri-gain, Pop-tarts, Kebbler and Ego are just to name a few of them. Large Product Line: In terms of the depth and width of the product mix, Kelloggs has got a wide variety of packaged cereal flakes. It has also stated producing products in assorted categories other than cereal flakes such as choco flakes for children, and also categories such as vegan, certified halal meat, low sodium content and gluten free flakes. Kelloggs also has a healthy food category. Continuous Research to reduce cost: Kelloggs invests a substantial amount on Research and development in order to reduce cost. They have also set up their manufacturing plants in South East Asian countries in order to produce at the expense of cheaper labour and to reduce cost on logistics. Weakness: High Price: A package of 475 grams of Kelloggs corn flakes cost 130 INR which is considered to be pretty high from the Indian perspective. Most housewives who are potential shoppers do opine that this pack lasts for a maximum of 3 usages. This is not regarded as economical from the Indian perspective. Unsuitable for Indian Lifestyle: The general Indian practice was of using warm milk, which was very contradictory to the American concept of using cold milk. Due to the usage of warm milk, the flakes became soggy. Declining Sales: Asia represents only 2% of the Kelloggs worldwide sales. Since its inception in 1994, the countrywide sales have dropped by 25%. Bad relation with Supermarkets: To be in tandem with its pricing Kelloggs should establish itself to sell more through the Supermarkets. However Kelloggs recently had to suffer a lot due to its bad relationship with Supermarkets. For instance Kelloggs products were moved from the shelves of Food Bazaar since it was giving the retailer a much lesser margin than Tasty Treat which is its private label. Opportunity: Globalisation: Due to the effect of globalisation, Indians are now more exposed to the International Cultures. The youth in India now tries to imitate a lot of the lifestyles prevalent in U.K and U.S.A. Increasing level of Disposable Income: Being a growing economy, the income level is rising, hence if Kelloggs can switch over from being a premium pricing brand to a slightly competitive pricing brand, it would be able to extract the money from Indians. Advent of Television Advertising: Due to a continuous improvement in the quality of television advertising, advertisement campaigns are creating awareness and interest towards a brand at a faster. A brand like Kelloggs Choco can be very popular in this way. Threats: Private Label Brands: With supermarkets such as Food Bazaar, Spencer, More, etc gaining more margins on private label brands, it is becoming difficult for Kelloggs to maintain its shelf space in super markets. Local Competitors: Some local and regional competitors such as Crunchy Oats are becoming stronger players due to their low pricing strategies. The Environmental Analysis Using Porters 5 Forces: C:UsersstephenDesktopimages.jpg Degree of Rivalry: (High) Face a stiff competition in Indian market from Local and Regional players such as Crunchy Oats and private label brands such as Tasty Treat. Even global players such as Nestle are giving them tough competition in products within the kids segment. An oligopolistic competition structure exists within the industry. Switching cost is negligible, and most consumers regard switching to be profitable since they get better quality product at a lesser price. Growth is stagnant for the last five years whereas the Industry is expanding. Bargaining Power of Buyers: (High) Supermarkets are continuously forcing to reduce price of products to obtain higher margins, hence consumers are more inclined towards private label brands. Switching cost is again negligible. In certain semi urban and developing areas of the country, people still find it difficult to associate with the concept of consuming cereal flakes in cold milk. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: (Low) The company has a central manufacturing unit in the country and about 20 other units across the world. Raw materials are sourced from the local market. Hence the supplier bargaining power is low. Threat of Substitutes: (High) Other ready to eat and packaged food products are more popular among Indian consumers such as Maggie Noodles. Maggie noodles are more preferred since they are served hot. There is no switching cost involved. Threat of New Entrants: (High) It is difficult for competitors to develop new products in this category since they would require investment and time to develop. Distribution is a major concern. High slotting promotional fees, limited shelf space, and the need to create retail demand are additions to the manufacturing cost. Capital costs are very high since setting up production facilities and distribution chain takes into account a high upfront investment. Objective Setting at different strategic levels: Corporate Strategy: To increase profitability by 23% worldwide by 2011 Business level Strategy: To gain 50% market share countrywide in India by 2011. Marketing Strategy: To become the breakfast meal of 70% of the urban Indian Household by 2011. Developing Strategies: Creating a Growth Strategy using the Ansoffs Matrix: C:Documents and SettingssoumyadeepMy DocumentsMy Picturesuntitled.bmp Kelloggs operates in a country wherein it is an existing brand for the last five years. All products in the product line are known to consumers and a market for such products has also developed. Hence the strategy that Kelloggs should undertake in order to increase its sales is Market Penetration. Kelloggs being an established brand would not have a problem in penetrating the market and increasing its share. The risk factor would also be considerably low. In order to penetrate Kelloggs has to look at two things: Creating a different position for the brand through a better communication and in turn developing a new improved value proposition. Kelloggs must make utilization of cost reduction in order to gain price leadership in the market. Once the product appeals to consumers they will purchase it readily due to the low price. If the company can sell a higher volume at a lesser margin, then they can combat competition successfully. Creating a competitive strategy using Porters Generic Strategies: Kelloggs being an FMCG product has to have an Industry wide strategic scope. However according to the research Kelloggs should practice a combination of Differentiation and Overall Cost leadership. Kelloggs as a brand has a large portfolio of products and each product have its own uniqueness. Hence they should continue to leverage on the differentiation aspect. However a major challenge that Kelloggs faces is its premium pricing, on gaining a cost leadership, it can implement a competitive pricing. This will make the brand more attractive. Tactics employed in order to achieve strategic objectives: Product: Pack Size: Since most of the products within the product mix are widely accepted across the globe, Kelloggs should not change the range of cereal flakes that it has. However in order to increase the frequency of purchase, Kelloggs can reduce the minimum pack size from 475g to 250 g so that it becomes more popular amongst young individuals who live a fast life and stay single. For such group of target customers the basket size of purchase is much small. Hence smaller size packs will attract them to a greater extent. Apart from this value packs must be issued initially to pick up sales. These are packs of 500 g at the price of 475g packs. Packaging: Most of Kelloggs packs do not have the nutritive benefits engraved on them (except for Special K). They only contain a small label showing the nutritional ingredients. Over the recent years the urban Indian population has become more diet conscious. Hence it would be advantageous to engrave the nutritive benefits on them. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/photo.cms?msid=3190216 Present packaging new packaging Price: Kelloggs flakes are priced higher than competitors. Prices of three most manufactured Indian Brands are higher than most competitors. 475g of Kelloggs Corn Flakes costs Rs 130, whereas its closest competitor delivers 500g at Rs 109. Kelloggs thus should reduce the price. In the recent company audit report from KPMG it has been found that the most highly purchased product, the Kelloggs choco is priced at Rs 125 for a 375g pack, thus making it difficult for a middle class Indian household to avail it. Kelloggs should promote more of this product by reducing the price. Also in order to obtain better penetration in the market Kelloggs should try and sell more through Supermarkets rather than corner grocery shops. Hence Kelloggs should supply more volume at lesser margin to supermarkets and hypermarkets. Place: Internet: One of the medium through which urban customers are purchasing more of their FMCG products is the internet. The advent of online retailing, Kelloggs must try and sell more through online medium. Especially for institutional sales such as to hospitals and school or college hostels, where purchases are made in bulk, Kelloggs should encourage online sale of products. This will help them in reducing the time to deliver their products faster and help them to sell higher units. Also, the negotiation terms with supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenient stores should be laid in a way such that Kelloggs cereal flakes occupies maximum shelf space in its particular product category. The main objective should be to gain maximum shelf space rather than trying to earn more margins per unit. Promotion: The most important element in the marketing mix of Kelloggs is the promotions. When Kelloggs entered India about fifteen years ago, they lacked research of the behaviour of the Indian consumers. They took no notice of the fact that Indians disliked the concept of consuming cold milk, and the flakes became soggy in warm milk. Hence in order to promote the practice of the consuming normal or cold milk Kelloggs should use the television advertising media effectively. This would create a separate value proposition for the brand. For example time can be used as a parameter to create urgency for the brand. A television advertisement showing this concept will create response among customers. Idea- Showing a household wherein every member is rushing for his or her work or school. In such a short time boiling milk and consuming flakes is a lengthy process. Hence normal milk is used and it even tastes nice. The new mission statement of the brand could be Kelloggs: Your Fast BreakFastà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The other forms of communication channels should be advertising hoardings, posters in super markets and magazines such as Graphiti. In order to promote kids products such as Kelloggs Choco the company can organize event promotions through various retailers and also through sponsorship of kids activities and competitions at schools. Sales promotion would also be done throughout the year through the distribution of freebies. Freebies such as a bowl can be given with a pack of 475g of Kelloggs Corn Flakes. This would be of utility in the consumption process and would in-turn increase sales. Process: Distribution is the pivotal processes that should be taken care of in achieving the objectives After the manufacturing process, the distribution chain should be controlled from different centers. There should be four regional distribution centers (RDC) at the four different zones- Delhi (North), Calcutta (East), Mumbai (West) and Bangalore (South). Each distribution center should supply in its particular zone and each distribution center should use the hub and spoke model. All four distribution centers should be interconnected to each other. The distribution model is as follows: Actions followed to achieve the tactics: The head office of Kelloggs is situated in Mumbai. All plan of action should be coordinated from the Mumbai head office and the decisions should effectively pass on across the distribution centers up to the store level where the product gets handed over to the end consumer. Usage of 2009 Financial Statements (Historical method): The budget is planned based upon an analysis of the income statement of 2009. In the fiscal year 2009 as per the annual reports of the company the net income $1,212 million. The net cash flow in the last quarter has been $1230 million and also as per the last quarter the liquid cash reserves of the company is $527 millions. Hence Kelloggs Corporation can invest a high amount in the development of the Indian market in order to bring it to a growth. The total budget allocated towards marketing activities of the Indian market is. The allocated amount is divided into five discrete divisions to carry out activities. These divisions are packaging, sponsorship, advertisement, sales promotion, event promotion and value packs. To map the budget according to the activities of the organisation a GNATT action chart is used. Activity Time Staff Amount Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Packaging 1 Sponsorship 2 Advertisement 3 Sales Promotion 4 Event Promotion 5 Value Packs 6 Gaining Control over the plan: Control can be gained over the process by using two different approaches: Periodic control: A periodic control can be exercised over the plan by performing Marketing Audits from time to time. The company must not rely only on external auditors such as KPMG, they should also gain control through internal audits performed by auditors within the company. Through marketing audits performance gaps should be identified. The extent to which the results vary from the desired targets should be noted and corrective measures should be taken accordingly. Continuous Control: A continuous control should be introduced by maintenance of a Balanced Scorecard customized specifically for stakeholders perspective of Kelloggs.

Airport Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) E

Abstract Through the history of aviation the importance of airport security has steadily increased. Since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, many changes have taken place at airports to prevent such an attack from occurring again. The purpose of this paper is to: outline airport security procedures, discuss the different technologies involved with airport security, as well as examine the components of airport security. In addition I will also discuss the Transportation Security Administration’s role in our nation’s airport security. Airport Security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Airport Security is a necessity of Life both in America and through out the world. Without airport security our airports would not be able to function and terrorist attacks resembling those of September 11th, 2001, would be more common place. Passengers would be afraid to fly in fear of such a terrorist attack happening again. The airline industry would lose more revenue from lost ticket sales. Then the airports themselves would lose money from the lack of passengers boarding through their gates. Finally this lack of security would trickle down to the entire economy not only in the communities surrounding the airport and aviation industry, but to the nation’s economy as well. To keep this economic failure associated with another terrorist attack from happening, our nation must take the appropriate measures to prevent it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Airport security procedures are designed to deter, prevent, and respond to criminal acts that may affect safety and security of the traveling public† Wells and Young (2004, p. 280). In order for this to happen, airports must become more proactive instead of reactive to possible threats such as: hijacking, explosive devices on aircraft or any other possible criminal act that could happen aboard an aircraft. To accomplish President George W. Bush signed into effect the Aviation and Transportation security Act, on November 19th, 2001. This act was a result of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks, and from this act the Transportation Security Administration was formed. Transportation Security Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of the TSA is to protect all of the nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. Commercial aviation has been a long-standing target for terrorists. Since the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001, subst... ...om key entry to combination locks, to advanced identification authentication machines. Security lighting may also be used to aid in perimeter security. It is located and around heavy traffic areas, aircraft service areas, as well as other operations and maintenance areas. Patrolling by airport security and staff as well as local law enforcement agencies may also be used to secure the perimeter around an airport.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper has covered the many different aspects of airport security. It is important to keep in mind that procedures, regulations, and technology associated with airport security are in a state of constant change. However, it is through these changes that our nation’s airports will show a steady improvement towards the safety and security of the passengers that visit them. References Transportation Security Administration. (2004, February 20). Capps II at a glance. Retrieved from Transportation Security Administration Web Site: http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=5&content0900051980088d91 Wells, A. T., & Young, S. B. (2004). Airport Security ch. 8. In L. Hagar (Ed.), Airport Planning and Management (5 ed., pp. 279-307). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Peter Singer: The Golden Rule

World poverty is arguably at the forefront of issues plaguing our society as a whole today. I found an article displaying some of Peter Singers thought experiments that will further help display his beliefs. In his essay The Singer Solution to World Poverty, world-renowned author and philosopher Singer claims he has the solution. Singer asserts that materialism is the roadblock preventing the third world's climb from despair into prosperity.The author begins his essay by detailing two thought experiments; the first recounts a Brazilian film, â€Å"Central Station,† in which the main harasser, Dora, unknowingly causes a young boy to be sold into the organ trade. After some debates as to Odor's real motives, as well as further contemplation, Dora decides to rescue the boy (Singer).Singer applauds Odor's actions and notes that had Dora decided the boys fate was not her responsibility and kept the money she gained as a result of her part, the movie's audience would have demonic he r; conversely she maintains a positive light in the eyes of those watching the movie only by rescuing the boy. Singer further notes however, that most of those able to go see a movie, are in a better place than Dora herself, explaining how what she gave up to save the boy was of greater value than the audience could relate to (Singer).Singer then raises an ethical question: What is the difference between Dora selling the child into the organ trade, and the average American who chooses not to donate money to organizations that could benefit a child in similar situation of need? Singer acknowledges the situational differences of physically putting a child in that situation compared to mere inaction, yet, pointing out that he is a utilitarian philosopher; he claims the end results are the name (Singer). Singer's next thought experiment details a character named Bob who is close to retirement and owns a very valuable classic car.To sum things up Bob finds himself in a situation where a child is dangerously trapped on a train track. Bob is the only one around and the only way he can save the child is by diverting the train down a separate track, resulting in the destruction of the car. In the story, Bob chooses not to divert the coming train, the child is killed, and bob proceeds on in his life with the car, which brings him years of enjoyment and financial security (Singer). Singer argues that Bob's actions are clearly morally incorrect, and claims most would agree.However, Singer states that most readers who would quickly condemn Bob's actions are not much different. Singer cites calculations saying the $200 in donations, after all the deductions made by organizations and politics, would essentially save the life of an imperiled toddler in a third world country, or at least give them a significant chance at reaching adulthood (Singer). Singer next argues those who have money to spare and do not donate it, are effectively as morally wrong as Bob, who watched a hil l brutally die (Singer).Singer goes on to detail how much of the western world has massive wealth surpluses. He again cites research claiming the average American household spends close to forty percent, or twenty thousand dollars annually on superfluous spending. Singer marvels at how many children that small amount of money could save, and continues to detail that while a household income an increase, it's necessary spending proportionately does not, freeing up even more unneeded income. Through this logic Singer claims a household making $100,000 annually, could donate nearly $70,000.Singer wraps his argument up with a simple equation; all money being spent on luxuries and anything other than a necessity, should be given away. Furthermore, all money being spent on luxuries is indirectly resulting in the deaths of innocent youth, and those doing the spending, are morally responsible for avoidable deaths of impoverished children. Singer aims to demonstrate, that while Bob likely th ought he was quite unlucky to be put in such a situation, in fact he was not, and all of us with additional income are in the same boat.Clearly, Singer hopes to open the eyes of richer nations and invoke a sense of accessibility towards making their extraneous means count toward the world's well being, and arguably he does so. With the demonstrations of the detailed stories I explained earlier, Singer indeed executed his beliefs fairly well. Anyone with a conscious and decent moral compass can admit the life of another human being is worth saving, many would agree it would not hurt to give up western luxuries to do so.Singer makes it easy to see how the wealth of the western world could ago long way in restoring health and prosperity into some areas of the world which are very much in need. On the surface Singers conclusion: we ought to give a country in famine aid seems like it would work great. In the long run, Singer's plan will not be successful. Let's break down the logical com ponent of Singers argument. First off, Singer relies almost entirely on his consequentiality ethics this has some telling drawbacks.While the worldwide effect of such thinking is usually positive, since such ethics rely on cost/ benefit analysis, the hard conclusions are rarely so simple. A reoccurring problem with such thinking is the secondary, and tertiary effects are not usually factored in. Once we apply that critical template to Singer's thinking, some momentous issues emerge, namely, economics. If we as Americans were to take all our extraneous income, and simply donate it to countries in need, what would the end result be?The economic ramifications would gigantic, and while this may seem extreme, we could wind up in a simple role reversal, quickly finding ourselves in need. Again, this is extreme, but it effectively demonstrates the results. Our economy relies on extraneous spending, it is the only way it can sustain itself. Simply put there is no re- deeding effect from don ations, no recirculation of wealth, no more money to receive, and thus unnecessarily spend again. As a result, the supplemental income Singer refers to would quickly disappear.From a more cynical perspective, let's critique Singer's utilitarian views on a scarier level. A more chilling result from Singer's solution is population increase. As ‘immoral' as it may be, all of the children who do not live past there earlier years help keep the problem at bay. In reality if we were to embrace singer's solution, a quick result would be thousands of young impoverished children surviving into adulthood. A lightly slower result would be all of those impoverished children growing up, and raising impoverished families, effectively multiplying the problem.While as I said, this is cynical, it is also utilitarian. What is good for those impoverished children, is not necessarily good for society, and throwing all our extra income at them, isn't going to magically cure their situation. In actu ality though, my best argument for Singer's solution is a simple one. Think about it, how many impoverished children are in the age bracket (toddlers) that Singer refers to? One million? 100 million? At $200 per child, that large overestimation moms out to twenty billion dollars. Initially such statistics support Singers argument.The United States alone has a gross economy in the trillions, so shaving a little off the top should go a long way to help right? In reality world poverty is not a new problem, and I can think of several wealthy westerners, who collectively could easily write a check for that. And arguably have gone a long way in their attempts to do so. This argument speaks for itself; money is not the answer. While it definitely is one of the means necessary to help solve this problem, it is not the chief factor in fixing this issue. These people need societal and political reform. 200 per child is not going to halt genocide in Africa, or change the fact that certain soci eties in South America simply are not conducive to public health. All this goes to illustrate how much Singer chooses to leave out of his solution. Singer makes a solid argument, with huge social and financial implications, yet it is not without holes. The author, being both a scholar and a philosopher, has a smooth writing style, and it shows. He invokes Just the right amount of inquiry, logic, and writes with such an authority that it becomes easy to to question both his statistics and the evidence he either omitted, or did not realize.Due to this, Singer's argument itself is markedly effective, making it is easy to feel compelled from the points he makes, and the illustrations he uses. He invokes strong feelings of guilt, and assigns a social liability for the welfare of those less fortunate, but his support is ultimately less than pragmatic. While Singer's intentions are pure, and to such a degree are worth of some merit, simple logically analysis of much of his deductively supp orted report shows his solution is impractical. This is not to say

Raul Castro Biography and Profile

Raul Castro Biography and Profile Raà ºl Castro (1931-) is the current President of Cuba and brother of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro. Unlike his brother, Raà ºl is quiet and reserved and spent most of his life in his older brother’s shadow. Nevertheless, Raà ºl played a very important role in the Cuban Revolution as well as in the government of Cuba after the revolution was over. Early Years Raà ºl Modesto Castro Ruz was one of the  several illegitimate children born to sugar farmer Angel Castro and his maid, Lina Ruz Gonzlez. Young Raà ºl attended the same schools as his older brother but was neither as studious nor gregarious as Fidel. He was just as rebellious, however, and had a history of discipline problems. When Fidel became active in student groups as a leader, Raà ºl quietly joined a student communist group. He would always be as ardent a communist as his brother, if not more so. Raà ºl eventually became a leader himself of these student groups, organizing protests and demonstrations. Personal Life Raà ºl married his girlfriend and fellow revolutionary Vilma Espà ­n not long after the triumph of the revolution. They have four children. She passed away in 2007. Raà ºl leads an austere personal life, although there have been rumors that he may be an alcoholic. He is thought to despise homosexuals and reputedly influenced Fidel to jail them in the early years of their administration. Raà ºl has been consistently dogged by rumors that Angel Castro was not his real father. The most likely candidate, former rural guardsman Felipe Miraval, never denied nor confirmed the possibility. Moncada Like many socialists, Raà ºl was disgusted by the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. When Fidel began planning a revolution, Raà ºl was included from the start. The first armed action of the rebels was the July 26, 1953, attack on the federal barracks at Moncada outside of Santiago. Raà ºl, barely 22 years old, was assigned to the team sent to occupy the Palace of Justice. His car got lost on the way there, so they arrived late, but did secure the building. When the operation fell apart, Raà ºl and his companions dropped their weapons, put on civilian clothes, and walked out onto the street. He was eventually arrested. Prison and Exile Raà ºl was convicted of his role in the uprising and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Like his brother and some of the other leaders of the Moncada assault, he was sent to the Isle of Pines prison. There, they formed the 26th of July Movement (named for the date of the Moncada assault) and began plotting how to continue the revolution. In 1955 President Batista, responding to international pressure to release political prisoners, freed the men who had planned and carried out the Moncada assault. Fidel and Raà ºl, fearing for their lives, quickly went into exile in Mexico. Return to Cuba During their time in exile, Raà ºl befriended Ernesto â€Å"Chà ©Ã¢â‚¬  Guevara, an Argentine doctor who was also a committed communist. Raà ºl introduced his new friend to his brother, and the two hit it right off. Raà ºl, by now a veteran of armed actions as well as prison, took an active role in the 26th of July Movement. Raà ºl, Fidel, Chà ©, and new recruit Camilo Cienfuegos were among the 82 people who crowded on board the 12-person yacht Granma in November 1956 along with food and weapons to return to Cuba and start the revolution. In the Sierra Miraculously, the battered Granma carried all 82 passengers the 1,500 miles to Cuba. The rebels were quickly discovered and attacked by the army, however, and less than 20 made it into the Sierra Maestra Mountains. The Castro brothers soon began waging a guerrilla war against Batista, collecting recruits and weapons when they could. In 1958 Raà ºl was promoted to Comandante and given a force of 65 men and sent to the north coast of Oriente Province. While there, he imprisoned about 50 Americans, hoping to use them to keep the United States from intervening on behalf of Batista. The hostages were quickly released. Triumph of the Revolution In the waning days of 1958, Fidel made his move, sending Cienfuegos and Guevara in command of most of the rebel army, against army installations and important cities. When Guevara decisively won the Battle of Santa Clara, Batista realized he could not win and fled the country on January 1, 1959. The rebels, including Raà ºl, rode triumphantly into Havana. Mopping Up After Batista In the immediate aftermath of the revolution, Raà ºl and Chà © were given the task of rooting out supporters of former dictator Batista. Raà ºl, who had already begun setting up an intelligence service, was the perfect man for the job: he was ruthless and totally loyal to his brother. Raà ºl and Chà © oversaw hundreds of trials, many of which resulted in executions. Most of those executed had served as policemen or army officers under Batista. Role in Government and Legacy As Fidel Castro transformed the revolution into government, he came to rely on Raà ºl more and more. In the 50 years after the revolution, Raà ºl served as head of the Communist Party, minister of defense, vice president of the Council of State, and many more important positions. He has generally been most identified with the military: he has been Cuba’s top-ranking military officer since soon after the Revolution. He advised his brother during times of crisis such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. As Fidel’s health faded, Raà ºl came to be considered as the logical (and perhaps the only possible) successor. An ailing Castro turned over the reins of power to Raà ºl in July 2006, and in January 2008 Raà ºl was elected president in his own right, Fidel having withdrawn his name from consideration. Many see Raà ºl as being more pragmatic than Fidel, and there was some hope that Raà ºl would loosen the restrictions placed on Cuban citizens. He has done so, although not to the extent that some expected. Cubans can now own cell phones and consumer electronics. Economic reforms were implemented in 2011 to encourage more private initiative, foreign investment, and agrarian reforms. He limited terms for president, and he will step down after his second term as president ends in 2018. Normalization of relations with the United States began in earnest under  Raà ºl, and full diplomatic relations were resumed in 2015. President Obama visited Cuba and met with  Raà ºl in 2016. It will be interesting to see who succeeds Raà ºl as President of Cuba, as the torch gets handed to the next generation. Sources Castaà ±eda, Jorge C. Compaà ±ero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara. New York: Vintage Books, 1997. Coltman, Leycester. The Real Fidel Castro. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2003.

THE THEME OF TRAGEDY IN EDGAR ALLAN POES TALES OF TERROR essays

THE THEME OF TRAGEDY IN EDGAR ALLAN POE'S TALES OF TERROR essays Although most readers would not immediately recognize it, a number of the so-called "Tales of Terror" by American author Edgar Allan Poe, born in Boston in 1809 and the youngest son of Elizabeth and David Poe. Jr., contain central themes associated with tragedy and tragic drama. With a detailed reading of such tales as "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Black Cat," "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Fall of the House of Usher," the dark presence of tragedy can be strongly sensed, for it not only permeates the plotlines but also the various characters that bring the tale to life as though each was experiencing the sensations and emotions that make up a true tragic figure, replete with misery, denial, fabrications, and death. Ironically, Poe's own life was based on a tragic drama, for it was influenced by many events that were beyond his control, such as the early death of his wife Virginia in 1847 from tuberculosis. In essence, it could be said that Poe had his own "fatal flaw" that finally led to his own death in October of 1849 at the age of forty. The Greek philosopher Aristotle defines tragic drama as "a power capable of raising pity and fear, or terror. . . to purge the mind of these passions. . . to temper and reduce them. . . by reading or seeing those passions imitated" (Hamilton, 56), i.e. tragedy gnaws at one's emotions, thus bringing about a release, or purgation, when the tragic figure is triumphant or victorious over his oppressors or the object of his frustrations. However, since Aristotle's time, literary purists have what constitutes tragedy, yet Poe's own interpretation of this term is "the primordial emotions that rise from the deepest recesses of the human soul" which he described as "the reproduction of what the senses perceive in nature through a veil. . . the naked senses sometimes sees too little but then they always see too muc...

Action learning review - work design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Action learning review - work design - Essay Example Considering personal objectives, work design should allow employees to find a sense of fulfillment and potential in their job. There should be particular attention given to employee perceptions regarding autonomy and the challenges of such an environmentAs a socio-technical system, work design is critical in the consideration of the human factors in the workplace. The objective is to be able to create an environment were workers can achieve job satisfaction, efficiency, effectivity and be able to have access to channels for the resolution of problems. In a company that operates on flexible hours and remotely, it is important to create work designs that can be accessed 24/7. At the same time, communication and resolution of policies and issues alike must be done in real time and promptly. At the same time, there should be consideration for security, privacy and sensitivity of programs to circumvent ant limitations that may develop from the nature or structure of the organization. It w as only recently, around in the early part of the 20th century that the value of human resources was given its much and due importance in the organization. Research had shown that employee commitment and satisfaction are highly correlated and this coincides with their intrinsic motivation to work and stick with the organization through its up and downs. Employees are willing to go beyond their call of duty if they have a high job commitment (Bartol & Martin, 1998). There is evidence that work designs are up to par: job satisfaction is high, there is low staff turnover and many employees have been with the company for more than two years which suggests employee commitment. In small organizations such as the one I am working in, the individual efforts are even higher in magnitude. The objectives for the design are to be able to endure that every employee will be given the opportunity and the capability to contribute fully to the company. This will be done by ensuring that work scenarios meet both the corporate and personal objectives, contribute to improving services and enhance effectivity and efficiency of processes and resources (Managing People & Organisations [MOP], 2007, p. 5). Corporate and Personal Objectives The company is in an industry that is competitive and technology oriented. Both of these factors emphasize the need to be responsive and sensitive to developments and trends not only in our main medium, online communications, but also to social trends and demographics. Therefore, the company must be able to have employees who will provide these competencies to develop. Considering this corporate objectives, the work design should afford employees the ability to deliver these needs to company (Niebel & Freivalds, 2002). At the same time, the design should be able to help the company ensure that employees reflect these needs in their work through their innovativeness and ability to deliver collaterals that support client requirements. Considering personal objectives, work design should allow employees to find a sense of fulfillment and potential in their job. There should be particular attention given to employee perceptions regarding autonomy and the challenges of such an environment (Mischel, 1968). The degree of autonomy viewed in a small organization like this is more than compared to a traditional and highly hierarchical management. The problem with too much autonomy could lead to the team inability to work cohesively with other members of the organization (Niebel & Freivalds 2002). Products and Services The company should consider the opinion of Rothwell and Sullivan (2005) who assert the value of non-traditional set ups. This can be particularly to our organization where employees work remotely and independently. In turn, there is an expected variance in the product and service development. Consider schedules alone: in a traditional set-up, people work on relatively the same schedules. In the company, since work is relatively more independent, this may not be a given condition. Therefore, there is less communication regarding products and services particularly on the evaluation phases. Clients will consider status, security, comfort and quality to be the essential

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed Essay

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed - Essay Example did not have any belief in material image of God- no creature can represent the creator. Whereas in Eastern religions like Hinduism, the material images of God is worshiped. They believed in the personality of human of being in God like he could be angry, even jealous, but his primary attributes were righteousness, justice mercy, truth and faithfulness. He is represented as king, Judge and shepherd. Whereas in Hinduism various deities are worshiped at shrines; the divine trinities, representing the cyclical nature of the universe, are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. The first books of Hebrew law contain legal writings of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. The fifth book of the Bible was called Deuteronomy [Second Law] primarily a report of the last words and deeds of Moses. It contains numerous laws, often in the context of interpretation and preaching whereas Hindu law preaches the birth, death and rebirth of living things, and its precepts cover many more activities than does any secular legal system. The Hebrew people gave Torah special reverence than the portion of the Hebrew Bible because the written Torah which consists of the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy .The scrolls are considered mostly holy. Whereas the Hebrew Bible which is also called as the Jewish Bible even though it consists of Hebrew Scriptures, 39 books originally written in Hebrew, except for a few sections in Aramaic, the script of Hebrew Bible was not given importance while compared to Torah which valued the tradition without any modification. In the case of the covenant between God and the Hebrew people, God’s obligation is conceived as the defense or vindication of the people .His righteousness is shown by his saving arts [see, for instance ,psalms 98:2;Isaiah 51:5] Hebrew’s obligation on the other hand ,is to obey the will of God as disclosed in the Torah, the law. Yes, each party honored the