On the Origin of the Scythed Chariots Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On the Origin of the Scythed Chariots - Essay Example From this study it is clear that  Alexander is trying to reason about the role of reconstruction. As a distinguished scholar, he takes this opportunity to look for possible evidence that can help in unveiling the exact origin of this weapon. After acknowledging that this mater still remains a contentious issue, he goes ahead to state that he disagrees with Hesychius, but concurs with Xenophon for linking the chariot to King Cyrus the Great. Nonetheless, he concludes by saying that a lot of research still needs to be conducted by looking for all the available evidence that can help in shedding more light on this mater.This paper declares that  the reporter expresses his pleasure with this author for writing about scythed chariots. Having keenly gone trough his analysis, he concluded that it is a product of a vigorous research because it was based on a collection of necessary evidence. Also, the author provided exhaustive explanation to prove his point. For instance, his position t hat this type of chariot was used during the ancient times is accurate. He digs deeper into explaining that the chariot was used at a time when horses had not become stronger as they are today. This is why they were pulled by human beings. He explains this is a candid manner that makes it easier to comprehend by anyone who is interested in knowing about the origin of this weapon.  Alexander’s illustrations are up to the expected standard.

Pilgrimage Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pilgrimage Analysis Essay Pilgrimage is the name given to a spiritual journey. There is more depth to a physical journey. It is about what it means spiritually to the individual. It is an emotional and spiritual journey. It is a journey from the heart showing love for God. The definition of true is loyal so a true pilgrimage is a journey you take to show loyalty to God. To become a pilgrim, the person must leave their home and undertake a sacred journey, which may confirm and strengthen their personal beliefs in their religion. People can go on this journey alone or in a community. Many places in the world are very exceptional for Christians. Some are places where Jesus lived, such as Nazareth. Other places are special because a holy person is buried there. Many Christians go on their pilgrimages to Lourdes and Rome. People go on journeys to these special, religious places to order their lives in terms of what is good, beautiful and true. Christianity is a journey into Christ a journey that mirrors every Christian mystery through life. As a Christian grows and changes, so he or she tries to move nearer to Christ. A believers ultimate hope is to be completely at one with him in eternity, when on the journey, Christians may use the physical act of pilgrimage to help them to focus on the need for spiritual nourishment. People go to these places of worship as here they believe they can fulfil their beliefs, and show their devotion to their religion. They are making a holy journey. We call those who go on these special journeys pilgrims. They do not have to do this, there is nothing in the Bible which tells Christians that they must make pilgrimages. It is their decision made freely. Many people regard Lourdes, as a place of miracles and of wonderful and unexplainable events. A young girl called Bernadette had a vision of the Virgin Mary countless times and in these visions, Bernadette, was told how to find a natural spring. Many Christians go as they are ill and hope to be cured. But others go for the same reasons that they go to church. Another reason to go on a pilgrimage is to feel some of the holiness of the place and become closer to God. By becoming closer to God, we can feel like better Christians and this should help us to become better Christians and do as God intended us. People also go on pilgrimage to seek Gods forgiveness for the sins that they have committed. Some people go to ask and receive Gods help, like people who have an illness or are disabled in some way, may ask for a cure to heal them. People can also ask to be healed spiritually, as coming to their pilgrimage centre may make them realise that they have not been leading a good Christian life and it may make them change into good Christians. Rome is another main pilgrimage centres for millions of Catholics. In Rome, there are 7 pilgrim churches founded when the Roman Empire became Christian. People have been coming to Rome on a pilgrimage for the past 1600 years. The Church of St. Peter was built on top of the tomb of St. Peter who was the leader of the 12 apostles and the first ever Pope. St Pauls church was built on top of the tomb of St. Paul, the great Christian missionary, who wrote most of the epistles in the New Testament. Rome is the home of the Pope and the Vatican is the headquarters of the Catholic Church. A pilgrimage to Rome is very special as it is the home of the Roman Catholic Church. Lourdes is a Pilgrimage centre which is much more recent, but it still receives over 2 million pilgrims a year. Water is a very special part of Lourdes a here there are the baths where you are fully immersed in Holy Water. You feel as if you are being cleansed of your sins, like a believers baptism as you are fully immersed in water like Jesus was fully immersed in the water of the river in Jordan when he was baptised by John the Baptist. Question 2 Many Christians believe that it is very important to go on a pilgrimage as it helps them develop into better Christians. As they go to the special, religious centres they become closer to God and begin to understand the religion more. By praying to God they become much closer, and their beliefs about the religion are greatly strengthened. The pilgrimage centres really have a great affect on the person spiritually. By getting away from their normal lives Christians who go on pilgrimages to Lourdes or Rome are filled with a special feeling of belonging when they go to a pilgrimage centre. At these special places Christians feel much closer to God as they are at special places where religious events have occurred in the past. Some people go on pilgrimages as groups, where they can help others who are less fortunate than themselves. Certain groups take children who arent so fortunate on pilgrimages to places like Lourdes and let them become closer to God. By doing this they are helping Jesus, as Jesus said anything you do to your neighbour you do unto me. People who may have turned away from the religion could also have their spirits renewed and change as a person to being a good Christian. Some people also feel that they can see their vocation when they come to a pilgrimage centre, which shows the huge affect that pilgrimage centres have on people. When people come on pilgrimages they leave homes behind and decide to forget all comforts and put God first. They are showing by going to these pilgrimage centres, their devotion to God and that their main aim in life is to be a good Christian rather than make money and have fun. They show that their main aim is on God and making God happy. Christians also come to Lourdes and Rome to ask questions, to ask questions about Christianity and how they can become a better Christian and make God happy. Christians also enjoy coming together and going on pilgrimages as then they are surrounded by many people who are like them, all on a journey to strengthen their religious beliefs and become better Christians. Christians also come to pilgrimage centres as they wish to ask God for his forgiveness for all there sins, and by coming on a long journey to a pilgrimage centre they can show to God that they truly are sorry for their sins and that they want to be better Christians. They can also show that God is most important to them as they are coming on a journey to show their devotion to him. The spring St. Bernadette had found was holy and had great healing powers. Now many people visit Lourdes and drink or bathe in the holy water. Many people have miraculously been cured of illness after visiting Lourdes. In Lourdes there have been many specialised things made to accommodate people suffering illness or those who have disability. The people who a go there to pray for themselves and to pray for others. Some pilgrims, who go there, volunteer their time when they are not praying to people who are less able than them. I have been to Lourdes myself and when I was there the feeling of Holiness was unbelievable. Just being there made me feel as If I was cleansed of all my sins, and I truly felt closer to God and being their strengthened my passion towards my religious beliefs. Question 3 After being to Lourdes myself I feel that the pilgrimage centre has become too commercialised. So many people are trying to make money out of the religiously spectacular area it has taken some of the special feeling away from visiting Lourdes. The point of going on a pilgrimage is to get away from our normal lives where all we think about is work and money and spend time concentrating on God and putting our religion first. By setting up shops around the area we are tempted to purchase items, which takes away the precious feelings of visiting Lourdes. The area around Lourdes is meant to be tranquil and peaceful and reflect the image of Christianity, but having loads of shops around the area provokes the town to turn into a busy, messy area where crime can increase and there is a lot of disrespect for the holiness of the pilgrimage centre. However, if a person does visit such a spiritually healing place like Lourdes naturally they would like to be able to take home with them a souvenir to remind them of their time in the area which changed them so much into a better Christian. Many people purchase items which are very special and can be used as aids to prayer, which makes them better Christians as this would bring them closer to God. If these special items do bring them closer to God then they are sacred items and are very precious. When I went to Lourdes I did purchase special items from shops in the area which I have used as aids to prayer and have in my house looking over me, protecting me. But I still feel that the area around Lourdes has become to commercialised as there are so many shops and some of the items sold in the shops are not very sacred and can bring down the preciousness of Mary and Jesus as they are not very respectful.

Post Impressionism and Vincent Van Gogh

Post Impressionism and Vincent Van Gogh In and around 1911, there were art critics that freely used the phrase post-impressionistic as a means to illustrate the work of several artists paintings reveal Impressionistic standards. Post Impressionism was a creative shift to follow Impressionism that was to break the Impressionistic style. Post-impressionism consisted of various movements by a group of individual artists searching for a new way to create art. The principal aim of Impressionism was to objectively record the natural world in terms of the protean effects of color and light. The Post-Impressionists modified this aim in favor of a more ambitious expression of color and light (Norfleet, 2009). The new styles that these artists created proceeded to additional influential abstract styles and formed the basis for 20th Century Modernism. Post-impressionist artists pushed Impressionist standards past what they had previously been explored. Arthur Kleinberg (2010) states that artists of the Post-Impressionism period are responsible for putting an extreme amount of emphasis on the movement of color and light, rather than concentrate on the significance of the artwork. The Post-Impressionists aimed to find more depth in the roles of color, form, and solidity in painting, resulting, in artists attempt to use more powerful, brighter or more contrasting colors, in addition to outline. In addition, artists also experimented with the mental properties of brushwork. Post-impressionism used ideas from impressionism, such as using brilliant colours and broken brushstrokes, but eliminated the idea of painting scenes exactly as they appeared. They experimented with unusual compositions and often used the consistency of paint. According to Nancy Moure (2001), European art signifies the style numerous distinct artists working between 1880 and 1906. Artists during this time were concerned with the termination of Impressionisms form and the attempt to invest more importance into paintings when more experiments are performed, during more experiments. The style supported by the Post-Impressionists is a signal of the previous movement where the artists works often possessed a loose-fitting and unclear quality painting that gave simply the idea of the subject instead of a natural duplication and also experiment with techniques like the use of colour. Artists that utilize colour and representation of light not only seize personal analysis of the scene like the Impressionists but also the emotion that the painter can associates with the subject at that time. Artists would often paint their work quickly to capture the light at a particular time of day. Also, artists would paint light-coloured canvases with flat brushes to enhance the brightness in the pieces. More important than subject matter was the artists painting style and the creation of a new paint application. Post-Impressionism includes all artists whose main goal is to express more than a visual interpretation but intend to portray emotion and intellect in addition to imagery. During this time, styles and techniques concentrated on personal impressions and an advanced use of colour to communicate moods and emotions. Post-Impressionism aimed to get additional form and structure, in addition to more expression and emotion into their paintings. However, Post-Impressionist artists continue to develop and experiment these principles with newer styles and procedures; the most famous being the expressionistic, ornamental and regularly abnormal use of colour to portray the artists emotional state. Moure (2001) expresses that Post-Impressionism was an important experimental linkage to modern art leading to upcoming styles. Modern Art obtains an extensive meaning for classifying itself. Modern Art could be sometimes labeled as an art of appearance and an art of freedom. Modern Art can consist of several techniques that are used. The style of art that exhibits an art of expression can be known as the style of Expressionism. In the early years of the expressionism, artists built on the ideas of the Post-Impressionism. Artists continued on with the similar experiments, view, and ideas that were given by the work. Artists continued to look for a new and more intense truth behind their painting. According to Architecture411.com (2006), modern expressionism is characterized as a creative style which the artist produces their artwork by combining illustrations or objects with emotions. This is accomplished by using both factual and theoretical emphasis on color, consistency, unclear su bject matter, deformation, abnormal strength, exaggeration and changed surrounding imagery. A Post-Impressionist painter that was most influential to the modern artists of the 20th century is Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh influenced expressionism in modern art. It was Van Goghs desire to create stunning things that come from within in addition his desire to reach to those around him that will help to label his role as a painter. In addition, Van Gogh was influential because when it came to expressionism, his work showed his emotions due to the fact that he suffered from depression. Van Goghs work conveys its outstanding colour, coarse brushwork, and curvy forms. These were a close reflection of his feelings as he painted. After Van Gogh moved to Paris, he brightened his colour palette under the influence of Impressionism, and before moving to Arles, in France, he developed the brilliant colours, brushwork and thick, textured paint called impasto of his ultimate style. Impastos provide Van Goghs pictures with a better sense of physical energy and a plain texture surface. Van Gogh achieved great impression about his works since he uses a variety of color pigments to express his paintings. Van Gogh used color for its symbolic and expressive values rather than to reproduce light and literal surroundings like Impressionist artists. In addition, he conveys feelings and generate moods with color randomly use it rather than use the real color of objects. Van Gogh is so instrumental and influential during the Post-Impressionism period because when creating his work of art, he would insert colors into skin where they did not belong. One of the earliest and most famous examples of Expressionism is Van Goghs famous oil paintings Starry Night. This painting was of a typical nocturnal scene in the neighborhood of the psychiatric hospital in Saint-RÃ ©my where Van Gogh stayed for a year. Van Gogh spilled his emotions into this painting. Starry Night is a struggle among a man and his depression. Van Gogh had a passion for the dark night. Starry Night replicates the pain the artist is going through. The brisk strokes, the animated colours of the stars in the painting next to the dark blues and the blacks in reference to the night imitate the need of a hopeless man in the center of the black, starry night. In conclusion, Post-Impressionism projected that the originality of 20th Century art was the primary focus. Artists developed their own style to produce works that lead to developments later in the art of the 20th Century. Some artists concentrated on the fundamental structure while other artists emphasize on the texture and pattern for significant effects. Because of the Post-Impressionist period, many artists have considered painting objects full of color with vigorous surfaces rather than scenes. Impressionalists created a permanent change and that art will constantly increase according to the artist. Whatever was cause, it cannot be denied that several great artists of this period assumed that the main function of art was to express intense feelings to the world. Vincent van Gogh is very influential the modern artists of the 20th Century since he altered the point of views of several artists with his personal paintings. Van Goghs used bright colours when painting and the uniqueness shows through the curves and lines that he used in his paintings as well as the attention of colour that is used to express his emotions which modern artists will continue to do throughout the 20th Century.

Benefits of Training Needs Analysis (TNA)

Benefits of Training Needs Analysis (TNA) Improve the process which results in spending less time to fix the employees mistake and the information cab be accessed faster than before Reduce the cost which is used to pay for staff turn over and recruitment. In addition, when the staffs work more efficient, it will increase the productivity as well as the money paid for maintenance. Enhance the profit by increasing the sales and improving customer satisfaction Increase staff satisfaction because when the staff knows that the employer is investing in them, they will be happier and stay longer in the organisation. Furthermore, during the training, the staff can develop their leadership and communication skills which can be applied in the job. According to Blanchard et al. (2010:para. 1), there are two approaches to TNA which are called: proactive and reactive. The proactive TNA focuses on foreseeing the performance problems which may occur in the future in the company. Therefore, the strategic plan can be created and applied to help the employees handle these changes (Blanchard et al. 2010: para. 2). For example Heinz, a food manufacturer, when they decided to use a higher technology to produce the ketchup, they did the training before the new machine was bought. In the proactive TNA, the manager will need to conduct three analysis (Blanchard et al. 2010: para 5), they include: The organisation analysis: the proactive begins with the plan in order to help the organisation adapt the expected changes and new objectives. Operational analysis: by collecting information on the current and future tasks to identify the KSAs required to perform effectively in different areas. Person analysis: the evaluation can be identical for the proactive and reactive, and the provided information must be applicable. The reactive TNA (leopard learning.com n.d : online) focuses on identifying the current problems in the job performance and determine if the training is needed. Example may include new technology, high staff turnover, high accident rate, increasing customer complaints, and poor management practices. In the reactive TNA, the organisation analysis, operational analysis, and person analysis are also conducted, however it only focuses on one particular department or the issue on a particular part of the job (Blanchard et al. 2010: para 16). Employers do not necessarily need well-trained employees. I know that may sound like heresy coming from someone employed in higher education, but what employers truly need is employees who perform well. Training is one way to attain desired performance, but its not the only way ( Stetar, 2005, online) The TNA can be conducted by the following steps (Flinders University, n.d.: online): Step 1: Analyse the job Before the TNA is conducted, it is important to understand the job by collecting the information which can be based on the job description. All these resources will provide information about the job responsibilities, knowledge and skill required to perform efficiently. Step 2: Identify the gap There are many methods which can be used to identify the gap. However, the managers have to choose which method will be used and how. Moreover, they need to ensure that the information is useful, correct and complete. Three main methods can be utilised by the managers in the organisation (Anthony et. lc 2002 p. 210-211); include: Observation: in this method, the managers will observe the employees performance to see if they are doing their jobs well. In order to ensure this method is productive, the check list should be used. Interviewing: by using this method, it allows the managers to meet their employees face to face, therefore they can have a chance to understand the companys situation as well as the employees themselves. Questionnaires: if this method is used, all possible tasks that are presently performed must be listed. The advantage of this method is that the managers can include everyone and does not need to travel or spend time with each of them. Each of the method has its usefulness; however the manager should never be dependent on one method. Therefore, they should be combined and use together. Step 3: Decide the training solutions Once the gap is identified, the training solutions should be undertaken to find the best way which can close the knowledge or skill gaps. The training can be done by using different options such as: On the job training, one on one training during the work time The managers or senior employees becoming a mentor to any employees Improve the skill and knowledge through college, university or technical school education Job rotation Complete online training The training can happen in a short term or long term course. However, the time and cost will always need to be considered. Step 4: Evaluating the result after training After training the result has to be checked to see if the gap has been closed and if it was accomplished by: Asking the staff member to perform on the task which they are trained on Looking at the product line to determine if there is still neglected skills or knowledge Conclusion and Recommendation In conclusion, the TNA is a process which can be used to identify the skills and knowledge gap in order to close it (Drummond 1991, p. 4). In addition, it can happen within a short term period or over a long term plan by using the proactive and reactive TNA on the level of organisation, operation and individual (Blanchard et al. 2010:para. 2). However, according to Bill Stetar (2005, para. 4), training is not always the only solution because the employers may need the employees who can perform competently. My goal is to become a hotel manager. Hotel managers (Baxter 2010, para 1) are people whom run the room rental businesses and manage staffs within the hotel. The duties can be varied depending on the size and type of the business. However, the following requirement is normally compulsory to be met. Know how to manage and maintain the facilities Ability to observe and supervise the employees performance Understand and work efficiently in different areas in the hotel Have a strong leadership skill to allocate the staff Be able to solve and anticipate the problems Have good communication skill which can be used to handle the customer as well as the employees Have four years experience in the hotel industry Graduate from a university with a recognised qualification Plan in advance to maximize the profit and monitor the expenses Deal with suppliers to get products with good quality Know how to deal with people who are from different backgrounds, race and belief. Good computer skill The skills and qualification which I currently possessed are: Certificate IV in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery), therefore I have a knowledge about food and services in the restaurant Higher Diploma in Accounting, which can be useful for budgeting and financial management Be able to monitor and maintain the facilities in the premises Computer skill Hence, the skill, knowledge and qualification that I need to achieve in order to become a hotel manager are: Complete a Bachelor in Hospitality Management course at university or college Good communication skill will be required Develop the leadership skill Have experience in the hotel industry Problem solving skills to help the business run smoothly and deal with customers Interaction skills to manage and deal with the staff Decision making and planning skills When the gap is identified, the solution must be carried out. To obtain the qualification for hospitality management, it can be done in The Hotel School Sydney which is located at 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000. They offer a new course in February, 2011 with a tuition fee of 18,000 Australian dollars (The Hotel School Sydney 2010: online). In the course, they provide the knowledge about food and beverage operation, tourism and hospitality management, problem solving, decision making, leadership skill, and room operation. In addition, during the course, the student will have a real life experience by studying and working in the hotel. As a result, it will be an opportunity for me to obtain the qualification as well as improve my communication, problem solving and leadership skill. Moreover, by undertaking the conflict management course at ACS Distance Education, they teach skills that deal with conflict which is very useful for a hotel manager. The fee is 726 Australian dollars for 100 hours (ACS Distance Education 2010: online) and I can study this course online. Furthermore, in order to gain more experience in hotel industry, I need to work for a small hotel first because in a small hotel I will learn how to operate a hotel and then move on to a bigger hotel.

CIA Essay -- essays research papers

The Central Inteligence Agency The CIA is one of the U.S. foreign inteligency agencies, responsible for getting and analyzing information about foreign government, corporations, individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. government. The State Department's Bureau or inteligence and reserch and theDefense Department'sdefense inteligence agency comprise the other two. Its headquarters is inLangley, Virginia, across the Potomac River from D.C. The Agency, created in 1947 by President Harry S. Trueman, is a descendant of the Office of stratigic Services(OSS) of World War 2. The OSS was dissolved in October 1945 but William J. Jonavan, the creator of the OSS, had submitted a proposal to President Roosevelt in 1944. He called for a new organization having direct Presidential supervision, "which will procure intelligence both by overt and covert methods and will at the same time provide intelligence guidance, determine national intelligence objectives, and correlate the intel ligence material collected by all government agencies." Despite strong opposition from the military, the State Department, and the FBI, Truman established the Central Intelligence Group in January 1946. Later under the National Security Act of 1947, the National Security council and the Central Intelligence Agency were established. In 1949, the Central Inteligence Agency Act (also called "Public Law 110") was passed, permitting the agency to use confidential fiscal and administrative procedures and exempting it from many of the usual limitations on the use of federal funds. The act also exempted the CIA from having to disclose its "organization, functions, officials, titles, salaries, or numbers of personnel employed." It also created a program called "PL-110" to handle defectors and other "essential aliens" outside normal immigration procedures, as well as give those persons cover stories and economic support. The Central Intelligence Agency reports to U.S. Congressional committees but also answers to the President directly. The National Security Advisor is a permanent cabinet member responsible for briefing the President on pertinent information collected from all U.S. intelligence agenci... ... Sept. 11th, 2001, terrorist attack on theWorld Trade Center and the unreliability of U.S. intelligence onWeapons of mass Destruction in Iraq have been a focus of intense scrutiny in the U.S. in 2004 particularly in the context of the 9/11 Commision , the continuing armed resistance against U.S. occupation of Iraq, and the widely perceived need for systematic review of the respective roles of the CIA, FBI and the Defense Intelligence Agency. On July 9th, 2004 the Senate report of Pre-war Intelligenceon Iraq of the Senate Intelligence Committe stated that the CIA described the danger presented by Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq in an unreasonable way, largely unsupported by the available intelligence. In a briefing held Sept 15th, 2001 George Tenet presented the Worldwide Attack Matrix, a "top-secret" document describing covert CIA anti-terror operations in 80 countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The actions, underway or being recommended, would range from "routine propaganda to lethal covert action in preparation for military attacks". The plans, if carried out, "would give the CIA the broadest and most lethal authority in its history".

the great gatsby Essay -- Literature

Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a novel that explains the conflicts between love, sin, and death. It is a story of love and how love can be quickly lost or hidden beneath the surface. It reveals what people go through in this decade, as well as the novel’s decade. There are conflicts throughout the novel of lust, sin, and pure evil. It basically explains the way the human mind operates when the heart is completely and undeniably in love with another. The fact that the people in this novel went to the extreme to have the one they loved, innocent people tragically ended up in a realm of violence, betrayal, and their own undeserved death. The Great Gatsby is a novel that takes the reader back to the time of the â€Å"Jazz Age†. Times were simpler but love was confusing. The most explicit written by Cheever to Gatsby comes earlier in the story to alert the reader of the more subtle parallels to the novel that follow (Allen). Jay Gatsby had everything except for the one thing he desired most, Daisy. She was the love of his life, yet, unfortunately for him, she had already been married to Tom. This small predicament, however did not seem to stop Gatsby. Throughout the novel, one can see how Jay and Daisy’s love grows. What started out as a simple friendship grew much stronger. Meanwhile, while they were rekindling their love, Tom had another secret love of his own. He was seeing Myrtle Wilson, a woman who, herself, was already married as well to George Wilson. This novel is about the circle of love affairs that tie this group of individuals together. Unfortunately, by the end of this novel, no one ends up with their ‘happily ever after’. No one was truly satisfied with what they had. The way this group of friends interacted with each oth... ...e Work." The Great Gatsby: The Limits of Wonder. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. 11-15. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Linda Pavlovski. Vol. 157. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 24 Jan. 2012. Phelps, Henry C. "Literary History/Unsolved Mystery: The Great Gatsby and the Hall-Mills Murder Case." ANQ 14.3 (2001): 33. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. Sutton, Brian. "Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." Explicator 59.1 (Fall 2000): 37-39. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Linda Pavlovski. Vol. 157. Detroit: Gale, 2005.Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. Trask, David F. "A Note on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." University Review 33.3 (Mar. 1967): 197-202. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.

Sainsbury Marketing Mix

INTRODUCTION OF COMPANY J Sainsbury’s is the third largest grocery retailer in the UK. The company was leading grocery retailer in UK from the late 1980 to 1995. The company opened their first store in 1869. Sainsbury’s has 504 supermarkets and 319 convenience stores in UK. Company’s turnover is over ? 17. 4 billion and profit of ? 289 million. Asda and Tesco has overtaken Sainsbury’s recently. Sainsbury’s market share gradually decreased to just over 16%. Sainsbury’s growth has suddenly fallen down. In terms of local sourcing, Sainsbury’s is higher than other competitors. Sainsbury’s provides products like milk, pre-packed cheese, fresh lamb etc to the customer. Sainsbury’s is only food retailer to enter in global 100 index. Sainsbury’s sell over 4000 products. Company has been positioned under FTSE4 and Dow Jones Index. Sainsbury’s main responsibility is to provide best food and health, make relationship with community, to provide good place of work and save environment. The main objective of Sainsbury’s is to make growth in both sales and customers. Sainsbury’s continuously growing like-for-like sales by 3. %, increase the product range, improving services and operational saving. Sainsbury’s brand represents quality and value for money and customer service. Company’s brand name is ‘so organic’ related to food. The company objective is to provide high product in low fair price and provide good service to people like give information to choose product. The subsidiaries of Sainsburyâ €™s are Sainsbury’s Bank Ltd; Sainsbury’s Supermarket Ltd and Sainsbury’s Convenience Stores Ltd. (Source: www. sainsburys. co. uk) The supermarket chain operates three main store formats; regular Sainsbury's stores (‘Main Mission'), Sainsbury's Local and Sainsbury's Central (convenience stores and smaller supermarkets in urban locations – ‘Mixed Mission') and Sainsbury's ‘Main Plus' (hypermarket) stores. Unlike Tesco (Tesco Extra) and Asda (Asda Wal-Mart Supercentre), Sainsbury's does not employ a separate brand for its hypermarkets, having phased out the ‘Savacentre' fascia several years ago. At the end of its 2008/09 financial year Sainsbury's store portfolio was as follows. |Format |Number |Area (ft? |Area (m? ) |Percentage of space | |Supermarkets |502 |15,974,000 |1,484,000 |95. 6% | |Convenience stores |290 |729,000 |67,700 |4. 4% | |Total |792 |16,703,000 |1,551,700 |100. 0% | TOTAL MARKET SHARE: The total market share of Sainsbury’s is 16. 5%. Their market share has grown over last year and in current period they are serving over 18. 5 million customers each week. TRENDS AND ISSUES PREVALENT IN RETAIL INDUSTRY: The recent trends that are prevalent in Retail industry are as under: i. Fashion of creating one’s own brand: These days it has become a fashion to use own brand name by retail companies on packing of products. The companies are doing so because on order to increase consumer loyalty. Major retail giants Tesco, Sainsbury’s use their brand name on the products in order to promote their brand name and gain consumer loyalty as well. Eg: Sainsbury’s is selling organic food under the name of ‘Sainsbury’s So Fresh’. The trends of own brand name is increasing. i. Availability of all continental and regional type of food at any period of time: Earlier the foods of winter were not available in summer. But now due to improved storage systems and new trends of eating off seasonal foods as well, the consumers can have grapes in winter as well. Now any body can eat off seasonal food at any point of time. iii. Demand for convenience food: The increased competitive world has made both males and females to work in order to earn their livings. Nobody has any time to cook food. As both partners are busy in their jobs, so they don’t get much time to cook food. But the recent retail trend is of eating cereals and cooked food. The consumers can eat the ready mix food at any point of time without even cooking it. iv. More attraction towards discounted items: The consumers, these days prefer the discounted products. Discounted products are in trend nowadays. The recent trend is that more the discount, the more the customers. The sales also get increased by providing more discounts. v. Direct marketing: It is a type of retailing in which consumers are exposed to goods & services through a non-personal medium. They can order & purchase the products by mail or telephone. vi. Online technology: The technology has made it easier for retailers to sell products online. The consumers can order and purchase the products online. The company can deliver products to consumers on a single click. Online sales are a great source of income to retailers as well. Issues in Retail industry: Following are the main issues that are prevalent in retail industry: i. Rising health awareness amongst public. The UK government is spreading awareness about healthier and fresh food in UK. The customers are told to not to eat sweeteners. The government is making people aware about use of organic food and low fat food. Thus the consumers have started shifting towards fresh and healthier food. ii. Low disposable income: Due to recession, the disposable income of people have fall. This has effected the spending capacity of people. Now people have decreased their buying ability. iii. Recession gave rise to unemployment and inflation which affect the market directly or indirectly. iv. Consumers have perception that recession is long term so they are spending less and saving more. The consumers believe that due to recession they are unable to save more and are having only expenses. COMPETITORS: †¢ In the supermarket business Sainsbury's main competitors are Tesco, Asda and Safeway. †¢ In retail banking the main competition comes from Tesco Financial Services, M & S Financial Services, the traditional high street banks, Egg, Halifax and Abbey National mortgages. PRODUCTS: The major products of Sainsbury’s are as follows: †¢ Supermarket/Grocery goods; †¢ Retail banking services; †¢ Retail property development services In Sainsbury’s, a large store typically stocks around 50,000 lines of which round 20% are â€Å"own-label† goods. These own-brand lines include: †¢ Basics: mainly food, toiletries and stationery. †¢ Taste the Difference (TTD): around 1100 premium food lines i. e. processed foods such as ready made meals and premium bakery lines. †¢ Freefrom: It was launched in February 2010, it has over 7 5 product lines. These products are suitable for those allergic to dairy products. †¢ Sainsbury's Organic (SO Organic): Around 500 lines of food / drink which is not derived from food stuffs treated with fertilizer or pesticides. †¢ Different by Design: a smaller range of premium non-food lines, including flowers. Kids: these lines are for children. †¢ Be Good To Yourself (BGTY): products with reduced calorific and/or fat content. All BGTY packaging was relaunched in January 2010. †¢ Fair Trade: Over 100 fair trade products. All bananas sold at Sainsbury's are now fair trade. †¢ Super Naturals: A range of ready meals with healthy ingredients. †¢ TU – own brand clothing range. †¢ TU Home – a range of home products, such as lighting, rugs, and kitchen products. PORTER'S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS 1. Competitive rivalry †¢ The retail market is extremely competitive with a very crowded market. More companies are trying to get into non food sectors which leads to increase in competition. 2. Barriers for entry in food category Firstly, organised retail is amongst the most sophisticated sectors within the UK and needs a lot of investment. Secondly, retail is also at an advanced stage within the UK and most of the western world. 3. Threats of Substitutes †¢ The threat of substitutes in the food category is a low one because consumers view it as a necessity, especially in the developed world and increasingly in the emerging markets. The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat whereby one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. 4. Buyer power †¢ Buyer power is high due to the presence of so many competitors selling the same products. †¢ As the economy goes further towards recession, consumers' needs are likely to be given more weight, increasing their power considerably. 5. Supplier power †¢ Supplier power is usually more complicated as it is difficult to categorise it. Supplier power of smaller suppliers will not be considerable because of their sales volumes on dependence on these supermarkets. PEST ANALYSIS Political factors †¢Increasing globalization, presents a challenge as well as an opportunity to Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's can enter the markets of emerging companies through joint ventures or partnerships to explore these new markets, although it does not have any plans on the horizon to do so. †¢ The ongoing investigation of price fixing amongst the big four retailers within the UK can have some negative impact to the industry in general and Sainsbury's in particular. In the UK, the Government is to decrease the rate of corporation tax from 30% to 28%, which will save big companies like Sainsbury's significant sums of money (HM Treasury 2008). Economic factors †¢ The rapidly increasing global food crisis has increased food prices all over the world, which will result in risi ng purchasing costs for Sainsbury's. †¢ The credit crunch might decrease the purchasing power of consumers and though they will still buy the essentials they may be more cautious. Social factors: Nowadays there seems to be more emphasis on fresh, easy style cooking. This serves an opportunity for Sainsbury's to encourage new recipes and unfussy eating. †¢ There has been a huge emphasis by the government to promote healthy eating, primarily due to the increasing level of obesity within the UK. This has lead to many consumers to shift towards healthier food. This presents an opportunity to Sainsbury's to stock up with more healthy food or create healthier foods at a cheaper price than other manufacturers so as to benefit from this new trend. Technological †¢ The Internet phenomenon seems to be ever growing within western countries. †¢ One of the downsides of supermarket shopping is the queuing system customers often find themselves in at the checkout. †¢ RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technology can be used for significant benefits to the supply chain of Sainsbury's. If adopted, this technology will lead to less inventory for the supermarket firms leading to a leaner, more profitable organisation. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Weakness some implications as people are gravitating towards British companies and the prospect of Sainsbury's being governed by a foreign firm can lead to consumers switching loyalties. †¢ Alternative business presents a great opportunity to Sainsbury for future growth. †¢ Online sales are a great opportunity as well, since online margins are higher and investments are not huge. Threats †¢ There needs to be continuous heavy investment in environmental and green issues without immediate benefits. Sainsbury's operations are subject to a broad spectrum of regulatory requirements particularly in relation to planning, competition and environmental issues, employment, pensions and tax laws and in terms of regulations over the group's products and services WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? Ansoff Matrix To portray alternative corporate growth strategies, Igor Ansoff presented a matrix that focused on the firm's present and potential products and markets (customers). By considering way s to grow via existing products and new products, and in existing markets and new markets, there are four possible product-market combinations. Ansoff's matrix is shown below: Ansoff Matrix |   |Existing Products |New Products | |Existing | | | |Markets | | | | |Market Penetration |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Product Development  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   | |New | | |Markets | | | | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Market Development  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |Diversification | Ansoff's matrix provides four different growth strategies: †¢ Market Penetration – the firm seeks to achieve growth with existing products in their current market segments, aiming to increase its market share. †¢ Market Development – the firm seeks growth by targeting its existing products to new market segments. †¢ Product Development – the firms develops new products targeted to its existing market segments. Diversification – the firm grows by diversifying into new businesses by developing new products for new markets. Selecting a Product-Market Growth Strategy The market penetration strategy is the least risky since it leverages many of the firm's e xisting resources and capabilities. In a growing market, simply maintaining market share will result in growth, and there may exist opportunities to increase market share if competitors reach capacity limits. However, market penetration has limits, and once the market approaches saturation another strategy must be pursued if the firm is to continue to grow. Market development: The development of new markets for the product may be a good strategy if the firm's core competencies are related more to the specific product than to its experience with a specific market segment. Because the firm is expanding into a new market, a market development strategy typically has more risk than a market penetration strategy. A product development strategy may be appropriate if the firm's strengths are related to its specific customers rather than to the specific product itself. New product development carries more risk than simply attempting to increase market share. Diversification is the most risky of the four growth strategies since it requires both product and market development and may be outside the core competencies of the firm. Diversification may be a reasonable choice if the high risk is compensated by the chance of a high rate of return. Sainsbury’s has also diversified into banking, financial services, petrol pumps etc. HOW DO WE GET THERE? MARKETING OBJECTIVES: To be consumer’s first choice for food delivering products of outstanding quality and great service at a competitive cost through working faster, simpler and together. Positioning: This means process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. Sainsbury’s has increased its private brand product portfolio. Under food category, company offers organic food under name ‘Sainsbury’s SO organic’ range and it comprises of 450 products. (www. sainsburys. co. uk) Competitive advantage: According to its chief executive Justin King Fairtrade gives Sainsbury’s the edge over its competitors, as well as being an ethical way to trade. MARKETING MIX: It is referred to as the set of controllable tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market, so it consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). The major function of marketing mix strategy of any company is the strategic communication of the organization with its customers (Proctor, 2000). Marketing Mix is also referred to as â€Å"4 Ps of Marketing†. The classification of four Ps of marketing was first introduced and suggested by McCarthy (1960), and includes marketing strategies of product, price, placement and promotion. According to Borden (1964), the elements of the marketing mix includes product planning; pricing; branding; distribution channels; promotions; product packaging; advertisements; services; packaging handling; and re-order, etc. The purpose of using a marketing mix is to target the market in order to increase sales and profits. [pic] (Source: www. marketingteacher. com) The 4 Ps of Marketing Mix can be explained as below: 1. Product: A product includes all features and combination of goods and related services that a company offers to its customers. The product or service offer needs to be able to meet a specific, existing market demand. The companies that are operating in service sector and provide intangible products are very much criticized by the customers. The companies can use the terminology of â€Å"service products† under marketing mix strategy making (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). Sainsbury’s is applying this strategy according to consumer preferences and changes in the market. i. Positioning: This means process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. Sainsbury’s has increased its private brand product portfolio. Under food category, company offers organic food under name ‘Sainsbury’s SO organic’ range and it comprises of 450 products. (www. sainsburys. co. uk) ii. Quality: The products offered by Sainsbury’s are quality products. There is a wide range of great quality products at fair prices. The main emphasis of quality is on fresh food, organic food and private label brands. The company’s commitment of offering quality products has increased the brand image of the company. iii. Product Packaging: Sainsbury’s has improved its packaging. The company offers the products in self branded packages. The various discounts and slogans are mentioned on the packaging. The company is using eco-friendly bags for packaging and carrier bags called ‘Bags for life’. (Source: www. sainsburys. co. uk). iv. Branding : Sainsbury’s uses self labelled branded products. The company offers nearly 20% out of its 50,000 product range, which uses self label brands. v. Varieties. vi. Taste the different: Also known as ‘Ttd’, it is the company’s biggest sub brand which comprises of 1300 products. It was Sainsbury’s first own brand range to be free of artificial colors, flavors and hydrogenated fats. 2. Pricing: It is setting up a price for a product or service offered. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2004) price is the amount of money that customers have to pay to obtain the product. It is not simple to set a price. The customers not only view the lower price of product, but they respond to value so a lower price does not necessarily mean expanded sales if the product is not fulfilling the expectation of the customers (Lazer, 1971). Pricing strategy is divided into two parts: price determination and price administration. The different types of price are Market led pricing (Competitive pricing), Cost based pricing, penetration pricing, destruction pricing, price wards, EDLP (Every day low price). The pricing strategy of Sainsbury’s is that it should be able to provide profits. The pricing strategy of Sainsbury’s is as follows: a. Lower pricing strategy: Sainsbury’s use lower price or economy pricing strategy at the time of launching or selling a new product. The marketing and manufacturing costs are kept at minimum. Sainsbury’s offer economy prices for its products like soups, beans, tomato puree, etc. which can be compared very easily with its competitor TESCO (Source: http://www. sainsburys. co. uk & http://www. tesco. com). b. Discount price: Sainsbury’s offer discounts to the consumers. This is done in order to increase the bucket size. The discount offered by Sainsbury’s has resulted in increase in sales volume. c. Meal Deals: Sainsbury’s offer meal deals for families. It offers a meal, a soft drink in just ? 5 to family of 3 members. This kind of meal deals are making it popular among the food sections in retail market. . Credit terms. 3. Place: It involves all activities used by company in order to make the product available to the targeted customer (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). It refers to different ways by which a customer can obtain a product or receive a service. A product or a service can be received through a number of distribution channels, such as in a retail store, through the mail, via downloadable files, on a cruise ship, in a hair salon, etc. The products can be made available to customers depending upon different factors like sales, communications and contractual considerations (Lazer, 1971). The ease with which the products or services are made available to customers has a significant effect on sales volume. Sainsbury’s has been using the perfect blend of the time, quantity and place concept in order to serve its customers. a. Website: Sainsbury’s has its corporate website i. e. www. sainsburys. co. uk. The company has made quite a good use of technology and the customers can purchase the products and services at just one go through internet or online. Sainsbury’s has its online section showing groceries online at internet. The consumers can easily choose among various products available online. This saves a lot much time of the customer and also home delivery by Sainsbury’s made it more convenient for the consumers to buy a product. b. Convenience Stores: These are the stores which are opened upon locally in smaller area. The consumers can have fresh food and other quality products close to their home. Sainsbury’s has also introduced a series of operational changes to improve cost efficiency, such as night-shift improvements and introducing further shelf-ready packaging. . Supermarkets: Sainsbury’s has increased its no. of stores to 792 out of which 164 stores are more than 4000 square ft. area. The supermarkets are large and big stores that are open for 24 hours a day and offer full range of products and services to the customers. d. Banks: Sainsbury’s Bank provides insurance, credit cards, loans and travel money. The consumers can access it online as well on its corporate website www. sainsburysbank. co. uk. It can also be accessed in convenience stores. e. Home Delivery: The Company is also having 169 stores that provide home delivery service to customers. f. Filling Stations. g. Cafe. 4. Promotion: Promotional strategies means the different means through which a company communicates the benefits and values of its products and encourages customers to buy them (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). It is the process by which the businesses informs the customers about their products and encourage them to buy their products. The best way to understand promotion is through the concept of the marketing communication process. Promotion is the company strategy to cater for the marketing communication process that requires interaction between two or more people or groups, encompassing senders, messages, media and receivers (Lazer, 1971). For example, if Nokia wants to promote its product then, Nokia is sender and an advertising agency as well; the media used in the process can be salesmen, newspapers, magazines, radio, billboards, television etc and the message will be the advertisement or sales presentation and the final destination is the potential consumer or customer which will be mobile phone users. . Nectar Card: offers customers to gain points through shopping. They can earn money to exchange point. The company offer loyalty cards to its customers which has points based system. It can be collected on every purchase made in Sainsbury’s. (Source: http://www. nectar. com) b. Active Kids: promises to donate sporting equipment and coaching to primary and secondary schools in exchange for vouchers c ollected by customers. c. TV Ads: Jamie Oliver is the representative of Sainsbury’s. d. Advertising: Sainsbury’s uses media as an effective tool for promoting the products. The company is making use of television and radio for promoting its brand. e. Sales promotion: The company also offer schemes like buy 1 get 1 free. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES IN THE MARKETING MIX STRATEGY: In today’s competitive world consumer’s shopping behaviour changes significantly with fluctuations in the macroeconomic environment. Retailers can maximize the returns by effectively altering the marketing mix strategies. Consumer goods manufacturers and retailers have to make regular critical decisions around the pricing, product, distribution, and promotion that best communicates their firm’s value to consumers. Thus Sainsbury’s in order to be at a top position in the food retailer’s market needs to apply some changes to its marketing mix strategy. Product: †¢ Sainsbury’s should diversify its product line to even more variety of products like petrol. †¢ It should concentrate more on its own-brand products as now the customers are getting more attracted towards own-label products of the retailers as they offer quality products at cheap prices. †¢ Sainsbury’s should also try to products in smaller quantities or in small packets. That will bring an edge to Sainsbury’s. Price: †¢ Sainsbury’s should try to increase production of their own brand products can help them reduce cost and offer better prices. †¢ Sainsbury’s should keep its price in competition to its competitors like Tesco. †¢ It should use the penetrating pricing strategy for its new products along with the on going economy pricing strategy which will reduce the profit margin of the company a bit but will give them opportunity to gain economies of scale. Place: Sainsbury’s should concentrate more on internet sales by offering its customers schemes like vouchers when they spend online. †¢ Instead of opening up new stores, Sainsbury’s should concentrate on its existing stores. It should try to bring all its stores in profit. †¢ The Internet is a new marketing tool which means that the aim should be innovation, developing new programs and features that will attract the clientele so as to capit alize on this tool and stand out among the rest. Promotion: †¢ New schemes for collective buying and online buying, online vouchers should be introduced. As today is the price war but due to its brand image it can also advertising which not just concentrates on the price but on the main aim of the company like healthy food and life style to attract the customers or with the emotional connection of the particular brand with the consumers. Internet malls i. e. e-malls can be created to increase the sales and to reach more customers than by personal selling. CONCLUSION The retailer industry is very competitive. Although SAINSBURY’S retailing position is still very strong, TESCO and ASDA are strong competitors. Sainsbury’s strategic marketing mix needs to be improved. It needs carefully designed. Hence, more market researches are needed to develop an effective strategic marketing mix. 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