Relationship between Vilademir Propp’s Functions and Hitchcock’s Films

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Vladimir Propp was a Russian scholar in literature and critic, born in 1895. In his book, Morphology of Folk Tale, which was published in 1928, Vladimir analysed 100 folk tales in his country, Russia, during the period of 1920s. He did this because of the experience and knowledge he had gained during his studies. He realized that the characters in folk tales can be categorized using a common standard of classification. From this categorization, the characters’ roles in the narratives are shown, as well as the structure and functions of the narrative. He therefore theorized the plots of narratives, identified the similarities in their themes, and simplified all the texts into similar elements. He was responsible for multiple changes that have been experienced in literature, and especially in narratives (Hale 2009). Today, Vladimir’s ideas are still used in narrative plots, and most importantly, his ideas are more applicable to narratives. However, these today have been applied in the film and cinema industry. Different film theorists have equally studied on narrative structure and this is in conformity with Propp’s work (Bellour & Penley 2000). In this essay, I will address Propp’s findings in Morphology of Folk Tale, their contribution to the narrative theory of film, and how they relate with Hitchcock’s films “North by Northwest” and “Spellbound.”

Propp in his Morphology of Folk Tale comes up a total of eight roles of the characters, and thirty-one functions of narratives, also called narratemes, which mainly defined the structure of the narratives. He was convicted that these narrative functions were existent in the classical fairy tale narrative (Hale 2009). The eight character roles, which Propp identified in his book, include The Helper, The Villain, The Donor, The False Hero, The Dispatcher, The Hero, The Princess, and her father. The functions of narratives by Propp exhibit more flexibility than the character roles. Propp made a categorization of these narrative functions to include six major groups, which are in coherence with the flow of the narrative. These include Struggle, Complication, Preparation, Recognition, Transference, and Return. The folk tales of different regions of the world are interconnected in one way or another, bearing a great deal of similarities in their themes. Hence, the Morphology of the folk tale by Propp is not only applicable in Russian folk tales, but also to the folk tales of other different world regions (Propp 1928).

Propp’s work has been credited for giving a new meaning to narratives and folk tales. However, he has been criticized for his insensitivity to address the more important components of the stories such as mood and the deeper contexts of the stories. Nonetheless, his work remains influential in both contemporary and past stories. In the ancient periods, Propp had a considerable influence on Claude Levi-Strauss as well as Barthes Roland. Therefore, Propp and his analysis has become a classic of folklore and structuralist analysis (Propp 1928).

Hitchcock films, “North by Northwest” and “Spellbound” can be analysed using Propp’s morphology of folk tales. This is because most of Hitchcock’s films exhibit similar themes in their plot, as well as the role of the characters, which are interconnected. These similar themes and interconnectedness of character roles make Hitchcock’s films qualify Propp’s morphological analysis. North by Northwest is a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This film was released in 1959, is suspenseful and full of humour. . It involves the characters of Rodger Thornbill, who works as an advertising executive and is mistakenly suspected as an American spy. He therefore has to outmaneuver both the police and criminals in order to escape arrest and possible detention. Hitchcock employs techniques of suspense, including editing techniques, as well as techniques of discontinuity to develop his plot. In this movie, Hitchcock maintains the theme throughout the flow of the movie. The main theme is the false identities or double identities, which is manifest in the different events that unfold in the movie as well as the character traits of the characters in this movie (Williams 2001).

Hitchcock shows similarities in the behaviour and attitudes of the characters. For instance, nearly all characters are involved in negative practices such as stealing and lying. In addition, all the characters have a double identity, one, which is of course false. At the end of the movie, the audience realizes that none of the characters maintains their identity throughout the movie. The main character, Roger Thornhill is the one responsible for the propagation of this theme. For instance, at the start, he is shown as businessperson in Madison Avenue, leading a simple life. He then is shown as an angry man, who is mistaken for Kaplan George, a criminal. Later, he turns into a fugitive from justice, as he is seen escaping from the police tactfully, as though he was experienced. Finally, he disguises himself as Kaplan George, in order to save Eve Kendell, the woman he fell in love with (Williams 2001).

On the other hand, Eve Kendell plays two varying roles. She plays different roles to both Vandamm and Kaplan. She acts as a helpful person to Thornhill, while in reality; she ‘works” for Vandamm. She therefore, plays a double role to these two men. While Vandamm thinks that Eve likes him and is helping in the search to capture Thornbill, Eve on the contrast is liaising with the government agents in a bid to arrest Vandamm (Williams 2001).

Most of Hitchcock’s films have the theme of false and double roles in characters. The characters also play quite similar roles. This is also evident in the film Shadow of a Doubt, as well as Spellbound. In Spellbound, Hitchcock presents a thriller, which is psychologically based and mysterious at the same time. The film centres on a new director of a mental centre, Doctor Anthony Edwardes, an impostor, who is discovered to have concealed his identity since the very beginning. Dr. Petersen falls in love with the new director, despite her knowing that the director is an impostor. Previously, Dr. Petersen was known to be a stern and principled woman and a dedicated psychoanalyst in the asylum. However, after falling in love with the new director, Dr. Petersen changes to become a desperately attached, unreasonable, and reckless. This is the total opposite of the original Dr. Petersen. This transformation is as well shocking to the rest of her colleagues. She even goes back on her principles and values in order to protect the new director, during the police manhunt for him. By doing this, Dr. Petersen jeopardizes her career, as well as her life, turning her into an irresponsible person, despite her former high level of responsibility. The characters in this film, like those in “North by Northwest,” exhibit double personalities. However, Hitchcock strongly relates the double personalities of characters in Spellbound to have been caused by psychological disorders such as amnesia, among others (Deutelbaum & Poague 2009).

Since these two films show some relationship in their themes as well as the roles of characters, then they make their comparison and analysis using Propp’s morphology of folk tale possible. In both films, the main characters, which are Dr. Anthony Edwardes in Spellbound and Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest, carry the main theme of the movies through the roles they play in the movies. The other characters in the movies also largely contribute to the theme of the movies through the different roles they play. The functions of the movies are also quite related as they both draw from the psychological aspect.

 

Works Cited

Bellour, R. & Penley, C 2000, The Analysis of Film, Indiana University Press, New York.

Deutelbaum, M. & Poague L 2009, A Hitchcock Reader, John Wiley & Sons, London.

Hale, D 2009, The Novel: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory 1900-2000, John Wiley & Sons,

London.

Propp, V 1928 Morphology of the Folk Tale, Trans. 1968, The American Folklore Society

and Indiana University, Retrieved 22 December 2012 <http://homes.di.unimi.it/~alberti/Mm10/doc/propp.pdf>

Williams, D 2001, North by northwest: director, Alfred Hitchcock, Longman, London.

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Moral Dilemmas in Healthcare

            Professionals in healthcare are members of a broader team of health professionals. Each professional has different responsibilities of ensuring delivery of the best services to their clients. This is through upholding the healthcare standards. The professional code of ethics at the workplace are put in place to help professionals with their decision-making, and ensuring that the decisions they make serve the interests of the healthcare institution. Therefore, when a healthcare professional passes an important decision in a difficult situation, this must be in line with healthcare standards and not personal convictions.

However, in the course of one’s career in healthcare, they may be presented with moral dilemmas, as a conflict between personal values, philosophies, and professional responsibility. For instance, one may be required to provide a healthcare service that is legal, though wrong according to their personal values. In such a situation, one should ensure a balance between their professional responsibility in the situation, as well as their values. Since the practice is legal, failure to perform it may be termed as violation of healthcare standards. Likewise, performing it may lead to a guilty conscience as one will have acted against their values. The patient involved has their rights of choice and preference. Therefore, the best approach is to talk down the patient, informing them about one’s personal convictions on the process. The ball will now be in the patient’s court. If they make a decision for the procedure to be performed, the professional has no right to decline, since the patient is okay with it, and still, it is a legal procedure. The fact that the professional does not own the healthcare facility compels them to abide by the facility’s laws and standards (Funnell, Koutoukidis and Lawrence 33-34).

On the other hand, if one is opposed to a certain practice in healthcare, such as birth control, then they are free to practice their convictions if at all they are working in their own healthcare facilities. When one owns their own pharmacy, they are free to act according to their values, as these are always the basis of their institution’s standards. However, one may be responsible for explaining to clients why the service is unavailable. If the client is not convicted, one will still need to direct them to where they can get the service. These scenarios show that one should avoid one-sidedness; instead, balance their values, with those of other people, and their work ethics.

 

Works Cited

Funnell, Rita, Koutoukidis, Gabby and Lawrence, Karen. “Tabbner’s Nursing Care: Theory and

Practice.” Sidney: Elsevier Australia, 2008. Print.

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Summary

The rising sea levels experienced today because of global warming, is a threat to humanity and civilization. Therefore, addressing these rising seas requires both long-term and short-term solutions. Long-term solutions include reducing rate of global warming, while short-term solutions include all mechanical ways used in lowering the volume of seawaters.

Mitigating the Rising Seas

            There is a continuous rise in the global temperatures because of global warming, and this is responsible for the current rise in sea levels. Sea level rise has been evident since end of the last ice age. Currently, the trend of this rise has increased, compared to the past years. Beginning 1850, sea levels rose at a high rate because of high industrialization experienced during this period, which led to increase of greenhouse gas emissions. Scientific predictions show that global temperatures will continue to increase in future, thus further rise in sea levels (Milliman and Haq 11). The adverse effect of this phenomenon is that coastal towns, docks, and piers may be submerged if this trend continues. In addition, an increase in wave energy may be experienced. Therefore, a response to address this situation is imperative to avert the looming adversity.    There are different ways in which this situation can be solved. However, preventing further global warming will serve to stop the rise in sea level. Nonetheless, the solutions require the expertise of engineers, including soft-engineering processes and hard-engineering processes. Since this problem is already here with us, the solutions will aim at controlling the risen sea level. However, prevention strategies may as well be employed to reduce global warming, which is core in this situation (Pilkey and Young 137-139).

Directing seawater to different areas such as depressions, which are below sea level, will help to lower sea level. This could be achieved by digging canals directed to these depressions, where the seawater will drain. Most of depressions in the world have a higher rate of evaporation than other areas. Therefore, this is advantageous, as the seawater will be drained into these depressions continuously without filling up fast, due to the high evaporation (Milliman and Haq 11).

By redirecting rivers and streams either partially or completely to drain their waters in a different place will also reduce the sea level, as the water draining into the oceans will be lower. The development of massive reservoirs for rivers and streams to drain in is costly but achievable. Alternatively, the rivers and streams could be redirected to form inland lakes in desert areas. The volume of waters in the present inland lakes in deserts such as the Australian desert could as well be increased to hold a bigger volume. This serves to reduce the pressure of high sea level (Milliman and Haq 34).

Long-term solution to the increased sea level might also be considered. For instance, the coastal towns should be moved to higher places. This will involve appropriate planning, as well as evacuation. Although this has never been attempted before, it will serve as long-term solution, as the coastal towns are the most vulnerable to submersion, compared to other towns. However, it might be hard evacuating mines and farms (Janin and Mandia 153).

These proposed solutions have both negative economic and environmental implications, and may seem quite incomprehensible. However, these cannot be worse than the dangers the rising sea level because of global warming pose to humanity. It is therefore, better to have a plan in mind on how to combat the rising sea level, no matter the costs involved, than wait for the dangers to unfold. These will be more costly to the hard-earned civilization today. Therefore, governments need to act on this situation, as most governments have not considered addressing this phenomenon, despite the dangers this poses to human populations.

 

Works Cited

Janin, Hunt and Mandia, Scott. “Janin_5956-8.” London: McFarland, 2012. Print.

Milliman, James and Haq, Ben. “Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Subsidence: Causes, Consequences,

and Strategies.” New York: Springer, 1996. Print.

Pilkey, Orrin and Young, Rob. “The Rising Sea.” New Jersey: Island Press, 2009. Print.

 

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Business Ethics in America Today

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20^th, December 2012

 

The American business environment comprises a variety of ethical business codes. This is because of the American diversity. The American people have been socialized to embrace a higher degree of individualism as compared to other world areas. This therefore means that the ethics and values in the American society emanate from various moral standpoints. The ethical business codes present in America are originally American; however, a few are those that have been adopted by most countries in the world. The ethical business standards in America are mainly based on people’s social responsibility, as well as other standards of ethics.

To familiarize more Americans, and especially the professionals with ethics, American business ethics was taught in American institutions of higher learning as a course, starting the period before 1970s. This led to America becoming a society that highly relied and employed business as well as social ethics in its different operations at the state and community level. In 1976, the Social Issues in Management Division of the Academy of Management was founded, out of the need and awareness of the aspect of business ethics. Similarly, in 1980, the Society for Business Ethics was founded, and the period after this has been marked with great awareness of business ethics among the American population. This business ethics consciousness molded a culture of ethics that has revolutionized to become the contemporary American business ethical environment (Petrick, Cragg & San˜udo, 2012).

Since the American business ethics greatly borrows from social ethics, it is therefore, largely involved in social issues as well. However, greater reinforcement in business ethics falls on the actions and activities of the players in the business environment. These include companies, both small and big, as well as the employees of companies, as these act as representatives of the companies they work for. The overall actions and operations of companies are guided by the laid down standards of ethics, to which, most companies subscribe to more than one of them. In addition, American business ethics involves the theoretical parts, which companies must also adhere to. One of these areas is concerned with environmental protection. Each company must prove that it is responsible for the environment. This is through participation in activities that promote environmental safety. The companies must as well engage in practices that will not contribute to environmental degradation. This includes tree-planting activities, among others (Merz, 2006).

Honesty in business practices is another requirement in American business standards. This mainly requires business practitioners to be transparent with their clients and entire public in their business interactions. This includes honesty in company’s financial reporting, so that the public and stockholders are aware of company’s financial health, so that they can make wise decisions. This draws from social norms, and ensures that no one is conned. Quality leadership with integrity is emphasized, as this will result in fewer cases of unethical operations in companies and by employees. Similarly, quality services by companies to their clients are a mandate, so that clients get value for their hard-earned money (Merz, 2006).

People from different world countries occupy America; therefore, American business ethics is guided by this diversity. In addition, ethical benchmarks, with official ethical codes are essential as they help managers and the public to analyze the progress of a company in terms of business ethics (Jones, Parker & Bos, 2005). Therefore, in America, some business ethics are company-specific. For instance, legal ethic for law firms, medical ethics for medical institutions, and management ethics for managers. However, the broader moral climate in the world of business comprises corporate ethics and workplace ethics.

 

 

References

Jones, C., Parker, M. & Bos, R. (2005). For Business Ethics: A Critical Text. London: Routledge.

Merz, R. (2006). A Declaration of American Business Values: Ethics, Equity, and Efficiency in

the New Millennium. New York: Values of America Company.

Petrick, J., Cragg, W. & San˜udo, M. (2012). Business Ethics in North America:

Trends and Challenges. Retrieved from http://www.wright.edu/business/acad/mib/docs/JBE%20Online%20-%20NA%20BE.pdf

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Freedom, Equality, and Justice

                The contemporary world is characterized by unequal distribution of wealth, resources, and power. With regard to the American society today, it is clear that there are capitalistic elements present in the society. Karl Marx in the nineteenth century addressed the theme of capitalism, which results in denial of justice to some class of people in the society. The root cause of unjust acts in society, according to Karl Marx, lies in the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and resources. Marx considered equality as a purely political value, political notion, and that it belonged to the bourgeois class. However, Marx argued that this class of people use equality to perpetuate class oppression. Political equality according to Marx is a form of procedural equality. The legal system in society accords some people more justice than others. Therefore, this is why Marx considered elements of justice, freedom, and equality as inappropriate for serving as the foundation of his politics.

On the other hand, Locke and Kant’s view on equality was that it is based on the amount of possession one owns. In the state of nature and even in today’s centralized authority, there exists inequality in distribution of wealth, depending on one’s level of authority. Therefore, the more wealth one has, the more he stands to achieve equality, making equality to be relative to inequality. However, they are of the opinion that the notion of equality, if practised appropriately is still essential in society as it is only through this that freedom can be achieved. This is a backing to Marx’s views, and to an extent shows that equality in society can be hard to achieve, as even communalist societies experience inequality in both power and wealth distribution.

On justice, Marx argued that only the bourgeois have the right to justice in society, as this stems from the element of equality. Marx did not regard capitalistic exploitation as unjust on the side of the labourers. He only was against the means through which the bourgeois acquired their wealth and power. However, Kant thought that the concept of equality is associated with the political and social institutions in society. Marx rejected the egalitarian intuition and the fact that any equal standard could be used to formulate some ideal demand of justice. He maintained that rights are best if kept unequal. Marx criticized the political, claiming that egalitarianism is an unclear political concept. However, bourgeois equality is based on political equality, which lies on the bourgeois economy. Therefore, according to Marx, bourgeois concepts of justice, morality, and right came up as class interests, and not based on genuine causes.

Charles Mills similarly acknowledges the role of class, gender, religion, education, and race, among others in classification of people in society. All these elements according to Mils are the basis of discrimination, inequality, and injustice in society. However, unlike Marx who regarded social stratification as major cause of injustice, Mills refers to the concept of race as the main force behind most evils in society. Social contract according to Mills is fictitious and a reconstruction of the civil society, the racial contract is “a ‘naturalized’ account of the actual historical record” (91). Mills argues that the contract concept is still important in the society despite its shortcomings. First, this can be a standard to measure the society’s potential of achieving their political ideals. However, this is only possible if using the contract concept; they can identify and remove obstacles that lie in their way to the achievement of these goals. In addition, the non-whites, in order to determine the moral awareness of the whites, who perpetuate exploitation with their acclaimed superiority, have used the concept of racial contract.

Kant and Locke basing on their works in political philosophy share similar views on the racial contract, considering it inappropriate. Similarly, Karl Marx disputed racial contract when he argued against slavery, which highly lies in racial contract. However, these European theorists and intellectuals do not directly address the exploitation of non-whites by the whites. They only address important issues in a sparing manner, even though the subject does not by any chance arouse interest in them. This therefore, according to Mills is evidence that these European intellectuals were largely inclined to racial contract, by concealing or addressing the evils of Europeans in a haphazard and sparing manner (94).

Mills considers the social contract as being more political and moral in nature. However, like Locke, he considers the state of nature as an unstable environment, incapable of industrialization, thus he sees the need of abandoning the state of nature. However, just like in the state of nature where the powerful are advantaged in wealth accumulation, so are the powerful in the contemporary political systems. Their strategy is forming organized authorities and governments with the aim of safeguarding their personal interests, including wealth and property (32). These are sentiments shared by Hobbes as well. Additionally, Mills argues that this case relates to racial contract, which is characterized by the material advantage of the whites only, due to their “powerful” nature, as opposed to other races.

According to Mills, the contemporary intellectuals of contractarianism have attempted to emphasize an ideal society, which is devoid of injustices (121). These efforts by the present day contractarians are aimed at transforming the contemporary nonideal society to reach the standards of the ideal society. However, these have many shortcomings in their approach, which cast doubt on the intentions of their efforts. The moral and political elements needed in transforming a society from a nonideal one to the ideal one requires knowledge and reflection from the past of the society, and how these elements took effect in the past, and what outcomes these had on the members of society. Most contemporary intellectuals have misrepresented the historical political and philosophical state of the Europeans’ countries, including the relationships between the whites and the non-whites (121). This bears no fruit in their efforts.

The Western intellectuals have marginalized the concept of race and racism as though it is non-existent in their history. Both Marxism and liberalism have conceptualized the Western polity as being raceless. The contemporary contractarians have the knowledge about the history of race and racism in the western world, yet instead of exposing this for people to learn from it, they choose to sanitize and whitewash it, giving a flawed historical presentation to the present society. Mills insists that the presentation of the historical West as an idealized society, devoid of flaws, does not give the contemporary society the urge and need to transform, since there are no flaws in their historical past, which they could learn from (121-1222).

Charles Mills dwells on the racial stratification of people in society. He asserts that the Europeans take advantage of their racial position to exploit other races. Social contract adopts and upholds the equality of individuals in the society, in a state of nature. The social contract also according to Mills serves the function of protecting the property rights of members of the society. However, the racial contract, according to Mills, perpetuated the assumption that whites were more superior to non-whites, in the state of nature. This unjust exploitation, they justify it with their knowledge of science, religion, and philosophy. Europeans therefore, control and exploit non-whites; based on their percentage of the world population they hold (36). Racial contract only benefits the whites and their descendants, while they think that this is their legitimate privilege. Therefore, the non-whites are disadvantaged in the racial contract (40).

In his racial contract, Mills links race with space, and space with personhood. He argues that since the whites consider themselves superior to the non-whites, they only gave the non-whites an opportunity to survive. They were however, denied their right to membership in the political community, whether partial or permanent membership (50). This level of exploitation makes the non-whites appear like strangers in their own countries. Locke argues, “All the world was America” (49). This confirms the level to which race is connected to space in Mill’s racial contract.

The historical situation of slavery adds more weight to the European exploitation of non-whites. Mills compares the slavery of the medieval Mediterranean and that of ancient Greece with the slavery in Europe. The slavery in Europe was influenced by colour, as only the non-whites were taken to slavery (57). Slavery was dehumanizing, unfair and unjust; however, the Europeans justified this with the aspect of race, considering the blacks as inferior and more fit for slavery. The whites were more important and so could not be slaves. Therefore, this shows the extent to which racial contract benefits the whites and exploits the non-whites.

Still on race and space, Mills emphasizes how racial contract continues to race space. Today, there are specific geographical locations the whites consider irrelevant, and so not worthy any kind of development, be it economic, social, or political development. Europeans only develop other non-European countries with stakes. Therefore, the areas they consider irrelevant, they will not venture into them for the sake of any type of development or civilization (74). Mill’s conceptions of the whites’ dehumanization of the non-whites therefore, go hand in hand with Marx’s ideas. Even though Marx did not wholly address the whites’ exploitation of the non-whites, he argued that the genuine meaning of equality should call for abolition of the concept of class, as this exploits the proletariat, who in this case are the non-whites.

 

Works Cited

Mills, Charles. “The Racial Contract.” Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press, 1997.

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Elements of Gothic Literature

            It is quite easy to identify Gothic literature basing on the effect the literature has on a person. Normally, such literature results in feelings of gloom, suspense and mystery, given the different elements that characterize the plot. However, these may as well induce feelings of thrill as a person experiences horror and dread in a safe and interesting way. Gothic elements are employed in most literature today, including literature of the past. This paper addresses different aspects that characterize Gothic literature, with special reference to Faulkner, William’s A Rose for Emily, Poe, Edgar’s The Cask of Amontillado, and Oates, Carol’s Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, which are examples of the many Gothic literatures available today.

In these Gothic novels, the authors use the characters, the setting, and different events to bring out the Gothic style. The setting may serve to create an atmosphere of gloom, mystery, and horror. For instance, dark, ruined, secret rooms, stairways and corridors. Most Gothic literature has women characters that appear to be in distress and sometimes threatened by tyrannical males. The events therein are terrifying, horrific, and sometimes violent. In addition, romance in Gothic literature involves pain and hurt.

In Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, “Connie,” the main character is scared about Arnold Friend. Arnold Friend is cruel and the author does not explicitly identify him as a real human, a psychopath, a demon, or a dream. However, Arnold Friend appears as mysterious and fearful. “She cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth in her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with again and again with no tenderness” (Oates 544). This happens when Arnold Friend rapes Connie, although Oates does not directly say it. Violence is a characteristic of Gothic literature, and the vocabulary of violence such as “stabbing” and “no tenderness” is used in this literature.

Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is largely influenced by the Southern Gothic. The story involves frightening and mysterious scenes such as putrefaction, grostesquerie; old mansions crumbling, and decay. Additionally, Faulkner has used Emily, the main character and a psychic spinster, as a transformation from a past distressed damsel. Her mental inability makes her the heroine of Southern Gothic. Emily perpetrates different scary and unimaginable acts in the novel. “Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair” (Faulkner 97). Emily was strange, as she did not easily let go of the men who were once in her life. She keeps her father’s body, even after his death. Upon her death, the townspeople discover a dead body, which Emily had hid in her bedroom.

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Poe revolves around Gothic terror caused by rivalry and conflicts among the characters. Poe highly utilizes spiritualism and transformation, which are aspects of Gothic literature. For instance, after being cruelly killed, Pluto, a cat, reincarnates in another cat to haunt the narrator’s conscience. Additionally, Poe in this novel brings the dead back to “life” through memory. For instance, Ligea’s husband still sees her in their bedroom architecture, although she is dead. This way, Poe brings out the element of Gothic romance, which is intertwined with horror. Memory of the dead loved ones portrays the power of love that surpasses the permanence of death. Violence in form of murder is also found in this novel. “In me didst thou exist—and, in my death, see by this image, which is thine own, how utterly thou hast murdered thyself” (Poe 66). Williamson Wilson utters these words to the narrator after the narrator stabs him. This builds the theme of love and rivals between rivals. Williamson meant that murdering one’s rival is same as coming own suicide.

Conclusively, these novels have related themes, as the elements used in the plot evoke similar feelings in a reader, feelings of terror and mystery. The three novels have elements of violence among the characters, aspects of death and spiritualism, and terrifying scenes. All these among other elements make these novels rank as Gothic literature. Different people perceive Gothic literature differently. While some will find them interesting, other will dislike them. Nonetheless, Gothic literature remains important in literature, as they bring a different touch to literature.

 

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8^th ed. New York: Bedford, 2008. 95-101. Print.

Oates, Carol. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Barnet, Sylvan,

Poe, Edgar. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Philidelphia: Godey Lady’s Book, 1846.

William Burto and William, Cain. “An Introduction to Literature.” New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. 483-494. Print.

 

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Limitless Leadership

Michael McCullough a historian and a popular television host has contributed a lot on the leadership forum, through his opinion on the ideals of leadership. In most of his career, Michael has researched about the qualities that characterize good leaders of the present and past generations. He has published different books, including The Great Bridge, Truman, The Path Between the Seas, 1776, and John Adams. These mainly address the leadership question in the American past, portraying past American leaders as heroes, who are still a source of inspiration to Americans. He compares current leaders with the past leaders to identify leadership gaps. Michael maintains that, leaders today still need the traditional virtues such as hard work, optimism, and strong characters. In an interview with Bronwyn Fryer, Harvard Business Review’s senior editor, in 2008, Michael uses the past and present leadership context of the U.S.A to discuss the qualities of limitless leadership. This paper addresses the main points Michael holds about qualities of limitless leadership, and how a person adopts these to make them a better leader.

Michael considers it essential for leaders to have a sense of history, as history tells a lot about people, as well as causes and impacts of different events. History, therefore, being a continuous human story, repeats itself, and can be a great source of knowledge and guidance for leaders when they are faced with different situations that need decision making. Through history, a leader may discover the level at which the demands of leadership change with time. This therefore, helps leaders to be more flexible in their leadership strategies, as different generations and situations call for different approaches and strategies in leadership.

Discovering talent in other people and harnessing it for the benefit of the society is an important part of leadership. Michael argues that any good leader must be able to spot talent among his people and help them nurture their talents for the good of the society. This promotes personal development among their people, which is core of any country. He describes Washington as a man of integrity, with great capability of discovering talent. For instance, his two best men were initially inexperienced when Washington discovered them. He however, moulded them and shaped them to his standards. In Michael’s view, good leadership views failure as a standard for measuring people’s potentials. He emphasizes that a good leader knows that a person who handles their failure with courage, with no self-pity are strong people with a promising future.

Michael echoes the words of Douglas Southall Freeman, a former military historian, that leadership involves three steps: “know your stuff, be a man, and look after your men.” This means a good leader should be well informed and experienced to face and solve different leadership challenges successfully. They should also be courageous, resilient, and have a strong character. Finally, they should appreciate and take care of their people, apart from bringing out the best in them.

To become a Trumanesque leader, Michael suggests that one must be a good listener, listening to people and addressing their different concerns. In addition, they should maintain their own high standards and appreciate their roles in society. This way, they serve as role models to the people they lead. Such an attitude sets a standard for the rest of the people, which is essential for bringing harmony between the leaders and their subject.

A good leader should be an all-rounder, with the capability to handle diverse issues in the course of their leadership. Michael argues that this leader will also value the future of their country by investing in the mentorship of young people with leadership potentials. This is essential as the young people will grow up knowing the role of a leader, and may not have a hard time or lack ideologies in leading their country, if elected for leadership posts.

This kind of approach by Michael sounds easy to adopt. However, only few leaders today can be described as good leaders. Most leaders face different hurdles at different levels, including personal and societal levels, which bar them from performing to their best in their leadership roles. However, there are still a few people who are good leaders today, serve as an example to the younger generation, and inspire them to be better future leaders. Personally, I feel inspired to become a future leader as I have that influential person from whom I draw my inspiration. My grandfather continues to be a central figure in my life and a real source of inspiration. This is through the ways he moulded my father to be a good dad and husband, and how he has managed to keep our families together.

My grandfather was a school administrator before his retirement years ago. He remains my role model in leadership, as he mentors me to be a future leader. He satisfies most of the qualities of a leader that have been argued by Michael McCullough. First, he is a highly informed man. He has the history of the United States of America at his fingertips. Whenever I visit him, we spend a considerable time talking about different historical events of the U.S.A. including slavery, the wars, and the great depression, among others. He is also knowledgeable in important events happening in other countries apart from America. In addition, he keeps up with the current news and events happening in the U.S and the rest of the world. This adverse historical knowledge enables him to predict different political scenarios and social and economic outcomes of vital events in various countries. He is also thoughtful and seems to have probable solutions to the various disasters facing many countries on the globe. Given his old age, he has a lot of experience and wisdom that he readily applies to problems that confronts him. This therefore, has increased his problem solving skills, making him an ideal leader. His experience as an administrator exposed him to various leadership roles in the past, which strengthened the leader in him. This is because in his work, he dealt with people and managed them on different levels. Therefore, he understands people and has strong people skills.

A good leader must bring out the best in his people. Comparing this with my grandfather, my siblings and I owe a lot to our grandfather. He wants to see us, his grandchildren, prosper in life and be happy. He loves all his grandchildren and when we visit him, he gives us important pieces of advice. For instance, he emphasizes hard work for all of us in our academics for a bright future. Being the eldest of my siblings, my grandfather advises me to always take up the roles of my parents whenever they are out of town, to ensure control at home. Having a strong value and attachment to the family unit, my grandfather emphasizes on stability of my future family, as the family is the basic unit of the society. Without stable families, the society may experience destabilization in different spheres, and a failed leadership system due to unreliable leaders coming from broken families.

Some of my best life moments are the ones I spend with my grandfather. He has a way of bringing us closer to him. He understands us and ensures everyone is comfortable and not disturbed. He is however, authoritative and does not condone deviant behaviour. He is sharp to criticize if he sees one of us going wrong. This is a quality of a leader, a good leader does not wait for evil to flourish in society, instead, they address evils the moment they sense their existence. Our family depends on our grandfather for both moral and spiritual support. He is the anchor that has held us together, through his advices and support. My parents still consult him on vital family issues. However, knowing that we will probably not have him with us all our lives, he ensures to impart us with knowledge and relevant information that will ensure our stability and good decision making, for our future independence and leadership responsibilities. He emphasizes on emotional independence, moral uprightness, and courage as the main thresholds for good leadership.

 

Works Cited

Fryer, Bronwyn. Timeless Leadership: A Conversation with David McCullough. The Harvard

Business Review. 2008. Web. 19^th December, 2012. <http://hbr.org/2008/03/timeless-leadership/ar/1>

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The Role of Computer Technology as a Force of Social Development

High level of technological advances is a characteristic of the contemporary world. This generation cannot compare with the past generations in terms of technology and development. Technological development is evident in all aspects of contemporary living, starting from the architecture, transport and communication, among others. Most importantly is the role the computer plays in today’s technology and development. Computers continue to play a holistic role in society’s social, economic, and political spheres. Nonetheless, technology in general and especially the computer has invaded all spheres of contemporary life.

There is development in social, political, and economic spheres of the contemporary society because of the technological advances experienced today, including computer technology. Social development and social change is seen in the way the social order today has been altered (Das and Kolack 1-2). This sociocultural evolution has resulted in numerous social changes in society today, with computer technology playing a bigger role in the social interactions between different people. Social development is also evident in the social, emotional, and personal development of individuals. This includes the ability to interact and maintain healthy relationships with different people and at different levels (Das and Kolack 1-4).

Today, families, schools, offices, and other institutions own computers. These are used for different purposes, ranging from simple to complex uses (Shaffer 450). Peoples’ interaction with these computers has greatly transformed their social interactions, as the present social relationships cannot be compared to past social relationships. The role of computer technology in social development goes beyond the mere interaction between the computers and people. Instead, this focuses on how computer technology is integrated into communication networks, and how this computer-based communication and interaction has resulted in changes in the way people interact today (Shaffer 451).

Schools are homes are the most important avenues where socialization takes place. It is within these two institutions that children are introduced to their cultures, and learn to practise it. For the more grown adults and the older children, the economic institutions and many existent social networks serve as their modes of interaction and socialization (Shaffer 453).   Through these modes of socialization, young children and adults get the opportunity to learn new attitudes and behaviours. Presently, information is produced commercially, making most social interactions of children in school be leisure activities and entertainment. Among people in communities, there are private interactions with computers. However, when people interact using computer networks, there is an evidence of social integration and community formation (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 123).

Computer technology has resulted in a new breed of modern humanity. This has mainly affected and changed the face-to-face mode of communication and interaction of people. The emergence and advancement of computer technology has led to the rationalization of culture. This culture rationalization has further led to the development of social relationships that are universalistic in nature (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 123). This way, people today can treat strangers with a lower level of suspicion, as compared to past social relationships, where interaction with strangers was considered risky. However, on the negative side, this kind of social development has lessened the grip of people on their social values and norms, which they share.

Different researches have shown that face-to-face form of communication is greatly diminishing due to the rampant use of computer communication networks. People in homes and offices with computer technology prefer to communicate with one another using their computers (Heap, Thomas and Einon 48). In 1984, the Diebold Group surveyed different secretaries concerning their mode of communication. Among the secretaries interviewed, 20 percent admitted to engaging in less face-to-face interactions. In addition, 22 percent of the professionals and managers interviewed reported less face-to-face interactions. (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 127). Another study in 1984 by McClinton among the mothers working from home on their computers showed that they had less social interactions with their friends, but increased interaction with their families (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 128). Therefore, computer technology has led to changes in the quality of communication between people. While it used to be face-to-face interactions, communication through computer networks is a different kind of experience altogether. Computer technology has erased the aspect of perception of sound, and vision in communication today.

The increasing number of children using computers both at home and school today has raised concerns on how computer technology contributes to the social development of children. Computer technology helps children do their school assignments as well as serving as their source of entertainment (Shaffer 452). On the negative side, this could as well be a source of violent and aggressive behaviour in children. Computer use has different effects on children, including effects on their cognitive, social, and physical development. Children who spend most of their time on computer screens are found to be at risk of obesity as compared to those who do not spend most time on their computers. On the other hand, studies have shown that children who play computer games more often develop their computer literacy skills, as the video games help them visualize images in 3-D space and observe different images at a go. This therefore, to a considerable degree increases the children’s academic performance (Shaffer 454).

Children and adolescents’ social development to a larger extent has been negatively influenced by computer technology. Computer games, apart from their benefits on children’s social development, also influences the children’s social development negatively. These games sometimes have an adverse impact on children’s interactions with their friends and families. Recent studies have also shown that internet and its increased use today is the major cause of loneliness, isolation, and depression that people face in their social lives (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 123). Violent computer games are responsible for the development of aggressive, unfriendly, and violent behaviour in children. In addition, children exposed to a prolonged use of computer tend to find it hard to differentiate between the real and the virtual world. The electronic friendships developed by teenagers with their peers, instead of real friendships might make them not gain the necessary interpersonal skills they need. Computers and computer technology has robbed children and most people of their time for other social activities and real life interactions (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 124).

Computer technology has made information to be available and easily accessible to all people with access to internet. This information is vital in the society at different levels, including the personal level, group level, or in schools, companies and big corporations, especially for marketing purposes, which is social shaping (Heap, Thomas and Einon 48). However, the ease at which this information is accessed raises concerns at the rate at which teenagers get access to violent and other inappropriate sexual information. This changes the teenagers’ behaviour, as they become inclined to sexual immorality and to acts of violence. For instance, in 1999, some Columbine students performed a massacre owing to the bomb development information they had acquired on the internet (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 123).

Similarly, the practice of “cybersex” perpetuated by computer technology today raises many concerns on the role of computer technology in social development. Materials of sexual nature are available on computers today, exposing teenagers to negative influence. However, this may result in increased sexual activity among the teenagers, or may encourage better sexual decision making, because of the web based message boards and discussions where teenagers contribute their opinions on sex (Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield, and Gross 125).

Conclusively, computer technology has brought radical changes in the social set up of the contemporary world. Computer use is prevalent in different parameters of the society, and is therefore deeply rooted in society. The various uses of computers affect interactions of people in society either in a positive or negative way. The main social development brought by computer technology is in communication changes. Introduction of computer communication networks, which are highly utilized, has resulted in development of more electronic social interactions and communication, which are more efficient. Computer technology in society has both advantages and disadvantages; therefore, more research should be conducted in this area so that only positive effects of computer technology are maximized while the negative effects are minimized to ensure a healthy social development in society.

 

Works Cited

Das, Mitra and Kolack, Shirley. Technology, Values, and Society: Social Forces in Technological Change. New York: Peter Lang, 2008. Print.

Garson, David. Information Technology and Computer Applications in Public Administration:

Issues and Trends. New Jersey: Idea Group Inc (IGI), 1999. Print.

Heap, Nick, Thomas, Ray and Einon, Geoff. Information Technology and Society: A Reader.

London: Sage, 1995. Print.

Shaffer, David. Social and Personality Development. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.

Subrahmanyan, Kaveri, Kraut, Robert, Greenfield, Patricia and Gross, Elisheva. The Impact of

Home Computer Use on Children’s Activities and Development. The Future of Children: Children and Computer Technology. 10 (2). 2000. Pdf. Retrieved December 18, 2012 <http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/10_02_05.pdf>

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Course Objectives and Career Aspirations

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18^th, December 2012

 

This course study is essential in my career life, as it will greatly influence the success of my career. For this reason, I have developed a different perspective and approach to this course, as I am aware that it is the core of my future career. With a dream of becoming a manager of an Orthopaedics Department of a hospital, I consider this course and all its objectives as being in line with my future career aspirations. The concepts, ideas, and knowledge I have acquired so far, will help me become a good manager and a good leader, if I put them all to practise while performing my job.

This course unit has opened me up to the concept of the code of conduct. This is a vital component of business management, and is important to all managers. Being a manager, I will utilize the code of conduct to help me build a group of professional attitudes. Endorsing this to the employees will ensure the services they offer are impeccable, thus making them more appealing to the clients (Bertocci, 2009).  A code of conduct serves to produce ethical behaviour in the company, which will also guide employee relationships and impart good judgement, responsibility, and approachability in them (Mika, 2011). As a manager, I will emphasize on the adherence of employees to the company’s code of conduct to ensure that the company has a professional image and a healthy competition in the market. As a manager, adhering to the company code of conduct will also enable me to serve as a role model to my co-workers, who will emulate me. This is important in ensuring good organization and relationships at the work place.

Proactive and reactive thinking, as well as problem solving are other major components of this course. These are of great use in the world of management. In reactive thinking, one acts spontaneously, without planning beforehand (Aken & Bij, 2011). This is an important aspect that as a future manager, I will need to possess. Although this kind of thinking comes with experience, learning it has been helpful, as it has pushed me a mile ahead. Nonetheless, reactive thinking helps me manage smaller elements of my life such as time, money, and relationships. However, in my job as a manager, I will be able to solve complex managerial problems in my work place, using proactive thinking (Aken & Bij, 2011). Being a proactive manager, I will employ a management style that is open and engaging. This includes considering employees’ opinions before making a major decision. In reactive thinking, one plans and strategizes on the decisions they will make in a situation. Today, I use proactive thinking to manage my personal life. In future, this will benefit me in successfully managing operations in my department, thus becoming a strong and efficient leader.

This course has also helped me distinguish between the elements of leadership and management. Leadership is a personal attribute, while management is a job. However, these go hand in hand, as a good manager must also be a good leader (Daft, 2008). Therefore, as a future manager, I have been inspired to develop both my leadership and management skills in order to ensure good management in my office. As a good manager, I will use the efforts of employees, through mobilizing them, to achieve company goals. On the other hand, as a good leader, I will encourage the employees to embrace own creativity and be self-motivated in their jobs.

Conclusively, this course remains an integral part of my studies, as it is directly linked to my career aspirations, which lie in management. I have gained considerable knowledge on different management components and practices from this course, which will be instrumental in my career life. Knowledge on management aspects of code of conduct, problem solving skills, and leadership and management will shape me into a good manager and leader.

 

References

Aken, J., Berends, H. & Bij, H. (2011). Problem Solving in Organizations: A Methodological

Handbook for Business Students. London: Cambridge University Press

Bertocci, D. (2009). Leadership in Organizations: There Is a Difference Between Leaders and

Managers. New York: University Press of America.

Daft, R. (2008). The Leadership Experience. London: Cengage Learning.

Mika, A. (2011). The Importance of Codes of Ethics: Examination of the Need of Business

Ethics and the Efficient Usage of Codes of Ethics for Good Corporate Governance. New

Jersey: Diplomarbeiten Agentur.

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THE BODY SHOP MARKETING PLAN ANALYSIS

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19^th, December, 2012

 

Table of Contents

Company Background. 2

Macro-environmental Analysis – PESTL.. 2

Political Factors. 2

Economic Factors. 3

Social Factors. 3

Technological Factors. 3

Environmental Factors. 4

Legal Factors. 4

Micro-environmental Analysis – Porter’s Five Forces. 4

SWOT Analysis. 5

Strengths. 5

Weaknesses. 5

Opportunities. 5

Threats. 5

Segmentation Strategies. 6

Market Targeting. 6

Strategic Positioning. 7

Company Current Marketing Strategy. 7

Product 7

Price. 7

Place. 7

Promotion. 8

Proposed Marketing Mix –the 7p’s. 8

Price. 8

Product 8

Promotion. 9

Place. 9

People. 9

Process. 10

Physical Evidence. 10

Effectiveness of the Current CRM of the Body Shop. 10

Current CRM Strategy. 10

Ineffectiveness of Current CRM… 12

New CRM Objectives. 12

How the objectives will be achieved. 13

Supporting the New CRM Strategy Using the 4Ps of Marketing Mix. 13

The Body Shop Marketing Plan. 14

Current Market, Customer, and Industry Trend. 14

New Market Objectives. 15

A Marketing Budget to Achieve the New Objectives. 16

Evaluating the Perfomance of New Marketing Objectives. 17

Conclusion. 17

Works Cited. 19

 

Company Background

Dame Anita founded the Body Shop Company, which is located in the United Kingdom, in 1976.  Today, this company operates in 61 countries across the globe, with close to 2 500 outlets. The company mainly produces and sells a variety of beauty and cosmetic products, which total to approximately 1 200. The Body Shop mainly targets males and females of different age groups. In 2006, the ownership of Body Shop was transferred to L’Oreal, a French cosmetics company. The mission of this company is to impart self-esteem in their clients, protect the environment, be advocates against animal testing, while defending human rights, and supporting the community trade (Mennen, 2011).

Macro-environmental Analysis – PESTL

Political Factors

Different factors in the external environment of Body Shop continue to affect its market operations. Most of these factors are beyond the control of this company, as it has less influence on its external environment. Two major political factors have affected the production and sale of beauty and cosmetic products by this company. First, political instability in Guatemala limits the company’s production of beauty products. Guatemala produces Aloe Vera used in manufacture of beauty products by the Body Shop. Political instability destabilizes major business processes and business transactions with foreign countries.  Secondly, Peru is also faced with political instability, yet it is the major producer of the Brazil nut oil, used in manufacture of beauty products (Assenmacher, 2012).

Economic Factors

Body Shop Company utilizes the franchising policy as one of its strategies for growth. The decreasing interest today makes the company stands a better growth opportunity as this works in its favour. Secondly, the global trend exhibits a decline of financial institutions, even as countries are advised to brace for tougher economic times ahead.  The Body Shop, being a player in the global economy, will also feel a pinch in case this happens in the future.  In addition, the current exchange rate indicates a gradual decline of the pound. Therefore, continued weakening of the pound may result in increased prices on imports, including products and product ingredients (Assenmacher, 2012).

Social Factors

Most social factors work in favour of the company. First, there is increased awareness of the company’s fair trade, as well as the nature of products, which are natural, devoid of animal testing.  Additionally, more men are concerned with their appearances, thus will go for beauty products. The company has registered an increase in the number of online customers, considering that in 2008; approximately 65 percent of British families had access to the internet. Finally, the willingness of the buy anti-ageing products is a boost to the company (Mennen, 2011).

Technological Factors

Dangerous chemical and acidic components such as Kojic acid used in beauty and cosmetics products may be harmful to people’s melanin count in skin. This is according to the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products. This makes preference for Body Shop products high, as they are natural. In addition, technological advances such as internet boost business operation and communication (Assenmacher, 2012).

Environmental Factors

The company ensures sustainable packaging of products and safely disposes or recycles by-products. Additionally, the company’s responsibility in the deforestation issue raises concerns, since their ingredients such as Brazil nut oil and palm oil are supplied from forests in conserved places (Mennen, 2011).

Legal Factors

The EU’s enactment of a chemical legislation in 2008, requiring all imported chemicals in Europe to measuring 1 tonne per year, undergo a registration with the newly set up body of European Chemical Agency (ECHA). Additionally, from March 2009, animal tested products were banned. This affects Body Shop differently (Assenmacher, 2012).

Micro-environmental Analysis – Porter’s Five Forces

The probability of new entrants in the market is low as there exists high barriers to new entries in the market. This is because of the existing beauty companies in the market, which are mature and strongly established. The suppliers to Body Shop are small and limited. These are mainly communities that engage in fair trade with the company for provision of company ingredients. There is considerable rivalry between Body Shop and other beauty companies. However, the main competitors include Johnsons and Johnsons, Doy Soaps, Loreal Kids Shampoo, and Himalayas Baby Care. These are mature markets, which are also niche players. Apart from its retail outlets and consultants, Body Shop has no specific group buyers. Finally, substitutes for Body Shop’s products are mainly the homemade and other non-organic beauty products (Kossowski, 2007).

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Niche positioning by Body Shop makes its products unique in the market, and this helps differentiate them from those of competitors.  The company is also known for its ethical stand of against animal testing, as it aims at providing natural products to its customers. In addition, the diversified geographical presence is advantageous. This company has 61 branches across the globe. This is an opportunity for growth, even as market risks are minimized. Finally, by practising fair trade with the poor world communities, Body Shop incurs low costs of ingredients, while maintaining an ethical image to the public (Assenmacher, 2012).

Weaknesses

There has been a previously considerable decrease in Body Shop’s profits. Between 2006 and 2008, profits dropped from 9.4 percent to 8.5 percent. In addition, there is weak performance, as the UK market has in the past registered a weak performance as compared to other markets. This leads to a decrease in market shares (Assenmacher, 2012).

Opportunities

The testing of different cosmetic products in 2007 established that they used harmful Lead in their lipsticks. However, Body Shop’s products were purely natural, thus, boosting consumer trust in Body Shop. In addition, the online availability of Body Shop captures potential customers in a cost-effective manner, as more people today search online information on beauty products before buying (Kossowski, 2007).

Threats

Intense competition from other big and small cosmetics company has forced Body Shop to reduce product prices for favourable competition in the market. Clashing Ideology is another threat. Since L’Oreal acquired Body Shop, its animal testing on products conflicts with Body Shop’s stand against animal testing. This becomes confusing to clients. Finally, the global unpredictability of the economy forces people to cut on spending and save money for future use. This reduces companies’ market share (Assenmacher, 2012).

Segmentation Strategies

Body Shop bases its market segmentation on two main aspects, which include behaviour and demographics. Basing on demographic segmentation, market segmentation involves age. This therefore falls into two main categories of customers, including adults and young people.

In behaviouristic segmentation, customers are categorized into two groups, including advanced users and beginners. Therefore, market segmentation results in four categories of customers, including young advanced users, middle-aged advanced users, young beginners, and middle-aged beginners (Pahlavanzadeh, 2011).

Market Targeting

Body Shop targets more females aged16-55. These should be well educated and with good computer skills. The kind of men Body Shop targets are those aged 30-35, with a stable income. Men in the cosmopolitan are also targeted due to their increased awareness of their physical appearance. Nonetheless, the targeted customers are those that are willing to spend more on beauty products, given Body Shop’s considerably high product prices. These target customers are also those that appreciate and show interest in beauty products that are environmentally friendly. In return, Body Shop donates a percentage of its profits to charity, and mainly construction of schools in India and Guatemala.

Strategic Positioning

The Body Shop uses various strategies to appeal to customers. Its stand against animal testing and support for fair community trade shows passion. The mission of the company to activate self-esteem, protect human rights and the environment bring out the company as responsible and natural, an appealing image to customers (Assenmacher, 2012).

Company Current Marketing Strategy

The Body Shop bases on its image of being natural and earthly to market itself.  Therefore, the brand messages carry this information. Most of the marketing for Body Shop is done online as it is believes that most environmentalists do not subscribe to newspapers.

Product

Products include shaving, hair and body, face care, accessories, and Eau de Toilettes. The company conducts annual research on relationship between the product and market demand. These products come in packages, which are considerably big. Generally, customers are not given an opportunity to choose from a wider range of products, as these are not diversified.

Price

The prices of Body Shop products are considerably high because of the great differentiation and nature of branding, which is ethical and environmental friendly. The big packages of products contribute to their high cost. This is why the target market include the financially stable.

Place

The Body Shop mainly sells its products in its different physical outlets, at the Body Shop Home Scheme, and over the internet. However, this company has invested more in its virtual presence. Its online distribution channels help its clients to shop for products more easily.

Promotion

Promotion of men’s products is through monthly advertisements in different periodicals that target men. In addition, products for men are advertised for the whole year on Google Ads and other promotional sites with high male viewing. Women’s products are advertised through flyers and other channels with high female audience throughout the year. Additionally, promotion is through gifts and presents to specific females four times a year (Assenmacher, 2012).

Proposed Marketing Mix –the 7p’s

Customer relationships are essential in the marketing strategy of companies. Therefore, basing on customer relationships of Body Shop Company, recommendations on a more effective marketing matrix can be made. This new marketing mix could be effective, as the current one has not managed to achieve the sales and marketing targets of this company.

Price

For a better marketing mix for Body Shop, the prices of its products should be considerate of the present economic climate. Therefore, pricing should not be based on their branding, but be determined in relation to their competitors’ prices. High prices make customers shy away from buying products, considering the present harsh economy. Therefore, lower prices, with competitors in mind, will attract more customers.

Product

The company should consider product diversification. When products are diversified, customers will have a lot to choose from, thus eliminating limitation of their choice. In addition, region specific products will be highly appreciated in the market. For instance, producing and selling sunscreens in India will boost market shares of the company. Products in smaller packaging will attract more customers as they are easily affordable, compared to the big expensive packages offered today by the company.

Promotion

Body Shop should improve its online channels of distribution by venturing in the social media channels such as Face book, Twitter, and You Tube for advertisement purposes. The Body Shop should launch a page for each of these sites and invest more in social media advertisements. Promotions on the social media will increase product visibility as more people today spend a considerable time on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Additionaly, teaming up with media channels such as MTV will help in the promotion of the existing products.

Place

Exploring newer markets is essential for Body Shop to achieve its business objectives. Investment in new markets will reduce the company’s operational costs, as the company will use the resources of the host country. In addition, the company should make its in-store experience for customers better. For instance, pictures in the stores should be replaced with new ones, billboards and posters showing the month’s theme should be introduced in the stores (Mennen, 2011). Enhancing the in-store experience for customers will make shopping to be an exciting procedure and not boring (Assenmacher, 2012). This new marketing mix could be effective, as the current one has not managed to achieve the sales and marketing targets of this company

People

First, the consultants and shop assistants working for the Body Shop are influential in the marketing process of the company (Pahlavanzadeh, 2011). These should therefore, be given adequate training and enhanced product information to deal with customers better.

Process

On the process, body Shop must ensure a reliable online presence. This is because most men prefer to shop for beauty products online and not physically. Currently, Body Shop does not have a big brand awareness due to its restrictive modes of public awareness creation. Its online distribution channels are limited. Therefore, to solve low brand awareness, further investment in its online presence is imperative.

Physical Evidence

Physical evidence for the company should include making the in-stores favourable to men by including more male staff.  This serves to suit the needs of both genders. Additionally, the online-shopping experience should be made easier and more exciting for customers.

Effective customer relationship management will retain customers and develop their relationships. Therefore, the recommended marketing mix ensures the integration of and balance between people, technology, and process. The inclusiveness of these will result in profitability and customer loyalty for the company (Pahlavanzadeh, 2011).

Effectiveness of the Current CRM of the Body Shop

Customer Relations Management involves the strategies used by a company to obtain customers and develop long-term relationships with them.

Current CRM Strategy

The body shop considers customer relations as one of the most crucial aspect in its operations. This is because the management has realized the long-term benefits of customer retention as well as customer commitment. The current body shop CRM aims at developing and managing the relationships between the company and the customers and other stakeholders. The strategies entail use of mechanisms such as technology in organizing and coordinating business processes particularly those involved in marketing of the products. The aim of the Body Shop CRM is to attract new customers, retain the existing customers, and entice customers who have ever used their products to start using them again. Moreover, the Body Shop hopes to make use of CRM in reducing its operational cost by decreasing the need for excessive use of other marketing strategies (Berndt & Brink, 2004).

The company has realized that the loyalty of customers is critical for the success of their business. However, the company needs to dedicate their business to meeting the company’s financial needs and the needs of the customers. Moreover, The Body Shop continues to protect the environment to ensure that the needs of the current society are met without compromising on the needs of the future generations. Other strategies that The Body Shop uses to acquire and retain customer include taking corporate social responsibility through its stand against animal testing, supporting community trading, defending human rights, and protecting the environment.

The Body Shop follows three phases in implementing the CRM. The first phase entails acquisition of the customers. The Body Shop acquires new customers through use of strategies such as contact management, web-based CRM, selling of quality products, and fulfillment. The second phase entails enhancement. The Body Shop makes use of strategies such as web-enabled CRM and other customer service tools to enhance the quality of services. The company has hired sales representative and specialists in different specialties to enable them identify and meet the need of the current customers. Moreover, the company uses social networks such as Facebook to offer consultant services on their products (Berndt & Brink, 2004).

The third phase entails retaining the existing customer. The Body Shop has CRM software and other databases that enable it to recognize and reward those customers who have remained loyal for a long period by giving those offers and discounts. The Love Your Body Rewards is one of the groups through which The Body Shop identifies and rewards loyal customers. Moreover, thee databases enable The Body Shop improve its target market as well as develop appropriate marketing initiatives (Berndt, & Brink, 2004).

Ineffectiveness of Current CRM

The Body Shop CRM is not working appropriately. Although the websites attract several users who eventually start buying from The Body Shop, The Company has not been making adequate profits especially in the recent past. This is due to excessive use of activities meant to enhance corporate social responsibility and excessive use of offers and discounts. Moreover, the websites lack important information that cosmetic customers seek for while deciding whether to buy a product.

New CRM Objectives

The current CRM requires improvement and alterations in some areas. One of the objectives should aim at improving the rewarding systems. The time sensitive offers by The Body Shop creates a notion that the company is manipulating its customers. Another objective should be improving on the time scale for the offers since the current period for the offers is at times too short. Moreover, the discounts are at times too high, and should be decreased to avoid the customers’ doubt the quality of the products. Another objective should focus on changing the communication strategies to increase the sales. Although The Body Shop has been using emails to inform their customers of their existing products, the descriptions given are too shallow. Moreover, their website lacks in-depth descriptions of products. Most cosmetic companies use their websites to teach different aspects on how the body functions, which has attracted customers. The several offer messages sent to the customers through the phones create a sense of desperation on the side of the company.

How the objectives will be achieved

The new of the company should focus on creating the idea of the unique effectiveness of their products. Moreover, the company should increase the use of media through advertisements. By enhanced use of emails, the company will be able to connect appropriately with the customers, identify their needs, and manufacture products that meet their needs. Using emails and websites to educate the customers will make them informed of the different products and increase their willingness to buy. The company can reorganize their offer schedules and make offers during certain periods such as festive seasons. (Lindgreen, 2004; Sumit & Chaudhuri, 2005).

Supporting the New CRM Strategy Using the 4Ps of Marketing Mix

The new CRM can be supported by the four Ps, which include Product, Promotion, Place, and Price. By using websites to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products, the Body Shop will be able to convince customers that the price of the products is worth. This is more so in India where people view the products as too expensive (Berndt & Brink, 2204).

Product: The Body Shop should ensure that the quality of their product is retained. Moreover, the company should avoid overusing offers and discounts to market its products. This is because this strategy is creating a bad image of the company.

People: The Company should thus focus on educating the customers about the products. This could be through use of their online consultants who can post materials related to the company’s products using simpler language (Lau & Seetner, 2011; Lindgreen, 2004).

Place: The company can use google map to enable customers locate places where their shops are located.

Promotions: Moreover, promotions should be used moderately especially in areas with much competition. The promotions should be strategic and aim at demonstrating the uniqueness of The Body Shop’s products as compared to those from competitors (Mennen, 2011).

The Body Shop Marketing Plan

Business objectives can be defined as the stated and measurable goals that a company comes up to enable it achieve its aims. The business objectives depict the future of any company. Moreover, the objective should be measurable, specific, time specific, realistic and agreed upon by the major stakeholders in a company. The business objective of any company can be considered as its statement of purpose (Epstein & Yuthas, 2009).

Current Market, Customer, and Industry Trend

The objectives of The Body Shop are mainly asked on the conviction that the success of a business is determined by how a company treats the environment and people, especially the less fortunate (Sumit & Chaudhuri, 2005; Marsh, 2001). Currently, the marketing strategy focuses on the products as being natural and earthly. The major customers are women since most of the products serve the needs of women. However, there are some products meant for men. The cosmetic industry is becoming more diverse and competitive due to the increasing number of cosmetic shops in the market. Moreover, the number of men using cosmetics has increased. Most cosmetic companies are focusing more on retaining their customers as opposed to creating new ones (Marsh, 2001). One of the major objectives of The Body Shop is to involve itself in activities aimed at bringing change to the environment and the social lives of the society. This objective targets the society. Moreover, it will enable The Body Shop gain an image of a caring company. Current marketing objectives have not been very successful.

New Market Objectives

The new Objectives should focus on the 4Ps of the marketing mix. The company’s objective should be to meet the 4Ps in a way that attracts the groups targeted by its products. The company should consider if their products meets the needs of the target group. The company should focus on attracting young customers and retaining them. Therefore, the marketing strategies should be more youth-oriented. This is because the company is making plans to expand its market in addition to increasing the profitability of its business operations. The main objective here should be ensuring that the products manufacture reflect the needs of the consumers. The other objective should focus on the price. If product manufactured is of good quality, it will be easy for the company to fix competitive prices. The company should consider fixing the price depending on location of the store. Moreover, the company should identify the amount of money the target group is willing to pay and beware of the competitor’s price (Lindgreen, 2004; Berndt & Brink, 2204). The overuse of promotions has created a negative notion about the quality of The Body Shops product. Therefore, the company should consider marketing strategies that attract the target group, which are the Youths. The promotion should thus include activities such as sponsoring beauty shows and sporting activities. Social Network is another marketing strategy that should be used to attract young people. Moreover, their websites should be more detailed to orient the customers to different products. Additionally, advertisements using bill boards television and magazines should be enhances (Lau & Seetner, 2011).

In the franchised shops, the company should enhance selective distribution. Different people from different regions prefer varying products. Therefore, the company should identify the varying needs of the customers in different localities. Moreover, the company should carry out a study to find out the distribution of their customers and locate their distributors appropriately (Berndt & Brink, 2204). Hence, the company requires improving on the strategies of making offers to avoid it appearing too desperate. The offers should be reasonable and should last for longer periods to ensure the customers enjoy them. Currently, the offers are short lived and most customers complain that such offers are unreasonable (Lau & Seetner, 2011).

A Marketing Budget to Achieve the New Objectives

To achieve the new objectives, The Body Shop should consider altering its budget. The company should spend about 4% of its gross income on the development and maintenance of the IT including the websites, telecommunication, and databases. The databases should be used to collect customer’s feedback. The company should consider reducing its spending on offers and environment renovation programs. Though corporate social responsibility is an appropriate tool for Marketing, The Body Shop has been overspending on its projects aimed at improving the environment. The company should thus spend about 3% of the gross revenue. Moreover, some of the projects that are ineffective should be disregarded. The promotions should be more logical. For example, the company can use a strategy such donating about 1%, for every purchase made at a certain price to the charity and environmental organizations. This will enable the company make profits and conduct community projects (Cathy & Caryn, 1999). This is because customers will be willing to buy when they realize that their purchase contributes to donations. This campaign should cost the company about 2% of the gross revenue. Other forms of marketing should include billboard advertisements, advertisements through the magazines, social networks, television and sponsoring of activities should take about 3% of gross revenue. Therefore, the company should focus on marketing strategies that benefit both the company and the stakeholders (Pahlavanzadeh, 2011). During the sponsorship activities such as sports, the company should use banners. The company should also consider organizing conferences to create awareness on the environment, a method that should not take more than 1% off gross income. Moreover, their website should include educative articles on the environment. This will reduce the cost use in environmental issues. The total revenue use in marketing should not exceed 10% of the gross revenue (Berndt & Brink, 2004; Epstein & Yuthas, 2009).

Evaluating the Perfomance of New Marketing Objectives

After implementing a marketing strategy, it is important to measure its effectiveness and make changes where necessary. The monitoring and evaluation should entail analyzing the sales and comparing the changes in sales with the marketing cost. The effectiveness of the new marketing strategy can be assessed using various strategies. One strategy should be through measuring determination of change in sales following implementation of the different marketing strategies. Measurement should entail comparison of the performance with the different marketing strategies. Moreover, the management should collect data and analyzing it. Analysis of the performance can also be done through numerical counting and reporting. This can be through determining the number of people visiting the company websites and the different stores. Moreover, the performance can be measured through comparing data on the number of people visiting the store and the sales made on daily basis. To assess the online sales, the company can install software to analyze data through comparison of the number of visit and the number of online purchases. Moreover, the company can carry out online surveys to find out the number of customers who are triggered to make purchases by the different company’s marketing strategies (Epstein & Yuthas, 2009).

Conclusion

Customer Relations Management entails the strategies used by a company to obtain customers and develop long-term relationships with them. Currently, The Body Shop Mainly depends on offers to attract and retain customers. However, overuse of offers has created a negative attitude about this company. The new marketing objectives should focus on other strategies of attracting customers without appearing desperate. Such strategies include positioning of their franchises, advertisements, and customer education. The company can continue giving offers but they should be logical and reasonable. This will make the customer realize that the products are of quality and worth the price. The Body Shop marketing budget should be considerate to ensure the company does not continue reducing its profits. Moreover, focusing on creating environmental awareness using online techniques such as websites will enable The Body Shop spend fewer funds in conducting corporate social responsibility and increase profits.

Works Cited

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Epstein, M. & Yuthas, K 2009, Evaluating the Effectiveness of Internet Marketing Initiatives, Management Accounting Guideline, pp. 1-40.

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Marsh, H. 2001, Has the Body Shop lost its direction for good? Haymarket Business Publications Ltd, London, United Kingdom, London.

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Strategic Perspective’, IPEDR vol.3, no. 1, retrieved 19 December 2012 <http://www.ipedr.com/vol3/69-M10082.pdf>

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