The Marketing Practice From Islamic Perspective Marketing Essay

The Marketing Practice From Islamic Perspective Marketing Essay Introduction The purpose of this assignment is to analyze and study the marketing case in Malaysia, particularly, a Malaysian company must be chosen and our choice of company is Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad. Various aspects of study under the subject matter have been considered. This includes the target market analysis, marketing mix consideration which consists of product, pricing, promotion and distribution decision. In order to analyze the internal and external problems facing the company, we have done a SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat).This is to highlight and raise several problems or issues facing the company locally or internationally. Market research on comsumer behavior and competition has also been carried out through a survey questionnaires and the summary or report of the summary have also been done. Mamee Double Decker Went Global Background of the company The company chosen for this case analysis is Mamee Double-Decker Malaysia Berhad. Mamee was founded in 1971 by Datuk Pan Ching Hin and headquartered in Malacca. Mamee Double Decker is Malaysia food processing, snack and diary product company. It mainly produces and sells instant noodles, snack, confectionery and beverages. Mamee Double Decker not only sells its product locally but had penetrated the international market as well. Today Mamee products are exported all around the world to more than 80 countries and area it serves includes Asia, Middle East, Africa, America, Europe and Oceania. Products produce by mamee are popular and well known to most households especially children. Marketing practice from Islamic perspective When mamee first came into existence, its products were only mamee monster noodle snack and double decker snack. Mamee later had gain recognition from several countries because of its distinct and unique feature of the snack that is square-ish noodle like and the adorable face of monster on its packaging while the double-decker snack , is a flavored snack with a choice of prawns chicken and cheese. The company then goes through a major diversification when it produces carbonated drinks under the brand cheers. Mamee instant noodles later was produced. However, different instant noodles are provided to cater different countries, For example mamee bihun, express noodles, and mi goreng are only available in Malaysia as it suits the malaysian taste, while these products are not made for the overseas market. The company has produce mamee oriental noodles for outside market. Marketing Mix Consideration Decision made by the company regarding to the price, promotion and distribution are the elements of marketing mix consideration that is being use in making a decision. . Product decision Initially, mamee mainly focus in producing snacks, but it had diversify its products in producing beverages such as soft drinks, cultured drinks and recently the new products by mamee, a juice under the brand Rio Fiesta a healthier options for drinks produced by mamee. All product produced by mamee comply to the standards required. The company had obtained Hazzard Analysis and Crtical Control Poiint (HACCP) certificate. The obtainment of this certificate means that mamee had adhered to food safety from raw material production, procurement and handling, manufacturing, distribution and the consumption of the finished product. From Islamic point of view, mamee had free from gharar or uncertainty by providing adequate products description and specification for all its products. This includes complete labeling and nutritious information, ingredients used and its expiry date. At the same time, other products evolve in the market under mamee double decker is nutrigen, is a cultured drink for children. Mister Potato was out of the market later after that, now, Mister Potato had officially become the global snack partner with Manchester United. Latest product by Mamee double decker is corntoz, corntoz is a crunchy snack came with different flavours and shapes. The main concern under this food processing, beverages and diary product industry is about whether the product are halal (permitted). Since this company mainly sells their products in Malaysia and in other Muslim countries, therefore mamee double decker products must be certified halal. As reported in Malaysia Halal Directory, Mamee Double Decker had obtained the halal certificate for all of their products. Their products are free from additives made from animal sources that are forbidden in Islamic Law. Stabilizers, Emulsion and colouring used in their production process are deemed as halal. Promotional Activities Mamee Double Decker, like many other companies in this competitive environment are driven to adapt an aggressive promotional strategies in order to gain market share. Mamee Double Decker had use various promotional tools including advertising and sales promotion to capture the market. As reported in The Star newspaper July 17 2002, RM 40 million was allocated solely for promotional activities in Malaysia. On the same year, Mamee had made an aggressive advertising in Myanmar and china to create brand awareness to familiarize their products in these markets. Recently, Mamee had become an official snack partner with Manchaster United. This joint-venture is important as it aims to boost its market share in Asia. One of the interesting activities that has been carried out through this partnership was The Ultimate Manchester United Experience contest. Lucky winners had been treated to a trip to Manchester united to meet their favorite football players. Mamee had also use Malaysia local celebrities, such as Mawi, Felix and Amalyea as ambassadors for mamee sllrpp products in Malaysia. In the recent festive season Hari Raya, Malaysia celebrity Shahizi Sam was featured in mamee sllrrp advertisement and they had conduct a Mamee Kusayang Contest. This shows that Mamee Double Decker had made several aggressive promotion activities throughout the years. Its promotional activities adhered to the basic Islamic principle of business and Mamee had ensure its product reach the target market in all around the world. Any promotional activities to stimulate the demand from consumers are permissible as long as it does not exaggerating or breaching the Islamic principle. Activities like free samples, cash rebates, joint promotion and contest conducted by Mamee are therefore deemed permissible. Pricing Decission Pricing of mamee product are reasonable and affordable for the interest of all. This pricing strategy enables it to capture the market share of various market segments. For example in Malaysia, mamee monster snack only cost 30cents and mamee Double decker snack cost only RM2.50. Mamee had made no price discrimination for all of its product. The company Charge same price for same good in respective countries, irrespective of different markets. Therefore Mamee pricing strategy is considered fair(Adil) and just. Distribution The distribution channels of mamee food and beverages in Malaysia consist of three stages (producer,retailer,consumer). Mamee which is the producer will sell its products in bulks to retailers (Giants, Tesco,etc) , and eventually retailers will sell it to the consumers. In international level, the distribution are being done through appointed subsidiaries. Mamee has favourable access to distribution networks in Malaysia. Mamee Double Decker has 13 distribution centers and has about 150 transport carrier for deliveries to about 1000 point of sales. Mamee Double Decker currently has five manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and one in Myanmar. Mamee Double Decker has centralized marketing and distribution system while Mamee have assigned an export manager in each manufacturing subsidiary. . There are three companies under Mamee Double Decker responsible in producing each of their respective lines and products for example snack food and chilled products (KMM), instant noodles (PP) and beverages (MDDB). Target Market Analysis Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad is good in quality and unique brand which targeted to all group of people according to the product offered. As the company began with a single product and consistently grown to 50 products, targeted people become more. The household products brands like Mamee Monster, Mamee Instant and Mamee sllrrp, and Mamee snacks, are targeted to people whose age is from 6 to 30 years old. Targeted group in this range of age includes, children, teenage, students, working class, and family. This is because not all of its products are targeted to the same group of people. Products like Mamee monster, nutrigen, Double Decker are an examples of products that targets mostly childrens. In Australia, mamee monster snacks is sold in their school canteen. This shows that these products mainly attract children. Nutrigen is a cultured flavored drink that is targeted kids from age 6-12 years old. The second group is students. Mainly, products of Mamee that attracts students are instant noodle like Mamee slrrpp, snacks like double decker, mister potato and jacker. This is because, most students who normally live outside or far from their home need something instant or something to munch in between their meals. This will also eliminate the need to cook or having to buy foods outside. Moreover, snacks like Mamee monster and Double Decker are the loyal companions for students as well especially in times of stress while studying. Teenage like students needs snack during their leisure time. From the family structure perspective, a mother with at least 5 children, usually will buy more groceries and household products. Children love to have snacks like Potato Chips, Potato Crisps and Cheer Beverage because the products are very convenient and it comes with different flavor based on their preferences. Furthermore, families who spend their spare time with picnic and party usually find Mamee products a reasonable choice. In term of target market demographically, though Mamee actually target low to middle income earners, high income earners are attracted to it as well because of its affordable and reasonable price. It is very clear that the size of the companys target market is very large and high. Everyone may be used and consume the product offered because it comes with varieties of food, snacks, beverages, instant noodles and to name a few. SWOT analysis Strength One of the strength pose by Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad is as reported in recent mamee double decker (M) Berhad annual report, the company had experienced 57.3% growth of profit before tax from 9.6 million. Mamee Double Decker(M) Berhad strength also lies in its ability to expand their business network by penetrating into new exports market. This is proved to be true as mamee experienced a growth of 6.2% in 2002 in its effort to venture to new exports market. The second strength of mamee is it has a good reputation among customers, since has become part of the choice made by household largely in Malaysia, mamee so far had not fail to impress its consumers all over the world by providing a tip-top service from the process of production to distribution, we can see that mamee products reach consumer easily as it is easily available in store from a small grocery store to large super markets. The third strength of mamee double decker is we can say that it has a quite strong brand name as according to their annual report, mamee had won several awards locally and internationally. The two local awards that mamee has honoured to receive are first, the chief minister awards for Promising local Company Awards in recognition of Mamee Double Decker Berhad (M) to local industries and the second award is by Malaysian Manufacturer packaging Council of Malaysia, given to one of Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad product, that is Nutrigen Liteyo. Internationally, mamee had also been rewarded internationally recognized ISO 9002 togethe riwth China Awards Certificates. Weakness This includes the internal and external problem of Mamee Double Decker (M) berhad. The external problem pose by this company is as reported in the star newspapers 2007, mamee has not yet succeed in gaining a market share in China as there is a negative growth in Mamee double decker operation in China particularly,Mamee Double-Decker Food(Suzhou)Co. Ltd, demand for Mamee in China is low, thus generating low sales and revenue and consequently the company had incurred higher loss. however the company did not loose hope and have confidence in its China operation and Mmaee had appointed a consultant to resolve this issue. The second external problem face by Mamee is high dependency of raw material from Europe as such when there is a rise in Euro against USD the mamee double-decker earnings is affected since some of mamee products ingredients such as Mister potatao crips are imported from Europe, ,thus when the price of raw material increases, this gives pressure to its profit margin. In order to overcome this problem, mamee needs to do more reaseach and development to reduce its dependency from outside. One internal problem in mamee double decker lies in its small number of manufacturing facilities, considering that mamee products are marketed all over the world, with only five manufacturing facilities , limited production can be made per day. If mamee want to extend its product line, it will be restricted as there is a limited space for production. Opportunity Since now consumer are becoming more health conscious, one opportunity for Mamee Double Decker is to come up with a product that is more healthy as it will give customer a more options for healthy good food. Mamee Double Decker plans to obtain health food supplier in an effort to expand its product line. Mamee had identified several suppliers and the company plans to negotiates with this suppliers in providing good supplies of food Threat As customer becoming more educated and conscious about the food they consume, consumer tends to compare prices and quality of products with other brands. Currently in market there are various brands and product they offered similar to Mamee Double Decker. Thus, the threat of Mamee Double Decker is the competitors in market like for example, Munchys, Nestle, Unilever Foods. Mamee do not only pose an internal threat, but also external threat for example in terms of competitors in China is also obvious. Mamee face a greater threat especially in Shanghai, this is due to the complexity of market in China in addition to variety of snack food products produced by them. In Shanghai, mamee had to face competitors that have a greater market share like. Report on Consumer Behaviour for Mamee Double Decker In order to evaluate the consumers preferences on Mamee Double-Decker products, a survey has been conducted within a population of 100 respondents and 30 out 100 were taken as a sample to this research. There were 17 male and 15 female involved in this sample. A set of 22 questions were asked during the survey session which majority of the respondents came from different background and the survey were conducted online. Before the surveys were taken in place, a short description of the company was given so that the respondents somehow know what they would be expecting during the session. Questions were separated into three parts started with the personal background information then likert scale questions which evaluate their decision making in making purchases and the last part of the questionnaire cover their own given answer accordingly. Result follow suits right after the research conducted was done. Majority of the respondents were Malays which covers 91percent of the total sample taken. This is explained by the major ethnic in Malaysia is Malay followed by Chinese with 6percent and others 3percent. As for income level, most of the respondents categorized as middle class earners because their income level is range between RM1001 to RM3000 with 47percent are in this group while the remaining 44percent belongs to lower income earner like students and jobless teenagers. Within this sample, most of the respondents are in their bachelor degree staying in urban area and living single life which eventually led them to such consumption with the ration of 63:84:97 for all categories. 84percent of these respondents also admit that they enjoyed eating snack food and beverages with a typical consumption of 1 to 2 packs a day. Why this happening is because during the earlier age like teenagers in university, they are prone to having a quick and light food as on the go. This somehow explained the viability of the result. When it comes to factors to decision making questions, the result was significantly expected. Almost all the respondents agreed that they are very cautious in choosing their favourite snack foods and beverages because this factor has to do with their taste buds. While pricing became the second factor that influenced the decision making; 35percent agreed that price do play a vital role in their purchasing power. Morever, 55percent of the respondents were also somewhat agreed that Mamee Double-Decker do became their preferred brand and offer wide range of products under one roof with their given competitive pricing on the products compared to other brands. So most likely consumers can easily make decision in making purchases and less confusion. Unfortunately, Mamee Double-Decker wasnt still at the par in offering good taste for their products because only 47percent out of the total respondents were somewhat agree with the companys taste performance but the remaining disagree with it. However, 41percent of the respondents agreed that Mamee products are reachable in the market which eases them in making purchases. Majority of the respondents bought Mister Potatoes and Mamee Monster snack which are two of the most popular snack foods from Mamee Double-Decker and they usually bought it at convenience stores like 7-eleven and hypermarkets like Tesco. As for substitution for Mamee brand, they usually go for Jack n Jill brand and Nestle which are two of the top snack foods and beverages producers in the world. Thus this is threat for Mamee Double-Decker because of the stiff competition from these giant producers. Mamee Double-Decker should improve their products taste and perhaps packaging in order to stay competitive in the market despite having cheaper price strategy. In a nutshell, Mamee Double-Decker is a proud home-grown snack foods and beverages producer that went global. However, Mamee Double-Decker cannot be relied truly on domestic markets with their currents products either domestic market or international market, instead they should keep doing product development program in order to come out with new line of foods and beverages that suits the preference of the consumers worldwide. Report on Competition for Mamee Double Decker A survey has been conducted in order to evaluate the competition for Mamee Double-Decker products. Mamee-Double Decker (M) Bhd, which has made a name for itself with its snacks and confectionery products. A survey with a population of 50 was targeted and a sample of 30 was chosen for this research. Respondent consiste of 16 males and 14 females.The survey was a close ended survey requiring customers to answer a multiple chouce question with a 5 asnwer options. A set of 15 questions have been asked regarding their brand preferences. Mamee Double Decker have various competitors on market for example, Munchys, Nestle, Unilver Food. Under this company they too had offered various consumer or food products for example, maggi, a brand for instant noodle.Mamee to had rival branding for their beverages particularly cultured drink, for example, nutrigen cultured drink are competing against other various brands like yakult, vitagen and solivite. In a brief summary, 40% of respondents are quite loyal and repeat buyer for mamee products while 60% of them are somewhat in a middle as they also have other preferences and branding in buying consumer goods products. Based on the survey conducted, consumer prefers brand yakult and vitagen more compared to nutrigen which come from Mamee products. This is believe due to the reason that yakult are better in terms of quality as they contain probiotics . On the other hand their champions products like Mamee Monster, Mamee Noodles, Mister Potato, Double Decker and Nicolet Swiss Herb Candy are more preferred by consumers. In a survey, 65% od consumers prefer more of these products because of it tastes and the prices are affordable as compared to other products such as Pringles, Indo Mee, Maggi and etc. However, the remaining percentage of 35% do prefer other snacks brands like Pringles,Lays, Doritos as they may have perceive this brand are better in quality and tastier compared to mamee products. . Conclusion In conclusion, Mamee Double Decker is a company that have a potential to grow further and to compete aggressively with other products in the market. Since the company have established for quite a long time and has been consistently doing well, they have good prospects to progress in increasing its market share in foods and beverages industry in the future. Looking at its current marketing strategies and programs no doubt that this goal would be attainable. In our opinion, Mamee would not lose to its competitors in the market due to the fact that Mamee is constantly doing Research and Development (RD) to improve its quality of product and extends its product line. However, considering the change in behavior and lifestyle of consumers, that are increasingly, becoming more health conscious mamee should come up with a new products line that suit the changing need of customers.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 28. The Future

Carlisle and Edward had not been able to catch up with Irina before her trail disappeared into the sound. They'd swum to the other bank to see if her trail had picked up in a straight line, but there was no trace of her for miles in either direction on the eastern shore. It was all my fault. She had come, as Alice had seen, to make peace with the Cullens, only to be angered by my camaraderie with Jacob. I wished I'd noticed her earlier, before Jacob had phased. I wished we'd gone hunting somewhere else. There wasn't much to be done. Carlisle had called Tanya with the disappointing news. Tanya and Kate hadn't seen Irina since they'd decided to come to my wedding, and they were distraught that Irina had come so close and yet not returned home; it wasn't easy for them to lose their sister, however temporary the separation might be. I wondered if this brought back hard memories of losing their mother so many centuries ago. Alice was able to catch a few glimpses of Irina's immediate future, nothing too concrete. She wasn't going back to Denali, as far as Alice could tell. The picture was hazy. All Alice could see was that Irina was visibly upset; she wandered in the snow-swathed wilderness – to the north? To the east? – with a devastated expression. She made no decisions for a new course beyond her directionless grieving. Days passed and, though of course I forgot nothing, Irina and her pain moved to the back of my mind. There were more important things to think of now. I would leave for Italy in just a few days. When I got back, we'd all be off to South America. Every detail had been gone over a hundred times already. We would start with the Ticunas, tracing their legends as well as we could at the source. Now that it was accepted that Jacob would come with us, he figured prominently in the plans – it was unlikely that the people who believed in vampires would speak to any of us about their stories. If we dead-ended with the Ticunas, there were many closely related tribes in the area to research. Carlisle had some old friends in the Amazon; if we could find them, they might have information for us, too. Or at least a suggestion as to where else we might go for answers. It was unlikely that the three Amazon vampires had anything to do with the legends of vampire hybrids themselves, as they were all female. There was no way to know how long our search would take. I hadn't told Charlie about the longer trip yet, and I stewed about what to say to him while Edward and Carlisle's discussion went on. How to break the news to him just right? I stared at Renesmee while I debated internally. She was curled up on the sofa now, her breathing slow with heavy sleep, her tangled curls splayed wildly around her face.Usually, Edward and I took her back to our cottage to put her to bed, but tonight we lingered with the family, he and Carlisle deep in their planning session. Meanwhile, Emmett and Jasper were more excited about planning the hunting possibilities. The Amazon offered a change from our normal quarry. Jaguars and panthers, for example. Emmett had a whim to wrestle with an anaconda. Esme and Rosalie were planning what they would pack. Jacob was off with Sam's pack, setting things up for his own absence. Alice moved slowly – for her – around the big room, unnecessarily tidying the already immaculate space, straightening Esme's perfectly hung garlands. She was re-centering Esme's vases on the console at the moment. I could see from the way her face fluctuated – aware, then blank, then aware again – that she was searching the future. I assumed she was trying to see through the blind spots that Jacob and Renesmee made in her visions as to what was waiting for us in South America until Jasper said, â€Å"Let it go, Alice; she's not our concern,† and a cloud of serenity stole silently and invisibly through the room. Alice must have been worrying about Irina again. She stuck her tongue out at Jasper and then lifted one crystal vase that was filled with white and red roses and turned toward the kitchen. There was just the barest hint of wilt to one of the white flowers, but Alice seemed intent on utter perfection as a distraction to her lack of vision tonight. Staring at Renesmee again, I didn't see it when the vase slipped from Alice's fingers. I only heard the whoosh of the air whistling past the crystal, and my eyes flickered up in time to see the vase shatter into ten thousand diamond shards against the edge of the kitchen's marble floor. We were perfectly still as the fragmented crystal bounced and skittered in every direction with an unmusical tinkling, all eyes on Alice's back. My first illogical thought was that Alice was playing some joke on us. Because there was no way that Alice could have dropped the vase by accident I could have darted across the room to catch the vase in plenty of time myself, if I hadn't assumed she would get it. And how would it fall through her fingers in the first place? Her perfectly sure fingers†¦ I had never seen a vampire drop anything by accident. Ever. And then Alice was facing us, twisting in a move so fast it didn't exist. Her eyes were halfway here and halfway locked on the future, wide, staring, filling her thin face till they seemed to overflow it. Looking into her eyes was like looking out of a grave from the inside; I was buried in the terror and despair and agony of her gaze. I heard Edward gasp; it was a broken, half-choked sound. â€Å"What?†Jasper growled, leaping to her side in a blurred rush of movement, crushing the broken crystal under his feet. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her sharply. She seemed to rattle silently in his hands. â€Å"What Alice?† Emmett moved into my peripheral vision, his teeth bared while his eyes darted toward the window, anticipating an attack. There was only silence from Esme, Carlisle, and Rose, who were frozen just as I was. Jasper shook Alice again. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"They're coming for us,† Alice and Edward whispered together, perfectly synchronized. â€Å"All of them.† Silence. For once, I was the quickest to understand – because something in their words triggered my own vision. It was only the distant memory of a dream – faint, transparent, indistinct as if I were peering through thick gauze†¦. In my head, I saw a line of black advancing on me, the ghost of my half-forgotten human nightmare. I could not see the glint of their ruby eyes in the shrouded image, or the shine of their sharp wet teeth, but I knew where the gleam should be†¦. Stronger than the memory of the sight came the memory of the feel – the wrenching need to protect the precious thing behind me. I wanted to snatch Renesmee up into my arms, to hide her behind my skin and hair, to make her invisible. But I couldn't even turn to look at her. I felt not like stone but ice. For the first time since I'd been reborn a vampire, I felt cold. I barely heard the confirmation of my fears. I didn't need it. I already knew. â€Å"The Volturi,† Alice moaned. â€Å"All of them,† Edward groaned at the same time. â€Å"Why?† Alice whispered to herself. â€Å"How?† â€Å"When?† Edward whispered. â€Å"Why?† Esme echoed. â€Å"When?†Jasper repeated in a voice like splintering ice. Alice's eyes didn't blink, but it was as if a veil covered them; they became perfectly blank. Only her mouth held on to her expression of horror. â€Å"Not long,† she and Edward said together. Then she spoke alone. â€Å"There's snow on the forest, snow on the town. Little more than a month.† â€Å"Why?† Carlisle was the one to ask this time. Esme answered. â€Å"They must have a reason. Maybe to see †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This isn't about Bella,† Alice said hollowly. â€Å"They're all coming – Aro, Caius, Marcus, every member of the guard, even the wives.† â€Å"The wives never leave the tower,† Jasper contradicted her in a flat voice. â€Å"Never. Not during the southern rebellion. Not when the Romanians tried to overthrow them. Not even when they were hunting the immortal children. Never.† â€Å"They're coming now,† Edward whispered. â€Å"But why?† Carlisle said again. â€Å"We've done nothing! And if we had, what could we possibly do that would bring f/?/sdown on us?† â€Å"There are so many of us,† Edward answered dully. â€Å"They must want to make sure that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish. â€Å"That doesn't answer the crucial question! Why?† I felt I knew the answer to Carlisle's question, and yet at the same time I didn't. Renesmee was the reason why, I was sure. Somehow I'd known from the very beginning that they would come for her. My subconscious had warned me before I'd known I was carrying her. It felt oddly expected now. As if I'd somehow always known that the Volturi would come to take my happiness from me. But that still didn't answer the question. â€Å"Go back, Alice,† Jasper pleaded. â€Å"Look for the trigger. Search.† Alice shook her head slowly, her shoulders sagging. â€Å"It came out of nowhere, Jazz. I wasn't looking for them, or even for us. I was just looking for Irina. She wasn't where I expected her to be†¦.† Alice trailed off, her eyes drifting again. She stared at nothing for a long second. And then her head jerked up, her eyes hard as flint. I heard Edward catch his breath. â€Å"She decided to go to them,† Alice said. â€Å"Irina decided to go to the Volturi. And then they will decide†¦. It's as if they're waiting for her. Like their decision was already made, and just waiting on her___† It was silent again as we digested this. What would Irina tell the Volturi that would result in Alice's appalling vision? â€Å"Can we stop her?† Jasper asked. â€Å"There's no way. She's almost there.† â€Å"What is she doing?† Carlisle was asking, but I wasn't paying attention to the discussion now. All my focus was on the picture that was painstakingly coming together in my head. I pictured Irina poised on the cliff, watching. What had she seen? A vampire and a werewolf who were best friends. I'd been focused on that image, one that would obviously explain her reaction. But that was not all that she'd seen. She'd also seen a child. An exquisitely beautiful child, showing off in the falling snow, clearly more than human†¦ Irina†¦ the orphaned sisters†¦ Carlisle had said that losing their mother to the Volturi's justice had made Tanya, Kate, and Irina purists when it came to the law. Just half a minute ago, Jasper had said the words himself: Not even when they were hunting the immortal children†¦. The immortal children – the unmentionable bane, the appalling taboo†¦ With Irina's past, how could she apply any other reading to what she'd seen that day in the narrow field? She had not been close enough to hear Renesmee's heart, to feel the heat radiating from her body. Renesmee's rosy cheeks could have been a trick on our part for all she knew. After all, the Cullens were in league with werewolves. From Irina's point of view, maybe this meant nothing was beyond us†¦. Irina, wringing her hands in the snowy wilderness – not mourning Laurent, after all, but knowing it was her duty to turn the Cullens in, knowing what would happen to them if she did. Apparently her conscience had won out over the centuries of friendship. And the Volturi's response to this kind of infraction was so automatic, it was already decided. I turned and draped myself over Renesmee's sleeping body, covering her with my hair, burying my face in her curls. â€Å"Think of what she saw that afternoon,† I said in a low voice, interrupting whatever Emmett was beginning to say. â€Å"To someone who'd lost a mother because of the immortal children, what would Renesmee look like?† Everything was silent again as the others caught up to where I was already. â€Å"An immortal child,† Carlisle whispered. I felt Edward kneel beside me, wrap his arms over us both. â€Å"But she's wrong,† I went on. â€Å"Renesmee isn't like those other children. They were frozen, but she grows so much every day. They were out of control, but she never hurts Charlie or Sue or even shows them things that would upset them. She can control herself. She's already smarter than most adults. There would be no reason___† I babbled on, waiting for someone to exhale with relief, waiting for the icy tension in the room to relax as they realized I was right. The room just seemed to get colder. Eventually my small voice trailed off into silence. No one spoke for a long time. Then Edward whispered into my hair. â€Å"It's not the kind of crime they hold a trial for, love,† he said quietly. â€Å"Aro's seen Irina's proof in her thoughts. They come to destroy, not to be reasoned with.† â€Å"But they're wrong,† I said stubbornly. â€Å"They won't wait for us to show them that.† His voice was still quiet, gentle, velvet†¦ and yet the pain and desolation in the sound was unavoidable. His voice was like Alice's eyes before – like the inside of a tomb. â€Å"What can we do?† I demanded. Renesmee was so warm and perfect in my arms, dreaming peacefully. I'd worried so much about Renesmee's speeding age – worried that she would only have little over a decade of life†¦. That terror seemed ironic now. Little over a month†¦ Was this the limit, then? I'd had more happiness than most people ever experienced. Was there some natural law that demanded equal shares of happiness and misery in the world? Was my joy overthrowing the balance? Was four months all I could have? It was Emmett who answered my rhetorical question. â€Å"We fight,† he said calmly. â€Å"We can't win,† Jasper growled. I could imagine how his face would look, how his body would curve protectively over Alice's. â€Å"Well, we can't run. Not with Demetri around.† Emmett made a disgusted noise, and I knew instinctively that he was not upset by the idea of the Volturi's tracker but by the idea of running away. â€Å"And I don't know that we can't win,† he said. â€Å"There are a few options to consider. We don't have to fight alone.† My head snapped up at that. â€Å"We don't have to sentence the Quileutes to death, either, Emmett!† â€Å"Chill, Bella.† His expression was no different from when he was contemplating fighting anacondas. Even the threat of annihilation couldn't change Emmett's perspective, his ability to thrill to a challenge. â€Å"I didn't mean the pack. Be realistic, though – do you think Jacob or Sam is going to ignore an invasion? Even if it wasn't about Nessie? Not to mention that, thanks to Irina, Aro knows about our alliance with the pack now, too. But I was thinking of our other friends.† Carlisle echoed me in a whisper. â€Å"Other friends we don't have to sentence to death.† â€Å"Hey, we'll let them decide,† Emmett said in a placating tone. â€Å"I'm not saying they have to fight with us.† I could see the plan refining itself in his head as he spoke. â€Å"If they'd just stand beside us, just long enough to make the Volturi hesitate. Bella's right, after all. If we could force them to stop and listen. Though that might take away any reason for a fight___† There was a hint of a smile on Emmett's face now. I was surprised no one had hit him yet. I wanted to. â€Å"Yes,† Esme said eagerly. â€Å"That makes sense, Emmett. All we need is for the Volturi to pause for one moment. Just long enough to listen* â€Å"We'd need quite a show of witnesses,† Rosalie said harshly, her voice brittle as glass. Esme nodded in agreement, as if she hadn't heard the sarcasm in Rosalie's tone. â€Å"We can ask that much of our friends. Just to witness.† â€Å"We'd do it for them,† Emmett said. â€Å"We'll have to ask them just right,† Alice murmured. I looked to see her eyes were a dark void again. â€Å"They'll have to be shown very carefully.† â€Å"Shown?†Jasper asked. Alice and Edward both looked down at Renesmee. Then Alice's eyes glazed over. â€Å"Tanya's family,† she said. â€Å"Siobhan's coven. Amun's. Some of the nomads – Garrett and Mary for certain. Maybe Alistair.† â€Å"What about Peter and Charlotte?† Jasper asked half fearfully, as if he hoped the answer was no, and his old brother could be spared from the coming carnage. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"The Amazons?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna?† Alice seemed too deep into her vision to answer at first; finally she shuddered, and her eyes flickered back to the present. She met Carlisle's gaze for the tiniest part of a second, and then looked down. â€Å"I can't see.† â€Å"What was that?† Edward asked, his whisper a demand. â€Å"That part in the jungle. Are we going to look for them?† â€Å"I can't see,† Alice repeated, not meeting his eyes. A flash of confusion crossed Edward's face. â€Å"We'll have to split up and hurry – before the snow sticks to the ground. We have to round up whomever we can and get them here to show them.† She zoned again. â€Å"Ask Eleazar. There is more to this than just an immortal child.† The silence was ominous for another long moment while Alice was in her trance. She blinked slowly when it was over, her eyes peculiarly opaque despite the fact that she was clearly in the present. â€Å"There is so much. We have to hurry,† she whispered. â€Å"Alice?† Edward asked. â€Å"That was too fast – I didn't understand. What was – ?† â€Å"I can't see!† she exploded back at him. â€Å"Jacob's almost here!† Rosalie took a step toward the front door. â€Å"I'll deal with – â€Å" â€Å"No, let him come,† Alice said quickly, her voice straining higher with each word. She grabbed Jasper's hand and began pulling him toward the back door. â€Å"I'll see better away from Nessie, too. I need to go. I need to really concentrate. I need to see everything I can. I have to go. Come on, Jasper, there's no time to waste!† We all could hear Jacob on the stairs. Alice yanked, impatient, on Jasper's hand. He followed quickly, confusion in his eyes just like Edward's. They darted out the door into the silver night. â€Å"Hurry!† she called back to us. â€Å"You have to find them all!† â€Å"Find what?† Jacob asked, shutting the front door behind himself. â€Å"Where'd Alice go?† No one answered; we all just stared. Jacob shook the wet from his hair and pulled his arms through the sleeves of his t-shirt, his eyes on Renesmee. â€Å"Hey, Bells! I thought you guys would've gone home by now___† He looked up to me finally, blinked, and then stared. I watched his expression as the room's atmosphere finally touched him. He glanced down, eyes wide, at the wet spot on the floor, the scattered roses, the fragments of crystal. His fingers quivered. â€Å"What?† he asked flatly. â€Å"What happened?† I couldn't think where to begin. No one else found the words, either. Jacob crossed the room in three long strides and dropped to his knees beside Renesmee and me. I could feel the heat shaking off his body as tremors rolled down his arms to his shaking hands. â€Å"Is she okay?† he demanded, touching her forehead, tilting his head as he listened to her heart. â€Å"Don't mess with me, Bella, please!† â€Å"Nothing's wrong with Renesmee,† I choked out, the words breaking in strange places. â€Å"Then who?† â€Å"All of us, Jacob,† I whispered. And it was there in my voice, too – the sound of the inside of a grave. â€Å"It's over. We've all been sentenced to die.†

Organizational behavior and development Essay

Organizational change or development has evolved overall meaning of business. The set of market-driven, financial and technical changes which, in the eighties, faced better-informed consumers demanded the best and cheapest products accessible worldwide; producing these goods requisite the assimilation of both resources and knowledge on a global scale; at the same time, it became probable to transport information around the world at immensely reduced costs. s multinational organizations had leaned to pursue one of the three basic strategies attaining economies of scale through the centralized management of resources, having a strong (decentralized) national presence, and sharing universal a central pool of skills and experience the predicament for the new ‘transnational’ corporations was to unite these three, often conflicting, approaches into a single strategy: â€Å"To participate effectively, a company had to develop global competitiveness, international flexibility, and worldwide learning competence simultaneously†. Freivalds, J. 1995, 24-28) All these changes need a consummate degree of language interdependence and individual communication something which the usual structure of a multinational (the head office hub surrounded by satellite subsidiaries) is not intended to accommodate. Control has to give way to synchronization, and corporate culture becomes an issue of central significance. But, so as to understand how language functions in an organization, we require going beyond the framework. We also require understanding the points at which management myths stop working or cease to be useful; we require to look for discontinuities and uncertainties (Halcrow, A. 1999, 42-47). To turn language into a really competitive weapon in practical business, we require to start being more conscious of the language we, our colleagues and our competitors use and see it for what it actually is visionary myths, power struggles, group limits, discontinuities, auguries of changes to come or vestiges of changes past. And, when we recognize more about the limitations of organizational language, we will be better located to develop its potential. Discourse is variously used in the gender and language field. It maybe used in a linguistic sense to refer to language beyond that of words. Or it may be used in a post-structural sense to refer to broad systems of meaning discourse is not restricted to spoken language but also refers to written language (Weatherall, 2002, pp. 76–7) Available At: www. palgrave. com/pdfs/023000167X. df What does it mean for an organization to communicate in a particular, national language? A company might and most do have the corresponding of dialects, but a common native language has significant implications which supersede ‘regional’ differences such as these. To appreciate such implications, we require looking first at the role which communication and language particularly, plays in an organization. At the most simple level, communication provides two functions gathering and disseminating information. As, the eventual purpose of both functions is to precipitate action: a head office might act in response to feedback from customers channeled via its field sales force; workers on an assembly line might transform their working practices in accordance with new guiding principle from the operations management. Such actions are not limited to those formally sanctioned by the organization: information, and the actions which consequence from its transmission, can be official or unofficial. Indeed, every organization consists of subgroups who have diverse information needs and channels, and whose reactions to the similar set of stimuli differ. Language is not just the means by which people converse (that is, the medium in which items of information are spoken); it is also the purveyor of meaning. Data is simply information while it has meaning, and data without meaning cannot impetuous action. Language therefore provides a means by which we understand the relative implication of any information and decide how we will respond. Within an organization, the role of language is consequently analogous to other and more well-known aspects of cultural behaviour such as myths, practices and stories. They all offer a context from which we can conjecture meaning; they therefore mainly determine how we interpret information, and this in turn determines how we act. Take for instance the manager who comes in and strangely closes his or her office door. How people interpret this will depend on, amongst other factors, the representation of a closed door in that particular environment (problems? privacy? and myths (‘Smith did that just after being fired’). Just as with myths and stories, individuals in an organization (or organizations as a whole) might seek to persuade the way in which both conversion processes take place by managing the meaning of the language used: the greater the vagueness of the language, the less convenient or conventional the resulting action (Korn, L. B. 1990, May 22, 157-161). Starting with the similar basis of meaning which sharing a common language gives is obviously fundamental to this process, though the success with which this can be attained also depends on many other factors. Anthropologists and philosophers have argued that a national language characterized a ‘contract’ within society which underpins its common culture. Though, some countries are reluctant to have contact with other cultures due to cultural and religious conflicts. It is the lack of understanding that is at the root of all exclusiveness or prejudice, distrust or hatred (Allan, G. 1993, pp. 1-25). There are many examples of countries that are unenthusiastic to have contact with other cultures. For instance, relationship between Israel and Islamic countries, Pakistan and India etc The disparity between the diverse cultures in the world today on reflection is seen to be one of language or appearance more than anything else. The entire of mankind forms a single species; and external diversities of feature and color, stature and deportment, behavior and customs notwithstanding, man ubiquitously is but man, a certain human quality supplying the relation of unity in the middle of all diversity. Humanity is one, and human culture as the appearance of an aspiration, an Endeavour and an attainment, is also one. The countries that are unwilling to contact with other cultures are losing permutations and combinations of the same or similar basic elements of human culture. Basically, the physical urge for getting and begetting, for living and spreading, is everywhere present, as also is the aspiration for a state of permanent happiness for â€Å"all this, and heaven too†. This desire, which is roughly as forceful as the physical urge, is shared by the entire of mankind and has raised men above the level of the simply animal. Religion, with its Janus-face of fear and hope, attempts to untangle the mystery of life and being. These attempts, leading to science and philosophy and nurturing of the emotions (opening up the limitless joys of art and mysticism), are general to mankind in all ages and climes, and they spring all over from the pursuit of what the sages of India regarded as the only end for which man is actually striving cessation of suffering and achievement of an definitive and abiding happiness. And in this common striving, there has never been any segregation of a particular people or group of men from other peoples or groups, whenever contact between them either direct or indirect was made probable (Lane, H.  W. , DiStephano, J. J. , & Maznevski, M. L. 1997). The mainsprings of human culture are thus the same, they are common; and assured ideals, values, attitudes or behaviors, whether good or bad from absolute or relative points of view, have constantly been found to be transmissible. These ideals, values, attitudes or behaviors form patterns comparable to languages. All provide to meet the minimum needs of man, but those which state most adequately and most skillfully the aspirations, the endeavors and the achievements of man naturally have a predominant place in the affairs of men. Certain patterns of culture thus stand out pre-eminent; and, becoming feeders and sustainers of weaker or less complete ones, they attain an international and comprehensive status (Beck, U. and Beck-Gernsheim, E. 1995). This play of action and communication in the cultural sphere is going on for ever. The opposing forces of centrifuge and centripetence are also constantly operating and strife with infrequent violent modification of one pattern by another, or harmony deliberately or instinctively brought about is also in evidence (Allan, G. 998). With the hope of one world, one mankind and one happiness for all inspiring our men of learning and wisdom to find a path that can be followed by all, this contemplative readiness for a single world culture was never greater than now. We leave aside, of course, men of narrow viewpoint whose intransigent support of one particular prototype is merely an unconscious expression of a blind selfishness which has its roots in both ignorance and a ye arning for domination. The time is certainly ripe, and the stage is set, for a correct understanding of the diverse patterns of culture and for exploring the methods for their harmonizing, taking our stand on the essentials and not on the accidentals, on the agreements and not on the divergences. While this is achieved, and mankind everywhere is trained to recognize the fundamental agreement based on the individuality of human aspirations, a new period in the history of humanity will instigate. Besides, as every global organization has its own language for talking concerning strategy: certainly it is possible to track the way in which the organization is developing by the words it uses to illustrate its strategy. If the language of strategy has any single source, it perhaps lies in classical warfare: our plans for expansion and competition remain heavily if unconsciously influenced by ideas of winning wars, beating our enemies, securing our position. However, management strategy first evolved a characteristic language of its own in the sixties and was focused on the decisions taken by management and the types of analysis requisite to ease them: decision-making was the essential activity of management, as decisions led to actions (Hays, R. D. 1974; 25-37). By the mid eighties, the analogies were architectural: strategies were the infrastructure, people the consumable building blocks. The respect principally since the late 1980s that the perimeters of organizations were no longer strong walls has given us a rather diverse vocabulary, drawn from biology and evolutionary theory: our strategic vocabulary is more and more drawn from the natural, rather than the man-made, world: ‘webs’, ‘porous boundaries’, business ‘ecosystems’, and those words which disguised a rigid framework or clear demarcation are starting to fall from favor. Linked to this trend is the idea that thriving organizations efficiently go beyond language they do not need to communicative their strategy because everyone already knows it. However, if we believe that strategy has its own, distinctive language, then this trend is just the most modern development in its evolution: rather than being precise and analytical, the language of strategy is becoming less specific qualitative instead of quantitative. What matters most is that the language is diverse. If the language is different, then the organization can do something different: if the language is that which the organization already uses, then the strategy cannot transform the status quo (Lester, T. 1994, 42-45). The richest sources of new language frequently lie within an organization, but among those people hardly ever asked to put in to its strategy, such as people on the customer front line, new recruits, and many more. Who these people are specifically varies from organization to organization and is a function of the way in which an individual organization manages language. Thus, to recognize ways in which you can incorporate a new language into your own organization’s strategy, you first require understanding how language is managed across your organization as a whole. Language plays a key role in this process: when we think of an organization, the model we tend to have in our minds is one in which those at the top talk, as those at the bottom do. Flatter organizations and the empowerment of those who work in them can mean that the sharing of talking and doing has changed, but I think most of us would still have difficulties in finding a company where this division has totally disappeared, particularly when it is applied to internal processes such as developing a strategy (Nurden, R. 997). Taking the words from the bottom of your organization, rather than from the top, reverses this state: it means that the doers start talking. The effect is less suspicion about language (from the doers) and a diverse way of using language (for the talkers): both ways, it moves the goalposts in terms of what the strategy sounds like, making it more likely that the organization as a whole will listen more efficiently.

Eleanor Of The Oldest And Richest Families - 995 Words

Born October 11, 1884, to Anna Hall and Elliott Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt joined the world. Eleanor brought together two of the oldest and richest families. Little did the world know, this little child would change the world. With an alcoholic father, Eleanor was raised mostly by her mother and the nannies they hired. After the death of both her parents, her two brothers, her two sisters, and Eleanor all went to live with their grandparents. Mary Hall told Eleanor that her mother wanted her to go to boarding school in Europe, and picked a school out. Allenswood, a school for girls near London, England would be where she would go. Eleanor boarded a steam boat September of 1899, to travel to Allenswood, to start her new life. She came alive at Allenswood. Eleanor excelled at independent writing and research. Her confidence grew as she became one of the smartest girls at Allenswood. As Eleanor became a leader, she did not forget what it felt like to be an outsider. Eleanor’s studies extended beyond the classrooms of Allenswood. Eleanor met the love of her life, Franklin D. Roosevelt, at a Christmas party in 1898. After six years of dating, Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt, were married March 16, 1905. Eleanor first started loving politics when Franklin was elected the state senate of New York in 1912. She used her energy to do a variety of reformist organizations, to establish minimum wage among working people, and joining a circle of post suffrage feministsShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesindividuals locally had the potential to be much more intensely connected by new communications technologies, state-sponsored programs to achieve autarky, a global epidemic of ethnic strife, uncontrolled urban growth, and the dissolution of extended family ties in many societies divided nations and communities and isolated individuals to an extent unparalleled in recorded human history. For teachers, in particular, the challenge of weaving together in meaningful ways the seemingly disparate strands