Marketing Plan for Morrisons free essay sample

In 2004 Morrisons took over Safeway in order to enter the convenience store market and increase market share, although this is proving to be a success, it left the company with a ? 13 million pre tax loss in January 20006. In order to increase their profitability after their huge loss and to respond to the changes in the market Morrisons revitalised their image by promoting the freshness of their products in their recent campaign of â€Å"Fresh Choice for You. † The economic downturn is of increasing threat to key players in the industry as it has seen the rise of discount stores such as Aldi, who have developed a strategy based on cost leadership. In response to this Tesco launched their newest campaign of being â€Å"Britain’s Biggest Discounter† to deter the growing competition, however, this campaign has not been as successful as hoped. Many supermarkets have diversified into other industries such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s who have expanded into the financial sector, along with other stores such as MS and ASDA highlighting their extensive range of non-food products. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Plan for Morrisons or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In these cases Morrisons seem somewhat behind in responding to these changes, as they have not expanded into either the non-food market or the financial sector, however, they are still a strong brand and with recommendations such as partnering with Universities and providing them with a lunchtime range and developing a loyalty scheme Morrisons can reach out to a newer audience whilst maintaining their old customers. Introduction This report will focus on the food retailing industry, Morrisons in particular and how the external environment is changing around them. It will look at how key players in the market are responding to these changes and what marketing strategies have been implemented to keep up with the times. In order to make effective recommendations it will be essential to evaluate the competitions competitive advantage and that of Morrisons. This will be concluded through the use of a PEST and SWOT analysis along with Porters Five Forces framework. History of Food Retailing There is an ongoing battle within the food retailing industry as multiple grocery stores aim to be the best, whether it is on price or quality. Nevertheless this industry is dominated by four key players. Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. Tesco is the number one food retailing outlet that currently holds a market share of 31. 4%. In terms of adapting to the environment Tesco is quick to learn and has consistently revitalised itself to maintain their market leader status. In the earlier years Tesco used aggressive marketing campaigns such as â€Å"every little helps† and launched their Tesco value range and club card scheme to overtake Sainsbury’s number one slot. (http://www. telegraph. co. uk/finance/markets/2788089/A-history-of-Tesco-The-ri e-of-Britains-biggest-supermarket. html) ASDA is the second largest store holding a market share of 17. 1%. This company has always focused its strategy on price and is aimed at the lower end of the market. In 1989 ASDA established the ‘George’ brand which enabled ASDA to expand and offer consumers something different to their food shopping experi ence. In 1999 the decision to merge with Wal-Mart has contributed drastically to ADSA’s growing success. Since then ASDA has had the opportunity to diversify into the clothing industry by opening a standalone ‘George’ store. http://www. about-asda. om/inside-asda/our-history. asp Sainsbury’s on the other hand is the third largest food retailing outlet with a share of 15. 7%. This supermarket has generally focused on the upper end of the market, the majority of shoppers being with the ABC1 category, and drawn their attention on quality. Like ASDA and Tesco, Sainsbury’s diversified its appeal with the creation of Homebase in 1981, which offered DIY and gardening products. Netto Marks and Spencer and Waitrose are the main supermarkets which focus heavily on quality, however naturally these products have a price tag, therefore these stores target the upper end of the market, generally speaking the ABC1 sector. Somerfield and Co-op are mainly recognised within the industry as our convenient stores offering a variety of food products, however have not yet established any non-food products. Aldi, Lidl and Netto are directed at the lower end of the market mainly the C2, D and E categories. These stores promote their goods solely on price, offering customers their own branded products with a cheap price tag. Often there are non-food products sold however these products have no particular relevance to the store and are promoted as WIGIG (when it’s gone, it’s gone) Each of these players have identified a strategy based on Porters (1980) generic strategy theory, which entails concepts that organisations focus on one of the three strategies to compete in the market: 1) Cost leadership – â€Å"Exercising economies of scale in a number of market sectors by investing heavily in technology to beat its rivals on price. 2) Differentiation – â€Å" The concentration of product quality to justify premium price† 3) Focus- â€Å"Focusing their efforts on servicing a narrow range of segments like a niche marketer† (Hill, 2004, p. 409) Analysis of the present Market Throughout the years there have been many up and coming issues, technologies a nd changes in attitudes which have affected the food retailing industry dramatically. A detailed PEST analysis, which can be found in the appendices, illustrates most alterations which have influenced these stores approaches. Highlights of some of the key changes which are of most significance to date are seen below. Political †¢ Trading Policies – The Food Sustainability Strategy (FISS) This strategy focuses on how the food industry can cut energy costs to help the environment, how it can improve on in its ethical trading policies and reduce its wastage. In order to address the wastage problems many supermarkets have put a price on their plastic bags, such as Marks and Spencers price their bags at 5p encouraging consumers to use their recyclable bags. Diagram 1: [pic] [pic] [pic] Economical Financial Crisis The financial downturn has meant that consumers focus is primarily drawn to price as disposable income is tight. This has seen the rise in the discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl. These stores have fewer costs, due to their simple store layout, limited product lines and own branded products, which mean they can offer lower prices to customers. Diagram 2: [pic] For example: A pack o f 4 of Sainsbury’s Basic Lemons are 59p whereas a pack of 5 Lemons at Aldi cost 39p. This has resulted in the discount stores being able to attract more customers. Socio-cultural †¢ Organic and Healthy Eating ranges Consumer’s attitudes have recently demanded the need for more, healthy eating and organic products, leading supermarkets into extending their product range by offering these products. Diagram 3: [pic] [pic] Morrisons –Organic rangeAsda’s – Good For You range Technological †¢ Online Shopping The majority of our large supermarkets have now gone online to keep up with the fast pace of society. Its convenience of shopping online and being delivered is something which has captured many shoppers. The only supermarket not to have invested in this facility seems to be Morrisons. Although Aldi and Lidl have also not as yet expanded into this sector this is in order to keep operational costs down. Diagram 4: [pic] Sainsbury’s online shopping facility Morrisons Position Morrisons currently stands as the fourth largest multiple groceries after Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s. Their main target market according to Mintel is â€Å"skewed to older customers 59% being over 45 and 39% over 55 mainly within the C1 and C2 category. † Therefore marketing campaigns developed generally focus on this group. The recent acquisition of Safeway hit Morrisons sales hard leaving them with a ? 313 million pre tax loss in January 2006. Since then the focus has been on increasing profitability, therefore the strategy in operation was to rebrand and re-establish itself in the eyes of the consumer. In light of this Morrisons launched a new marketing campaign promoting the freshness of their products â€Å"fresh choice for you† to revitalise their brand. This advertising campaign entails famous faces such as Denise Van Oulton and Lulu accompanied with the soundtrack from ‘Take That’ to identify with a younger target market. Their revitalised image has been geared within Morrisons in store image as they have set up counters which resemble traditional market stalls. The counters of the butchers, the bakery and the delicatessen reflect the freshness of their food. Their â€Å"Lets Grow† campaign which has recently been launched, offers customers vouchers to pass onto schools, which will be provided with gardening equipment on behalf of the store. This means that Morrisons can express their green values amongst the community and constantly communicate their brand, strengthening their position in the minds of consumers. A detailed SWOT analysis, in the appendices, has highlighted the main advantages and disadvantages of Morrisons. The key factors are emphasised below: Strengths †¢ The acquisition of Safeway has meant that Morrisons has been able to expand into the convenience store market which is a booming sector at the minute. Weakness †¢ The store currently has no e-commerce facility for online shopping which has become major selling point for many of their competitors. †¢ Morrisons has only bought into a limited range of non-food product ranges but has not yet expanded this range into clothing. Opportunity †¢ Their opportunities are drawn from their weaknesses as they could develop an online shopping facility enabling them to capture the younger market and gain valuable information on their consumers buying habits through a CRM system (a Customer Relationship Management system). Threats †¢ A threat is mainly identified as Morrisons failure to compete effectively with their competitors in the market, such as Aldi and Tesco who are stressing their pricing structures. Key Competitors Positions Tesco: Tesco is the biggest supermarket in the industry and has expanded into many other areas allowing the company to appeal to a wider range of consumers. Some of these areas include Tesco Finance, Tesco Direct, Tesco Comparison Website and a Partnership with O2 allowing them to enter the telecoms market. However, Tesco has currently been experiencing a slow in sales and consumers switching to the likes of Morrisons, ASDA and Aldi, even with their recent marketing campaign promoting Tesco as being â€Å"Britain’s Biggest Discounter† and the 350 product line of the discount range. On Managementtoday. co. uk it reported on 2nd Dec-2008 that â€Å"the Times quotes new figures from TNS Worldpanel suggests that about ? 22m of customer spending was switched from Tesco to Asda last quarter, with another ? 10m going to Aldi and a similar amount to Morrisons. † Aldi: Cost leadership within this market is something which Aldi thrives upon and due to the economic recession, the rise of discount stores has enabled Aldi to achieve 3% in the market share. Aldis recent advertising campaign has raised the profile of their store amongst their consumers. The campaign â€Å"Spend a little, Live a lot† promotes value products which are depicted as good quality. The partnership of Phil Vickers has allowed Aldi to identify with its target market which has been recorded a 50% rise of shoppers within the ABC1 category. http://www. retail-week. com/News/2008/09/aldi_signs_celebrity_chef. html Aldi has also linked up with Travelodge, which means that an agreement has been set for Travelodge to build their hotels above Aldi’s store. This has been emphasised by Paul Harvey, the Managing Director of Travelodge that in developing this site they are communicating positively to the budget sector and will take full advantage of it. http://www. retail-week. com/Property/2008/10/aldi_tie_up_with_travelodge. html Sainsbury’s: Sainsbury’s are the third biggest supermarket retailer and have distinguished themselves through their differentiation approach, as they promote good quality through their extensive product range of ‘Taste the Difference’ which offers their consumers a premium own branded product. Their partnership with Jamie Oliver has enabled Sainsbury’s to communicate with the younger market and has also been able to depict his respected image and relate it to their stores. In March 2008 Sainsbury’s used Jamie Oliver to promote a â€Å"feed your family for a fiver† in response to the financial problems, however they don’t focus too heavily on this cost leadership approach. http://blogit. webitpr. com/? ReleaseID=8105 Porters Five Forces Michael Porter (1980) identified five forces which influence an industry. This model helps to understand the competition in the market and how the market itself operates. Threat of new entrants The increasing presence of discount stores such as Aldi and Lidl has become a more noticeable to the market. Although these stores are far from being new, their now combined market share of 6% demonstrates that they are growing. Garages are also creeping up from behind as they offer consumers a range of necessity products which are easily accessible to the consumer. Barriers of entry are typically high due to the financial sector at the minute and anyone who may enter would be combated off through aggressive marketing campaigns produced by the dominant players. Bargaining power of suppliers Supply and demand is a key factor, as suppliers whose resources rise in prices means that they pass on the inflation to buyers, who may have no choice but to buy the products because of high demand. This has led to many supermarkets such as Morrisions sourcing their own supply outlets such as ‘Farmers Boy’ in order to cut costs. Bargaining power of buyers The buyers within this market have a high level of bargaining power as they demand such volume bringing much business to their suppliers. Therefore they can force prices down whilst maintaining the standard of quality in exchange for their business. These stores could also restrict who the supplier sells to as part of their conditions to be their client. Threat of substitute products Current issues on the market are own branded products which are extremely similar to branded ones at half the price. For example in Aldi everything is own branded such as their cereal which is Harvest Morn as opposed to Kellogg’s. These brands look almost identical to that of Kellogg’s but are cheaper at 75p compared to Kellogg’s at Sainsbury’s for ? 1. 69. Rivalry among competing firms in the industry The competition on price is a current issue as competitors are fiercely battling for cost leadership in order to gain new customers and maintain old ones. The slump in the market has led to a market struggle in competing to win business, as a slow growth in the market â€Å"causes firms to fight for market share. † http://www. quickmba. com/strategy/porter. shtml From this model we can identify that although Morrisons are in a sturdy position in the market, the growing competition, threat of substitutes and the economic crisis is causing a strain on the industry which Morrisons needs to be aware of and respond to by developing innovative strategic plans to overcome these obstacles. Recommendations Over the next three years the company could look at the following suggestions, which are detailed in an action plan in the appendices, as a way to increase market share. A point which should be reinforced is that of marketing. Marketing is crucial to differentiate a company amongst their competition and to raise awareness of their brand to consumers. These can be developed through promotional direct mail, emails, radio, TV, sponsorship and more. Recommendations: The development of the ecommerce facility offering online shopping to consumers would enable Morrisons to gain valuable information on consumers shopping habits, which could be stored on CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) allowing them to target their market more effectively with promotional offers and information. †¢ Creating a loyalty scheme is something which is powerful within this industry as it rewards consumer’s loyalty to their store. This builds a precious relationship with thei r consumers, which is important to encourage repeat business. Although Morrisons has their own line of petrol stations in establishing a partnership with garages such as, BP or Shell it would make it possible for their products to be constantly available 24 hours and be more accessible for consumer’s consequently strengthen their brand in the minds of consumers. A partnership with Colleges and Universities whereby a range of lunchtime products would be available in their canteens along with promotional vouchers, would reach out to a younger target market Constructing creche facilities or children’s play areas within the stores grounds would promote hassle free shopping for parents which would encourage more families to the store. Conclusions Through the analysis of the food retailing industry it can be depicted that although the four dominant players in the market are still firmly the market leaders threats from the financial crisis have established the discount stores which are creeping up quickly behind. Nevertheless Morrisons position seems strong within the market and although they haven’t responded as quickly to the changes in the market this could be a positive aspect for the minute.

How to Write Management Essay Full Guide

How to Write Management Essay Full Guide Need advice on how to cope with your management essay? There is a common misconception that management skills are important only for leaders. That is not true. Everyone needs to have a good understanding of the essential management concepts such as planning, coordinating, and organizing that very important for all employees in any organization. So you have to master your knowledge and skills in management if you want to have a successful career after your graduation. Reading books is not enough and you will need a lot of practice to master the key concepts in management. Management essay is a common assignment that is used to test how students can apply their skills to solve different management issues and demonstrate their critical thinking. Keep reading to learn how to write an awesome management essay and impress your instructor. What Is a Management Essay? Actually, your management essay doesn’t differ much from other academic papers. Its primary goal is to assess students’ knowledge of particular topics and their analytical skills. But it’s a creative task as well. Besides, you have to demonstrate your ability to apply your theoretical knowledge to practice and that’s why management essay differs from other academic assignments that are mostly aimed to evaluate knowledge of theoretical concepts. It’s not enough to use bookish terms to explain some ideas and provide a bunch of stats if you want to succeed. You should provide an in-depth analysis of your topic, for example, conflict management or management of human resources, and explain how the concepts you discuss in your paper can be used to provide some real-life outcomes. You should highlight your abilities to act in real life situations in a business environment and demonstrate your own style of thought and essay writing. Now let’s discuss how to choose a good topic for an impressive essay on management. How to Choose a Great Topic for an Essay in Management Typically topics or prompts for writing college essays are given by the instructors and that makes things much easier because you will not need to spend a lot of time on doing research and brainstorming your essay topic ideas. But if you have to choose a topic for writing your essay on your own, you might feel at a loss. Here are some aspects you should consider when deciding what topic to pick. First, you should think about some management issues you are interested in. In this case, you will enjoy doing research and writing and are more likely to sound more convincing and impress your audience. Just make sure you write about practical, actionable business questions like management challenges in the 21st century or the big issues facing HR management etc. You can use another approach and write about some relatively new and unexplored concepts. In this case, your management essay will be interesting to read and it won’t sound dull. For example, you can write about issues facing business management today like making connections, talent management, employee appreciation, and their career development. Besides, you should do a research and make sure that your topic is broad enough and you will be able to find a lot of sources on it. At the same time, you should narrow your management essay topic to make it manageable within the word count of your essay. Lack interesting ideas for your management writing project? Have a look at our short list of impressive management essay topics and feel free to use them for creating your own college papers. Strategic Management in the Automobile Industry; Impact of Culture Revolution on Recruitment and Selection; The Role of the Project Manager in Achieving Client Satisfaction; The Importance of Good Leadership for a Business; Human Resources: Steps to Building an Effective Team; Building an Effective Talent Management Strategy; Tactics to Improve Employee Development Programs; Leadership Skills Assessment; Components of an Effective Information Management Strategy; Ways to Maximize Employees’ Competencies and Performance. Before You Start Writing Your Essay: Research Ideas from Our Writers When you have chosen a good topic you are interested in, you should do research using primary and secondary relevant sources. You should avoid Wikipedia because it’s not an academic source although you can use it when starting a research stage to get a general idea of the topic. You are likely to work with 4 types of sources: books which place the subject of your essay in a broad context; texts that focus on a specific aspect of the subject; relevant articles in academic journals; articles in the business press and financial magazines. You can look for sources online and take books from your college library. While reading, you may want to take some preliminary notes about the key ideas, interpretations, and arguments that you may use for developing your own argument, paraphrasing or direct citing. Here are some practical tips on how to organize a  Ã‚   process better and be more productive: Use abbreviations and headings. It will save you a lot of time when sorting your notes because you will not need to reread very long and elaborate sentences; Use uncluttered notes to speed the process of writing. Start taking notes for every article or book on a separate sheet of paper and write only on one side leaving additional margins for afterthoughts; When you start a new text, jot down information about the author and the title on the top of the page and write the number of a page in the margins. You will be able to use this information when writing your Reference page. Organization of a Strong Management Essay When you have done the research and completed taking notes, you need to think about how to organize your essay. Now it’s time to make a good outline that will allow you to stay relevant and interpret the set question properly. Your essay should demonstrate a clearly expressed and coherent thought. The typical management essay structure includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Introduction You can start your essay with some attention grabber: an interesting quote; a provocative question; some statistics; an anecdote etc. A good technique for starting your management essay is to provide an answer to your question directly from the beginning. It will show your readers that you have understood the question and will provide an answer to it. An introduction should also include a strong thesis statement that will help you stay focused on your subject and guide your writing. Besides, you can explain the structure of your paper, why you include particular evidence, and how it can help you support your argument. Body The number of body paragraphs should correspond to the number of logical arguments. You should start your body paragraphs with a topic sentence, and then provide supporting arguments and relevant evidence that proves your ideas. Topic sentences at the beginning of the paragraphs will help your instructor to skim the paragraphs without the need to read every sentence in your essay and the entire essay. Your last sentence in a paragraph will function as a transition that connects the paragraph with the next one. Make sure you use different transitional words and phrases, for example: furthermore moreover last finally next in addition to clarify in other words that is to say consequently for the reason in order that to summarize etc. Don’t jump from one argument to the other. Make sure that each new argument follows the logic of the preceding paragraph. Here your outline will help a lot so you should try to make it as detailed as you can before you start writing. You will not be penalized for reaching a conclusion that your professor personally disagrees if your argument is logical and sound. But you will be penalized if your conclusion is not supported by the evidence you have presented in your essay or if the necessary evidence was omitted. You need to be convincing so you have to present an informed argument. All your major arguments and claims need to be supported by the evidence on which they are based. Wondering how much evidence you need to support each point? Typically, 1 or 2 convincing examples will do but sometimes you may need a more detailed explanation. Conclusion It is actually a short summary of your management essay where you have to restate your thesis statement. The main goal of a concluding paragraph is to make sure you have given the answers to all questions that were asked in the introductory paragraph. You don’t have to provide a lot of details here and should try to be concise. If your essay is not long, all the information is fresh in your reader’s mind and there is no need to repeat it again. But if your essay is lengthy, you can sum up the major points that you have analyzed in your conclusion. When writing your management essay, you need to take care of the neat sentence construction and proper grammar because they are the key components of clarity. Besides, you should avoid slang, jargon, and clichà ©s that are usually penalized. Don’t write too much and don’t exceed the specific word limit. Remember that the length of an essay and its quality are not the same. If your essay is too long, it may just indicate that you failed to master the research material and choose everything that is relevant to the subject of your essay. Revise Your Draft and Make Improvements When you have finished writing your first draft, you will need to revise it more than once. You need to reread your essay and make sure it is organized logically and written clearly and concisely. You have to check the logic and the flow and eliminate wordiness by omitting unnecessary words and sentences. For example, check your introduction and make it shorter. Just read your management essay again and think if you can say the same things in fewer words or in shorter sentences. Make sure there are transitions between your paragraphs. It’s important that your writing style should be powerful to make your arguments more persuasive. When you are satisfied with the content of your management essay, you need to edit and proofread it and make your good essay great. Here is what you need to do: improve word choice; correct grammar and spelling mistakes; check punctuation, for example, the use of commas. When you finish editing, you have to put your management essay aside for some time and re-read it later. Here your goal is to do a final check and fix small grammar and spelling mistakes and typos that may have overlooked when writing and revising your management essay. You can use online spell checkers as well. Your next step should be to find a second set of eyes to proofread your essay and ensure that there are no minor mistakes or typos that you may have overlooked. You can your friend or a member of your family to help you with proofreading. Referencing Sources To avoid plagiarism, you have to reference all sources that you have used for writing your management essay when directly citing or paraphrasing them. There are lots of academic styles such as MLA, APA, Harvard, Chicago, and more. When making references, you should follow the guidelines provided by your professor. You should carefully study the instruction to make sure that will be able to meet your instructor’s expectations. If your professor hasn’t specified the preferable formatting style, you can use MLA style. You can find a good MLA style guide on the website of Purdue University. As you see, writing an impressive management essay is not very hard but it is time-consuming. Such essays are important for your GPA and successful career after college so you should work hard and we hope that this management essay writing guide will be useful for you and will help you cope with this typical college assignment.

Indus Civilization Timeline and Description

Indus Civilization Timeline and Description The Indus civilization (also known as the Harappan Civilization, the Indus-Sarasvati or Hakra Civilization and sometimes the Indus Valley Civilization) is one of the oldest societies we know of, including over 2600 known archaeological sites located along the Indus and Sarasvati rivers in Pakistan and India, an area of some 1.6 million square kilometers. The largest known Harappan site is Ganweriwala, located on the bank of the Sarasvati river. Timeline of the Indus Civilization Important sites are listed after each phase. Chalcolithic cultures 4300-3200 BCEarly Harappan 3500-2700 BC (Mohenjo-Daro, Mehrgarh, Jodhpura, Padri)Early Harappan/Mature Harappan Transition 2800-2700 BC (Kumal, Nausharo, Kot Diji, Nari)Mature Harappan 2700-1900 BC (Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Shortgua, Lothal, Nari)Late Harappan 1900-1500 BC (Lothal, Bet Dwarka) The earliest settlements of the Harappans were in Baluchistan, Pakistan, beginning about 3500 BC. These sites are an independent outgrowth of Chalcolithic cultures in place in south Asia between 3800-3500 BC. Early Harappan sites built mud brick houses, and carried on long-distance trade.The Mature Harappan sites are located along the Indus and Sarasvati rivers and their tributaries. They lived in planned communities of houses built of mud brick, burnt brick, and chiseled stone. Citadels were built at sites such as Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Dholavira and Ropar, with carved stone gateways and fortification walls. Around the citadels were an extensive range of water reservoirs. Trade with Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Persian gulf is in evidence between 2700-1900 BC. Indus Lifestyles Mature Harappan society had three classes, including a religious elite, a trading class class and the poor workers. Art of the Harappan includes bronze figures of men, women, animals, birds and toys cast with the lost was method. Terracotta figurines are rarer, but are known from some sites, as is shell, bone, semiprecious and clay jewelry.Seals carved from steatite squares contain the earliest forms of writing. Almost 6000 inscriptions have been found to date, although they have yet to be deciphered. Scholars are divided about whether the language is likely a form of Proto-Dravidian, Proto-Brahmi or Sanskrit. Early burials were primarily extended with grave goods; later burials were varied. Subsistence and Industry The earliest pottery made in the Harappan region was built beginning about 6000 BC, and included storage jars, perforated cylindrical towers and footed dishes. The copper/bronze industry flourished at sites such as Harappa and Lothal, and copper casting and hammering were used. Shell and bead making industry was very important, particularly at sites such as Chanhu-daro where mass production of beads and seals is in evidence.The Harappan people grew wheat, barley, rice, ragi, jowar, and cotton, and raised cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and chickens. Camels, elephants, horses, and asses were used as transport. Late Harappan The Harappan civilization ended between about 2000 and 1900 BC, resulting from a combination of environmental factors such as flooding and climatic changes, tectonic activity, and the decline of trade with western societies.   Indus Civilization Research Archaeologists associated with the Indus Valley Civilizations include R.D. Banerji, John Marshall, N. Dikshit, Daya Ram Sahni, Madho Sarup Vats, Mortimer Wheeler. More recent work has been conducted by B.B. Lal, S.R. Rao, M.K. Dhavalikar, G.L. Possehl, J. F. Jarrige, Jonathon Mark Kenoyer, and Deo Prakash Sharma, among many others at the National Museum in New Delhi. Important Harappan Sites Ganweriwala, Rakhigarhi, Dhalewan, Mohenjo-Daro, Dholavira, Harappa, Nausharo, Kot Diji, and Mehrgarh, Padri. Sources An excellent source for detailed information of the Indus civilization and with lots of photographs is Harappa.com. For information on the Indus Script and Sanskrit, see Ancient Writing of India and Asia. Archaeological sites (both on About.com and elsewhere are compiled in Archaeological Sites of the Indus Civilization. A brief Bibliography of the Indus Civilization has also been compiled.

Self-Managed Teams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self-Managed Teams - Research Paper Example For example, in a company, there can be two or more functioning self-managed teams with each having a team leader (Cork 146). Members of the self-managed teams, like any other team should have characteristics that bring them together, these are such as; members should have a common goal, should have self esteem, and should also be open when it comes to communication. The members should also respect each other, be involved in conflict resolutions, and lastly, there should be a lot of tolerance and trust within the team (Belasen 149). 2. Types of self-Managed Teams There are two common types of self-managed teams. These are production or service teams and problem solving self- managed teams. Problem-solving self-managed teams. These are intended to identify problems and derive solutions that are initiated by employees and supported by management. These teams typically rely on mapping methods such as flow charts, to target processes for improvement (Belasen 150).They are able to achieve improvement using the following processes: a. Identifying the customers and their requirements. b. Defining the current process to meet the customer’s needs. c. ... 3. Characteristics of Self-Managed Teams A self-managed being one of the many types of teams, has some characteristics that it shares with other types, but there are those that are peculiar to it only. The following are the characteristics of a self-managed team: In self-managed teams, decision making and formal power are transferred to the team. This means that the team is designed in a way that leadership roles and responsibilities are shared (Belasen 150). There is no external supervision; that is, the objectives are adopted internally. In this case, work is designed to give the team ownership (Belasen 150). Being like any other type of team, there is a high level of interdependence. The members of a self-managed team must work together so achieve the common goal they have (Belasen 150). Norms and coercive control replace rules and formal bureaucratic control. Accountability in self-managed teams is collective. So, if one member fails, he or she fails the whole team (Belasen 150). Members of the self-managed team are multiskilled. This enables them to handle all requirements and cover for absent members, without interfering with the performance of the team (Belasen 150). 4. The Advantages (Pros) of Self-Managed Teams in Business Effective communication among the employees in the business. Self-managed teams usually foster communication, because the members of the team share common goals and objectives, and thus networking among the members is very easy, consequently boosting the performance of a business (Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor 297). High production in the business. This is because the members are multi-skilled, thus enabling them to handle all requirements and also cover an absent member. With this, the business is

Critical Thinking Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Thinking Questions - Assignment Example A reference source used in a paper must be credible to be conclusive and the authority it possesses makes the source more credible and usable. Primary sources give first-hand information about the subject of research while Secondary Sources give information that has been discussed elsewhere. However Primary and Secondary sources are relative terms and can be described as per the usage of the information. It is described that â€Å"a fallacy is usually incorrect reasoning in argumentation resulting in a misconception.† A logical fallacy is one which is a logical flaw in the argument due to which the argument becomes invalid. A post hoc is a good example of logical fallacy in which people try to link events and deduce conclusions with out considering the other relevant factors. A typical essay includes thesis statement, introductions, body paragraphs and conclusion. The introduction of the essay must be deductive in nature and presented precisely. A good introduction includes to pic of the essay and the background information regarding it. The thesis statement is usually presented in one single statement and author shows his point of view that will be later proved in the body paragraphs through a logical chain of arguments. A thesis statement never asks a question but shows a point of view. A conclusion comprises of a paragraph and concludes the arguments presented in the body paragraphs. The conclusion is basically a summary of the essay. A counter-argument is a reason given by your opposition. The counter-arguments are used in thesis to be evaluated on logic and then answered. Transitions are used to connect different paragraphs and give a complete picture of the essay. c. Integration of Evidence: What is the difference between paraphrasing, summary and direct quotes?

Our Reliance on Computers :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"The society in which we live in has been so profoundly affected by computers that historians refer to the present time as the information age.† (Presley, 16) Comments like this show how computers have changed how we live, work, and play. For example, combined with the Internet, computers have incorporated many forms of communications into a universal one. The computer’s role in the world continues to grow in importance even as we sometimes take it for granted. We must realize how greatly computers have affected our lives. Computers have become such an integral part of our lives because we rely on them for numerical calculations, storage of data, communication, and technological processes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of computing began at the start of civilization. The computer’s long history makes it, â€Å"†¦ one of the most interesting and important machines ever invented† (Anonymous). Computers are simply complex counting devices. The abacus was an ancient computer which used beads to solve math problems. The abacus was strictly manual and the desire for an automated machine grew. One of the earliest automated machines was invented in the nineteenth century when French weaver, Joseph Jacquard, created a loom that could be programmed. Large hole punched cards were used by the loom to create geometric patterns. Aside from producing beautiful patterns, the punched cards were later modified to become the main form of computer input. The system of punch cards led to the first successful semi-automated computer, a punch-card tabulating machine invented during the 1880s by American Herman Hollerith. It was used to tabulate the results of the U.S. censu s. Each punch card contained the data of each individual. Operators fed the countless cards into the computer. When the spring-mounted nails of the computer passed through the holes of the punch-card, an electric circuit was completed. As seen in diagram C, the results of each card were displayed on rows of dials. Hollerith’s company, the Tabulating Machine Company, was eventually sold and was renamed the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in 1911, which still exists today. The first electronic computers were very large and elaborate machines that required a lot of money to build and use. The entire computer industry might never have taken off without government funding. World War II created a need for the U.S. military to calculate missile trajectories quickly, so Dr. John Machly was hired by the military to build a machine for this task.

American civil revised

American civil war of 1861-1865 was the bloodiest war. The fight was between United States (the Union) and the Southern eleven slave states that proclaimed that they had their own rights to secession, thus, forming Confederate states of America which was headed by Jefferson Davis as the President. The United States termed as the Union was made up of Free States together with Border States that were under President Abraham Lincoln lead by the Republican Party. The republicans were against the spreading of slavery into regions governed by the United States (the Union); this increased the desires of secession by the Southern states.Nevertheless, the republicans refused to accept any secession rights from the Southern states. This then led to the civil war which broke up on April of 1861, when Southern States forces attacked a military installation of United States (union) located at Fort Sumter, in the South of Carolina, which was the very first state to secede. (Holt, 1978) Causes of t he civil war Many historians argue that the civil war was caused by slavery issues. However, there is no one simple cause of the civil war.The war was caused by complex issues including slavery, party politics, and sectionalism, misunderstandings of federalism, expansionism, economical differences and modernization during that period. All this issues contributed to the war. (Holt, 1978) Slavery Slavery is considered by many historians as the main issue that caused the war; other reasons were directly or indirectly related to slavery. Historian Holt (1978), said, as the 1850s went on, an exacerbating, exhaustive and basically pointless conflict about slavery continued to be the main topic excluding all other issues.As Abraham Lincoln a Northern politician by then pointed out, the issue of slavery was the most important issue than other issues, he further states that â€Å"indeed, so much more important has it become that no other national question can even get a hearing just at pres ent. † (Holt, 1978) The issue of slavery was in relation to competition by sections or states for the control of territories. The demand of the Southern states for a code of slave in the territories was an issue being used by the Southern politicians to divide the Democratic Party in to two. The division of Democratic Party ensured the election of Lincoln and also the secession.Though, Abraham Lincoln did not have immediate plans of abolishing slavery in the South, the Southerners all over the South conveyed fears about the slavery future in the South the moment Lincoln took over, leading to tensions that lead to war. (Holt, 1978) The Southerners were also concerned about economic loss and racial equality that they may loss. In accordance to the Texas Declaration of Causes for Secession, declared that those states that were not holding salves were proclaiming the degrading doctrine that all men were equal irrespective of color or race.According to this declaration, African peo ple were an inferior race. This issue of slavery contributed a lot to the civil war, the Southern states feared losing control of slavery to the federal government. On the hand the Union feared that the power of slavery was already controlling the government. This led to the civil crisis of 1850s. States disagreements about the moral issue of slavery; extent of democracy and the debate about economics of slave plantations labor over free labor caused political unrest in the states.This contributed to the Southern secession which triggered the civil war. (Levine, 1992) Political instability Political instability during that time was so fractured; this contributed a lot to the civil war. Cultural and economic disparities contributed to widen the political differences. Wars between the north and the south grew a lot more heated, particularly after 1850. Politicians and the judiciary of the two regions sent contradictory signals in trying to appease each other. However, all the two part ies were not satisfied.The Georgians (Southerners) felt that the Federal government which was mainly controlled by the Northern industrialists was not responding to their problems in their states. Thus, the Southern states started seceding, this could not be allowed by the Northern states led by President Lincoln. As a result the Southern states opted to use force by attacking the military installation of the United States (the union) the United States (Union) responded and the war began. Therefore, political instability was another cause for the American civil war. (Holt, 1978) Modernization fears by SouthernAnother cause of war was fear of modernization by the south, According to historian’s Foner (1970), when the North abolished slavery and started industrial revolution which resulted to urbanization, improved education and reform activities like abolitionism, the truth that out of eight immigrants seven settled in the North, added to the truth that the number of whites le aving South for North were twice as those leaving North to South, this contributed to aggressive- defensive political activities of the South. These political animosities enhanced the prevailing tensions between the two parts culminating in the civil war.(Foner, 1970) Other historians argue that, people who owned slaves were the highly modernized people in the South. Traditional people were the ones and this group included the middle class whites who had no slave or owned a few number of slaves. The South common people struggled for secession as they believed in a slogan of â€Å"freedom is not possible without slavery† they also believed that slavery led to social equality between whites. On the other hand the Northerners particularly the republicans did have a varied interpretation of the principle of 1776.This varied ideology is among the main causes of tensions between the Southern states and the Northern states and is among the many reason why the two regions had to figh t the civil war. (Foner, 1970) States’ rights The rights of states was another issue that contributed to the war, Debate on if the Union was the one older than states or the other way opposite fueled the on going debate on rights of states. The debate was on if the federal government was should have a lot of power over states or if the federation was just made up of sovereign states that had more powers than the federal, this argument added to the on going controversy.According to Stampp (1956), each part used rights of states arguments to their convenient position and changed positions when not convenient. Stampp (1956) points out that, Vice President Alexander Stephens of the South confederate as one example of the Southern states leader who termed slavery as â€Å"cornerstone of the confederacy† at the beginning of the war. The Vice President further said that, civil war was not in regard to slavery; it was about states rights when the Southern states were defeated. Thus, the issue of states rights created a lot of controversies that were among the many causes of the civil war. (Stampp, 1956) Who or what was to â€Å"blame† for the Civil War What to blame; Slavery The questions remains was the war about slavery? The answer is yes. So slavery was to blame for the war. Supposing that there was no slavery then the war could not have happened. Or supposing that, there was no disagreement about slavery issue, the South probably would not have felt that their culture was being threatened, and the Southern politician would not have sought to protect their â€Å"rights to secede.† (Stampp 1956) However, the war was not only about slavery it was also about the constitutional rights of the states, if it had powers to leave the Union. Though, the North never went to the war to stop slavery, nor did president Abraham Lincoln have an agenda of stopping the war ones he became president, it is clear the differences in understanding of the slaver y issue was a major contribution to the civil war. Being moral issue slavery caused division in political leaders of the South and the North and created the tensions that existed by then leading to the war.(Stampp, 1956) Who to blame; Politicians The main blame of the war goes to the politicians who were political leaders on both sides of the North and the South. The South depended on economic system that relied heavily on slavery, their leaders such as William Lowders Yancey of Alabama and Robert Barnwell Rhett of South Carolina who was known as â€Å"fire eaters† knew that supposing the South lost its slaves, then, it would undergo hard social and economic effects that will ultimately break the economy of the South.(Stampp, 1956) Hence, any political activities that threatened the end of slavery in the South received the whole attention of political leaders of the South many of whom owned slaves and who were ready to go for war to ensure that their â€Å"rights† were protected. These political leaders were able to influence many Southerners that it was important to fight, in convincing the people their mainly justified the war by arguments which indirectly referred to slavery issue. The politicians of the North states were divided concerning the slavery issue and did not intended to go on war over that issue.However, they took a political stand of fighting when war came, similarly they can also be blamed for the war. (Stampp, 1956) Could the war be avoided? Ever since the end of the American war, there have been arguments on whether the war was inevitable or could be avoided. The question illicit different answers according to the perspective one is looking the issue from. The war was inevitable and was bound to happen. This is because the ideologies being held by the South and the North were different.In a situation where political differences are so pronounced it becomes hard for the two opposing sides to solve their differences amicable. Bas ing in mind that, what was at stake was a lot; economic consideration, freedom, democracy and the issue of slavery it could have been hard to avoid the war. In addition the politicians especially from the south felt threaten and had to assert the power. Basically unless there was change of ideology on either side war was inevitable. Conclusion The civil war of America basically occurred because of differences in political ideology brought about by slavery.Slavery was a moral and economical issue that created a big rift between the Southern states and the United States (union). Before the war, fractured political system resulted in widening of the rift. Another reason that caused the war was the need of states to have more freedom by seceding from the federation this coupled with other complex issues especially economic ones were the major reason why the war occurred. In addition politicians particularly from the South who felt that their culture was being threaten also contributed a lot to the war.As mention before slavery was the main cause of this who as one historian puts it â€Å"without slavery there would not have been a civil war. † (Stampp, 1956) Though, the war resulted in a lot of loss of life, damages and injuries, it greatly helped to correct the historical mistake of slavery and to emancipate the slaves, and bring equality and freedom to many slaves. References Foner, E (1970); Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men; Oxford press Holt, M. F. (1978): Political Crisis of the 1850s; Wiley, Levine, B (1992). Half Slave and Half Free; Hill and Wang, Stampp, K (1956): Peculiar Institution. Knopf