Machiavelli Essays (713 words) - Machiavellianism,

Machiavelli Machiavelli and the President Lately, the president of the United States Bill Clinton, has pursued some policies that have been very unpopular not only with the general public but the electorate as well. Besides the whole Monica ordeal he feels that these unpopular policies will effect the results of the next election. The presidential advisors have formulated countless plans but no plan has seemed to work. One idea would be to leave the unpopular policies as they are because of the president and advisors belief that they are the best for the country. Another option would be to just present the unpopular policies in a new way to maybe change public opinion on them. Still another would be to just ignore the policies and concentrate on the election. No matter what option , if any, should be chosen one must be thought up quick and it must not only address the problem but solve it and fast. Since I have recently learned about Machiavelli and his work titled The Prince I feel his opinions would help to influence some decisions for the president and his advisors. A first and very important view of Machiavelli would be his view of the prince and his advisors. "It is an infallible rule that a prince who is not wise himself cannot be well advised."(p.117) As it is up to the prince to be well advised it is also up to the president to be well advised as well. The president's advisors, as well as the president, are not sure what actions to take, which in Machiavelli's view would not be a good characteristic of a leader and as a result would not help gain friendship of the people. Good relationship with the people is one of his greatest points because without the people there is no leader. The leader, the president, must have the support of the people and if not he will not stay in power long. The president is not doing a good job of this because of his very unpopular policies. Machiavelli would never choose to just continue on the same path and peruse unpopular policies. "It is necessary for a prince to possess the friendship; otherwise he has no recourse in times of adversity."(p.65) In response to this he would abandon the unpopular policies and concentrate on winning the election, keeping the people happy. Not only should the leader concentrate on the present and the future but consider the past. " The prince ought to read history and study the actions of eminent men, examine the causes of their victories and defeat in order to imitate the former and avoid the latter."(p.82) History is bound to repeat itself if not watched very carefully. The leader must avoid repeating the blunders of the past and take note of the victories preceding him. Another view that would help the president out in his policies would be Machiavelli's view on boldness. The leader is far better of to be bold instead of cautious. If you expect for the worse and be prepared for bad times even if its not the best strategy you will be better off in the long run. "For if it happens that time and circumstances are favourable to one who acts with caution and prudence he will be successful, but if time and circumstances change he will be ruined, because he does not change his mode of procedure."(p. 121) The leader must at all times be prepared for the worst so he does not get caught off guard and make the people mad. If these views of Machiavelli seem straight forward or to direct maybe Leo Strauss or J.G.A. Pocock could explain these methods of leadership to the president. Pocock would elaborate on the subject of historical awareness. He could help the president understand that we have to look to our past to help better ourselves for the future. Strauss on the hand would compare Machiavelli to the greeks and thier writtings. He would go in depth though about how the greeks, Mr. T in particular, were kings in understatements while Machiavelli was very straightforward in his writtings. After presenting these views to the president I hope my knowledge of Machiavelli and his way of thinking could help influence the policies in place and maybe help the president win the up coming election. Maybe after my essay is read and I graduate Southwest Texas with a Political Science degree maybe I could get a job at the White House and someday take over his

How to Apply for Food Stamps

How to Apply for Food Stamps For over 40 years, the federal Food Stamp Program, now officially named SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - has served as a mainline federal social assistance program designed to help low-income families and individuals buy the food they need for good health. The SNAP (Food Stamp) program now helps put nutritious food on the tables of 28 million people every month. Are You Eligible for SNAP Food Stamps? Eligibility for SNAP food stamps depends on the applicant households resources and income. Household resources include things like bank accounts and vehicles. However, certain resources are NOT counted, such as a home and lot, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the resources of people who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, formerly AFDC), and most retirement plans. In general, individuals who work for low wages, are unemployed or work part-time, receive public assistance, are elderly or disabled and have a small income, or are homeless may be eligible for food stamps.The fastest way to find out if your household is eligible for SNAP food stamps is to use the online SNAP Eligibility Pre-screening tool. How and Where to Apply for SNAP Food Stamps While SNAP is a federal government program, it is run by state or local agencies. You can apply for SNAP food stamps at any local SNAP office or Social Security office. If you are unable to go to the local office, you may have another person, called an authorized representative, apply and be interviewed on your behalf. You must designate the authorized representative in writing. In addition, some state SNAP program offices now allow online applications.Normally the applicant must file an application form, have a face-to-face interview, and provide proof (verification) of certain information, such as income and expenses. The office interview may be waived if the applicant is unable to appoint an authorized representative and no household member is able to go to the office because of age or disability. If the office interview is waived, the local office will interview you by telephone or do a home visit. What to Bring When You Apply for Food Stamps? Some things you may need when you apply for SNAP food stamps include: If You Are Employed: Last four pay stubs or a letter from employer stating gross and net wages for the past month.If You are Unemployed: Proof that your employment was terminated. Also identification and claim cards for unemployment benefits.Proof of Household Resources: Bring all savings account passbooks (including parents children). Bring all checking account books in addition to your last checking account statement and canceled checks. All stocks, bonds, savings certificates, annuity funds and credit union membership, etc. must be reported and verified.Proof of Income: Bring a copy of income tax return for past year. If you are self-employed, a profit and loss statement for the current calendar quarter is required.College Students: Bring proof of education expenses (tuition) and proof of income (loans, scholarships, contributions, earnings).Social Security Number(s): Bring the Social Security number for each member of your household. If a member of your household does not have a Social Security number, your food stamp certifier will assist you in obtaining one. No More Paper Coupons: About the SNAP Food Stamp EBT Card The familiar multi-colored food stamp coupons have now been phased out. SNAP food stamp benefits are now delivered on SNAP EBT (Electronic Balance Transfer) cards which work like bank debit cards. In order to complete a transaction, the customer swipes the card in a point-of-sale device (POS) and enters a four digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). The store clerk enters the exact amount of the purchase on the POS device. This amount is deducted from the households EBT SNAP account. SNAP EBT cards can be used in any authorized store in the United States regardless of the state it was issued, except in Puerto Rico and Guam. Stores stopped accepting paper food stamp coupons on June 17, 2009.Lost, stolen or damaged SNAP EBT cards can be replaced by contacting the state SNAP office. What You Can and Cannot Buy SNAP food stamp benefits can only be used to buy food and for plants and seeds to grow food for your household to eat. SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy: Any nonfood item, such as pet foods; soaps, paper products, and household supplies; grooming items, toothpaste, and cosmeticsAlcoholic beverages and tobaccoVitamins and medicinesAny food that will be eaten in the storeHot foods The SNAP program requires stores to carry a certain number of â€Å"staple† foods- meat, dairy, grain, fruit, and vegetable items.   Trump Moves to Expand List of Allowed Staple Foods On April 5, 2019, the Donald Trump administration proposed a new federal regulation adding canned spray cheese, beef jerky, lemon juice, and pimiento-stuffed olives to the list of staple foods approved for SNAP purchase. The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated the change would save SNAP grocery vendors money â€Å"under the revised minimum stocking requirements for staple foods.† Under the proposed rule, stores could stock up to six fewer staple items, resulting in a savings of about $500 per store over a period of five years. According to the Federal Register notice of the proposed rule, canned spray cheese would qualify as a dairy product staple, beef jerky as a meat, poultry or fish staple, and lemon juice and jarred pimiento-stuffed olives would qualify as staple fruits and vegetables. Do You Have to Be Employed to Get Food Stamps? Most SNAP participants who can work, do work. The law requires all SNAP recipients to meet work requirements unless they are exempt because of age or disability or another specific reason. More than 65% of all SNAP recipients are non-working children, seniors, or disabled persons. Some working SNAP recipients are classified as Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents or ABAWDs. In addition to the general work requirements, ABAWDs are required meet special work requirements in order to maintain their eligibility. The ABAWD Time Limit ABAWDs are persons between the ages of 18 and 49 who have no dependents and are not disabled. ABAWDs can only get SNAP benefits for 3 months during any 3 year period if they do not meet certain special work requirements.​ In order to remain eligible beyond the time limit, ABAWDs must work at least 80 hours per month, participate in qualifying education and training activities at least 80 hours per month, or participate in an unpaid state-approved workfare program. ABAWDs can also meet the work requirement by taking part in a SNAP Employment and Training Program. The ABAWD time limit does not apply to people who are unable to work due to physical or mental health reasons, pregnant, care for a child or incapacitated family member, or are exempt from the general work requirements. For More Information If you would like more information, the USDAs Food and Nutrition Service offers an extensive Questions and Answers Web page on the SNAP food stamp program.

Miranda v. Arizona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Miranda v. Arizona - Essay Example The jury found Miranda guilty of the kidnapping and rape charges, and a sentence of 20 to 30 years on each count was imposed on Miranda. Later, Miranda made an appeal to the Supreme Court of Arizona, which held that the constitutional rights of Miranda had not been violated by the police, at the time of procuring the confession. In this manner, the Supreme Court of Arizona upheld the decision of the lower court (MIRANDA V. ARIZONA: AN OVERVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS). In this case, the Supreme Court examined the statements of the police officers and the confession obtained from Miranda. It held that the police officers had failed to intimate Miranda that he had a right to council. It was also found that the police had not given any opportunity to Miranda to exercise his right to council during the questioning. The Court stated that the police had failed to inform Miranda of his legitimate right to not to be compelled to incriminate himself during the interrogation (Miranda v Arizona , 1966). Thus, the Supreme Court clearly held that in the absence of the fulfillment of these requirements, the statements procured from Miranda were inadmissible as evidence. The police should have followed the legal procedures, while obtaining evidence from Miranda, if it was to be admissible in the court. The Supreme Court held that the typed statement from Miranda that he had full knowledge of his constitutional rights, did not waive his constitutional rights (Case Brief Of Miranda Vs. Arizona 1966). In addition, the Supreme Court during its ruling emphasized that the process of interrogation, by its very nature was always intimidating. This can be offset by reading suspects their rights, prior to the commencement of interrogation. It is the duty of the police officer to read out these rights to the suspect before the interrogation. However, there is no need for a police officer to read these rights to a suspect, while arresting the latter (Case Brief Of Miranda

Business organisations law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business organisations law - Coursework Example It means that the liability of actual authority is greater compared to that of apparent authority because there is an agreement already undertaken. Actual authority is said to enjoy more power than an agent with apparent authority because a third party will usually be unaware of the terms and conditions of the agreement between the principal and his agent and thus he will be unaware of the extent of the agent’s actual authority. According to John D Maltas, an agent’s apparent authority will be unaffected by limitations on the actual authority, i.e. it is easier for a third party to establish that the agent acted within the scope of his apparent authority rather than the agent’s actual authority (John D Maltas, p 43) and hence he is said to have more power than apparent authority. Richard A. Mann and Barry S. Roberts emphasize that an apparent authority can not exist where the principal is undisclosed because, apparent authority is the power resulting from acts that appear to the third party to be authorized by the principal. (Richard A. Mann and Barry S. Roberts, p. 350) Normally an agent needs to disclose to his principal all material facts known to him and circumstances that may influence his principal when entering in to contracts. Once an agent fails to disclose these facts, he is not entitled to commission. Suppose, the agent has received any profit resulting from non-disclosure is recoverable by the principal (John D Maltas, p 49). This has been well explained by S. A. Christensen and W. D. Duncan. When one party to a contract pays a secret commission to the agent and does not disclose this to the principal, the party takes the risk of non-disclosure. A party who deals secretly with the agent of another will be considered to have committed a fraud against the principal and cannot later defend the validity of the transaction. This will require the principal to return any benefits received under the transaction, because this will not prohibit him

Innovationwithin the Music Industry Dissertation

Innovationwithin the Music Industry - Dissertation Example Compared with rock music, reggae music basically inverted the role of bass and guitar: the former was the lead, the latter beat the typical hiccupping pattern. The paradox of reggae, of course, is that this music "unique to Jamaica" is actually not Jamaican at all, having its foundations in the USA and Africa. (.www.history-of-rock-music.com/age/Reggae.php - 6k -) Post World War II saw the emergence of various Caribbean music forms, notably steel-pan music of Trinidad and Tobago. In the late '40s and early '50s, Jamaican musicians began combining the steel-pan and calypso strains with an indigenous mento beat (e.g. Harry Belafonte - Jamaica Farewell). During the 1950s Jamaican youth was turning away from the American pop foisted on them by Radio Jamaica Rediffusion (RJR) and the Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation (JBC). Weather conditions permitting they listened instead to the sinewy music being played on New Orleans stations or Miami's powerful WINZ, whose playlists included records by Amos Milburn, Rosco Gordon, and Louis Jordan. Significant New Orleans artists of the time included Fats Domino, Jelly Roll Morton, Champion Jack Dupree, and Professor Longhair. It is surmised that the delay effects which are an important part of the reggae/dub sound may have initially been inspired by the oscillations in the signal from these far away radio stations. During this period, Jamaican bands began covering U.S. R&B hits, but the more adventurous took the nuts and bolts of the sound and melded them with energetic jazz conceits - particularly in the ever-present horn section - and emerged around 1956 with a hybrid concoction christened ska. Ernest Ranglin, the stellar jazz-rooted Jamaican guitarist who backed up the Wailers on such ska classics as "Love and Affection" and "Cry to Me," says that the word was coined by musicians "to talk about the skat! skat! skat! scratchin' guitar strum that goes behind." Practically overnight, ska spawned a major Jamaican industry, the Sound System, whereby enterprising record shop D.J.'s with reliable U.S. connections for 45's would load a pair of hefty P.A. speakers into a pickup truck and tour the island from hilltop to savanna, spinning the latest hits. D.J.'s also gave themselves comic book nom de plumes like Prince Buster and Sir Coxsone Downbeat.  

Relying On Senses To Provide Truth Philosophy Essay

Relying On Senses To Provide Truth Philosophy Essay The absolute truth is a journey that leads to never-before experienced realms. The end of this road could never be reached and even the best man will only go a few steps in the right direction. To determine what the truth is and what it is not, a reliability is placed upon what we identify from our senses. This is the standard approach that we as humans take but, it is not necessarily the correct one. Many problems came up when establishing the truth based on our senses and thus they can rarely be fully trusted, this is what we can say when taking bad decisions. Sense is scientifically defined as any of the faculties by which stimuli from outside or inside the body are received and felt, as the faculties of hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste, and equilibrium. Senses are important in our lives. We are born with them and we would not be able to live without them, but we have a problem with them we can not identify whether they are true or not. Whether they tell us the truth. We are ab le to see, hear, touch, smell but we are not aware how much these senses matter to us, we are not able to use them properly. Our senses work best in trying to prove if something stimulating our knowledge of reality, not if what we know is absolutely true, but rather if a new truth stimulates known truths, and the old ways remain the same way. Experience that has been done with our senses previously lets us know that something is not working quietly good. Our actual senses convey the physical world to the extent they can do it without being tricked they are mechanisms, they do not understand and interpret, they give us complete information. Our sensory areas in the brain immediately start to simplify this information till we can attach meaning to it. From that point on the information is interpreted as truth( not counting the wavelength, certain pitches, because this would make a minor difference to our understanding of truth). There has always been a problem in distinguishing between something that is true and something that is not true, because how exactly do we know if its true or if its not. In this essay truth is going to be defined as conformity with fact or reality; verity.Truth can be defined by senses, however it is very hard to say that form the definition. For example lets have two brothers Andy and Harry. Andy and Harry have the same perfumes and wear the same clothes. Harrys friend thought he saw and smelled Harry passing by but actually it was Andy. We can now say that our senses are not right, because as the friend smelled Harrys perfumes and saw the clothes of Harry his senses were wrong it was Andy which passed by. This example is showing that senses can tell us truth, only on certain grounds. So there are five definite senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Going back to the essential question, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾When should we trust our senses to give us truth?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ In other words, in what aspects of our life can we trust ourselves to understand the true reality of what we believe is happening? Must we really rely on our sense perception for everything? The functioning of all the senses may give us true, but isnt true based on our perception A good example of the above statement is the belief in God we believe in him but actually we dont see him. So do we really trust our senses if we believe in God. We can not see him we can not hear him we can not touch him and we believe in him, also here is the truth in that. So do we really relay on our senses and do they really tell us the truth? Now what causes that is that the faith and for us that becomes the ultimate truth. Another example would be when you have a cold or you are sick can you still trust your senses? If you have a blocked nose then you can not smell anything, so should you still trust your sense of smell? Or should you just ignore that and trust the other senses. A well known philosopher A.J. Ayer. A.J. Ayer (1910-1989) was only 24 when he wrote the book that made his philosophical name, Language, Truth, and Logic (hereafter LTL), that was published in 1936. This book defines, explains, and argues for the logical positivsm, sometimes referred to as the criterio n of significance or criterion of meaning. It explains how problems might be solved by the principle of verifiablity. In these views Ayer saw himself as continuing in the line of British empiricism established by Locke and Hume, whose representative was Russell. Throughout A.J Ayer subsequent career he remained with his traditions rejection of the possibility of synthetic a priori knowledge. He saw philosophy method to be the analysis of the meaning of key terms, such as causality, truth, knowledge, freedom.. He has investigated the concept justified true belief. Ayer has argued that existence is not a predicate( what is a predicate? In the sentence. Alex is slow is slow is the predicate) A persons sense of perception isnt exactly true that the object exists. Using the above example is Alex exists or not this does not change the fact that the perceive of Alex is slow. Basically what he was trying to say that for something that has to be known, it has to be believed, justified( sense s for example) and true. The difficulty is proving if something is true or not for example in science we dont prove something we just support it. There is also the question how to test for accuracy which also can make our true different, so for example if we have a really accurate results for testing truth this can lead us to finding out what is truth actually. There is another theory of knowledge known as justified racialism this thory is about that where in order for a knowledge claim to be knowledge it has to be believed, true and justified according to a reliable cognitive process there is a lot of debate over what constitutes a reliable cognitive process and in particular about whether the senses are trustworthy enough to be this process. Summarising your senses are the inner being of our souls and that is what needs to be used fist. Trust can be broken our senses tell us when something is wrong and if we chose to ignore our senses and trust what someone is telling us we can end up being hurt and if we go on emotions boy, children get hurt many times when they feel that bad and trust that a bad person with a sob story will tell them. This is when they do not trust their senses for example if their hand is hurting and their friend tells them to play they ignore their senses and just continue playing then they sib at home, due to the fact that the hand is hurting and they cant play football any more, because their hand is broken. So we do need to trust our senses. But our senses as I said before never give us true they give as data which we can use or ignore as the kid in the story above. Truth is not something we sense, it is something we recognize. The data that our senses give us is pretty accurate, we just have to k now how to use it correctly. On the other hand our interpretation of that data is many times in error. Emotion is the bodys reaction to thought, I will again use the example of the boy playing football he didnt trust his senses he kept playing football and after when he came back home he couldnt lay any more football, his body reacted to his emotion, the hand was hurting. We can trust the information that emotion imparts only as far as we have been able to become aware of how it operates in our lives. All emotion is giving us information about ourselves and the best way of accepting that is to know our way of living. If we know our reaction to emotions we know ourselves. Concluding we can not identify if we should trust our senses or not, sometimes we should trust our senses and sometimes there are situations that we should not trust our senses.

Appearance: What You See Is Not Always What You Get Essay -- Literary

Thomas Pain once said â€Å"[a] long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.† Appearances are the first thing to catch one’s attention. Whether it be a supermodel, a famous photograph, or the unmistakable golden arches: we take notice. The essays written by Judith Ortiz Cofer, Eric Schlosser, and Nora Ephron demonstrate the effect appearances have on individuals and our society undividedly. In Judith Ortiz Cofer's essay "The Story of My Body," she shares her struggle with appearance and self-esteem. Ms. Cofer admits her definitions of appearance changed when she relocated to the United States at age eight. She states "I was born a white girl in Puerto Rico, but became a brown girl when I came to live in the United States" (Cofer 323). For instance, Cofer is identified as a palm blanca in Puerto Rico and as a colored girl during her first encounter of color prejudice. In addition to her cultural dispute with appearance, Ms. Cofer displays an internal dispute with her appearance in size. At age twelve standing five-feet tall, Ms. Cofer was viewed by her family as a tall young woman in comparison to her mother who was no taller than four-foot-eleven. Her mother exemplified this by saying â€Å"†[s]ince you are so tall, this dress will look good on you†" (Cofer 326). Her classmates at her New Jersey public school viewed her appearance very differently. Ms. Co fer was perceived as the "4F, skinny, short, bespectacled" (Cofer 326) kid on the playground impervious to competition; whereas her true competition lay in the classroom. Appearance is what creates an initial attraction to one’s significant other; for example, Cofer describes her first crush, Ted, whom she describes as "pretty with yellow ... ... photographic coverage of events must be published regardless of the subject, simply because the events took place. The author states " That's why photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism" (Ephron 438), emphasizing that censorship harms the purity of death and that interpretation and judgment must be left to the reader. Ms. Ephron establishes, appearances are memorable and powerful. Society’s views always fluctuate, as they are allowed, and censorship is a major threat the right to form our own opinions. An initial reaction can be everlasting. This is why it is believed that appearance and first impressions are most important. Although, understanding what we see versus what we get is vital. It is imperative to venture past first appearances and impressions; sometimes there lies honesty or deceit. Appearances are not always what they seem.

Putting India to Work Legally Essay

In order to remain India’s largest employer, they had to keep up with the explosive growth and competition in the telecommunications, financial services, and retail sectors. 2. ) Going forward, TeamLease has faced a few challenges along the road. First, TeamLease decided to move from a decentralized to a centralized structure for operations, causing fear and resistance from clients who were afraid of the loss of personalized services and fear from TeamLease employees who disliked the idea of relocating. TeamLease also had a difficult time filling open positions. Many people were registered with the government-run employment exchanges and many of these people were not fully qualified for the job. TeamLease also tried to partner with training companies but there was no training company that would accept their concept of paying for their services only after their trainee has been placed with a job. They also took a big hit during the 2009 recession causing the open job market to drop dramatically and as well as a decrease in client support. . ) The competitors that worry me the most are Addeco and Randstad. Addeco seems to be the largest HR staffing service company followed by Randstad. Addeco is a major threat with over 33,000 employees and 5,500 branches, in over 60 countries. Randstad has 28,700 employees, 3,500 branches, in over 40 countries. TeamLease on the other hand has 75,000 employees in 600 branches. TeamLease may have more employees, but Randstad and Adecco seems to have mo re qualified employees and are more spread out worldwide. TeamLeast has the least amount of branches among its top competitors.I believe that TeamLease should put more money into staffing and training in order to have more suitable and a more experienced staff in order to maintain competitive advantage. They should also try to increase or spread out more of their branches to other countries. TeamLease should also put more effort into marketing and their advertising campaign. Last, they should consider offering employee incentives such as days off or bonuses’.

Research Paper on Retail Industry

Research Paper on Retail Industry ABSTRACT In this research paper, we take a peek into the organized retail sector of India. It started making its presence felt nearly a decade after the first lot of entrepreneurs set up shop. A brief introduction and evolution shows how the organized retailing changed its gears over the period from Panwala dhukan to chain stores across the length and breadth of India. The market size and related details gives a statistical view of increasing market in a few major areas of retailing. The major market players who enlivened the present caricature of retail sector are presented briefly along with statistics. The changing scenarios of Indian consumers give a proof to the potential opportunity in the retailing arena. SWOT and its subheads take you to the crux of analysis into retail industry. Out of which we formulated the future prospects. One major lifesaver of the Indian retailing is the advertising and promotional strategies; which comes out with innovative ways to win consumers over and keep them permanently happy. FDI in retail has been contentious issue and may face resistance, given the perceived political scenario. FDI will be a defining moment for Indian retail and how government policies effect the retail industry is given briefly to the end. INTRODUCTION AND EVOLUTION The word ‘Retailing’ refers to any activity that involves the direct sale to an individual customer or end user. Retailing has been the most active and attractive sector of the last decade. While the retailing industry itself has been present through out the history in our country, it is only the recent past that has witnessed so much dynamism. Retailing arena today is very different. It’s the latest bandwagon that has been witnessing hordes of players leaping onto it. While international retail store chains have caught the fancy of many travelers abroad, the action was missing from the Indian business scene, at least till recently. The emergence of organized retailing in India has more to do with the increasing purchasing power of buyers, specially post liberalization, increase in product variety, and the increasing economics of scale, with the aid of modern supply and distribution management solutions. The current retailing revolution has been provided impetus from multiple sources. These revolutionaries include many: Conventional stores upgrading themselves to modern retailing. Companies in competitive environments entering the market directly to ensure exclusive visibility for their products. Professional chain stores coming up to meet the need of the manufacturers who do not fall into either of the above categories. Attractiveness, accessibility and affordability seem to be the key offerings of the retailing chain. In our presentation, we shall be restricting ourselves to the Organized Retailing Sector. Organized retailing mainly comprises of Malls, Branded Stores, Specialty Stores, Departmental Stores, and Discount Stores etc. Evolution: The world first saw the emergence of retailing in the pre 1850s when the Yankee Peddlers, Bartering, Trading Posts and General stores were in place. The first departmental store was established in 1851 by the name of F R Lazarus Company in the U.S. Between 1860 and 1910, chain stores and early general stores dominated the scene. In 1932, the first super market was established in New Jersey (Big Bear). In India the retail market is as old as in the global context. However, the concept organized retailing is comparatively new. Retailing has been one of the prominent driving forces in business in India. Traditionally it has been dominated to a large extent by the unorganized sector. But the growth of the organized sector has been steadily increasing especially after liberalization of the Indian economy. The process started with the establishment of the Shopper’s Stop outlet at Andheri, Mumbai in 1991.Then, other organized retailing stores like Kids Kemp, Crossroads, RPG’s Music world, Pyramids etc followed the trend. CHANGING WAVES The change that organized retail has brought about is evident from how it has transformed the neighborhood grocery or ‘kirana’ store. Gone are the dust-coated shelves and cluttered displays and in place are neat rows of the latest products and spruced up appearance and attentive staff. Organized retail accounts for merely 2% of total retail market. The pace of development is, of course, still below the desired level but the phased growth has been strong enough to ensure that retail does not go the way some of the other ‘sunrise’ industries did following over-investment. While big retailers like Shopper’s Stop, Pantaloon, Subhishka, Food World do get some preferential treatment from large suppliers the relationship between the tow is tense to say the least. Retailers need to get the customer to spend more at their outlets before they can turn the tables on manufacturers. With mere 2% share there is precious little that organized retailing can do to get better terms from manufacturers. International retailers too have evinced interest in India’s retail market. The latest entry is that of supermarket giant from South Africa, tied up with mall developer Nirmal Lifestyle in Mulund. MORE ARE BETTER OFF Indian consumer markets Structure of Indian consumer market (2001-2002) Annual income (Rs) Classification Number of house holds (in millions) URBAN RURAL TOTAL 16,000 Destitutes 5.3 27.7 33.0 16,000-22,000 Aspirants 7.1 36.9 44.0 22,001-45,000 Climbers 16.8 37.3 54.1 45,001-215,000 Consumers 16.6 15.9 32.5 215,000 The rich 0.8 0.4FF 1.2 Total no. Of households 46.6 118.2 164.8 Source: ORG-Marg, ETIG Estimates MARKET SIZE: 2001-02 2007 CAGR (%) Large Segments 8,850 23,109 21 Other Segments 6,050 12,169 15 Non-store Retailing 1,100 1,939 12 Total Organized Retail 16,000 37,216 18 3 Large Segments FOOD Chain Stores 1,500 6,726 35 Single Large Stores others 300 746 20 1800 7,473 33 CLOTHING Manufacturing Retailers 1,350 2,715 15 Chain Stores 1,450 3,919 22 Single Large Stores others 2,150 3,789 12 4,950 10,423 16 CONSUMER DURABLES Manufacturer Retailers 650 1,307 15 Chain Stores 450 1,373 25 Single Large Stores 550 1,106 15 1,650 3,787 18 (Rs Cr) Source: ORG-Marg, ETIG Estimates ETIG has estimated the size of the organized retail industry at about Rs 16,000 crore in 2001-02. Food retailing has shown very rapid growth compared to other sectors. This sector has doubled during the last two years and is expected to grow to more than 30 percent in the next five years. No major national players has emerged in this industry yet and south still remains home to three of the largest players in the industry – Food world, subhiksha and Margin free. Apparel retailing takes a major share of Pie. This will be driven by more sales through multi-brand outlets (MBO’s) and popularity of private labels. One shop selling also saves time. Consumer durables is still in fragmented state. However large format stores are appealing to people. In the south, organized retail has a strong foothold. Vijay Sales and Akbarallys are the main players in Mumbai. A new trend has been sale of BigBazaar. Shoppers Stop too has added consumer durables to its portfolio in certain outlets. Raymond the clothing major has announced a proposed investment of Rs15 crores in a venture that will undertake consumer durables retailing. These developments may mark the beginning of a new era in consumer durables retailing but only time will tell if organized retail can capture a larger share of the durable retailing market. Manufacturer retailer stores form the largest category followed by chain stores. Single large stores will continue to be the key players though their growth rates may not be as high. The following is the list of major players in major cities in India: MAJOR PLAYERS THEIR MARKET SHARE (2001-2002) No of Stores Turn over (Rs Cr) Sales(Rs. Cr) MUMBAI Shoppers Stop 13 256 6,250 Crossword 13 35 7,807 Globus 3 57 7,000 Pantaloon 13 149 10,000 Westside 7 93 6,786 Piramyd 2 55 11,000 Kbn 1 22 10,950 Apna bazaar 75 126 11,111 DELHI Ebony+Wordsworth 10 109 8,462 Wills Sport 29 38 6,333 Sabka bazaar 5 16 8,000 CHENNAI LifeStyle 3 76 6,522 Subhiksha 112 201 16,000 Jainsons 17 57 6,588 Food world 275 363 10,286 OTHERS Big Bazaar 3 67 12,500 Dev’s Super market 1 14 14,000 Adani Ravji 6 16 10,000 PRIORITY LIST Changing consumer behaviour: More discerning demanding lifestyle Indian household income is on the rise (Ref) Lavish life style More priority to eating out (ref) Changing priorities for consumer durables goods as per ages (Ref) Youth is emerging as a core target customer for ‘Look good feel good’ Top Six Categories Preference 1999 2000 2001 Grocery Grocery Grocery Eating out Eating out Eating out Personal care Books Music Personal care Consumer durables Personal care Books Music Clothing Clothing Consumer durables Books Music Consumer durables Clothing Source: KSA Consumer Outlook 2002 This change in purchasing power of consumer and most welcoming trends in buying behavior of consumer gave several cues to existing retailers regarding promotional activities. The potential opportunity in the retail sector can be evident from the shift in the figures over years (Ref) SPENDING ACROSS MAJOR SEGMENTS 1999 2001 2002 Grocery 47.8 48.0 42.1 Personal Care items 7.5 7.1 8.8 Home appliances 0.7 2.0 5 Savings investments 6.1 6.4 5.2 Clothing 6.5 4.7 10.5 Consumer/durables 4.8 5.5 5 * Figures indicated in the tables are in percentages. SWOT Analysis The Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threat analysis of the Retail industry can be done as follows: Strengths: Eliminates links in the purchasing chain (direct manufacturer-retailer-customer chain). Technology driven (hence less error prone) Consultative selling Presence of big industry houses (Tatas, Rahejas etc.) which can absorb loses. Consumer service. Variety of products under one roof. Authentic products with Guarantee (some cases) Pleasant shopping ambience. Research driven plus competent manpower. Weaknesses: Lowest per capita space in the world with 2 sq.ft/1000 (congestion) Prices more as compared to specialized shops (in India). Reluctance of people (Middle and lower class) Non-availability of huge land spaces at prime slots (especially in the metros) High overhead and labor costs. Opportunities: Lifestyle changes or status consciousness (NRS Survey) Ready availability of real estate in smaller towns. Improved sourcing options. Increasing time pressure for Indian woman. Focus on more quality, variety and easy availability under one roof. Increase in disposable income (NRS Survey) Feel and touch shopping. No foreign competition. Increasing media exposure to brand. Threats: Roadside bargains. Other retail outlets (organized and unorganized) Personal and homely attention at smaller Shops Availability of credit at other retail (unorganized) outlets. Competition from unorganized sector. Government policies. Problems Paucity of expert management and trained staff. Ban on FDI. Political considerations. Lack of recognization of importance of retailing as a driver of economic growth. High cost of real estate at ‘hot locations’. Complex regulatory regime. Population with diverse cultural background. Fragmented makeup of the consuming market, complex geographical culture structure. Poor infrastructural linkages. Ease of Entry and Exit by players Complex business that requires substantial skills in areas like logistics 2P’s-Property and Personnel are the biggest problems to venture into retailing, since huge area (approx. 1,00,000 square feet) is required for setting up a high-class retailing outlet. Also there’s a dearth of skilled personnel in retailing since it is still thought of a low-class, low paying jobs. Huge marketing required after setting up an organized retailing shop (full-line stores) since competition is with local retailers (unorganized) who are well acquainted with local needs. Huge infrastructure required for setting up an organized retailing shop (Power, logistics systems etc.) GROWTH DRIVERS FOR RETAILING SECTOR Organized retailing is spreading and making its present felt in different parts of the country. Several growth drivers are responsible for this boom of retail industry. There has been an increase in the presence of MNCs. The industrial boom has led to the emergence of new residential areas with aggregation of professionals as well as rapid increase in the number of ‘double-income’ households and growth of the rich/upper middle class with increased purchasing power. This has been combined with the increasing need for touch and feel shopping, especially for the large migrant population. All these factors have together acted favorably in nurturing the industry. One of the main influences in the growth of retail industry is the consumer pull. In fact this seems to be the most important driving factor behind the sustenance of the industry. With the increase in double-income households, working women, there is an increasing pressure on time with very little time available for leisure. So under these circumstances people are preferring the convenience of one stop shopping. They are also seeking speed and efficiency in processing, as a result. Being more aware, consumers are on the lookout for more information, better quality, hygiene and as well as increased customer service. These changes in consumer behavior also augur well for the retail industry. ADVERTISING PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES Retail, today is a combination of revolution and evolution. The retail industry will continue to evolve and change. With increasing interest in non-store retailing (catalogue shopping, online shopping, home delivery), companies will have to redefine and plan new shopping environments that make shopping experience as enjoyable as possible. While unique displays add flavor to the stores interior, merchandising displays help the customer learn about a product and to promote an impulse purchase. The present study further confirms that displays play a very significant role in increasing sales. MERCHANDISING: Successful retailers today have found that they can dramatically increase their sales by merchandising items in a way that creates good impression. The term merchandising can be defined as â€Å"the promotion of a product by developing strategies for packaging and displaying it. Effective merchandising can help generate more customer traffic, amplify repeat business, increase no of customers who make purchases and increase the size of the purchases that take place- all leading to increase sales. In-store merchandising is no longer a commodities-driven method of organizing a product at retail, but rather the last three feet of any comprehensive and integrated marketing plan. Merchandising plays a crucial role in leveraging brands, since it talks to the consumer when money, product and willingness to buy converge at the retail outlet. The KSA consumer outlook study (2000) in India established that 75% of consumers look out for attractive display in a store. The other important attribu tes were Satisfaction with stores Attributes % Of respondents looking out for this attribute in a retail outlet. Polite courteous sales people 86.1 Quality of products 85.9 Non-intrusive sales people 76.2 Value for money 75.1 Attractive displays 75.0 Range of products 65.8 Schemes promotions 48.8 Exchange/ return policy 44.1 A trial room 32.0 Acceptance of credit cards 25.1 An entertainment center for children 10.0 The price is the most important influencer. It is almost doubly important than retailer suggestion (push). There is a very thin line between schemes and brand name. This means even a new brand backed by good schemes and reasonable price can find favor with the customer. Also providing incentives to the retailer to push the brand may not be a sound strategy after all. Displays scored better than retailer suggestion. This implies eye-catching displays can do wonders to brand sales. Key success factors for a display are: Sales force must be aware of the objective of the display and the retailer must share the same. The retail outlet must fit the profile for the display strategy. All key elements of design and merchandising must be coordinated to get the right effect. Sales force must scan the surrounding environment to gauge the effect of climate as well as competition on proposed place of display. The height of display must be such that it meets the eye level of customer. Above all displays must be eye catching. Hence some time must be spent to maintain the display on repeat visits by sales force. Currently, domestic discount formats within the organized retail market include The Home Stores Sabka Bazaar, Giant, Big Bazaar and the Tirupati Group-owned Hum Sabka Dilli Bazaar and each of them is bang on course. Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor, Managing Director of the recently-set-up Dilli Bazaar, for example, intends to sell FMCG products at anywhere between 3-30 per cent below MRP. Offering flat rates on specific days is also becoming common at discount stores such as these. According to Mr Kapoor, Bulk buying directly from the company cuts down on the distribution and dealer margins significantly, which makes such discounting possible. In order to survive in todays tough retail climate, companies must continually innovate in ways to create stronger, more direct links with their customers. At the same time retailers must focus on the most demanding customers who want customization, value and service. New store designs must assault the consumers sense of sight, sound, Taste, touch and smell-preferably all at the same time. In this environment, merchandising and esp. displays is more important than ever, as being top-of-mind will keep the brand growing. Impact of retail sector in India: In India, the retail sector is the second largest employer after agriculture. The retail industry in India is estimated to employ about 10% of the total labor force. The retail industry in India is enjoying boom time and job opportunities in retailing have been increasing. In fact, retailing has emerged as a new stream of management curriculum, providing new areas of employment. The retailing sector in India is highly fragmented and predominantly consists of small independent, owner-managed shops. Given the size, and the geographical, cultural and socio-economic diversity of India, there is no role model for Indian suppliers and retailers to adapt or expand in the Indian context. Consumer perspective: Consumer response to supermarkets has been moderate because most do not have access to transportation to a supermarket and are still in the habit of buying fresh produce daily from local stores. This is mostly due to the proximity to homes and personal service of local stores. Self-serve supermarkets are a more recent phenomenon in India. These self-service stores stock a wide range of groceries, snacks, processed foods, confectionery items, and cleaning and personal care products. Many shoppers also have the perception that prices are higher at supermarkets because they are large, brightly lit, and air-conditioned. Higher-income consumers focus more on convenience and quality. In urban India, families are experiencing growth in income and dearth of time. More and more women are also turning to corporate jobs, which is adding to the family income but making lifestyles extremely busy. Rising incomes has led to increasing demand for better quality products while lack of time has led a demand for convenience and service. Government Policies Government of India (or for that matter, any of the State Governments) do not even consider this sector worthy of being deemed as an industry status or to formulate any strategy or directive to support or nurture it. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retailing sector is not permitted yet, in order to protect the interests of the small retailers. There is a strong lobby of small traders that has been vocal on the issue of not permitting FDI into retail. The lobby is based on the premise that modern retail will impact the livelihood of millions of small family-run businesses. Since 1997, the government has barred foreign participation in the retail sector, except for the cash-and-carry wholesale route where wholesalers cannot open retail shops to sell to consumers directly, 100 percent foreign ownership is permitted, and for franchising. However, the Commerce Department is considering a proposal to allow 100% FDI in department stores and 5-star shopping arcades, as these would not compete with small retailers. Major Regulations and Licenses Required: Shop and establishment license NOC from Fire Brigade regarding fire safety norms Conforming to Labour Laws License for fabrics, yarn and other inflammables like cosmetics IPRS, PPL CONCLUSION The task lying ahead of Indian retail is an onerous one. After grappling against the wild tides of the past decade, a few perseverant players have evolved into mature players and are confident of the way ahead. Plenty of opportunity exists and the formidable task is to tap this opportunity, in a unique country like India. The huge potential can be tapped if the following three aspects are stressed: What does it take to make a customer walk into your store and buy products How many such outlets can we open across the country to achieve national status and more importantly economies of scale. There should be a clear-cut vision and perseverance to dig in their heels and wait for the returns that will kick in only a few years later. The retail industry in India is witnessing a high level of organized business activity CRM, supply chain management, visual merchandising customer loyalty programs are now buzzwords in the industry. No where is this transformation more evident than in the organized retail segment for apparel and lifestyle products which is expected to grow at more than 25% to reach Rs12850 crores by 2005. Retail may soon see FDI coming in. After an initial set back, the Indian retailers are now coping up in a phased manner. The backend front end are equally geared up. The key players in the market have learnt to live up with the existing problems and find innovative solution to work around them and the day is not far-off when organized retailing becomes the primary way of selling. Future Prospects  · The size of the industry is estimated at 16,000 crore and is growing at the rate of 18-20 percent per annum. ETIG (Economic times estimate guide) estimates that the retailing industry will cross the 37,000 crore sales mark by the year 2007 and could even exceed this level if the flow of investment in the sector accelerate.  · Departmental stores are coming up in most cities and many more are planned to be opening in the coming years.  · An increase in purchasing power (NRS survey) of the urban population is leading to a higher demand for better lifestyle which is leading to a need for better shopping ambience, superior quality products and improved service. All these factors form the basis for organized retailing.  · With the advent of modern technology, Indian retailers have been spending more on setting up IT systems, which augurs well for the retail industry.  · If FDI is allowed into organized retail, it will be a defining moment into Indian retail as it will allow more foreign players into organized retail, which will lead to increased competition and hence improvement in performance and quality. Rural Market: Indian retailing is currently largely urban and based on models emulated from the US. What is missing is a clear connection to Indian realities. There is a huge untapped potential in the rural market for retailing. India’s rural market stated as a percentage of world population is 12.2 percent. Rural households in India form about 72 percent of the total households- a huge market. Even the current consumption of certain durables and non- durables by rural customers is more than that of urban consumers. Also literacy rates in villages have increased considerably, thus bringing about a shift in consumer tastes. The Hariyali Kisan Bazar (HKB), initiated by the Delhi-based DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd, is one model catering to retailing in rural areas. It is located at a place close to Shahjahanpur, 167km from Lucknow. It is a retail store that specifically caters to rural people. It has targeted the farmers supplying sugarcane to the sugar mill next door as the main customer. In addition to providing functional products, it also provides farmers with certain other value added services like computerized transactions, touch-screen info kiosk, technical advisory services. Thus, whoever would follow their footsteps and go for retailing in the rural areas stand to gain a lot. The time to shift the gears and accelerate the pace of retail development has arrived and it is up to retailers and potential investors to get their show on the roads. Some retailers are doing this and have massive expansion plans in place. WE NEED MORE LIKE THEM. PROFILE OF SOME MAJOR MARKET PLAYERS SHOPPERS STOP Shoppers Stop, a K. Raheja Group company, started its operations in 1991 with a mega retail store in Andheri, Mumbai. It is one of the major retailers in India with 13 stores across the country out of which 5 are operational in Mumbai. Its main area of business consists of apparel and accessories. One of the executives of Shoppers Stop Mr. Rajesh Shetty, Department Manager of Chembur outlet provided valuable information about the organization. Competitors: Lifestyle Big Bazaar Pantaloons Target segment: It is has been its strategy to target â€Å"higher income group† consumers. Although it has been quite a smaller group in India but they target the entire share of the consumer’s wallet. Customer Policy: The USP of Shoppers Stop is customer service. It focuses on customer loyalty and tries to promote shopping as an experience. Shoppers Stop boasts of being Third in the country in terms of loyal customer base with 3.5 lac customers to its credit. As it is, 60% of its sales are through loyalty programme called First Citizen Club. HR Policies: Shoppers Stop generally recruits undergraduates for its floor operations. Like any other retail business they also suffer from higher attrition rate. It organizes meets and get-togethers for its employees. Future Plans: Shoppers Stop strategy about future expansion is that it intends to exploit the cosmopolitan cities in India to the fullest. In the next phase it would be expanding to the other major Indian cities. Keeping this objective in mind it is planning to increase its store line from 13 to 38 in the next year. In addition, it also plans to open its outlet in Dubai. WILLS LIFESTYLE Beginning with its initial offering of Wills Sport premium relaxed wear from the first store at South Extension, New Delhi in July 2000, ITC has in a short span of time expanded its basket of offerings to the formal segment with Wills Classic formal wear and to the social evening segment with Wills Clublife, evening wear. There are currently 48 stores in 38 cities across the length and breadth of the country and these have established themselves as preferred shopping destinations in the prime shopping districts. At the Images Fashion Awards 2001, ‘Wills Lifestyle’ was declared Most Admired Exclusive Retail Chain of the year†. Wills Classic formal wear, launched in November 2002, is positioned as the brand for New Age Leaders, who encourage teamwork, innovation and enterprise, breaking the shackles of hierarchy and domination. ITC launched Wills Clublife in May 2003 in the growing eveningwear segment, thereby strengthening its portfolio in the premium segment. ITC l aunched its brand of men’s apparel in the popular segment, ‘John Players’, in December 2002. TRENT STORES Introduction: Trent Ltd.’s Westside stores promise customers an international shopping experience and value-for-money. High quality, contemporary designs and a plethora of products have been successfully balanced to create the ultimate shopping experience. Location: What began as just one store at Bangalore has now expanded to other cities, such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, New Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Nagpur and Ahmedabad. The Westside stores have several departments to meet the varied shopping needs of customers. These include the menswear, womenswear, lingerie, kidswear, household accessories, cosmetics and perfumes sections. Complementing the shopping ambience is a coffee shop, CafÐ ¹ West, managed by the Taj Group. Strategy: Trent has primarily focused on garments and accessories. It has decided to build in-store brands rather than stock established brands. This would be beneficial for the company over long term, as margins earned on own brands will be higher. Customer Policy: Trent has positioned its products in the value for money segment by offering premium quality products at affordable prices. The company proposes to start 12 stores all over the country in the next 2 years. The companys business can be categorized into two divisions, namely, Apparels division and other products division. During FY 2000 the companys apparels division contributed 98% of the total sales of Rs336mn. (of the total turnover of Rs495mn Rs336 came from sales of goods and rest form income from current investments) rest 2% came from other products division. During the year FY00 the company sold 1.23mn units of apparels at an average realization of Rs267 per unit. The realizations increased by 26% over that of previous year. During the year of the total sales 85.4% were finished goods purchases and rest was in-house manufacturing.

Contact Zone essays

Contact Zone essays I have been at FAU for three months. I have made many friends, and my life did an enormous change. I could not have imagined a better result after my first year away from home, in a new culture. Now, I not only have my friends from my country, but also our friends from all over. I thought that my classmates would not really talk to me, or not try and hang out with me on the weekends. I thought that from their point of view I was just a little freshman. This however, was not the case. I have lots of friends here at FAU. I know that I am where I want to be for the next four years. If I had the chance to go back, I would not change anything. My transition into FAU has happen sooner then I expected, and made me worry less about the culture I left behind at home. Overall, my transition from small town life in Cali, Colombia to life at Florida Atlantic University is over. Transculturation has allowed me to fit in, and make friends in my new environment. Although there still is a culture clash between my home and FAU, I have created a life, and am accepted into both cultures. The contact zone between Cali and FAU will never go away, but I am now comfortably a part of both cultures. The contact zone exists, but it doesn't for me. Much like Guaman Poma, I learned the ways at FAU, and now am part of the life here. I had to overcome a culture clash through transculuration, and create a new lifestyle for myself. I still enjoy going home to see my friends and family, but I enjoy staying at FAU too. I am glad I choose to attend FAU, and I am looking forward to the next four years here. ...

A Study of Human Speech and Language Term Paper

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Truth-in-Sentencing Laws in the US Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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