Perspective on Conflicts and Disputes an Example of the Topic Psychology Essays by

Perspective on Conflicts and Disputes Long before the rule of law and dispensed decisions that effectively dictated who is wrong and who is right, long before policies and procedures governed the way things were done, long before the principles with which we have to live by were set in stone, people used to rely on trust as the primordial and highly reliable standard by which order is maintained, and business is conducted. In this setting, sans a formal legal structure, ones reputation is a valued characteristic. Need essay sample on "Perspective on Conflicts and Disputes" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed In this particular structure, when relationships deteriorate, disagreements are settled either through violence --- the proverbial an eye for an eye --- or through the early biblical notion of justice as exemplified by King Solomons decision to settle who truly is the mother of the infant child. In earlier times, the leader of a group, clan, or tribe will be the judge, mediator, or arbitrator of any form of strife that may arise between and among members of the group. Clashes between members of different groups almost always resulted in violence. It was fairly basic then and formulaic: goods and even services were exchanged in fair value determined often by the contracting parties themselves. Fast forward a few centuries and a formal legal structure should have been established to reinforce the ideals of trust, equality, justice and fair dealing. Conflict is a social phenomenon arising from personal as well as group relations and interactions. Depending on ones perspective, it is both a deterrent and a facilitator of change and progress. In a civil society, reliance on a framework of order and governance has been instituted and enforced to limit the counterproductive effects that conflicts and disputes beget, if not its exacerbation, that can and may lead to the dissolution of relationships. Relationships between inpiduals are the glue that holds a society together. In the case of Albo and Jeder, it is an early symptomatic illustration of a burgeoning dispute between inpiduals and which can go deeper as far as splitting the clan itself. The very structure by which a civilized society restricts conflict or its effects thereof is founded on the concept of Justice. It can be said that conflict brought about the need for the concept of justice or in other words, the concept of justice may never have been as fully established or defined as it is today if not because of the conflicts that has beset human history. Justice comes in many terms --- fairness, moral rightness, etc. --- and comes in a multitude of forms. The legal definition of Justice is the proper administration of laws. (Black, 1990, p. 864) More precisely, In Jurisprudence, it is the constant and perpetual disposition of legal matters or disputes to render every man his due. (Black, 1990, p. 864) The role that justice plays in dealing with conflicts is that it presupposes a world of scarce resources in which people are pressing conflicting claims for the protection of competing interests. One of the functions of a theory of justice is to offer normative criteria for arbitrating between such conflicting claims. (Mautner, 1991, p. 103) Further, it is comprised of three major types: retributive justice, concerned with criteria for the punishment of wrongdoers; corrective justice, concerned with the protection of entitlements from injury or appropriation; and distributive justice, concerned with the distribution of scarce resources to competing claimants on the basis of criteria such as equality, desert, or need. (Mautner, 1991, p. 103) These types of justice are important in the resolution of conflict. In the US Constitution, the concept of justice is embedded in the Bill of Rights, particularly, the 1st amendment, to wit, No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The essential elements of justice, especially in dealing with conflict involving persons, are due process --- which operates on the fairness of the creation and of the application of the law --- and equal protection --- which operates on the fairness of the treatment or rights accorded by the law to inpiduals. In the case of Albo and Jeder, there was a shift in the status quo when Jeder offered less of what was expected. The exercise of giving every man his due was perturbed. Conflict is the opposition of response (behavioral) tendencies, which may be within an inpidual or in different inpiduals. (Coombs is a normal product of persity in beliefs and values, differences in attitudes and perceptions, and competing socioeconomic and political interests among inpiduals, social classes, ethnic groups and states. (Rabie, 1994, p. 3) From these definitions, it can be derived that the backbone of conflict is social interaction. There are several types of conflict. However, one that is relevant to the Albo and Jeder case is the Type II conflict. In general, so long as the parties to a conflict want different things but seek a single option among the possibilities, one that is to hold for both of them, then the conflict is Type II. (Coombs & Avrunin, 1988, p. 68) A dissection of the Albo and Jeder case indicate that there is clearly an imbalance. The imbalance stemmed from Jeder giving Albo a portion of meat that is less than what Albo is giving to Jeder resulting in Albo offering less to the community and Jeder offering more. A rule of the clan of never rejecting any offering of food prevents Albo from repudiating Jeders insufficient contribution. The pertinent law of the clan, taken alone, can be perceived as tilted in Jeders favor and is somehow restricting the avenues of relief for Albo, that is, not accepting the inadequate portion. What are the options then for Albo? One possible solution, as mentioned in the case, was for Albo to match Jeders offer everytime they hunt separately. This would restore justice, as this would give every man his due. However, this may prove detrimental to the dynamics of the clan. Taking the premise of matching of offers a step further, what will happen then when Jeder decides not to give Albo any portion of his kill? The solution put forth above will still hold but it will not be good for the propagation of social interaction among the members of the clan. Albos proposed solution may create a sort of pisiveness among the clan members an Albo versus Jeder standoff. And when pisiveness creeps in, defection from the clan is not too far off. What alternative solutions are available to Albo then --- one that can mitigate the foreseen drawback of the first solution? Conflict resolution processes should emphasize reforming existing relationships through attitudinal, institutional, and structural changes as well as change in the laws that govern societal processes. (Rabie, 1994, p. 22) A remedy that will not eventually break down a group should be sought. Conflict resolution must aim to expedite the long and often dangerous path from strife to peace and harmony. The Israeli Palestinian conflict has transcended time, religion, and international community intervention among others. The proportion of meat in question is land. Albo and Jeder are the Israelis and the Palestinians. One is not willing to give the other a certain portion of what the former may have and what the latter may not have. Originating as potential conflicts (conflicts in the making), they go on to move through confrontation and contest into internecine violence involving army, paramilitary recruits and a civilian population voluntarily or compulsorily implicated. (Whittaker, 1999, p. 10) There are particularly three approaches to conflict resolution. They are negotiation, mediation by a third party and authorised intervention. (Whittaker, 1999, p. 4) Negotiation is oftentimes conducted by the parties involved themselves. When negotiation fails, mediation by a third party usually follows. Mediation is adopted when violence tends to spill over into neighbouring areas. (Whittaker, 1999, p. 4) Mediation is done usually by another state duly appointed or recommended by the two parties in conflict. The third option --- authorized intervention --- requires an enabling provision from a law giving the intervening body the power to resolve the issue. The body that is authorized to resolve conflict between and among nations is the United Nations. Moreover, Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations --- The Pacific Settlement of Disputes --- enables the UN to engage and take over matters that cannot be resolved by the nations in conflict. Three criteria have conventionally underpinned UN involvement in any internal crisis. Is an internal conflict becoming so dangerous that it constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security? Is the state in question willing and competent to deal with its internal conflict? Is there any feasible alternative to intervention by the UN? (Whittaker, 1999, p. 112) These criteria are weighed by the Security Council of the UN. The Security Council is a group of nations, elected by the UN members themselves and is the body that has the power to authorize remedial action. Before any action can be proposed and implemented, it is incumbent upon the Council that an appraisal which must be objective and not excited by the publics sense of frustration and futility at the scale of conflict and its violations is carefully carried out. (Whittaker, 1999, p. 112) The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians are far from over. Stop gap measures are being proposed, and will continue to be proposed to contain the violence --- the primeval solution to conflicts --- for the meantime as the resolution process , or the peace process as it is called, is being ironed out. One of the resolutions put forth is the shared homeland model. (Rabie, 1994, p. 180) The shared homeland would meet the need to address the legitimate rights of national minorities to freedom and self-determination, while posing no threat to neighboring states or endangering the rights of other minorities to similar entitlements. In addition, it protects the rights and properties of inpiduals living outside their own ethnic homelands, while allowing them to peacefully and voluntarily relocate as they may wish. As such, it facilitates cultural homogenization by choice, not "ethnic cleansing" by force. (Rabie, 1994, p. 180) Moving towards a more harmonious societal relations therefore require looking beyond seeking merely a resolution to a conflict. Reconciliation between the parties must be sought. Reconciliation, in this context, can be defined as the process of promoting an integrated community consequent upon group and inpidual preparedness to make concessions for the sake of tolerance and civilized behavior. (Whittaker, 1999, p. 114) In achieving a societal nirvana, a series of push-and-pulls need to be undertaken. Oftentimes, the number of pulls outnumbers and outweighs the number of push. In the Albo and Jeder case, the approaches to resolve conflict mentioned --- negotiation, mediation by a third party, and authorized intervention --- can be applied. Albo can negotiate with Jeder to come to terms on the definite portion of their kill that they will give each other. They can seek the advice of the leader of their clan to mediate if they cannot agree on the portion and on the conditions of the agreement. Authorized intervention in this case would be the intervention exercised by an outside court, which should be within its jurisdiction to take on and adjudicate issues of this nature, to a sovereign, independent body such as Albos and Jeders clan. If the clans legal structure is found inadequate, Albo can bring his issue to the court which has jurisdiction over the matter. Conflicts essentially expose a certain nations legal vulnerabilities or inadequacies to address a particular concern. It therefore, although indirectly, assists in strengthening the legal framework and keeping it as robust as possible. Reconciliation will come in when the court which has proper jurisdiction over the matter has heard the issues, and have come down with a decision that is rooted in law. The case law, along with the ancillary laws that will be enacted pursuant to this matter, will then form part of the body of jurisprudence that hopefully, will prevent future conflicts of this nature as well as promulgate or facilitate a kind of healthy exchange of goods and services where parties are satisfied and more importantly, where their rights are adequately protected. References Avruch,K. Black, P.W. Scimecca, J.A. (1991). Conflict Resolution: Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Wesport, CT.: Praeger. Black, H. C. (1990). Blacks Law Dictionary 6th ed. St. Paul, MN.: West Publishing Co. Coombs, C. H. Avrunin, G.S. (1988). The Structure of Conflict. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Kober, A. (2002). Coalition Defection: The Dissolution of Arab Anti-Israeli Coalitions in War and Peace. Wesport, CT.: Praeger. Kollock, P. (1998). Social Dilemmas: The Anatomy of Cooperation. Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 183. Mautner, M. (1991). The Eternal Triangles of the Law: Toward a theory of priorities in conflicts involving remote parties. Michigan Law Review, 90, 95 156. Rabie, M. (1994). Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity.Westport, CT.:Praeger. Whittaker, D.J. (1999). Conflict and Reconciliation in the Contemporary World. London: Routledge. Zartman, I. W. (Ed.). (1997). Governance as Conflict Management: Politics and Violence in West Africa. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.

Civilization Term Paper Topics

Civilization Term Paper Topics If you are enrolled in a course of civilization of any kind – then comes a time when you are asked to write a paper on a civilization term paper topic. In this case – you have to write a splendid paper which will cover all the material which you discussed in class, and express your personal opinion. These days, not every student knows how to write a good term paper on any of the civilization term paper topics. In order to succeed in this activity – a student needs to know the theory of writing term papers, as well as possess some knowledge on the civilization topic. The first thing you need to figure out for yourself is the topic of your term paper. There are various civilization term paper topics where you can apply yourself, but you need to choose only one, which will show your knowledge on all other civilization term paper topics. The possible civilization term paper topics are: America in the 18th century England before 1700 France before 1700 European history term paper topic The culture of Europe in the 17th-19th centuries Mixed and controversial issues of western civilization All these civilization term paper topics are good to write about and discuss, but all of them are tricky. Not every student knows that if you want to get a good grade – you need to show your knowledge on several civilization term paper topics, and that is when comparison comes in handy. If you are writing about France before 1700 – you have to compare France to England, and many other countries. This way you will show your professor, that even though you chose France as the main topic of your discussion, you still are proficient in other countrys history. Always stay focused on your topic. As soon as you start writing something – your mind will want to bounce from topic to topic, and discuss everything you want to, but you need to control yourself and stay focused on something specific. When you have chosen a topic – you need to come up with a smart hypothesis. You need one string idea or an argument, to lead you through the whole civilization term paper. It could be something of your own observation. If you do that – you will need a bunch of supportive arguments to prove your point. This is the whole point of a quality civilization term paper – and if you follow these simple instructions – you will definitely succeed in writing your paper on any civilization term paper topic. If you feel that writing on your civilization term paper topic is too complicated – you can ask CustomWritings.com for help and quality term paper assistance. We are here to help striving students get over with their civilization term papers and help them get high grades for their paper. Our professional writers will share their experience and expertise in any civilization term paper topic and will show you how a great civilization term paper is done. All our papers on civilization topics are written from scratch and 100% plagiarism free. We always control the quality of every custom written civilization term paper. Our writers always follow the instructions that come with the order. We have very strict policies towards this. SO be sure that you will be pleasantly surprised with your custom written civilization term paper. Heres a list of the most popular civilization term paper topics: 1. The Inca Civilization 2. Symbols of Civilization 3. Civilization Deteriorates to Savagery 4. Ancient Civilization 5. The Brilliant Maya Civilization 6. Lord of the Flies: Civilization and Savagery 7. The Birth of Civilization 8. Early Western Civilizations 9. Egypt Civilization 10. Monks Saved Western Civilization 11. Contributions to Western Civilization from Ancient Greeks 12. Geography: Its Influence on the Development of Civilizations 13. Three Major Contributions to Civilization 14. The Ancient African Civilization Aksum 15. Freud in Civilization 16. Use of Civilization in Grendel 17. Destruction of Civilization 18. Egyptian and Sumerian Civilizations 19. Ethics in Western Civilization 20. History of Western Civilization: Industrial Revolution 21. Indian Civilization

After Divorce

Myparents divorced when I was two, and the repercussions of their split lasted longafter it was final. My mother was a parochial school teacher who earned justenough to stay off welfare, but not enough for us to live comfortably. Utilitiesin our home were shut off from time to time, and it seemed like we would nevercatch up. My mother also worked nights, so after school I would go to mygrandparents house. I spent little time with my mother because she worked duringthe week, and eventually on weekends, too. My most painful memories ofthat time are not of being teased for my limited wardrobe, or the times we had norunning water because my mother missed payments. The most difficult experiencewas watching my mother cry at night, while I hugged her and told her I lovedher. Through all this, I learned so much. I came to value education,family and faith. I worked hard in school, and earned good grades. I learned frommy mothers example (she went back to school after three children and a divorce)that it is important for a woman to go to college and not depend on a man. I cameto value extended family support and developed a close relationship with mygrandparents and cousins because I was with them so much while my mother worked. Last, my faith became very strong. Although my mother was very busy, shemade sure we all went to church together every Sunday. Most important, we did notblame God for our situation. Instead, we thanked Him for the good things in ourlives. We were grateful for the people who cared about us, for not being on thestreets, and for good health when we did not have health insurance. My parentsdivorce caused hardships and pain, but it was also an experience that I would notchange because of how much I learned.

Offer of Fixed Interest Investment Funds to the Public Prospectus Assignment

Offer of Fixed Interest Investment Funds to the Public Prospectus - Assignment Example The main purpose of laws is to ensure that businesses meet the needs and wishes of shareholders and the interests of stakeholders in accordance with modern business practices.6 This prospectus promotes the company as a whole and informs shareholders, future shareholders and stakeholders of any risks that are involved in the fixed interest investment funds.7 The issuer is an investment planning company with limited liability, registered under the laws of England and Wales. ... nce of the Funds 23 Tax Implications 23 Charges and Expenses 23 Bibliography 27 Definition of Terms Articles of Association: The contractual document authorising the issuer to offer the fixed interest investment funds. Back-end Fee: A fee payable upon redeeming an investment or share. Common Law: judicial decisions binding the issuer in the administration and management of the fixed interest investment funds. Depository: The Bank or financial institution holding legal title to the fixed interest investment funds. Doctrine of Corporate Opportunity: A major risk factor and concern of investors relative to the risks associated with managers and directors mismanaging any investment funds and the applicable common law and statutory laws safeguarding against this kind of investment risk. Fiduciary Duty: A common law and statutory law prescribing the duty of care and level of competence applicable to and enforceable against managers who have monetary responsibilities in situations where the y have control over funds that are not their own. Fixed Interest Investment Funds: funds invested with a fixed and predetermined interest rate. Investor: The person or body corporate purchasing the fixed interest investment fund. Issuer: The institution offering the fixed interest investment funds to the public. Load Fee: A fee payable upon entering an investment fund and deducted from the initial investment. Maturity Term: The bond’s life or the date at which the terms relative to the investment fund have been satisfied have been fixed. Open-ended Investment Company: an investment company characterised by collective investment schemes under the structure and framework of a company comprised of diverse capital. Statutory Law: Legislation prescribing the policies, practices, rights, duties

Summary and Strong Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary and Strong Response - Essay Example e author disputes the report’s contention that these statistics do not indicate racial profiling or bias, claiming that the results are compelling, particularly since Hispanic and black drivers are more likely to face police force than white drivers do. He uses evidence from the report that shows black drivers were twice as likely to be arrested at traffic spots, while Hispanics were more likely to receive tickets than white drivers (Robinson, 2007). The author continues to contend that blacks have become used to the profiling that they are less likely to accept traffic charges than Hispanics and whites (Robinson, 2007). In addition, blacks stopped for traffic issues are twice as likely to be released without charge as white drivers, meaning that they were not in the wrong to begin with. He uses this as clear evidence of racial profiling and selective searches. The author concludes that, from the statistics in the report, if white drivers were stopped as often as Hispanics and blacks, they would uncover thousands of new crimes (Robinson, 2007). However, because society does not want to be searched all the time, racial profiling continues unabated since Hispanics and blacks are easier targets. From the statistics provided by the author, I believe that racial profiling, especially on American roads, is still alive and well. From the statistics provided by the writer, it is obvious that Hispanics and blacks are more prone to be stopped and searched compared to white drivers. However, the manner in which he uses the statistics does not leave any room for additional factors as to why there is bias on America’s roads. For example, the statistics used do not factor in differences in driving patterns that are prevalent on the roads. Representation of Hispanic and black drivers among those stopped and searched could significantly differ from how the statistics used represent them in residential areas. People driving on major highways could be significantly different

Platos the Republic Essay Example for Free

Platos the Republic Essay By the beginning of Book II of Plato’s The Republic, many questions have been brought upon the table involving the definition of justice. Polemarchus argues that justice is doing good to your friends and harm to your enemies. Thrasymachus argues that justice is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates finds flaws in both of these definitions, but discovers another important question about the nature of justice. Socrates wants to know whether the just life or the unjust life is better, or happier, but all arguments thus far have proved unsatisfactory. Book II aims to further outline this complicated question, and hopefully lead them closer to an answer. Glaucon isn’t satisfied by the previous explanations on the nature of justice and injustice. To satisfy his hunger for knowledge, he proposes a challenge to Socrates. Glaucon wants Socrates to explain how justice could be intrinsically good, or, in other words, how justice could be welcomed for its own sake, such as we welcome joy for its own sake. Glaucon expresses this challenge by defining to Socrates the three kinds of goods. Intrinsic goods, he says, are those that are welcomed for their own sake, and not for what rewards could possibly come from them. Mixed goods are those that we welcome for their own sake, but also for what possible rewards could come from them. Instrumental goods are those that we only welcome for the rewards that come from them. Glaucon believes that Socrates could prove that justice is a mixed good by proving exactly how it is instrinsic. Glaucon, in an attempt to reiterate Thrasymachus’s argument in Book I, goes on to present a three-part argument proving that injustice is better than justice. In his first point, Glaucon explains the common conception of justice and it’s origins. Essentially, the natural origin of justice comes from the fact that people like doing injustice, but it is worse to endure justice. Because of this, everyone comes to an agreement not to do injustice so they don’t have to suffer it. Since this story of the origins proves that justice is purely instrumental, if one was to accept this story they would also accept the next two points and, ultimately, accept Thrasymachus’s position. Glaucon’s second point is that justice is purely instrumental. He illustrates this point by using the example of the ring of Gyges. If two people both had the power to do whatever they wanted with no repercussions, as the ring of Gyges would allow them to do, Glaucon thinks that both would end up following the path of the unjust, and be better and happier for it. The just person wearing the ring could do unjust acts but still keep his reputation for justice. Glaucon says, â€Å"No one believes justice to be a good when it is kept private, since, wherever either person thinks he can do injustice with imputiny, he does it† (360c). This leads to his third point. Glaucon thinks that the completely unjust person is much happier than the just person. The ideal unjust person is able to attain everything they could ever want and need, while being honored and praised by those around him for seeming like a just person. Oppositely, the ideal just person is just but doesn’t care about seeming just, thus leading others to believe he is unjust, possibly for his whole life. When the two are compared side by side, it is clear how the unjust person is happy, but not how the just person is happy. Socrates must take certain steps to disprove Thrasymachus’s position on justice. Because the origin story is the key point of Glaucon’s argument, Socrates must show why this origin story seems right but is not. In order to do this, he needs to present a new origin story that shows exactly how justice is instrinsic. Socrates decides that in order to do this he must start by looking at justice in a large sense, then narrow it down to a smaller sense. To outline this process, he states, â€Å"We say, don’t we, that there is the justice of a single man and also the justice of a whole city? And a city is larger than a single man? Perhaps, then there is more justice in the larger thing, and it will be easier to learn what it is. So, if you’re willing, let’s first find out what sort of thing justice is in a city and afterwards look for it in the individual observing the ways in which the smaller is similar to the larger† (368d-369a). In order to look for justice in the city, Socrates must map out an ideal and perfectly just city. By showing the exact specifications of this perfect city, including the classes, functions, and virtues of the people, Socrates can undermine Thrasymachus’s argument and answer Glaucon’s challenge. To define justice and to answer the many questions surrounding justice is one of the main topics of Plato’s The Republic, and Socrates sets out to find these answers for the remainder of the book.

Do Men Mother?: Fathering, Care and Domestic Responsibility by Andrea D

Traditionally, mothers have been assigned to stay in the house to take care of children and perform daily household activities. However in recent years, men are becoming more involved in the house. Men are sharing more of the same responsibilities with women in terms of housekeeping and childrearing. Several fathers are choosing to stay in the house to take care of their children rather than working outside; either because of employment interruption or their wives are earning a higher salary than them. In a modern study, an increased number of working mothers as well as an increase in stay- at- home fathers were observed in Canada (Sutherland 2008). This is where the need to analyze if fathers are competent of rendering nurture and care as well as mothers arises. In her book entitled Do Men Mother?: Fathering, Care, and Domestic Responsibility, Doucet seeks the life of fathering by means of illustrating if fathers are essentially performing a mother’s role or mothering when caring for their children (Doucet 2006). Andrea Doucet, currently on sabbatical, is a Professor of Sociology at Carleton University located in Ottawa, Canada. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from York University and completed her Masters in International Development at Carleton University. Doucet furthered her studies at Cambridge University where she attained her PhD (Carleton University 2011). Besides book chapters, most of her works for the past sixteen years have been scholarly articles which made sense of and clarified, theoretical and experiential understanding of subjects related with care and work, gender issues and lives within the society. A significant number of her works discuss several issues such as responsibility, auto... ...selves as fathers (Doucet 2006: 217). By the use of several theoretical perceptions, the book provides a breakdown on the division of household responsibilities and manliness (Doucet 2006). Furthermore, it also renders literature on parenting as a result of analyzing the role of the fathers by the maternal points of view. Do Men Mother?: Fathering, Care and Domestic Responsibility explores the concerns of men who choose to stay as full time fathers in order to meet the needs of their children rather than to work outside their home (Doucet 2006). The book is tremendously impactful in terms of being able to make readers realize the difference between the roles of the mother, as well as the responsibilities of the fathers while the common objective of providing adequate care and love for their children is shared between both sexes. Do Men Mother?: Fathering, Care and Domestic Responsibility by Andrea D Traditionally, mothers have been assigned to stay in the house to take care of children and perform daily household activities. However in recent years, men are becoming more involved in the house. Men are sharing more of the same responsibilities with women in terms of housekeeping and childrearing. Several fathers are choosing to stay in the house to take care of their children rather than working outside; either because of employment interruption or their wives are earning a higher salary than them. In a modern study, an increased number of working mothers as well as an increase in stay- at- home fathers were observed in Canada (Sutherland 2008). This is where the need to analyze if fathers are competent of rendering nurture and care as well as mothers arises. In her book entitled Do Men Mother?: Fathering, Care, and Domestic Responsibility, Doucet seeks the life of fathering by means of illustrating if fathers are essentially performing a mother’s role or mothering when caring for their children (Doucet 2006). Andrea Doucet, currently on sabbatical, is a Professor of Sociology at Carleton University located in Ottawa, Canada. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from York University and completed her Masters in International Development at Carleton University. Doucet furthered her studies at Cambridge University where she attained her PhD (Carleton University 2011). Besides book chapters, most of her works for the past sixteen years have been scholarly articles which made sense of and clarified, theoretical and experiential understanding of subjects related with care and work, gender issues and lives within the society. A significant number of her works discuss several issues such as responsibility, auto... ...selves as fathers (Doucet 2006: 217). By the use of several theoretical perceptions, the book provides a breakdown on the division of household responsibilities and manliness (Doucet 2006). Furthermore, it also renders literature on parenting as a result of analyzing the role of the fathers by the maternal points of view. Do Men Mother?: Fathering, Care and Domestic Responsibility explores the concerns of men who choose to stay as full time fathers in order to meet the needs of their children rather than to work outside their home (Doucet 2006). The book is tremendously impactful in terms of being able to make readers realize the difference between the roles of the mother, as well as the responsibilities of the fathers while the common objective of providing adequate care and love for their children is shared between both sexes.

PRODUCTION OPERATIONS & MANUFACTURING PROCESSES OF LABSA Essay

Sulphonation – The Process Most electrophilic substitution reactions are irreversible but sulfonation is an exception. Treatment of benzene with â€Å"oleum† (a solution of SO3 in concentrated sulfuric acid) will give the sulfonic acid, the electrophilic species being sulfur trioxide which is Lewis acidic. Fig – 1 Sulphonation : Benzene equation The sulfonic acid can be converted back by treatment with hot aqueous acid. The reason for this reversibility is the fact that the Wheland intermediate is overall neutral and therefore more stable than other, positively charged intermediates. Hence, under forcing reaction conditions, the energy difference in progressing in either the forward or backward sense from the Wheland intermediate is proportionately smaller compared to the barrier to activation and hence discrimination is lost. Fig – 2 Progress of Reaction against Energy This makes the SO3H a useful directing group if it is desired to carry our selective ortho– substitution of a monosubstituted benzene possessing an ortho/para– activating group. Under normal circumstances, para– substitution would dominate, despite the statistical favouring of the ortho– positions due to steric hindrance of the original substituent. Initial sulfonation para– gives a Disubstituted benzene in which both substituents direct to the same position. Subsequent directed electrophilic substitution and removal of the sulfonic acid group gives theortho– disubstituted product. Process Involved In the Manufacture of LABSA Fig 3 – Flowchart of the process behind the production of LABSA. The manufacturing of LABSA at Sasol gulf is a continuous process. An interval of 1 day after a period of 20-21 days for the purpose of shut-down and start-up is essential for maintenance purposes. The key reactions involved in the formation of LABSA are as follows: †¢Air Drying †¢Sulphur Melting – Ignition of sulphur (S) to sulphur dioxide (SO2) †¢SO3 Production – Oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide (SO3) using catalyst vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) under optimum temperature. †¢Film Sulphonation – Reaction of Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) with Sulphur trioxide to yield the end product LABSA. †¢Ageing & Hydrolysis †¢Gas Separation & Gas Scrubbing – Separation of LABSA from unreacted gases. Air Drying The air taken from outside is compressed and dehumidified by means of the following units: 1)Intermediate Cooling Unit. 2)Silica gel Dehumidifying Tower. The cooling has the purpose to remove the humidity from the air, up to a saturation humidity of 2 degree Celsius & also to convey low temperature air to the dehumidifying tower, thus favoring the water absorption in the silica gel. The silica gel air drying has the object to reduce to very low values (dew point -60 approx.) the moisture content of air intended for the sulfur combustion, & then for conversion. This reduces to acceptable values the oleum quantity produced in the conversion unit, which depends directly to the quantity of water contained in the air. Working The air filtered is sucked by the compressor that sends the process air to the refrigerating group. This unit removes the compression heat by water & moreover cools the air to 2 degree Celsius through the intermediate medium cooling unit which is kept at constant temperature. The equipment for air drying is a vertical cylindrical vessel, which is horizontally divided in  two parts by a partition containing insulating material. The two silica gel layers are placed on nets; 2 spaces are left free above and below such layers for air inlet and outlet respectively. On the plates, at the level of both silica gel layer, two light glasses are located to check visually their conditions. Some silica gel indicator is placed near the sight glasses, changing its color accordingto the quantity of absorbed water; thus saturating with water, it changes blue to pink. Fig 4 – Boiler to produce and supply steam. Characteristics of Silica Gel Appearance – white color, granules of 3-6 mm approx. Bulk Density: 700kg/dm3 approx The regeneration is carried out by heating with air at 150 degree Celsius. A checking about the effective regeneration is made by verifying the Silica gel indicator through the sight glasses, as well as by verifying the outlet temp., of the regeneration air on the recording thermometer. When the regeneration is accomplished the silica gel mass has a temperature quite near 150 degree Celsius. Therefore it is necessary to cool the silica gel thus allowing it to adsorb the humidity of the air crossing it. Note – The four way valves are provided with a drive by pneumatic cylinders which are remote controlled energizing some solenoid valve suitably. Air drying and cooling Air that is utilized in the production of LABSA has to be cooled first and then dried to ensure its feasibility for further reactions. Air is cooled by passing it through a heat exchanger containing the coolant mono-ethylene glycol; at a temperature of 0 to -2 degree Celsius. The coolant ensures condensation of air to around 5 degree Celsius. After cooling air to the required temperature it has to be dried to remove traces of moisture present in it. For this purpose air is passed through a cylinder filled with silica gel. The silica-gel brings the dew point of the water in the air down to stay -40 degrees Celsius. This means that the air is dry as if the air was cooled down to -40 degrees Celsius. In practice two cylinders with silica-gel are used; one for drying the air, the other is reconditioned. In general the changing of the cylinders is done automatically. Fig 5 – Air Drying Process Fig 6 – Glycol Tower In order to remove the compression heat and to condense the moisture, the air is first cooled by cooling water and then by a glycol solution in the glycol tower. The air flow is then conveyed at a constant temperature (less than 5â„Æ') to the silica gel dryers. Sulphur Melting Sulphur is melted to allow Sulphur that has been acquired has to be melted prior to its ignition. This is done by heating it in the melter at temperatures of 135â„Æ' to 145â„Æ'. If the temperature exceeds 145â„Æ' it would result in vaporisation of sulphur while temperatures less than 135â„Æ' would be insufficient to melt sulphur. Therefore a temperature of 140 is maintained to prevent wastage of sulphur due to the above mentioned causes. Fig 7–Sulphur Melting Tank. The solid sulphur is melted and filtered to avoid the pump valves clogging and then fed to the sulphur burner by a proportioning pump. The viscosity of molten sulphur is minimum between 135â„Æ' to 140 â„Æ'. Fig 8 – Viscosity Of Sulphur Molten sulphur is fed under mass control by means of a mass flow meter. The pump and the relevant piping are steam heated in order to to keep the temperature constant and to minimize sulphur viscosity. Fig 9 – Sulphur Burning SOâ‚Æ' Production The oxidation reaction of sulphur dioxide and trioxide is exothermic and heat produced by it is quite sufficient to keep the catalyst layers at the required at the required temp. to obtain a good conversion progress. In order to get the best efficiency, the gas inlet temperature in the first catalyst layer has to be about 420 degree Celsius. To start the reaction, the catalyst layers of the first & second stage of the conversion tower have to be brought to the necessary temperature. This is reached by preheating with hot air and the upper part of the catalyst tower is heated upto a temperature of 400-420 degree Celsius. Fig 10 – Catalyst Bed Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphur Trioxide Production The sulphur combustion furnace has been designed for this special purpose. In the furnace, the sulphur is fed through a pipe and falls on a surface of refractory balls, while the combustion air is supplied in counter current, thus obtaining the complete combustion of sulphur without its spraying through a nozzle; which might often clog owing to sulphur impurities. This system is quite simple; it does not require any maintenance and the gas composition does not change. The temperature of the gas at the burner outlet is around 700 degree Celsius (corresponding approximately to a SO2 concentration of 7% by volume). Thereafter a heat exchanger cools the gas so that it reaches the conversion tower at the required temperature. The conversion tower is composed of three layers of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) catalyst. The gas, passing from a layer to next one, crosses a heat exchanger to take the gas temperature to optimum conversion values on every stage. In order to allow quick startup, a preheating system has been  provided. The main characteristics of Ballestra pre-heating system have been provided: âž ¢No electric pre-heater is required because if it were used, being in the presence of SO3, it would be corroded very quickly. âž ¢Moreover, with Ballestra system there is no need to either cut off or regulate values in the circuit of conversion l ines, which should operate a temperature of about 500 degree Celsius in the presence SO2 / SO3, thus being easily corroded. âž ¢The gas temperature is of course too high to be suitable for sulphonation; therefore some heat exchangers in the series are used to cool the gas down to proper sulphonation temperature. The hot air coming from SO3 coolers is utilized for silica gel regeneration.[6] Fig 11 – SO2 / SO3 Production Film Sulphonation This group is composed by a film reactor, multi-tube type, having dimensions and number of tubes proportional to the plant capacity. The sulphonation gas is automatically fed on the reactor top and distributed in part strictly equal on each of the pipes composing the reactor. The raw material to be sulphonated is fed in co-current with the gas. Outside the reaction tubes in the reactor jacket the cooling water circulates in co-current with the film, thus allowing a control of the reaction temperature by heat removing. The distribution of the gas and the product to be sulphonated is designed in order to ensure a constant ratio between the two phases, inside each reaction tube. The sulphonated or sulphated product, coming out of the reactor is suitably degassed, aged and stabilized according to the fed raw material; and fed to the neutralization unit. In this connection the Ballestra sulphonation / sulphation system by film reactor has great advantages towards the other existing systems on the market since in the case of power failure an emergency system, included in the supply, avoids any damage to the product and the necessity of cleaning the reactor before resuming operation. This system can be also used during plant startup: the material to be sulphonated is fed and recycled to the reactor until optimum SO2-SO3 conversion is reached. Main Reactor Fig 12 – Top view of the Reactor Fig 13 – Bottom Nozzles Of the Reactor This SO3 is sent to the reactor where it reacts with Linear Alkyl Benzene. Due to presence of some water vapours in air some oleum is also formed. This should be avoided as it can cause blockage. The reactor has small tubes in which the SO3 passes and the LAB passes through its sides. The main reaction takes place at bottom of these tubes and during maintenance these tubes are thoroughly cleaned because if the LAB leaks to the centre part then the reaction will take place there only and no SO3 will pass through. Then this mixture of LABSA (desired product), LAB, SO3 and a mixture of other waste materials including oleum is sent to a separator. The liquid product is sent to the aging vessel and the gases are sent to cyclone. Fig 14 – Sulphonation Plant Arrangement Ageing & Hydrolysis This is used to stabilize the sulphonated DDB. It is composed by an ageing unit and stabilizer. The product after being sulphonated overflows into the bottom of the ageing unit. It is then conveyed into the stabilizer together with water. Afterwards it is transferred with the help of a pump to the neutralization unit. Fig 15 – Ageing Vessel Gas Seperation Cyclonic separation is a method of removing particulates from an air (or gas) stream, without the use of filters, through vortex separation. Rotational effects and gravity are used to separate mixtures of solids and fluids. Here a high speed rotating air-flow is established within a cylindrical or conical container called a cyclone. Air flows in a spiral pattern, beginning at the top (wide end) of the cyclone and ending at the bottom (narrow) end before exiting the cyclone in a straight stream through the center of the cyclone and out the top. Larger (denser) particles in the rotating air stream have too much inertia to follow the tight curve of the air stream and strike the outside wall, falling then to the bottom of the cyclone where they can be removed. In a conical system, as the rotating air-flow moves towards the narrow end of the cyclone the rotational radius of the air stream is reduced, separating smaller and smaller particles from the stream. The cyclone geometry, together with air flow rate, defines the cut point of the cyclone. This is the size of particle that will be removed from the air stream with a 50% efficiency. Particles larger than the cut point will be removed with a greater efficiency and smaller particles with a lower efficiency. The liquid product and reactants which still have to react are sent to the aging vessel but the product in the form of vapour and gases are sent to Electrostatic Precipitator. Fig 16 – Gas Splitting Gas Scrubbing / Exhaust Gas Treatment The unit is designed to treat exhaust gas stream coming from the sulphonation reactor before being sent to the atmosphere in order to remove any possible organic, unreacted SOâ‚Æ' traces and unconverted SOâ‚‚. The exhausted gas coming from the reactor pass through a cyclone which provides to separate the acid mist before getting into the electrostatic precipitator and SO2 scrubber column. Fig 17 – Exhaust Gas Treatment In the electrostatic precipitator the organic substances and unreacted SO3 are separated and eliminated. The residual unconverted SO2 is absorbed in the scrubbing column in which a water and caustic soda solution is continuously recycled. The gas stream is contacted with a controlled stream of fresh organic raw material. Fig 18– Electrostatic Precipitator Functionality Details Fig 19 – Electro Static Precipitator Construction Details An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) or electrostatic air cleaner is a particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas (such as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge. The LABSA is separated and sent to the ageing vessel. Types of Heat Exchangers Shell and Tube heat exchanger Shell and tube heat exchangers consist of a series of tubes. One set of these tubes contains the fluid that must be either heated or cooled. The second fluid runs over the tubes that are being heated or cooled so that it can either provide the heat or absorb the heat required. A set of tubes is called the tube bundle and can be made up of several types of tubes: plain, longitudinally finned etc. Shell and Tube heat exchangers are typically used for high pressure applications (with pressures greater than 30 bar and temperatures greater than 260 °C. This is because the shell and tube heat exchangers are robust due to their shape. There are several thermal design features that are to be taken into account when designing the tubes in the shell and tube heat exchangers. These include: †¢Tube diameter: Using a small tube diameter makes the heat exchanger both economical and compact. However, it is more likely for the heat exchanger to foul up faster and the small size makes mechanical cleaning of the fouling difficult. To prevail over the fouling and cleaning problems, larger tube diameters can be used. Thus to determine the tube diameter, the available space, cost and the fouling nature of the fluids must be considered. †¢Tube thickness: The thickness of the wall of the tubes is usually determined to ensure: oThere is enough room for corrosion oThat flow-induced vibration has resistance oAxial strength oAbility to easily stock spare parts cost Sometimes the wall thickness is determined by the maximum pressure differential across the wall. †¢Tube length: heat exchangers are usually cheaper when they have a smaller shell diameter and a long tube length. Thus, typically there is an aim to make the heat exchanger as long as possible. However, there are many limitations for this, including the space available at the site where it is going to be used and the need to ensure that there are tubes available in lengths that are twice the required length (so that the tubes can be withdrawn and replaced). Also, it has to be remembered that lone, thin tubes are difficult to take out and replace. †¢Tube pitch: when designing the tubes, it is practical to ensure that the tube pitch (i.e. the centre-centre distance of adjoining tubes) is not less than 1.25 times the tubes’ outside diameter LAS/LABSA ( Linear Alkyl Benzene Suplhonic Acid ) – The Product Description of LAS Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid is the largest-volume synthetic surfactant because of its relatively low cost, good performance, the fact that it can be dried to a stable powder and the biodegradable environmental friendliness as it has straight chain. LAS is an anionic surfactants with molecules characterized by a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic group. Alpha-olefin sulfonates (AOS) alkyl sulfates (AS) are also examples of commercial anionic surfactants. They are nonvolatile compounds produced by sulfonation. LAS are complex mixtures of homologues of different alkyl chain lengths (C10 to C13 or C14) and phenyl positional isomers of 2 to 5-phenyl in proportions  dictated by the starting materials and reaction conditions, each containing an aromatic ring sulfonated at the para position and attached to a linear alkyl chain at any position with the exception of terminal one (1-phenyl). The properties of LAS differ in physical and chemical properties according to the alkyl chain length, resulting in formulations for various applications. The starting material LAB (linear alkylbenzene) is produced by the alkylation of benzene with n-paraffins in the presence of hydrogen fluoride (HF) or aluminium chloride (AlCl3) as a catalyst. LAS is produced by the sulfonation of LAB with oleum in batch reactors. Other sulfonation alternative reagents are sulfuric acid, diluted sulfur trioxide, chlorosulfonic acid and sulfamic acid on falling film reactors. LAS are then neutralized to the desired salt (sodium, ammonium, calcium, potassium, and triethanolamine salts). Surfactants are widely used in the industry needed to improve contact between polar and non-polar media such as between oil and water or between water and minerals. MASS DENSITY AT 20 DEGREES C : ~ 1.070 g/cm3 VISCOSITY AT 20 DEGREES C : ~ 1500 – 2000 mPa.s. MELTING RANGE : ~ – 10 DEGREES C. BOILING POINT : ~ 315 DEGREES C. VAPOUR PRESSURE at 20 DEGREES c : Below 0.15 (0.001 mm Hg). FLASH POINT (PMcc) : >200 DEGREES C. DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE : > 100 DEGREES C. Ph : ~ 2. Applications of LAS Alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, as the raw material of detergent, is used to produce alkylbenzene sulfonic acid sodium (LAS), which has the performances of cleaning, wetting, foaming, emulsifying and dispersing, etc. The rate of biodegradation is more than 90%. The product is widely used for producing various detergents and emulsifiers for agricultural herbicides and in emulsion polymerization. It is mainly used to produce household detergents such as washing powder, detergent of dishware, detergent of light or hard dirt, cleaner of textile industry, dyeing assistant, degreaser of plating and leather making industry, and the deinking agent of paper-making industry, etc. Characteristics †¢Good Surface active properties †¢Low cost surfactant for detergents †¢Easy processing into dried powders †¢Desirable solubility in both liquid and powder formulation †¢Biodegradable †¢Compatible with other surface active agents Sales Specifications APPEARANCEViscous Light Brown liquid ACTIVE MATTER96.0% min ACID VALUE180 – 190 FREE OIL1.5% max WATER1.0% max COLOR, KLETTE50 max (5% Sol. pH=7, 40mm cell) FREE SULFURIC ACID1.5% max Advantages †¢Cost effective, anionic surfactant. †¢Biodegradable. †¢Due to its stable foam, suitable for detergent applications in combination with other surfactants. †¢Compatible with enzymes and builders. †¢Outstanding performance with other anionic surfactants due to its synergistic effect. †¢Consumes less alkali for neutralisation. †¢Ideal for liquid detergent application due to high solubility and low salt content. Packaging & Transportation LAB First the truck is parked in the heavy loading station directly under a valve. Laborers enter the truck and fix metal rods in grooves near the door. Then a cardboard perimeter is set up in order to provide support. A flexi-bag is spread out on the bottom of the container, above and within the cardboard perimeter. A hose is connected to the valve and to the flexi-bag. The initial reading is taken from the main LAB tank. The flexi-bag can withstand 20-25 tons of LAB. Calculations are carried out to transfer an approx. 20 tons. The meter reading must reduce by 52cm. Fig 20 – Flexi Bags within cardboard perimeter Sulphonic Acid The sulphonic acid is corrosive in nature and therefore requires a vehicle with a pre-fitted tanker. The tanker is made of a special material (commonly stainless steel) Also the tank must be able to keep the sulphonic acid at a desirable temperature. Fig 21 – Fitted Tank LABSA LABSA is packaged into plastic drums and then transported. Each drum contains 210kg of the product. Sasol buys second hand drums in order to cut costs. Once the drums are loaded with LABSA on a wooden platform a forklift will move them to the storage shed. At the time of loading the forklift will carry these drums to a loading station with an adjustable ramp. The forklift will carry the containers into the truck and load them there. Fig 22 – Plastic Drums for packaging Analysis Every two hours, regular analysis of the product is carried out to make sure the quality of the product is maintained. A sample of the product is taken in a beaker and taken to the analysis room. Color Klett Determination A Klett colorimeter allows light to pass through and determines the colour Klett of the substance. The beaker is put on the colorimeter and the value of the color Klett is obtained. Lesser the color Klett, better the quality of the product. The standard value for Klett is around 50%(maximum). Here at Sasol, it ranges from 5-10% and is therefore great in quality. Required Equipments: †¢Klett Colorimeter †¢Blue Filter No. 42 with 400-465mm wavelength range †¢Pair of cells with 40mm path length †¢Balance Required Reagents: †¢Ethanol 99.9% GPR †¢Methanol GPR †¢Propan-2-ol ( Isopropyl alcohol ) GPR †¢Distilled water Procedure: †¢Prepare solvent of ethanol 99.99%, methanol, propan-2-ol or distilled water or a mix of all. †¢Weigh 5g of active substance and dilute with a weighed amount of solvent so that a solution of 5% m/m is prepared for color measurement. †¢In case of 5% m/n color measurement , weigh 5g of active substance, then times the volume of solvent required by relevant solvent density and weigh solvent. †¢Mix upto complete dissolution. †¢Fill 40mm path length cell (clean and dry) with mixture and other cell as reference cell. †¢Colorimeter must be switched on 15 mins prior to the test. Acid value determination After finding the color Klett, the sample of the product is then titrated with ethanol, drop by drop after adding the indicator. Through this, the amount of ethanol required to reach the n point is noted and the acid level of the product is calculated. It should be approx. 180. If the acid value is higher or lower than the required value, the air flow rate is adjusted and analysis is carried out till the desired acid value is obtained. Required equipments: †¢250ml conical flask †¢10ml Burette †¢Lab analytic balance reading upto 3 decimal places Required Reagents: †¢Distilled water †¢Sodium Hydroxide Volumetric Solution †¢Phenolphthalein †¢Ethanol This method covers determination of acid value for sulphonic acid, however it can also be used for pure fatty acids. Procedure: †¢Weigh accurately about 2g of sulphonic acid into the conical flask and note the weight. †¢Add 25ml of ethanol and mix well to ensure the sample is dissolved completely. †¢Titrate with NaOH solution using phenolphthalein until the solution retains a faint pink colour. Note T1. Calculation: †¢Acid Value = ( T1 x Molarity of NaOH x 56.1 ) / Wt †¢Free Acid % = ( T1 x Molarity of NaOH x titrated acid molecular weight ) [10] Conclusion In a nutshell, the previous month at Sasol has been very productive in terms of the knowledge gained regarding the manufacturing operations of the LABSA plant in Dubai, UAE. Future Scope This is a detailed report on: Production Operations and Manufacturing Processes of LABSA. It is highly informative on processes such as Air Drying, SOâ‚Æ' Production, SOâ‚Æ' Treatment, Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonation etc. The report can be used to bring about the following functionality: †¢Set up companies †¢Set up detergent raw material supply †¢Improve plant production quality †¢Reduce production costs References [1] www.wikipedia.com [2] www.sasol.com [3] www.uaeincorp.com [4] www.users.ox.ac.uk [5] Sasol Gulf – Operation Manual [6] Sulphonation Technology in the Detergent Industry by W. Herman de Groot [7] www.lasinfo.org [8] www.mixmedicine.com [9] www.chemicalland21.com [10] Test Method Control Room File

Customer relationship management Essay

Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to provide insights into the development and management of a customer community, informing product innovation and engaging customers in co-creation of a consumption experience. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the state of current knowledge about co-production, co-creation and customer communities is followed by discussion of the case study methodology. The case history of a leading player in the UK and international â€Å"sportkiting† market focuses on product innovation and customer-community development. Discussion re? ects in more detail on the lessons from the case for application of the principles in practice. Findings – The case company’s innovative product development strategy provides the catalyst for co-creation of a customer experience. Its marketing actions extend beyond product development and innovation to actively co-creating experiences with customers, fostering a sense of community among users, facilitating communication within that community, acting on the feedback, and continuously developing and maintaining the community relationship. Research limitations/implications – The company’s marketing strategy can be summed up as â€Å"customer community leadership†. This paradigm proposes a new role for businesses in sectors where there is a potential to develop and engage communities. It provides a context for the effective facilitation of customer knowledge management, within which marketing intelligence plays a signi? cant role. The ? ndings offer scope for further research into the nature of this phenomenon and its relevance to co-creation in other industry sectors, and into numerous aspects of the processes and impacts associated with customer communities. Originality/value – The case contributes to the literature of co-creation, demonstrating how it has been achieved through a marketing strategy and marketing mix in a particular customer community. Keywords Customer relations, Innovation, Relationship marketing, Leadership Paper type Case study Marketing Intelligence & Planning Vol. 25 No. 2, 2007 pp. 136-146 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0263-4503 DOI 10. 1108/02634500710737924 Introduction. The increased complexity, globalization and knowledge-intensity of marketplaces require all businesses to make better use of their technological, organizational and marketing competences in order to survive. Contemporary organizations in highly competitive and highly innovative markets must be able to build market share quickly, by delivering fast, high quality, innovative solutions. The changing organisational environment has driven interest in organisational learning and knowledge management (Drucker, 1993; Prusak, 1997). Many studies have con? rmed customer knowledge as one of the most important knowledge bases for an organisation (Bennett and Gabriel, 1999; Chase, 1997), and there is a considerable interest in the potential of â€Å"co-production† and â€Å"co-creation† either individually or in community contexts, to enhance innovation and business performance (Gibbert et al. , 2002). Focus on the engagement of customers in organizational learning, innovation and knowledge processes heralds the dawn of a new paradigm of marketing intelligence in  which data and information are not simply gathered into databases and distilled to inform management decision making, but rather marketing intelligence is embedded in dynamic co-creation processes that involve customers as partners rather than subjects. Through a case study analysis and critique of a leading manufacturer of kiteboarding equipment, this paper seeks to provide insights into the engagement and management of a customer community, to inform product innovation and to engage customers in co-creation of a sporting experience. The case contributes to the literature of co-creation and speci?cally to the way in which communities can be enlisted in the co-creation of experiences. It begins with a literature review, outlining the state of current knowledge on co-production and co-creation and on customer communities, followed by a description of the case study methodology. A pro? le of the company, with particular reference to its product development and community development follows leads to re? ection in detail on the contribution from this case. Finally, conclusions and recommendations provide a summary of the issues. The concept of â€Å"customer community leadership† is proposed, and agendas for further research identi? ed. Literature review This section draws together current knowledge on two key themes: co-creation, or co-production, and customer communities. Research on both of these themes ? ts broadly within the paradigm or philosophy of relationship marketing. As the main plank of a marketing strategy, relationship marketing aims to build long term, mutually satisfying relations with customers, suppliers and distributors with the key objective of earning and retaining their long-term preference, loyalty and business (Foss and Stone, 2001; Peck et al., 1999; Buttle, 1996; Massey et al. , 2001). In discussing the absence of a consensus on the term relationship marketing, and on the appropriateness of the term, other authors have suggested that a focus on interactions and networks of interactions between businesses and their customers might be more meaningful (Healy et al. , 2001; Zoliewski, 2004). The concepts of co-production and customer communities both focus on interactions. Communities, in particular, involve networks of interactions. The theme of interaction between customers and organizations in product and service innovation is developed in the literature on co-production. Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2000) suggest that companies have to recognise that the customer is becoming a partner in creating value, and need to learn how to harness customer competences. One aspect of this will be the engagement of customers in co-creating personal experiences. The body of work on co-creation and co-production has grown in recent years. Kristensson et al. (2004) have examined the bene? Ts of involving users in suggesting new product ideas, ? nding that ordinary users created signi? cantly more original and valuable ideas than professional developers, whilst professional developers and advanced users created more easily reliable ideas. At a more modest level of customer engagement, Salomo et al. (2003) found that customer orientation in innovation projects (not necessarily, in this case, customer engagement) had a positive in? uence on NPD success and that the impact increased with the degree of product innovativeness. Similarly, Hsieh and Chen (2005) showed that new product development performance can be enhanced by interacting with users, and capitalising on user-knowledge management competences. Matthing et al. (2004) suggest that the Customer community and co-creation 137 MIP 25,2 138 value of customer involvement in new service development resides in the opportunity to facilitate proactive learning about the customer, and to understand and anticipate latent customer needs. Lilien et al. (2002) suggest that user contribution to the idea generation process is optimised through the careful selection of â€Å"lead users† to participate in the process. Dahlsten (2004) discusses customer involvement in the case of a product development project at Volvo Cars, which allowed the project management team to acquire an understanding of the customer through â€Å"customer presence†. A study comparing the sources of product and process innovation in large and small technology-based ? rms found that product developers in SMEs valued customers, co-workers, marketing and journals more highly, whilst suppliers were particularly valued by large ? rms (Bommer and Jalajas, 2004). Co-creation might be viewed as an aspect of customer-knowledge competence, the processes that generate knowledge about speci? c customers (Campbell, 2003). Gibbert et al. (2002, p. 460) describe customer knowledge management as a process in which organisations seek to â€Å"know what their customers know† and de? ne it as: . . . the strategic process by which cutting-edge companies emancipate their customers from passive recipients of products and services, to empowerment as knowledge partners. CKM is about gaining, sharing, and expanding the knowledge residing in customers, to both customer and corporate bene? It is thus concerned with an understanding of how to elicit and leverage knowledge from customers. Their emphasis on interacting with customers and co-production, extending to co-learning, lifts the focus from collecting data and information in order to learn about customers to learn with customers. They discuss ? ve different styles of customer knowledge management, including â€Å"prosumerism† where the customer acts as co-producer, and â€Å"communities of creation† in which groups of people work together, have shared interests, and want to jointly create and share knowledge. The focus of co-production research is often on product innovation and new product development, with some contributions relating to service development (Matthing et al. , 2004). However, Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2003), suggest a future in which the locus of innovation and co-production will shift from products and services to â€Å"experience environments†. This suggestion aligns with other proposals that the â€Å"experience marketing† era is on the horizon, and that it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to respond to the needs of the experience consumer (Li and Wei, 2004). Co-creation may take place in the context of customer communities. There is a considerable literature on customer clubs (Butscher, 2002; Gustafsson et al. , 2004; Stauss et al. , 2001) and loyalty schemes (Bolton et al. , 2000; Mauri, 2003; Passingham, 1998; Worthington, 2000). Only a small sub-group of such clubs and schemes can properly be described as customer communities, however, which should at the very least exhibit C2C interaction. To convincingly justify the use of â€Å"community† they should furthermore share a culture with norms, values and identity, and mutual interests and objectives. Fan clubs, interest clubs, and software user groups may constitute customer communities. Butscher (2002) identi? es the Kawasaki Riders Club, The Volkswagen Club, and Swatch The Club as examples which might be described as customer communities. On the other hand, loyalty schemes such as Tesco Clubcard, American Express, Airmiles, and Marriot Rewards are focussed on the B2C dimension of relationship marketing, and do little to cultivate or in? uence C2C interactions. Therefore, whilst they may be able to identify a relatively stable group of users, they have not created a community. One context in which there has been more discussion of customer communities is the virtual environment (Armstrong and Hagel, 1996). Some loyalty schemes use this channel to support C2C interaction. Virtual customer communities enable organizations to establish distributed innovation models that involve varied customer roles in new product development (Nambisan, 2002; Pitta and Fowler, 2005). Nambisan (2002) suggests that the design of virtual customer environments needs to consider interaction patterns, knowledge creation, customer motivation, and integration of the virtual customer community with the new product development team. Dholakia et al. (2004) explore the impact of group norms and social identity on participation in consumer communities. The wider literature on virtual communities and their role in learning and knowledge creation is also substantial, and may have perspectives to offer on the role of virtual communities in innovation (Hall and Graham, 2004; Davenport and Hall, 2002; Wenger, 2000). In conclusion, the themes of co-creation and customer communities have been identi? ed as important in the literature, but there remains a scope for considerable further work, speci?  cally relating to: . co-creation of experiences; Customer communities that exist in both physical and virtual space; and . the mechanisms and processes through which organizations can engage customer communities, as opposed to individual members of those communities, in co-creation. Methodology Case studies are a valuable way of looking at the world around us, and asking how or why questions (Yin, 1994). The case study design adopted in this paper may be described as a holistic single case design. Typically, single case designs are appropriate when the exercise has something special to reveal that might act as a point of departure for challenging received wisdom, prior theoretical perspectives and untested assumptions. A specialist in sporting kite technology was chosen as the basis for the case analysis in this paper for four reasons in particular, as follows: (1) The stated mission of Flexifoil International is to: â€Å"provide our customers with the ultimate Kitesports experience† (www.? exifoil. com/company). (2) Flexifoil has been consistently committed to product innovation. (3) Flexifoil works with customers and proactively builds customer communities to support customer engagement in co-creation of the kiting experience. (4) The active and extensive participation of one of the authors in the kiting community formed the basis for an in-depth understanding of the community building and co-creation processes observed. Company pro? le: Flexifoil International Through product innovation, the company seeks to design and develop the highest performance products, with new designs and products that support new kite-based Customer community and co-creation 139 MIP. 25,2 sporting experiences and events. Flexifoil build both their own customer community and the kite boarding community in general through customer service, distribution networks, sponsorship and promotion of the sports for which their products are used. They provide opportunities for the kite sporting community to interact, online and in other ways. Their community is thus built through B2B, C2B and C2C relationships and channels. 140 Product development Until the early 1970s, a kite had for hundreds of years been a piece of fabric controlled with one or two lines, designed to be hand-?own in windy conditions. What is now Flexifoil International started when two English university students effectively â€Å"invented† the two-line power kite by producing the ? rst to be sold commercially. Two larger kites with the evocative names â€Å"Pro Team 8† and â€Å"Super 10† established Flexifoil’s market position, and enabled the company to enter upon a period of innovation and experimentation that explored a range of different potential applications for power kites. Some of their innovations were successful, others less so, such as three-wheeled buggies designed to be pulled by a power kite or traction kite. The successful developments in materials and design technology by Flexifoil and its followers allowed this basic product to support today such diverse activities as kite boarding (water-based), snow kiting, kite land boarding, buggying, recreational power kiting, and sportkiting (â€Å"traditional† kiting). The company’s own product range now comprises: power kites, recreational kites, traction kites, and water re-launchable kites; buggies and boards; lines and control gear; and miscellaneous accessories such as clothing. Following the launch of a web site, with associated forums in which enthusiasts could meet and exchange ideas, Flexifoil’s sales increased by around 25 per cent each year between 1999 and 2004. Innovation continued, with the development of water-based kiting or kitesur? ng, and later kites for land boarding and snow kiting. Over the last thirty years, the company had thus effectively created a market, and maintained leadership in its particular niche, by means not only of product innovation but also engagement with and cultivation of a power-boarding community. Community development Distribution. The community development process begins with the company’s distribution network of authorised retail outlets. Initially, those were mainly windsur? ng and sur? ng shops, but more recently specialised kiting shops have entered the market. Signi? cantly for Flexifoil, some of those have developed into â€Å"kitesports centres† where customers can â€Å"? y before they buy†. At three Premier Kite Sports Centres, the most comprehensive Flexifoil range is available for trial in an environment characterised by knowledgeable staff and extensive facilities in a good location; activity training is also on offer. A smaller range of Flexifoil kites is sold through high street shops. The company also moves the product to market through training schools, academies and university kite clubs, to whom equipment is available at discounted rates or even free of charge if the outlet becomes an of? cial Flexifoil training centre. In addition to these bricks-and-mortar outlets, the company transacts a signi? cant proportion of its retail sales through internet distributors. It also sells spare parts,  branded clothing and a selection of promotional merchandise via Flexifoildirect. com, but restricts distribution of core products to distributors who can offer a full after-sales service. The objective of the company’s distribution strategy is to build, support and maintain an effective customer community. Promotion and marketing communication. The main platform of Flexifoil’s promotional programme is to communicate their commitment to after-sales support, and their ambition to maintain good relationships with both customers and dealer outlets. This strategy, in turn, generates positive word-of-mouth communication, and often act as a channel for customer feedback that can inform future product innovation and development. In pursuit of that objective, Flexifoil make extensive use of specialised advertising media, including every kite magazine in circulation, often running double-page spreads. A branded display stand for Flexifoil product catalogues is distributed to every dealer. To keep the brand at the centre of the kitesporting world, the company sponsors a team of kite boarders who compete around the world. The promotional mix thus embraces advertising, publicity, sales promotion and point-of-sale. Flexifoil furthermore use their web site and its forums proactively to develop the UK kiting community, especially pre-launch. Previews of new kites provoke discussion in the forums, and a level of interest that builds up over months of anticipation and typically generates high sales volumes immediately on the release of the product. This online communication channel brings customers together to exchange experiences, and sell equipment to each other. The company lays claim to the largest online kiting community, of nearly 7,000 members. The variety of forums available to its members specialise in the full range of sportkiting activities. The clear aim of the marketing communications strategy is, like the distribution strategy, to create a community of interest rather than one based simply on transaction. Discussion This discussion will draw out two themes from the case study analysis: co-creation, and customer communities. The study contributes a perspective on the co-creation of experiences, which  is a central element in the emerging paradigm of experience marketing. By continuing engagement with their customer community, the subject company has been able not only to gather feedback on the experiences associated with the use of its products, but also to add to them by offering opportunities, in both the real and virtual environments for customer to enjoy interactions with others who share their interests. It monitors and enhances the experience through the same channels. Whilst product innovation is stepwise, the dialogue and interaction with customers on which that innovation is based is continuous. This is not â€Å"co-production† in the sense that the term is used in new product development contexts, but rather in the service context, where the term refers to the fact that customers have a hand in the development of their own service experience. Nevertheless, experience â€Å"co-creation† in this case, embeds product innovation. The impact of this approach to co-creation is dif? cult to disentangle from the impact of other business and marketing actions. The signi? cant increase in sales in the years since the launch of the web site could be taken as one indicator, but it  Customer community and co-creation 141 MIP 25,2 142 is important to acknowledge the spiral nature of the community creation process. This increase in sales will have expanded the community, and probably also have intensi? ed customers’ engagement with the experiences that community members co-create with the company. The case also contributes some insights on the nature of customer communities. Though the company does ask customers to register their product and thereby collects personal contact details, it does not operate a customer community, club or loyalty scheme. Rather, the innovative and interesting products act as a catalyst for community creation through the medium of the â€Å"experiences† they deliver. The customer community comprises those who have participated in those experiences, enjoyed them, and wish to develop the interaction. Customers work in partnership with the company to build excitement and develop skill, and by sharing the experiences with others, add to the totality of the customer community. The company has taken a number of actions to facilitate this process, including working with distributors, sponsorship, engagement in events, training courses, and an interactive web site. Speci? cally, their approach to communication with their customers is sophisticated. The common view of marketing communications as a one-way transmission is replaced by a marketing communications strategy designed to build and reinforce the company’s position as a leader of a community. Traditional channels such as advertising, sponsorship, and even brand building are only elements in a complex web or network of marketing communications activities, involving C2C and B2B as well as B2C relationships. The company communicates directly with its customers, but also provides contexts which encourage them to â€Å"talk† among themselves. In addition, the marketing communications effort is â€Å"pushed† through distributors, not just in terms of the traditional advertising and branding, but also through the selection of distributors that can offer appropriate support and advice. These actors in the system have a role in welcoming new members into the community. They are supported in doing so by the existing on-line community, and various company-sponsored events at which members are encouraged to gather. The customer community has built gradually as the business has grown. As new products have been added to the product range to support new sports, new sub-communities have formed around them. The process of community development goes hand in hand with product development. Conclusions and recommendations The entrepreneurs behind Flexifoil International have simultaneously created a sport, and an associated sporting community. The company is clear that its mission as not simply to develop and distribute the best products but rather to deliver the most exciting kiting experience. This case study has demonstrates that the entire marketing mix is focussed not on transactions, or even relationship building, but rather on community creation. That community includes both consumers and dealers. Product innovation, distribution and promotion are tightly coupled with community creation. Community building is not just about increasing membership, or even about the engagement of members with the community, but focuses on the creation of a level of mutuality in which there is ongoing dialogue between community members and the company. Flexifoil has neither annexed an existing community, nor do they â€Å"own† one, although they do manage a virtual space through which the community can interact. Rather, their product innovation and the experiences that their product range provides have the potential to act as the catalyst for the community, whilst sponsorship, engagement in events, and the virtual space all facilitate the enhancement of the experience for community members. Other companies compete with Flexifoil for leadership of the power kiting community, both rival manufacturers and others keen to enhance the sportkiting experience. Many of these have web sites through which they seek to capture an online community. For example, one casts itself as â€Å"the kite ? yer’s portal to the internet† offering links to kite manufacturers and kite stores in the USA and Canada, to other power kiting web sites, to other kite ? yer sites, kite teams and clubs, and to magazines and newsgroups. Another claims to be â€Å"the online community that brings ? yers together† and a third promotes itself as â€Å"the internet magazine for kiters†. All offer different services and bene? ts to their customers, but for some, their engagement with the sport kiting community will be restricted to virtual space. Though Flexifoil has a strong brand presence as a manufacturer, it needs to encourage members to participate with it in â€Å"co-creation† if it is to deliver on its mission of providing customers with the ultimate kite sports experience. The approach to marketing strategy described in this case study can aptly be described as customer community leadership. By leading the sport kiting community, but not owning it, Flexifoil has created a community that will buy their products, co-create kiting experiences, provide insights that can inform innovation in the product, the experience and the community innovation, look forward to the next product release, and mutually enhance community members’ experiences of the company’s products and services. Embedded in this approach to community leadership are a number of more traditional marketing actions, such as new product development, advertising, and commitment to after-sales support. The distribution channels are designed to offer the support and training that is likely to enhance sport kiting experiences, but also to build relationships with dealers, and to bring sports kiters together. This is supplemented by opportunities for interaction in virtual space. Community development is achieved through a network of relationship-building actions, at the heart of which are enjoyable and shareable sports kiting experiences. Through community leadership, the company has created a context in which customers are thus from being passive recipients of products and services, and empowered as knowledge partners (Gibbert et al., 2002). In other words, it has thereby created a context that facilitates the processes of customer knowledge management. This is an approach to marketing intelligence and decision making embedded in dynamic co-creation processes that involve customers as partners. It is worth noting that the term â€Å"customer community leadership† can have two different meanings in practice. First, it may mean leadership of a community, in the sense of making it work, setting its direction, and participating in the shaping of experiences of community members. In this context, the focus is on factors such as member engagement, culture, norms, identity and community viability, in terms of the value delivered to all parties. Second, it can describe an avenue to market leadership, in which the business performance of an organisation over the longer term is de? ned and determined by the extent to which its leadership of a community of potential customers, or its power and capacity to lead, is greater than that of its competitors. Customer community and co-creation 143 MIP 25,2 144 In taking the development of the concept of customer community leadership forward, it will be important to explore the different styles and approaches that are and can be adopted by different ? rms and organizations. Given that another essential of successful leadership is followers, an important phenomenon for further study is the nature of â€Å"followership† in this context. This case study has focussed on the actions and strategies adopted by one business to build and bene? t from a customer community and to engage customers in the co-creation of an experience. In addition, it has demonstrated how both online and real-world communities can be enlisted to contribute to building the experience. There is a scope for considerable further study of the processes associated with the co-creation of the experience, and the details of how communities operate. Such research needs both to cover a wider range of organizations and business sectors, and to examine in more detail aspects of communities, co-creation and customer knowledge management. Some potential areas of investigation are: . Perceptions and views of different stakeholders as to the impact of the community and the contributions of different parties in the co-creation of the experience. . The pro? le of such customer communities in terms of loyalty, retention and customer lifetime value, including comparisons between online and real-world communities. . Community processes, including models of key processes of in? uence, knowledge and learning, identi? cation and role of â€Å"node† members, and the role of celebrity voices and endorsement. . The marketing actions that contribute to the cultivation of effective co-creation communities. References Armstrong, A. G. and Hagel, J. (1996), â€Å"The real value of online communities†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74, pp. 134-40. Bennett, R. and Gabriel, H. I. (1999), â€Å"Organisational factors and knowledge management within large marketing departments: an empirical study†, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 212-25. Bolton, R. N. , Kannan, P. K. and Bramlett, M. D. (2000), â€Å"Implications of loyalty program membership and services experience for customer retention and value†, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 95-108. Bommer, M. and Jalajas, D. S. (2004), â€Å"Innovation sources of large and small technology-based ? rms†, IEEE Transactions of Engineering Management, Vol. 51 No. 1, pp. 13-18. Butscher, S. A. (2002), Customer Loyalty Programmes and Clubs, 2nd ed. , Gower, Aldershot. Buttle, F. (1996), Relationship Marketing: Theory and Practice, Paul Chapman, London. Campbell, A. J. (2003), â€Å"Creating customer knowledge competence: managing customer relationship management programs strategically†, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 32 No. 5, pp. 375-83. Chase, R. L. (1997), â€Å"The knowledge-based organization: an international survey†, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 38-49. Dahlsten, F. (2004), â€Å"Hollywood wives revisited: a study of customer involvement in the XC90 project at Volvo Cars†, European Journal of Management, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 141-9. Davenport, E. and Hall, H. (2002), â€Å"Organizational knowledge and communities of practice†, Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, Vol. 36, pp. 171-227. Dholakia, U. M. , Bagozzi, R. P. and Pearo, L. K. (2004), â€Å"A social in? uence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities†, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 21, pp.241-63. Drucker, P. F. (1993), Post-capitalist Society, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Foss, B. and Stone, M. (2001), Successful Customer Relationship Marketing, Kogan Page, London. Gibbert, M. , Leibold, M. and Probst, G. (2002), â€Å"Five styles of customer knowledge management, and how smart companies use them to create value†, European Management Journal, Vol. 20 No. 5, pp. 459-69. Gustafsson, A. , Roos, I. and Edvardsson, B. (2004), â€Å"Customer clubs in a relationship perspective: a telecom case†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 14 Nos 2/3, pp. 157-68. Hall, H. and Graham, D.(2004), â€Å"Creation and recreation: motivating collaboration to generate knowledge capital in online communities†, International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 24, pp. 235-46. Healy, M. , Hastings, K. , Brown, L. and Gardiner, M. (2001), â€Å"The old, the new and the complicated – a trilogy of marketing relationships†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 Nos 1/2, pp. 182-93. Hsieh, L. F. and Chen, S. K. (2005), â€Å"Incorporating voice of the consumer: does it really work? †, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 105 Nos 5/6, pp. 769-85. Kristensson, P. , Gustafsson, A. and Archer, T. (2004), â€Å"Harnessing the creative.

How a Forester Begins a Career

How a Forester Begins a Career Entering and completing a forestry career can be the most rewarding thing a person can do in ones lifetime. If you become familiar with the expectations, can accept demanding entry-level work and have a true love of forests and nature, you will do just fine. Most successful foresters know this and earn the title of successful resource manager. Many consider them true naturalists. Every foresters goals should be working toward becoming a proficient and complete natural resource scientist with a willingness to change. A forester must be flexible to change which will include dealing with shifting forest management priorities, influencing popular political environmental and energy policies plus understanding climate change concerns while utilizing forests for dozens of uses. So, how do you start the process of becoming a graduate forester? Q: Do you have to be a forester to have a career in the forest? A: I frequently get employment, career and job questions on forestry and becoming a forester or forestry technician. Just how do you begin a forestry career or find a job with a conservation organization or company? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest employer of forestry personnel...read more. Q: What should you expect to do as a new forester?A:There arent many careers where you do so much with such variation! Foresters spend considerable time outdoors the first years of their careers. Typical entry-level responsibilities might include measuring and grading trees, evaluating insect outbreaks, conducting land surveys, working in...read more. Q: Who will hire you as a forester?A:The Department of Labors Occupational Outlook Handbook says Conservation scientists and foresters held about 39,000 jobs. Nearly 3 out of 10 workers were in the Federal Government, mostly in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Foresters were concentrated in the USDAs Forest Service...read more. Q: What training is required to be a forester?A:Of all the professions, forestry may be the most misunderstood of the lot. Many kids and adults asking me about becoming a forester havent a clue that it takes a four-year degree or higher. The stereotypical picture is of a job spent in the forest, or...read more. Q: Do foresters have to be licensed?A:Fifteen states have mandatory licensing or voluntary registration requirements that a forester must meet in order to acquire the title professional forester and practice forestry in the state. In many cases you do not have to be licensed if you work on federal...read more. Q: What are the chances of new foresters finding jobs?A:If you are a new forester and using this FAQ, the odds of you finding a forestry job have just dramatically increased. Information included here will get you started in a big way and uses the Internet to the fullest extent....read more. Q: What are some tips on finding forestry employment?A:First, be working on a bachelors or technical degree in forestry. Decide in what area of forestry you want to work (state, federal, industry, consulting, academic)...read more. Q: What are future prospects for finding a job as a forester?A:Here are some predictions from the Department of Labor:Employment of conservation scientists and foresters is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2008. Growth should be strongest in State and local governments and in research and testing services, where demand ...read more. Q: How much money do foresters make?A:The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that Median annual earnings of foresters in 2008 was $53,750. The middle 50 percent earned between $42,980 and $65,000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,190 and the highest 10 percent earned...read more.

Marketing Mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Marketing Mix - Essay Example A marketing mix is an important tool that helps Coca Cola Company to understand what to do to reach out to the target market. Marketing means having Coca Cola drinks at the right place at the right time for convenience for the customer. Coca Cola has numerous elements that form the core of a main marketing system. The elements help Coca Cola achieve its objectives by incorporating them together. A good combination of the elements allows Coca Cola to have a focus on the marketing product. Creation of a pricing strategy by gathering information of the market ensures that the product is not underpriced or overpriced. The strategy involves scrutinizing Coca Cola targets and objectives for the product. Price is one of the elements of a product mix, and it plays an important role in determining the sales of the Coca Cola. In the case of Coca Cola, the price is the value of the drink offered to any individual seeking to quench his or her thirst. Price is the amount that customers pay to purchase Coca Cola from the supplier. Setting the price is important in the development of Coca Cola because it will control the forces of demand and supply for the enterprise. Pricing strategy for Coca Cola helps it to have the ability to determine its sales. The perceived value of the product plays a big role in the determination of the sales of Coca Cola Company. The manner in which a customer values a product is important in the pricing of the beverage company. A positive customer value helps Coca Cola Company successfully charge higher than the monetary of the product. On the other hand, a product should not have a lower value in the eyes of the customer. In the case of the scenario of Coca Cola, the product will be underpriced affecting the sales objectives of the company. About the price, product plays an important role in the marketing mix of a product. Products are the commodities that the company offers for sale. Coca Cola delivers quality products