Discuss the rationale for investing in nutrition for the under 5s Essay

Discuss the rationale for investing in nutrition for the under 5s. Does this lead us to the conclusion that it is not worth investing in education interventions for older children - Essay Example Most are also likely to have experienced illnesses and then died at an early age. The research also shows that this lead to income loses in their lifetime. This may lead one to believe that investing in older children’s education is also worth as compared to nutrition. This paper will discuss the rationale for investing in nutrition for the under 5’s and argue that this does not lead to the conclusion that it is not worth investing in education interventions for older children. Healthy children get smart brains. Hence, they get educated well and bring income to a country. When the younger generation is educated, it may invest in the future businesses of a country. This may lead to the creation of a higher national income in the economy. Another advantage would be a reduction of poverty in the future. This is because as this is a younger generation when grown up they would be well prepared to create businesses. Investing in older children’s education should thus be encouraged (Naudeau, 2011:3). Investing on nutrition of children under the age helps children are healthy to be healthy and prevents mental retardation. Mental illnesses bring adult diseases to these individuals when they grow older later in their lives and makes children to be slow learners. Research evidence shows that adult illnesses are more prevalent among those who experienced adverse problems when they were young. This thus shows early life interventions among children should be done to promote heath of individuals. Apart from retardation, bad health also leads to physically challenged children. This hence makes them reluctant to work thus reducing how they work. This issue in turn makes them fail to bring income to a country and to themselves too (Kogali & Krafft, 2015:3). It also helps in preventing certain illnesses that may affect them in future. An example of the illnesses that are associated with poor early childhood nutrition is obesity. The

No one shall commit adultery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No one shall commit adultery - Essay Example Family members are open and ready to forgive their beloved ones for their sin of adultery. Of course, this position can be seriously criticized from different perspectives, but there is no doubt that adultery is not the reason for killing a person. In the countries where Islamic religion is practiced, a sin of adultery is known as Zina and a person who committed this sin was subjected to stoning. The strictness of religion of Islam cannot be denied, but it should be mentioned that even in the modern context these practices of stoning still exist. 10 commandments of God should be followed by Gods followers, but God has never acclaimed for killing or stoning to prevent adultery. He has always appealed for forgiveness and a power of patience and tolerance (Wael). Nowadays we can see that severe measures of punishment are taken against those who committed adultery. In the article "Afhgan woman slices daughter-in-laws throat for refusing prostitution, police say" it is evident that horrible inhumane attitude towards women is still practiced in Afghanistan. Women are killed for their denial to become prostitutes. The Taliban have a usual practice of killing women in the case of adultery. Adultery is a breach of Gods laws for sure, but if a woman is killed then another sin occurs. 13-year-old girl named Sahar Gul was also tortured by her in-laws because she did not conceive right after her husband raped her. Maybe in this case relatives of a girl were triggered by their religious beliefs but no one can deny a horrible and inhumane torturing to which she was exposed to (Afhgan woman slices daughter-in-laws throat for refusing prostitution, police say). Therefore, in the modern world there are still cases and practices of inhumane attitudes and severe reactions to adultery. It is evident that a person committing adultery has taken sin in her heart, but it is not the reason for killing that

Advertising and Sales Promotions In The Internet Essay Example for Free

Advertising and Sales Promotions In The Internet Essay Marketing has been one of the most significant gainers from the Internet revolution. Internet has been applied by marketers both as a medium as well as a product. Marketing has deployed it for communication of information, distribution of some of its products and for receiving payments from the customers. Internet based marketing plays a vital role in the exchange process. Internet marketing term became popular when computers started getting used in marketing extensively. Earlier, computers were used more for storing, processing and reporting of various marketing related information. But, with the entry of Internet the online data handling possibilities have virtually exploded the use of computer. This application has multiplied the use of computers faster among communities. Internet marketing profitably reinforces the concepts of marketing with the power of internet. It strengthens the existing delivery of marketing outputs and also opens newer avenues of marketing which were not possible to achieve before the arrival of internet. A marketer today can keep track of millions of customers simultaneously, segment them online, offer customized products to individual customers, fix different prices, provide varying contents and styles of information and deliver the products through appropriate modes of distribution to each of these customers. The details of such transactions and the characteristics of each of these customers can be stored for their dynamic utilization in future marketing opportunities with the customers. Estee Lauder’s anti ageing product ‘Advanced Night Repair Concentrate’   is able to make inroads in the customers mind. Internet will function as the medium for promoting the product.   Advertising and Sales Promotions: Like products and prices, customization of advertising and promotion are very much possible in internet marketing. Besides customization, the customer is contacted when he is giving, full attention to the computer screen. In fact, when a customer views any site he has done so after deliberate and conscious effort and choice. This increases his commitment to the message that he is viewing on the internet. Advertising generates a hierarchy of impacts like creation of awareness, interest, desire and action on the consumer. Different media are found to be better suited for certain kinds of impacts out of this hierarchy. Internet has been found to be amenable to finer tuning for most of these impacts. As a result, it is possible to better transport the customer from one level of impact to the next higher one and do so more quickly. The combination of this factor with the feature of individualization makes the output very powerful one. Besides this, the measurement of each of these impacts are also possible more easily and online. The promotions on internet can also be customized in a similar way. The internet marketing model suggests that commerce follows content and community. Since the internet phenomenon has occurred like an explosion there had been quite a rush to build up communities in the competitive environment. In this rush, many of the marketers tried to buy prospective customers into their communities net by offering a variety of incentives. This has caused internet marketing effort to be seen as overloaded with freebies in the form of consumer promotions. Personal Selling: The advantage of mass personal selling is made possible through internet for both customers and the marketers. Anti aging is a consumer product so Estee Lauders can get the maximum benefit by penetrating in this stream. The customers can identify the optimum provider for his unique sets of needs. Customer can also arrange for updating himself in the precise area of his interest although from the most extensive sources of information possible. The marketer can also store the historical data of individual persons and their behavior. These data can be then processed with the help of data mining and marketing decision tools. These data are utilized to provide solutions to the customers needs on an online and individual basis. The product can be configured exacting to the individual customer’s needs at the price and with a payment mechanism most convenient to him. The information and the persuasive appeals can also be tailor made for the individual customer. He can be reminded or provided with additional services as per his specific requests and all these information can be utilized in the design of next round of offering to him. This kind of individual personal service when offered on continuous basis becomes service to the customer of significant commercial value. Publicity:   Internet marketing has the capability of viewing existing customers through a wide variety of angles and compares the efficacy of each of these views. Various data mining tools available today are employed to do this job. They mainly utilize the processes of sorting, clustering and association seeking among the consumer characteristics. The history of the customer behavior in terms of past transactions and internet viewing generate rich data for this purpose of publicity automatically. Such data are often supplemented with the offline data collected through alternative sources. The customer segments created with such methodologies can have the advantage of being more dynamic because they can be created through online databases, more insightful because of the use of more powerful clustering and association seeking techniques and customers themselves selecting into a segment of mass market. On the other hand, the customers become empowered to scan much larger canvas of market and bargain for their purchasing power with a larger base of marketers. The customers can also create a large pool of knowledge by online sharing knowledge of their experience based knowledge among their peer customers. The interactivities gained by both marketers and customers have .the potential of unleashing very high levels of energy in the marketplace restricted only by the creative limits of the market players. Public Relation: The advantage of mass customization is made possible through Internet for both customers and the marketers. The customers can identify the optimum provider for his unique sets of needs. Customer can also arrange for updating himself in the precise area of his interest although from the most extensive sources of information possible. The marketer can also store the historical data of customers and their behavior. These data can be then processed with the help of data mining and marketing decision tools. These data are utilized to provide solutions to the customers needs on an online and individual basis. The product can be configured exacting to the individual customer’s needs at the price and with a payment mechanism most convenient to him. The information and the persuasive appeals can also be tailor made for the individual customer. He can be reminded or provided with additional services as per his specific requests and all these information can be utilized in the design of next round of offering to him. This kind of customization when offered on continuous basis becomes service to the customer of significant commercial value. Placement Of Product: Internet marketing is seen as attacking on the length of the distribution chain particularly the information flow related ones, much more efficiently and instantaneously. As a result it is often possible to reorganize the distribution chain at the cost of its length. The span of control can also increase considerably as many of the control related processes can be transferred to the computer. The saving in costs due to these effects is often considered as the most important contributions of internet marketing. The increased availability of distribution related information also causes information overload to the consumers. A new category of channel members, called infomediaries, have also emerged. These infomediaries primarily consolidate the relevant information about the availability of the products and pass them on to the consumers after suitably repackaging them. Besides pure infomediaries, the existing distributors do also rebundle their services after integrating the online and offline elements of their services. Internet also enables online distribution of digitized products. This helps in extending pinpointed reach to a large number of customers, eliminating the lead time between ordering and delivery, reducing the inventory requirements and smooth organization of transaction related data processing. Conclusion In the era of globalization, with marked technological strides has   revolutionized the exchange process of buying and selling of products on the Internet.   Internet marketing is a worldwide phenomenon.   Internet marketing has made inroads as the emerging mode of buying and selling of products to specific target groups with fast changing needs, preferences and life styles. Estee Lauders has the huge potential of promoting the anti aging product through internet. References Philip Kotler (2002) Marketing Management , Prentice Hall New York Charles F.,(2002) Internet Marketing, Wiley Publication Flippo Edwin B., (2001) Marketing Channels, McGraw-Hill. J Taylor Sims, J. Robert Foster, Arch G. Woodside.(1998) Marketing Channels: Systems and Strategies Harper and Row: New York

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Benefits

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Benefits Drivers and Barriers of Modern Methods of Construction Work produced by; Blayse (2004), Goodier (2006), Koebel (2008), NHBC Foundation (2006), Pan (2006), Pasquire (2004), Rosenfeld (1994), Sexton (2005), Taylor (2009), The Barker Review, (2003), Venables (2004), The Market Transformation Programme (2008) and The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, (2003) have all suggested the necessity to increase the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction. These sources have stated the following perceived advantages associated with MMCs Tackling the skills shortage. An easier method of compliance to building standards. The ability to achieve high standards, including high thermal and acoustic performance. A reduction in waste materials, with a larger incentive for suppliers to reduce waste. Shorter build times. A better quality construction in finish with fewer defects. A reduction in both accidents and health concerns. Construction that is less effected by inclement weather during the build. Less local disruption in the form of noise dust and site traffic. Fewer and less skilled triads required on site. Creation of employment in a fix location due to the permanence of the factory resulting in shorter distances for the workforce to travel and thus making workforce shortages easier to address. Reduced cost/increased cost certainty, not only due to decreased erection time and economics of scale, but also do to a reduction in preliminaries, site storage requirements and welfare facilities Improved traceability of components enabling improvements to maintenance regimes. Improved accuracy and tolerances, due to the use of jigs and templates in factory conditions Reduced life-cycle costs Increased accuracy on completion dates A more simplified procurement process Reductions in CO2 emissions. Increased on-site productivity Generally increased ‘value of products Increased rate of housing supply Although not all MMC solutions offer all of these advantages, it is the opinion of the vast majority of the literature that they would have a beneficial impact on the UK construction industry, if increasingly adopted. The most significant of these drivers for an increased uptake of MMCs will be discussed in more detail in the latter part of this chapter. There are however, a number of potential barriers to increasing the adoption of these methods suggested by the sources listed above. These include: Real or perceived additional cost and the lack of accurate cost data. Long lead-in times and the associated difficulties in integrating MMCs with traditional procurement systems. Clients negative perception. The lack of publish information and guidance. Increased risk and the industries reluctance to change. The lack of published codes and standards. The lack of local availability of the materials. The lack of experience of the construction process and the materials. Difficulties obtaining finance. Insufficient worker skill. Difficulties in achieving economics of scale. The fact that the quality and durability of the techniques over time have not been proven. Difficulties integrating MMCs with traditional works. The inflexibility of factories to respond to fluctuating demand. Similarly as with the drivers, not all MMCs are perceived to have these barriers to increased integration. Again, the most significant barriers will be discussed in more detail in the latter part of this chapter. As stated in Chapter 1, due to restrictions on time all of the above drivers and barriers and their significance to an increased adoption of MMCs cannot be discussed in detail. It is for this reason that the paper will now aim to establish the most significant issues for in depth discussion. Pan (2006) produced a survey of the top 100 private housebuilders (in 2004) by unit completion, to ascertain the most prolific drivers and barriers of MMCs in their opinion. As â€Å"the top 100 house builders contributed 113,882 (65%) of the total amount (of new houses) by the industry† (Pan, 2006, p.185) in 2003, the level of use of MMCs within the sector will be largely determined by these companies. â€Å"large housebuilders () account for the vast majority of housing completions and thus are determinant in increasing the take-up of MMC technologies† (Pan, 2006, p.189) It is for this reason that the significance of the issues to these housebuilders will have a large effect on the adoption of MMCs within the housing sector. The work produced by Pan (2006), found that the top 3 advantages to MMCs from the opinion of housebuilders were addressing the skills shortage (61%), ensuring time certainty (54%) and ensuring cost certainty (54%). These results were followed closely by achieving high quality (50%) and minimising on-site duration (43%). Venables (2004, p.10) also found reductions in on-site assembly time as an important driver to MMCs adoption, but interestingly found that â€Å"the quality of production and finish as the most significant advantages†, in the opinion of suppliers. The same study by Pan (2006) found that the top 3 barriers to MMC from the opinion of housebuilders were higher capital cost (68%), difficulties in achieving economics of scale (43%), the inability to ‘freeze the design early on, and complex interfacing between systems, both at (29%). The nature of the UK planning system was also ranked relatively high by 25% of the respondents. Contrarily to this, work by Edge (2002, p.V) found that the major barrier to MMCs was the negative perception of the client. Suppliers were found by Goodier (2006, p.598) to have a similar opinion, with 65% of respondents viewing the negative image of MMCs as the major barrier to increased adoption of the methods. This demonstrates that the significance of the barriers to increasing the adoption of MMCs varies, depending on the position within the industry. Following investigation of the literature however, the overriding issues, which will now be discussed in detail, are: Addressing the skills shortage, ensuring cost certainty, improved quality, minimising onsite duration, high capital costs, difficulties in achieving economics of scale, and the perception of MMCs in and around the industry. Significance of Drivers and Barriers The negative annotations associated with modern methods of construction are an issue for the industry. Edge (2002) conducted a study to ascertain the causes for the resistance by clients and the market to prefabrication and standardisation in housing. Findings revealed that a large proportion of the resistance was within the housing industry itself. The commitment for change that was found within senior management was failing to defuse throughout the organisations enough to bring about the transformation. Interestingly the study found that the public was not resistant to new forms of construction entirely, although there was a partial resistance when considering the ‘value of the new materials and methods. The study concluded that house buyers are strongly influenced by the negative association of the post-war ‘prefab and as a result of this will resist changes to what a ‘traditional house looks like. An example of this would be the adverse media coverage that was r eceived by timber framed houses. Edge (2002, p.I) explains that this adverse media coverage severely reduced the application of this method in England to nearly 0%, whereas in Scotland it constituted 65% of new houses in 2001. The findings of Edge (2002), it would seem, have not diminished over time. Goodier (2006, p.589) found that the negative image of MMCs are â€Å"by far the greatest influence on the industrys ability to expand†. This sentiment, although not listed directly as a barrier by the housebuilders, was found by Pan (2006 p.118) to be the most significant area to tackle, in their opinion, to see increase adoption of MMCs. â€Å"There exists significant prejudice against the take-up of MMC among housebuilders and in the wider context of housing supply†. This negative view towards MMCs was also found by Edge (2002 p.I) â€Å"lenders are reluctant to give mortgages on non-traditional construction, () valuers put lower values on it () and that planners delay the process of acquiring the necessary permissions†. Edge (2002) attributes these problems to the fear of the unknown techniques and potential maintenance problems, due to MMCs unproven nature that was discussed earlier. This Negative opinion towards MMCs is likely to be having a negative effect on the adoption of the methods. To increase MMCs take-up there will need to be considerable measures taken to improve its image. These measures are discussed in more detail in chapter 4. The suggested ‘improved quality that is presented as a driver for an increased adoption of MMCs may also have an influence in changing peoples perceptions, although it would appear that the industry is aware of this advantage. Pan (2006, p.187) found that 50% of the top 100 housebuilders viewed the ability to achieve high quality as one of the top 3 drivers for MMCs. Goodier (2006, p.588) revealed similar findings, with 79% of clients and designers and 77% of contractors viewing increased quality as an advantage of MMCs. Venables (2004, p.30) found that 39% of manufacturers viewed quality as the most important advantage of MMCs. A reason for low adoption of MMCs, even though the improved quality is known as a major advantage may be due to the point raised earlier, that the commitment for change that was found within senior management was failing to defuse throughout the organisations enough to bring about the transformation. This is because the surveys that were carried out in both Goodier (2006) and Pan (2006) were answered by persons high up in the management structure and so the advantages and disadvantages of MMCs may in fact not actually be realised by the persons choosing and using the systems. There is a large amount of supporting literature that agrees that improved quality can be achieved with the use of MMCs. An example of this would be the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology who state that â€Å"MMC houses typically have fewer defects ()† (2003, p.1). The improved quality of MMC can be seen as a major driver, especially when considering that â€Å"traditional building practices often fall short in conforming to design specification† (The Market Transformation Programme 2008, p.3). A reason behind the apparent lack of impact that this advantage is having on adoption of MMC was given by The Market Transformation Programme (2008, p.3), â€Å"Changes in construction practice, such as the use of drylining instead of wet plaster and the internal walls being studwork instead of blockwork, may give the occupants the impression that houses are less solid or robust than they used to be†. This relates back to the negative perception of MMCs and the fear of the unknown that was mentioned earlier and show how it is having a much wider impact on the uptake of MMCs than was first suspected. Work produced by Pan (2006, p.189) however states that â€Å"the end market has shown little interest in how a house is built () location and price are the two main determinants of which house to buy.† It was argued that this is due to the housing shortage and that housebuilders themselves should reassess their attitudes towards MMCs. The quality of MMCs it was discussed by Taylor (2009, p.6) is greatly improved, in comparison to traditional methods. This was attributed to the controlled working conditions resulting in fully tested services and a better finish in an environment that inherently reduces risks of accidents and ill health among the workforce. The potential quality improvements that can be made with the use of MMCs will have a large impact on their take-up. This is because as quality and other advantages become more apparent within the industry, not only to the persons implementing the systems but everyone involved, than perceptions are likely to change resulting in an accelerated adoption of the methods. One of the largest incentives of an increase in the level of MMCs to be used in the UK is that of time and cost. â€Å"The construction industry () should use more offsite and standardisation in order to () reduce cost and time,† Goodier (2006, p.587). Similarly â€Å"innovative systems which take less time to construct on-site can lead to savings on, e.g. site prelims and equipment hire† NHBC Foundation (2006, p.5). Goodier (2004, p.4) supports this stating that â€Å"the belief that using off-site is more expensive when compared with traditional construction is clearly the main barrier to increased use of off-site in the UK.† This proportion of the literature suggests that there are cost and time savings to be made by the use of MMCs along with the work by Pan (2006) who found that cost certainty was viewed as a driver for 54% of the respondents. Although there is a view within the industry of cost savings, Pasquire (2004, p.2) found that â€Å"the use of off-site production, by many of those involved in the construction process, is poorly understood. Some view the approach as too expensive to justify its use ()†. This point was heighten by Venables (2004, p.33) who states that â€Å"the general view is that it (MMC) is currently more expensive.† A study conducted by The National Audit Office (2005) had similar findings, â€Å"Volumetric and hybrid methods were slightly more expensive (than traditional methods).† Lusby-Taylor (2004) also revealed that â€Å"projects would cost more than if traditionally built†. The most recent sources show that there is around 7-10% increase in MMCS costs, compared to traditional methods (The Market Transformation Programme, 2008, p.5). Taylor (2009, p.7) interesting states that â€Å"Tenders often take no account of the shorter delivery and erection times () Othe r savings are made in the reduction of preliminaries, reduced site storage requirements and welfare facilities.† This implies that the knock on savings of MMCs are often not included in the tender price. This was a sentiment that was also the opinion of Goodier in 2006 (p. 588). â€Å"Many projects are still judged purely on first or initial cost.† These sources show that there is much confusion as to the true cost of MMCs and if savings are achievable. The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology mention that accurate cost comparison is difficult as â€Å"project financial information is financially confidential† (2003, p.2) and that traditional masonry costs vary widely. The unclear cost information is quite significant in effecting the uptake of MMCs as if cost comparisons are unclear or inaccurate than there is likely to be a reluctance to move away from familiar traditional methods by actors within the industry. Gates (2004, p.2) suggests that MMCs have failed to deliver cost savings and that it is expensive because the industry is small. The fact that the industry is small is suspected to be a cause for the higher costs, â€Å"Many MMC suppliers currently design their products around tradition housing types. This is seen as a market entry strategy since it allows developers to demonstrate that a house produced using MMC components can be indistinguishable from a traditionally built home. Redesigning houses to better suit the specific characteristics of the MMC product would certainly allow for a cost reduction,† Venables (2004, p.33). This again points towards negative perception of MMCs and results in production of products aiming to look like a traditional construction. This means that improved quality and cost reductions could be achievable without the need for the products to be disguised as traditional construction. It was the opinion of The National Audit Office 2005 however th at the cost of building elements could be reduced by 15% as the MMC market matures. This is encouraging for the MMC market as a definite cost saving could result in an accelerated uptake of the methods (The Market Transformation Programme, 2008, p.3). Work produced by Goodier (2006, p.588) indicates that this may be the case with 67% of clients and designers, and 77% of contractors viewing the higher expense of MMCs as the main barrier. Whilst it is unclear as to the true cost of MMCs in comparison to traditional methods in practice, a number of studies have shown that the higher capital costs are a major issue for the industry. Pan (2006) found it to be the most significant barrier to MMCs in the opinion of the top 100 housebuilders with 68% of the respondents. This may be due to the supply chain of traditional building practices, where there is more of a uniform expenditure throughout the duration of the project. With a number of MMC techniques there is a large expenditure at the beginning of the project, for example when commissioning the construction of a large number of volumetric units, which can cause problems to the cash flows of many projects. Interestingly however, the study conducted by Goodier (2006, p588) found that reduce initial cost was in the opinion, of 44% of clients and designers, and 15% of contractors, to be an advantage of MMCs. This difference of opinion could be attributed to the vastly diff erent methods that constitute an MMC and varying project delivery methods that are used within the industry which result in lower capital costs then with the traditional equivalent. The opinions of the top 100 housebuilders show that measures are required to combat the issue of high capital costs, however it should be noted that Goodier (2006, p.590) found that only 25% of suppliers thought that a reduction costs would overcome the resistance to MMCs. It is for this reason that possible solutions are likely to include promoting the other advantages of MMCs to ensure that tenders are based on value as appose to cost. This will be discussed in more depth in chapter 4. 87% of clients and designers, and 92% or contractors in the survey conducted by Goodier (2006, p.588) found decreased construction time as the main advantage to MMCs. The study conducted by Pan (2006, p.187) found minimizing onsite duration as the 4th most important driver for increased adoption of MMC. This shows that there is a clear benefit to using MMCs with regard to construction time onsite from the industry view point. This is because much of the work can be performed in factory conditions before work is needed to take place on site. This lessens the chance of accidents and defects, and reduces reliance on clement weather. As a knock on effect there is a reduced cost of rectification of defects, equipment hire, dangerous working conditions and delays. Taylor (2009, p.7) An example of reduced time on site of a project was given by The Office Of the Deputy Prime Minister (2003, p.1) â€Å"the time on sight to complete () the project was 50 weeks, saving some 40 per cent compared with traditional site-based construction†. Venables (2004, p.33) however, makes an interesting point in that â€Å"while the actual on site assembly time for many off site manufactured components is significantly less than traditional components, the design and production lead in times, and in particular redesign times, can remove this time advantage† This point demonstrates that a major drawback of some forms of MMC, particularly those performed offsite, is the amount of pre construction work that is required in comparison to traditional methods. This point was found by Goodier (2006, p.588) as the 2nd most important barrier to an increased adoption of MMCs, with 46% of clients and designers, and 62% of contractors. Other associated problems inherent with these forms of MMC can be defects. As it has been established, MMCS generally result in fewer defects and improved quality, however when they occur, particularly in mass produced items such as a bathroom pod, the defects are likely to be present in all of the products. This is due to the repetitive nature of the construction, as opposed to traditional construction where a defect in the roof construction of a house is likely to be due to poor workmanship and expected to be present in only one roof. (The Market Transformation Programme, 2008, p.2) Venables (2004, p.33) states that if standard components can be used in a creative way to create variation in designs, whilst minimising alterations in the production lines, it will allow for the best advantages of economics of scales to be had. It should be reiterated however that Goodier (2007, p.590), found that only around 25% of the suppliers in the survey viewed a reduction in price as a means of overcoming resistance to modern methods of construction. This was in spite of the fact that it was viewed as the main barrier to MMCs adoption in the study conducted by Pan (2006). Goodier (2007, p.590) concluded that this was possibly due to the other appeals of MMCs, and so were basing their opinion on value as opposed to cost. Pan (2006, p.192) suggested that not all MMCs are applicable in all circumstances, however certain instances allow for significant gains to be had via economics of scale. By mass producing products there can be a number of benefits that result in quite substantial savings, however due to the specific instances that are required for this to take place the impact of this issue on further adoption of MMCs, as a hole, is likely to be minimal. A large proportion of the literature has expressed that a shortage of a skilled workforce as a barrier to MMC adoption. The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2003, p.3) found that in 2003, 80% of housebuilders reported difficulties with recruitment. The skills shortage it would appear does not only exist within contractors on site but also at factories where a large proportion of MMCs are constructed. 11% of the respondents in the study conducted by Pan (2006, p.188) viewed the skills shortage as a barrier to MMC use. The study conducted by Goodier (2006, p.588) found that insufficient worker skill was an issue for 21% of clients and designers and 23% of contractors. This low rating by those within the industry may be due to the point raised by The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2003, p.3), who argued that â€Å"using MMC to build house parts in factories, and faster on site construction, means that fewer labourers are required.† This would sugge st that increasing the adoption of MMCs is likely to decrease the problems found by housebuilders with recruitment. Goodier (2006, p.592) expressed that between 70% and 80% of the workforce within UK construction has no formal qualification, with a narrow skill base and limited training. The study found that the skills most lacking were Electricians, Joiners and Brick layers in the opinions of suppliers, designers and clients, and contractors. Goodier (2006, p.588) concluded that this is a driver for an increased application of MMCs, due to their findings that most within the industry viewed MMCs as requiring an equally or less skilled workforce. Contrary to this Clarke (2002) argues that â€Å"a skilled workforce is required to enable innovation () to be applied† and that due to the lack of broad basic training in construction after which they specialise, workers are usually trained for one role. This makes it difficult for the workforce to become multi skilled which is required for increasing the adoption of MMCs. Venables (2004, p.38) indicated that suppliers usually had to provide addit ional training as 89% of the general Labour available did not possess the multiple skills required. This was because suppliers normally require â€Å"semi-skilled and multi-skilled workers with a medium level of training, rather than specific trades†, (p.593). Taylor (2009, p.7) puts forward the idea that increasing the adoption of MMCs will reduce the impact of a skills shortage as permanently based factory units allow for the numbers and levels of skill to be more easily addressed than on static sites. It is also suggested that due to the lack of locally available skilled labour, the workforce will have to travel large distances with traditional construction, where as with offsite methods the workforce can be more centrally based increasing local employment. This shows that the skills shortage in some instances is acting as a driver of MMC adoption but at the same time may actually be limiting its take-up. A lack of skill on site may drive for an increased use of prefabricated components that require less skill to construct (Goodier, 2006, p.588), but if suppliers and manufactures of the products cannot obtain the skills required to build the components than MMC adoption is likely to fall. Chapter 4 will discuss the potential solutions suggested within the literature for coping with a shortage of skill in the workforce. Summary The discussion so far has established that there are a number of potential barriers and drivers to the industry if attempting to increase the adoption of MMCs. Major barriers have been determined and include: the negative public perception, the perceived or actual higher cost, the perceived or actual higher initial cost and the shortage of skills. The major drivers were also determined, these include, improved quality, reduced onsite duration and, again, the shortage of skills. Although advantageous to the industry it was discussed that they also have their own associated drawbacks.

Modern Grammar Teaching: Reflection Notes

Modern Grammar Teaching: Reflection Notes During reading curriculum for this paper I have learned a lot about grammar and speaking as tools for communication, and my own expectations towards teaching. The theories I have looked at have their strengths and weaknesses, so I have dragged out the parts that I consider important from each one. I found out that there is not one best approach. However, it can bring us closer to understanding how Communicative Language Teaching works. The aim of this paper is to deepen my understanding of teaching and adapting this approach to use as foundation in my future teaching practice. My goal is that through examination of different views and theories I can adapt a suitable approach to teaching. This will help me to improve the quality in my future teaching practices. Working with the Curriculum was the most challenging in my teaching practice. Planning a lesson can get one to be creative and come up with different ideas. I have gained a lot of experience by observing and teaching. Although teaching practice was difficult at times, I tried to do my best. I and my tutors had frequently guidance. They were open to my ideas and this helped to progress in my teaching. I have learned that it is important not to imitate teaching styles and be critical, but choose the teaching style that suits me most. I am aware that as a teacher I meet many challenges both in the subject and didactics area. These situations have to be assessed one by one and there is no answer. What I believe is that if I focus on being a plain (clear?) grown-up and keep a kind of distance towards students and be inaccessible at the same time, I can become an inspiring teacher, at least I hope to become. It is necessary for a teacher that students learn from him/her. One of the objectives of the English as a school subject is that language is both a tool and a way of gaining knowledge and personal insight. Students have to be aware of language learning, communication and understand culture, society and literature. These objectives are the core of the English subject and I hope that I am the right person to be a mediator for this. Introduction There is an enormous demand for English teaching nowadays due to the expanding need for communication skills in English language. Millions of people aspire to good communication skills in English language. Teaching at school, exchange studies, travel, media, internet, newspapers are only a few of the many opportunities to acquire English. There is a huge need for quality language teaching and teaching materials/resources. Fluency and accuracy in English is indispensable not only for academics but also for employees. In order to succeed, one needs good language skills, therefore a successful teaching method is constantly required. To express himself/herself in writing and orally with some precision, fluency and coherence and use basic grammatical and text structures of English orally and in writing are two of the Competence Aims in the English Subject Curriculum (http://www.udir.no). These competence aims give a freedom in choice of teaching methods. The research questions of this paper are: Is Communicative Language Teaching an approach that improves English teaching? Do we need grammar in language teaching? In order to answer these questions I will first introduce the approach of Communicative Language Teaching. Also will I discuss the difference between fluency and accuracy, acquisition and learning, inductive and deductive grammar teaching. For this purpose I chose to discuss different views of several theorists on communicative teaching: RichardsRodgers, David Nunan, C.J. Brumfit, Stephen Krashen, David Newby and R. Ellis. Content Many Norwegian students experience a type of English learning that does not encourage them to see English as a communication tool. Unfortunately, the study of English language is focused mostly on passing exams. Because of this, learners assume there is a connection between good results and proficiency. This is true, to some extent, but strong focus on scores and grades can distort the goals of language learners. Students invest often a lot of time in study efforts, like drills that do not build their language competence. They focus more and more on getting good examination scores, instead of building proficiency. These students will come to see language learning as an exercise favouring accuracy. English seen as a communication tool makes the language study more captivating. Students who experience as early as possible English as communication, talk face-to-face with someone from a foreign country, read books published in English, watch movies, develop the ability to interact with a totally new world. Fluency vs. accuracy The process of Language Teaching has changed significantly in the last years. Earlier views of language (for example the Grammar Teaching Method) had grammatical competence in the centre. Language was seen as a set of norms and structures. The learner had a passive role, and grammar books included mostly drills, gapped sentences and sentences for transformation. (Newby,1998:184). Acoording to Brumfit`s theory (Brumfit,1980), learners need freedom to use the newly developed skills. Not allowing this would inhibit those abilities which are necessary for the most effective response to the predicted needs. Emphasis on fluency is new method in foreign language teaching. Brumfit (1980) shows that the use of fluency is the basis for a language curriculum, rather than accuracy. Accurate construction of the target language has always been a basis in traditional syllabuses. Brumfit is uncertain about its beneficial effects. Accuracy as basis in language teaching neglects adaptability and the a bility to improvise, and written forms will tend to dominate spoken forms. Are learners more responsive to fluency? Brumfit(1980) points at the naive learner who achieves more progress on an oral basis of fluent and inaccurate language than a careful and accurate language. A communicative language teaching begins with communication. Brumfit points at the importance of Communicational exercises that need to match the stages in learner progress. According to RichardsRodgers(2006), Communicative Language Teaching is an approach that aims to communicative competence in language teaching. This approach aspires to develop procedures for language teaching that supports the connection between language and communication. David Nunan (1988) in his Learner-Centred Curriculum studies the concept of language proficiency. The Communicative Approach originates from the theory of language as communication. Nunan mentions Chomskys distinction between competence and performance (Nunan, 1988:32). Comp etence refers to mastery of the principles governing language behaviour, that is the knowledge of grammar rules, and performance refers to the manifestation of these rules in actual language usage. Competence simply means knowledge of the language system( Hymes,1971:13) Hymes (1971)develops this theory further and comes to the conclusion that if a speaker were to produce grammatical sentences without regard to the situation in which they were being used, he would be considered deranged( Hymes,1971:14). Brumfit(1980) agrees with this and observes that beside knowledge of grammar one has to learn to use appropriately the language in living situations. Teachers cannot operate with a view of language simply as a descriptive system to be handed over to the learner; language is a means of interaction, self-definition, aesthetic creation and clarification (Brumfit,1980:116). In communicative language teaching errors are necessary for the learner in order to get a response on the learning s ituation. This way teaching strategies become more sensitive to the abilities and different individual needs (Brumfit,1980:115). Failures operate as a diagnosis for the teacher, and motivation for students. Language is used in a process of thinking, discovering, classifying and manipulating. This process does not take place through language alone, so it demands our active use (Brumfit,1980:120). The aim of language learners is contact, not assimilation. Fluency practice helps the learner to use his limited amount of language for as wide a range of purposes possible; only accurate speech will communicate effectively. The main goal, according to Krashen(1981), is aid in performance. For this reason language teachers should put learners into situations where they have to grope and paraphrase. According to Brumfit(1980), adjusting to other speakers, must be a central feature of communicative methodology. Acquisition vs. Learning Stephen Krashen (1981) calls Communicative Language Teaching an ideal approach. His Second Language Acquisition Theory contains 5 hypotheses. In the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, Krashen(1981) points to the existence of two separate processes that happen in language learning: acquisition and learning. According to Krashen (1981), language acquisition is more central than learning in second language performance( Krashen,1981:101). Language acquisition (intake) is a subconscious process similar to the way a child`s language learning. Caretaker speech is an efficient method to encourage language acquisition. (caretaker speech= all input that is understood). Intake hypothesis develops the idea that one can acquire competence in a SL without ever producing it; delaying speech when active listening is provided causes no delay. Krashen (1981) mentions a report on the American Indians who do not speak a language until they have learned it well (Krashen 1981:108). The result of this hypoth esis is the silent period the students are given to while acquiring a new language. Krashen(1981) doesn`t agree with theories that say that language is grammar, restrict vocabulary and focus on syntax. He means that in order to encourage syntax acquisition, one has to emphasize vocabulary: even knowing the words is enough to guess the content and syntax. One needs comprehension in order to acquire syntax (intuitions). Language learning (input), on the other hand, refers to the conscious learning of a second language, knowing the rules of thumb and the structure of the target language. Krashen(1981) says that there is no need to provide any conscious learning in acquisition, because grammar rules describe only fragments of natural language. He gives example of performers who know the rule, but still cannot use it after many years, and performers who have acquired large amount of language without learning it consciously. (p.114). Krashen(1981) concludes that grammar study by itself is meaningless; successful second language acquisition need both grammar and immersion. Acquisition may happen in intake-rich environments. Mechanical drill fail as optimal intake primary focus is on the form of the language. These might motivate students but is not enough (Krashen,1981). Communication is stimulated by more efficient exercises, such as meaningful, communicative drills. Foreign student peer group and helping foreign students get to know each other are also beneficial for intake. Communicative grammar. Inductive vs. deductive grammar teaching According to Newby(1998), many language classes in Europe focus mostly on teaching grammar, reduced to a form of mathematics and had little to do with the communication of ideas. Teachers use large portions of class time explaining rules, analyzing the grammar in sentences and drilling. Newby(1998) means that traditional grammar has to be analyzed again and replace some elements with a more communication -based theory of grammar. He believes that there is more than one view that provides all the answers. Newby(1981) discusses the difference between traditional, deductive grammar and modern, inductive grammar. While deductive grammar focuses on the presentation of language, on rules and testing of grammar, inductive grammar concentrates on the ability of choosing meaningful grammar in real contexts. Nevertheless, inductive grammar is not weak on grammar. Newby(1998) mentions that it includes additional categories which offer the learner ways to communicate through grammar in actual si tuations. In the early stages of learning the learner learns to feel grammar and sees how it works. Language theorist Ellis R.(2002) claims that acquisition begins with awareness. Testing at an early stage of language learning may inhibit learning, and learners end up confusing testing and teaching. Only after gaining confidence may the learner use activities in order to integrate knowledge into other areas of their competence. Grammar is the final stage of the process, when communication happens in a context. Ellis(2002), claims that grammar shouldn`t be directed at learners but at those who already have sufficient lexis. Teachers should focus on difficult grammatical structures. But are there any disadvantages using this modern teaching process? Newby answers this with his view that modern grammar requires rethinking grammatical categories and re-orienting towards meaning. Teaching grammar can have a beneficial effect (Ellis) as long as it is directed on those who have sufficient vocabulary knowledge. Newby (1998) concludes that one has to be open to, but also critical of, all methodological approaches. Conclusion This study has provided the opportunity to learn more about grammar in the light of Communicative Language Teaching. I have shown that theories have a wide specter, with some of the theories for, others against grammar teaching. My opinion is that both focusing on grammar accuracy and meaningful communication is equally important. It is teacher`s responsibility to choose the right task, considering the students` background. I do not affirm that Communicative Language Teaching is the best approach of teaching English. But understanding its methods can be used as a significant source of ideas. Literature list Brumfit, C.: Problems and principles in English teaching, 1980, Oxford : Pergamon Press Ellis, R. :Understanding Second Language Acquisition, 1991,Oxford: Oxford University Press (Compendium) Hymes, D.H.: On communicative competence, 1971, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press Krashen, S.D: Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning, 1981, Pergamon Press. (Compendium) Newby, David: Theory and practice communicative grammar, 1998, Ablex Publishing Corporation. (Compendium) Nunan, D.: The Learner-Centred Curriculum : a Study in Second Language Teaching, 1988, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press Richards, Jack C. and Rodgers, Theodore S: Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 2006, Cambridge University Press. http://www.udir.no/Artikler/_Lareplaner/_english/Common-core-subjects-in-primary-and-secondary-education/ 15.03.10 SPEAKING SKILL IN THE LIGHT OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING Introduction The Curriculum has 5 basic skills that are integrated in the competence objectives. In addition, the English subject has been structured into 3 main areas of competence aims: language learning, communication and culture, society and literature. These subject areas supplement each other and must be considered together. One of the five basic skills of the curriculum is being able to express oneself orally. This paper discusses the skill of being able to express oneself in writing and orally in the light of Communicative language teaching, by drawing in experience from my teaching practice in a Lower Secondary School (I decided not to go deeper into the theory of Communicative Language Teaching as I already did this in my previous paper). Finally, I will introduce strategies to improve speaking so as to make English teaching more effective. The main goal of this paper is to show the importance of using the target language in the classroom having a starting point in Communicative Language theories. Content Use of target language in the class Pupils should be given the opportunity to speak English as much as possible during English lessons. For most of pupils, the classroom is the only place during their school years where they will have the chance to speak English. One of the five basic skills of the curriculum is being able to express oneself orally. English Subject curriculum says that being able to express oneself in writing and orally in English is a key part of developing English linguistic competence and is a common thread throughout the competence objectives at all levels. These skills are important tools in working on understanding and using English in increasingly varied and demanding contexts across cultures and subject fields. Having oral skills means being able to both listen and speak (http://www.udir.no). In my teaching practice I noticed that an average Norwegian pupil speaks English too little or not at all during their three years in Lower Secondary. What is the reason that pupils speak as little as they do, though Curriculum stresses the importance of speaking? One of the reasons is that English teachers focus mostly on accuracy, memorizing dialogues and learning to perform them fluently. This approach is successful and teaches pupils vocabulary and grammar but gives little practice in expressing own ideas in English. Could this be the reason why whenever pupils try to say anything else that differs from the memorized sentence, they have to strive for a long time to put easy sentences together? Language theorist David Newby (1998) describes language as a means of communicating messages between human beings in actual contexts (Newby,1998:184 ). His view is that in real life language is used to exchange meaningful messages in actual contexts and this should be reflected in classroom ( Newby,1998: 185). Another theorist, Krashen (1981), claims that simple free conversation and mechanical drills are not efficient because communication is not stimulated. He considers meaningful, communicative drills and exercises as being highly effective. Unfortunately, drills are very common in language teaching, while genuine speaking is neglected. This might explain why some of the students` ability to speak is far behind their knowledge of grammar or vocabulary (Krashen,1981: 103). Experiencing communication in my teaching practice I started my teaching practice by 2 weeks of observation of an 8th grade class with 23 pupils. When I started observation, the 8th class was at the end of a project with my tutor. The aim of this project was to design a poster about a tourist attraction in London or about homeless people. They were allowed to use media sources (magazines, newspapers, Internet, books), encouraging authentic language in real context. Time frame was approximately 9 hours at school. Pupils worked with a partner, which encouraged relationships and gave opportunity to work together. The pupils were supposed to read and understand the plan presented in the learner`s book about designing a poster. The teacher went through the task reading loudly and explaining step by step, instead of giving the pupils the opportunity to find out for themselves. What I have noticed was that all instruction was made in Norwegian, not in the target language. I was surprised by this, because I do not see the reason having Engli sh at school if you do not practice it. If teachers do not have the courage to speak fluent English, they cannot expect that students will do it. Listening and speaking exposure is essential in order to communicate effectively. It is also important in writing activities, because all skills are necessary and skills are inter-related and build upon each other. Professor Diane Freeman(2000) points out to the significance of using the target language not only during communicative activities, but also for explaining the activities to the student or in assigning homework (Freeman,2000:132). The tutor explained to me that she used Norwegian in order to make things easier and as a teacher she has to adapt teaching to the students. I believe that low expectations discourage students. English was little used during class. Students mostly used target language when reading or giving answers to tasks from the learner`s book. My opinion is that it is OK to use native language for beginners, but I believe there are other ways to encourage pupils to speak English, for example by praising and by giving them time to express themselves. After I have started teaching I noticed that even the best students are nervous about using the target language. I believe that speaking is an individual process. One has to concentrate on many things at the same time: vocabulary knowledge, word choice, grammar, pronunciation etc. But producing spoken language is indispensable in learning a language. My opinion is that if once students experience a minimum of success in conversation, they will be motivated to learn to express their ideas in English with fluency. As I have mentioned in my previous paper, language theorist Stephen Krashen (1981) claims that fluency work is necessary to enable the performer to achieve acquisition while accuracy in language teaching neglects adaptability and the ability to improvise (Krashen,1981:128). Theorist Christopher Brumfit (1980) indicates that fluency practi ce helps the student to use his limited amount of language for as wide a range of purposes possible and teachers have to allow the students to learn from their own abilities. Strategies Another aim in the Curriculum is to express [] orally to obtain help in understanding and being understood and to understand various oral and written presentations on self-selected topics (www.udir.no). During my teaching practice I tried to use activities that focused on fluency. I concentrated on achieving of communication instead of focusing on errors. In this way I gave a chance also to those students who felt unsecure about their English level. I recommended students to use language that was not predictable and sought to link language use to context. I achieved these aims by using authentic materials in my teaching, such as real newspaper articles. The students` homework was assigned to require using accessible materials, like articles, television news, anything that could create discussion. The students enjoyed playing roles. Problems occurred when they had to carry out the role play. Many of the students read out loud what they have written instead of improvise. When it went o n too long, and performing took too much time, other students had to wait for each other. Even so, this activity both seemed to stimulate and motivate them. My impression is that balancing fluency activities with accuracy is the most difficult task in planning a lesson. Brumfit(1980) says that only accurate speech will communicate effectively, and we need accuracy as well as fluency in order to communicate properly. Communicative drills or exercises can be more efficient in producing language acquisition than mechanical drills, claims Krashen (1981) because these are activities in which students can really communicate or in which communication can be stimulated (Krashen,1981:104). In my teaching practice, I tried to combine meaningful practice with communicative practice as often I could. By meaningful practice I refer to activities where students have to make meaningful choices when they perform a practice. One of these kinds of tasks was the one where students had to imagine that they were staying at a hotel in London. The student was supposed to visit some of the attractions and they had to use a map in order to find the way there. They had to work in pairs and had to explain their partner how they have planned their day, by showing on the map how they are going to get there. The students were excited about working in pairs, something they do quite seldom. Their biggest challenge was working together and using the target language, my challenge was making myself understood. I had to explain the task many times, but even so, there were some students that had to get instructions in Norwegian. Nevertheless, they seemed motivated by learning something else besides grammar. But how can a student become a confident English speaker? According to language theorists RichardsRodgers(2006), teachers have to reconsider their role in teaching. Instead of being a model of correct speech, teachers should facilitate language learning and be more flexible when activities are unsuccessful. My opinion is that it is important to make a check-list on what is important in communicative practice, for example: use of creative, authentic questions and tasks that can be used outside the classroom, use games and guessing to make things interesting, use tasks after the students` age and interests and bond the topic of texts with personalized, background knowledge. All this encourages the students t o use English in the classroom. Most of lower-secondary students are used to watch movies or listen to songs in English. But still, even the best students need to be praised and encouraged to speak it. With a view to improving speaking abilities, giving opportunities to practice and having free conversational activities are very good ideas. To any level of students, using English for real communicative purpose is an ideal way to begin! Students can gather with the teacher in a cafà © and discuss issues in English to break away from the idea that English is only used in class or homework. Conclusion In this paper I have discussed the importance of speaking English in the classroom. My opinion is that speaking is the strongest tool for communication. Students need to experience language as communication as early as possible in their learning in order to master English. That is why I, as future teacher of the English language, am aware of the importance of giving students opportunity to speak the target language. Even though accuracy and fluency cannot be totally separated, it is more effective to have achievable goals rather than being perfect. Teacher-student interaction is the best example of authentic communication. And if the teacher knows his/her students well enough, it may provide a lot inspiration. Literature list Brumfit, C.: Problems and principles in English teaching, 1980, Oxford : Pergamon Press Larsen-Freeman, D.: Techniques and principles in language teaching, 2000: Oxford : Oxford University Press Krashen, S.D: Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning, 1981, Pergamon Press. (Compendium) Newby, David: Theory and practice communicative grammar, 1998, Ablex Publishing Corporation. (Compendium) Richards, Jack C. and Rodgers, Theodore S: Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 2006, Cambridge University Press. http://www.udir.no/Artikler/_Lareplaner/_english/Common-core-subjects-in-primary-and-secondary-education/ 15.03.10

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Identification/description of alternatives Provide better customer service Toys â€Å"R† Us can increase the level of customer satisfaction by providing good customer service. Friendly and well trained employees who understand customer needs better and who understand the importance of satisfying the customers will not only assist in encouraging customers to shop at Toys â€Å"R† Us but also contribute to differentiating the company from its competitors. It is important to make each customer feel important and to serve each customer feel like he/she is the only customer. Provide better shopping experience It is key for Toys â€Å"R† Us to make the shopping experience unique and fun. The experience would encourage the parents and their children to stop and shop more often. The unique shopping experience can make the store the best place to shop for toys. The experience would leave a lasting impression in the minds of customers and would make them want to come back and come often. Setting up a game room at the store would attract kids to come to the store to try out new games, interact with other kids and also provide the store an opportunity to introduce and market new products and while the families enjoy a unique and fun shopping experience. Introducing characters in the store like Goeffrey the Giraffe would provide entertainment to the families and improve the shopping experience. Promotions Toys â€Å"R† Us can attract customers by sending out discount coupons and providing special discounts on occasions. Providing various incentives based on what customers spend would help increase consumer spending. Customers buy several toys throughout the various ages of their kids and more than often buy toys for various kids in their family and for friend’s kids. Incorporating rewards/points systems helps Toys â€Å"R† Us establish a long-term relationship with the customer and the relationship only grows as the customer buys each time at the store. This â€Å"lock-in† mechanism would also play a vital role in bringing the customers back to the store as opposed to shopping at the competitor’s store for their needs. 3 in 1 experience The company can bring its umbrella of product offerings from its various stores such as Toys â€Å"R† Us, Kids â€Å"R† Us and Babies â€Å"R† Us under one roof. Providing several products in one store provides the customers more than one reason to stop at the store. Families with kids in different age groups and families with varying needs can find their needs in one place presenting the customer with a â€Å"one stop† shopping experience.

Nestle – Maggi Brand

History and origin of Nestle The company was founded in 1867 on the shore of Geneva vevey in Switzerland and its first product was â€Å"Farine Lactee Nestle† which is an infant cereal formulated by Henri Nestle to provide improved infant networks. Nestle has spread worldwide through various acquisitions and mergers from the year 1905-2007. It bears the name of a real man Henri Nestle. The company trademark is a bird in the nest derived from his personal cost of arms. This symbol invokes value upon which the company was build. The values are security, maternity and affectionate nature and nourishment, family and tradition. It is one of the leading branded processed food companies in the country with a large market share in products like instant coffee, milk products etc. It also has a significant share in the chocolates and other semi-processed food market. One of its most successful brands in India is that of Maggi. Nestle product list – Nestle India manufactures products of truly international quality under internationally famous brand names such as NESCAFE, MAGGI, MILKYBAR, KIT KAT, BAR-ONE, MILKMAID and NESTEA its products range from syrups, Nestle milkmaid, ice-cream, jams, honey, candies, Nestle fresh and natural dahi, , Nestle slim milk, Maggi sauces, Maggi pizza mazza, Maggi pichkoo, Nescafe cappuccino, Nescafe sunrise, Nescafe Munch, Nestle milo smart plus, Nestle iced tea with green tea etc The Brand – Maggi origins Maggi is a Nestle brand of instant soups, stocks, bouillon cubes, ketchups, sauces, seasonings and instant noodles. The original company came into existence in 1872 in Switzerland, when Julius Maggi took over his father's mill. It quickly became a pioneer of industrial food production, aiming at improving the nutritional intake of worker families. It was the first to bring protein-rich legume meal to the market, which was followed by ready-made soup based on legume meal in 1886. In 1897, Julius Maggi founded the company Maggi GmbH in the German town of Singen where it is still established today. In 1947, following several changes in ownership and corporate structure, Maggi's holding company merged with the Nestle company to form Nestle-Alimentana S. A. , currently known in its francophone homebase as Nestle S. A.. Today, Maggi is particularly well known in the Baltic states for its dry soups. In Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines, for its seasonings, such as Maggi sauce, which is a household product. And in Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Singapore for its instant Maggi noodles . In West Africa, and parts of the Middle East, Maggi cubes are used as part of the local cuisine. Throughout Latin America, Maggi products, especially bouillon cubes, are widely sold with some repackaging to reflect local terminology. In the German, Dutch and Danish languages, lovage has come to be known as â€Å"Maggi herb†, because it tastes similar to Maggi sauce, although, paradoxically, lovage is one of the few herbs not present in the sauce. In Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam Maggi seasoning sauce is a popular condiment used in flavouring meals, and the bottles are familiar sights on restaurant tables. Maggi in India- Maggi in India is best known for its flagship product of instant noodles with its various desi sub-segments such as the traditional dal atta, veg atta and rice noodles along with their various variants, Curry, Masala, Tomato, Chicken in the traditional and shahi pulao, lemon Masala and Chilly Chow in the rice noodle segments. Nestle unleashes brand maggi in India almost 25 years ago in 1983 with the launch of its traditional ‘2-minute noodles’ in its masala, tomato, chicken flavours, followed by its curry flavor some years down the line. Various products under Maggi – Noodles – MAGGI Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles, MAGGI 2-Minute Noodles, MAGGI Vegetable Atta Noodles, MAGGI Cuppa Mania Sauces – MAGGI Sauces, MAGGI Pichkoo, Tomato, Chilli garlic, Chilli, Extra hot chilli. MAGGI PASTA- MAGGI Pazzta Cooking Aids – MAGGI Magic Cubes, MAGGI Bhuna Masala, MAGGI Coconut Milk, Powder MAGGI Pizza Mazza, MAGGI Masala-ae-Magic, White rice seasoning, chicken stock, chicken stock less salt, beefand vegetable stock. Soups – Cook-up soups and instant soups, MAGGI Healthy Soups, Sanjeevani MAGGI Healthy Cup Maggi Noodles Brand Ambassador – Nestle’s Maggi Noodles has recently introduced a new range of ‘devilled’ noodles which is expected to ignite the taste buds of local youth. Coming under three categories – devilled chicken, devilled kottu and devilled chilli chicken – the range has been created to suit the local palate, which often craves hot and spicy food. Taking the new range forward, the company also introduced its Brand Ambassador for the devilled noodles, Sri Lankan-born Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez. Maggi Devilled Noodles are extremely youth centric with dynamic, vibrant, fun and hot brand personalities. Jacqueline Fernandez was choosen as Brand Ambassador as she fits very well with this youth-centric range. As a young, dynamic and vibrant youth icon of international fame with a strong Sri Lankan identity, she had blended with the essence of the Maggi Devilled Noodles. Strategies Adopted by Nestle’ for the Maggi brand Nestle’ managed to create new product categories under the brand name of Maggi. They adopted the following strategies : Maggi introduced the Maggi sauces category and promoted it under the brand name of Maggi. Since it is always easier to promote a product under the brand name of the established brand as the expenditure and people recognition time is less. More than it both are similar product category as sauces and noodles are interrelated to each other. Nestle’ also introduced the pizza variant by which one can be able to create the pizzas at home. It was also promoted under the brand name of Maggi. Nestle’ also used the cultural base marketing in India as knowing the fact that indian people like rice, they introduced Maggi rice noodle mania. Also Nestle’ was able to successfully use the umbrella branding for Maggi. They introduced many variants under the brand name of Maggi. By doing so, they were successful in making the product popular, there was a greater acceptance for the product, they required a relatively lesser time to be accepted, they did not need to spend so much on advertising and promotional activities, and also it gave strength to the Brand name and ncreased brand equity. Maggi was successfully able to postion its noodles in the minds of the consumers as fast food items that can be eaten for breakfast or even lunch. They introduced new categorieshaving a coompelete diet of protein, calorie level, which is a must for the children. By doing this emotional marketing they were successfully able to market this product. And now it has successfully enjoys a 90%percent market share in this segment Diversification strategies – The strategies of diversification can include internal development of new products or markets, acquisition of a firm, alliance with a complementary company, licensing of new technologies, and distributing or importing a products line manufactured by another firm. Generally, the final strategy involves a combination of these options. This combination is determined in function of available opportunities and consistency with the objectives and the resources of the company. For the brand Maggi development of new products or perhaps even increasing brand extension , focusing on health as well as even a wide variety of flavours like cheese etc could help maggi diversify. Target Market of Nestle for the Maggi brand At the initial stage Nestle targeted the working women, however soon it realized that in order to boost sales its target market should be the children and teenagers. So they changed their positioning and came up with two minute noodles as it could be easily made by teenagers within a short span of time. Nestle also has recently targeted housewives as by introducing the health noodles they can be consumed as the complete food which gives necessary calories to meet all health requirements. For these variants they introduced th new positioning â€Å"Taste bhi, health bhi†. Reasons for brand extensions- Maggi brand was extended to a variety of culinary products like soups, sauces, ketchups, and various cooking aids . they wanted to offer heathy products under the Maggi brand, in a bid to attract health conscious consmers. They were various health issue relating to the ingredient used that led to brand extensions. They also wanted a strong brand recall, since maggi was doin gvery well in the market they wanted to use this as a positive point and went for a brand extension. Maggi’s competitors- Maggi main competitors were that of ‘Top Ramen’and that of ‘Hakka Noodles’and ‘Chowmeen’ due to which it had witnessed a decline in sales however with the new strategies adopted and new promotional activites it was a]ble to get back on top. Various Tag lines of Maggi- Through its adds maggi has been positioned as a ‘fun’ food for kids which mothers could prepare easily. Some of the Tag lines used by Maggi for various add’s are- †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœMummy,bhook lagi hai’(Mom I’m hungry) †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœBas 2-minute’(only 2 minutes) †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœFast to Cook Good to Eat’ †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœTaste bhi, Health bhi’ Suggest a new product- Future plans of Maggi – The company continuously focuses its efforts to better understand the changing lifestyle of modern India and anticipate consumer needs inorder to provide convenience, taste, nutrition, and wellness through its products. The company will focus on changing lifestyles and innovate and renovate to create delight in everyday meals.