Music, Blues And Ragtime - 1337 Words

â€Å"Jazz is the first true art form to come from the soil of America†, Winton Marsalis made this claim in the film Jazz by Ken Burns. Jazz would be born here in America after the fall of slavery. The interactions between previously enslaved peoples and the rest of society gave the breeding ground for a mixture of cultures and music styles. The city which was most clearly known for the mixing of cultures after the Civil war was New Orleans. In New Orleans the primary cultures and ethnicities seen included: Caucasians, Africans, Caribbean people, and Creoles, i.e. multiracial Africans. Within the mixing of cultures came the mixing of music styles as well. Two of the styles of music which added to the development and birth of jazz were the blues and ragtime. I argue that Jazz as a genre was a coalition between two popular forms of music, blues and ragtime. These two genres created jazz together through their origins, musical characteristics, and large number of performers. Ragtime’s origins can be seen as a major reason towards its development of jazz. Ragtime is an art form which came from, â€Å"African spirituals, minstrel songs and marches† (Jazz film). The African Spirituals were songs of the former slaves created to sing during religious ceremonies and sometimes as work songs (History). The minstrel songs were a popular form of entertainment by which white actors would dress up in black-face and demean the African people, yet this popular form of entertainment brought many songsShow MoreRelatedThe Ragtime And The Blues1184 Words   |  5 PagesBoth ragtime and the blues were essential and influential in their contributions to the development of jazz. Together, they served as the primary predecessors to the later, more complicated genre. Key elements from each brand are incorporated and mixed to create jazz. Without the creative geniuses of ragtime such as Scott Jopin and James Reese Europe and Blues propagators W.C. Hady and Robert Johnson, the distinctive genre of jazz would not have emerged. Ragtime and blues are both unique in theirRead MoreEssay on Ragtime and Blues Influence on Jazz1377 Words   |  6 PagesAra Cho Ethno 50A 803-672-412 October 14, 2011 Seeing Ragtime and Blues as Parents of Jazz Jazz is a music genre that has complex characteristics and history of development and thus many musicians and scholars face troubles in defining what jazz is. In general, jazz is believed to have born in New Orleans. Jazz developed for the pleasure of the social dancers. According to the â€Å"Understanding Jazz: What Is Jazz?† of John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts, Jazz was created mainlyRead MoreThe City Of New Orleans1471 Words   |  6 Pages In the city of New Orleans emerged one of the most influential music genres in the history of the United States of America. At the time, New Orleans was known for being a blending pot of people or rather, a location where people from all over the world came together in one place. This city served as a key seaport in the U.S. allowing for goods to be imported and exported. The purpose of this city was not only strategic to the growth of the country, but also allowed for the incredible mixing ofRead MoreThe Ragtime Vs. Th e Blues1616 Words   |  7 Pages ¬Ragtime vs. The Blues In the city of New Orleans emerged one of the most influential music genres in U.S. history. At the time, New Orleans was known for being a melting pot of people or rather, a region where people from all over the world came together in one place. This city served as a key seaport in the U.S. allowing for goods to be imported and exported. The purpose of this city was not only strategic to the growth of the country, but also, the atmosphere allowed for the incredible mixingRead More Ragtime Essay examples850 Words   |  4 Pages Ragtime was a very influential part of the development of jazz. Ragtime became very popular in the late 1800’s. Ragtime’s distinct style set it apart from the other genres. Syncopation is what defines this art form. This is when the loud accents fall in between the beats. Anything that is syncopated is basically ragtime. One of the most important ragtime composers was Scott Joplin. Like all great artists, Joplin did not restrict himself to this favored art form. Both before the advent of ragtimeRead MoreRagtime And Blues : The History And Their Influence On Jazz1581 Words   |  7 PagesRagtime and Blues: The History and Their Influence on Jazz In the city of New Orleans, from parades to clubs and from weddings to funerals, one element usually remained constant throughout all these events: the music that permeated the air. At most of these occasions, a band often performed as entertainment, providing many opportunities for musicians in the area to work. By the early 20th century, due to various factors such as mix of ethnicities and cultures with syncopated musical styles influencedRead MoreAnalysis Of Scott Joplin s Maple Leaf Rag 858 Words   |  4 Pageswas a composer and pianist of ragtime who was born in the late 1860s near the border of Texas. He learned to play the piano as a young adult and started to travel with his amazing talent while he was young. He is known as the king of ragtime during his generation. He is famous for writing 44 ragtime pieces during his lifetime. He wrote one ballet and two operas as well, and one of his pieces called â€Å"Maple Leaf Rag†, eventually was one of the most well-k nown ragtime pieces of the time. Joplin movedRead MoreHistory and Legacy of Jazz Music Essay1001 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom gospel hymns, blues, and ragtime, yet was completely different in its own way. The sound, with its new techniques that gave it a raw uniqueness, was able to capture Americas curiousness, and make many fall head over heels for the new infectious sound. It drew in people from any age, race, and social status. This new genre was called jazz, and it became so popular that an era was named after it. Jazz is a blend of African American spiritual folk songs and faster upbeat Ragtime that uses a varietyRead MoreEssay on History of African American Music1267 Words   |  6 PagesYasmin Gonzalez Mrs. Herrera Junior English 1 March 2012 History of African American Music â€Å"In less than a minute, the death wail went up out of every cabin in the Quarters, and Brother Ezekial began the death chant: Soon one morning, Death come knocking at my door†¦. Oh, my lord, What shall I do† (Walker 17)? Death was common for slaves. They routinely died from disease, beatings and accidents on the plantation, and they expressed their sorrow in the form of song. â€Å"I see death around the cornerRead MoreThe Music Of Jazz Music1353 Words   |  6 PagesTo define jazz music, one must scroll through the lexicon of words associated with the sound of jazz to come up with a description of the art form. Words such as smooth, cool, nice, swinging, and jazzy describe the art form. However, because of the vague definition of its sound, there is no one true definition of the art form. Jazz is an art form that cannot be restrained. Jazz is like watching Michael Jordan go up for an ordinary slam dunk, but in midair, he changes his mind to do something completely

Broken Spears Free Essays

The Broken Spears â€Å"The Broken Spears† is a collection of many accounts of the destruction of Mexico by Cortes and the conquistadors in their invasion. The motive behind this conquest was Cortes’ desire to bring a fortune of gold, spices, and land that can be claimed, back to Spain. Although these desires were admirable, they were sought after at the expense of the Aztecs and consequently changed an entire civilization, due to an initial drive for power, control, land, and money. We will write a custom essay sample on Broken Spears or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cortez along with the Spaniards ultimately destroys the Aztecs in their quest for fortune and fame. The accounts are based on the Aztec’s perception of the invasion and include the revolt of the Aztec people that lead to the terror and the end of the Aztec civilization. The Spaniards first entrance into Tenochtitlan The novel begins with the description of a series of omens or premonitions, observed ten years prior, that was believed to be essential warnings of the coming invasion. The omens arouse many fearful and terrifying reactions. At the time, the meanings were unclear to the Natives. According to the text, â€Å"Montezuma consulted various seers and magicians to learn whether the omens meant an approaching war or some other crisis†, however the magicians could not advise him. Not soon after, according to the second chapter, there were reports that â€Å"the mountains bore a strange people who have very light skin. They all have long beards, and their hair comes only to their ears. † After much contemplation, Montezuma sent five messengers to greet the strangers and to bring them gifts believing that they might be Quetzalcoatl (God of learning and the wind) and other divinities returning to Mexico as they promised. 2:13)Montezuma gave specific instructions as to how to present the messengers and gifts to the strangers. The natives showed reverence to the strangers at their arrival by â€Å"touching the ground before him with their lips†. (25) However, Cortez in return gave orders to chain them by their necks and feet. When the messengers retur n, they inform Montezuma of the various firearms, animals, foods, and resources the Spaniard possessed, and he was astonished and terrified by their report. Montezuma’s attempts to keep the Spaniard away from the Tenochtitlan included everything from sending out magicians and warlocks hoping that they could harm the Spaniards with their magic, to sending out captives to be sacrificed in their presence. With each failed attempt to prevent the Spaniards from entering Tenochtitlan, came the rising fears of the â€Å"inevitable†. As the Spaniard began to inquire about Montezuma, he contemplated fleeing and escaping the â€Å"gods†. Due to Montezuma’s failed attempts, Cortez and the Spaniards decided to begin marching In-land, in their arrival to Tlaxcala and Cholula. One could argue that the invasion of these cities was due to the defiance and the fact that they would not surrender to Cortez’s control. During the march Cortez gained a larger army and allies. Once Cortez and the Spaniards reached the entrance of Tenochtitlan their march was complete. Montezuma then prepared to greet Cortez. According to the text, â€Å"He presented many gifts to the Captain and his commanders, those who had come to make war. He showered gifts upon them and hung flowers around their necks; he gave them necklaces of flowers and bands of flowers to adorn their breasts; he set garlands of flowers upon their heads. Then he hung the gold necklaces around their necks and gave them presents of every sort as gifts of welcome. † Not mentioned in the Broken Spears however, according to the Diaz document, Cortez offered Montezuma his right hand but Montezuma refused it. It also states that Cortez went to place fine a necklace on Montezuma’s neck, but his nephews stopped and refused him. The Spaniards seemed to portray a non confrontational notion, as if they arrived with pure intentions. The document’s perspective seems to contradict those of The Broken Spears. The document describes the Aztec’s conversion to Christianity as a peaceful one. It also states that Montezuma pronounces that â€Å"I am in debt and will give all I poses,† revealing that Montezuma willingly gave of his possessions and land. However, according to The Broken Spears, the Aztecs were tortured and terrorized. The Expulsion from Tenochtitlan (Spring 1520) After imprisoning Montezuma, the Spaniards begin to terrorize the city, causing commotion and inflicting fear into the natives. The terrorism that was taking place caused an uprising battles and massacres to take place. One example of the harshness inflicted on the Aztecs was the events that took place at a Fiesta. The Spaniard invaded the Fiesta, murdering many Aztecs and revealing the Spaniards did not abide by the Aztec rules or expectations of war. They were said to be reckless and extremely brutal, without respect or compassion. Preceding the surprise attack at the Fiesta, other attacks and retaliations arouse, such as the Night of Sorrow. The Aztecs no longer desired to follow Montezuma’s initial orders for non retaliation. They decided to take up arms and fight against the Spanish. In the attack at the Fiesta, they fought with broken spears and attacked with javelins and arrows. However the Aztecs came to the realization that enough blood was shed. Montezuma’s body was discovered and it was unclear as to his cause of death. Since the Aztec no longer catered to the Spaniards by providing them with food, shelter and supplies, Cortez realizes that they must leave the land. They planned to retreat at night, however the retreat was discovered. According to the text, â€Å"They attacked as the Spaniards were fleeing down the Tlacopan (now Tacuba) causeway, and the rout was so disastrous that it has been known ever since as â€Å"la noche triste,† the Night of Sorrows. Those who escaped the disaster found refuge in the nearby village of Teocalhueyacan, where they were welcomed as friends; but three-fourths of the army had perished in the retreat and in the siege that preceded it. The Aztecs benefited greatly from the fleeing of Spaniards. They gathered things that the Spaniard abandoned and claimed it for themselves. They collected weapons that had been left behind or had fallen into the canal-the cannons, swords, spears, bows and arrows-along with all the steel helmets, coats of mail and breast- plates, and the shields of metal, wood and hide. They recovered the gold ingots, the gold disks, the tubes of gold dust and the collars with their gold pe ndants. The violent recapture of Tenochtitlan (1521) The Aztecs were convinced that the Spaniard would never return. They began to rebuild the city and the temples, and celebrated in a victorious manner. They choose a new King for the city; however it was not long that the Aztecs lived in tranquility. A horrible plague of smallpox quickly spread. The plague spread during the thirteenth month and lasted for seventy days, striking everywhere in the city. It was difficult for some to walk or even move. Many died from the disease, some died of hunger because they were incapable of searching for food. The text describes that the first cases were reported in Cuatlan. By the time the danger was recognized, the plague was so well established that nothing could halt it, and eventually it spread all the way to Chalco. Then its cruelty diminished considerably, though there were isolated cases for many months after. The Spaniards returned without mercy. This time however they had more forces, and resources, and better technology. Although the Aztecs had a previous disposition, they retaliated, being aware this time, of some of the Spaniards tactics. For example, discovered that the shots from the cannons always flew in a straight line, they no longer ran away in the line of fire. They ran to the right or left or in zigzags, not in front of the guns. After a great deal of battles and much bloodshed. The Aztecs eventually surrendered to the Spaniards. The Aztecs culture and civilization was eventually eradicated after the Spaniard burned the temples and destroyed their empires. In comparing the readings of The Broken Spears to some document excerpts, a large disparity is found. There were many actions that the Aztec’s took, that to some were considered barbaric. For instance, in The Conquest of New Spain, Diaz describes the Aztecs to be somewhat savage like. He mentioned that they would â€Å"tear out the palpitation heart, with the blood, they present as idols† and they would eat â€Å"arms and thighs at their ceremonial banquets†. However, The Broken Spears describes these actions as sacred sacrifices that were signs of respect and honor. These reasons alone prove why separate accounts help understand history. There is a saying that states: â€Å"There are two sides to every story. † The Broken Spears would be considered the other side How to cite Broken Spears, Papers

Mask in society Essay Example For Students

Mask in society Essay Masks have served humankind for centuries as artistic instruments, educational tools and have often reflected and magnified human nature while revealing the inner desires and fears of the human heart. However, as we stand in the 90s we have little or no need for masks. Theatre has developed and moved swiftly, parents and schools educate children and humankind no longer feels the need to see their true feelings interpreted and portrayed by performers. Masks and mask work must take their place in the relics cupboard as quaint antiquities. They simply cannot withstand the break neck speed of the 90s- they have lost their appeal and relevancy.As society dives headfirst into the 21st century one cannot deny that there are a number of apparently frivolous concepts which are being sacrificed in the name of technology. Peripheral ideals and out-dated innovations such as LPs, tie dying and the ozone layer are being rightfully pushed aside as the world makes ready for bigger and better things. But the question arises, should masks be included within this list of irrelevant notions? To fully comprehend and reply to this one must have a detailed knowledge of mask throughout history, its educational, theatrical and entertainment value, and most importantly, its current appeal and relevancy in the eyes of todays society. To completely understand and appreciate the entirety of mask and the impact it has made one must first know something of its origins and history. It is not surprising that the birth of mask is most apparent in the same country that is credited with the parentage of drama itself, Greece. Ancient Greek theatre is most renown for its Tragedy and Comedy, including works such as Oedipus Rex and The Wasps. Playwrights such as Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes were capable of enthralling their audiences and moving them to strong emotions- apprehension, compassion, sorrow and joy (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK). But it was their use of mask that warranted them their success. There are two main components within Greek theatrical mask work, that is the actors and the chorus. The Actors would wear masks to define the general category of person to be portrayed. The mask would also be shaped into an emotional position thus revealing the outcome of the play from the beginning. The mask could also be tilted up or down giving different shades of the one mood. The chorus, however, was the backbone of all Greek theatre. Their demeanor and integrity was the product of a visually unified entity through mask. The combination of these effects led to a dramatically enhanced performance. Overal l it is obvious that mask was a crucial element to the development of Greek society. For centuries Mask has also been used in tribal traditions. Initiation, celebration, marriage, birth, history and death are all examples where the mysterious qualities of mask have shaped and shifted civilisation. Masks appear in the context of periodic celebrations connected with the ancestors, with the mythical or historical origins of the people, with the critical moments in communal work, or with the events of group-life such as initiation and death. (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK) In a variety of primitive ceremonies mask is used to invoke a spirit (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK) where the mask wearer will become the entity, not just a representative of it. This form of mask work revolves around a transformation event. Masks extend the concept of possession and performers believe themselves possessed as the mask takes over their identity. (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK) Mask itself was the central point within the development of these tribal civilisations; it represented the maturation and succession of t he individual and was a crucial component to their daily life. .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .postImageUrl , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:hover , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:visited , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:active { border:0!important; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:active , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Impact of Child Abuse EssayDuring the 16th Century Mask unveiled a previously unseen and unprecedented facet of its ever-expanding territory. It was known as Commedia dellArte. In certain fiestas the very notion of order disappears. Chaos comes back and licence rules. Anything is permitted Respectable people put away the dignified expressions and conservative clothes that isolate them, dress up in gaudy colours, hide behind a mask, and escape from themselves. (COMMEDIA DELLARTE: AN ACTORS HANDBOOK) The Commedia era was undoubtedly the largest impact that a single mask genre has ever made, for it was the first time that mask had been used in a situation that didnt revolve a round a ceremony, god or religious aspect. The Commedia Masks of 16th Century society were instantly recognisable to the people of that time; such was the popularity and familiarity of Commedia. In that, the common people were aware and involved with the masks, so they were able to relate towards them. An example is the wart or boil commonly found upon Arlecchinos face, it is representative of the poor people and their inadequate survival conditions. Masks will often stereotype the bearers through the use of symbol, colour, size and decoration. This is where the main aspect of comedy was most apparent in Commedia. Il Capitano, for example, is often portrayed with a very large nose, which is in fact, a phallic symbol. The colour scheme, consisting of half black and half white immediately relates to the audience the two sides of Capitanos personality. The first being an apparently strong minded, brave individual, and the other, more truthful one, is representative of his fear and anxi ety. Evidently the power and value of the mask is what has sustained the Commedia art form till today. Its undying worth and importance from the past is another example of the endurance and impact of mask throughout history. Mask in todays society is currently struggling for its rightful recognition. Few, if any contemporary dramatists have explored the possibilities and powers of mask as a central commodity on stage. Playwrights such as Bertolt Brecht and Eugene ONeill have incorporated mask as an alienating device in some of their plays, most notably, The Good Woman of Setzuan (1941) and The Great God Brown (1926), but is this meager mentioning by long dead playwrights sufficient to preserve the magnanimous art form known as Mask? The answer lies within the shrouded artistic circles of modern dramatists. To these people mask will never lose its appeal and relevancy. Although it unlikely that mask will never captivate the entire public over three centuries again, (not unlike Commedia) but the educational, entertainment and shock value of it will continue to be the primary tools at the disposal of actors, directors and other artists. It is evident that the preservation of Mask is not only a worth while c ause but also an essential one. That the consequences of a maskless society which is unable to interpret and translate its own inner feelings of happiness, despair, courage and fear are too great. The question therefore is not what can mask offer society as it enters the 21st century, but what would a 21st century without mask, offer society? The basic power of mask is that of a mechanism for ordering the world, a capacity at once to transform and yet to fix identity. From such an ambiguous process masks derive the historical endurance to withstand the shift of their symbolic references and to come through to the present day in still recognisable form. (MASKS: THE ART OF EXPRESSION)Ultimately, masks are a crucial part to past, present and future society. Although they are not represented or respected as much as they deserve to be within our modern day civilisation, they are however still as profound and mysterious within the different cultural, educational, historical and theatrical instances as ever. It can be safely guaranteed that within its own artistic circle, Mask will never die. .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .postImageUrl , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:hover , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:visited , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:active { border:0!important; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:active , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Lucky's Monologue in Waiting for Godot EssayThe mask is a terrible, mysterious instrument. It has always given me and continues to give me a feeling of fear. With the mask we are on the threshold of a theatrical mystery whose demons reappear with static, immutable faces, which are at the very roots of theatre.Bibliography:John Rudlin, Commedia dellArte: An actors HandbookBertolt Brecht, Assorted playsMasks: The art of expression

Research on Hero Honda Essay Example

Research on Hero Honda Essay MARKET analysis OF HERO HONDA MOTORS LIMITED. [pic] [pic] A Project Report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Submitted by sUBMITTED TO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT A project cannot be said to be the work of an individual. A project is a combination of views and ides, suggestions and contributions of many people. I am extremely thankful to my project guide who gave me an opportunity to do this project report as a part of the curriculum. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Hero Honda Company Staff dealers whose valuable information throughout my project work. Also I wish to thank all the respondents who gave me some of their valuable time to fill up the questionnaires, without which the project study wouldn’t have been a success. TABLE OF CONTENTS OBJECTIVES SCOPE OF THE PROJECT grand success. Information regarding the market share, cost factors, the marketing and promotional strategies etc was collected from primary data sources. INTRODUCTION HISTORY ABOUT THE CHAIRMAN Brijmohan Lall Munjal – Seeding a Dream [pic] Dont dream if you cant fulfill your dreams Brijmohan Lall Munjal is often fond of saying. The founder and patriarch of the $ 2. 8 billion Hero Group is your classic first generation entrepreneur. He is a man who started small, dreamt big and used a combination of grit and perseverance to create one of the countrys largest corporate groups and the Worlds No. 1 Two Wheeler Company. Instinctive from a young age, Brijmohan Lall made a rather unusual start in life. Around the time when the freedom movement in India was taking shape in the late 1920s, he walked into a newly opened  Gurukul  (Indian heritage school) near his home in Kamalia (now in Pakistan). He was only six years old then. We will write a custom essay sample on Research on Hero Honda specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research on Hero Honda specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research on Hero Honda specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Thus began an extraordinary tale of courage and perseverance. Brijmohan began his business story after partition in 1947, when he and his brothers relocated to Ludhiana. The family set up a company that provided poor people with basic transport (cycles). Three decades later, as India evolved, he added a second crucial chapter which visualized affordable and technologically superior transport to millions of middle class Indians. The rest is history. Building Relationships When Brijmohan and his brothers started out, there was no concept of organized dealer networks. Companies just produced, and most dealers functioned like traders. Brijmohan changed the rules of the business by trusting his gut instincts; introducing business norms that were ahead of their time, and by investing in strategic relationships. Brijmohan built a series of bonds and networks with hundreds of family members, vendors, dealers and employees. Much like the Japanese keiretsu system, these networks are now the glue that holds the Hero Group together. Thanks to the relationships that we have nurtured so passionately in the Hero Family, the younger generations of some of our bicycle dealers have become dealers of Hero Honda. These relationships have survived through generations through bad times and good times the patriarch now reminiscences. Besides bonding with his vendors and dealers, Brijmohan has been personally responsible for kindling a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst his employees, and today, 40 of his former employees are successful entrepreneurs. Staying Ahead Though not technically qualified in the conventional sense, few of his contemporaries have understood the dynamics of technology better than Brijmohan Lall has. He could always visualize the applicability of technology before others could. For example, in the 1980s, when all two-wheeler companies in India opted for two-stroke engine technology, Brijmohan preferred a four-stoke engine a technology that dramatically increased fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance costs. This technology was one of the biggest reasons for Hero Hondas stupendous success. Time and again, Brijmohan managed to steal a march over his industry peers. For example, when Honda Motors of Japan was looking for a collaborator in the 1980s, the Hero Group was not high up the pecking order initially as there were other more eligible and established suitors. Yet it didnt take long for the astute Japanese to realize that the Hero Group and Honda had much more in common than earlier perceived; there a sharp focus on financial and raw material management, and employee turnover was low. Honda officials were also amazed to find that the Munjals were already practicing Just-in-time-inventory at the time (JIT). It turned out that Brijmohan Lalls aspiration to provide cheap transportation to Indias poor by default ensured lean and cost-effective operations. This in turn increased vendor efficiency and led to near-zero inventories. A Corporate Citizen A frugal upbringing and a value system modeled on the famous Gurukul system which stresses the sanctity of the teacher-pupil relationship imbibed in Brijmohan a strong sense of social commitment and responsibility. There is a special place in his heart for Ludhiana, the city where he took roots. Today, Ludhiana is a modern, bustling city, but Brijmohan has played no mean role in its evolution. Several schools and educational institutions in Ludhiana owe their existence to the Munjal family. The Ludhiana Stock Exchange owes its existence to Brijmohans vision as does the Ludhiana Flying Club. Hes also set up the not-for-profit Dayanand Medical College and Hospital-an institute now rated as one of the best medical colleges in India, in terms of infrastructure, quality of staff and alumni profile. In and around Dharuhera, near the first Hero Honda plant, Brijmohan and his family have left their stamp of philanthropy. The Raman Kant Munjal Foundation which Brijmohan set up in memory of his eldest son, today runs a higher secondary school and a very modern and well-equipped 100-bed hospital at Dharuhera. The group has also adopted numerous villages and provides education, vocational training, drinking water, roads, streetlights nd sewerage. AUTO INDUSTRY- A REVIEW INTRODUCTION The Rs. 5500 crore Indian two wheeler segment is the second largest market fin the world after China. India’s two wheeler production is the third largest in the world after Japan and China. India has a well- developed two wheeler market with around 25 million households owning two-wheeler. The I ndian two wheeler industry made a modest beginning in the early 1950 when Automobile Product of India ( API ) started manufacturing scooter in India. Until 1958. API and Enfield( motorcycle) were the only two in production. In 1948, Bajaj auto began trading in imported Vespa scooter and the three – wheeler- finally, in 1960’s. it set up shop to manufacturer them in technical collaboration with piggaio of Italy. The agreement expired in 1971. In the initial stages, the scooters segment was regulated regime, foreign company was not allowed to operate in India, and waiting time for getting Bajaj scooters was as high as 12 years. Java, and escort. While the Enfield bullet was a four strokes bike, the Java and Rajdoot were two-strokes bikes. The motorcycles industry was originally dominated by Enfield with 350 cc bikes. The motorcycles industry was cc segment. The two wheelers segment was opened up to foreign competition in the mid 1980’s which saw the entry of the Japanese manufactures into the country. Classification of the Industry The two-wheeler segment can be categorized into the scooter, mopeds, and motorcycles. Motorcycles: this segment has shown the best performance in the recent years. The market leaders in this section are Bajaj Auto. TVS, Mahindra, Hero Honda. [The splendor is the most popular segment among motorcycles. ] Two Wheeler Industry It wasn’t an easy year for the two wheeler industry. Rising interest rates and the economic slowdown resulted in delayed consumer decision making and a rise in loan defaults. Over the course of the year, banks withdrew financing facilities from satellite towns. The share of financing, which had increased rapidly to 50-60 per cent of the total retail sales by early 2007, has now come down to below 30 per cent. This came as a major setback for the two-wheeler industry. Ongoing government investments very clearly emphasis inclusive growth through improved connectivity, job-creation and improving quality of life. The rural road outlay has been upped by close to 60 per cent, the budget for the Urban Renewal Mission has been hiked by 87 per cent, and fund allocation to the ongoing National Highways program has been upped by 23 per cent. Importantly, India has added fresh impetus to its flagship job creation program for rural India: the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. During 2008-09, this scheme, which provides 100 guaranteed days of work a day for the country’s rural poor, provided employment opportunities to more than 44 million households last year; a year ago, 33 million households were covered. During the year, there have been important developments in two-wheeler industry. The competition has strengthened though there are hardly any new entrants into the industry. There is an increasing emphasis on price and this has led to cost cutting efforts all across the industry, thereby, making the customer an ultimate beneficiary. The trend also saw introduction of new motorcycles with capacity ranging from 100 to 250cc bikes. We anticipate that many more new models will be launched during the year and provide customers plenty of choice at competitive prices. Businesses cannot consistently grow at 25-30 per cent. Each business has a tendency to taper and plateau after attaining a particular size. An annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent over a period of time is extremely healthy. The TCS study rankings are conducted at the motorcycle segment-level to provide comparisons among similar groups of motorcycles. Motorcycles ranking highest in their respective segments for TCS are: Hero Honda splendor plus (best standard motorcycle segment); Bajaj pulser (best executive motorcycle segment); Hero Honda karizma (best premium motorcycle segment); and Royal Enfield Bullet Electra (best cruiser motorcycle segment). The relatively low score for the executive segment indicates that most manufacturers have fallen short of meeting the high expectations of these buyers,. Production, sales growth of the industry The two-wheeler companies have been operating at high capacities due to high growth rates between 2009 and 2008. The growth is expected to lead to increase in the capacities from present 52 lakh units t o 65 lakhs per annum in the year 2009-10, whereas the actual production estimates by that period at an estimated growth rate of 18% is only 60 lakhs. Charts showing two-wheeler industry growth rates Demand In India the two-wheeler provide an easy and popular mode of personal transport for the middle classes. With public transportation system being inadequate and ineffective the demand for the two-wheeler is likely to rise. The two-wheeler sales are expected to touch the 5 million mark by the end of the decade as against the annual sales of 35,49,271 in 2008-09. Technology With liberalization and the increasing competition. The two- wheeler industry has witnessed technological changes. The four- stroke engine is being introduced in place of the traditional populations and fuel inefficient two stroke engine. The smaller capacity engine with the electronic fuel injection is also being used. Bajaj auto is now feeling the need to increase its technological competence. Wit the competition cashing in on the technological competence for their collaborators. Emphasizes being laid on lighter and fuel- efficient vehicles. A class of vehicle having fuel efficiency of a moped and sleekness and style of the motorcycles called scooterette is growing. The vehicles offer a fuel efficiency of 60-65 km p/h. They enter into new segment,Bajaj Auto has come out with TVS with Scooty pep and Hero Honda has come out with a Pleasure and upgraded version of sleek. Government policy The excise duty on two-wheeler , which has previous 10 percent to 30 percent according to the engine capacity, was rationalized is only two categories size. 15 percent for 75 cc engine capacity and 25 percent for above 75 cc engine capacity the excise duty structure has been left untouched since the 1993-94 budget. Marketing and The Distribution Like any other emerging country, India experienced the knock-on effects of the global crisis during the year in review. The effects were felt through the monetary, financial and real channels. Drying up of global finance impacted from the middle of the fiscal impacted domestic capital finance; and corporate earnings came off peaks. In April 2009, Reserve Bank of India predicted that the Indian economys growth for 2008-09 would slow to 6. 6 per cent, breaking an excellent five-year growth sequence. There were two dimensions to the economic slowdown. In the first half, inflation ran into double digits as a result of the global crude shock and the global food grain shortage. To control inflation, the RBI clamped down on money supply, and reduced liquidity in the economy. By the time inflation started coming under control, domestic interest rates started shooting up. Meanwhile, the global crisis erupted, putting further pressure on liquidity levels. By October 2008, slowdown was clearly apparent in export-intensive sectors, both in the manufacturing and service side. By December, the slowdown turned into de-growth. The cutback in demand from Europe and the US was so sharp that even a competitive rupee, which devalued by around 12 per cent during the year, couldnt act as a buffer. By December 2008, the growth momentum of the first six months was lost. Planned investment projects were shelved; live projects faced a shortage of funds as credit flows dried up. As money became dearer, pay packets became slimmer and risk aversion grew both from the demand and supply side. Compulsions of coalition politics at the Centre and the impending Lok Sabha elections didnt help either, and slowed down reforms and implementation of projects, particularly in critical sectors like roads, ports and power. The worst hit was the manufacturing sector. From the second half of the financial year, the index of industrial production contracted on three occasions, remained close to zero on two occasions, and was mildly positive only once. Two –Wheeler Financing Though two-wheeler are the most preferred from of transport in India,the fact remains that it is a lower end market product. Most two-wheeler manufacturer like Bajaj Auto and kinetic engineering have set up their own finance company since organized financiers do not think the returns are particularly attractive. The argument given by some financiers is that the price of a Yamaha or Hero Honda is so high that people prefer to buy a second hand car instead. This is particularly true of small town where people desire to own a car and they have the means the two wheeler is then only a second vehicle for the family. MARKET MECHANICS: Since 1985, when the first Hero Honda it has been and instant hit. A mileage miser with just about adequate performance further backed by image of Honda and Hero Cycles brand of aggressive marketing, it climbed up the sales chart outselling every other motorcycle by ten of thousands every year. Over the years, company has received its share of accolades, including the National Association of India Award against 200 contenders. SEGMENTATION, TARGETING POSITIONING From the current segmentation, targeting positioning and consumer surveys we found that our client has targeted the following segments: ? Congested areas of urban cities. Males/Females between the age group of 18-36 ? Middle class people , mostly officials executives The client analysis from our questionnaire it was found that our client has targeted the right segment HHML is overlooking one feature in bike which is its low maintenance cost and reliability (i. e. less chances of breakdown) which is absent in its competitors. Therefore, in order to meet the sales target, two option are ava ilable with the client, one is to redesign the bike and second is to reposition the bike as â€Å"Bike with one time investment†. Since redesigning of bike may involve a big task and huge investment therefore we recommended repositioning the bike. COMPANY PROFILE The Hero Honda story began with a simple vision – the vision of a mobile and an empowered India, powered by Hero Honda. This vision was driven by Hero Hondas commitment to customer, quality and excellence, and while doing so, maintain the highest standards of ethics and societal responsibilities. Twenty five years and 25 million two wheelers later, Hero Honda is closer to fulfilling this dream. This vision is the driving force behind everything that we do at Hero Honda. We understood that the fastest way to turn that dream into a reality is by remaining focused on that vision. There were many unknowns but we kept faith, and today, Hero Honda has been the largest two wheeler company in the world for eight consecutive years. Our growth has kept compounding. The company crossed the ten million unit milestone over a 19-year span. In the new millennium, Hero Honda has scaled this to 15 million units in just five years! In fact, during the year in review, Hero Honda sold more two wheelers than the second, third and fourth placed two-wheeler company put together. With Hero Honda, the domestic two wheeler market was able to show positive growth during the year in review. Without Hero Honda, the domestic market would have actually shrunk. Over the course of two and a half decades, and three successive joint venture agreements later, both partners have fine-tuned and perfected their roles as joint venture partners. What the two partners did was something quite basic. They simply stuck to their respective strengths. As one of the worlds technology leaders in the automotive sector, Honda has been able to consistently provide technical know-how, design specifications and R innovations. This has led to the development of world class, value for- money motorcycles and scooters for the Indian market. On its part, the Hero Group has taken on the singular and onerous responsibility of creating world-class manufacturing facilities with robust processes, building the supply chain, setting up an extensive distribution networks and providing insights into the mind of the Indian customer. Since both partners continue to focus on their respective strengths, they have been able to complement each other. In the process, Hero Honda is recognized today as one of the most successful joint ventures in the world. It is therefore no surprise that there are more Hero Honda bikes on this countrys roads than the total population of some European countries put together! The companys meteoric growth in the two-wheeler market in India stems from an intrinsic ability to reach out and come closer to its customers, with every passing year. Hero Hondas bikes are sold and serviced through a network of over 3500 customer touch points, comprising a mix of dealers, service centres and stockists located across rural and urban India. Hero Honda has built two world-class manufacturing facilities at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in Haryana, and its third and most sophisticated plant at Haridwar has just completed a full year of operations. It is difficult to imagine that all this has happened in the span of just two and a half decades! The best is yet to come. During the year in review, Hero Honda powered its way in a market that, for all practical purposes, was feeling the full effects of the economic slowdown in India. With an economic recovery now clearly on the cards, Hero Honda is all set to ride into another summit. As Brijmohan Lall Munjal, the Chairman, Hero Honda Motors succinctly puts it, We pioneered Indias two wheeler industry, weve steered it through difficult times; now it is our responsibility to set the pace again. . New Models The company has a large portfolio of brands, with the money-spinners being mainly Splendor Plus (the worlds largest selling bike) and Passion. However, the company claims it was the launch of the 150cc CBZ and 225cc KARIZMA which established Hero Honda as an inspirational brand. The launch of CBZ and KARIZMA got us into a different league altogether. Although the sales are just about 3,000 a month, it made us an overall bike company†, Hero Honda would launch a new model of the KARIZMA by the end of current year, the Managing Director, Mr. brijmohanlal Munjal, said. Meanwhile, the company is yet to decide on the location of its proposed Fourth manufacturing unit. The feasibility study is on, he said, adding that the new plant was likely to come up in the next 18 months. New launches are likely to help Hero Honda gain a market share in the coming quarters. Hero Honda Motors Ltd, has launched a new 100-cc four-stroke bike, CD deluxe and Dawn is likely to be phased out of the market once the new model sells 10,000 plus units per month. Sales Performance Hero Honda went against the grain and created a growth trajectory all of its own. Sales of the company grew by over 11 per cent in volume terms and in value terms; they grew by over 19 per cent. Effectively, this helped the company end the year with a market share of around 60 per cent. This robust performance helped the company increase earnings margin 120 basis points—a remarkable feat, considering that elsewhere in the world, the automobile industry went through its worst year in recent history. Hero Honda’s performance in its silver jubilee year helped it retain its position as the world’s largest two wheeler company for the eighth year in a row. It also helped the company cross the 25 million unit mark—becoming the first company in India to reach this milestone. Last year, two new models were launched, namely CBZ XTREME and HUNK to address super-style and economy segments. Passion pro has found its position firm amongst Indian models, only next to Splendor, the largest selling bike in the world in terms of sales performance. CBZ was re-launched as CBZ XTREME, in April 2007, with changes and value additions to cater to specific needs of the customers. Reportedly CBZ XTREME is doing well in its segments and has sold over 10,000 units in the initial months itself. Hero Honda has targeted a sale of over 3 million bikes for the year 2009-10. This effort is supplemented by a major launch this year, in October end; this bike will have some exclusive features and will be in the 200cc plus range. There are some ambitious programmes of launching a new range of bikes with technical support from Honda in the coming years. With a slew of such measures the capacity available at present locations can at best support two-million production target at the existing plants. The company, therefore, is looking at the possibility of setting up a third plant to meet the future demand and for which techno-economic study is in progress. New Initiatives Customer and customer satisfaction is the purpose of our being an entity. To increasingly understand him and make him part of our ongoing business. Customer related initiative has been the increase of warranty period to three years since July 2008. This has attracted a great deal of customer attention. During the year the company has added nearly a hundred dealerships and SSPs. In terms of sheer numbers, the network has grown by 16% during the year 2008-09. We would endeavor to increase our reach to every corner of this country. Plans for the future In the previous year, the domestic two-wheeler industry entered a period of de-growth. However, this was arrested in 2008-09, largely on the back of Hero Hondas performance. After the blip of last year, the two-wheeler industry went back to a growth phase, largely driven by Hero Honda and exports. The industry clocked total volumes of 8. 5 million during the year in review, a growth of 5 per cent compared to a fall of 5 per cent in the previous year. The pace of growth was lower in the domestic market, where the industry clocked sales of 7. 43 million, a rise of only 2. 60 per cent. This, however, was a significant improvement over previous year when the industry had shrunk by 8 per cent. Motorcycles continue to constitute the largest chunk of the two-wheeler industry, and during the year in review, accounted for four fifth of sales. Interestingly, for the second year in succession, scooters increased their share in the two-wheeler pie from 14 per cent to 16 per cent. This is clearly a trend reversal from the last 10 years, where the share of scooters in the two-wheeler pie had been shrinking. Changing lifestyles among women, and the introduction of feature-rich, high-quality scooters possibly has much to do with the revival in demand The entry segment – made up of basic 100 cc bikes -Had started slowing two years ago, and during the year in review, sales in this segment were down by more than 15 per cent. This could be attributed to the fact that deluxe segment bikes have become affordable on account of a 4 per cent excise cut, 1 per cent reduction in CST and the special package of reduction in excise duty in December, which most manufacturers passed on to the consumers. The deluxe segment-made up of value for money and feature-rich bikes in the 100-125 cc category-grew by 15. 2 per cent. The 125-250 cc category-grew at 8. 8 per cent. The pace of growth has fallen from last years levels. There is no doubt that the higher interest rates have brought down growth. Nevertheless, this segment was still able to clock a growth rate in high single digits mainly because of the excitement caused by a slew of new models that came into this segment during the year. The bigger story, of course, is that buyers in small-town India and rural India, as well as employees of the state and Central government, were relatively less affected by the slowdown, and this benefitted the two wheeler industry. VISION Hero Honda now the leader in the two wheeler industry. Leaders are not born, they evolve over time. It all started on the auspicious. â€Å"Baisakhi Day† the 13th of April 1984, when the Hero Honda Motor Company joined hands. On its journey to take on the No. 1 morale, Hero Honda created some prominent milestones†¦.. This leadership has been achieved only because of its philosophy to excel in all areas. In fact, passion to excel is a credo of the entire Hero Honda family and is a way of life in Hero Honda. The changing Scenario of increasing competition and the entry of new brands has made the credo even more relevant. It serves as a constant reminder to ensure excellence in providing service to the customer. They are providing outstanding customer service. It is in keeping with Hero Honda’s own passionate commitment to provide ultimate customer satisfaction. Today, they consistently meet and exceed all requirement on quality, cost and delivery. OBJECTIVES Hero Honda’s mission is to strive for synergy between technology, systems and human resources, to produce products and services that meet the quality, performance and price aspirations of its customers. At the same time maintain the highest standards of ethics and social responsibilities. This mission is what drives Hero Honda to new heights in excellence and helps the organization forge a unique and mutually beneficial relationship with all its stake holders. ACHIEVEMENTS AWARDS AND ACCOLADES |Year |Awards Recognitions | |2009 |ET Awards for Corporate Excellence   Hero Honda is the winner of the â€Å"Company of the Year award for 2008 09. | | | |2008 |NDTV Profit Business Leadership Award 2008   Hero Honda Wins the Coveted NDTV Profit Business Leadership Award 2008| | | | | |Top Gear Design Awards 2008   Hunk Bike of the Year Award | | | | | |NDTV Profit Car India Bike India Awards   NDTV â€Å"Viewers’ Choice Award† to Hunk in Bike category | | | | | |India Times Mindscape and Savile Row ( A Forbes Group Venture ) Loyalty Awards   â€Å"Customer and Brand Loyalty Award† | | |in Automobile (two-wheeler) sector | | | | | Asian Retail Congress A ward for Retail Excellence  (Strategies and Solutions of business innovation and | | |transformation) Best Customer Loyalty Program in Automobile category | | | | | |NDTV Profit Car India Bike India Awards   Bike Manufacturer of the year | | | | | |Overdrive Magazine   Bike Manufacturer of the year | | | | | |TNS Voice of the Customer Awards: | | | | | |No. 1 executive motorcycle Splendor NXG | | |No. 1 standard motorcycle CD Deluxe | | |No. remium motorcycle CBZ Xtreme | | | | |2007 |The NDTV Profit Car India Bike India Awards 2007 in the following category: | | | | | |Overall Bike of the Year CBZ X-treme | | |Bike of the Year CBZ X-treme (up to 150 cc category) | | |Bike Technology of the Year Glamour PGM FI | | | | | |Auto Tech of the Year Glamour PGM FI by Overdrive Magazine. | | | | | |Bike of the Year CBZ X-treme by Overdrive Magazine. | | | | | |Ranked CBZ X-treme Bike of the Year by B S Motoring Magazine   | | | | | |â€Å"Most Trusted Company† , by TNS Voice of the Customer Awards 2006. | | | | | |CD Deluxe rated as No 1 standard motorcycle by TNS Voice of the Customer Awards 2006. | |2006 |Adjudged 7th Top Indian Company by Wallstreet Journal Asia (Top Indian Two Wheeler Company). | | | | | |One of the 8 Indian companies to enter the Forbes top 200 list of world’s most reputed companies. | | | | | |No. 1 in automobile industry by TNS  Corporate Social Responsibility Award. | |Best in its class awards for each category by  TNS Total Customer Satisfaction Awards 2006: | | | | | |Splendor Plus (Executive) | | |CD Deluxe (Entry) | | |Pleasure (Gearless Scooters) | | | | | |Splendor Passion Top two models in two wheeler category by ET Brand Equity Survey 2006. | | | | | |Adjudged 7th Top Indian Company by Wallstreet Journal Asia (Top Indian Two Wheeler Company). | | | | |Top Indian company in the Automobile Two Wheeler sector by Dun Bradstreet   American Express Corporate Awards | | |2006. | | | | | |Her o Honda Splendor rated as Indias most preferred two-wheeler brand at the  Awaaz Consumer Awards 2006. | | | | | |Certificate of Export Excellence for outstanding export performance during 2003-04 for two-wheeler three- wheelers | | |- Complete (Non SSI) by Engineering Export Promotion Council. | |The NDTV Profit Car India Bike India Awards 2006 in the following category: | | | | | |Bike Maker of the Year | | |Bike of the Year Achiever | | |Bike of the Year Achiever (up to 150 cc category) | | |Bike of the Year Glamour (up to 125 cc category) | | |NDTV Viewers Choice Award to Glamour in the bike category | | | | |2005 |Awaaz Consumer Awards 2005 Indias most preferred two-wheeler brand by CNBC in the Automobiles category. | | |Bike Maker of the Year Award by Overdrive Magazine. | | |ICWAI National Award for Excellence (Second) in Cost Management 2004 in the private sector category by ICWAI. | | |10th Motilal Oswal Wealth Creator Award for as the most consistent wealth creato r for the period 1991-2005. | |2004 |Winner of the Review 200 Asias Leading Companies Award (3rd Rank amongst the top 10 Indian companies). | | |GVC Level 1 (Highest Rating) by CRISIL for corporate Governance. | |Adjudged as the Best Value Creator Large Size Companies 2003-04 by The Outlook Money. | | |Corporate Excellence Award 2004 by Indian Institute of Materials Management. | | |Adjudged as the Organization with Innovative HR Practices by HT Power Jobs for HR Excellence. | | |ICSI National Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance 2004 by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India. | |2003 |Winner of the Review 200 Asia s Leading Companies Award (3rd Rank amongst the top 10 Indian companies). | | |Most Respected Company in Automobile Sector by Business World. | | |Bike Maker of the Year by Overdrive Magazine. | |2002 |Bike Maker of the Year by Overdrive Magazine. | |Winner of the Review 200 Asia s Leading Companies Award (4th Rank amongst the top 10 Indian companies). | | |Company of the Year of ET Awards for Corporate Excellence. | | |Ranked 4th in Overall Best Managed Company category, ranked 3rd in Best Financial Management and Best | | |Operational Efficiency category, ranked 6th in Overall Best Investor Relations category, by Asiamoney. | | |Highest Wealth Creating Company of the Year Award by the Money. | | |GVC Level 1 (Highest Rating) by CRISIL for Corporate Governance. | |2001 |Bike Maker of the Year by Overdrive Magazine. | | |Winner of the Review 200 Asia s Leading Companies Award (9th Rank amongst the top 10 Indian Companies). | |Winner of Three Leaves Award for showing Corporate Environment Responsibility in the Automobile Sector by Centre for | | |Science Environment. | |1999 |National Productivity Award for the Best Productivity Award in the category of Automobile Tractor presented by Vice| | |President of India. | |1995 |The Analyst Award 1995 presented to Hero Honda Motors Ltd. on being ranked 9th amongst the most investor rew arding | | |companies in India. | |1995 |National Award for outstanding contribution to the Development of Indian Small Scale Industry (NSIC Award Presented| | |by President of India). | |1991 |Economic Times-Harvard Business School Award for Corporate Performance to Hero Honda Motors Ltd. | SALES [pic] MARKET SHARE METHODOLOGY The project involves the study of four- strokes bike segment in two wheeler industry sector, which involved: 1. Market survey/ Researches 2. Meeting the retailers and the customers 3. Desk Research RESEARCH APPROACH I did two types of surveys (Data source): PRIMARY SURVEY 1. P/S T1 was done visiting Hero Honda Motors Ltd. Corporate office, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar regarding segmentation, targeting and positioning of their brands in the two wheeler sector. A lot of desk research was also done. 2. P/S T2 conducted by visiting Hero Honda Motors Ltd. And retailers of Hero Honda {Khanna Automobiles ESS AAY Agencies , auto needs(INDIA) Pvt. Ltd). Basic objective was to know their product price, distribution channel, their customers , their process of segmentation ,targeting and positioning in the problems faced by the customers and lastly their views about the model. 3. P/S T3 conducted by taking views of the customers using this model of Hero Honda i. e. Hero Honda splendor. Their view points About the model, their grievances/ complaints about it. Last but not the least their views about modification required in it. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT The research instrument used was a structural questionnaire. It was formulated after detailed discussion. SAMPLING PLAN a) sampling unit: The sampling unit constituted the people in the middle income going in for bikes. ) sampling size: the sample size consists of 45 customers, out of which 5 refused to fill the questionnaire and 5 forms were found incomplete. c) sampling procedure : Convenience sampling. B) SECONDARY SURVEY 1) S/S T1 was conducted gaining information from different magazines newspaper. And on company from their annual reports and balance sheets and their website. 2) Promotional strategies used at present like sponsoring programme and various event which have no direct bearing on the product. However the main focus is to influence youth- the largest group. e. g. Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Review of Literature This chapter presents an exhaustive literature review of quality dimension in marketing strategies. The discussion in this chapter is centered on how more the quality dimension in marketing strategies understood as part of this research. Furthermore, this chapter explores the topic specific to the industries viz. Two Wheeler Industry. The term marketing strategies began to find its way into the academic marketing literature only in the late 1980’s. The first use of the term is attributable to Professor Leonard Berry of Texas A M University in an American Marketing Association presentation in 1983. The literature on marketing strategies in the early 1990’s for the most part did not approach the subject from the consumer’s perspective. There were of course notable exceptions. In 1990, John Czepiel, Professor of Marketing at the New York University observed that a marketplace based marketing strategies is â€Å"the mutual recognition of some special status between exchange partners. (Czepiel, 1990). Susan Fournier refers to what marketing is supposed to be â€Å"the epitome of customer orientation† (Fournier, 1999). The literature in services marketing, in recognition of such facts, defines marketing as the attraction, maintenance and enhancement of marketing strategies (Berry, 1997), or attracting, developing and retaining marketing strategies (Berry and Parasuraman, 1991). Traditional measures of service marketing strategies The primary outcome measures of marketing strategies, satisfaction and quality, have an extensive literature in both the product and service fields yet, particularly in the services literature, there are still some lack of conceptual distinction between the two constructs. Since it is reasonable to assume a high level of correlation between the two constructs, most studies adopt one or the other measure, often without any discussion of the justification for the choice. Satisfaction has proven to be an elusive construct to capture. Much of the literature on satisfaction focuses on the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm as a means of identifying the process by which customers make satisfaction evaluations. Within this paradigm, satisfaction occurs when expectations are confirmed or positively disconfirmed. Measures generally focus on assessing disconfirmation at the attribute level although recent extensions of the model include affective dimensions and emotions (Oliver, 1991). Several alternatives to the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm have been proposed. Some suggest that values are better predictors of satisfaction because values are more enduring than pre-purchase expectations. Others question the expectancy-disconfirmation model as being overly dependent on situational induced factors. As an alternative they proposed the comparison level model, which suggests that consumers examine each product attribute against a reference set of attribute levels. Each of these theories has been supported in empirical studies. Yet none has been overwhelmingly accepted as an adequate explanation for consumer post-purchase evaluations. Perhaps this is because satisfaction with a product or service has traditionally been studied as a unidimensional construct. However, in many studies, researchers have found that satisfaction is not a unidimensional construct (Leigh 1987). In fact for many products and services the use of an overall, summary satisfaction measure may mask important diagnostic information about the nature of satisfaction, its determinants and consequences. Further, the nature of these dimensions may vary across services. Another explanation for the inadequacies of existing satisfaction measures may lie in questions raised in the consumer behaviour literature regarding the emphasis placed on satisfaction research as the main method of post-purchase evaluations. Woodruff and Gardial have suggested that while satisfaction describes the customers reaction to the value received from a particular offering, customer value describes the nature of the marketing strategies between user and product. With few exceptions (Gardial et al. , 1992; Woodruff and Gardial, 1996), studies of post-purchase evaluation do not address the possible marketing strategies between value and satisfaction / dissatisfaction. Yet, as discussed in Woodruff and Gardial (1996) the perception of receiving added value is critical to understanding the nature of the relationship. Relationships, which are not perceived as being mutually beneficial, are terminated. The importance of value to the service experience may explain the use of quality as another measure of service effectiveness as in econometric terms value equals quality divided by cost. Regardless of the paradigm, traditional measures of satisfaction used in the service sector operationalize the concept on a discrete transaction basis and generally assess the construct from only one partners point of view. Yet it is clear that service relationships are built upon repeated encounters and are dyadic. If the intention is to evaluate satisfaction with the relationship, current measures of satisfaction seem inadequate. Researchers often distinguish between satisfaction and quality based on a longitudinal dimension with satisfaction seen as a transaction specific evaluation while quality represents a long-run overall evaluation or attitude. However, the distinction between satisfaction and quality in service delivery has become blurred (Bitner, 1990; Bolton and Drew, 1991). In fact Zeithaml et al. , (1990) define quality as meeting or exceeding customer expectations, the traditional definition of satisfaction within an expectancy disconfirmation paradigm. One of the most prominent measures of service quality is the SERVQUAL measure based on Parasuraman et al. (1985) gap model. This model suggests that differences between consumers expectations about the performance of a general class of service providers and their assessment of the actual performance of a specific firm in that class drives perceptions of quality. The measurement of quality is functionally identical to satisfaction measures based on the expectancy-disconfirmation model. The distinction arises primarily from the nature of the items or attributes used. Another approach to SERVQUAL is simple performance measures. The marketing literature provides considerable evidence that this approach is superior to the expectations-performance gap model (Bolton and Drew, 1991; Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Woodruff, et al. , 1983). In a test of their performance-only (SERVPERF) model, Cronin and Taylor provide evidence that performance explains more of the variation in service quality than does SERVQUAL (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). Both SERVQUAL and SERVPERF are global measures of service quality. The use of a global measure in the evaluation of service relationships may, however, not be adequate. Particularly in service relationships relying on social and structural bonding mechanisms which have increasing levels of customization, a global measure may not provide the details necessary to fully assess the strengths/weaknesses of the relationship. Quality measures, like satisfaction measures have been criticized as being largely unidimensional (Zeithaml, 1988). Though SERVQUAL is an attempt to correct for this deficiency there are still other dimensions, which may lead to a purchase experience particularly as that occurs in a marketing strategies context. Zeithaml (1988) recognized these failings and proposed a model from an exploratory study utilizing a means-end hierarchy to investigate the marketing strategies between price, quality and value. The resulting model indicates that perceived quality is one of many concepts (i. e. , perceived sacrifice, high-level abstractions, intrinsic attributes) that result in perceived value which then leads to purchase. Obviously satisfaction and quality are important concepts in the evaluation of service relationships. Both are necessary but not sufficient to good relationships. However, much controversy surrounds these constructs and their marketing strategies (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Parasuraman et al. , 1994; Teas, 1993). Some literature suggests that satisfaction is an antecedent of service quality (e. g. , Bitner, 1990; Bolton and Drew, 1991) while Parasuraman et al. (1985) suggest that perceived service quality leads to satisfaction. Cronin and Taylor (1992) in their test of SERVPERF found evidence that the latter is in fact the correct causal order. Thus it appears that to adequately evaluate service relationships, both concepts must be measured to account for the ongoing nature of the relationship. Relationships are a multiplex phenomenon. The nature of the marketing strategies depends on the kinds of satisfaction desired by the parties involved; the clients may seek socio-emotional provisions and/or instrumental provisions, and may allow these concerns to determine their focus in the relationship. Thus their behavioral intentions may depend on the provision criterion. The relations also depend on whether the types of bonds are substantively grounded or emotionally based. This view reinforces the presence of such variables as trust, which are primarily socioemotional, and the more instrumental provisions such as legal, planning and technical bonds, which partly reflect the variable commitment. The conceptualization of such variables cannot be completely socioemotional or instrumental, and in the interests of clarity and functionality, the definitions of the antecedent states of loyalty in the marketing strategies are based on trust, intimacy, etc. But it reinforces the basic assumptions in the model. That the presence of attitudinal variables like trust also play a role and they determine the overall benefits (provisions) perceived even in a business relationship. Thus, it is not solely direct commercial value related considerations but also such attitudinal considerations, which go beyond the service interaction or episode, which determine loyalty. Marketing strategies strength can be seen as the resistance to disruption of the relationship. The marketing strategies are developed partly on a basis of evaluations made and partly as a result of bonding and commitment (Strobacka, Strandvik and Gronross, 1994). Thus the strength of marketing strategies can be derived only partly from behavioural variables since they only give an indication (Hoekstra, 1993) . In most studies when measuring marketing strategies strength one indicator at a time is used. Since a behavioural and a mental dimension can be distinguished in a marketing strategies (Poiesz and Van Raaji, 1993, Storm, 1991), the individual indicator can be behavioural (descriptive) or mental (attitudinal) in nature. From the behavioural point of view indicators like length of the relationship, recency, frequency, monetary value and regularity are used most often to get an idea of marketing strategies strength. Another behavioral indicator could be whether the customer simultaneously uses also competing companies or only uses company X (Liljander and Strandvik, 1994). From the mental viewpoint a variable like satisfaction, involvement, perceived switching costs, long-term expectations, trust and commitment has been used as an indicator of marketing strategies strength. Typically, commitment and trust are seen as central to the marketing strategies paradigm of relational partners, and are posited as key mediating variables (KMV) (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). Morgan and Hunts KMV model rests on the assumptions that these two are key because they encourage marketers to work at preserving the marketing strategies investments with partners/clients, resist short term gains which may be lesser than expected benefits of staying on in the relationship, and as they view potentially high risk actions as acceptable since they expect that partners will not act opportunistically. Further, both the key variables should be present for the existence of the loyal behaviour patterns indicated here. Satisfaction plays a major role here, and leads to trust when some other antecedent conditions are satisfied, like shared values and goals, dependence based on stable expectation/perception of performance, and perceived switching costs. The notion of sharing is central to the conveyance of meaning. People and entities to whom we feel closest and who mean the most to us are generally those with whom we have a great deal in common. They share the same values they demonstrate what Duck (1994) refers to as shared meaning. In the same way, it is proposed that commitment follows trust later on the ladder, and though some commitment elements start forming at this stage, the fuller commitment only follows when there is the antecedent of trust itself, which has led to the other more direct, definitive antecedents, like the various bonds and the positive attitude to interaction with each other. Commitment, defined as the attitude towards interacting with each other, coupled with the bonds of various types, is a determinant of marketing strategies strength (Liljander and Strandvik, 1995). Marketing strategies strength is closely related to loyalty, or behaviors, which reflect loyalty like recommendations, repurchase intentions and actual repurchase, etc. Storbacka, Strandvik and Gronroos, 1995). Marketing literature talks about four sources of consumer trust:- †¢ Generalized trust (derived from social norms) †¢ System trust (rule of law, regulations, contracts, bureaucracy professionals) †¢ Pe rsonality based trust (general tendency to trust/distrust determined by personality traits) †¢ Process based trust (developed through repeated interactions, firm/brand specific, interpersonal) A customer’s first encounter with a service firm is his or her first ‘moment of truth’ and is a potential first step on a road leading away from reliance on generalized, system and personality based trust towards a reliance on process based trust. Because system and generalized trust are held in common by members of society and are equally available to all firms, they offer less potential for competitive advantage. By building process based trust, however, service firms can encourage customer retention and gain competitive advantage (Barney and Hansen, 1994). Trust is a multidimensional construct with cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions and recent empirical investigations (Cummings and Bromiley, 1996) have supported this theorizing. In relationships, individuals trust cognitively based on their knowledge of their partner’s character, they trust affectively based on their emotion towards their partners and they trust behaviorally by taking actions that display trust in their partners. Previous conceptualization s of trust in marketing research has tended to emphasize the cognitive dimension. The affective dimension of trust has been largely ignored in the literature. However, more recently, marketing researchers have examined social support behaviour in service relationships (Adelman and Ahuvia, 1995; Adelman, Ahuvia and Goodwin, 1993), which engender affective trust. Trust is built up when there are assurances of higher and stable levels of satisfaction (the exceeding of expectations, every time, in the service quality approach), and there is lower risk perceived, security, a feeling of reliability about the supplier, and assistance. This level of service quality obviously builds trust, and can explain the threshold of satisfaction which precedes a change in loyalty behaviour, for some additional benefits are being offered, and the interactions assume a greater number of dimensions. Trust will lead to sharing of goals and values, as at this stage, assistance is expected and also given, in achieving goals that are perceived to be for the common good of both partners. Dwyer et al. (1987) marketing strategies development process model posits that with time, a marketing strategies moves along a continuum from awareness to commitment and the latter represents the highest stage of relational bonding. It must be acknowledged that the possibilities for creating and managing trust and commitment in relationships may be limited (Gronroos, 1994). A natural consequence of this may be the stage of opening up, giving more and accurate feedback by sharing more vital knowledge, which corresponds to intimacy. Marketing strategies literature also enriches the explanation of why there is sharing, and also why that sharing seems to provide a jump in the level of loyalty related behaviour. Intimacy talks of socioemotional benefits, which strengthen the relationship; and it implies a sharing of vital information, sharing socially and psychologically. In service quality terms, this would imply an increase in satisfaction due to more need areas being satisfied, as needs other than the usual instrumental provisions are being satisfied. Here the type of marketing strategies positive, cemented through socioemotional provisions including bonds such as social, planning, clubs, etc and a positive attitude towards interacting with each other. This directly impacts marketing strategies strength and hence loyalty. The difference between marketing strategies strength and customer loyalty is the difference between the object. The object of customer loyalty maybe either the service provider/firm or a particular service worker. The former is referred to as service loyalty, the latter as personal loyalty. High levels of customer trust towards the firm’s employees would be expected to translate into positive attitudes towards the firm and high levels of customer commitment to the firm ‘s employees would expect customer patronage of the firm. Therefore when a customer has a strong marketing strategies with multiple personnel from the firm, researchers suggest a direct path between marketing strategies strength and true customer loyalty to the service firm. Customer satisfaction with a company’s products or services is often seen as the key to a company’s success and long-term competitiveness. In the context of marketing strategies marketing, customer satisfaction is often viewed as a central determinant of customer retention. However there is a need to look beyond customer satisfaction as several studies have established that higher levels of customer satisfaction may not always result in higher levels of customer loyalty. A few empirical investigations in this area indicate that a direct marketing strategy between these constructs is weak or even non-existent. Some studies suggest satisfied customers may not be sufficient to create loyal customers (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Fornell, 1992; Oliver, 2000). These studies tend to support Reichheld’s (1993) argument that customer satisfaction is not a surrogate for customer loyalty. In recent times, customer satisfaction has gained new attention within the context of the paradigm shift from transactional marketing to marketing strategies marketing (Gronroos, 1994; Sheth and Parvatiyar, 1994), which refers â€Å"to all marketing activities directed towards establishing, developing and maintaining successful relational exchanges (Morgan and Hunt 1994). In numerous publications, satisfaction has been treated as the necessary premise for the retention of customers and therefore has moved to the forefront of relational marketing approaches (Rust and Zahorik, 1993). Kotler sums this up when he states: â€Å"The key to customer retention is customer satisfaction† (Kotler, 1994). Consequently, customer satisfaction has developed extensively as a basic construct for monitoring and controlling activities in the marketing strategies marketing concept. There are obviously aspects of marketing strategies strength other than customer satisfaction. These include, for instance, the existence of bonds between the customer and the provider. These bonds function as switching barriers beside customer satisfaction. Another dimension relates to the customers (and the providers) commitment to the relationship. Commitment might be based on customers intentions and plans for the future. Within the interaction approach and network approach to industrial marketing six different types of bonds have been suggested (Dwyer et al. , 1987). These are social bonds, technological bonds, knowledge bonds, planning bonds, and legal/economic bonds. Although these six bonds can also be found in consumer markets, they are somewhat limited for this purpose. In addition to these bonds, Liljander and Strandvik (1995) have suggested that the consumer may also have geographical, cultural, ideological and psychological bonds to a service provider. They propose that ten different types of bond can be identified in the consumer market: legal, economic, technological, geographical, time, knowledge, social, cultural, ideological and psychological. Liljander and Strandvik (1995) argue that the first five bonds-legal, economic, technological, and geographical and time bonds constitute effective exit barriers for the consumer. They can be seen as contextual factors that cannot easily be influenced by the customer but can be observed and managed by the service firm. They are more likely to be perceived in a negative sense than the other five bonds. It is, for example, associated with high costs for the customer to switch banks if she is tied up with a mortgage in one bank. These bonds can prevent the customer from switching banks even when the service given is of low quality. The other five bonds- knowledge, social, cultural, ideological and psychological bonds, represent perceptual factors, which are difficult to measure and manage by the firm. For example the cultural, ideological and psychological are directly connected to the customers values and preferences. A psychological bond, where the customer is convinced of the superiority of a bank, is probably a very effective exit barrier. The consequence of bonds is that the customer might accept lower levels of service quality, compared with other service companies, without breaking the relationship. Quality dimension of marketing strategies: Studies specific to Two-wheeler Industry One of the ways in which companies have tried to establish bonds is through the loyalty programs. Loyalty programs recently gained considerable practical and academic attention in the context of marketing management. The fundamental managerial objective of these programs is to reward loyal customer behaviour with special services or rebates and thereby at the same time to promote this loyal behaviour in order to realize the economic benefit of long term business strategies (Reichheld 1993, Sharp and Sharp 2008). The extent to which loyalty program actually achieve this objective has become increasingly the subject of scientific study (Strauss et al. , 2002, Verhoef, 2007, Yi and Jeon, 2004, Noordhoff et al. , 2008). Usually, such studies have focused on the question of how strong the supposed connection between participation in a loyalty program and increased customer satisfaction and loyalty actually is. Marketing Research on loyalty programs has increased in the last years. The effect of loyalty programs on loyalty and their critical success factors were investigated in the context off various industry settings such as automotive industry (Stauss et al. , 2005), financial services (Bolton et al. , 2007), retail stores (Noordhoff et al. , 2008). The results of an empirical study of Stauss et al. (2002) indicate that the membership in an automotive customer club has a remarkable impact on the marketing strategies. Bolton et al. (2001) shows that participants of a loyalty program of a financial services provider actually tend to realize increased revenues and higher service usage levels and to overlook negative service experience. Noordhoff et al. (2008) is of the contention that a small number of alternative loyalty programs in a market and only little familiarity off customers with these programs positively affect the success of the program. This is in accordance with the results of the study of researchers who finds especially high levels of spurious loyalty among members of frequent flyer programs who are participating in several different programs. According to Stauss, Schmidt and Schoeler (2002), â€Å"More and more companies are implementing loyalty programs in order to enhance their knowledge of their customers, to identify their valuable customers, to differentiate and give personal attention to these valuable customers and especially to raise profits by increasing customer retention and by enabling a more efficient use of marketing goals†. They are of the opinion that few firms systematically verify whether the program they implemented actually achieve these goals. The consequences could be that the programs do not achieve the retention effect aimed at or even that the overall marketing strategies with the firm is weakened. Zins (2007) in his study of the commercial two wheeler industries opines that if loyal customer needs to be traced, three conceptual perspect

How to Talk about Your Career When Youre Out of a Job

How to Talk about Your Career When Youre Out of a Job In a culture where your job is often linked to your identity, being unemployed can make social interaction tough. You don’t want to put an awkward damper on the conversation, but you do need a quick answer to that inevitable question, â€Å"So, what do you do?† Here are some ideas on how to keep the conversation flowing (and possibly gain a new professional contact!):1. Avoid using the word â€Å"unemployed,† instead talk about your â€Å"transition.†Try statements like, â€Å"I was formerly with Company XY, but am looking to transition to a smaller, more focused company † or â€Å"I’m hoping to transition to a new department in my field, so I’m currently on the hunt for marketing jobs instead of admin.†2. Talk about your field–no need to mention a specific job.You don’t need to name a company when you talk about your career: â€Å"I’m in book sales–I specialize in young adult fiction.† Stateme nts like this are the truth, and can open the door to a conversation about your skill sets and what you might be looking for in the future.3. Change the subject to activities you take part in outside of your career.Responses like, â€Å"I’m currently looking for work, but in the meantime, I volunteer at my local animal shelter† are a graceful way to answer the question and discuss interesting projects close to your heart.Even if you’re unemployed, you’re still the same talented person with a collection of interests and skills to discuss in any social situation. Always present yourself as capable and confident about the future to come–and open to making new networking contacts!How To Introduce Yourself When You’re UnemployedRead More at Careerealism

Ancient Rome Essay Example for Free (#2)

Ancient Rome Essay During the Han Empire of China and the Roman Empire of the Mediterranean World were both had advanced technology for their time. Han China’s attitude toward manufacturing and labor was more positive than the Romans who had a more class divided society, therefore causing attitudes toward labor and technology to be looked down upon. The Hans respect technology and the people who use it. In China, 2nd century B. C. E. a government official stated that he wanted to organize their labor force with the use of technology so they could help to prevent a disaster from occurring when and if a flood takes place. This could help the people from getting hurt and their property from getting destroyed (Doc. 1). Huan Guan, a Han government official during the first century B. C. E. was concerned about the lack of technology and poor government policy that is affecting the people. Haun Guan was trying to say to the Han government that using convict labor to make tools and monopoly on salt and iron is causing devastating affects towards the people and feels that the government can solve this problem by using the available technologies. Even though Haun Guan is a government official himself, he shows interest in helping the people and is very critical towards the current government policies that are in place (Doc. 2). Huan Tan, a upper class Han philosopher during 20 C. E. is expressing his appreciation of the progress that technology has had since the emperor’s first invention . Huan Tan also expresses how technology has benefited the Chinese people and feels that technology is a â€Å"gift† from the enlightened emperors (Doc. 3). A Han government sponsored speaker, around 200 C. E. states how a Han governor, Tu Shih, cared deeply for the Chinese people and used the advanced technology to help benefit them. This government sponsored speaker emphasizes how much the inventions helped minimize the amount of human labor that the people did (Doc. 4). This is interesting because he was hired by the government to talk to people who might be losing faith in the Han Dynasty and he basically glorified the information way more than it actually was. On the other hand, the Romans felt that working with your hands was vulgar and seemed to heavily look down upon technology and whoever used it. Cicero, an upper class Roman political leader from Italy during the 1st century B. C. E. states that anyone who works with their hands are vulgar and looks greatly down upon craftsmen and hired workers. Cicero then goes on stating that â€Å"gentlemen do not work with their hands. †(Doc. 5) It seems that Cicero lacks a huge respect for inventions and inventors and feels like technology is indeed necessary, but not for the â€Å"enlightened minds†. Plutarch, a Greek born roman citizen during the 1st century Roman Empire, expresses Gaius Gracchus’ road building enterprises and continues to explain how the Roman upper class does appreciate technology that benefits the upper class (Doc. 6). Plutarch does show appreciation towards technology, but only because it benefits himself, as well as the rest of the upper class. He does not go on to mention how it helped the commoners in any way, because it most likely didn’t help anyone but the upper class. Seneca, an upper class philosopher and advisor to Emperor Nero, from the 1st century Roman Empire, states that it takes someone nimble and sharp to make inventions but craftsmen don’t have great minds. Seneca goes on to say that he does â€Å"not believe that tools and crafts were invented by wise men† (Doc. 7). Seneca lacks respect for craftsmen and is basically saying that they are not as smart as he is, and degrades their achievements and abilities that they have. He isn’t concerned about any of the tools or inventions that are made by these craftsmen because he feels since he is an upperclassmen, he would never use them for the fact that they would be degrading to his specific class in society. Frontinus, a Roman general, governor of Britain, and water commissioner from the 1st century C. E. of the Roman Empire discusses how he praises the Roman aqueducts and their uses in Rome. He talks about how intelligent the designs are and how much it benefits the public (Doc. 8). It was quite interesting how highly was talking about the aqueducts. He talked about how amazing they were to the other Roman officials so they could see he was doing a good job as water commissioner, which is why he talked so highly of the aqueducts, because that’s his job. A point of view that is missing from these documents that could further help to the discussion of the Han and Rome attitudes towards technology would be the commoners. All eight of these documents were of the point of view from government officials or other upperclassmen. It would’ve helped to see an argument made by the commoners from both empires because that’s who the technology is affecting-the commoners. Although the technology is also affecting the upperclassmen, it would have made a better argument to have someone who is more â€Å"exposed† to the technology in their everyday lives. The people of the Han Empire did have a more optimistic approach towards technology, while the Roman Empire looked at technology as a more negative thing. The Hans took more into consideration of how it would benefit the commoners, unlike the Romans who didn’t mention the commoners in any of their arguments. Although both Empires did use technology, some thought more highly of it than others. Ancient Rome. (2017, Jan 01).

Saudi ARAMCO Compensation Scheme Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Saudi ARAMCO Compensation Scheme - Assignment Example Given that the company operates in over 200 nations across the globe, it is faced with the need to make a choice of whether to globally standardize their products and thus benefit from economies of scale operation (Bell 12). It is also faced with the need to adapt their products to a specific market segment or adopt integrated approaches that simultaneously make use of both approaches. Much literature has been produce regarding the external and uncontrollable factors that may impact on the company’s strategic positioning. This study is meant to look at the internal variables and the externalities in order to derive the â€Å"best fit† tactical and strategic approach. The paper seeks to illustrate how the company’s tactics and international strategy harmoniously work after a deep consideration of the external forces existing in the global market. Organizational and strategic effectiveness are very vital for the success of any business organization, although they are very different. According to Bell (57-9), strategic positioning is unique in the sense that it seeks to integrate both organizational and strategic effectiveness in a manner that serves to differentiate a business organization in the market place and thus drive success. When looking at a product strategy, management in a borderless world does not necessarily mean managing by the ave rages. It does not also mean that to make a product appealing to the customers means removing the localization of the product. It rather means setting the stage for the management of the product to thrive locally and internationally. The company sells non-alcoholic beverages and it currently operates in more than 200 countries globally. The company is famous for its innovative soft drink, â€Å"Coca-Cola† although it can presently boast of over 230 brands. It employs almost 30,000 people across the world. It is noted that 80% of the company’s profit and 70% of its