Ford Motor Company Swot Analysis

Ford Motor Company SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢Timely acquisition of capital makes Ford more financially sound than the other Big Three carmakers. †¢Product line is respected by industry experts and is qualitatively seen to be a step above many of its competitors. Recent surveys place Ford in a tie with Toyota for greatest customer satisfaction, a significant improvement from five years ago. †¢Have a global market presence, with worldwide brand recognition and a particularly strong presence in Europe. †¢Is perceived to be a thoroughly â€Å"American† brand, which helps Ford among certain groups of consumers. U. S. market share, after years of decline, has stabilized in recent years. †¢The Ford F-series pickup remains the most respected commercial truck available; despite demand shifts, profitability on this line should remain high. †¢Ford has had great success, particularly when compared to its competitors, at renegotiating labor contracts with the UAW. Weaknesses †¢Poor Profitability: Ford still loses money on many automobile lines, particularly within the United States. †¢Importance of single components source (Visteon). The automotive market is highly competitive with large fixed costs. In addition, the market demands continual long term planning and research and development. †¢Very little market penetration within China and India. †¢Global excess capacity for the automobile industry is estimated to average 30. 5 million vehicles per year from 2009-2011. 9 †¢Ford is selling a durable good during the most severe economic downturn in recent history. Opportunities †¢Ford has recognized the importance of small, fuel efficient vehicles and is actively transitioning into this market.Of particular interest is Ford’s ‘EcoBoost’ technology, which the company claims will result in 20% greater fuel efficiency and 15% fewer CO2 emissions. †¢The ‘One Ford’ vision has th e chance to generate significant margin increases for Ford’s smaller line of vehicles. Of particular importance is the Ford Fiesta, which was recently released in Europe and China and is slated for an early 2010 release in North America. The ‘One Ford’ vision appears to be a coherent strategy for Ford to adopt given its changed role within the industry. Ford is perceived to be the most stable ‘American’ car manufacturer because it has not been forced to take bailout money, leading to slight increases in market share. †¢GM and Chrysler flexibility is limited by government involvement in their debt situation, putting Ford as a competitive advantage. †¢In the event of a GM or Chrysler bankruptcy, Ford has placed itself in a position to steal market share—at least in the short term. Threats †¢While not in need of a government bailout, poor financial results are straining Ford’s capital.Cash burn continues unabated, and estima tes indicate Ford may be forced to seek government financing by early 2010 unless sales stabilize. †¢While Ford is readjusting production, truck sales are falling rapidly and Ford may not be able to shift production quickly enough to meet changing demand. †¢Bankruptcy of Visteon or other parts supplier could cause severe disruption of supply chain. †¢While Ford has too many dealers at this time, it should remain wary of too many closures. In addition, because Ford Credit provides financing for most dealers it must be careful to avoid holding the bag when dealerships close.

Inner Reflections Essay

As a person looks back at their life, a common concern is the legacy they leave in this world. Most people posses an earnest desire to make a difference in the world. Before any contribution can be made, be it great or small, it is important to understand one’s own worldview. After constructing a coherent framework about the â€Å"basic makeup of this world† (James 16), it is possible to build on this foundation to create new ideas. In his work The Human Good, Thomas Aquinas is able to share his views on this world and thereby make valuable theological contributions to this world. Aquinas was born in Roccasecca, a town in southern Rome, and lived from 1225 to 1274 (Aquinas 145). Prominent thoughts during this medieval era included those of Augustine and Aristotle. Born into this critical time, Aquinas attempts to â€Å"reconcile the teachings of . . . Aristotle with Christian doctrine or Reason with Faith† (Aquinas 145). Aquinas is renowned as the â€Å"greatest theologian of the medieval Catholic church† and a â€Å"representative of scholasticism† (Aquinas 145). As the son of a nobleman, he was educated at the University of Naples and became a member of the Dominican Order of Preachers. After finishing his education, Aquinas spent most of his life â€Å"teaching at Dominican study houses and universities in France and Italy† (Aquinas 145). In The Human Good, Aquinas reveals his views on what a human being is, and how humans know what is right and wrong. Although these are two separate questions, examining the nature of a human being leads to examining how they are able to know what is good. In light of the first question, Aquinas uses passages from the Psalms to answer, â€Å"God . . . from the abundance of his perfection, grants being to all existing things† (Aquinas 145). Aquinas describes humans as created beings that â€Å"have intelligence and bear his likeness and represent his image† (Aquinas 146). Along with being created in God’s image, Aquinas also implies humans have a personal relationship with their creator when he says, â€Å"God will not forget his people† (Aquinas 147). Finally, Aquinas states that intelligent creatures have free will, or are capable of directing their own actions. Since humans can deviate away from God’s will, Aquinas also refers to humans as â€Å"corruptible beings† (Aquinas 147). This by no means implies that humans have equality with God. Despite the fact that humans can direct their own actions, they are still under the rule of the first creator. Aquinas puts a lot of effort into justifying why humans and all other created objects do, in fact, act towards an end. Although this may seem like an obvious principle, Aquinas views it as a fundamental issue, which must be proved. This issue is important because, an ordered universe acting towards an end implies it was â€Å"voluntarily produced by an agent† (Aquinas 146). In order to prove that all things do tend towards an end, Aquinas says that if agents did not tend toward any particular end, actions would extend to infinity. Philosophically, this is not possible because this requires â€Å"an infinity of antecedents† (Aquinas 148). Since this world, including humans, are finite; an infinity of actions is not possible. This proves that â€Å"there must be something which, when had, brings the activity of the agent to rest† (Aquinas 148). After this fact is established, another premise regarding humans can be added. Humans, as intelligent beings, act by â€Å"preconceiving that which they pursue by their actions† (Aquinas 148). This is unlike natural agents, which have no concept of the end they are approaching. This implies that by knowing or having the ability to aim for an end, humans can change their end. Author Jean Porter comments that the human will, â€Å"unlike animal impulses, is never oriented by natural necessity toward any particular finite good† (Porter 71). Since humans do not have a set path to follow to their end, a big portion of a person’s life is spent in trying to determine their own end. Next, Aquinas goes on to prove that regardless of what end humans chose, it is for the sake of good. First of all, since humans tend toward some end, its logical to say that this end, whatever it may be, is towards something that is beneficial. From what can be observed, intelligent agents will flee â€Å"anything they apprehend as evil† (Aquinas 150), and to flee evil is to seek good. In other words, all humans seek to perfect themselves, or seek happiness by improving. Stating that every human acts for the sake of good may seem useless when considering that the definition of goodness is defined by the individual. Aquinas himself gives examples of goods around which people structure their lives: â€Å"riches, honor, physical pleasure, and so on† (Porter 77). However, establishing that every human being tends toward what is good provides more room to proceed. The next task would be to acquire a â€Å"correct concept of the human good† (Porter 72). Once there exists an ultimate good, there also exists a standard by which a human can tell if he or she is are headed towards the good end. The existence of many ideas of human goodness among a group of people does not disprove the fact that there may be one ultimate good. Even if an individual has a mistaken notion of what is good, he or she will change their notion if they realize his or her mistake. Therefore, if an ultimate good were to exist, all agents would seek this end if they had the knowledge. Finally, Aquinas reasons that â€Å"to understand the most perfect intelligible object, which is God, is the most perfect of acts of understanding† (Aquinas 151). Aquinas also states that it is the natural desire of men to know the first cause. God is the first cause of all, so knowing God must be the ultimate end of all understanding. Now that there exists an ultimate good, this â€Å"theory of goodness provides a foundation for a theory of morality† (Porter 68), by which it is possible to know what is right and what is wrong. Consequently, although humans may establish and follow different ends seeking good, the ultimate ideal of good is found in knowing God. Aquinas’ approach to answer theological questions has some questionable aspects. Like most ideals, one wonders how realistic it is to seek the ultimate good in every aspect. According to Aquinas, only by knowing God do humans have a standard by which they can know what is right and wrong. It can be agreed upon that even an ignorant individual’s ultimate end is knowing God. However, until such knowledge is acquired, the true standard is arbitrary and the individual has a flawed concept of right and wrong. Therefore the harder the ideal end is to acquire, the more people have skewed view on morality. This suggests that for many, morals are relative, which is somewhat naturalistic. Since, Aquinas’ views are theistic both views cannot coexist within the same theory. Therefore, Aquinas’ views on morality depend upon the feasibility of achieving the ideal. Another aspect of Aquinas’ methods that receives much criticism is his eager acceptance of Aristotelian ideas â€Å"without criticism from biblical revelation† (Hoffecker 110). Although commendable, the attempt to prove spiritual matters such as the existence of God using human logic alone seems a bit ambitious. Aquinas is criticized for looking â€Å"too hastily elsewhere, outside the biblical revelation . . . [to] support the Christian faith† (Hoffecker 110). Straying so far away from divine revelation and relying so heavily on reason endangers the importance of faith. Positively, with the knowledge of such dangers, moderate uses of Aquinas’ methods can result in powerful tools for the Christian faith. This is the reason for praising Aquinas as â€Å"the greatest theologian of the medieval Catholic Church† (Aquinas 145). Aquinas’ contributions in theology and philosophy revolutionized Christian thought. His work combines Aristotelian logic with theology producing a revolutionary line of thought known as â€Å"Thomism† (Aquinas 145). Although not mentioned in The Human Good, earlier works by Aquinas use similar methods of logic to prove the existence of God. Aquinas’ ideas on morality and man made them more compatible for people with non-Christian worldviews. Even though venturing so far away from divine revelation may be risky, his work helped introduce more people to Christianity. The popularity of Aquinas may have caused the rise of applying reason in more areas such as religion in the western world. The logical, cause-and-effect mindset of the western world may be attributed partly to this newly sparked popularity of Aristotelian thought. Being able to justify the one’s position using logic is also useful when defending the Christian faith. Although a complicated work of theology, Aquinas was able to reflect his fundamental views on man and morality though The Human Good. He left a lasting legacy by gaining a wide audience with whom to share his ideas. Some leave legacies by their memorable actions or character. Others construct revolutionary ideas and alter the course of public thought forever. Whichever method is used, the worldview of the person shapes their actions and their thoughts. Works Cited Aquinas, Thomas. â€Å"The Human Good.† The Western World. Ed. Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002. 145-155. Hoffecker, Andrew. â€Å"Medieval Scholasticism: The Thomistic Synthesis†. Building a Christian World View. Ed. Andrew Hoffecker. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1986. 97-113. James, sire. Universe Next Door. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1996. Porter, Jean. The Recovery of Virtue. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990.

A Recent Economic Article Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Recent Economic Article - Research Paper Example The article was thereby written to enhance the public’s awareness on the first time that global poverty level has exhibited a decline since the 2005 level. According to the report, much of the decline was to be attributed to the economic progress reflected in China, which disclosed that more than 660 million people were released from the poverty level since 1981. Likewise, it was emphasized that the figures from the report reflected the poorest of the poor, having to contend with subsisting using about $1.25 per day and $2.00 per day, as indicated. C. Personal Verdict: The report was therefore successful in achieve its objective of quantitatively reflecting the decline in the global poverty level using the bar chart and explaining that most of the credit was due from the improved economic conditions in China. As shown, from the 2005 level, there was a decline of 8% in the number of people living below $1.25 per day to its 2008 level. As emphasized, the factors that were contributory to the improved level included improved social programs, counter-cyclical fiscal expansions, and poverty-reduction policies. D. Personal Opinion of the Whole Work: Personally, the results were indeed a fall to cheer or be enthusiastic about since it reflects the seriousness of governments all over the world to address the poverty situations through collaborative economic, fiscal and social programs – which apparently, have succeeded so

Are People Better Informed in the Information Society (responses) Assignment

Are People Better Informed in the Information Society (responses) - Assignment Example The results from the study showed that children who utilized the internet performed better in their standardized tests, as well as, achieving higher GPA’a. Therefore, it would be wrong to argue that media and the internet have negative effects on individuals. Evidently, as technology is evolving, people will be able to better accommodate communication aspects, as well as, other preferences. Contrarily, Bauerlein Mark believes that the internet has numerous negative effects on children. This is because of the fact that kids are becoming addicted to the internet. This is attributable to the fact that almost ninety percent of the students utilize five hours and below reading books in one week. However, 30% of these students use six hours every week surfing and communicating online. This argument shows that the internet is not From the arguments presented, it is apparent that the internet offers a lot of facts to children thus making them better informed. Despite the agreements and disagreements presented, technology will continue t advance and are the people utilizing it. This means that better technology will lead to accessibility of more information. This is because of the fact that technology challenges people to improve their lives thus getting better

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Research paper - Essay Example Though this term is more widely used in the realms of education, the term is also used in the area of disability rights and in the field of taxonomy. However, this paper will only focus on the inclusion regarding education. According to the Wisconsin Educational Association Council (2007), â€Å"inclusion remains a controversial concept in education because it relates to educational and social values, as well as to our sense of individual worth.† Generally, people who have other disabilities have not been able to attend regular classes due to there their physical or mental deficiencies, thus creating an atmosphere of being secluded from the public and suffer from social stress and personal development. However, as years pass by, laws were created to supervise the possibility of these children having lessons inside the comfortable environment where they could undertake there education. It was the law called LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), which made way for special children to be place in regular classes instead of having special classes which have been the traditional training for these atypical students. Several studies served as the backbone of this law and it quickly gained support in the year 1930s, when it was established, and in the year 1960s, when the rapid growth was formally announced as a breaking away from the traditional segregated self-piece practices (Dunn, 1968; Johnson 1962; Kirk 1964; Quay 1963). It was the concept of LRE that led way to the development of other laws such as IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act) which took care in improving the rights of special children in education so that they could experience normal lifestyle as far as possible. The aim of this paper is to explore the various possibilities in which inclusive education for the special children can be attained. It will cover the pros and cons of being in an inclusive education. It will also feature the outcomes of the surveys conducted

Dining Room in Authentic Elizabethan Style Assignment

Dining Room in Authentic Elizabethan Style - Assignment Example A typical building of the period is Wollaton Hall (1588), Nottinghamshire, built by Robert Smythson; it was the first English house to abandon the traditional central courtyard and to place in its stead a high-ceilinged great hall lighted by gallery windows and surrounded by classically proportioned, multi-windowed wings. Bible box - the bible box appeared, these were small side chests designed to hold the family bible. They were later made with a sloping top to facilitate writing and reading. It was the forerunner to the writing desk. They were oak, left natural or finished with oils or beeswax. Colour: During Elizabethan times, color schemes varied depending upon the location of the home. Lighter colors tended to be avoided in town and city dwellings due to pollution. Another factor in color choice was often determined by the availability of pigments. In country areas, interior decorations were often carried out by traveling craftsmen who carried limited supplies. Paint had to be mixed on site with whatever locally available ingredients could be found. For example, the blue-green color wash used on wooden paneled walls in country areas was derived from the earth pigment terra verde, mixed with egg whites and buttermilk. It is, nevertheless possible to make some general statements. For example, during the first half of the Victorian era, walls were usually light colors except for dining rooms and libraries. The second half gave way to much more vibrant, rich colors such as vivid greens and mahogany brown typically found in bedrooms. During this period, the general feeling w as that deep, rich colors enhanced the importance of a room. Owen Jones, architect and theorist of color and ornament, published a handbook, in 1856, called The Grammar of Ornament. The basis of Jones's theories on the use of color was that it was aesthetically correct to use a complex pattern consisting of one main color and many subsidiary colors. Considerable thought was given to creating the right balance of both color and texture between wall, molding, ceiling and woodwork. Adding texture to a room was achieved through the use of wallpaper; stenciling and specialist paint finishes such as sponging, marbleizing and spattering. In most cases it was very difficult to distinguish wallpaper from paint. The simulation of various kinds

Creative Nonfiction Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Creative Nonfiction Film - Essay Example Prior to the actual Zaire fight, the two fighters proudly stated that each boxer will knock out the other opposing boxer (Denby 123). The film’s drama environment heightens as each boxer convinces the general public, especially the movie audiences, that the opposing boxer is no match for the other boxer. Just like the personal essay, the movie is filled with heated conversational element. Further, the film may contain themes of honesty, confession, and privacy. In the nonfiction film When We Were Kings, the film correctly centers on the theme of honesty (Lopate, Getting Personal: Selected Essays 197). Muhammad Ali originally keeps espousing that all Americans should be honest (Lopate 130). Muhammad Ali espoused that Americans should stand up for their beliefs. Muhammad Ali refused to join the Vietnam War. The boxer insisted that the United States should meddle with the internal affairs of another country, Vietnam. For refusing to be drafted into the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali w as convicted and jailed for five years. Muhammad Ali theorized that the Vietnam people should be entitled to their privacy from being intruded by the United States army. Likewise, Muhammad Ali confessed to the people that he is willing to be jailed for his political belief on the encroachment of the United States on Vietnam’s political issues. Furthermore, the film may include issues that contract or expand the self. Specifically, the film may focus on the behavior of the person of film protagonists and antagonists. In the nonfiction film When We Were Kings, the film rightfully shows that Muhammad Ali consistently espoused that he can easily knock out the crowd favorite. The crowd favorite is the defending world heavyweight champion, George Foreman. Muhammad Ali proves to his critics that he was right. In the Zaire fight, Muhammad Ali was able to knock out George Foreman. When Foreman fell to the canvass, the boxing referee counted out the defending champion, the seemingly unstoppable George Foreman (Gast 1). The film clip starting from 1:01:08 to 1:08:02 time lapse correctly shows the real life boxing match between the two boxing gladiators. The audience can see how George Foreman unloaded several punches onto Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali leaned on the ropes to prevent falling onto the boxing ring canvass. After Foreman slo wed down his boxing pace, Muhammad Ali pounced on the unsuspecting Foreman. As expected, Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman while keeping the movie audiences on their feet awaiting the final outcome. As expected, the film correctly shows Muhammad Ali exchanging pleasantries with a girl. The Film clips also show the time frame of the activities from the 40:02:00 movie scene to the 40:39:00 time lapse film scene. The film captivates to audience by making the films more realistic. Moreover, the film may include challenging the status quo. In the nonfiction film When We Were Kings, Muhammad Ali correctly fought hard and long against the status quo. The status quo requires all able-bodied United States citizens to join the Vietnam War. The United States law punishes any American citizen from rendering the required services within the United States army. Muhammad Ali insisted that his new religion, Islam, prohibits him from joining the United States

ILLUSTRATING THE WAYS WHICH MEDIA COVERS THE EUROPEAN CRISIS TODAY AND Literature review

ILLUSTRATING THE WAYS WHICH MEDIA COVERS THE EUROPEAN CRISIS TODAY AND BEFORE FIVE YEARS IN GREECE AND FRANCE - Literature review Example ia was more concerned about the issues affecting the Greek economy and the possible benefits that Greece as a country would derive from the economic collaboration in the euro zone (Schulmeister 21). As the global economic crisis hit the euro zone in 2008 and subsequently the European crisis that followed, the media in the two countries took divergent trends in the way they covered the crisis (POV news). Particularly, the French media created euphoria with negative rhetoric about the crisis which is believed to have caused public panic especially in France with most of the citizens developing negative perceptions of countries such as Greece and Italy, which the media had overly blamed for the escalating crisis. The echoing of the French president’s sentiments about Greece by the French media heightened the perceptions by French citizens (Picard 59). On the other hand, the media in Greece concentrated more on the position of Greece as a nation in the crisis and especially the measures that the European Union expected the country to undertake in order to avert the crisis (Hope 653). In essence, the media focused more on the expected impact of the measures to the Greek economy and citizenry as a whole. POV news. Greece: International Conference, The Greek Financial Crisis and the European Media. Â  Retrieved from

International Business Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Business Strategy - Assignment Example International business operators have adopted a new form of business that entails standardization of the product with the intention of offering and bringing together product and service development and processing. In this aspect, multinationals have tried to make one corporation with branches and operations across the world. The thinking, in this case, is influenced by the precise customer needs and the cultural and geographical factors that impact on the purchasing behavior. Therefore, it is possible to have an international company, say a restaurant, offering entirely different types of goods and services in different parts of the world. This depends on the people living in a certain global locality. Nevertheless, the company’s logo and brand name continue to unite its global customers.   Another thinking of the international business that has evolved is the arbitrage thinking. This involves the exploitation of the differences that arise between regional and national marke ts. Business operators are now required to be more vigilant in the location of important parts of the supply chain in different regions. For instance, Europeans, mainly value opening many retail shops while Indians value the initiation of call centers to monitor employees and customers and create a better channel of communication.Another strategic thinking, that has characterized and shaped international business, is the competitive rivalry between different producers and suppliers in the international markets.

How WW1 Led To WW2 Essay Example for Free

How WW1 Led To WW2 Essay WW1 was the most gruesome war up until that time. With the central powers fighting the allied powers, germany was defeated and forced to take all blame for WW1 which led to WW2. They were forced to admit the war was their fault, pay all damages, and lose their military. After the war, all powers met in France and discussed the treaty of versailles and all allied powers except the U.S. made Germany sign the document and admit that the war was entirely their fault. They hoped it would keep Germany from starting another war but in reality it sparked them to get revenge. Also in the treaty, the allied powers forced them to pay for all expenses in the war. The total cost was well over a billion dollars. This hurt the economic system of Germany and they couldnt pay for it all. It sparked the Germans to once again get revenge on the allied powers and gain control of their country again. IN the treaty, the military power was ceased from Germany. They were now left defenseless. When Adolf Hitler comes to power the first thing he does is restore the army and navy so Germany isnt completely defenselss and he wants the strongest army in the world to go back out and defeat the allied powers. Even though all the allied powers wanted was full revenge on Germany for their many expenses and casualities, it led to another war full of more expenses and casualities. Hitler stepped into power and didnt think it was fair for the Germans to be treated this way. WW2 then begins and it the most destructive war ever.

PR1MA Group Housing Affordability

PR1MA Group Housing Affordability AFFORDABILITY RATE AMONG PR1MA RECIPIENTS IN PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA Nur Aini Syafawani Binti Umar1 ,Shirley Tan2 and Mohd Zairul bin Mohd Nor3 Master of Architecture (M. Arch) Faculty of Design and Architecture University Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Abstract A house is one of the basic important needs for humans. According to Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 17, Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. Affordable housing is housing that balance with the average household income and as the rule of thumb, housing is considered affordable if the costs is less than 30% of gross household income. The increasing in housing prices cause imbalance between housing affordability and household income which has becomes the dilemmas for the young starters to buy their first house. Malaysian government has introduced several affordable housing policies to facilitate home ownership among different groups of household income. However, the policies which only benefit the low-income household group have neglected the needs for affordable housing for middle income group. PR1MA housing policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that all eligible Malaysians are given chance towar ds home ownership. Therefore, this study is to investigate the rate of affordability among young home owner of PR1MA in Federal Territory of Putrajaya using the survey method; pilot survey, a preliminary survey to gather information in smaller scale and personal interview survey to explore the responses of the respondents to gather deeper information towards understanding factors influencing rate of affordability. The findings establish that the main housing issue faced by the middle-income groups are housing price and household expenditure. Hence, it is recommended to address these issues in designing an affordable scheme for the middle-income groups based on the findings of the study. Keywords: housing, affordability 1.0 INTRODUCTION In the recent years, rapid economic development has leads to population growth and this has resulted in the increasing demand for residential housing at urban city in Malaysia. The increasing of housing prices has become the dilemma of the young starters which falls under middle income group to buy their first house. Most of the young starters are having difficulties to secure a mortgage from the final institution. Despite many assistance from the government to assist the young starters to own their dream house, the affordable issue still haunting the target group for realizing their dreams. The main purpose of this paper is to study the rate of affordability among eligible young starters for PR1MA program. The Government of Malaysia aware that housing is a basic need for every citizen and is an important element in contributing for the urban economy. PR1MA housing policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that all eligible Malaysians are given chance towards home ownership. According to general PR1MA guidelines, those eligible to apply for PR1MA homes are Malaysians owning not more than one home and having a gross household income of not more than RM7, 500 per month. The PR1MA apartments in Putrajaya were certainly popular with over 7,000 applications received for 560 apartments (PR1MAs website, 2017). As a result, PR1MA housing in Putrajaya was chosen as our pilot study and this study aims to investigate the rate of affordability among the young starter who are eligible for the PR1MA housing program. Therefore, the objectives of the present study are: To identify the average household income expenditure among young starter who are eligible to apply PR1MA houses. To identify the affordability issue over PR1MA housing price among young starter 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Affordability means differently to renters and owners. Although every group in the housing market is affected by the mortgage rates, owners are affected much more as compare to the renters (CVRDs Regional Growth Strategy, 2016). Several studies or research have been done to understand what does affordable housing mean in this context. The definition of affordable housing is the subject of different analyses and debates among experts (Baqutaya, 2016). Upon the debates, definition of affordable housing is a housing that is considered affordable if the debt service ratio is 30% of the income expenditure (Zairul, 2017). Families that pay more, especially lower and medium income families, are considered cost burdened because they may have difficulty paying for non-housing needs such as food, clothing, transportation, childcare, and medical care (Gary Pivo, 2013). Rate of affordability was measured by house price to income ratio according to Median Multiple methodology (Cagamas, 2013). The definition of affordability is essential before further analyzing the root cause of housing affordability. Issues relating to affordable housing has becomes a dilemmas among low and middle income group. The root cause of affordability among the group was due to the increase of non-housing expenditure by 4.7% based on the Consumer Price Index (Cagamas, 2013). Affordability is mainly defined by the relationship between household expenditure and income. Many authors (Yates and Gabriel, 2006; Carney and Boyle, 2004) argues that housing affordability is affected by the distribution of house prices, household incomes and the structure of financing costs.  Based on the growth of current housing scenario in Malaysia, the issue has been underpinned by the interface of three forces; growing population, high rates of urbanization and growing economy. The imbalance between demand and supply, particularly in the affordable housing segment, has contributed to a high increase in housing prices. This has compounded housing affordability issues, particularly for the low and middle income population (Eco nomic Developments, 2015). Malaysian government has introduced several affordable housing policies to facilitate home ownership among different groups of household income. However, little is done to attend the needs of the middle income group. Despite economic growth, 60% of the middle income group is young starters and majority of their income level falls under lower middle category (Dr. Azriyati, Dr. Rosly and Dr Kuppusamy, 2013). The increasing in housing prices, household expenditure and the lacking of more affordable housing policies AFFORDABILITY RATE AMONG PR1MA RECIPIENTS IN PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA Nur Aini Syafawani Binti Umar1 ,Shirley Tan2 and Mohd Zairul bin Mohd Nor3 Master of Architecture (M. Arch) Faculty of Design and Architecture University Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Abstract A house is one of the basic important needs for humans. According to Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 17, Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. Affordable housing is housing that balance with the average household income and as the rule of thumb, housing is considered affordable if the costs is less than 30% of gross household income. The increasing in housing prices cause imbalance between housing affordability and household income which has becomes the dilemmas for the young starters to buy their first house. Malaysian government has introduced several affordable housing policies to facilitate home ownership among different groups of household income. However, the policies which only benefit the low-income household group have neglected the needs for affordable housing for middle income group. PR1MA housing policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that all eligible Malaysians are given chance towar ds home ownership. Therefore, this study is to investigate the rate of affordability among young home owner of PR1MA in Federal Territory of Putrajaya using the survey method; pilot survey, a preliminary survey to gather information in smaller scale and personal interview survey to explore the responses of the respondents to gather deeper information towards understanding factors influencing rate of affordability. The findings establish that the main housing issue faced by the middle-income groups are housing price and household expenditure. Hence, it is recommended to address these issues in designing an affordable scheme for the middle-income groups based on the findings of the study. Keywords: housing, affordability 1.0 INTRODUCTION In the recent years, rapid economic development has leads to population growth and this has resulted in the increasing demand for residential housing at urban city in Malaysia. The increasing of housing prices has become the dilemma of the young starters which falls under middle income group to buy their first house. Most of the young starters are having difficulties to secure a mortgage from the final institution. Despite many assistance from the government to assist the young starters to own their dream house, the affordable issue still haunting the target group for realizing their dreams. The main purpose of this paper is to study the rate of affordability among eligible young starters for PR1MA program. The Government of Malaysia aware that housing is a basic need for every citizen and is an important element in contributing for the urban economy. PR1MA housing policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that all eligible Malaysians are given chance towards home ownership. According to general PR1MA guidelines, those eligible to apply for PR1MA homes are Malaysians owning not more than one home and having a gross household income of not more than RM7, 500 per month. The PR1MA apartments in Putrajaya were certainly popular with over 7,000 applications received for 560 apartments (PR1MAs website, 2017). As a result, PR1MA housing in Putrajaya was chosen as our pilot study and this study aims to investigate the rate of affordability among the young starter who are eligible for the PR1MA housing program. Therefore, the objectives of the present study are: To identify the average household income expenditure among young starter who are eligible to apply PR1MA houses. To identify the affordability issue over PR1MA housing price among young starter 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Affordability means differently to renters and owners. Although every group in the housing market is affected by the mortgage rates, owners are affected much more as compare to the renters (CVRDs Regional Growth Strategy, 2016). Several studies or research have been done to understand what does affordable housing mean in this context. The definition of affordable housing is the subject of different analyses and debates among experts (Baqutaya, 2016). Upon the debates, definition of affordable housing is a housing that is considered affordable if the debt service ratio is 30% of the income expenditure (Zairul, 2017). Families that pay more, especially lower and medium income families, are considered cost burdened because they may have difficulty paying for non-housing needs such as food, clothing, transportation, childcare, and medical care (Gary Pivo, 2013). Rate of affordability was measured by house price to income ratio according to Median Multiple methodology (Cagamas, 2013). The definition of affordability is essential before further analyzing the root cause of housing affordability. Issues relating to affordable housing has becomes a dilemmas among low and middle income group. The root cause of affordability among the group was due to the increase of non-housing expenditure by 4.7% based on the Consumer Price Index (Cagamas, 2013). Affordability is mainly defined by the relationship between household expenditure and income. Many authors (Yates and Gabriel, 2006; Carney and Boyle, 2004) argues that housing affordability is affected by the distribution of house prices, household incomes and the structure of financing costs.  Based on the growth of current housing scenario in Malaysia, the issue has been underpinned by the interface of three forces; growing population, high rates of urbanization and growing economy. The imbalance between demand and supply, particularly in the affordable housing segment, has contributed to a high increase in housing prices. This has compounded housing affordability issues, particularly for the low and middle income population (Eco nomic Developments, 2015). Malaysian government has introduced several affordable housing policies to facilitate home ownership among different groups of household income. However, little is done to attend the needs of the middle income group. Despite economic growth, 60% of the middle income group is young starters and majority of their income level falls under lower middle category (Dr. Azriyati, Dr. Rosly and Dr Kuppusamy, 2013). The increasing in housing prices, household expenditure and the lacking of more affordable housing policies  for the middle group declining the rate of affordability for home ownership. Towards resolving affordable housing issues, the National Housing Policy (NHP) has been established to outline the direction and form the basis for the planning and development of the housing sector at the federal, state, and local levels (10th Malaysia Plan, 2009). The NHP is introduced to provide sufficient and affordable houses to improve the well-being of the people as well as tackling the issues and challenges faced by the housing industry today (Dato Ahmad, 2009). However, the NHP targeting on the affordability issue for all level of income group which is the low and middle income group. Targeting on the middle income group, the type of available affordable housing scheme by the government is as follows: Table 1: Schemes for middle income group in Malaysia. Adapted from: Zairul (2017) My First Home Scheme (SRP) PR1MA PPA1M Eligibility Income limit for individual loans from RM 3,000 to RM5,000 per month or joint household incomes for up to RM10,000 per month. Eligibility to own property costs up to RM400,000 Malaysian citizen Total individual or household income (husband wife) between RM2,500 to RM15,000 monthly Single or Married Owns no more than 1 property between the applicants and applicants spouse, if any RM90,000-RM120,000 (joint income and not more than RM6000) RM150,000-RM220,000 (joint income not more than RM10,000) RM221,000-RM260,000 (joint income not more than RM10,000) 18-35 years old and first-time buyers 21 years old and above 18-60 years old (for government servant only) Table 1 shows the available schemes for middle income group in Malaysia. Most of the middle income group consists of young starters who could not afford to buy their first house and at the same time, they are not eligible for low cost housing. This study will focus on the PR1MA housing policy which is aimed at ensuring the middle income group are given chance towards home ownership. In conclusion, affordability expresses the challenge each household faces in balancing the household income and household expenditure. Affordable housing schemes launched by the government was to promote affordability in all levels of income group. Towards realizing of home ownership, little has been done to cater the needs of housing for the middle income group. Even though the middle income group are eligible for purchasing affordable house from the affordable housing scheme, but their affordability does not depends only on the eligibility but also influenced by the household expenditure. It is important for the government to revise the term affordability to ensure the affordable housing scheme is able to balance with the income level of the group. 3.0 METHODOLOGY The study was conducted by three methods: 1) desk review; 2) process analysis; 3) in-depth interview. This paper started by first understanding the definition of affordability through the method of desk review by searching relevant information on the meaning of affordability in local context. The definition of affordable housing is the subject of different analyses and debates among experts (Baqutaya, 2016). The source of reading materials was also searched through desk review. Types of affordable housing scheme available, the eligibility of the policies related, and the current issue of housing affordability was focused in this method. The second method was process analysis which involves the collection of data through questionnaire survey and in-depth interview. The questionnaire survey were done among the young home owners of PR1MA in Putrajaya to determine age, occupation, and income bracket. In-depth interview was carried out to further study and is essential to review on factors influencing housing affordability among young starters. Thus, the questions were more detail and specified on the household expenses and in-depth understanding about affordability. 4.0 DATA ANALYSIS This survey divided the study into two sections; The income category of current young starters as home owners of PR1MA affordable house unit and, The category household size of the young starter. The survey with young starters involved two sessions, starting with a pilot study conducted among the young home owners of PR1MA house in Putrajaya. The next session involved an in-depth interview with the young starters to study the factors that would influence the rate of affordability. The pilot study was conducted to determine age, occupation, and income bracket. Criteria for the selection of the respondents included the following: 1) young professionals age between 21 to 35 years old; household income or combined income not exceeding RM7500 monthly; 3) home owner of PR1MA house in Putrajaya. Total number of young starter respondents from the current PR1MA home owners according to income category surveyed is as shown in Table 1. From the survey conducted, 60% of the respondents with household income range from RM2500 to RM4000, 20% range from RM4001 to RM6000, 10% with income ranging RM6001 to RM7000 and 10% from RM7000 to RM7500. Table 2: Distribution of Young Starter Survey PR1MA Respondents by Household Income Income Category Number of response Percentage RM2500-RM4000 6 60% RM4001-RM6000 2 20% RM6001-RM7000 1 10% RM7001-RM7500 1 10% Total 10 100% The second session with the young starters involves an in-depth interview. During the interview session, the emphasis was on the factors influencing the rate of affordability. The category of household size of the young starter determines the percentage of household expenses from household income monthly. The interview feedback was used to study 1) the price of PR1MA house bought, 2) types of household expenses involved monthly, 3) alternative used by the young home owners to lessen mortgage burden. Table 3 shows the household size of the current young starter of PR1MA home owners. 50% of the young respondents are single, 20% of them are married without having children and 20% are with married status and blessed with one children. Only 10% of the respondents with higher household size with two or more children in a family. Table 3: Distribution of Young Starter Survey PR1MA Respondents by Household Size Household Size Number of response Percentage Single 5 50% Married with no children 2 20% Married and have 1 children 2 20% Married and have 2 or more children 1 10% Total 10 100% 5.0 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS According to a study from Azriyati (2013), middle income households can be categorized into three sub-categories; Low-Middle Income, Middle-Middle Income and Upper-Middle Income. Table 4: Categorization Income for Middle Income Group. Extracted from Azriyati (2013) City Income Category Lower-Middle Middle-Middle Upper-Middle Kuala Lumpur RM2001-4000 RM4001-RM6000 RM6001-RM8000 Table 4 shows the sub-categorization of middle income group. The income category for lower-middle group is RM2001 to RM4000; middle-middle group is RM4001 to RM6000; and upper-middle is RM6001 to RM8000. In relation to table 1, 60% of the respondents falls under lower-middle income category; 20% falls under middle-middle income category; and the remaining 20% falls under upper-middle income category. It can be concluded that majority of the young starters income category falls under lower-middle income category which is near to the bottom line of low income group. Table 5: Calculation of affordability rate among Malaysians. (Source: flexZhouse, Zairul (2017)) CASE 1 CASE 2 CASE 3 CASE 4 PROPERTY PRICES RM500,000 RM400,000 RM280,000 RM150,000 Net pay (household) RM7,500 RM7,000 RM8,000 RM5,500 Less: statutory deductions Income tax RM225 RM210 RM240 RM165 EPF contributions (8%) RM825 RM770 RM880 RM605 Net take-home pay RM6,450 RM6,020 RM6,880 RM4,730 Less: monthly commitment Mortgage Installments (6% for 30 years) RM2,700 RM2,160 RM1,512 RM810 Utilities RM300 RM300 RM300 RM300 Car hire-purchase (one car) RM800 RM800 RM800 RM800 Petrol and maintenance for one car RM1,000 RM600 RM600 RM600 Food and other expenses RM1,000 RM1,000 RM1,000 RM1,000 Childcare (one person) RM800 RM800 RM800 RM800 Insurance plan (RM200 per pax) RM200 RM200 RM450 RM450 Parents (RM200 per pax) RM400 RM400 RM400 RM400 Net savings (-RM600) (-RM490) RM1,018 RM430 Household to income ratio 5.56 4.76 2.92 2.27 From the table above, the calculation was based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), 2013 which has increased by 4.7% (Cagamas,2013). The calculation above illustrates the typical monthly expenses of young starters in Malaysia. Against this scenario, the acceptable range for affordability current middle income home owners is between RM150,000 and RM280,000 (Zairul, 2017). Table 6 shows the price to income category determining the affordable rate. Table 6: Ratio of House Price to Household Income (Source: Cagamas Berhad, 2013) Category House Price to Income Ratio Severely Unaffordable 5.1 Above Seriously Unaffordable 4.1 to 5.0 Moderately Unaffordable 3.1 to 4.0 Affordable 3.0 Below The house price for PR1MA house unit at Putrajaya are based on two prices, RM120,000 for 815 sqft and RM150,000 for 1,006 sqft according to the feedback through interview conducted. Table 6 shows the calculation of affordability rate among young home owners of PR1MA house in Putrajaya based on the data analysis section. It was learned that 60% of the young home owners income range falls under lower-middle income category. From table 7, both case shows negative disposable income of the PR1MA young home owners which is -RM1,174 and -RM1,218. In relation to data obtained and showed in table 3, the household size of the respondents contributes to household expenditure base on the feedback from the interview. As the rule of thumb, the housing is considered affordable if the debt service ratio is 30% of the income expenditure (Zairul,2017). Table 7: Calculation of affordability rate among young home owners of PR1MA house. Adapted from Zairul (2017) CASE 1 CASE 2 PROPERTY PRICES RM120,000 RM150,000 Net pay (household) RM2,800 RM4,000 Less: statutory deductions Income tax RM120 EPF contributions (8%) RM224 RM288 Net take-home pay RM2,576 RM3,312 Less: monthly commitment Mortgage Installments (6% for 30 years) RM670 RM810 Utilities RM80 RM300 Car hire-purchase (one car) RM800 RM800 Petrol and maintenance for one car RM600 RM600 Food and other expenses RM1,000 RM1,000 Childcare (one person) RM800 Insurance plan (RM200 per pax) RM200 RM200 Parents (RM200 per pax) 400 RM400 Net savings (-RM1,174) (-RM1,218) Household to income ratio Figure 1: Non-Affordability Rate among Young Starter of PR1MA Figure 1 shows data analysis derived from the relationship between income category (table 1) and affordability rate calculation (table 7). Based on the results obtained, 60% of the middle-income group falls under lower-middle income category and the rate of affordability was calculated based on the income range of this category which is between RM2500 to RM4000. The results show the non-affordability for this income category. Figure 1 demonstrates the PR1MA young home owners under income range from RM2500 to RM4000 shows the highest percentage of non-affordability whereas the income category from RM6001 to RM7500 shows the least percentage. Figure 2: Types of Alternative to Increase Household Income Figure 2 demonstrates different alternatives taken by the young owners of PR1MA despite the non-affordability burden. Freelance is the most common way to increase household income and shows the highest percentage which is 70%. Other alternative such as renting out room, part-time insurance agent, and overtime stands 10% respectively. Base on the findings, the rate of affordability was affected by the monthly household income. However, based on the survey conducted, the household expenditure which has incl

My Family :: Personal Narrative essay about myself

Have you ever been influenced by some important person that helped you be the person that you are today? I have been. The people that have had influence on me are the most important humans beings, my family. But before I begin talking about my family, I want to describe to you the place that we spend most of the time together which also means something important to me and my family. This place is called the family room. This room is small but cozy. It is painted in white and has three windows decorated with beautiful curtains. By the windows you can appreciate a nice view of some beautiful trees and a nice pool. On the walls there are some family photos like the ones that show where my brothers and I were born, my graduation photo, some family members photos like my grandparents, and some paintings made by one of my brothers. Also inside this room there is a nice home theater that includes a nice stereo and TV, and a new compact computer. But this is not all, this room has some very comfortable furniture and I can say that they are comfortable because I use them to watch TV, a movie, or just sit and rest. Also the furniture is used by my brothers to sit and play nitendo, to study, or play with the computer. But from all this furniture there is one chair that is the most cozy chair that I have ever sat upon and that is my father's chair. So this is our room, which is very important to us and has a lot of special things, but the most special part of this room is when it brings my family together. I could begin the book of my life with a picture of my parents. They are important because they helped in my development. Also, they gave me the things that I needed to grow up in the moment that I needed and they still gave me everything that I needed to become somebody in the future. Among these things is the education that I have received all in my life, my basic needs like food, clothes, medicine, a place to live, and the most important thing, the love. Like for example, by being there when I needed somebody to talk to and giving me speeches when I do something wrong.

How does H.G Wells build suspense in The Red Room? Essay -- English Li

How does H.G Wells build suspense in the red room? H.G. Wells "red room "is a pre-twentieth century suspense short story, which is a type of a Gothic story. I shall examine the various techniques that the writer has used to create and sustain suspense. For the first part of the essay I shall explain what a Gothic story is. A Gothic story is a type of romantic fiction that predominated in English literature in the last third of the 18th century, the setting to for which was usually a ruined Gothic, Castle or Abbey. The Gothic novel or Gothic romance, emphasised mystery and horror and was filled with ghost haunted rooms, underground passages and secret stairways. For this reason it is told the "red room" is a Gothic story, this could also explain how suspense in the "red room" was formed. Also if I look at the genre of the story, suspense is built at the beginning by H.G. Well's description of the man with the withered arm, the woman looking into the fire, the second old man and the description of the house: "Flags in the passage outside." "Door creaked on hinges." Also suspense is built by the description of the room, where the young man has to spend the night: "Steps up to it, were in a shadowy corner" This quote explains what the passage up to the "red room" was like. The mention of shadows in the description of the surroundings gives a feeling of evil, unfriendliness and dark unapproachable places. This also makes you feel on edge. In the structure of the story we constantly are made to be fearful of what we will find by the suggestive comment of the woman and the man with the withered arm. Some examples of the way the old woman and the man with the withered arm, second old man and ... ...nd brings tension back into the story. As the reader I know that the narrator is getting quite nervous: "A queer high note gets into his voice" These words were used to describe the darkness as candles were going out was so accurate. For example: "Like a ragged storm cloud sweeping out the stairs" Words used again to describe sudden darkness. The darkness became a: "Stifling embrace" too much for him to cope with. In my opinion H. G. Wells writes a very descriptive story. He manages throughout to convey a feeling of nervous tension and when he thinks that things are beginning to relax he introduces another unsettling point to the story. He keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you wonder how the story will turn out. His use of descriptive words: "Deafens, darkens and overwhelms" makes the reader see this story in their minds my.

Chinese and Australian Consumer Behaviour

These advantages can be gained through understanding what needs the Chinese place the cost Importance on In regards to the hierarchy and what type of brand personality can be created to most effectively target the Chinese market. Introduction: Cross Culture Analysis A cross-cultural study is a beneficial tool undertaken to effectively understand the foreign countries involved In exchanging goods Internationally. Marketers evidently desire to efficiently export large measures of goods and services to various developed countries.If the complex procedure of understanding the major alterations between China's and Australia's consumer behavior is effectively established; a result of costive outlooks and increased brand recognition will be identified. According to the Australian Embassy, ‘China is Australia's largest trading partner' thus allowing a beneficial exposure for further acknowledgment and marketing opportunities for an Australian exporter. China may be classified as a â₠¬Ëœcollectivist culture' (Horn, Merritt, Sun 2004).Collectivist cultures are defined by their ability to malignant strong connections within their groups and in order to belong, individuals are strongly influenced by other peers or family members to follow similarities within one society (Horn, Merritt, Sun 2004). They display a high need for social recognition and status and consume goods to communicate a symbolic expression of their status and prestige (Clans, Gambler, 2003). For example, the Chinese drink wine on special occasions to belong, but also to stress their status and prestige (Lulu, Murphy, 2007).As an exporting opportunity Australian marketers can capitalist on this by emphasizing their wine products to be a sign of prestige to target the Chinese collectivist culture. Australia on the other hand is viewed to have deferent cultural beliefs; the nation is ‘defined as a strongly individualistic culture'. This means individuals within Australia desire to express thei r unique traits with a minimum influence by others (Lee, Askance 2000) which Is In opposition to the Chinese.As an Individualistic culture, Australia has a greater tendency to be self-enhancing than collectivist cultures, and associates achievement with the individual rather than the group (which is typical of the Chinese culture) (Nevis 1983). Although these two countries have strong dissimilarities, marketers must take into account Australia's and China's similarities in consumer behavior, as there might be potential for an Australian exporter to succeed. Although In order to satisfactorily establish exporting analysis between the countries consumer behavior characteristics.The various differences in culture and personality must be used adequately to capture the target audience. Moscow Hierarchy of Needs and Consumer Behavior Mascots Hierarchy of Human Needs is a classification of five basic human needs ranking in order of most important to least important. The first is physiologi cal, which includes the need for food and water, followed by safety and security need (protection, stability), social needs (friendship and belonging), ego needs (status, restive) and self actualization (self-fulfillment) as the final need (Bedlam et al. 2010).This hierarchy can be applied to goods and services in determining what level of needs they satisfy and help marketers segment the on a needs basis. Most people in society express these needs, though in slightly different ways. Most needs could be classified under this hierarchy which makes it useful for marketers when segmenting (Bedlam et al. 2010). The theory of the hierarchy states that once lower levels needs â€Å"are satisfied, again new (and still ‘higher') needs emerge†¦ † To be fulfilled (Moscow, 943 p. 375). Which means that it is only once lower needs are satisfied, do higher needs emerge to be fulfilled (Bedlam et al. 010). For consumers this means that they will only buy products to fulfill high er needs once their lower needs have been satisfied. For marketers this becomes important when positioning on a needs basis as the demographics of the country may not allow those people to fulfill their higher social needs if their basic physiological needs aren't being met. Or it may mean that only a small percentage of the population would be marketable to if they hold most f the wealth of the country. Importantly if marketers design a product to meet the perceived needs of consumers, consumers are more likely to choose that product over competitors.In this way the needs hierarchy can be used as a basis on which to build the benefits the product can offer to the consumer, through fulfilling a need, making it more likely they will consume that product over competitors. Marketers can also bring about the arousal of needs through advertising, and the product they are trying to sell can become the consumer's goal specific product (Bedlam et al. 2010). This is ultimately the aim of the product. Therefore an understanding of Mascots hierarchy is important when segmenting the market.It can allow marketers to position to a segment on a needs basis and even create the arousal of need, of which the product can become a product specific goal. The Effect of Culture on Mascots Hierarchy of Needs As was described earlier, in the previous section, Mascots Hierarchy of Needs identifies the five basic levels of human needs. While generally accepted because it reflects the needs of most people in an individualistic society, it cannot be applied to all cultures. This is because despite the fact that most people express primary or physiological needs, acquired needs are leant in response to ones culture (Bedlam et al. 010). The Chinese and Australians will therefore place their needs with differing important to marketers when considering which needs basis to segment on. According to Nevis (1983), Mascots Hierarchy of needs is a reflection of an individualistic culture such as A ustralia and America, and therefore can't be applied to the Collectivist Chinese culture. Nevis (1983) proposes the Chinese culture subverts the traditional model by placing belongingness as the first basic need, allowed by physiological, safety needs and self-actualization in service of society at the top.This new hierarchy reflects the collectivist traits of the Chinese culture; high family and group orientation (Cyanic, Gambler, 2003), the expression of self as part of a group (brother, father, son, husband but never as ‘self') and gaining meaning through interaction with society. Belonging is therefore the basis of the Chinese society (Nevis 1983). For marketers this means positioning products in relation to the products acceptance by the targeted consumers social and family groups.This is an important approach to take regardless of what needs basis is segmented, as Chinese consumers will look to their social groups for guidance when buying a product rather than the offers and benefits presented to them before purchasing (Ability, Frank, Anemia, Achievement 2011). This is reflected in the pup commercial targeted at the Chinese consumer (See appendix 1). While the drink is targeting a psychological need in Mascots Hierarchy, a large part of the ad focuses on the acceptance of the drink by the family, which is reflecting the importance of family orientation to the Chinese nonuser and their need for belongingness.While the Chinese have self- actualization at the top like individualistic cultures, they differ to Australia, in that they fulfill this need through their success as being part of a group as opposed to being recognized individually (Cyanic, Gambler, 2003). This is echoed in their low individualism score of 20. Australia on the other hand has an individualism score of 90 and is reflected in its beliefs that an achieved goal is the result of the individual. Chinese culture also has a high degree of face, which is evident in the subverted Hierarc hy.Consumption in China has a strong social association because of its high degree of â€Å"face†; whereby Chinese consumers fulfill their needs through â€Å"placing more emphasis on publicly visible possessions†¦ † (ABA, Us, Chou, 2003, p. 737). This socio-cultural characteristic reflects the need for belongingness and acceptance by social and family groups. Furthermore, high face also means Chinese consumers are more likely to buy luxury products as a symbol of social status, and prestige of the family, rather than an expression of self as is common in individualistic societies such as Australia (Cyanic, Gambler, 2003).High face suggests a larger social need and indicates reference group influence is much larger in collectivist cultures than individualistic cultures, and this supports the subverted Hierarchy model with belongingness as the first need for the Chinese Collectivist culture (ABA, et al. 2003). The implications of this for marketers when exporting m eans centering products on their acceptance by the target market reference groups when segmenting on a needs basis.Positioning to the Chinese on product benefits is less important as they are more likely to look to the group when buying a product than the benefits it provides Cyanic, Gambler, 2003). Overall for marketers, understanding how culture affects the Hierarchy of needs is detrimental when positioning as not all cultures place the same emphasis on the same needs. â€Å"Brand personality is an association of a brand whereby it is imbued with human-like personality traits† (Bedlam et al. 2010 p. 108). Human personality traits are developed on the basis of an individuals behaviors, characteristics, beliefs, and demographic characteristics.However, brand personality traits are formed and influence by the consumers interaction with the brand, the culture from which the consumer comes long with the way that the marketers attempt to portray the brand in the eyes of its consu mers (Luau, Papua 2001). For marketers, the aim of creating a brand personality is to create an identity to which consumers can respond emotionally positively towards, and to extend themselves through the brand (Bedlam et al. 2010). If the brand closely reflects the personality of the consumer, they are more likely to respond positively towards that brand and buy from it (Wee, 2003).By extension, brand personality can be seen as a reflection of the cultures in which the brand is surrounded by (Gerhardt, Houston 2001). For example, the Chinese place emphasis on harmony and relationships (Nevis 1983) and this in tern is reflected in the brand personalities aimed at the Chinese. When Audio marketed their brand to China in a TV commercial (See Appendix 2) the car isn't shown until the very end of the ad, until after several happy relationships have been shown. The aim was to try and make a connection between the car and the relationships it allows people to have, creating a brand image of relationships and connectedness.Chinese brand personalities, which keep in consistency with heir cultural collectivist traits, tend to portray belongingness and the brand as an avenue to express their acceptance by society and group members (Luau, Papua 2001). Whereas in the Individualistic culture of Australia, brand image is much more likely to take on an individualistic approach as Australian consumers are more likely to â€Å"purchase brands they deem suitable for themselves†¦ † (Lam, Lee, 2005 p. 165). As a result Australian brand images take on a self-centered approach that stress sophistication and express the persons personality rather than acceptance by the group.Consumers in individualistic cultures are also less likely to switch brands (Lam, Lee 2005). This could be due to personality being relatively stable (Bedlam et al. 2010), so Australians are expected to keep expressing themselves through the same brand that matches their personality. Yet fashion and status are constantly changing within groups, so collectivist consumers (such as the Chinese) are more likely to switch brands to belong to the changing influences of their peer groups. (Luau, Papua 2001).For marketers this means creating a brand personality for collectivist cultures hat are primarily fashionable and seen as acceptable by the consumers peer groups, while in individualistic cultures the brand personality must align with the personality of the consumer to be received positively. This idea of brand personality influenced by culture is vital for marketers to position their product in the eyes of consumers. If a consumer associates a product in a different light to the way the marketers are promoting it, it can have detrimental effects towards the longevity of the good.Subsequently, the opposite can happen, whereby the consumers take a greater liking o the good, and increasing the marketability of the product. Global branding brings forth an exposure to an increasingly c ulturally-diverse audience. In order for Australian marketers to understand the distinctly unique dimensions of brand personality in the Chinese market, it is vital to consider the socio-cultural characteristics that underpin Chinese consumer behavior and preferences. Chant, Saunders, Taylor and SHCOON (2003 p. ) note that â€Å"consumers seek brands with congruent personalities (to their own), and use brands' personality to define their sense of self†. Furthermore, these unique needs of consumers and owe they identify, relate, and associate themselves to brand personalities; alongside the inextricably linked pressures of economic, lifestyle and cultural conditions, must be considered collectively in order for marketers to successfully market their firm's offerings (Bedlam et al. 2010). Hefted (2001) puts forth that the dimensions of China's cultural differences are shown by a high degree of long-term orientation and collectivism.Unlike individualistic societies such as Austr alia, collectivist cultures support and adhere to standards and consumption decisions on a group axis (family, extended family, network of friends and community); in effect, providing the framework within which Chinese individuals and households function. Confucianism, the dominant philosophical influence in China, is an ideology that reiterates this collective nature, as well as the importance of these interpersonal relationships and interactions, the notion of â€Å"face†, and the concept of hierarchy.In addition, education level, sex, age and standard of living all influence how foreign brands are perceived in the Chinese market (Chin (3)). A recent study conducted by Chug and Sung (201 1), identified a six dimensional framework of brand rationalities present in China. They consisted of ‘Competence, Excitement, and Sophistication' (Chug, Sung, 2001 p. L); notions matching with those found in individualistic societies like Australia, and culture-specific dimensions su ch as ‘Traditionalism, Joyfulness, and Trendiest'.Through this research, Chug and Sung (2011) demonstrate that through establishing a Chinese brand personality structure marketers are able to identify the coexistence of both Chinese traditionalism and the implementations of Western modernization on cultural values in modern China. This means that in the past three decades, the Chinese market has increasingly opened p to the West, in a way that does not conflict with deeply rooted cultural norms.This notion is reflected in the consumer behavior of today's â€Å"young middle-class aspiring Chinese consumers; whom are increasingly becoming the most affluent consumer class in china† (Powel, 2011 p. 40). Powel (2011) proposes â€Å"Mr.. And Mrs.. Middle Class† are increasingly extending their brand preferences as a result of breaking down the barriers between cultures. However, cultural transitions are not intended to comply with Confucianism, rather, the role of bran d personality becomes an avenue to express wealth, success, youth and the â€Å"modernity of institution†¦ (Chin (3) p. 8). It is through these cultural characteristics and ties with economic and social factors, that perceptions towards brand personality exists among consumers from a society that is more culturally conditioned. In order to maximize exporting opportunities, adaptation is a necessity. Successful brands have philosophy; a shift from the traditional marketing concept to the more appropriate conceptualization of societal marketing (Bedlam et al. 2010).Unlike Australians whom project high levels of uniqueness and individuality in their consumption patterns, Chinese consumers rely on the importance of social interaction in making consumer based decisions. â€Å"It is assumed that the recommendations and comments from others play a very important role in the choice of brand† (Chin (3) p. 7). This notion is reflected in the Chinese commercial for milk (See Appen dix 3) where it can be seen that the reciprocity of and importance of trust-based interpersonal relationships is highlighted.Set in a time in Chinese history where many could not afford to drink milk every day, the positioning of brother and sister, over the course of time, provides depiction of milk as a commodity of value of which one should be grateful to have. Years later when the young boy grows up, he realizes that his sister was only pretending to dislike milk so that she could give it to him. As a result, he vows to provide milk for the well-being of his future family.This ad highlights the need for marketers to show the Chinese consumers that the brand is a part of their relationships with others in order for the brand to be received positively. This is because, as the ad depicts, belonging and relationships is central to the Chinese. The societal marketing concept takes into account the importance of adopting a long-term outlook, that â€Å"all companies would be better i n a stronger, healthier society and that companies that incorporate ethical behavior and social responsibility in their business dealings will attract and maintain loyal customer support over the long term† (Bedlam et al. 010, p. 17). It is through adopting accordingly to these sensitive cultural subtleties that provides an opportunity for brands to tailor their marketing mix strategies to realize the best and most effective ways that meets their needs as ell as adequately adopting brand elements (images, advertising etc. ) that appeal to, relate and reflecting the consumer preferences of the Chinese market. Conclusion Overall it is detrimental for marketers to understand how Mascots Hierarchy and Brand Personality differs between Australia and China.Without an understanding of how Mascots Hierarchy is subverted by different cultures, marketers would miss the opportunity to position based on what different cultures base as their most intrinsic need. Without an understanding of culture and how it affects brand personality, arresters may not integrate a brand to be adopted positively by a different culture. In order for marketers to export successfully, they need to adapt their marketing approaches to take into account these differences caused by the different cultures, therefore an understanding of both these concepts and how they are affected by culture is vitally important.

Physical & Chemical Porperties of two Metals Essay

Purpose The purpose of this lab is to examine the physical and chemical properties of Magnesium and Copper. Definitions: Chemical change: A chemical change is a kind of change in which a specific type of matter is converted to a new one. Physical change: Physical changes are those in which a change in the form, but not the composition of matter occurs. Physical property: Physical properties can be observed or measured without changing the composition of matter, they are generally used to observe and describe matter. Chemical property: Chemical properties can not be determined unless a substance undergoes a change in its composition. If you answer the question â€Å"Can I get the original substance back?† with no, then you are observing chemical properties. Physical and Chemical Properties of two Metals (Mg & Cu) † Data Collection Data Collection Observations for Magnesium: Process Observations a) Examine a piece of magnesium ribbon. Silver in color, shiny and smooth surface b) Attempt to bend a piece of magnesium ribbon. Breaks easily c) Obtain two 3 cm pieces of magnesium. Clean the surface of each with a piece of steel wool. Still silver in color, still shiny but became more smooth d) Place one of the pieces of magnesium ribbon from part c) into a test tube containing 3 mL of water. Add two drops of phenolphthalein solution and shake for 30 seconds. Liquid turned in a light pink e) Using crucible tongs, hold the other piece of magnesium ribbon in a burner flame to ignite the magnesium. Remove the burning magnesium from the flame and allow it to continue to burn. Save the ignition for part f) Got bright, then melted and turned white f) Place the ignition product from part e) into a test tube containing 3 mL of water. Add 2 drops of Phenolphtalein and shake for 30 seconds. Liquid turned in a light pink, ash is on the bottom of the test tube Add a 1 cm piece of magnesium ribbon to a test tube containing 1 mL of 2.0 mol/L HCL and observe for 30 seconds. got warm, liquid is bubbling (new gas created), the piece of magnesium ribbon turned white Add a 1 cm piece of magnesium ribbon to a test tube containing 1 mL of 2.0 mol/L nitric acid and observe for 5 minutes. Liquid is bubbling (new gas created), Liquid turned cloudy, got warm Physical and Chemical Properties of two Metals (Mg & Cu) † Data Collection Data Collection Observations for Copper: Process Observations a) Examine a piece of copper wire. Bronze in color, smooth and shiny surface b) Attempt to bend a piece of copper wire. Does not break easily c) Obtain two 3 cm pieces of copper wire. Clean the surface of each with a piece of steel wool. Bronze in color, shiny and very smooth d) Place one of the pieces of copper wire from part c) into a test tube containing 3 mL of water. Add two drops of phenolphthalein solution and shake for 30 seconds. Liquid turned cloudy/white e) Using crucible tongs, hold the other piece of copper wire in a burner flame to ignite the copper. Remove the burning copper from the flame and allow it to continue to burn. Save the ignition for part f) Got warm, color of liquid turned grey, copper wire bends easily f) Place the ignition product from part e) into a test tube containing 3 mL of water. Add 2 drops of Phenolphtalein and shake for 30 seconds. No changes observed Add a 1 cm piece of copper wire to a test tube containing 1 mL of 2.0 mol/L HCL and observe for 30 seconds. No changes observed Add a 1 cm piece of copper wire to a test tube containing 1 mL of 2.0 mol/L nitric acid and observe for 5 minutes. No changes observed Physical and Chemical Properties of two Metals (Mg & Cu) † Conclusion/ Evaluation Conclusion/Evaluation Conclusion In our experiments the magnesium seemed to have reacted better in our experiments than the copper, although some of their physical properties are the same, both are for example shiny in their color and have a smooth surface.. In three of our copper experiments no change took place whereas the magnesium always showed some kind of reaction to our experiment. But magnesium and copper do also seem to have some reactions in common, as to see at experiment D, where we took steel wool and cleaned the surface of the magnesium and copper, physical properties were observed, the surface of both got even more smooth and it got more shiny. We were observing a physical change in part C where the magnesium stripe broke easily, but the copper did not break easy at all. We were also observing chemical changes such as the boiling of the magnesium in experiment F, a new gas was created. Physical properties were observed in experiment E for the magnesium as well as the copper where the phenolphthalein and the water changed its color to pink with the magnesium and in a cloudy white with the copper stripe, meaning that magnesium, water and phenolphthalein or copper, water and phenolphthalein do change the color of the created. We did not observe any changes in experiments G,H and I for our copper stripes, whereas we observed changes in experiment H for the magnesium part where the liquid started bubbling, a new gas was thus created which is evidence for a chemical change. Evaluation This experiment showed very well how different copper and magnesium react by doing several similar experiments with each of them, but I think there is a lot of room for improvement because I am quite sure that there are either changes or specific properties occuring in parts G to I with the copper. The fact that no reaction took place might have been due to not enough liquid for those experiments, it might have been helpful to either add more or do several trails with each one having a different value of liquid in it. In general it is always better to have numerous trails, this would give us better evidence about changes which might not have been regular, but occured due to unpreciseness when doing the experiments. It might have also been interesting to measure the temperature of the boiling liquid, whether or not there is a difference between the reaction with copper and magnesium or not. We only had about 40 minutes to complete our entire experiment, which was, in my oppinion, not enough time to complete all steps properly with a high preciseness, more time would have been helpful, too.

International Business Essay

In present time and age globalisation has gained much more importance then what it had about thirty years ago. No doubt globalisation started ever since human being existed on this planet, but it is observed that in this era geographical boundaries has a very little part to play, when it comes to trade, culture, travelling and communication. Effects of this integration of different economies will have its outcomes and many of them can be seen already. In most countries however due to Globalization one can see the growing concern regarding employment and income distribution (Lee & Vivarelli 2006, p. 168). Based on qualative and quantative analysis this paper would come with the conclusion to suggest wether globalisation is beneficial for everybody or the complete opposite. Globalisation means increasing flows of trade, finance and factors of production across the border, with the help of faster transportation and effective communications set up. It is globalisation which is compeletly responsible for making this world a global village. With globalisation, international bonds develop not just amongst specific groups of countries but across a wide global network in which factors of production or finished goods can move freely. The second era of globalisation that we are now living has come as a outcome of a numerous factors, not only because of of internet (which has allowed the speedy flows of massive volumes of information) but also because of intense changes in institutional environments. The economic ideas of the 1970s promoted moves towards financial liberalisation and deregulation within a large number of OECD countries during the 1980s and 1990s, the policy approaches of the Bretton Woods institutions were also modified with the Washington Consensus being built upon the promotion of economic severity, privatisation and liberalisation Stiglitz and Gualerzi (cited in Baddeley 2006, p 392). Furthermore, Baddeley claims that this deregulation has made the movement of capital and factors of production across national boundaries, contributing to the globalisation process In most countries, however, the current wave of â€Å"globalization† has been accompanied by increasing concern about its impact in terms of employment and income distribution (Lee & Vivarelli 2006). Evidence has been provided from group studies to explain that globalisation does promotes growth by Dreher (cited in Baddeley 2006, p 393). However, it has been argued that the benefits do not essentially help to alleviate poverty. Krugman and Venables( cited in (cited in Baddeley 2006, p 393) emphasize that globalisation has the potential to benefit less-developed nations but at the start globalisation will worsen world inequality but then it will reduce it down. For example—as transport costs fall below a threshold, developing nations suffer real income declines. Falling transport costs allow core nations to exploit greater economies of scale in manufacturing to the loss of manufacturing sectors in developing economies. Labour demand will fall in peripheral nations and rise in core nations as a consequence. Milanovic (cited in Baddeley 2006, p. 394) completely discards the view of globalisation as something that would benefit any economy, he also provides evidence that, since 1870, globalisation has worsen international inequality with particularly prominent increases in inequality during the 1978–1998 globalisation era. He argues that the blow on less developed countries have been severe which means per capita GDP has not increased in Africa and a number of less developed countries are in a financial crisis and many transition economies are facing extraordinary levels of debt. The point worth mentioning here is that globalisation has increased the level of business activity all around the world but to be honest for many developing countries this is of very little use rather it is to the their detriment. Now when the host country provides its labour and resources, it is just like other economies eating away host countries resources. Plus all the profits are gone somewhere else. And the story does not end here, on the other side developing countries have always been forcing all the countries to reduce the amount of tariff and import duties and talking about how good free trade is. Now the rich countries enjoy economies of scale therefore the imported goods in some poor countries are cheaper than their own home base industry products. This discourages the economy of developing countries and does not allow it to become self sufficient. (Kaplinsky 2001, p. 60) When we look at the labour market outcomes, (Wood 1998, p. 1463) explains that there have been gaps between skilled and unskilled labour both in terms of wages and in terms of unemployment rates and claims that globalisation is the most likely cause for this rising inequality. Feenstra 1998, p. 37) adds outsourcing into the reasearch to prove that the outcomes of globalisation on employment and wages will be comparable to the outcomes of skills-biased technological innovation. Which means demand for skilled labour in less developed countries will rise but the demand for unskilled labour will fall contributing to wage inequality. Even though globalisation has encouraged factor price equalisation, it has been at the expense of lower incomes for low-skilled workers. (Williamson 1997, p. 5) explains that factor-price convergence in the earlier stages of globalisation improved conditions for unskilled workers in Europe but made the situation worse for poor unskilled workers in the new global village. As per the concept of comparative advantage, trade and FDI both should take advantage of the cheap and readily available amount of labour in developing countries and so generate a movement of specialization in domestic labour intensive Activities and, ultimately, an expansion in local employment (Lee & Vivarelli 2006, p. 170) On the contrary Heckscher-Ohlin recent research leads to the conclusion that the employment impact of increasing trade is not necessarily positive for a developing country. In a developing country, the final employment impact of increasing trade depends on the interaction between productivity growth and output growth both in traded-goods sectors and in non-traded sectors. The final outcome cannot be assessed for different reasons. On the one hand, export may involve demand-led economic and employment growth, but – on the other hand – imports may displace previously protected domestic firms, inducing labour redundancy. Moreover, in the presence of supply constraints (lack of infrastructure, scarcity of skilled labour, under-investment, labour market inefficiencies), productivity growth may exceed output growth even in the exporting sectors, to the detriment of job creation Fosu and Reddy (Lee & Vivarelli 2006, p. 171). Finally, lucky sectors of the domestic economy e. g. agriculture, public administration, construction, non-traded services may act as labour sinks, often implying hidden unemployment and underemployment in the informal labour market . Shifting the center of attention from trade to FDI inflows, when a developing country opens its borders to foreign capital, FDIs generate positive employment effects directly and indirectly through job creation by suppliers and retailers. They also produce a tertiary employment effect by generating extra incomes and in that way increasing total demand (Sanjaya 2004, p. 91). By comparing the labour intensities of exported, imported and non-traded goods, it is sorted out that in 21 out of 39 sampled developing country which is an increase in the level of trade resulted in an increase in employment. In the remaining group of 18 countries, however, increased integration in the global economy produced a reduction in employment which is the opposite of (Heckscher-Ohlin theorem). In reality inequality comes from a bunch of other sources: corruption, the overextended power of states, technological change, demographic change and diseases, the spread of AIDS in Africa etc. Globalisation, engagement with the wider changes in the world, is as crucial for the less developed countries as it is for the more developed ones. No country which has cut itself off from the wider world has prospered. Take a look at North Korea or Burma to see what happens to a country which tries to simply isolate itself from the world economy. Future is not in regionalism or dull protectionism. That does not mean you should simply accept free trade. Industries should only be opened up to markets when certain favourable conditions prevail. Nonetheless, you do need to tackle with the wider global economy. â€Å"The main challenge for poorer countries is to find what circumstances of that engagement are† (Giddens 2000) People on both sides of this debate have been very swift to draw conclusions about the Impacts of â€Å"globalization† from their measured poverty numbers. The title of a book published recently by the International Forum of Globalization asks: â€Å"Does globalization help the poor? † and the book confidently answers the question with a big â€Å"no. † The back cover of Bhalla (2002) asks: â€Å"Who has gained from globalization? † and answers with equal confidence: the poor. However, readers of neither book will become any wiser about the answer to these questions than when they started. Actually neither book contains the sort of analysis that would be needed to convincingly allow acknowledgment of the claimed changes in poverty and inequality to â€Å"globalization. † I am not given any evidence that would allow me to identify the role played by greater openness to external trade in the distributional changes observed, against other factors such as rising agricultural productivity, demographic factors, changes in the distribution and returns to education and internal policy reforms (Ravallion, p. 15). Globalisation is like a fire, a form of force which is bad if not controlled but useful if channelled responsibly.

Leadership is an abstract idea that accommodates many descriptions

Leadership is an abstract idea that accommodates many descriptions which all seek to harmonize the meaning and definitions that are associated with someone being a leader. In the social sphere, it can be regarded as the way in which some certain individual with desired characteristics like social responsibility take up the helms or control in social domains.This control is aimed at filling a vacuum that exists for the coordination of activities and the making of some crucial decisions for the well being of all. All this is aimed at accomplishment of certain personal or national goals.Mahatma Gandhi is someone who can be regarded as a leader by what he did for his country and the great feats that he achieved during his lifetime. He was born in India (1869- 1948) from not such an influential background but due to his dedication and devotion to his idealism in life, he arose through the ranks to become a national leader that was revered by all people.His political ambition was rekindled after he moved to Africa (South Africa) as an attorney and he saw the rampant abuse of human rights by the Transvaal’s discriminatory government which took him into the limelight as being a tenacious crusader of human rights.His fights and campaigns did not end there in South Africa but the ambition was developed onto a calling which later was culminated into his character. This was an instrumental step that led to development of his system of non violent defiance so as to achieve a common good for all. This worked for him when he returned to his mother country and led his country to independence from the British imperial masters (Fischer 23).Leadership is a venture that can be quite demanding and several traits are required of those that can merit the title of being a leader. On the forefront is sacrifice and a legacy of self denial always putting the interests of others (your subjects) before your own personal ambitions.This should be something that is inbuilt because lear ning it is a hard task that is almost impossible. It does not mean that you throw away your ambition in life and form new ones but rather it dictates that you integrate your ambition with greater ideologies that are expanded to cater for national interests.Synchronization of your interest in life with those of others in life will work best and this will be a key in avoiding conflict. Selflessness is one of the traits that are exhibited by Gandhi. He never took life as complicated but he denied himself luxuries and the good tidings that come with being a nationalistic leader. He led a simple ascetic life that served to make him more appealing to all people both poor and rich or mighty (Fischer 67).Leadership comes with an arduous task of dealing with all kinds of people from different walks of life. This calls for a sober mind and an all inclusive approach to life. All this is controlled by humility which is a requirement of a leader and not a necessity. Humility can guarantee you ac cess and audience with all regardless of their social class.By being a humble person means that you will go out of your way to serve others and not wait to be served. Often most people associate leadership with being a boss over other people but it should be the other way round. In serving others, your leadership skills are enhanced and you get a one on one experience such that many people will regard you high as opposed to serving others and you one person, you will regard others high.This is one trait that made Mahatma Gandhi to stand out from the crowds. He was always out there serving others and more so the poor and those who are regarded as low in the Indian caste system. He even left his own caste and went down to lower caste (that was for predominantly poor) and tried to raise its social status and put it at par with other social castes. This made him a champion of fighting for rights of the poor and the minority.Approach to leadership should be broad minded and not narrow. I t has for a long time been taken that advancing racial, ethnic or even tribal can warrant you to be called a leader.This is the wrong approach to leadership since if you consider a country like US for instance, there are many people coming from different races, and different social backgrounds, their religious believes and faith are also divergent thereby for one to be a leader of such a community or nation, he or she must be nationalistic and not racial or regional in the way to approach issues that are affecting the country. In his lifetime, Gandhi was always striving for peace, harmony and good co existence regardless of ones religious inclinations or beliefs (Fischer 56).It is said that he studied all the major religions of the world (Christianity, Islam and Hinduism) in his quest for searching for truth which would promote national cohesion.When I was in high school, I was very much involved in sports and extra curricula activities. Actually, when I joined college it was on sch olarship emanating from my athletic abilities. I indulged mostly in basketball where I played in the position of a forward. In a basketball game (in all sport for that matter) the ultimate goal is to win trophies and be the best in the sport.For a team to achieve this, all personal ambitions have to be shed for the benefit of the team. All the team members are gifted with different skills and individual talent in most cases can not win games but it is the combined efforts of the team members that win games and trophies.By the mere fact that you made the shortlist, was an indication enough that you were talented and capable of success. I was a forward and was selected as the team captain not that I was the best in the team but I had some characters that fitted a leader.It is often said that it is the people who designate you a leader and not you that designate yourself, therefore the coach had confidence that I could deliver as a captain and help my team win trophies. The best chance that arose for me to exhibit my leadership prowess was during one time in the conference finals where it was do or die to clinch the title.The game started well and proceeded on till the last dying moments when there were five minutes on the buzzer and we were trailing our opponents by five points. In basketball any body can score but that job is better left to the forwards because of their enhanced speed and accuracy.I was good at shooting but there was this guy who was a guard but he was not a regular in the first team. His advantage was that he was very good when it came to three pointers. Someone had to be axed so that this guy could be given a chance to even the scores and win the game for us.In the last time off, I convinced the coach to give that guy my chance so that he could use his prowess in shooting three pointers. The coach at first objected since I was the captain but later had to cave in and that is how we won the trophy because the guy did his thing and we emerged v ictorious in the end.Work citedFischer, L. The essential Gandhi An Anthology. Bombay: Oxford University Press, 1963.