Mr Clean “You gotta love a man who clean” Essay Example for Free

Mr Clean â€Å"You gotta love a man who clean† Essay Companies have many objectives when advertising their products and services. These objectives vary according to their industries, available distribution channels, and overall marketing strategies. The key to all advertising is attracting the right buyers. These are people who are more apt to buy a companys wares based on demographics like age and income, for example. Advertising should also repeat their messages often enough to familiarize consumers with their offerings. One of the major objectives of advertising is to increase sales and profits. Advertising is generally intended to motivate potential or current customers to behave in the way you desire. The specific messages, and the ways you want them to act vary based on your current position in the market and the money you have to invest in promotion. Normally, though, and objectives change over time as your company grows. For super bowl 2017, dozens of companies are rushing to generate buzz for themselves by releasing advertisements that are funny, emotional or edgy. While the big game was a week away, cleaning brand Mr. Clean clearly had the early edge in that regard. Mr. Clean has gotten buff and sexy for his Super Bowl ad debut. Procter Gamble has released its first-ever Super Bowl ad for Mr. Clean.  The 30-second spot features the iconic but refreshed character whos still bald and muscular but seems a little younger and sexier than his old self. Entitled Cleaner of Your Dreams, the mostly wordless and portray Mr. Clean showing up at a suburban red-haired house. The woman appears to be frustrated by a stain on her stove, before Mr. Clean, the iconic mascot of the brand, shows up in all his erotic glory. As the sensual music plays, the two characters clean the house, culminating in Mr. Clean mopping the floor in a muscle white shirt and extremely tight white pants that show off his assets. Mr. Clean sashays and dances as he moves and cleans from kitchen to  bathroom, to  the living  room as music pulses. The blissed-out homemaker also begins to sway to the musics vibe before a voice calls out her name.Sarah? Sarah? as the fantasy concludes. She opens her eyes and its her  tubby, lazy mate  standi ng before her. Clean enough? he asks. She crashes into his arms as they both collapse on the  couch. Then You gotta love a man who cleans pops across the screen. The idea behind the whole ad is to make cleaning attractive to men and challenge the idea that women are the only ones who would be interested in a cleaning product. According to HYPERLINK http://ibtimes.com, ibtimes.com 172 million views tune in to the super bowl and 59% were men. â€Å"Theres no better way to reach a co-ed audience than the Super Bowl, Procter Gamble vice president Martin Hettich told the website. And the subject were broaching with Mr. Clean really is for a co-ed audience, because its talking about cleaning and how men and women divide up the chores. And theres still a way to go. According to data gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2014, 83 percent of women reported doing household work, while just 65 percent of men said the same. Online, however, the ad was met with a broad range of reactions. Some liked the cheeky rebranding of the character, while others described themselves as uncomfortable with the idea of a sexualized Mr. Clean. Either way, the video has been a success in driving conversation about the brand, as it racked up nearly 450,000 views in a day on YouTube. (Per time magazine) This ad is different from the other Mr. Clean ads from way back when. It doesn’t create the issue of branding a female as a â€Å"housewife†. The other Mr. Clean advertisement considered females to be domestic wives who depend on their husbands for money and a house to clean. Manipulation is one of many worries that continue to be an issue with advertisements because many people find it unfair. Gender  roles persuade  people by establishing a minor feeling of a female and a wondrous feeling of a male. Note that advertisements glorify stereotypes of the female as a housewife with zero education and a great sense of style. On the other hand, male advertisements showcase males to be the provider of the household who is dependent on his wife or mother for food, clean clothes, and a bed to sleep on. According to Luuk Lagerwerf, Charlotte M.J. van Hooijdonk, and Ayalies Korenberg, â€Å"Advertisements containing connection are better comprehended than are advertisements containing similarity† (1840). If there is a relation between an advertisement and a person, the person will feel the need of buying that particular product.

Categories of client-server architecture and problems faced by hures

Categories of client-server architecture and problems faced by hures Question One: Do you think the problems faced by Hures, both past and present, are unique? Why or why not? I consider the problem faced by Hures, both past and the present are not unique. I understand the fact that, client server computing had an huge impact on the organization but as with all new technologies, there are many confronts and questions with hard to find answers. To solve this issue, Hures can use the client/server architecture, which is divided into following categories: 1. Client server architecture 2. One-Tier architecture 3. Two-Tier architecture 4. Three-Tier architecture 5. N-Tire architecture Client server architecture: Client-server explains the relationship between two computer programs in one, the client program, makes a service request to another, the server program, explains communication between any end nodes and a shared resource. Servers differ in size and functionality and can be anything from a PC based server, to a midrange computer, to a main frame. Client server architecture is totally flexible to Hures multiple client program. Client server architecture in which the presentation, the application processing, and the data management are logically a separate process, which makes it very flexible and expandable approach to building system software. Unlike typical client/server applications, this architecture services multiple clients, supports client disconnection and provides a flexible framework for adding application. Hures is a leading human resources service provider using TCP/IP. Hures should also consider using a communication protocol such as the shared variable which gives a higher level application programming interface (API) and abstracting the lower level details, such as handling multiple clients. One -Tier Architecture: One tier application is a simple program which no needs to access the network when it is running. This one tier application includes most of the simple desktop applications like word processors or compilers. One tier architecture application runs on a single computer. Web browser is part of a two-tier application (a Web server being the other part). But what happens if that Web browser downloads a Java applet and runs it? If the applet doesnt access the network while running, is it a one-tier or two-tier application? For present purposes, we will say that the self-contained applet is a one-tier application, since it is contained entirely on the client computer. One-tier architecture has a huge advantage, simplicity being one of them. No One-tier applications handle any network protocols, so their code is simple. The users requests dont need to cross the network, wait for their turn at the server. This has the added effect of not weighing down your network with extra traffic, and not weighing down your server with extra work. Two-Tier architecture: Two-tier architecture actually has got three parts which are client, server, and protocol. The protocol links the gap between the client and server tiers. The two-tier design is very effective for network programming as well as for GUI programs, in which you can allocate functionality to the host. GUI code lives on the client host, and the so-called business logic lives on the server host. Two-tier application is a client-server program with a GUI front-end written in a high-level language like Java, C++, or Visual Basic. In the two-tier program, you can see the clear separation between front and back tier. Hures input is given by the HTTP get request, via an HTML form which the user fills out. Its output is one or more HTML files. All the calculation happens on the server. In some cases, you can write a two-tier application without writing a server or designing a protocol. For example, you can write a Web browser that talks to a Web server using the HTTP protocol. However, if you have to write your own server, or design and execute your own protocol, you can spend more time writing your program than you would if you were writing a one-tier application. Three-Tier architecture: A three-tier will need to store data on a server. The information is stored on the file system. However data honesty issues arise when multiple clients ask the server to do tasks. Since file systems have concurrency controls at best common solution is to add a third program or database. Databases specialize in storing, retrieving, and indexing data. Just as two-tier architecture separates GUI and business logic, three-tier architecture lets you to separate business logic and data access. You can also offer highly optimized data indices and retrieval methods, and provide for replication, backup, redundancy, and load-balancing procedures specific to your datas needs. Separating code into client and server code increases the scalability of your application so does placing data on a dedicated process, host, or series of hosts. SQL RDBMS, like those from Oracle and Sybase, other database types. You may have heard the names of some of these other types OODBs, ORDBs. The three tier architecture has the following three tiers: Presentation Tier: This is by far the top upmost level of the application. This tier displays information related to such services as browsing merchandise and shopping cart. Application Tier: Is the logic tier pulled out from the presentation tier. This controls application by performing detailed processing. Data Tier: consist of database server. Here the information is stored and retrieved. N-Tire architecture: N-tier architectures are the best thing to happen to computer since the vacuum tube. Proponents of CORBA, EJB, and DCOM believe that every new application should be written, and every existing application should be retrofitted, to support their favorite spec. In the universe of distributed objects thus imagined, writing a new application is as simple as choosing objects and sending messages to them in high-level code. The distributed object protocol handles the wicked, low-level details of parameter marshaling, networking, locating the remote objects, transaction management, and so forth. A good example of N tier application is a stock trading system. In this system, we have multiple data feeds arrive from different sources, multiple databases are accessed and multiple clients run specialized applications. It makes sense to merge together the disparate patches in this quilt with the thread of common distributed object architecture, like CORBA or EJB CORBA is a mechanism in software for normalizing the method-call semantics between application objects that live in either in the same address space (application) or remote address space (same host, or remote host on a network). CORBA uses an interface definition language (IDL) to specify the interfaces that objects will present to the outside world. In addition to giving users with a language and a platform-neutral remote procedure call specification, CORBA defines commonly needed services such as transactions and security, events, time, and other domain-specific interface mod A CORBA implementation comes with a tool called an IDL compiler which converts the users IDL code into some language-specific generated code. A traditional compiler then compiles the generated code to create the linkable-object files for the application. Key: ORB vendor supplied code ORB vendor tool generated code User defined application code Advantages: 1. Client- server architecture enables the roles and responsibilities of a computing system to be distributed among several independent computers. Which are known to each other only through network Advantages of this would be greater ease of maintenance I.e. it is possible to replace, repair, upgrade or even relocate 2. All the data are stored on the server, has a far greater security and protection. Severs can better control access and resources, to guarantee that only those clients with the appropriate permission may access and change data. 3. Data storage is centralised, which makes it very easier to update. Disadvantages: 1. Traffic congestion on the network will be an issue. As the number of simultaneous client request to a given server increases, the server can become over loaded. Where with P2P network, its bandwidth actually increases as more nodes are added. 2. The client-server paradigm lacks the robustness of a good P2P network. Under client-server, should a critical server fail, clients requests cannot be fulfilled. In P2P networks, resources are usually distributed among many nodes. Even if one or more nodes depart and abandon a downloading file, for example, the remaining nodes should still have the data needed to complete the download. Question Two: Suggest alternative architectures that could be used to overcome the problems faced by Hures current Client/Server technology The alternative architecture that could be used to overcome this issue, would be the common object request broker architecture (CORBA). This is the most successful representative of an object-based distributed computing architecture. CORBAs service context gives an efficient and stylish design and implementation approach for building distributed systems. Java RMI (Remote Method Invocation) cant easily support transparent service-context propagation without incrementing the underlying protocol. This article describes a generic lightweight solution for supporting transparent and protocol-independent service-context propagation over RMI. Reflection-based techniques are used to emulate whats normally seen in protocol-specific service-context implementations. This article introduces you to a real-world solution and the related distributed-computing design concept, as well as Java reflection techniques. We start with an overview of the CORBA object request broker (ORB) interceptor and the service-context design architecture. Then a concrete implementation example describes the actual solution and demonstrates how RMI invocation is actually massaged to propagate service-context data, such as transaction context, which is usually offered through the IIOP (Internet Inter-ORB Protocol) layer. Lastly, performance considerations are discussed. Interceptor and service context in CORBA In the CORBA architecture, the invocation interceptor plays an important role in the function provided by the ORB runtime. Generally speaking, four interception points are available through the ORB runtime. As shown in Figure 1, these interception points are for: 1. Out bound request message from the client process 2. In bound request messages to the server process 3. Out bound response messages from the server process 4. In bound response messages to the client process Question Three: One of the suggestions proposed by Hures IS department is the use of intranet web technology. Examine the pros and cons of such an idea. An intranet is a personal computer network that uses internet technologies to securely share any part of an organisations information or operational system with its employees. Intranet shares most of the characteristics of the Internet, but in at least one way, its fundamentally different. And just as the Internet has had profound effect on how we communicate, intranets have transformed the business world as well. HURES has small businesses have implemented this network infrastructure, improving productivity while reducing costs. As I mentioned earlier, the intranet has very similar characteristics to internet, this also backed by the fact that, intranet is built from the same concepts and technologies used for the internet, such as client-server computing and the internet protocol (TCP/IP). All the well known internet protocol such as HTTP (web services), SMTP (e-mail) and FTP (file transfer) are also found in intranet. Intranet is designed to use within small business, university or organisation. What makes them different from the internet is that, internet are freely accessible, where as intranet is a private network by using off-the-shelf Internet technology, intranets solve this problem, making internal communication and collaboration. Traditionally, corporations relied on proprietary hardware and software systems to network its computers, a costly and time-consuming process made more difficult when offices are scattered around the world. Even hardware platforms, file formats and software are not an easy task. Much easier Intranets use HTML to create documents and TCP/IP to transmit information across the network. Information is stored on one or more company servers and accessed by using a web browser, this self-contained, miniature Internet can have all the same featuresindividual home pages, newsgroups, e-mailbut access is restricted to employees and contractors. For Hures employees they already familiar with surfing the Web, learning how to navigate the company intranet requires little training. Intranet web pages have the same point-and-click interface. While its useful for an intranet to connect to the Internet, its certainly not essential. Even if they do connect externally, companies restrict access to their intranet from the Internet by building a firewall. With so much corporate information available on internal servers, security is essential. At the beginning life was simple. Computers were separate individual devices. Programs had access to all the computers input and output through computer-connected devices. The life became complicated with invention of networks. We now have to write programs that depend on other programs running on far away computers. A brief definition: A distributed application is a system comprised of programs running on multiple host computers. The architecture of this distributed application is a sketch of the different programs, describing which programs are running on which hosts, what their responsibilities are, and what protocols determine the ways in which different parts of the system talk to one another. Three-tier application adds a third program to the mix, usually a database, in which the server stores its data. The three-tier application is an incremental improvement to the two-tier architecture. The flow of information is still essentially linear: a request comes from the client to the server; the server requests or stores data in the database; the database returns information to the server; the server returns information back to the client. N-tier architecture, on the other hand, allows an unlimited number of programs to run simultaneously, send information to one another, use different protocols to communicate, and interact concurrently. This allows for a much more powerful application, providing many different services to many different clients. However, the leap from three-tier to n-tier or the leap from one- to two-tier, or from two- to three-tier, for that matter must not be taken lightly. Its easy to open a can of worms, but you always need a bigger can to put them back in. The proponents of these technologies are infatuated with their advantages, and often fail to mention the disadvantages of jumping to a more complicated architecture. In this article, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each style of architecture, and give you some information that will help you choose the right architecture for your application. Consider these reasons before choosing a product because its fact sheet promises to make your life easier. Here is the table summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of using Intranets: Advantages Disadvantages Fast, easy, low cost to implement Management fears loss of control Connectivity with other system Hidden costs Many Tools available Potential for chaos Access to internal and external information Unauthorized access Improves communication Information overload lowers productivity Can capture and share knowledge Increase collaboration and coordination Supports links with customers and partners Question Four: Do you think the popularity of intranets and the Internet pose threats to traditional Client/Server systems? Intranet and your public website on the open Internet are two dissimilar information spaces and should have two different user interface designs. It is alluring to try to save design resources by reusing a single design, but it is a bad idea to do so because the two types of site vary along several dimensions. Intranet users are your own employees who know a lot about the company, its organizational structure, and special terminology and circumstances. Your Internet site is used by customers who will know much less about your company and also care less about it. The intranet is used for everyday work inside the company, including some quite complex applications; the Internet site is mainly used to find out information about your products. The amount of information varies. An intranet has between ten and a hundred times as many pages as the same companys public website. The difference is due to the general amount of work-in-progress that is documented on the intranet and the fact that many projects and departments never publish anything publicly even though they have many internal documents. Bandwidth and cross-platform needs vary. Intranets often run between a hundred and a thousand times faster than most Internet users Web access which is stuck at low-band or mid-band, so it is possible to use rich graphics and even multimedia and other advanced content on intranet pages. Also, it is sometimes possible to control what computers and software versions are supported on an intranet. Intranet and your website are two different information spaces. They should look different in order to let employees know when they are on the internal net and when they have ventured out to the public site. Different looks will highlight the sense of place and thus make easy navigation. Also, making the two information spaces feel different will make easy an understanding of when an employee is seeing information that can be freely shared with the outside and when the information is internal and confidential. An intranet design should be much more task-oriented and less promotional than an Internet design. A company should only have a single intranet design, so users only have to learn it once. Therefore it is acceptable to use a much larger number of options and features on an intranet since users will not feel scared and overwhelmed as they would on the open Internet where people move rapidly between sites. An intranet will need a much stronger navigational system than an Internet site because it has to encompass a larger amount of information. In particular, the intranet will need a navigation system to facilitate movement between servers, whereas a public website only needs to support within-site navigation. The extranet is a blend of the public Internet and the closed intranet and needs to be designed as such. Fundamentally, an extranet is a part of the Internet since it is accessed by people in many different companies who will be using your public website but will not have access to the truly internal parts of your intranet. Therefore, the visual style and main navigation options of the extranet should be visibly similar to the design of your Internet site your business partners should feel that the two sites come from the same company. A subtle difference in the two styles (e.g., complimentary colour tones) will help emphasize the closed and confidential nature of the extranet. REFERENCES: 1. Gallaugher, J. Ramanathan, S. Choosing a Client/Server Architecture. A Comparison of Two-Tier and Three-Tier Systems. Information Systems Management Magazine 13, 2 (Spring 1996): 7-13. Author: Berson, Alex Title: Client-server architecture / Alex Berson. Published: New York : McGraw-Hill, c1992. Series: J. Ranade series on computer communications 2. Client Server survival guide 3rd edition, by: Robort orfali, dan harkey,jeri Edwards, 1999 john wiley sons Canada 3. Adler, R. M. Distributed Coordination Models for Client/Sever Computing. Computer 28, 4 (April 1995): 14-22. 4. http://www.greatconnect.com/interapps.htm 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CORBA#Overview 6. http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-01-2000/jw-01-ssj-tiers.html?page=1

Essay --

Heat Transfer Through Extended Surface 1. Objective To determine the temperature distribution and heat flow along the extended surface and comparing the data with theoretical analysis 2. Equipment Required Heat transfer service unit Extended surface heat transfer accessory Data logging accessory 3. Theory The term extended surface is commonly used to depict an important special case involving heat transfer by conduction within a solid and heat transfer by convection (and/or radiation) from the boundaries of the solid. Extended surfaces are used to increase the surface area and to increase the total rate of heat transfer. A temperature gradient exist between two different temperature surfaces for heat transfer. The temperature distribution along the fin or pin must be known to determine the heat transfer from the surface to its surroundings. Plate fins are mostly used in aircrafts, cryogenic and other industries. By considering the insulated tip extended surface the temperature distribution in terms of hyperbolic function expressed as ÃŽ ¸/ÃŽ ¸Ã¢â€šâ€™ = Cosh[m(b-x)]/ Cosh(mb) (1) Where, ÃŽ ¸ = T(x) - T∞ (⠁ °C) ÃŽ ¸Ã¢â€šâ€™ = To - T∞ (⠁ °C) To = fin base temperature (⠁ ° C) T∞= free stream fluid temperature (⠁ °C) b = fin height (m) x = coordinate (m) m = (4h /k d) ½ (1/m) h = heat transfer coefficient (W/m ² ⠁ °C) k = thermal conductivity of fin (W/m ⠁ °C) d = fin diameter (m) The heat transfer, Q, for a pin fin is found using the relation Q = (h P k A) ½ tanh(m b) (2) Wh... ... 4.5In = 0.1125m Tx = 45.56 ⠁ °C At x = 6In = 0.15m Tx = 44.17 ⠁ °C 5. At 16V, To = 47.2 ⠁ °C , T∞ = 22.78 ⠁ °C Heat Transfer Q = √(hPKA) (To - T∞) tanh(mb) Q = √0.0422 Ã'… (47.2 – 22.78) tanh( 9.01 Ã'… 0.1524) Q = 4.413 W At 25V, To = 67.7 ⠁ °C , T∞ = 22.78 ⠁ °C Heat Transfer Q = √(hPKA) (To - T∞) tanh(mb) Q = √0.0422 Ã'… (67.7 – 22.78) tanh( 9.01 Ã'… 0.1524) Q = 8.1178 W Result 1.The Heat transfer through the fin at supply voltage 25V is approximate double to the heat transfer at supply voltage 16V. 2.As the value of x increases value of Tx decreases continuously. For 16V, For 25V, Conclusion From the experimental result it is shown that as the distance increase from the heat source temperature decreases. Graphs also shows the continuous temperature decrement in the positive x direction.

Analysis of Sonnet 73 Essays -- Sonnet essays

[Line 1]* - 'that time of year' being late autumn or early winter. [Line 2]* - Compare the line to Macbeth (5.3.23) "my way of life/is fall'n into the sere, the yellow leaf". [Line 4]* - 'Bare ruin'd choirs' is a reference to the remains of a church or, more specifically, a chancel, stripped of its roof and exposed to the elements. The choirs formerly rang with the sounds of 'sweet birds'. Some argue that lines 3 and 4 should be read without pause -- the 'yellow leaves' shake against the 'cold/Bare ruin'd choirs' . If we assume the adjective 'cold' modifies 'Bare ruin'd choirs', then the image becomes more concrete -- those boughs are sweeping against the ruins of the church. Some editors, however, choose to insert 'like' into the opening of line 4, thus changing the passage to mean 'the boughs of the yellow leaves shake against the cold like the jagged arches of the choir stand exposed to the cold'. Noted 18th-century scholar George Steevens commented that this image "was probably suggested to Shakespeare by our desolated monasteries. The resemblance between the vaulting of a Gothic isle [sic] and an avenue of trees whose upper branches meet and form an arch overhead, is too striking not to be acknowledged. When the roof of the one is shattered, and the boughs of the other leafless, the comparison becomes more solemn and picturesque" (Smith 148). [Line 7]* - 'black night' is a metaphor for death itself. As 'black night' closes in around the remaining light of the day, so too does death close in around the poet. [Line 8]* - 'Death's second self' i.e. 'black night' or 'sleep'. Macbeth refers to sleep as 'The death of each day's life' (2.2.49). [Line 12]* - 'that' i.e. the poet's desires. [Line 13]* -... ...the west, After the sun sets in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away, Which is soon extinguished by black night, Death's second self, that seals up all in rest. The image of death that envelops all in rest. In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire In me you can see the glowing embers That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, That lie upon the ashes remaining from the flame of my youth, As the death-bed whereon it must expire As on a death bed where it (youth) must finally die Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by. Consumed by that which once fed it. This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, This you sense, and it makes your love more determined To love that well which thou must leave ere long. Causing you to love that which you must give up before long.

Factors That Influence Teen Violence :: essays research papers

In today's society, the teenage population has experienced an increase in violence. Teens face many situations that cause these problems. Several factors are mass media, peer pressure, and society's view on the "perfect" person. Television, radio, and news papers are all ways of transferring messages to people. One might see a violent movie and decide to re-enact the scenes thus causing harm to one's self or to others. Hidden meanings of racism and hate are put into music. Teens hear the words of their supposed role models and think it is OK to follow in their foot steps. When reading of such violent acts as the Oklahoma City bombing or the murders of Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman, it is taken to most that anyone can get away with crime. Peer pressure is another big factor. Teenagers rely a great deal upon their peers for guidance and support. Sometimes this is the wrong path to take. Friendship is a word that is thrown around a little too loosely now days. Teens le t their "friends" talk them into doing things that they would not normally do. Drugs and theft are brought into these relationships also. Today's youth must learn to be leaders, not followers.Society can often be a harsh world to live in for a teen. To be considered "in" you must fit the role of the "perfect person." As young adults, teens are trying to find themselves. They look toward celebrities and leaders for a goal. They try to buy the right clothes, wear the nicest shoes, and be present at all the social events. To fit in, some are pushed to the edge. If you are caught in a dark alley at the wrong time, you might be killed just for your name brand shoes.

Individual Management/Leadership Style

There are few, if any, hotter topics in management, business and organization theory at the present time than ‘leadership'. Leadership is the block at the top of the model of a good team, not because it is most important, but because it is the ultimate goal of an effective, efficient team. A good leader shares responsibility and glory, is supportive and fair, creates a climate of trust and openness, and is a good coach and teacher. Yet the test of a truly good leader is that the team operates as smoothly whether the leader is present or absent. Problem solving, decision making, team participation and conflict resolution are fundamental leadership activities. Rarely, are there any dead certainties in the world of business – especially in the current and foreseeable climate of uncertainty, ambiguity and paradox. Fear of failure, consequent risk-aversion and reluctance to move very far from ‘safe ground' or comfort zones can severely limit the quality relevance and na ture of decisions taken by those in managerial and leadership roles (Autry 50).Problem solvingSuccessful problem solving involves a search for the best problem space as well as the best program. Problem solving involves processing information. This is a three stage process:1. Recognizing the task environment. First, one perceives the events, interprets these invents and recognizes the nature of the task—e.g. notice disquiet in the office and see that the task is to identify how the disquiet can be resolved.2. Transformation into the person’s problem space. Next one views the task in a specific way. Here one has to be quite specific about the goal—what has to be done, where one stands in relationship to the goal and what kinds of acts need to be carried out in order to reach the goal. For example, from experience one will know that one cannot jump to any quick conclusions about the source of the disquiet in the office but will know how to set about finding out th e source of the disquiet.3. Processing the data and moving towards the goal. Depending on how the problem space has been conceived, one uses various kinds of information given with the problem or drawn from memory to process the data so as to move towards the problem solution. For example, in the illustration one will have had experience, of diagnosing problems of unrest in the office and will be able to call upon this experience along with information noted which is specific to the current situation in the office.In the course of working through the above steps the problem solver will notice whether any of the steps or series of steps he or she makes reduces the distance to the goal—i.e. resolving or solving the problem. If this seems to be the case then the problem solver will continue with that line of enquiry. If the steps do not seem to be productive then alternative steps will be followed. Progress and search for solutions are related to constant feedback of information obtained from people and objects in the problem situation.Problem solving involves the search for the most successful programs. However, successful problem solving may not so much be a search for a successful program as a search for the best problem space. It would seem, however, that both are required to increase the likelihood of finding good solutions to problems.Decision makingDecision making is effective when the leader is aware of and uses many methods to arrive at decisions. Consensus is often touted as the best way to make decisions—and it is an excellent method and probably not used often enough. But the team the leaser also uses majority rule, expert decision, authority rule with discussion, and other methods.Effective decision making is essential to a team's progress; ideally, leaders that are asked to solve problems should also have the power and authority to implement solutions. They must have a grasp of various decision-making methods, their advantages and disa dvantages, and when and how to use each. Leaders that choose the right decision-making methods at the right time will not only save time, but they will also most often make the best decisions.A key aspect of the leader's decision-making style, in bringing about productive synergy, is the ability to create opportunities for dialogue and shared reflection with others which lead to joint ownership of problems, solutions and decisions. Communication is crucial in the natural development of synergy. Simple techniques such as the use of open-ended questions can help to strengthen rapport as a necessary preliminary to peak communication, eg:†¢ ‘How could we do that better?'†¢ ‘What would be a viable option that would give us ‘x' but would avoid doing ‘y'?'†¢ ‘What would you really like to see happen here?'†¢ ‘What would you do?†¦ What would you do next?†¦ and then?'†¢ ‘How could we make  £50,000 saving on the fi rst stage of project ABC?'†¢ ‘Let's take your idea of starting with product development – then let's see it from marketing's perspective, before we commit to a decision'.†¢ ‘I like your proposal – let's build on that and see if we can improve on Graham's target'.The asking of ‘open' questions, in a non-threatening, non-judgmental way, with appropriate attendant body language, eg nodding, ‘mirroring' posture and gesture, reinforcing and adding to the other's contributions – are simple, but crucial techniques for giving positive messages of approval and encouragement. A demonstrable shift from authoritarian to supportively authoritative demeanour may be essential, before peak communication, synergy and ‘flow' – indicating personal authenticity in decision making – can come about between people, with the resultant mutual and shared payoffs.In the interests of both operational synergy and strategic crossfunctiona l interdependence, so-called ‘private intending' in decision making needs to function at a level which reconciles the need for fast, adaptable individual initiative, on the one hand, with necessary collaborative responses, on the other. As organisations reduce, hierarchically, and become flatter structures, with greater emphasis upon project team working, so decision-making needs to be considered increasingly, as a natural team process, as well as an individual role prerogative – particularly as crucial end results come more and more to depend, ultimately, upon willing and accountable collaborative effort.Team participationA team is a group of people who share a common purpose and work in a coordinated and interdependent relationship. Teams help members create a positive culture; one identified by high-trust levels. Team relationships allow members to align with the culture and the team’s purposes. They lead to synergy. Successful leaders who commit to — a nd deliver — outstanding results, do so as a result of the effective leadership and management of their teams. They understand that their route to success is, inevitably through engaging, focusing and mobilizing others' brainpower, horsepower and commitment.Team participation engages the mental and emotional involvement of leaders and followers: that is, the involvement of the member’s egos as well as their physical and mental capacities. Teaming also asks members to exercise their creative self and to increase their personal sense of responsibility through involvement. Team members need to recognize that the corporation wants their total involvement. And, when given, involvement increases the member’s sense of responsibility and ownership for the corporation and its results.If communication is the most important team characteristic, participation is the second most important. Without participation, you don't have a team; you have a group of bodies. Balanced par ticipation ensures that everyone on the team is fully involved. It does not mean that if you have five people each is speaking 20 percent of the time. Talking is not necessarily a measure of participation. We all know people who talk a lot and say nothing. It does mean that each individual is contributing when it's appropriate. The more a team involves all of its members in its activities, the more likely that team is to experience a high level of commitment and synergy (Depree 52).Balanced participation means that each team member joins the discussion when his or her contribution is pertinent to the team assignment. It also means that everyone's opinions are sought and valued by others on the team. Participation is everyone's responsibility. As a team moves from a forming stage to more mature stages of group development, team members must make certain that everyone is an active participant. If you have team members who did not participate early in the formation of the team, they wi ll withdraw even more as the going becomes more difficult. Two important things influence team participation: the leader's behavior and the participants' expectations.A leader's behavior comes as much from attitude as from anything. Leaders who are effective in obtaining participation see their role as being a coach and mentor, not the expert in the situation. Leaders will get more participation from team members if they can admit to needing help, not power. Leaders should also specify the kind of participation they want right from the start. Will everyone share their own ideas and then decide what to do or will the group discuss the pros and cons of the leader's idea?Leaders need to create a participative climate. They must make it a practice to speak last to avoid influencing others. Often a leader may put an idea on the table â€Å"just to get things started.† But what happens? Everyone jumps on the idea and stops thinking. People may feel, â€Å"Well, if that's what she wants, that's it.† Leaders need to reward risk taking. Those â€Å"half-baked† partial ideas that people bring up may be just what gets the team moving toward a solution, idea, or new opportunity (Denis, Lamothe and Langley 69). Leaders must always protect the minority views. Anyone can think like everyone else. It takes courage to think and speak differently.Conflict resolutionConflict, while sometimes productive, often represents a negative effect on organizational interaction. Diversity sometimes intensifies conflict. Differing values, customs, and beliefs among employees provide the foundation for conflict. This kind of cultural diversity can produce negative results, confusion, and stress. While diversity produces more ideas, it also forces people to clarify their views. Conflict resolution becomes a significant leadership task in which leaders become mediators of difference. They need to be power brokers to allocate influence and resources. Leaders often need to r esort to any of the following strategies for dealing with conflict (Storey 11):Domination – assuming the decision and rejecting dissenters,Containment – ignoring the issues, minimizing them, demanding rationality and objectivity in making the decision/dealing with the issues, maintaining control and confining the issuesCapitulation – getting one party to back down and surrender  Compromise – accommodating dissenters' positions insofar as is possible and asking each to give up some intractable positionsIntegration – seeking a conclusion satisfying to parties involvedSeveral forces are driving us to adopt conflict resolution strategies associated with values integration: the move toward excellence and cultural diversity, changes in demographics, and increasing pressure for innovation and creativity.ReferencesAutry, James. (1992). A. Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership. New York: Avon Books, 1992.Denis, J.L., L. Lamothe and A. Langley (200 1) â€Å"The dynamics of collective leadership and strategic change in pluralistic organizations†, Academy of Management Journal 44(4).Depree, Max. (1989). Leadership Is an Art. New York: Doubleday.Storey, John. (2004). Leadership in Organizations: Current Issues and Key Trends. Routledge: New York.

Levis Strauss & Co. an Analysis

Levi Strauss & Co. An Analysis EEP 142 Group Project Young Lee James Moon Michael Lin Problem †¢The Levi Strauss company is experiencing losses and is continuing to under-perform in the denim jean market. †¢The firm faces the general problem of a dominant firm losing market share when more firms enter the market. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Background – History †¢The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 primarily selling wholesale dry goods. The company was founded in San Francisco, California. A tailor named Jacob Davis thought of an idea to use copper rivets to reinforce the points of strain on pants. †¢Davis and Strauss purchased the patent of the idea of using copper rivets in clothing on May 20, 1873. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Background – Company Growth †¢The innovation of the rivets in the jeans differentiated Levi’s j eans from others because of its increased durability. †¢Over the years, Levi’s jeans have become more popular, initially due to its durability. Jean products expanded, targeting different consumers. Levi Strauss & Co. eventually captures most of the denim jean market, becomes the largest manufacturer of jeans, and profits reach $1 billion by 1974. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Background – Time Line †¢1853: Levi Strauss begins selling dry goods in San Francisco. †¢1873: Levi Strauss & Co. patent riveted jeans and begin selling them. †¢1912: Koveralls, denim playsuit for children, is first nationally sold product for the company. †¢1935: Company sells first blue jeans for women. †¢1940s: U. S. overnment issues denim work clothes for employees in the defense industry. †¢1974: Company sales reach $1 billion †¢1986: Company introduces Dockers as a new casual line of clothes Problem B ackground Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Successes – Monopoly †¢Since the patent of the rivets in jeans in 1873, the company achieved monopoly power. †¢Monopoly power was gained through entry barriers. –The patent granted the firm monopoly rights to sell riveted jeans. †¢Also by product differentiation –The rivets on the jeans allowed for longer durability, a form of vertical differentiation. Product differentiation and barriers to entry allowed the company to gain more popularity and market share. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Successes – Expansion †¢By 1977, Levi Strauss & Co. is the world’s largest jean manufacturer. †¢Department stores and boutiques sell Levi’s products and are additional channels of distribution for the company. †¢Levi’s provides a wide range of products that target different market segments, capturing demands. †¢After the release of the 501 product line, Levi’s enjoys worldwide market dominance in the denim jean market. Levi Strauss & Co. maintains it’s image as an American Icon and the originator of American jeans. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Successes – Positioning †¢Other marketing strategies, like the position of the product, created increased differentiation, contributing to the companies market power. †¢In 1930s, the company survived the Great Depression due to increased interest in Western culture. –Jeans were positioned as being worn by â€Å"cowboys. † cowboys. † †¢Levi’s jeans were issued to employees in the defense industry (including veterans) during World War II. Post World War II, veterans that went to college wore Levi’s jeans on Levi’ campuses, increasing popularity. †¢WWII veterans were regarded as heroes. –Jeans were shown to be suitable for casual wear, rather than work. work. –During the Baby Boom era, Levi’s targets younger consumers and Levi’ positions product as â€Å"cool. † cool. † †¢Early movie stars wore Levi’s jeans. An example of celebrity endorsement Levi’ †¢Consumer demand shifts from durability of jeans to fashion of jeans. –Culturally, jeans became symbol of youth and rebellion In 1960s, student protesters wore jeans as a uniform †¢In 1970s, company sells bellbottom jeans †¢ The firm positioned its products with changing times and changing demands, keeping existing customers and capturing new markets. Increases in sales ultimately increased profits Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Competition – Effect †¢Levi Strauss & Co. was threatened by competition, because barriers of entry were relatively low in the jean market. (excluding the patent) †¢S ome of Levi’s competitors include: –Calvin Klein –Gap Jeans –VF Corp (Lee, Wrangler) –Tommy Hilfiger The entrance of new competitors had many effects on Levi’s. –Levi’s no longer has monopoly power more competitive prices Levi’ lower profits –Availability of substitutes firm faces increase in elasticity of demand –Consumers prefer other brands. Levi’s customers buy from competition Levi’ lowering Levi’s market share. Levi’ †¢These newer upstarts are able to â€Å"chip away† at Levi’s market dominance because they are able to capture segments. –VF Corp captures low-end jean consumers; Calvin Klein captures highlowhighend consumers. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Competition – Strategies †¢Competitors successfully were able to take from Levi’s market due to heavy advertising and branding. Branding was especially effective for companies like Calvin Klein that targeted high-end consumers. †¢Some of the marketing strategies that competitors like Calvin Klein used to differentiate their product and brand included: –Celebrity endorsements (Calvin Klein and Brooke Shields) –Up-to-date European product designs (low-rise, tighter) Up- to(low–Advertise jeans as â€Å"designer. designer. † †¢These advertisements were used as a barrier to entry, because of spurious product differentiation. Although Levi’s jeans may be physically the same as its competitor’s, consumer preferences are affected by brand name. †¢In addition to the idea of branding, Levi’s largest consumer market were Baby Boomers , and by the time competitors increased in the 1980s, the Levi’s brand was perceived to be â€Å"mommy jeans. † This reinforced the more youthful perception of other brands. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Competition Premium Jeans †¢Levi’s failed to recognize and enter a new and booming premium jeans market, originating in 2000 and led by brands such as Seven For All Mankind, True Religion, and Rock & Republic. †¢Levi executives themselves admitted failing to see the premium jeans trend, and the company was forced into radical cost-cutting, closing dozens of factories and laying off thousands of workers. †¢The premium jeans market has over the last five years largely driven the growth of an otherwise stable jeans market, as premium jeans sales grew at a 40-45% rate for multiple years. Levi’s failure to adequately respond to this trend was a large part of its posting declining sales in nine out of ten years prior to 2007. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Advertising †¢With the rise of competitors and decrease in brand image, Levi Strauss & Co. makes use of edgy advertisements. †¢Brand Loyalty –Many of Levi’s ads stress brand loyalty to maintain existing customers. Levi’ The word â€Å"original† is used many times. original† –Some tv ads are set in the late 1800s, stressing the historic value of the company. Brand Image –At the same time, Levi’s ads stress the â€Å"youthfulness† of their brand Levi’ youthfulness† jeans. –The 501 product line and the Red Tab collections offer jeans that appeal that to younger consumers competing with the high-end jean competitors. high–Television advertisements a re more innovative and target younger crowds. –http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=CSG807d3P-U http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=CSG807d3P–http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=skWFyop_pxU&feature=related –http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=W-SZN1VRIl4&feature=related http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=W- These marketing strategies however did not help with the worldwide decrease demand for jeans. This implies that other clothing is becoming a substitutable good for jeans. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Alternative †¢Although Levi Strauss & Co. had worldwide market dominance in the 1980s after the release of 501 product line, profits continue to plummet due to: (1) decrease of demand for jean products and (2) more competition. †¢In 1996, revenues were reported at $7. 6 billion and a U. S. market share of 18. 7%. By 2001 revenues drop to $4. 5 billion and U. S. market share of 12. 1%. †¢I n order to maintain revenues, the company releases the Levi’s signature jeans. –This product line appeals to the low-end consumers. –Decrease in demand for jeans causes market price to drop, so consumers want cheaper jeans. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Alternative (cont. ) †¢In 2002 Levi Strauss & Co. makes an agreement with largest retailer Wal-Mart as a supply-chain strategy to massmarket consumers. –Levi’s Signature brand to be sold in Wal-Mart stores exclusively This was an excellent strategic move because Wal-Mart was making large sales while Levi’s could not keep up in sales. This had potential to benefit both parties. –By 2002, Wal-Mart was #1 in the Fortune 500 rating. –Levi Strauss & Co. was ranked #383 in 2002. †¢Although this partnership was a success, Levi Strauss could not offset the slowdown in the aggregate denim jean market, continu ing to loss profits. –2008 Rating for Levi’s: 522 from previous 510 –Profits continue to fall. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Alternative (cont. ) Forced to re-evaluate itself by years of declining sales, Levi’s has been able to find some degree of success with primarily the introduction of the Signature line and a largescale streamlining of costs and it’s business. Levi’s is also being helped by its international presence and is currently being benefited by impacts from the global currency exchange market, as the company benefited from the weak dollar. †¢The company is still trying to find a way into the lucrative premium jeans market, introducing a new premium line and hiring famous artists to liven up the brand. Competitor VF Corp. ecided to purchase Seven For All Mankind as their market entry. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclu sion Q&A Responsibility – Background †¢Levi Strauss & Co. is a family owned worldwide corporation with headquarters in North America, Europe, and Asia. –The company is vertically integrated, meaning it owns/has owned factories for every level of production for the jeans. –The company employs about 10,000 people worldwide. †¢Historically Levi Strauss & Co. is recognized as a caring and corporately responsible company. –After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, he company continued to pay workers as it was rebuilding factories and buildings. –During the Great Depression, the company kept workers busy installing new floors in factories rather than fire them. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Background (cont. ) †¢Levi Strauss & Co. has also taken the lead on social issues. –During the 1940s, the company desegregated its factories bringing white and black worker s together. –In 1980s, the company was very involved in educating people about AIDS providing $37 million to HIV/AIDS services. One of the first companies to extend healthcare to their workers’ spouses. †¢Levi Strauss & Company approach to business: â€Å"profits through principles. † –†As business leaders we have the obligation, both individually and collectively, to make our enterprise not only a source for economic wealth, but also a force for positive social change in the conduct of our business. This principle of responsible commercial success is embedded in our more than 150-year experience, and continues to anchor how we operate today. † Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Sweatshops †¢With increased competition from other jean producers in the 1980s and 90s, like any profit-maximizing corporation, Levi Strauss & Company closed many factories and subcontracted production. –Subcontracted production is cost-minimizing because labor is relatively abundant and wages cheaper. –In order to compete with prices, subcontracting work makes sense. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Sweatshops (cont. ) †¢The company had 6 subsidiary factories in Saipan, capital of the U. S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. –The U. S. Department of Labor cited that workers were paid sub-minimal wages, 7 day work weeks with 12-hour shifts in â€Å"slave-like† conditions. †¢The subcontractor, Tan Holdings Corporation, had to pay a fine of of $9 million as restitution to 1,200 employees. †¢Levi Strauss & Co. claimed no knowledge of the offense, cut-off cutties to Tan Holdings, and issued labor reforms. †¢1999, Sweatshop Watch, Global Exchange, Asian Law Caucus, Unite, and workers filed a class-action lawsuit 3 times to 27 U. S. retailers, including Levi Strauss & Co. Levi Strauss was the only defendant to win the case. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Environmental †¢Continuing on the approach of â€Å"profits by principles,† in 2006 Levi Strauss & Co. launches the Eco clothing line. –Jeans are certified to be made from 100% organic cotton and fully sustainable production processes. This includes cotton untreated by chemicals, pesticides, and manufactured at sustainable carbon emissions. –The jeans are also packed in 100% recyclable and reusable materials. †¢Economic implications Organic jeans are more expensive, due to the added costs to certify these genes to organic standards. –However, discouraging the use of chemicals for cotton is a step toward the right direction. Pesticides have externality costs to the environment and workers, because they are mostly improperly used in poor countries. A reduction in externalities improves social welfare. –In the long-run, sustainable production has the possibility to being profitable. –Corporate responsibility also has long-run profits. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Conclusion †¢Levi Strauss & Company had most of its early success because the firm was behaving monopolistically. The company patented the riveted jeans, increasing durability, and gaining popularity. †¢Over the years, the company maintained profits by providing a wide range of products, capturing new markets, and increasing its market shares. The company created barriers to entry by patents and trademarks, and by differentiating its product from generic jeans. †¢However as more firms entered the market, the company started losing customers and incurring losses. The upstart companies captured niche market shares from Levi’s immense market domination. †¢Despite these reduction of sales, Levi Strauss & Co. maintained its corporate responsible image and progressive stance on social, labor, and environmental issues, which may have long-run profit opportunities. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A References Frith, Maxine. â€Å"The Ethical Revolution Sweeping Through the World’s Frith, World’ Sweatshops. † commondreams. org. 16 April 2005. 2 May 2008 Sweatshops. † commondreams. org. .