How to Use $_SERVER in PHP

How to Use $_SERVER in PHP $_SERVER is one of the PHP global variables- termed Superglobals- which contain information about server and execution environments. These are pre-defined variables so they are always accessible from any class, function or file. The entries here are recognized by web servers, but there is no guarantee that each web server recognizes every Superglobal. These three PHP $_SERVER arrays all behave in similar ways- they return information about the file in use. When exposed to different scenarios, in some cases they behave differently. These examples may help you decide which is best for what you need. A full list of $_SERVER arrays is available at the PHP website. $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] PHP_SELF is the name of the currently executing script. yoursite.com/example/ /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php?atest   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php/dir/test   /dir/test When you use $_SERVER[’PHP_SELF’], it returns the file name /example/index.php both with and without the file name typed in the URL. When variables are appended at the end, they were truncated and again /example/index.php was returned. The only version that produced a different result has directories appended after the file name. In that case, it returned those directories. $_SERVER[REQUEST_URI] REQUEST_URI refers to the URI given to access a page. yoursite.com/example/   /yoursite.com/example/index.php   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php?atest   /example/index.php?atestyoursite.com/example/index.php/dir/test   /example/index.php/dir/test All of these examples returned exactly what was entered for the URL. It returned a plain /, the file name, the variables, and the appended directories, all just as they were entered. $_SERVER[SCRIPT_NAME] SCRIPT_NAME is the current scripts path. This comes in handy for pages that need to point to themselves. yoursite.com/example/   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php?atest   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php/dir/test   /example/index.php All cases here returned only the file name /example/index.php regardless of whether it was typed, not typed, or anything was appended to it.

How to Create Cool and Unique Character Names (And Ones to Avoid)

How to Create Cool and Unique Character Names (And Ones to Avoid) Throughout history, naming a child was an act that took on special significance. Whether it is a name that means something important, a name that carries on a family heritage, or a name that is as unique as the baby in their arms- naming has always been an important ritual for parents.In fact, this article in Fatherly.com discusses naming rituals around the world, noting that name choice across cultures is far from arbitrary. For example, consider this Nigerian practice:The ethnic Yoruba, who make up about 21 percent of the population of Nigeria, name their babies based on the circumstances of their birth, of which there are many. Consider Aina - a girl born with the umbilical cord around her neck. Or Ajayi - a boy born with his head facing downwards. Places also matter, as is the case with Tokunbo - a boy or girl born overseas.Fatherly.comOr this practice in India:The influence of the horoscope on Indian culture is tremendous. Here, a child often receives the name of the constell ation they were born under. In the Northern part of India they will take a name that begins with the first letter of the constellation. In Southern regions a child will take the name of the entire constellation.Fatherly.comIn other countries such as Bali and Ireland, birth order of the child determines his or her given name. Specifically in Ireland, children are named after family members and based on their birth order.The first born boy, for instance, will receive the name of their grandfather on their fathers side. The next brother will get the name of their mothers father. The third brother will get the fathers name, and the fourth will get their eldest uncles name. Its the same order with daughters, but starting with the grandmother on their mothers side.Fatherly.comNow, you might be asking- what do parents naming practices have to do with me naming my characters. Well†¦a lot, actually. If youre an author, your characters are your babies. Theyre your darlings, your creation - and often one that has been born through agony, sweat and tears.But is a name really so important? William Shakespeare wrote:Whats in a name? that which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.William Shakespeare, Romeo and JulietRomeo asks, Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Photo by Ricky Kharawala on UnsplashIs it true that the names you choose for characters are arbitrary and inconsequential, as Romeo mused?History begs to differ. In fact, theres even a branch of study called onomastics, which is a field that is equal parts linguistics, history, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and philology. One glance at this website reveals the extent to which linguists and historians have studied names, including their meaning, origin, and popularity among groups of people.One article on the site discusses the effect a name can have on a persons behavior. The author, H. Edward Deluzain, writes:The process that gives names the ir influence is the so-called self-fulfilling prophecy. Briefly explained, the self-fulfilling prophecy works this way. A man introduces himself to us as Percy. Immediately, our unconscious mind goes to work dredging up all the images and associations we have with that name. Without realizing it, we develop a mental picture- a set of expectations- of what a Percy is like. This mental picture causes changes in our own behavior that are so subtle that we are not aware of them. However, Percy picks up on the messages we are sending by our actions, and he makes unconscious changes in his own way of acting to satisfy what he thinks we expect of him. In other words, we set up a situation which forces Percy to behave the way we think Percys are supposed to behave.From Behindthename.comEven in the literary sense, can you envision the characters of Holden Caulfield, Scout Finch, or even Harry Potter by any other name? If you assume that their chosen character names played a large role in mak ing them memorable characters, its definitely a safe assumption to make.So, now that you understand the enormous significance humans have placed on naming someone, you should recognize the importance of taking your time in determining the names of characters in your story or novel. Youd be surprised at the difference a name can make, so before you decide a name for your character, consider these important steps to take.1. Dont decide at the planning stages of your novelThinking of a character name as you outline your book? Not so fast! The best names likely wont come to you until you have fleshed out the character more and written extensively on him or her. In the same sense that many cultures wait until the circumstances surrounding a babys birth- or even longer, as the baby develops a personality- you should wait to see what kind of personality your character takes on before you decide on a name for him or her.Thats not to say its impossible to know your characters name right from the beginning. However, considering the care that should go in to naming your characters (your babies), deciding on a name right from the beginning could stifle your naming creativity and leave you with a character who is poorly named (and therefore, not memorable).The best way to avoid this is to begin your planning and writing with an initial. As you write more about J. or L., the best name will likely come to you as the story progresses. You could even use a keyword such as protagonist or antagonist as you write, then run a simple Find + Replace function to replace that word with the characters name once youve had some time to find the perfect one.2. Consider the root meaning of the names you chooseAnyone who has ever taken a literature class understands the extent to which readers can dive into symbolism and metaphor as they read a good book or story. In fact, this is what English majors and literature professors do best. In doing so, they love to seek out the root meaning of n ames to find even more Easter eggs that the author has left for his or her readers throughout the story.Take, for instance, the heroine of the Hunger Games trilogy- Katniss Everdeen. Do you think Suzanne Collins randomly chose that name? Think again. All it takes is a look at this page to understand how deeply Collins researched to find the perfect name for her memorable heroine. Not only is Katniss (Sagittaria sagittifolia) a plant that is also known as arrowhead, most plants in the species have arrow-shaped leaves. Beyond that, the Latin name of the genus calls to mind Sagittarius, the archer in astrology.Still think Collins arbitrarily chose that name?There are many online resources that allow you to find the perfect name for your character. I dont know how Collins arrived at the information on the Katniss plant, but Id like to think she simply Googled arrows or arrowhead and eventually came upon the name Katniss. Whether this is how she did it or not, its a good method for you t o use to find a cool, unique, and fitting name for your character.Here are a few other great sites that show name meanings:Nameberry.comNames.orgBabyCenter.comAnother great option is to find a Wikipedia page about a certain topic based on your characters history or abilities, and search throughout it for links and other complementary sources that could lead you to the perfect, unique character name.Considering the root meaning of a name is an important step in naming your characters. Photo by Clint McKoy on Unsplash3. Use anachronistic names carefullyLiterarydevices.com offers the following definition of an anachronism in literature:An anachronism is something or someone that is not in the correct chronological time period. Anachronism examples can be intentional or unintentional, and involves the incorrect temporal placement of any person, event, object, custom, slang word, animal, or belief system which was not present at that time. The most common type of anachronism is to find s omething placed in an earlier time than it existed, such as having characters in the 18th century driving around in a car. However, it is also possible to find anachronisms in which the thing is placed later in time after it no longer existed, such as finding dinosaurs coexisting with humans in The Flintstones.From literarydevices.orgSome great examples of anachronisms in literature are William Shakespeares mention of a mechanical clock in Julius Caesar and fireworks in Mark Twains novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court. Obviously, great authors have used anachronisms in their work. However, I advise against naming characters with names that are anachronistic to the storys setting and time period.While this is certainly not an unbreakable rule, you should at least be careful with choosing names that dont fit well with the setting and time period of your story. For example, a novel set in the 19th century with a character named Courtney doesnt really work and will destroy y our readers suspension of disbelief. Likewise, if your story is about a wealthy, aristocratic family and their children, naming one of the children something highly unusual certainly wouldnt fit logically. It just isnt something that aristocrats have tended to do.One thing I like about this name generator provided by Point Park University is the ability to narrow generated names down by time period. The drop-down menus allow you to choose between ancient, old-fashioned, modern and futuristic, ensuring that the names that are generated are not anachronistic.You can also run a search online for popular names during a certain time period, such as Elizabethan England names. Such a search will offer results of websites or name generators specifically focused on the setting and time period of your story. The search I performed for the above search string returned multiple websites that were specific to the criteria I needed.4. Make sure it sounds good when spoken aloudEven though a novel is generally read, there are several marketing options that would require the book to be spoken aloud. Audiobooks are a big selling point and your book made into a movie is a pretty attractive prospect, especially in terms of the money you could make from it.Beyond audiobooks and movie rights, there are always author readings and discussions that will inevitably take place in the process of marketing your book. You will also (hopefully) have a lot of readers discussing your book and its characters in reading circles, or in recommendations to their friends and family, so keep in mind that the character names you choose will be said aloud in certain circumstances and should have a nice ring to it (and not be misheard as something else, unless its intentional).Consider how the character name sounds when spoken aloud.5. Consider character names in the context of other charactersUnless youre writing a short story with one character, your character does not exist in a vacuum. Rather, he o r she plays off of other characters within the story, and is (in some way) affected by details surrounding those other characters- including their names.With this in mind, remember that in naming your main characters, there should be a good mix of sounds, initials and number of syllables. In other words, avoid repetitive practices in assigning names to your characters. Giving every character in your book a name that begins with G will get confusing for your readers, just as giving every character a two-syllable name will sound repetitious. Variety is indeed the spice of life, and nowhere is this truer than in assigning character names.The more variety in syllable count and initials you can offer, the easier it will be for your characters to be distinguished from others in the story. This is especially true if you give the important characters unique names, while leaving standard popular names for your secondary characters. The uniqueness will offer an entirely new level of distincti on.6. Use alliterative initialsTheres a reason why characters like Bilbo Baggins and Severus Snape stand out. In fact, J.K. Rowling enjoyed alliteration so much that she used the technique for many names in her books, including the founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.Alliteration puts a unique spin on a characters name, making it more memorable. While some writers (J.K. Rowling, especially) use alliterative first names and surnames often, you can also use the technique to differentiate your protagonist from all the other characters.7. Use name generatorsIf your search for a meaningful name comes up empty, another option is to use a name generator. These are websites and programs that generate various and random names based on criteria you include. For example, The Fantasy Name Generator is a great site for names that would work well in the fantasy genre. This site also has options to generate real names and names of plac es based on country of origin and gender.A website mentioned earlier that provides the root meanings behind names (Behindthename.com) also offers an option to discover translations and/or alternate versions of certain names across languages. This type of search gives writers the opportunity to find an alternate version of a well-known name that might be more unique. For example, when I ran a search for my first name (Tonya), the following list was generated:AKONI m HawaiianANAKONI m HawaiianANĈJO m EsperantoANDON m Bulgarian, MacedonianANDONI m BasqueANTAL m HungarianANTANAS m LithuanianANTE (1) m CroatianANTEA f Croatian (Modern)ANTHONY m EnglishANTà A f GalicianANTICA f CroatianANTO m Croatian, SerbianANTOINE m French, African AmericanANTOINETTE f FrenchANTÓN m GalicianANTON m German, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Slovene, Macedonian, Croatian, Romanian, Estonian, Finnish, EnglishANTONELA f CroatianANTONELLA f ItalianANTONELL O m ItalianANTONETTE f EnglishAnother useful name generator Ive found is Masterpiece Generator, which allows you to fill in specific information and have a name generated based on those details. The specifications and details included along with drop-down menus are:How many examples would you like to generate? (10-100)Which gender would you like?Whats your characters title?What type of character is he/she?Birth year?How would you describe his/her nationality?How would you describe his/her parents nationalities?Which best describes your characters religious background?Alliterative names only? (yes/no)Given Name or Begins with and/or Ends inFamily Name, Popularity, Begins with and/or Ends inYoure also given the option to fill in all of the above with random responses to create a unique, computer-generated name that might be the perfect one. When you generate names on these programs and websites, be sure to generate several to find multiple options youll want to narrow down later.8. Co nsider a name that creates a meaningful anagramFor those lit majors and English professors I mentioned earlier, an anagram is such a fun detail to discover about a character- especially if that anagram reveals some hidden detail or symbolic reference to the character. Teachers love anagrams in character names because it allows them to offer their students an ah-ha moment when studying the work and while discussing aspects of a character. And have no doubt, English literature students at the university will discuss a characters aspects for hours at a time, seeking meaning in the smallest of details, whether the author intended meaning to be there or not.For example, lets say I wanted to create a character who was a loner but also a stellar physician. In playing with the words lone healer, I came up with the name Lorae Henel. Not only is this a unique name- its also an anagram of a descriptive phrase representing my character. In simply creating an anagram, Ive achieved two goals in n aming the character: 1) Ive created a unique, memorable name; and 2) Ive given my character a name that has hidden meaning (one that is a great Easter egg for a reader to discover).9. Get feedbackOnce youve narrowed down name choices to a list of a few possible names per character, enlist the feedback of a voracious reader that you know and whose opinion you trust. It would be even better to find a reader with a lot of experience reading the genre in which youre writing. Without giving details of your character (such as he is the protagonist, hes a warrior, etc.), write down the name(s) youre deciding between and ask the reader the following questions:How would you pronounce this?When you read this characters name, what kind of person do you envision? Include physical details as well as details about what they might do for a living.Do you think this character is good or bad? Why?Does it remind you of another character name or real-life persons name?After receiving feedback from a re ader (or readers), re-evaluate the name in consideration of the readers responses. Just because a reader guesses wrong (for example, thinks a name is for the protagonist vs. an antagonist) doesnt mean you have to change it. It will just be valuable feedback for you to consider when trying to decide between two or more different names for a character. Ultimately, youre the parent and your child can be named anything you choose.A final thought on naming charactersNaming the characters of your story is one of the most exciting steps youll take as an author in the writing process. Although it might be tempting to determine a characters name immediately in the pre-planning stages of writing your novel, try to resist the urge and give yourself time to learn more about the character as you write. Rather than randomly choosing a name that you think fits, spend time researching meanings, anagrams, alliterations and name generators before making a final decision. Theres so much in a name!

Global warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global warming - Research Paper Example Global warming is the buzzword echoing around the world. Global warming is a topic which finds its place in the news headlines, on TV, every alternate day. Global Warming is an overall augmentation in the surface temperature of the planet consequently leading to climatic changes. These changes are owing to heat ensnared by various green house gases encompassing carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone. This has lead to various repercussions such as increased flooding, hot summers, rise in diseases, etc, etc. However, the other perspective is, it might not be as serious an issue as believed to be. There has not been sufficient evidence to prove the direct link of global warming with natural calamities. So, this paper will discuss both the pros and cons of this global warming argument. Background The "Greenhouse Effect" is entirely a natural process which takes place on an everyday basis. However, the trouble only begins, when there are heightened emissions from man creat ed industries and other automobile forms, generating amounts of carbon dioxide which are far higher than the permissible levels. The list of greenhouse gases includes water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and nitrous oxide. ... They contribute to more than 20% of the carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere, a contribution is far more then the contribution by vehicles. Deforestation is also on rise to create space for these set ups and to procure fuel by burning wood, again contributing to Global Warming. The trouble happens when the large scale combustion of fossil fuels happen everyday in the industries and in automobiles, and results in generating high amounts of the main GHG, carbon dioxide. The level of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has shown an uphill path, again due to human initiated industrialization. â€Å"Humans have been modifying the environment through processes associated with industrialization...One of the most important results of these activities has been increased emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)† (Berliner 32). Cons of Global Warming Sceptics consider global warming as a myth, a fantasy or a Western agenda, but they might have no answer for the various nat ural calamities all over the world particularly the floods in Australia or the frequent droughts in any other parts of the world. The effects of global warming are tremendous as well as very hazardous. One of the first things we may probably notice is the fluctuation of extreme weather conditions. Very hot summers and extremely cold and chilly winters are its first indication. The effects and the resultant damages of global warming were what that concerns the people. It is taking its toll on the polar ice caps, in the form of a sudden meltdown, with the glaciers in the Arctic region disappearing at much a faster rate. â€Å"The Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world and the sea ice

Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace Assignment

Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace - Assignment Example In essence, Google was one of those companies that had put its people first by putting the company heavy emphasis on organizational behavior in its practices. In an industry where the dynamism was high and one with a very fast-changing environment, it had been apparent how its people had been one of the company's competitive resources (Idinopulos & Kempler). Googles people constituted a high resource value—they were rare and inimitable. The company's heavy emphasis on its corporate practices had been directly linked to its profitability—one of the main arguments of OB; organizational behavior being linked to profitability. According to John Sullivan in his article entitled â€Å"Google,† the companys profitability had a direct correlation to its employees productivity (42). According to him, the average Google employee contributed around $1 million dollar to the companys revenues annually (42). With this figure, the companys stocks had traded from an initial offer price of $85 in 2004 when it went public, up to $700 in 2007 (42). This job performance and organizational commitment, according to the integrative model in the chapter was potentially influenced by a set of individual mechanisms that include â€Å"job satisfaction, stress, motivation, trust, ethics and justice, and learning and decision-making (Colquitt, LePine, & Wesson, 7)†. In Googles case, these individual mechanisms were favorable to the employees. The companys 70-20-10 policy, where the 20% was as mentioned in the case was part of a time for learning--the time for the next big Google project; as well as the 10% which was dedicated to creativity, innovation, and freedom to think (Sullivan, 42).  

Learning Agreement Essay Example for Free

Learning Agreement Essay In R Tours, I was assigned in the Inbound Department and I learned a lot from there. One of the main duties in the department is the inbound operation. The inbound operation consists of several tasks. First to create interesting and excellent tour packages, then, promote them locally and internationally and finally handling them. We may receive request or booking by telephone, fax, letter or email from individuals, local and international groups. Most of the time a normal booking will have information on the type of tour package chosen, the length of stay, the number of people and additional services required such as a buffet set up instead of an a la carte menu or providing the welcome drink in the airport instead of the hotel. Normally we reply by thanking the person or the foreign company involves and we include all the necessary information such as the detailed itinerary, the cost of the tour and most important our confirmation for handling the tour. Then we will wait to get a confirmation from them before starting to make all arrangements and preparations. The confirmation includes the date and time of arrival, the flight number if they are arriving by airplane, names plus passport numbers of clients and the rooming list. It is only after receiving the confirmation that we begin to work on arranging and preparing the booking of hotels, restaurants, transportation vehicles, museum tickets and sometimes airlines tickets if they are intend to fly to the south of the country. We also, arrange the visas and prepare the travel insurance. We assign people who are going to take care of the group such as tour leader, tour guide and driver. Then we prepare the reservation forms and we send them to our suppliers. The reservation form includes the services requested and the number of pax and sometimes more information according to the kind of supplier. In a case of a hotel for example, the reservation form will include extra information such as the date of checking in and out, the number and what type of room and type of payment. Suppliers may be hotel, resort, motel, museum, restaurant, theme park, car rental, motor-coach company, a marina, a diving center or anything else. During peak season we have difficulties in getting the right accommodation or some other services that was mentioned in the tour package, in this kind of situation we, must think of an alternative and inform the client about the changes and finally when both of us agree we proceed with the arrangement. The next task is to handle the group from the first day to the last day. The most important rule with the western group is being punctual because they are used to it and they do not like to wait for anything or anybody even from their own group. Make sure everything goes according to the itinerary timing. All the employees and suppliers involve must take this into consideration. In case of lateness they may complaint and even ask for refund for that particular service. All the time make sure that everything is ready in advance. For example, during the arrival day, the tour guide and the motor coach must be present at the airport at least one hour before the plane lands and provide the tour guide with a small board having the name of the group to make it easier for the group to find him. We need to monitor the group every single day and keep in touch with the tour leader. All the international groups have their tour leader and building an excellent communication or relation with him or her is really important because the tour leader is the one in charge of the entire group and he or she plays a very important role to insure that the tour is conducted as planned. Carrying daily briefing with him or her helps to find out what happened the day before and if any change has to be done for the next day. In the department we need to carry meetings to resolve any kind of problem during the tour. I learned to build strong relation with our suppliers to minimize the problem and complications. In the beginning I was facing many problems of getting what I wanted and it used to take days of negotiation before getting it. I realized that certain suppliers such as five star hotels or dine dining restaurants were not responding positively to our request because they were preferring to deal directly with the customers or with reputed tour operator company. According to their opinion, we were not qualified or capable of bringing much business and I was really disappointed by their discrimination and behavior but my personal and communication skills helped me to accomplish whatever I wanted from them. It is sad to realize that they are used to work this way, they dont easily cooperate with small companies and I needed to win their trust. Finally they decided to really do business with me and everything was working smoothly after that. I think and believe that these hotels or any other suppliers should cooperate and build a better relationship with the small tour operators in order to benefit from each other. I definitely agree that we were not in the same level as those large tour operators such as Z Tours but we proved to these hotels income as well. However, I was pleased that after many months of hard work, we were able to increase the number of bookings with them month after month. During my time spent in R Tours, I learned to better understand the procedure of handling tour packages. Now I am more confident of myself and well prepared due to all the experience that I had acquired while working there. I would like to conclude by saying that inbound operation is about using your capabilities, trying your strength in all the different tasks involves and be able to solve any problem happening during the tour by relating to your learning experience at the work place.

Effect of Female Principals Management Styles on Teachers Job satisfaction in Isfahan- Iran, Girls High Schools :: Education, Educational Systems, Nurturing

Nowadays, Education has changed and developed fundamentally due to cultural, social and political changes. Education is under intense scrutiny by public and private interests who question the systems ability to fulfill its goals of teaching basic skills, instilling values, preventing dropouts, and producing a productive workforce. Such an incredible responsibility requires high committed to fulfilling the high expectations .Nurturing and educating the new generation have assigned to educational systems. Today, educational administration means: leadership, directing, reform and change. Therefore, achievement to high level goal of education in each society, demand renovation and reorganization and new thinking in management of educational systems (Allahabad, 2004). Educational Administration either in supervision and monitoring of financial and official affairs, in education or others that involving directly with development and implementation of educational program , have responsibil ity and tasks in achievement of essential objectives of educational administration as named facilitating teaching-learning process. Schools must give more attention to teacher job satisfaction because it may promote efficiency and staff satisfaction. One of the important factors in improvement of psychological and spiritual energy for staff in the organization is promotion of job satisfaction in teachers. In fact, job satisfaction is a kind of emotional and affective coping with job and its conditions which it consists of two components: cognitive and behavioral. The cognitive aspect is indicator for staff believes about their job conditions and behavioral aspect means individuals trends to their job. Cognitive aspect has more validity than other behavioral aspects due to further relationship with individuals' attitudes. A successful education system is dependent upon a high quality teaching staff. In order to develop this high quality teaching staff, one must look at factors associated with teacher quality and retention. One of these factors is teacher job satisfaction. Job satisfaction can be defined as an ove rall feeling about ones job or career in terms of specifies, i.e. compensation, autonomy, coworkers; administration. Job satisfaction has been studied for many years. Happock (1935) was one of the first researchers to study job satisfaction. He found that workers were more satisfied with a supervisor who was understanding and helpful (as in cited, Bass, 1990). Frederick Herzberg (1959), psychologist and researcher studied job satisfaction because he believed higher satisfaction led to higher productivity, decreased absenteeism, and better working relations. He found that positive feeling about work, a sense of personal worth, and a sense of personal fulfillment were related to achievement and responsibility (Wetherell,2002).

Strategic Management and Swot Analysis

Contents: I. INTRODUCTION a. Brand Extension for L’OREAL II. LITERATURE REVIEW a. Ansoff Matrix b. SWOT Analysis c. BCG Matrix III. REFLECTIVE STATEMENT IV. REFERENCES Brand Extension for L’OREAL Brand extension takes place whenever a company wants to enter a new market by using the name of one of its existing brands, rather than using a new one. Especially the luxury sector takes advantage of its well-known brand names when it comes to launching new products into new markets (Kapferer, 2008, p. 295).The popularity of brand extension strategy is due to the belief that it leads to higher consumer trial than the use of a new brand name because of the awareness levels of the brand name being leveraged (Keller, 2003, p. 582). L’Oreal as a global brand is known for high quality cosmetic goods like make-up and hair care products for women, men and kids. Its mission â€Å"Beauty for all† connects with the company’s slogan â€Å"Because you're worth itâ₠¬ , which is used in nearly every single L’Oreal advertisement.To identify all the different products of the brand’s portfolio they utilize the same logo for all of their goods by adapting to the specific field (L’Oreal homepage, 2012). Considering L’Oreal’s image of good appearance we decided to extend the brand by entering a new market with a new product. The diversification L’Oreal shoes should be placed in the customer products area with a target group of professional women. The leather shoes should be available for middle to high income consumers. Though the price is affordable for this group of customers the quality is still high.With this strategy we want to cover the needs of the existing customers and reach out for new potential clients. On one hand we intend to increase our sales and profits; on the other hand we use the good reputation of L’Oreal to get our new product connected to the values of the umbrella brand. To make sure that we created a new logo keeping the traditional L’Oreal letters with a reference to the shoe sector as shown in (image 1). Meanwhile, we forecast that L’Oreal shoes can strengthen the global brand in future.Image 1: Traditional L’Oreal letters mentioning the new sector Brief Literature Review Before putting theory into practice every company needs to consider its internal and external situation. In this part, three marketing theories will be applied to L’OREAL. These are: The Ansoff matrix, the SWOT analysis and the BCG matrix. Ansoff matrix is a model that helps firms to outline the range of marketing options open to them (Riley, 2012). L’Oreal shoes classified as a diversification was made according to the Ansoff matrix.A diversification is described as a new product for a new market. L’Oreal added shoes to its existing product range, left the skin and hair care market and entered the new footwear area. Image 2: Ansoff matrix With the SWOT Analysis we could discover our strengths and weaknesses, and identify both the opportunities and the threats for L’Oreal. In other words, as Renault stated â€Å"A SWOT is to reveal positive forces that work together and potential problems that need to be addressed or at least recognized†.Comparing the strengths to the weaknesses for L’Oreal shoes we have to mention that the variety of suppliers and the competitive quality price relation of the product overweight the missing expertise in the shoe sector. The opportunity of using the strong image of L’Oreal and the fact that there are no other middle price shoes in our own umbrella brand product range can be used to attract new customers. Taking into account that the economic situation has changed and people are not willing to spend as much as they did before the recession took place (Price, 2012).Using the BCG Matrix a company can recognize if a product is profitable or not. It can be helpful if a company has to decide whether investing additional resources in a certain product or services. There are four categories developed to the relative market share and market growth rate: star, cash cow, poor dog, question mark (Lu ; Zhao, 2006). A star is a product with a high market share and a high market growth rate. With this kind of product the company gains revenue. Therefore, a star can be used to support weaker sectors. These products with a low market growth rate and a low market share are called poor dogs.Cash cows are well-established with a high market share but as the market growth rate is low the company has to be aware of limited opportunities. Those limitations do not exist for question marks as they are located in high growth markets with a low market share. These unknown new products like L’oreal shoes do have the potential to establish and become stars or even cash cows. In future they could be able to promote weaker sectors and create a trade-off (Lu ; Zah o, 2006) ;;; I found another website to reference these two paragraphs From which website did you get this?! gt;;;; According to the Internet Center for Management and Business Administration (2012) the BSG matrix is limited. The different products in a company’s portfolio cannot be taken as independent; they are related to each other. This has to be taken into consideration when it comes to the question whether you keep or you eliminate a product. Reflective Statement To develop the topic we firstly did some research about the definition of brand extension and L’Oreal as a company.We discovered that creating a brand extension for L’Oreal is a difficult task as the umbrella brand already covers a lot of sectors in the beauty and care area. We thought about a product that would fit into the enterprise’s image of beauty and decided to choose shoes for middle-aged professional women. We looked into several marketing theories to support our decision such as t he SWOT analysis, Ansoff matrix, and the BCG matrix. However, we discovered that The SWOT analysis is the most helpful theory for our research.Since L’OREAL shoes classified as diversification, the SWOT analysis helped us to discover our brand’s current strengths and weaknesses; as well as the potential opportunities and threats that we might find in the future. This made it easier for us to set our brand’s short term and long term goals. References: Collett, S. (1999). Business Planning, E-journal of SWOT Analysis, 33(29), 58. Retrieved November 05, 2012, from http://jr3tv3gd5w. search. serialssolutions. com/ Hussey, D. (1999). Strategic Change, E-journal of Igor Ansoff's Continuing Contribution to Strategic Management, 8(7), 05.Retrieved November 06, 2012, from http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1002/(SICI)1099-1697(199911)8:7%3C375::AID-JSC462%3E3. 0. CO;2-U/pdf Kapferer, J. N. (2008). The New Strategic Brand Management: Advanced Insights and Strategic Thinking. London: Kogan Page. Keller, Kevin L. (2003). Strategic Brand Management. (2nd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lu, H. & Zhao, L. (2006). INTEGRATING GIS AND BCG MODEL FOR MARKETING STRATEGIC PLANNING. 14(18), 02-04. Retrieved November 06, 2012, from http://iceb. nccu. edu. tw/proceedings/APDSI/2006/718-725. df Price, E. (2012). A reduction in European over-consumption will be undone by any Eurozone solution. Retrieved November 01, 2012, from http://blogs. lse. ac. uk/europpblog/2012/07/23/eurozone-over-consumption/ Riley, J. (2012). Ansoff Matrix. Retrieved November 07, 2012, from http://www. tutor2u. net/business/strategy/ansoff_matrix. htm Renault, V. (n. d. ). SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Retrieved November 08, 2012, from http://ctb. ku. edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1049. aspx

Dell Goes Back to its PC Roots Essay

Dell is a computer company that made its name by first selling personal computers directly to customers through their website, catalogs, and over the phone. As time passed, Dell expanded into related product lines while battling aggressive rivals such as Hewlett Packard and Apple, striving to be the number one consumer brand in the United States. Despite considerable research and marketing investment, Dell’s strategy to expand into other related product lines did not succeed, and the company was forced to regain its focus on PC sales. This case includes the steps taken by Dell to uphold its legendary PC roots. Key Marketing Issues †¢Brand – A name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that identifies one marketer’s product as distinct from those of other marketers. Dell is shining up its brand by improving customer service, which is especially important as PC sales grow more slowly throughout the industry and competitors dig in to defend market share. †¢Early Adopters – People who adopt new products early, choose new products carefully, and are viewed as â€Å"the people to check with† by later adopters. Dell is not looking to pioneer revolutionary new lines for early adopters, but has gone back to their PC roots, emphasizing related home office products. †¢Innovators – First adopters of new products. †¢Line Extensions – Development of a product that is closely related to existing products in the line but is designed specifically to meet different customer needs. Over the years, Dell has expanded into related product lines while battling rivals, hoping to obtain larger revenues. †¢Product Line – A group of closely related product items viewed as a unit because of marketing, technical, or end-use considerations. Over the years, Dell has expanded into related product lines while battling aggressive rivals, hoping to derive an ever-larger portion of revenues and profits from a wider mix of products for use beyond the home office. †¢Product Mix – The composite, or total, group of products that an organization makes available to customers. Dell has returned to its PC roots, emphasizing computers and laptops, inkjet and laser printers, networking equipment, and related products for home office use, after the failure of their consumer electronics strategy. †¢Product Life Cycle – The progression of a product through four stages: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. Dell introduced the Dell Digital Jukebox and Dell Music Store to compete with Apple’s iPods and iTunes store. However, Apple had so much momentum that Dell was forced to discontinue its own brand of music players. Personal Case Analysis I learned that Dell first made is name selling personal computers directly to customers through its website, catalogs, and phone orders. With a long history of marketing technology-based products, Dell has become a well-known U.S. brand. Despite considerable research, Dell’s attempt to enter the lucrative $100 billion world of consumer electronics did not succeed. Although Dell faces intense competition from other consumer electronics companies, they never stop looking for new ways to shine up its brand by improving customer service, an especially important step as PC sales grow more slowly throughout the industry and competitors dig in to defend market share. Case Questions 1-Why would Dell not pioneer revolutionary new products for innovators and early adaptors the way its competitor Apple does? According to wsu.edu, an early adaptor is a person who quickly adopts something new-usually a technological innovation. Our text defines innovators as first adopters of new products. Today Dell has gone back to its PC roots, emphasizing computers and laptops, inkjet and laser printers, networking equipment, and related products for home and office use. Because of its’ failed attempts to launch new products, the company is not looking to pioneer revolutionary new lines for innovators or early adopters. Instead it adds new features to products with a proven market, finds ways to make production more cost effective, and seeks to distribute both Dell and non-Dell products as efficiently as possible. 2-In what stage of the product life cycle do personal computers appear to be? How does this explain Dell’s attempt to expand into consumer electronics? According to answers.ask.com, a product’s life cycle describes the stages products experience when introduced to the market. There are four general stages including: introductory stage, when marketers raise awareness of the product; growth stage, when increase in market share is sought; mature stage, when producers of the product have maximized market share and minimized costs and the decline stage, when competitors entering the market erode market share and profits begin to decline (anwers.ask.com). The stage that Dell’s personal computers appear to be in is the maturity stage. With a long history of marketing technology-based products, Dell has become a well-known U.S. brand. Their management saw the brand as a strength to exploit in marketing new flat-screen televisions, tiny digital music players, and other non-computer products. Dell launched its consumer electronics items just as major technological developments were roiling the industry and changing how consumers buy and use such products. Dell was caught in the crossfire of intense competition. At the start of the consumer electronics initiative, the company introduced the Dell Digital Jukebox and the Dell Music Store, putting it on a competitive collision course with Apple’s popular iPods and iTunes store. Dell discontinued its brand and has been reselling products made by Samsung and other manufacturers. This allows Dell to satisfy customer demand for certain for consumer electronics without incurring the high cost of research and development. 3-How far can Dell widen its product mix without hurting the company’s credibility? For example, what might be the impact of new products such as Dell motorcycles or Dell frozen pastries? According to enotes.com, the product mix of a company, which is generally defined as the total composite of products offered by a particular organization, consists of both product and individual products. A product line is a group of products within the product mix that are closely related, either because they function in a similar manner, are sold to the same customer groups are marketed through the same types of outlets, or fall within given price ranges. Over the years, Dell has become a popular U.S. brand, which was viewed as a strength to emerge into the market of new flat screen televisions, digital music players, and other products. Although Dell did a considerable amount of research and development to make these products a success, the strategy did not succeed. For this reason, Dell should not attempt to widen its product mix, because it has been proven that doing so will hurt the company’s creditability. Dell motorcycles or Dell frozen pastries would definitely hurt the company’s creditability, because they are known as a number one computer company. Dell should continue to develop and emphasize computers, printers, and other home office related products to maintain its creditability. Conclusions For Dell to continue to successfully market to its consumers and uphold its legendary PC roots and name brand, they must develop the optimal product line by understanding buyers’ goals. The product life cycle is also an important concept to make sure the introduction, alteration, and termination of a product are timed and executed properly, helping to better maintain profitable products and drop unprofitable ones. Although Dell does not pioneer revolutionary new products for innovators and early adopters the way its competitors does, they stand strong in the PC market. Line extensions, however, are used to successfully take market share from competitors.

Abortion Essays (708 words) - Abortion In The United States

Abortion Essays (708 words) - Abortion In The United States Abortion Abortion The founding of our nation was forged on the principle that all men are created equal. This is the essence of our Declaration of Independence and the philosophy behind the Constitution. We, through history, have made certain that all people in this country have equality before the law. We have set up the premise that all people are equal before the law. We have declared that there is no such thing as sub-humans and that no human being's rights are superior to another human being. If we want to live by the premises that we set up in this country, than we cannot overlook any human being, no one can be excluded. There is, however, a class of human beings that is being denied the right to life: the unborn baby. The human species is only fully grown at adulthood. Many of us here are not adults yet, and by that definition, it wouldn't matter if youre shot and killed on the street because youre not fully developed. We are in a stage of development teenager just like a child is, just like a toddler is, just like an old man is, and just like an aborted child is. There is no magical transformation that occurs when a child is born. He has the same basic needs to survive before he is born, and the same needs after he is born. Anyone who tries to tell anyone else that the baby in the mothers womb is not a human or doesnt matter is a downright liar. They want you to believe that an unborn child cannot feel pain. If you accept that an unborn baby is not an eating, breathing, moving, human inside of a woman then their life can have no value. Can an unborn child feel pain? Of course it does, it is a human being, and as a human being it has five senses. How would you like to be in your mothers womb and all of a sudden be stabbed in the back of the head with scissors and your brains sucked out? In a suction abortion, sometimes the baby will struggle to get a way, but theyre no match for the vacuum. The abortionists will tell you that your baby is just a piece of tissue, which makes it easier to have an abortion, they will also tell you that it will just be a burden on your life and youre making the right decision by committing murder and taking away that babies constitutional rights. If you accept that an unborn baby is not a eating, breathing, moving, human inside of a woman then their life can have no value. Now lets talk about the moral issues. If youre going to go out and have sex, you need to take the consequences and have the baby. Even if you dont want it you can put it up for adoption, you dont have to take the easy way out and slaughter it. Our country went through and the world went through a long period of time where Whites believed that Blacks were actually sub-human! If someone accepted that a Black person was a sub- human, then it became easy to continue slavery, and it became easy to abuse or ignore his or her rights to life. We have disproved this premise in modern time, not ignoring the facts. We cannot hide it! Killing a living human being is murder and murder is against the law and murder against God. Would want to have been an aborted child. Would you have wanted your life to be cut, before you could even be born into this world? When I was inside my mother, No one could ask me if I valued my life. I wouldn't have a right to live. If you were aborted you would not have a chance to ask for your life. If abortion is murder, then can we let this continue? There are approximately one million abortions every year in the United States. Bibliography Work Cited Carton, Jean. Who Broke The Baby? Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 1997 Alcorn, Randy. Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments. Portland Oregon: Multnomah Books, 1994 Crutcher, Mark. Lime 5. Denton, Texas: Life Dynamics, 1996

OxiClean to Remove Skunk Odor

OxiClean to Remove Skunk Odor OxiCleanâ„ ¢ (sometimes spelled OxyClean) is a great stain remover, but its also a great odor remover. I was having dinner with an awesome veterinarian who mentioned her dog had been sprayed by a skunk. She saw that the dog was wet and bent down to touch its fur. The dampness was skunk spray, so she then had a handful of stinky nastiness, too. I said I had heard tomato juice was supposed to be decent at diminishing skunk-smell. Nope, doesnt work. What does work, she said, is spraying the pet with OxiClean and then very thoroughly rinsing, presumably with soap and water since that is how you are supposed to get OxiClean off your hands if you have skin contact. A Product Of Many Uses This is not an official vet-recommended treatment for skunk spray for a couple of reasons. The active ingredients in OxiClean (and similar products, which would also work) are sodium carbonate (washing soda) and sodium percarbonate. They react to form peroxide, which is an effective bleach and disinfectant, plus is reactive enough to tackle most messes. Its also reactive enough to cause damage to certain tissues. If you read the MSDS for sodium percarbonate, for example, you will find the chemical is harmful if swallowed and may cause severe eye injury. If you spritz OxiClean in water on yourself or your pet to remove skunkiness, you need to be absolutely certain to avoid getting any in the eyes. Plus, you need to take extra care to rinse all of the OxiClean off. You might not lick your hands after washing them, but chances are your cat or dog will. Cat, in particular, lick their fur and are highly sensitive to chemicals. Its best to check with a veterinarian before applying any prod uct to a feline. How It Works OxiClean should work as an odor remover pretty much the same way as it works as a stain remover. The hydrogen peroxide that is released reacts with stain molecules and changes their structure. This makes them absorb light differently, rendering colored stains colorless. Note that this does mean the stains are actually gone; you just cant see them. Stink molecules are like stains. If you change their shape, the chemoreceptors in your nose may be unable to detect them.So,  if you have an encounter with the business end of a skunk, try reaching for the Oxiclean instead of the V-8. Avoid the eyes and rinse, rinse, rinse.

Diagnosing a Need for Organizational Change Case Study

Diagnosing a Need for Organizational Change - Case Study Example In this regard, the disaster that befell the shuttle Challenger provided a strong focal point from which organization within bodies could be viewed. The Challenger broke into pieces moments after takeoff on January 28 1986. Prior to this culmination of events, there had been revealing signs that were overlooked by the bodies in authority. A commission was formed to look into the matter and it filed its report after carrying out its research. In light of the above, NASA made most of the recommended changes brought forth by the commission that was looking into the Challenger disaster. Despite this, the occurrence of the Columbia accident on February 1, 2003 opened a new chapter into the effectiveness of the recommendations, and most importantly, shed some light on the issue of organizational culture that tends to undermine the effectiveness of organizations. Organizational culture is the aspect or custom of workers of an organization tending to carry out their activities in a way that may not be fully recommended, but in their organization, it is the norm (Carnall, 2007). While trying to counter this, models have been set up to ensure the best productivity of organizations. Such is the Burke-Litwin model for organizational change. It aims at bringing change to an organization through the creation of connections between performance and the factors within or without the organization, which has an effect over the performance (Burke, 2010). The model relies upon a framework through which the analysis of both internal or organizational factors and external or environmental factors can be linked together to ensure superb performance of an organization. It links both theoretical aspects and practical ideas to result in the best performance (Burke, 2010). This is done in twelve dimensions each of which caters for a particular aspect of the organization. Therefore, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report and recommendations as put under the Burke-Litwin model wou ld give a better view as follows: 1. External Environment. Following the Columbia disaster, CAIB realized that a number of external factors also indirectly resulted in the catastrophe. Such included such aspects as performance pressures from the public that tended to rush the organization into action hastily. Moreover, the budgetary allocations for the agency proved to be insufficient following shifting national priorities. 2. Mission and Strategy. Furthermore, CAIB analyzed NASA’s mission, and in comparison to the strategy employed to achieve that mission, the two were found not to tally. Moreover, the employees’ perspective was not in tandem with that of the top management (James, 2007). 3. Leadership. CAIB’s report found the leadership of NASA solely to blame for the disaster. It stated that the leadership lacked open-mindedness and could have acted quickly upon realizing that the space ship was damaged. However, this was not done hence exposing the laxity of leadership at NASA (James, 2007). 4. Organizational Culture. The report found out that NASA had come to adopt a culture through which matters were casually schemed through thereby leading to loopholes that provided avenues for such disasters. The foam responsible for the disaster had

The changing of a product among the years Assignment

The changing of a product among the years - Assignment Example However, after that point when the war ended, and America became more prosperous again, car production increased even faster than it had in the past due to all the demand that had built up during the war years and the fact that people had "several years worth of savings to spend" ("The History of 1940s Cars"). A few of the important changes that had happened after the wars end included the following. The efficiency of cars increased in terms of new technology like tires, better gas filters, and other newer developments that had been researched at war time ("The History of 1940s Cars"). In the 1950s, there was a big focus on modern designs and an increase in the speed of cars, and cars became sleeker looking and a lot of things we consider essential today like air conditioning were introduced for the first time ("Cars in the 1950s"). Cars are particularly interesting because of the rapid increases that have happened even in the past three or four years. Unlike some other products, cars are always being improved upon. For example, there is a company today called Tesla which builds completely electric cars, and their car the Tesla S could be "set to herald a sea change" in the design of cars completely