The Marketing Mix for Pets.com Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Marketing Mix for Pets.com - Case Study Example Diversity of product was what differentiated the site from other competitors, both online and bricks-and-mortar, thus attracting more potential target segments. During the launch and growth period of Pets.com, product was one of the primary selling points along the marketing mix. Place was emphasized for convenience, providing new opportunities for consumers to get pet products without having to visit a bricks-and-mortar competitor. Place was important in the late 1990s as the Internet was just beginning to become part of consumer lifestyle and thus represented innovation in sales strategy. Furthermore, price was an important part of the marketing mix. This was reflected in the company’s guarantees for a flat rate shipping fee of $4.95 regardless of the volume and weight of the products being delivered. Sales and discounting incentives that provided further value also emphasized the company’s focus on pricing as a differentiation tool. Finally, Pets.com also utilized pr omotion effectively, gaining brand exposure through cross-promotional strategies with The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. A very large expenditure to be included in the 2000 Super Bowl ad gave the company considerable promotional exposure and gained more consumer interest in the process. Analysis of Differentiation Strategy Diversity of product variety served to differentiate from other pet-related competition, illustrating that the business wanted to gain market attention and assist many different target segments. However, there were difficulties with this strategy as the company did not maintain the distribution and warehousing capacity needed to support this differentiation tactic. Further, holding costs of high volume inventories must be considered that include lighting, labor, and taxation that can significantly raise operating costs (Heizer and Render 174). Sales and discounting incentives also differentiated the business from competition. The advantage of this is that pr ice-sensitive consumers are more attracted to the business model over competition. When offering a flat rate guaranteed shipping price, this also had advantages related to price. Furthermore, using expert consultations from experts in the pet field, such as breeders and scientists, gave the business more credibility and expressed perceptions of competence to many target segments. Some of the differentiation strategies were implemented successfully, including having expert information available to pet owners that gave the business a better market position under quality. However, discounting and high volume merchandise selection offerings conflicted the process of avoiding losses associated with operational budget. If the business had re-examined its low flat rate shipping policy and redetermined its distribution network strategy, it is likely the cost of goods sold would not have been so high and attracted more investor confidence and interest in common stock purchasing. The Product- Market Growth Matrix Analysis Adding horse products to the business model was a diversification strategy, branching into untapped or new markets with a new line of relevant products (Boone and Kurtz 218). The result of this strategy along the product-market growth matrix proposed by Ansoff is having presence in a new market where the business had not previously been devoted. The company’s diversification strategy, however, was not efficient, especially since the business did not have the capacity to sustain such high volume inventories and inventory holding costs. Horse ownership is a niche market and most consumers procure their products from local organizations and, because of this, it is not likely that Pets.com would have gained much revenue growth in an effort to lure horse enthusiasts to buy

Leadership Styles Essay Example for Free

Leadership Styles Essay The leadership styles of the United States Presidents can make them effective or it can limit their effectiveness. The effectiveness of the President has direct effect on the American people. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy were two leaders that had major influences in the mid-20th century. Both men played a key role in the United States involvement in Vietnam. The experiences, styles of leading, and characteristics of both President’s Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy intensified the level of involvement the United States had in the Vietnam experience. Even though the leadership styles may have differed, the two leaders refused to let communism spread (Moss, 2010). Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy’s leadership style although different had similar qualities. President Eisenhower and Kennedy could be considered to have the leadership styles of both the â€Å"Director† and â€Å"Navigator†. Thomas Preston has explained a Director style is a leader with â€Å"both extensive policy experience and a high need for power† (Preston, 2001). Directors have direct involvement in policy process by setting guidelines and advocating for their own personal views. The Navigator also has extensive expertise in policy but they also search for the opinions and viewpoints of other advisors. Navigators will gather the information and from the multiple different perspectives have a more deliberate decision making style. Without having a Navigator sense of style, the effectiveness of any leader can be limited because of a lack of information gathered and reviewed for decision. President Eisenhower proved his leadership style by the way he was involved in the political unrest in Vietnam. According to Preston, President Eisenhower â€Å"preferred formal, hierarchically organized advisory structure where information and advice could be centralized into a small inner circle of advisers† (Preston, 2001). However because of the President’s expertise in foreign policy he had a very active personal role in the policy process and delegated very little to other expert advisors. Eisenhower’s own preferences in policy lead to the policy decisions. President Eisenhower gave the command to intervene in southern Vietnam and replace the French (Moss, 2010). This was to maintain a non-Communist state thereby halting the potential spread of Communism. President Kennedy was interested in multiple perspectives on policy; he listened to different sources on conflicting views and planned for debates prior to decision making (Preston, 2001). Kennedy wanted political rest and peace in Vietnam but knew that without US involvement, the fighting and attacks on Vietnam would increase. Because of this, the United States became more heavily involved which meant more military forces and money being spent. Kennedy had made decisions to violate the provisions of the Geneva agreements of 1954, thereby increasing the U.S. military significantly in Vietnam. â€Å"Kennedy was not trying to win in Vietnam: he was doing only enough not to lose† (Moss, 2010). This sense of leadership by Kennedy was devised to protect the U.S. by only having a limited partnership with the Vietnam government. For President Kennedy, as a Director, he kept active involvemen t in policy process and needed assurance that his own thoughts and ideas would dominate the end result. However, as the Navigator, he trusted his advisory team and kept an open advisory system â€Å"characterized by a mixed formal-informal advice network† (Preston, 2001). With the dual leadership style the President called for the heavy military involvement in Vietnam in 1965 (Moss, 2010). By having expertise in foreign affairs and taking the advice of his advisors, President Kennedy made the important decision to become more involved in the war efforts. For the United States, the President’s leadership is very important. The President is the countries representation. It is both very prestigious and powerful to be voted in as President of the United States. The President has the ability to keep the United States from war, or send us to war. The President is in charge of the military, deciding where troops should be stationed and how weapons should be used. That is great power, and without the backing of the American people the President and his cabinet wouldn’t be as powerful as they are. The American people need to know that the President has their best interest in mind. In conclusion, regardless of who the President is, the need for leadership is of great importance. By having both the Director and Navigator style leadership, the role of the President can be effective. The expertise, the desire to have a powerful role but also having the willingness to view other opinions for decision making is essential to making a great leader. The role the President has to be one that is inspiring to the American people but also the American people need to trust their leader, without trust there would be weakness.

The Traditional Family Life Cycle

The Traditional Family Life Cycle Traditional Family Life Cycle: Traditionally the life cycle, illustrated a progression of stages through which families passed; it comprised stages, starting from bachelorhood (single), to married (couple), to family growth (parenthood: birth of children), to family contraction (grown up children leaving home for studies or employment) to post parenthood (all children leaving home) to dissolution (single survivor: death of one of the spouses). Based on these, the traditional FLC can be synthesized into five basic stages, which may be mentioned as follows: Stage I: Bachelorhood: Young single adult (male/female) living apart from parents and into a livelihood. Stage II: Honeymooners: Young married couple. Stage III: Parenthood: Married couple with at least one child living with them at home. Stage IV: Postparenthood: An older married couple with no children living at home. Children have left home for studies or for employment. Stage V: Dissolution: One surviving spouse. These stages, consumption patterns and the product preferences are explained below: 1. Stage I: Bachelorhood: The stage comprises a young single adult (male/female) living apart from parents and into a livelihood. While incomes are low as they have just started a career, financial burdens and responsibilities are also low. As such bachelors have a high level of disposable income. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: They tend to spend their money on house rent, basic furniture and kitchen equipment. They are recreation oriented and like to spend on purchase of automobiles (particularly motor bikes), travel (trekking and holidays), adventure sports (motor racing, bungee jumping etc.), health clubs, clothes and fashion accessories. Implications for Marketers: Marketers realize that bachelors possess large disposable income; they find in them an attractive segment for sports, travel, entertainment and fun. 2. Stage II: Honeymooners: The stage comprises a newly married couple and continues till the first child is born. One of the spouses may be working or both may be working. They are financially better off than they would be in the next stages. If both are working, income is higher. If both are working, the couple has discretionary income at hand that permits a good lifestyle, and provides for purchases or savings. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: They tend to spend on creating a home for themselves. They spend on cars, furniture, curtains and upholstery, electronics, kitchen appliances and utensils, and vacations. Implications for Marketers: They form an attractive segment for the marketer as they form the highest purchase rate amongst segments. The highest average purchase of durables takes place in this stage. 3. Stage III: Parenthood: The stage comprises married couples with children. This stage extends for about a long 20-25 year period; and could be further broken up into three stages, viz., Full Nest I, Full Nest II and Full Nest III. Throughout these stages, the size and structure of the family gradually changes, so does income and expenses with varying priorities. The financial expenses increase rapidly with children being born in Full Nest I and gradually decrease as children become independent and self-supporting as one reaches Full Nest III. Full Nest I: The youngest child in the family is six or below. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: While liquidity of cash is low, expenses are high. The family spends on baby food, diapers, medicines for cough and cold, doctor visits, child toys and games, school admissions and fees and insurance policies. There are increased expenses on child care. Implications for Marketers: At this stage, purchasing is at the peak, and so this is an attractive segment for the marketer. The children in the family begin to impact family purchases, and are a huge potential for future. Full Nest II: The youngest child in the family is six or above. Generally the stage comprises children aged 6-12 years. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: Financial position gets better as one begins to rise up the ladder. If the wife is also working, children are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“latchkey kids.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The family spends on food, clothes for children, education of children, insurance policies and investments. They also pay for medical expenses and particularly, dental treatment. They go in for deals; buy larger-size packages, and economy packs. For example, junk food, fashion clothing and accessories, video games etc. are prime demands. Implications for Marketers: At this stage, purchasing is still at the peak, and so this is also an attractive segment for the marketer. The children, as also teenagers continue to impact family purchases. The latchkey kids are a potential for home delivered junk food like pizzas and burgers. Full nest III: They are older married couples with dependent and/or independent children but staying together at home. Children reach the higher educational level; one of them may start earning too. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: The family income continues to increase and so do expenses. The family continues to spend on food, clothes for teenagers, higher education of children, and also repeat purchase of durables that were bought in honeymooning stage or Full Nest I. The family buys new furniture, electronic goods and appliances and cars. Thus there is high average purchase of durables. The family also invests in real estate and property and/or flats. They continue to spend on medical expenses, particularly dentists and visit general physicians for regular checkups. Implications for Marketers: At this stage, income begins to increase as one of the children begins to earn. As expenses see a rise, the stage offers a potential for marketers. 4. Stage IV: Postparenthood: This is a stage that occurs once children have left home. They leave home first for education, and then for employment. As they complete their education, and find employment, they gradually leave home one by one, thus, leaving the nest. Thus, this stage has also been broken into two stages, viz., Empty Nest I and Empty Nest II. As one moves across Empty Nest I and II, the size and structure of the family changes (quite similar to the Parenthood stage and the Full Nest I, II and III). Empty Nest I: This is a stage that occurs when at least one of the children has left home. He/she has completed education, taken up a job and has left home to start his/her home. He/she is independent and can manage on own. While children are managing to start up on their own, parents are still working. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: The family size gradually begins to shrink. Parents are still earning; expenses gradually reduce, and so there is highest level of savings and disposable income at hand. The family spends on food, instalments for real estate/house, higher education of the dependent children, and, medical expenses on dentist, physiotherapy and heart. They have leisure time in hand, and watch television, movies, and may even go on a vacation. Implications for Marketers: At this stage, the couple beings to again have disposable income in hand. Financial responsibilities towards children begin to decrease. This stage offers potential for marketers who are involved in providing services like leisure, travel and holiday. Empty Nest II: In this stage, all the children have left home, and the couple has retired from occupation. They live on pension and other social security investments. If health permits, they take up part-time jobs. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: The couple has higher disposable incomes because of savings and investments, and they have fewer expenses. They decide to spend on all that they had been thinking to spend on but had not been able to because of familial responsibilities. They spend money on food, travel and holidays, watch TV and form hobby clubs. They refurnish their home or may even move to newer homes after retirement. Medical expenses also see a rise. However, for those older retired couples who do not have much income from adequate savings and investments, the situation is much different. There is a sharp drop in their income. Implications for Marketers: The stage is lucrative for those involved in the entertainment industry. Many industries provide special discounts in travel and stay as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Senior Citizen benefits, for example, hotels, airlines and railways. Banks and financial institutions also have special facilities for those above 60, especially higher rates of interest on deposits. 5. Stage V: Dissolution: This stage in the FLC occurs when one of the couple dies, and leaves behind the other surviving spouse. Priorities and Preferences of Purchase: When one of the spouses is still earning, or earns money from savings and investments, things are little easier. However, if he/she is not earning, he/she follows a lifestyle that is economical. The primary expenditure is on medicines, checkups with doctors and restrictive diet. Implications for Marketers: The stage is characteristic of a widow/widower with lower income and least shopping and expenses. Modifications to the FLC: With changes in our society, a change in the traditional Family Life Cycle and the various stages through which it progressed earlier. There are various forms like single; late marriages; divorced (with/without children); dual income, no kids, live-ins etc. Consumer researchers have thus brought about changes in the traditional FLC, so as to reflect changes in the family and lifestyle arrangements. Broadly speaking households may be classified as family households and non-family households (single individual or live-ins). Each of these family types has varying features and characteristics, which also get exhibited in their buying patterns and consumption expenditure. Family life cycle of Dominos Pizza Bachelorhood: Dominos pizza does not come under this stage because the income a person is very low and have to spend their money on house rent, basic furniture and kitchen equipment. Honeymooners: Dominos pizza comes under this stage because they tend to spend their money more. Parenthood: Dominos pizza also comes into this stage because in this the family income increases and then family continues to spend on food, clothes etc. Post parenthood: Dominos pizza comes under this stage because family is small but wants doing expenses. Dissolution: Dominos pizza does not come under this stage because their primary expenditure is on medicines, checkups and doctors. Family life cycle of Mobile Phones Bachelorhood: Mobile phones come under this stage because the income a person is very low but they have to spend their money on automobiles, clothes etc. Honeymooners: Mobile phones come under this stage because they tend to spend their money more. Parenthood: Mobile Phones also come into this stage because in this the family income increases and then family continues to spend on food, clothes, accessories etc. Post parenthood: Mobile phones come under this stage because family is small but wants doing expenses. Dissolution: Mobile Phone does not come under this stage because their primary expenditure is on medicines, checkups and doctors. Family life cycle of Mutual Funds Bachelorhood: Mutual Funds does not come under this stage because the income a person is very low but they have to spend their money on automobiles, clothes etc. Honeymooners: Mutual Funds come under this stage because they tend to spend their money more. Parenthood: Mutual Funds also come into this stage because in this the family income increases and then family continues to spend on food, clothes, accessories etc. Post parenthood: Mutual Funds come under this stage because family is small but wants doing expenses. Dissolution: Mutual Funds come under this stage because their primary expenditure is on medicines, checkups and doctors and spend for future stability.

International Trade and The Kyoto Protocol Essay -- Kyoto Protocol Pol

International Trade and The Kyoto Protocol Pollution, specifically global warming, is of growing concern to people and governments. It is a controversial issue whose validity is still being debated by scientists. The Kyoto Protocol is an international attempt to address global warming through emissions controls. Traditional neoclassical economic models do not incorporate pollution in rudimentary theories of supply, demand, or pricing, as a result, firms do not consider pollution as a cost of production, which leaves government regulation as the primary method for controlling these externalities. The goal of emissions trading is to allow one business, which can make greenhouse gas emission reductions for a relatively low cost, to sell the rights to those reductions, or credits, to an entity which would find it more expensive to achieve the same level of reduction through in-house activities. Unfortunately, public sentiment on the Kyoto Protocol focuses only on the end goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission and does not look at implications of the agreement. The Kyoto Protocol attempts to establish an international agreement to lower global emissions through a combination of domestic and offshore policies. While domestic policies can have an effect on international markets, they are considered less important than offshore policies. It is the offshore policies of emissions trading, clean development mechanisms, and joint implementation, which are predicted to have the greatest impact on emissions controls and international trade. This paper will outline the provisions of the protocol and attempt to explain some of the shortcomings which may have led to the United States withdrawing its support for the agreement. The ... ...al. It needs to include provisions for monitoring and enforcing standards. Environmental improvements may be better accomplished without credit trading. Instead, global standards and an international body of power may be more effective, similar to the WTO and trade. Works Referenced Carter, R.G. (2002). Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy. CQ Press. Washington D.C. Chambers, W.B. (2001). Inter-linkages: The Kyoto Protocol and the International Trade and Investment Regimes. United Nations University Press. New York. Kerr, S. (2000). Global Emissions Trading: Key issues for Industrialized Countries. Edward Elgar. Great Britain. McKibbin, W. J. (2000). Moving Beyond Kyoto. The Brookings Institute. Washington D.C. McKibbin, W.J., Wilcoxen. P.J. (1999). Permit Trading Under the Kyoto Protocol and Beyond. The Brookings Institute. Washington D.C.

Forgiveness in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Forgiveness in The Scarlet Letter "Time heals all wounds." is a famous line in American history. I don't think that this is true. My line would be, "Forgiveness heals all wounds." I think that Forgiveness in a very important part of life. Without it, people can not move on with their lives. Let's take for instance a murderer and the family of the person he killed. The murderer may be sentenced to death. The family of the person who was killed could go in and watch the man that killed their family member be put to death. That may give them peace of mind, but they still can not completely move on. They must forgive murderer for killing the person before they can really move on with their lives. Once they do this it will be easier for them. A book that really illustrated this is The Scarlet Letter. In this book there are three main characters, Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne, and Roger Chillingworth. These three people either needed forgiveness or needed to forgive someone. Some got it, some didn't. Whether or not they received or gave forgiveness had a great impact in their lives. Arthur Dimmesdale was a Reverend. He was supposed to be a great, God fearing person. He was supposed to never break a rule and be the kind of person everyone wanted to be. The only problem was that Dimmesdale had sinned, and it had been a horrible sin. He had slept with a married woman, and she ended up pregnant. This married woman was Hester Prynne. He needed forgiveness from everyone else before he could forgive himself. Dimmesdale couldn't tell anyone what he had done because he could have been put to death for it. He was too afraid of everyone else's reaction to tell them what he person had done. Therefore he could not receive forgiveness. This sin ate away at Dimmesdale till he couldn't live anymore. All this happened because he couldn't receive forgiveness from the people of his community and himself. Hester Prynne had been sent to Boston with reports of her husband to follow. After about a year she got kind of lonely. She wasn't sure is he even was going to come to her.

Faith in “Life of Pi” Essay

How deep is your faith? How strong is your will to survive if the tables were turned and misfortune rocked your boat of life? Throughout the entire novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the protagonist Piscine Molitor Patel develops an extreme devotion to God. As the story progresses Pi’s faith becomes stronger, allowing him to continue living a peaceful life even when things get nearly impossible. Religion keeps Pi busy, happy and most importantly†¦ alive. He develops a profound faith in God’s of 3 different religions (Hinduism, Islam and Christianity), which is put to the test when he spends 227 days stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean. During those 227 days Pi as a character grows immensely and his beliefs are truly put to the test. Eventually the theme of faith leads to the biggest question in the novel after Pi tells two completely different stories of his survival to the Japanese insurance investigators. Which is the better story? Faith is believing what you want to believe, yet cannot prove. Sadly, many people live with this definition of faith. For some it feels liberating. It means being able to believe in anything; no explanation is required or given; it is just a matter of faith. For others, such a definition is sickening. This definition states as faith increases, reason and meaning eventually disappear. Nothing can be proved, so in other words living in faith is living in the dark. â€Å"Religion will save us,† I said. Since when I could remember, religions had always been close to my heart. â€Å"Religion?† Mr. Kumar grinned broadly. â€Å"I don’t believe in religion. Religion is darkness.†Darkness?† I was puzzled. I thought, Darkness is the last thing that religion is. Religion is light† Pi completely contradicts the statement ‘faith is living in the dark.’ Faith is not meant to be interpreted in such a way, which is something Pi realizes during the earliest stages of the novel. Pi chooses to believe what he would like to believe, even if it meant taking several concepts from 3 completely different religions and combining them to create a Utopian religion in a sense. As a child, Pi begins to read a great amount and starts embracing more than just one religion. He notices that their powerful narratives have the ability to provide meaning and dimension to life, which is where Pi’s  interest and faith in multiple religions truly begin to develop. In Pondicherry, his atheist biology teacher Mr. Kumar challenges his Hindu faith in God, this makes Pi realize the positive power of belief and the need to overcome the harshness of the universe. Piscine then becomes incredibly motivated to learn more and begins practicing Christianity and Islam, realizing these religions all share the same foundation: belief in a loving higher power. Practicing three different religions gave Pi the flexibility to choose the good and convenient aspects from each. This allowed him to practice a utopian religion where his curiosity could be satisfied, so Pi became very dedicated to each religion. He went to worship at the local mosque, mandir and church but chose to hide all of this from his parents. Pi’s faith and belief in God inspires him as a child, keeps him motivated and constantly thinking but most importantly, helps sustain him while at sea. While Pi is in middle the ocean on the lifeboat after the sinking of the TsimTsum, he turns to faith and religion to keep busy and give himself hope. Throughout the novel we see that faith and religion is something Pi turns to in order to keep himself occupied, especially during his 227 days at sea. On that stormy night, cruising on a ship in the middle of the ocean, Pi lost everything, everything that meant something to him, his family, his protection, the feeling of safety and love. In other words, everything that could give him a hint of hope had disappeared in a matter of seconds. In exchange for all of that he was left stranded on a life boat in the Pacific Ocean surrounded with fierce zoo animals. Even though he had no way of being sure that he would be saved, he still pushed himself to believing that somehow he will be able to overcome the crises that he had fallen in. He prayed to God even though he had no proof He was there but he believed that God really was listening. He believed because he had no other choice. In a situation such as this one, Pi needed a miracle. On the lifeboat, prayer becomes a daily routine for the cast away. Each day Pi wakes up, prays, feeds Richard Parker and inspects the raft and lifeboat, which helps him maintain his mental sanity by keeping busy. His religious rituals allow him to feel a sense of calmness and give him the will to go on. â€Å"They brought me comfort, that is certain. But it was hard, oh, it was hard. Faith in God is  an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love- but sometimes it was so hard to love.† (page 231) Pi admits that it was hard to put his trust in God when it seemed like He wasn’t listening, but continues praying, staying faithful and practising his religious rituals throughout the entire 227 days. On a superficial level, Pi’s faith contributes to his survival by providing daily rituals. On a deeper level, Pi’s faith contributes to his survival through answered prayers. Several times during his experience on the life boat Pi calls to deities during life threatening situations. â€Å"My heart stopped and then beat triple speed. I turned. â€Å"Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu!† I saw a sight that will stay with me for the rest of my days. Richard Parker had risen and emerged. He was not fifteen feet from me. Oh, the size of him! The hyena’s end had come, and mine.’† Here, Pi who is on the point of death. Richard Parker, a deadly animal, could have easily killed Pi. However, due to Pi’s prayer, he is saved. A rat â€Å"appeared out of nowhere† and Pi is able to fling at Richard Parker who accepts the rat as an â€Å"offering† and flops back down on the bottom of the lifeboat. Pi’s prayer along with many others had been answered due to the immense amount of faith and dedication Pi shows throughout the novel. Pi has the faith to go on. Even in the most difficult situations, he realizes that in order to survive or even have the will to survive he must put his trust in God and have faith that things will get better. Pi stays strong and courageous and never has the attitude of defeat, he believes that he will get off the lifeboat eventually. Pi has faith in everything around him, giving him more motivation to continue on with his daily life on the boat.   Throughout the course of this entire novel, Pi’s faith is put to the test. At the beginning of the novel, an older Pi states that he can tell a story that will make the author believe in God, which is true in many ways. Yann Martel creates two stories on Pi’s survival in the Pacific while talking to the Japanese insurance investors. One story involving the zoo animals that was very long, fantastical and elaborate and the other that was incredibly brutal and deals directly with issues such as human brutality and  cannibalis m. The story with Richard Parker and the zoo animals is told in great depth for 318 pages of the novel, but after the insurance investigators flat out tell Pi â€Å"We do not believe your story† Pi recreates another more believable, yet more gruesome story. In Pi’s second story he retells the first one but using humans instead. He hints that the zebra is the Japanese sailor (innocent and defeated), Pi’s mother is the orang-utan,(motherly and caring) the hyena is the cook (pure example of evil in humans) and Pi is Richard Parker. In his second story, the cook is a pure example of evil in humans, which is something that many choose to believe that such a thing does not exist. The first story Pi tells is a much more powerful, inspiring story but the second is more believable in many ways. So where does God come in? How can this story make someone believe in God? In a way, Richard Parker represents God. At the end of the novel, when Pi has told his long story to two Japanese insurance investigators but they refuse to believe him, Pi tells a shorter, ugly version that is much more believable, but many hate to believe. Then Pi asks the investigators which story they prefer. Many want to believe in the story where Richard Parker existed because it’s a better story than the one of madness, murder and cannibalism but that is where faith comes in. Faith that Pi was telling the truth the whole time. So what about the prediction at the beginning, that the story will make anyone believe in God? Yann Martel uses the desire to believe in Richard Parker as a stand in for God, creating an analogy, that the readers and audience must make on their own. Pi desperately wants to believe in God. The whole point of the novel is to trick the reader into the question, which is the better story?. Of course everyone prefers Richard Parker to be real. The theme is to accept that belief in God is the better story, just how Richard Parker is hoped to be real. Yann Martel states people prefer religion over reality because the story of God is a better story than reality.The novel is an elaborate metaphor to explain why people believe in God. It doesn’t say that God exists. It just says people prefer to belief in God because it’s a better story than how we see reality directly. Conclusion: During the course of life of Pi, the theme of faith occurs often. Whether it is keeping Pi educated, alive or even kept in the back of  people’s minds long after the novel ends. Faith gives Pi the power to go on, even when he feels as if everything is hopeless. So, without Pi’s faith in God that he developed near the beginning he would not have made it through the 227 long, hard days as sea. And whichever story is right, the better story will always be the one with Richard Parker because faith is God and God is faith.

Formal and Informal Organisations Management

Introduction This essay is based on Formal and Informal organisations and the details and difference between the two. Recommendations and conclusions are also drawn based on the information presented. Formal and Informal Organisations The fundamental concepts of formal and informal organisations are regarded with the nature and processes in the workplace. A formal organization is the actual framework of the organization including its organizational chart and its chain of command which determines accountability.However, within the informal organization, otherwise known as the ‘grapevine’ in a business, is the familiar working relationships that are established in the business place and contributes significantly to work culture. (Reingold, 2007) The real purpose of an organizational chart is to effectively outline the structure of the formal organization. It shows who is accountable to whom, from the top management to middle management and front line employees. It also sho ws the horizontalrelationships of the different functional and operational divisions and department personnel.This chart consists of the functional framework and is important in the workplace to establish stability, clarity in work relationships and reporting standards between supervisors and subordinates. (Parker, 2002) Although top management in some businesses does not take into account, the actuality of informal organizations when trying to determine culture, it does have an essential influence on work dynamism. Workers interact with each other at different intervals and in different situations such as lunch, in the break room, and even after work.These encounters can greatly influence the level of the sense of belongingness each employee experiences or feels in the working environment. If it is that these encounters are generally negative, the quality of work ethics and morale will be very poor. (Reingold, 2007) Understanding the direct reporting relationships outlined in the o rganizational chart is often less important than knowing the ‘go-to people’ in the company. For ambitious employees, this may mean looking beyondimmediate coworkers and managers and finding helpful mentors and internal coaches that want to help them succeed.Information communication networks are also useful tools in learning how the company works just beyond what is conveyed from top management. It is important to note that when front line employees get prompted into management positions they often forget the significance in striking a balance between the formal structure and informal networks within the business. Disciplined structure and clear reporting relationships are important. However, management also has a lot to gain by remembering that informal networks are real and is of much use.Managers can maximize insight on how employees feel towards their jobs and how functional terms are operating through familiar conversations. While formal relationships are key to ac complishing organizational and departmental goals and objectives they are sometimes restrictive to open interactions. (Parker M. , 2003) An example of a formal organization would be the Jamaica National Building Society which has clear concise goals written and duly communicated. It is a registered financial institution that provides service to the public in a very organized and structured manner both in physical space and information management.An example of an informal organization would be a study group where interactions are familiar and there is no legal framework or organizational structure that governs the operations of the group. In businesses, employees are both part of the formal organization as well as the informal. A sales clerk in a marketing company is part of the formal structure of the business and is given a job description and specification but can also be part of an informal organization within the same business such as a partner group.Recommendation Individuals i n an organization normally work according to the structure prescribed by formality. However, at the same time, they develop other relationships in the organization, which may be deeply grounded on personal rather than work related principles. Both formal and informal organisations exist in all businesses and can impact their operations in negative and positive ways. My preference and recommendations with regards to choosing between the two would be the formal organization as it has many advantages.It constitutes the fundamental structure of the delegation of work and responsibilities. Without a structure it would be very difficult for employees to agree between themselves and their roles and functions and such problems multiply in large amounts with the increase in size of the organization. In addition to this, formal organisations generate clarity of what support and input each employee can expect form others and in turn what is expected of him/her by others. Extreme discipline is promoted in the business and so employees have respect for each other.In formal organisations it is easier to review and revise the organization with changing requirements. It provides a framework or structure for laying down pay scales and taking other decisions linked to organizational levels. It also helps in other human resources development activities such as recruitment, promotions, career planning and development and manpower planning. Conclusion Formal organisations are characterized by a chain of command and empowered individuals to enforce agreed upon rules. Rotary clubs and boy scouts are examples of formal organisations.They both have a charter stating their place and function in society. On the other hand, an informal organization is one where the participants have no empowered central leader who has the power to enforce rules on the group. References Parker, A. (2002). Myths about Informal Networks. Sloan Management Review , 345-350. Parker, M. (2003). The Psychologica l Foundations of Business Administration. The Early Siciology of Management and Organisations , 216-235. Reingold, J. (2007). Hidden Workplace. Comments on organisation , 706-811.