Environmental and Consumer Influences Analysis

Environmental and Consumer Influences Analysis Introduction When purchasing an item, there are a number of factors that influence the final decision of the buyer. Whether it is a good or a service, there is a process that drives an individual to go for an item and forego the other. He or she takes an evaluation of the product in regard to the market potential before buying, during the action of buying, and even after the final transaction has been made, that is after buying. In other words, it is worth noting that that this is a cognitive process that leads to a specific action among many alternatives. When identifying the decision making process, one notes that consumer behavior becomes the area of concern, in that selecting an item will have impact after transaction has been made, (Connell, 2008). In this essay, I am going to identify and broaden the explanation concerning how psychological, social and some external factors affect the consumer’s decision of purchasing an item such as a communication gadget. Psychological factors These are factors that affect an individual’s mind before making the final decision of purchasing a communication gadget. They constitute of consumers thought, feelings, reasoning, likes and dislike of that product. Attitude, perception and personality are some of the psychological factor that influence the decision making process. On this note, I am going to have a brief explanation how these three factors influence the consumer behavior. Attitude According to Hogg, (2005), attitude refers to individual’s opinions or feelings within the context of marketing, usually expressed through behavior. These components are highly interdependent and will be among the final determinants of the overall forces that will influence buying. In a brief note, an individual may have a certain belief concerning the originality of a product. In this case, he or she is going to be selective basing argument on producers that is the country of origin. A consumer may argue that communication gadgets from a given country are known to be the best in the world, hence rejecting those from competing nations. Perception Perception is the unique way about how an individual understand or view something. Psychology bases arguments to the stimuli being exposed to an individual’s mind. A number of factors affect how one perceives products. Exposure, interpretation, subliminal stimuli and certain laws such as Weber’s law are used to give a psychological explanation of perception. Connell, (2008) says that the number of times an individual gets exposed to a given product will influence his or her purchasing decision. In this case, exposure links to final interpretation making an individual to prefer a mobile phone from a particular company to that of a competing company. This is due to personal views in terms of shape, color and size. Weber’s law supports perception involvement in decision making process with the argument that, even though there may be a little change between the current and the original product, an individual may not experience these changes. He or she will therefore insist purchasing one similar to the one originally exposed to. Closely linked to perception, there is personality, which I have independently explained below. Personality-Every individual has that uniqueness, which makes him or her to behave in a particular way especially in social situations. For instance, if a person is willing to purchase a mobile phone, he or she is going to choose one reflecting his current status in terms of prestige or economic status. Personality is dynamic and involves a pattern of thoughts including feelings and social adjustments that will exhibit consistently hence influencing overall expectation which in turn link to attitude, values and self-perception, (Connell, 2008). Social factors In the decision making process, social factors also has an influence. Among these factors are those fact and experiences influencing or controlling an individual’s lifestyle and personality. They are the factors that affect and direct an individual’s lifestyle dictated by societal expectations. Some of these factors are family, social class and reference groups one has identified him or herself with and the reference groups. Family- This is the basic unit of companionship through birth, marriage or co-residence. A family may influence an individual’s decision of purchasing a product in a very convincing manner. Psychologists such as Karl Marx and Engel has put forward theories to explain the how families may change their structure and effects of such changes. According to their theories, an individual is always tied to decision making process on the basis of this basic unit of identification. For instance, if one is willing to purchase a new mobile phone, the number of people in the family who will be able to use it will influence the final decision. It may sound awkward incase an individual purchase an item and he becomes the only person who can use it with minimal coach maybe due to his or her education status. Social class- Apart from the family, there is that social group or status one is identified with. For instance, an individual may have identified him or herself with a high class group, (Hogg, 2005). This will in turn limit his or her decisions in purchasing items since it must fit with the group requirement. In this case, one will be forced to purchase an expensive phone which might be the latest to be introduced in the market so as to reveal a rich status. On the other hand, an individual from the lower class will prefer a simple communication gadget that will be cheap and will successfully service his or her communication. Reference groups In addition, the kind of daily interactions an individual makes will also determine the type of mobile phone to purchase. There exist different types of groups that a person may interact with on daily basis and in the long run be the ultimate determiners of the model, type, price and even the performance of the item. In this case, one will try to associate him or herself with the group by purchasing a phone similar to majority of the peer. External factors Other than the internal factors, (Connell, 2008), there are other influences that can have an impact on the final decision concerning the purchasing of a mobile phone. They include technology, culture and political influences. Technology It refers to knowledge involved in making and modification of tools for effective usage. Technology may hinder, promote or limit an individual’s desire and ability to purchase an item, in this case a mobile phone. This is because the preference of the buyer may not be available in the market. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, an individual may purchase an item at certain moments so as to gain prestige or self-actualization. This therefore means if one wants the latest model of mobile phone, technology will limit what to purchase due to availability. For instance, a certain model may not be available making an individual to purchase the best offered in the locality though it may not be identified as the best model of his or her wish. Culture-This is a set of beliefs, ideas and ways in which individuals in a particular group or organization behave. The above sets of conditions are the ultimate determinants of how a person will behave in a society. In the case of decision making process, there are situations whereby what one can purchase is limited to the likes and dislikes of the society. For instance, a person might be willing to purchase a mobile phone with a different country of originality yet their country produces phones and in turn limits import of other models. This will limit such a decision and in the long run, one will be required to promote the society one lives in. Political influence It is from politics where laws are amended and implemented. Political stability may promote or limits someone’s ability to move and acquire items of his or her wish. However, a given country may inhibit or promote entry of certain products hence influence an individual’s chance to purchase a product such as mobile phones. Conclusion Ranging from consumer’s own influences, it is now evident that the environment may also influence the ultimate decision of an individual to purchase a product. However, there is more other factor not explained in my essay. These include business ethics, brands, packaging, legal factors and ecological factors among others. References Hogg, M. K. (2005). Consumer behavior I: research and influences. London: SAGE Publications. Connell, K. Y. (2008). Ecological Consumer Decision Making: Nature, Process, and Barriers in Apparel Acquisition. ProQuest.

Watching A Disappearing Number in Theater Essay -- Simon McBurney

Choose one production that you have seen and which you particularly enjoyed and discuss the aspects which made it so successful. A Disappearing Number I went to see a Disappearing Number, in the Theater. The production was performed by Complicite and was directed by Simon McBurney. I really enjoyed this performance. I thought that the mixture of maths and romance as well as the structure of the performance by incorporating the past and the present together, was extremely successful. The most successful aspect of the performance for me were the scene changes. I found that the rotation of the blackboard, center stage, where the actors were able to stoop beneath it in order to enter and exit the stage, was an effective touch to this non naturalistic performance. When this was first used, at the end of the first scene, when the characters Ruth and Al left the stage, I thought it didn't quite fit as at the beginning the style was leaning towards realism. But as the play progressed and the acting style became more and more non naturalistic, and this rotation of the black board technique was used more frequently it fitted in really well and became really effective. Later on in the performance when Ramanujan and Hardy are introduced, again the scene changes were quick, swift and rapid. Screens were used to conceal the actors as they came on to the stage and then conceal the other actors as they left the stage. The two different scenes which the screens helped to alternate between were Ramanujan, a remarkable mathematician, living in one of the poorest areas of India and the prominent mathematician, G.H Hardy in Cambridge, two people who were in correspondence with each other. Since each of the scenes were short, the use of t... ...was taken away so suddenly. And pain, for moving on. When Al got to the river the projected image of water is repeated. This recurring image from when Ramanujan dies in the past is brought forward into the present storyline making the link between the past and present even stronger. Because this is a repeated image, the water becomes a metaphor for death, the death of Ramanujan and the death of Ruth and her baby. This scene is a peaceful scene even with this metaphor attached. The audience gets to empathise with Al as he lets go of the past and moves on. Imagery is key in this final scene. The sand that each of the characters pour out from various objects, Al pouring from the cremation box and Ramanujan pouring from his tablet, shows the passing of time. A final connection between the two parts to the performance, the past and the present, the key to the whole play.

Manager’s Function, Skills and Role Essay

This page investigates the skills, roles and functions of Management. For any organisation to achieve the goals it has established and be successful it needs managers to correctly implement and understand the functions, skills and roles involved in the managerial process. How these are applied will vary depending on what level of management a particular manager is involved in (high, middle, low) and the organisation. Regardless of these two factors all management decisions focus on the efficient and effective use of resources for the benefit of the organisation, in the direction of its desired goals and/or objectives. The Functions of Management The four functions of management are planning, organising, leading and controlling (Davidson et al, 2009. p.13). Planning involves reviewing the current situation and generating a plan that will allow the organisation to meet its established goals and objectives (Selley, 2009). This could entail generating a plan to increase profit and detail how this will be achieved (focus on capturing a larger market share or perhaps moving into a new market). Correct planning ensures there is a degree of focus, while also providing a structured timeline that relevant stakeholders can adhere too. The second stage is organising, this is where management prepares for the task ahead by delegating resources and responsibilities, as efficiently and effectively as possible (Pakhare, 2011). During this stage management would consider the different departments and divisions within its organisation and provide authority and tasks as necessary. An organisation that wants to increase its profit might use the organising stage to outline the roles of marketing (investigate and promote new market share) and separate these from the accounting department (assess the viability by calculating projected sales and expenses) while also ensuring they all have the necessary resources to complete the work. Davidson et al. defines leading as the process of getting members to work together for a common interest (2009. p.14). Leading requires a manager to have a positive influence on people while also inspiring them to complete their jobs (making this vital in low-middle management), this in turn improves their job performance through a positive work environment (Expert Manage, 2011). It is important to establish this positive environment to ensure that deadlines set in the initial planning stage can be met and resources are not being wasted. The final stage in the function of management is controlling, this stage is important in the establishment of performance standards and ensuring these standards are adhered too while also taking corrective actions against deviation. If for example deadlines are not being met the manager should investigate, if they this was due to incorrect original estimates relating to the workload required, the manager could increase staffing for the particular project. Management has been described as a social process involving responsibility for economical and effective planning & regulation of operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of given purposes. It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. Rather these activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status.Different experts have classified functions of management. According toGeorge & Jerry, â€Å"There are four fundamental functions of management i.e. planning, organizing, actuating and controlling†. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, & to control†. Whereas Luther Gullick has given a keyword ’POSDCORB’ where P stands for Planning, O for Organizing, S for Staffing, D for Directing, Co for Co-ordination, R for reporting & B for Budgeting. But the most widely accepted are functions of management given by KOONTZ and O’DONNEL i.e.Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling.| For theoretical purposes, it may be convenient to separate the function of management but practically these functions are overlapping in nature i.e. they are highly inseparable. Each function blends into the other & each affects the performance of others. 1. Planning It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre-determined goals. According to KOONTZ, â€Å"Planning is deciding in advance – what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be†. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem solving & decision making. Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc. 2. Organizing It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i.e. raw material, tools, capital and personnel’s†. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure. Organizing as a process involves: * Identification of activities. * Classification of grouping of activities. * Assignment of duties. * Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility. * Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships. 3. Staffing It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater importance in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. The main purpose o staffing is to put right man on right job i.e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. According to Kootz & O’Donell, â€Å"Managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal & development of personnel to fill the roles designed un the structure†. Staffing involves: * Manpower Planning (estimating man power in terms of searching, choose the person and giving the right place). * Recruitment, selection & placement. * Training & development. * Remuneration. * Performance appraisal. * Promotions & transfer. 4. Directing It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. It is considered life-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action of people because planning, organizing and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work. Direction is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. Direction has following elements: * Supervision * Motivation * Leadership * Communication Supervision- implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching & directing work & workers. Motivation- means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive, negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose. Leadership- may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of subordinates in desired direction. Communications- is the process of passing information, experience, opinion etc from one person to another. It is a bridge of understanding. 5. Controlling It implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. According to Theo Haimann, â€Å"Controlling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation†. According to Koontz & O’Donell â€Å"Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished†. Therefore controlling has following steps: * Establishment of standard performance. * Measurement of actual performance. * Comparison of actual performance with the standards and finding out deviation if any. * Corrective action. Management Skills While a solid grasp of management functions is important management should also have a sound skill base, a report by Hay’s Group suggests this is a weak area for most individuals in management and is one of the biggest threats to business success (Financial Advisor, 2007). These skills include but are not limited to technical, interpersonal and conceptual skills. â€Å"Technical skills are those necessary to accomplish or understand the specific work being done in an organisation,† (Davidson et al, 2009. p.19). These technical skills are used mostly at the lower levels of management and are obtained through experience and training. An example of technical skills could be introducing and teaching a new accountant the accounting system used by the firm. Interpersonal skills focus on the ability to work with, motivate and communicate with other people (Hahn, 2007). This skill is very important for managers to create a strong relationship between both individuals and groups within the organisation (Dale, 2008, p.121) this will ensure that there is trust and respect between these parties, allowing tasks to be completed effectively and efficiently. The final core skill of management is conceptual thinking, this is the ability to consider a situation both abstractly and logically in order to come to the correct decision based on internal and external environments (Griffin, 2011. p.179). Globalisation has made this skill extremely important for managers (especially those in high-level positions), as they must be able to break-down and analyse information to make immense decisions that potentially have a worldwide impact. Management Roles Through numerous managerial roles the skills discussed above are put into practice. Mitzberg’s observations and research suggest that a manger’s role can be split into ten roles and three categories; interpersonal (management through people), informational (management through information) and decisional (management through action) (Daft and Marcic, 2010. p.17). Interpersonal roles naturally form an important part of being a manager and relate to activities involving other people. Some interpersonal tasks could involve being a figurehead and speaking at important organisation ceremonies, motivating employees through leadership or serving as a liaison between different departments (Davidson et al, 2009. p.18). Informational roles are focused on the processing of information, this could include seeking out information while also analysing and monitoring for relevant changes that apply to the organisation, communicating information to your co-workers or being a spokesperson on behalf of the organisation (MindTools, 2011). Informational roles require quick and thorough processing of information and resilience to information overload. The final category is decisional which requires decisions to be made using the information provided. This could require developing innovate ideas, serving as a mediator to resolve conflict, allocating resources within the organisation and negotiating on the organisations behalf. A manager involved in a decisional role must have strong problem solving abilities, be able to prioritise and have good negotiation skills. Reference List Daft, R. Marcic, D. Woods, 2010, Understanding Management, 7nd edition, Cengage Learning. Davidson, P. Simon, A. Woods, P & Griffin, R.W. 2009, Management: Core concepts and applications, 2nd edition, Wiley, Brisbane. Expert Manage 2010, Four Functions of Management, viewed 23 August 2011,http://www.expertmanage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122&Itemid=166 Financial Adviser 2007, ‘Middle managers are lacking skills,’ 22 February, p.1 Griffin, R.W. 2011, Fundamentals of Management, Cengage Learning. Hahn, M. 2005, Management Skills, viewed 24 August 2011, http://en.articlesgratuits.com/management-skills-id1586.php Mind Tools 2009, Mintzberg’s Management Roles, viewed 23 August 2011,http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/management-roles.htm Pakhare, J 2010, Management Concepts – The Four Functions of Management, Buzzle, viewed 22 August 2011,http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of -management.html Selly, N 2009, How the four functions of management leads to business success, Helium, viewed 22 August 2011,http://www.helium.com/items/1586308-why-fayols-functions-of-management-can-avoid-failure-in-business-and-lead-to-business-success

Rhetorical Analysis Of Forrest Gump - 944 Words

Forrest Gump is an All American, fan favorite, award-winning film directed by Robert Zemeckis that was released on July 6, 1994. Tom Hanks stars as the main character, Forrest Gump. The award-winning movie’s genre is best described as an epic romantic comedy drama. Many rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos are made throughout the entire movie. Pathos is used the most effecting the audiences’ emotions from beginning to end. The film is based on Forrest Gump’s life, in which he narrated as a historical story throughout the movie. Forrest Gump was born and raised in Greenbow, Alabama by his single mother. Forrest was mentally and physically handicapped. He had to wear medal braces on both of his legs. He also faced many†¦show more content†¦Forrest’s mother thinks an education is the primary source for living a stereotypical normal life. Forrest has a totally different outlook he sees school as a playground for bullies even though he s eriously believes everyone, no matter their intelligence level, deserves and has the right to an education. Thankfully, in America we have many rights and freedoms. Yet, our freedom is not free. With much respect, our freedom is earned by the bravery of many men and woman. The effects of the Vietnam War can be considered a theme in the movie, Forrest Gump. This film portrays the Vietnam War with a child-like, simplicity outlook but contains much deeper meaning like thinking about life, death, and destiny. While at war, Forrest saved Lieutenant Dan Taylor’s life, yet Lieutenant was not satisfied. He believed it was his destiny to die which put many things into perspective for Forrest such as life and death, especially after Forrest saw his best friend, Bubba, die at war. Forrest Gump stated in remembrance, â€Å"My mama always said, dyin’ was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn’t.† In the movie, Forrest Gump, symbolism is an outstanding feature that is t alentedly expressed many times by Director Zemeckis. Shown at the beginning and at the end of the movie was a white feather. The feather symbolizes Forrest’s child-like innocence and purity. While the feather is shown again at the end with Forrest Jr. representing the pureness and innocence of life. In multipleShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Tom Hanks Vassar Speech in 20051375 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis Tom Hanks Vassar Speech in 2005 Introduction Famous actors, musicians, politicians, artists and authors are often called upon to deliver commencement addresses at prestigious places of higher learning. It doesnt take Nobel-Prize-winning social scientists or psychologists, or speech professors to predict what these elite guest speakers will say on such occasions such as these. The speaker will tell the graduating class to aim high, never give up, make the most of opportunities